Eduard Schmieder

Conductor

www.EduardSchmieder.com

Born and educated in Russia, Eduard Schmieder has been characterized as an “extraordinary musician of the late 20th century.” His ability to communicate with audiences and students alike places him in a rare category of elite performers and educators. As artist and teacher, Schmieder amalgamates and creatively transforms the great traditions of American and European art.

As a conductor, Schmieder has performed in such prestigious halls as Cite de la Musique in Paris, Crown Hall in Jerusalem, Grand Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Wagner Hall in Riga and other major concert halls worldwide. On April 14, 1996, Eduard Schmieder performed a recital in Genoa, on Paganini’s famous Guarneri del Gesu “Il Cannone” violin.

Currently Eduard Schmieder holds Carnell Distinguished Professor Chair at Temple University, Philadelphia. Prior to his appointment at Temple University, he was Distinguished Algur H. Meadows Chair of Violin and Chamber Music in the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas (1990-2006), and tenured professor of the violin at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the position formerly held by Jascha Heifetz.

As violinist he has been collaborating with celebrated musicians in major concert halls throughout the world, and gives master classes at the foremost conservatories and music festivals.

He frequently represents the United States as a jury member at leading international competitions including Queen Elisabeth, Sibelius, Mozart, Paganini, Sarasate, Lipizer, and ARD among others.

Students of professor Schmieder have established careers as prominent soloists, active chamber musicians, and hold principal positions in major orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, London, Los Angeles, Israel Philharmonies, Bavarian State, Dresden Staatskapella, Dallas Symphony, and others. He is Music Director and Conductor of iPalpiti orchestral ensemble of international laureates.

“..a serous and resourceful podium personality.” Daniel Cariaga, Los Angeles Times

“I shall never forget his extraordinary power over the players; his drive is quite astounding.” Margaret Campbell, FRSA Music Critic, The Strad and Author of The Great Violinists and The Great Cellists

“… [He] is a remarkable conductor.” John Ardoin, Dallas Morning news

Samuel Nebyu

Violinist/Hungary

FEATURED SOLOIST 2017

Samuel Nebyu is the Grand prize winner of the 2015 National ASTA (American String Teachers Association) Solo Competition, the “Remember Enescu” International Violin Competition (Romania, 2013), the Flame International Violin Competition (Paris, 2008), and a winner of the Beverly Hills National Auditions (CA, 2014). Born in Hungary of Ethiopian-Jewish descent, Samuel spent most of his early childhood in Asia. He began playing the violin at the age of six. At fifteen, he was admitted to the Young Talents Program at the Brussels Royal Conservatory where he received tutelage from renowned musicians, including Igor Oistrakh. He was a violinist-in-residence for several years at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium. Currently, he is studying at Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University under Laura C. Carnell Professor of Violin and Artistic Director of Strings, Dr. Eduard Schmieder. Samuel has performed at important international music festivals, including the Eilat Music Festival (Israel), the Mozarteum Festival (Salzburg), the Ravello Festival (Italy), and the Summit Music Festival (New York). As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, and with the iPalpiti orchestra in Los Angeles at the Wallis Annenberg Center (2015) and at Walt Disney Concert Hall (2017). He has given recitals and performed as a soloist in venues such as the Centre of Performing Arts in Brussels (BOZAR), Peles Castle in Romania, the Wiener Saal in Salzburg, the Alice Tully Hall in New York. In 2016, he received the prestigious Clifton Emerging Artist Award, gave a recital at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and became a prize winner of the Mozarteum Salzburg Festpiel competition – the only one of 291 violinists to be selected as one of the eight prize winners – and was further honored to conclude the winners concert at the Mozarteum Grosse Saal. His new CD “Violin Gems from Black Composers” was released on BCM+D label this spring, was selected for Grammy nomination, and named Best Album of the Year by numerous classic radio stations across the nation, including KUSC-FM.

Juan-Miguel Hernandez

Violist/CANADA

FEATURED SOLOIST 2017

“…tender, lyrical, loaded with personality” (Atlanta Journal Constitution), violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez is also recognized for drawing “...the sweetest, most sonorous tone...”  (Washington Post).   Juan-Miguel is a member of the legendary Fine Arts Quartet and the youngest Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy of Music in London.  As a founding member of the Harlem Quartet he performed with them from 2006 to 2012.  Winner of the First Prize at the 16^th International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria in 2009, Juan-Miguel is delighted to join as a juror for its 2017 edition.  Other top prizes include the National Canadian Music Competition, and the 9th National Sphinx Competition in 2006.  As a featured soloist, Juan-Miguel has appeared with orchestras in Atlanta, Seattle, Colorado, Rochester, and Chicago.  Performances in recent seasons have brought Juan-Miguel on tour throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America, Canada, and the United States.  Juan-Miguel has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Kim Kashkashian, Gérard Caussé, Nicolas Dautricourt, Misha Dichter, the Weilerstein trio as well as Jazz living legends Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Stanley Clark and Paquito D’Rivera.  Recent festival and program appearances as guest artist and teacher include the Festival Pablo Casals (Prades, France), the Festival Des Arcs (France), the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (Italy), Orford Academy (Canada), Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (South Africa), the Salzburg Festival, the Brevard Summer Institute, the Mozaic Festival, Festicamara (Colombia), Montreal Jazz & Panama Jazz Festivals and Musica Mundi International Festival (Belgium).  His strong commitment to educate and engage new audiences all around the globe have brought him to reach young musicians and various communities through art convoys in South Africa and Venezuela, various music festivals in South America and outreach projects in Europe and North America.  He has appeared on NBC’s Good Morning America, the Today Show and the Telemundo Network.  His discography includes three quartet CDs as well as multiple collaborations with Chick Corea, Gary Burton and Norah Jones.  In 2010, he was honored with the medal of the National Assembly of Quebec.  As a distinguished alumnus of the iPalpiti (2005 to 2010), he returns this season as a soloist in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), and the Mozarteum (Salzburg).www.jmhernandez.com

iPalpiti Orchestra

Acclaimed by the press for its “beauteous string playing”, “lustrous, polished tone,” and “vocal quality”, iPalpiti (ee-PAHL-pit-ee is Italian for “heartbeats”) is a consortium of prize-winning young professional musicians from around the globe, where each member is considered a soloist.

Under his direction, iPalpiti has performed to sold-out audiences in prestigious venues such as Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Mozarteum Grosse Hall (Salzburg), Nikkei Hall (Tokyo), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), YMCA Jerusalem, Carnegie Zankel Hall (New York), and has been invited as ensemble-in-residence at festivals in Slovenia, Israel, Carinthia, Belgium, and Italy, as well as the Martha Argerich Festival in Beppu, Japan.

iPalpiti has since grown to an ensemble of international recognition, establishing a summer residency in Beverly Hills, California in 1999. iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles—presented annually since 1998—is one of the nation’s significant music festivals and the subject of international accolades. The prestigious STRAD magazine devoted numerous enthusiastic features and reviews, and the Los Angeles Times acclaimed the Festival’s ”take-your-breath-away demonstrations of musicianship and technique,” where artists are encouraged to find their “own voice,” performing as iPalpiti Soloists in solo and chamber ensemble concerts. Referred to as a “Musical Peace Corps,” iPalpiti has created an international cultural network of hundreds of classical artists, forging life-time associations and friendships that transcend the conflicts of our time.

The orchestra’s players (ages 19-32) are all winners of prestigious international awards and represent countries worldwide. iPalpiti alumni have established solo and chamber ensemble careers and have taken up leading positions in major international orchestras such as the Chicago, Tokyo, Jerusalem, Monte Carlo, Bavarian State and Munich Symphonies, London, Berlin and Israel Philharmonics, Dresden Staatskapelle, etc. Several have exclusive recordings with labels like Decca, Telarc, and Supraphon records, and are considered among the premier musicians of their generation.

iPalpiti’s performances have been acclaimed by critics throughout the world. In 1996 Noord Holland Dagblad proclaimed “[iPalpiti’s] performance can be called righteously overwhelming.” John Ardoin of the Dallas Morning News raved “iPalpiti sprang to life as a single, singing voice. It was the natural, ‘vocal’ quality that stayed with me long after the final notes of the concert were sounded,” while the Los Angeles Times hailed the group’s performances as “an astounding demonstration of seamless and beauteous string playing…memorable, luminous, deeply moving performance” (Daniel Cariaga 2000) and as a “cool display of virtuosity…unified to an often startling degree” (2006). The New York Times noted that “…ensemble was particularly noteworthy for its unity of purpose and blend. It was as if the musicians’ hearts were beating to the same buoyant rhythm…lustrous, polished tone and graceful phrasing.” (2007)

iPalpiti has released 20 CDs issued on TELOS, YAI/iPalpiti and BCM+D Records. Performances are broadcast by Classic Arts Showcase nationally to over 62 million viewers on PBS/Art Channel and other public television channels, in Philadelphia on WRTI, New York on WQXR-FM.