Described by Fanfare Magazine as “a specialist in everything, from Bach to new-music premieres…” violinist Ida Bieler is renowned as a musician of extraordinary scope. A winner of prestigious competitions on three continents, she has enjoyed an exceptional solo, collaborative and recording career worldwide, and is one of the most sought-after teachers of her generation.

Bieler has performed the canon of major violin concertos with over forty orchestras on four continents, including the premiere of Penderecki’s second violin concerto under the direction of the composer.  Her groundbreaking achievement as the first American woman appointed concertmaster of a major European orchestra, the “Gürzenich Orchestra” of Cologne, led to a major ensemble career in Germany’s legendary Melos String Quartet and the acclaimed Xyrion Piano Trio. Over the course of a celebrated performing career spanning more than thirty years she has also produced an impressive catalogue of solo and chamber recordings with such labels as Naxos, MDG, Harmonia Mundi Musique, Coviello and Genuin. Awards and prizes have included the Cannes “Classical” award, the Echo “Klassik”, Fono Forum’s “Stern des Monats”, and Strad’s “Chamber Music Selection.”

Ida Bieler has performed and been a frequent guest artist in major international festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Beethovenfest Bonn, the Music Academy of the West, and the Ravinia and Marlboro festivals.  One of today’s preeminent pedagogues, Bieler has held full professorships in Germany, England, Austria, and the US, and leads annual masterclasses worldwide. Bieler’s outstanding students are international prize laureates, thriving chamber musicians, and winners of positions in major orchestras. Since 2013 she has been Artist-Teacher of Violin at UNCSA, and is a new faculty member of NYU’s Steinhardt School of Music and Performing Arts.

One of Israel’s eminent musicians, cellist Hillel Zori, who has been hailed by the international press to “have his playing linked directly to the Jewish-romantic tradition,” has distinguished himself as winner of the gold medal at the Canals Competition in Barcelona, a laureate of the Geneva-CIEM, the Whitaker and the Cremona-Premio Stradivari competitions as well as winner of the Dutilleux prize at the Rostropovich competition and the Jackson Award at Tanglewood Music Center. A consecutive awardee of the AICF, he studied with Uzi Wiesel at the Tel Aviv Rubin Academy and later at the New England Conservatory in the US with Bernard Greenhouse. His vast repertoire spans from Bach cello suites to contemporary music including numerous premieres.

Since his 1984 debut with the Israel philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Zori has been featured as soloist with many orchestras such as the Dusseldorf Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony, the Bremen Kamerphilharmonie, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the Israel Camerata and the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra to name a few, performing with prominent conductors such as Mehta, Shalon, Sloane, Paternostro, Brabins, Volkov, Velber, Sheriff and many more.

An avid chamber musician, he has toured the globe extensively as a guest in festivals such as Marlboro, Tanglewood, Solsona, Keshet Eilon, Jerusalem and Dartington festivals collaborating with celebrated artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Shmuel Ashkenazi, Hagai Shaham, Atar Arad, Pnina Saltzmann, Eugene Drucker and Vadim Gluzmann to name a few. His versatile activities have brought him to major venues such as the Wigmore Hall, the Carnegie Zankel Hall, the Tel Aviv Museum, the Moscow Music Dome and the UN General Assembly Hall in NY performing Bruch Kol Nodrei under the baton of Zubin Mehta for the 2009 International Holocaust Memorial Day.

Active also as a composer and as conductor, he wrote a virtuoso suite for cello and orchestra on themes from the opera Carmen, a Ladino Medley for strings, a string trio, and “Carmel”- songs and verses for voice and chamber ensemble. His adaptation of Wiesenberg’s “Monodialogue”- Fantasy for viola, (dedicated to Tabea Zimmermann) – was published by Schott Music. As a conductor, he has conducted the Ra’anana Symphonette, the Israel Camerata and the Israel Youth Philharmonic among others. As a recording artist, he was featured on the BBC3, the IBA and the SWR radio stations, and his album for Cello Classics “Inspirals”, cellists –composers’ anthology, was selected by the BBC as a January 2014 “CD of the Week”.

A most sought after pedagogue; among his numerous students are winners of national and international competitions. He has served as juror for international competitions and presented master classes around the world. A regular guest to the Keshet Eilon String Seminar as well as the Jerusalem Music center, Zori serves as professor and head of strings at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. 

Paul Sharpe is the Professor of Double Bass and an assistant dean at UNCSA. He has performed in recital at prestigious music festivals and venues all over the world – including Germany (Villa Musica), Italy (Orfeo), France (Bass2008), Poland (World Bass Festival), Brazil (Bass Encounter), Virginia’s Garth Newel Chamber Institute and Alaska (Anchorage Chamber Music Festival and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival).

As soloist he has performed with the orchestras of Winston-Salem, Boise, Theatro Sao Pedro (Porto Allegre, Brazil), Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, Lubbock, Dallas Chamber and Aspen Young Artists. His work as a member of the unique cello-bass duo, Low and Lower has pushed him from the traditional role of a classical double bassist into singing, acting, composing, arranging and more. Sharpe serves as Principal Bass of the Winston-Salem Symphony, is a frequent guest principal and assistant principal bass of Charleston (South Carolina) Symphony and a bassist with Arizona MusicFest.

Stefan Schilling began studies at the age of 15 under Professor Hans-Dietrich Klaus in Detmold, Germany. In addition to first prizes in the German youth music competition “Jugend musiziert” and the German Music Academy Competition, he received grants from the Study Foundation of the German People, the Herbert von Karajan Foundation, and the German Music Council.

From 1991 to 1992 he was principal clarinet at the Staatstheater Darmstadt before he took the same position in the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in 1993. An avid chamber musician, he regularly performs with musicians such as Lars Vogt, Mitsuko Uchida, and Leipziger Streichquartett. In addition to his orchestral duties, Schilling is Professor of Clarinet at the University for Music and the Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. His students hold positions in orchestras and universities throughout Europe and abroad.

Saxton Rose is principal bassoonist of the Winston-Salem Symphony and a member of the acclaimed New York-based wind quintet Zéphyros Winds. He was principal bassoonist of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2008 and has appeared as guest principal bassoonist with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. A frequent concerto soloist, recent engagements include appearances with the National Symphony of Colombia, National Symphony of Panamá, Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río (Mexico), Puerto Rico Symphony, and the West Point Band. Formerly Professor of Bassoon at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he is now Dean of the School of Music and director of the contemporary music ensemble. Rose graduated with highest honors from the class of Stefano Canuti at the Conservatorio “Agostino Steffani” in Castelfranco-Veneto, Italy and studied with William Winstead at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Maria Serkin is the Associate Professor of Horn at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Principal Horn of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (Durham). She enjoys a multifaceted career as a performer and educator, and has held additional principal horn positions with the Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Atlantic Classical Orchestra, and the Charlottesville Symphony, and was a fellow with the New World Symphony. She previously taught at University of Virginia and the New World School of the Arts (Miami), and has led master classes extending from the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Dr. Serkin has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, Boston Early Music Festival, and was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Her New York and Miami recording credits include work with The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park, Gloria Estefan, and ESPN. Recent performance highlights include extensive work the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, The Verona Quartet, Palm Beach Opera, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, and the North Carolina Brass Band. In 2018, she was honored to premiere Kenneth Frazelle’s "Hearken (Blue Ridge Airs III)" at the 50^th International Horn Symposium. In 2023, she premiered "Shelter" by Lawrence Dillon at the 55^th International Horn Symposium in Montreal.

Kara I-Ting Chen was born in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan in 1986. She received her first piano lessons at the age of five and received a sound piano education at the music school in Tainan, Taiwan continuing with concert studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. During her studies with Alexander Jenner, Heinz Medjimorec and Noel Flores, she also received valuable impulses at master classes given by Karl- Heinz Kämmerling and Andrzej Jasinski. 

She has won several national and international competition prizes, including the 1st prize at the Taiwan National Student Competition of Music (1998) and a second prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Taipei (1999).

As a pianist and accompanist, she has participated in many master classes and competitions (including the Cello Competition in Liezen, International Competition "Anna Kull") as well as in concerts in Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Austria.

Since 2012, I-Ting has been working at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz as a repetiteur at the Institute for String Instruments.

Viennese pianist Stefan Mendl is one of the leading figures in today’s international chamber music scene. He is a founding member of the Vienna Piano Trio, which since its inception in 1988 has become one of the most distinguished ensembles of its kind. With the Trio, he has performed in major concert halls across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and has appeared at renowned festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Festival de Menton, and the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades.

Since the 2006/07 season, the Vienna Piano Trio has maintained its own concert series at the Vienna Konzerthaus. The ensemble has received numerous awards, including the ECHO Klassik, Opus Klassik, and the Pasticcio Prize. A hallmark of the Trio’s artistic identity is its close collaboration with contemporary composers such as Friedrich Cerha, Georg Friedrich Haas, György Kurtág, Johannes Maria Staud, and Jörg Widmann, bringing fresh perspectives and new energy to the classical repertoire.

Stefan Mendl studied with Manfred Wagner-Artzt and Alexander Jenner at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He now serves as Professor of Chamber Music for Piano at the same institution, where he is dedicated to passing on his knowledge and experience to the next generation. He also teaches international masterclasses and serves on juries for major competitions, including the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna.

Mendl’s playing is marked by clarity, precision, and exceptional tonal sensitivity. Whether interpreting the classical trio repertoire or exploring contemporary works, his artistry is defined by curiosity, creative imagination, and a deep connection to Vienna’s rich musical heritage.

Tomasz Zając is one of the most outstanding Polish pianists of his generation. Apart from Poland he has performed in Iran, Japan and various European countries like Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Belarus, Czech Republic, where he has given concerts in such prestigious concert venues as Vahdat Hall, Radiokulturhaus Wien, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, Rudolfinum, Witebska Philharmonic Concert Hall, Polish Baltic F. Chopin Philharmonic, Kraków Philharmonic.

As a soloist Tomasz appeared with numerous orchestras, such as the Symphony Orchestra of Warmia and Mazury Philharmonic, Kyiv Soloists, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Sinfonietta Polonia, Capella Gedanensis and the Symphony Orchestra of Kalisz Philharmonic, Nilpert Orchestra. 

Tomasz Zając is a laureate of many Polish and international piano competitions, such as the International F. Chopin Piano Competition in Szafarnia; Evangelia Tjiarri International Piano Competition in Larnaka, Cyprus; EPTA International Competition For Young Pianist in Osijek, Croatia; Chopin Piano Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania; International Radio Competition Concertino Praga, Czech Republic. In 2012 he graduated from Zygmunt Noskowski Music School in Gdynia with Julita Ksiażkowska and Anna Wołczecka as his teachers, later he obtained his Master's degree in piano solo performance at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music with Alicja Paleta-Bugaj and Agnieszka Przemyk-Bryła (2017) and Master's degree in piano chamber music under Katarzyna Jankowska-Borzykowska (2019) at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.​

At present he studies piano, as a post-master studies, under Markus Schirmer at Die Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz in Austria. Tomasz took part in a series of masterclasses led by many notable piano professors – Elżbieta Tarnawska, Alicja Paleta-Bugaj, Andrzej Tatarski, Dina Yoffe, Mamiko Sudo, Phillip Giusiano, Tamás Ungar, Andrzej Jasiński, Tobias Koch, Markus Schirmer and Lylia Zilberstein. For his artistic achievements he was awarded numerous scholarships from many organizations including the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, Rotary-Gdynia Club, Energa Fundation.

A faculty of the Cologne University of Music (Kölner Hochschule für Musik) in Germany, Sunhee Kim Nussbeck is a sought-after chamber musican and an engaged soloist. She won the first prize at the International Piano Competition in Ettlingen, Germany and the second prize and special prize from the jury at the International Brahms Competition in Poertschach, not to mention several other grand prizes from piano competitions in Korea and Europe.

Sunhee Kim Nussbeck earned her degrees in solo performance and in chamber music at the Cologne University of Music (Konzertexamen, Kammermusikexamen), where she graduated with highest honors. Her primary teachers were Helmut Weinrebe, Alexander Lonquich, Harald Schoneweg and Alban Berg Quartett. The scholar of Felicitas-Voessing Foundation, Sunhee Kim Nussbeck is also a member of Trio Sapientia Musica. She gives chamber recitals at major concert halls in Europe and Asia, including at Youngsan Arthall in Korea and at Cologne Philharmonie Hall.