Timothy Christie’s residency has been made possible by the generosity of an Anonymous donor.

Violinist and violist Timothy Christie enjoys a multifaceted career as performer, teacher, public speaker and recording artist. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival (WWCMF), a nonprofit organization in southeastern Washington presenting more than 40 public chamber music events annually.

Benjamin Gish is the director of the Walla Walla Valley Academy String Orchestra and has a large studio of cellists and bassists ranging in age from 4 through 20-something. He is also the director of the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra and is artist-in-residence at Walla Walla University.

Julia Gish-Salerno serves as Professor of Violin and Viola at Eastern Washington University. Her accomplishments include winning first prize and the festival medal in the 2000 Seattle Young Artists Music Festival, national finalist for the String division of the 2001 MTNA collegiate competition, and being the String division Young Artist Winner of Musicfest Northwest in 2004.

As a founding member of Sybarite5, Louis Levitt was the first double bassist to win the Concert Artist Guild Competition. Since then, he has performed with Sybarite5 in hundreds of concerts across the nation. Recent highlights include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, Wolf Trap, the Grand Tetons Music Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Argentinian violinist Sami Merdinian has received worldwide recognition for his outstanding performances as a soloist and chamber musician. Sami has appeared with the Montevideo Philharmonic, the Argentine National Symphony, the Charlemagne Orchestra, the Gagneung Philharmonic in South Korea, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Midland and Duluth Symphonies.

Cellist Laura Metcalf, noted for her "gorgeous cello legatos" (Washington Post) and her “brilliant” playing (Gramophone Magazine) is known for her compelling solo and chamber music performances worldwide and in her home of New York City.

Angela Pickett has performed as a violist, violinist, and fiddler throughout North America and Europe. A member of the Princeton Symphony, Angela has also performed with Wet Ink Music, Ne(x)tworks, Continuum, and recently premiered a new version of Helmut Lachenmann’s Mouvement with the Argento Chamber Ensemble.

Maria Sampen, Professor of Violin at University of Puget Sound, enjoys a vibrant career as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. Equally at home with repertoire ranging from classical to avant-garde to popular styles, Dr. Sampen has delighted audiences with her eclectic programs, her passionate performance style, and her highly expressive playing.

Equal parts passion, grit, and musical ecstasy, Sybarite5 is an intoxicating cocktail of genre-breaking artistry, expressed through the virtuosity of violinists Sami Merdinian & Suliman Tekalli, violist Caeli Smith, cellist Laura Andrade, and double bassist Louis Levitt. It’s the first ensemble of its kind to win the prestigious Concert Artists Guild competition, and the group continually evolves, defying categorization and keeping audiences on their toes.

Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Kristin Vining grew up in Olympia, Washington. After graduating from North Thurston High School in Tacoma, she moved to Walla Walla, attended Walla Walla University and Whitman College, graduating from Whitman in 1998.

Kristin teaches music at all three of Walla Walla's colleges.

Sarah Whitney, an active solo, and chamber musician, has been heard worldwide across stages in Europe, Asia, South America and the United States.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Whitney has performed as guest artist on the Cleveland Institute of Music Faculty Concert Series, the Cleveland Composer’s Guild and the Memphis Chamber Music Society Solo Concert Series.