amazing artists

Texas native Laura Andrade is a Latina cellist who calls Austin home. She enjoys a diverse musical career as a soloist, orchestra musician, and chamber musician. Laura is a prize-winning laureate of the 2019 Sphinx Competition and has been featured as a soloist with the Austin Civic Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony.

Born in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Natasha Bazhanov began playing violin at the age of five. After winning several regional youth competitions, she made her solo debut with Ural State Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of nine and later was invited to Moscow Central Music School to join the class of professor Belenky.

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.

Born in Riga, Latvia, into a family of violinists, Artur Girsky began playing violin at age five. He studied with Maya Glezarova at the Moscow Central Music School and with Felix Andrievsky at the Royal College of Music in London.

Formed by four Seattle-based musicians passionate about chamber music, the Girsky String Quartet brings dynamic artistry and thoughtful interpretations to both classic repertoire and contemporary works.

Rowena Hammill is Associate Principal Cello of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. She divides her time between Los Angeles and Vashon Island, Washington.

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.

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.

Called “intense, precise, and full of personality” after appearing as concerto soloist with The Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall, Caeli Smith is an award-winning chamber musician, educator, and facilitator. She has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

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.

Violinist Suliman Tekalli has established his unique voice as an exciting and versatile soloist and chamber musician. As the top prize winner of the 2015 Seoul International Music Competition and prize winner in the Sendai, Lipizer, and Szeryng International Violin Competition, he has performed as a soloist with orchestras throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, and Asia.