MusicianBiographiesforConvergenceEnsemble’sMay14,2017concert:
“InternationalRisingStars”
4/18/17
MichelleLaCourse,violist,hasappearedassoloistandchambermusicianonfour
continents,includingrecentperformancesinFrance,Italy,Spain,Brazil,andSouth
Korea.Herplayinghasbeendescribedbycriticsinsuchtermsas“amiraculousblendof
intensepassionandartisticelegance”and“hasamasteryoftheinstrumentlikeasixth
sense,andwithitrevealstousthemostprofoundsecrets.”Anenthusiasticadvocatefor
newviolarepertoire,shehasalsocommissionedandpremieredmanynewpiecesfor
theinstrument.Her2009recordingwithpianistMartinAmlin,“Chocolates:Musicfor
ViolaandPianobyJamesGrant”wasreleasedbyMSRClassics(msrcd.com,MS1335)to
ravereviews,praising“therawemotionofherplaying”andcallingthedisc“enoughto
makeonereframeone’simageoftheviola”.Her2015releaseonMSR,“AnAmerican
Menagerie:MusicforViolaandPianobyMartinAmlin,RobertMerfeld,andMonica
Houghton”(MS1474)receivedhighpraisefromFanfareMagazine,noting“stellar
performances,”includingplaying“inthesweetestandmostexquisitewayimaginable”,
“stunninglyrealized”,andcallingtherecording“Asurefirewinner.”AudiophileAudition
declaredthedisc“Agorgeousrecital.”
LaCoursewasformerlyamemberoftheLehighQuartet,theDelphicStringTrioandthe
AeolianTrio.ShehasperformedatnumerousfestivalssuchasAspen,Bowdoin,Eastern,
Interlochen,Skaneateles,Musicorda,theHeifetzInstitute,andtheInternational
FestivalsofCamposdoJordão,Brazil,ofPositano,Italy,andofVianden,Luxembourg,as
wellasatsomeoftheworld’sleadingconcertvenues,suchasVienna’sMusikverein,
Berlin’sKammermusiksaalandWashington’sKennedyCenter.Asanorchestral
musician,shehasperformedwiththeBaltimoreSymphonyandtheConcertoSoloists
ChamberOrchestraofPhiladelphia,andwasformerlyprincipalviolistoftheChamber
OrchestraofGrenobleFrance.
SheholdsdegreesfromthePeabodyConservatoryofMusic,whereshestudiedwith,
andwasformanyyearsteachingassistanttorenownedpedagogueKarenTuttle.Ms.
LaCoursecurrentlyteachesviolaandchairstheStringDepartmentaswellasthe
Performance&AppliedStudiesareaatBostonUniversity’sSchoolofMusic,whereshe
wasawardedBU’s2009MetcalfCupandPrize,theuniversity’shighesthonorfor
excellenceinteaching.Shefrequentlypresentsmasterclassesatmusicschoolsacross
theUnitedStatesandinternationally,andduringthesummermonthsshealsoteaches
andperformsattheannualKarenTuttleViolaWorkshopsandBU’sTanglewood
Instituteaswellasanumberofotherfestivalsandappearances.Manyofherformer
studentscurrentlyenjoyplayingandteachingpositionsaroundtheglobe.
Hsin-LinTsai,violinist,hasconcertizedassoloistandchambermusicianthroughoutthe
US,EuropeandTaiwan,andhasperformedwithartistssuchasChristophEschenbach,
SirColinDavis,andprincipalplayersoftheBostonSymphony,ClevelandOrchestra,
MontréalandSanDiegoSymphonyorchestras.ThelegendarypedagogueYfrahNeaman
saidofher:“Ihaven’theardanyoneplaywithsuchmusicality,emotion,andbeautiful
soundinthelastfiftyyears.”
FirstPrizewinnerattheTaiwanNationalCompetitionandCityofTainanCompetition,
sheisamemberoftheUSNationalMusicHonorSociety.ShehasreleasedsoloCDswith
RTVEMÚSICA,andgaveherNewYorkrecitaldébutatCarnegieHall.Dr.Tsaihasbeen
invitedtoperformattheLucerneMusicFestivalinSwitzerlandandvenuesthatinclude
LincolnCenterinNewYorkCity,NationalConcertHallinTaiwan,theVíctorVillegas
AuditoriuminSpain,andSymphonyHallandJordanHallinBoston.Aguestartistat
numerousinternationalfestivals,sheplayswiththeBostonBalletOrchestra,andinthe
“outstanding”(Melómanomagazine,Spain)L'ÉtoileViolinDuotogetherwithher
husband,MiguelPérez-Espejo,championingthemusicofcomposersofourera.
UpcominghighlightsincludeacollaborationwithAugustaReadThomas.
Dr.Tsai'sstudentshaveperformedassoloistsandinrecitalatCarnegieHall,havewon
firstprizesatcompetitionsandprofessionalorchestrapositions,andhavebeeninvited
toprestigiousinternationalmusicfestivals.ShehastaughtattheInternationalMaster
ClassesoftheMediterranean,BridgewaterStateUniversity,BostonUniversity,Boston
PhilharmonicYouthOrchestraandtheNewEnglandConservatory'sPreparatory
Division.SheiscurrentlyonfacultyatBU'sTanglewoodInstitute,BostonYouth
SymphonyOrchestras,AllNewtonMusicSchool,andisaffiliatedfacultyatTuftsand
Harvarduniversities.
ShegraduatedfromtheNewEnglandConservatorywithDistinctioninPerformance,
receivedtheArtistDiplomafromtheGuildhallSchoolofMusic(UK),andherDoctoral
degreefromBostonUniversity.Herdissertation"Poulenc'sViolinSonata-AnAnalysis"
isreferencedbyscholarsandperformersworldwide.HerteachersincludeHarvey
Shapiro,MichèleAuclair,EricRosenblith,YuriMazurkevich,EduardSchmiederandErick
Friedman.
Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.perezespejo.com/biography_tsai.html
HyeMinChoi,violist,hasreceivednumerousawardsandhonorsinbothKoreaandthe
UnitedStates,includingprizesintheMusicJournalCompetition,theMusicChoonChoo
Competition,theWorldNewspaperCompetition,theKyungHeeUniversity
Competition,theSungShinWomen'sUniversityCompetition,theDuxburyMusic
FestivalSoloists'Competition,andBostonUniversity’sBachCompetitionaswellasBU’s
StringDepartmentHonorsAward.TheBostonMusicalIntelligencerhasdescribedher
playingas“wonderfultone,expressionandpoise,”andcalledher“someonetowatch.”
Ms.ChoihasappearedassoloistwiththeBooAmArtHallYoungArtistConcert,the
YoungSanArtHallArtistConcert,theUnisChamberOrchestra,theGangdong
Orchestra,theHaffnerSinfonietta,theBUSymphonyOrchestra,theNewEngland
RepertoryOrchestra,andtheDuxburyMusicFestivalOrchestra,and.Aschamber
musician,shehaswonprizesfromtheInternationalChamberMusicCompetition,
NeedhamMusicAward,theAmericanProtégéCompetition,andtheAmericanFineArts
FestivalCompetition.Asamemberoftheprize-winningCharisQuintet,shewas
presentedintwoseparatelaureateconcertsinNewYork’sCarnegieRecitalHall.She
wasalsochosenbytheBowdoinInternationalMusicFestivaltoperformliveonMaine
PublicRadio.Asorchestralmusician,Choihasfrequentlyperformedasprincipalviolist
inensemblessuchastheHaffnerSinfonietta,theHwaumBostonChamberOrchestra,
andtheBostonChamberSymphony.
Ms.ChoihasparticipatedintheMusicAlpFestival,theMontpellierInternationalMusic
Festival,theBusanInternationalMusicFestival,theBowdoinInternationalMusic
Festival,theDuxburyMusicFestival,andtheBanffCentreChamberMusicResidency.
HyeMinChoireceivedherBachelorofMusicdegreefromSeoulNationalUniversity,her
MasterofMusicdegreefromtheNewEnglandConservatoryasastudentofMartha
StronginKatz,andherDoctorofMusicalArtsdegreeaswellasthecovetedArtist
DiplomafromBostonUniversity'sSchoolofMusicwhereshestudiedwithandservedas
teachingassistanttoMichelleLaCourse.Ms.ChoihastaughtatBU'sTanglewood
InstituteandtheBUTIViolaWorkshop,andjoinedtheStringFacultyofBU'sSchoolof
Musicin2016.
Hyun-JiKwon,cellist,hasparticipatedinnumerousmusicfestivalsandconcertsinboth
KoreaandNorthAmerica.SheservesonthefacultyofBostonUniversity’ssummer
TanglewoodInstituteandjoinedtheBUSchoolofMusiccellofacultyin2015.She
earnedherBachelorofMusicdegreeatEwhaWomen’sUniversityinSeoul,Korea;a
MasterofMusicdegreeinCelloPerformanceaswellasaGraduateDiplomaatNew
EnglandConservatory,andaDoctorofMusicalArtsdegreeinCelloPerformanceat
BostonUniversity’sSchoolofMusic.
Hyun-jiKwon,cellist,currentlymaintainsanactivescheduleassoloist,chamber
musician,andpedagogue.SheearnedherBachelorofMusicdegreeatEwhaWomen’s
UniversityinSeoul,Korea,andwasthewinnerofthetopprizeattheSeoulSymphony
OrchestraCompetitionandthethirdprizeattheSeoulYouthChamberMusic
Competition.ShewastheprincipalcellistfortheEwhaorchestraandperformedasa
soloistwiththeorchestraintwoconsecutiveyears.ShecametoBostontostudyatthe
NewEnglandConservatory,wheresheearnedtheMasterofMusicdegreeinCello
PerformanceaswellasaGraduateDiploma,afterwhichshecompletedtheDoctorof
MusicalArtsdegreeprograminCelloPerformanceatBostonUniversity’sSchoolof
Music,inthestudioofRhondaRider.HerotherteachershaveincludedNatashaBrofsky,
Il-hwanBaiandSungwonYang.Shehasperformedinmasterclassesforrenowned
cellistssuchasNataliaGutmanandAnnerBylsma,andshehasparticipatedinnumerous
musicfestivalsandconcertsinbothKoreaandNorthAmerica.Kwonwasselected
numeroustimestoperforminjointFaculty/DMAcandidate“Chamber
MusicMasterworks”concertsduringherBUstudies,andshewasawardedspecialString
DepartmentHonorsupongraduation.Shehasperformedasguestalumnaalongwith
thecelebratedMuirQuartetandviolistMichelleLaCourseatBU’sTsaiCenter,withthe
ConvergenceEnsemble,andinseveralotherBostonareaensembles.Duringrecent
summersshehasservedonthefacultyofBostonUniversity’sTanglewoodInstitute,
workingwithstudentsoftheYoungArtistOrchestraprogramaswellasBUTI’s
CelloWorkshop.ShejoinedtheBUSchoolofMusiccellofacultyin2015.
MiguelPérez-EspejoCárdenas,violinst,isrecognizedas“anextraordinaryviolinistwith
an outstanding ability to interpret from the heart” (Aaron Rosand), “a very strong
leader,amagnificentsoloist,withabeautifultone,impeccableintonationandrhythm,
wonderful musicianship and artistic sensibility” (Stanislaw Skrowaczewski), whose
performanceshavebeenpraisedas“extremelyimpressive,[…]ofexceptionalexpressive
depth”(GeoffreyNorris,ChiefMusicCritic,TheDailyTelegraph,UK.)
Pérez-Espejo concertizes throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has released solo
CDs for RTVE MÚSICA. He has performed with artists such as Roberto Díaz, James
Dunham,JamesBuswell,Chee-Yun,LaurenceLesser,ColinCarrandtheCavatinaDuo,as
well as the great conductors of our time, including Andris Nelsons, Bernard Haitink,
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Charles Dutoit, Christoph von Dohnányi and Leonidas
Kavakos.TogetherwithhiswifeviolinistHsin-LinTsaiheisamemberoftheacclaimed
L’Étoile Duo, dedicatee of works by today’s distinguished composers. Recent and
upcoming engagements include a collaboration with leading American composer
AugustaReadThomas,andaconcertandresidencytourofCalifornia.
Fulbright Scholar, member of the Honor Music Society of the United States and the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Spain, winner at The Olga Koussevitzky International
Competition, he is the recipient of the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Award, the Theodore
PresserAward,andtheNewEnglandConservatory’sChadwickMedalandDistinctionin
Performance,amongotherhonors.ApupilofthelegendaryAaronRosand,histeachers
include Yuri Mazurkevich, Michèle Auclair, and Eric Rosenblith, and received private
instructionfromPinaCarmirelli,foundingleaderofIMusici.
Dr. Pérez-Espejo teaches at Bridgewater State University, the Boston University
TanglewoodInstitute,wherehealsoservedasStringandChamberMusicCoordinator,
and at Tufts University. His students have won numerous competitions, perform as
soloists in the U.S. and abroad, and can be found in eminent institutions such as the
ClevelandInstituteofMusicandPrincetonUniversity.
He performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. For more information, visit
www.perezespejo.com.