MUSICIAN BIOS for the 2008-09 Season

Jonathan Miller- Artistic Director

• Lila Brown, viola
• David Coucheron, violin
• Blaise Déjardin, cello
• Tatiana Dimitriades, violin
• Edward Gazouleas, viola
• Beth Guterman, viola
• Randall Hodgkinson, piano
• Bayla Keys, violin
• Julianne Lee, violin
• Yura Lee, violin
• Sharan Leventhal, violin
• Kathryn Lockwood, viola
• Irina Muresanu, violin
• Marcus Thompson, viola

Jonathan Miller (Artistic Director, cello) studied literature at the University of California at Berkeley. After attending a Pablo Casal’s master class, he dropped out of school to study the cello. Two years later was accepted as a scholarship student at Juilliard School, and then became a pupil of Bernard Greenhouse. Mr. Miller has performed as soloist with the Hartford Symphony; The Boston Pops; The Cape Ann and Newton Symphonys; and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Boston. Miller won the Jeunesses Musicales auditions, twice toured the US with the New York String Sextet, and appeared as a member of the Fine Arts Quartet. He performed as a featured soloist at the American Cello Congress in the spring of 1990 at the invitation of Rostropovitch, and also a soloist at the 1996 Congress. Miller has over the years collaborated in many chamber music concerts with distinguished musicians including: violinists Renaud Capucon, Eugene Drucker, Hillary Hahn, Daniel Phillips, Gil Shaham and Joel Smirnoff; violists Yuri Bashment, Roberto Diaz, Paul Doktor, James Dunham, and Kim Kashkashian; and pianists Emanuel Ax and Garrick Ohlson. He is a member of the Gramercy Trio, which has twice received glowing reviews in the New York Times for its New York City performances. The Gramercy Trio has recorded for Naxos, Navona, and Newport Classics labels. Miller has recorded the complete Beethoven Sonatas with Randall Hodgkinson for the Centaur label. He performs on the ex-D,Archambeau Goffriller cello which was made in Venice around 1698. (Back to top)

Violist Lila Brown is co-founder and artistic director of Music from Salem since 1986. After graduating from the Juilliard School she joined the Boston Symphony. She subsequently left to study with Sandor Vegh and become principal violist of the Camerata Academica in Salzburg under his direction. Ms. Brown then spent seven years as an assistant professor at the Vienna Hochschule, six years as a member of the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt and since 1997 is professor of viola at the Musikhochschule in Duesseldorf, Germany. Ms. Brown has taught chamber music and viola courses in Sweden, Austria and Germany. (Back to top)

David Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster in September 2010. Originally from Oslo, Mr. Coucheron began playing violin at the age of three. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, his Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and his Master of Musical Performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Mr. Coucheron has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the BBC Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Sendai Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, and the Trondheim Symphony. He has played solo recitals at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall (London), the Kennedy Center, and the Olympic Winter Games (Salt Lake City, Utah), His recordings with sister, and pianist, Julie Coucheron, include "David and Julie" (Naxos/Mudi), and "Debut" (Naxos). He won first prize at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica "Citta di Pinerolo" Competition in 2009 (Turin, Italy), first prize at The Princess Astrid Competition in 2002 (Trondheim, Norway), and Third Prize at the Manchester International Violin Competition in 2005 (Manchester, U.K.). (Back to top)

Blaise Déjardin Born in Strasbourg, France, Blaise Déjardin made his orchestra debut at age 14, performing Haydn’s C Major Concerto at the Corum of Montpellier, France. First prize winner at the Maurice Gendron International Cello Competition (2005) in France, Blaise Déjardin became the youngest prizewinner at the 6th Adam International Cello Competition (2006) in New Zealand. He joined the BSO in 2008. He holds a First Prize of Cello with highest honors from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique of Paris, as well as a Master of Music Diploma and a Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory in Boston. His main teachers were Philippe Muller, Laurence Lesser and Bernard Greenhouse. An active performer of new music, Blaise Déjardin gave the US premiere of "Les formes du vent" for cello solo by French composer Edith Canat de Chizy in 2008. A passionate chamber musician, he has performed in many festivals in France, and was invited for two summers at the Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival in Chicago.

Born and raised in New York, Tatiana Dimitriades earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, and an Artist Diploma, from the Indiana University School of Music, where she was awarded the Performer's Certificate in recognition of outstanding musical performance. A recipient of the Lili Boulanger Memorial Award, Ms. Dimitriades has also won the Guido Chigi Saracini Prize, and the Mischa Pelz Prize. Ms. Dimitriades joined the BSO in 1987. She teaches at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and is the concertmaster of the New Philharmonia Orchestra. Her solo performances have included a Carnegie Recital Hall appearance sponsored by the Associated Music Teachers of New York and an appearance as soloist in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at the Grand Teton Music Festival. (Back to top)

Violist Edward Gazouleas joined the BSO in 1990. After viola studies with Raphael Hillyer and Steven Ansell at Yale University, he received his bachelor's degree in 1984 from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied viola with Michael Tree and Karen Tuttle. He has been a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony and has performed with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of New England, and as first-desk player with the New York String Orchestra. Mr. Gazouleas was winner of the Eighth International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France, as a member of the Nisaika Quartet and made his Carnegie Hall recital debut as a member of the Cezanne Quartet in 1982. He has taught viola as an instructor at Temple University and privately at Swarthmore College. (Back to top)

A native of Belmont, MA, Beth Guterman has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia. As a member of the International Sejong Soloists, she has toured extensively in the US and Asia. Last November, radio audiences heard Ms. Guterman performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 live on NPR with this ensemble. Some of her past collaborators include Lynn Harrell, Masao Kawasaki, and Alexander Kerr. Ms. Guterman has performed concertos with the Spoleto USA Orchestra, the Juilliard Symphony, and Aspen’s Sinfonia Orchestra. She has performed as principal violist with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra, Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Symphony and Orchestra, Aspen Sinfonia Orchestra, and the Spoleto USA Orchestra. She recently recorded Brad Lubman’s Quartet for strings and electronics for Tzadik, which will be released in October and can be heard on Naxos performing chamber works by Stephen Hartke. Ms. Guterman received top prize in the Juilliard Viola Competition and in the first-ever Aspen Nakamichi Lower Strings Competition. She was the recipient of the 1999 Eugene Lehner Chamber Music Award for Excellence from the New England Conservatory. (Back to top)

Randall Hodgkinson (piano) won the International American Music Competition in 1981 and his October 1986 formal New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall under the competition’s auspices was greeted with critical acclaim. Mr. Hodgkinson has, in recent years, performed with orchestras including those of Philadelphia, Atlanta, Albany, Buffalo, Westchester, Oakland, and Caramoor and has collaborated with such conductors as Leonard Bernstein and Gunther Schuller. 1985 saw his European orchestral debut with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome. He is a featured artist on the Bosendorfer Concert Series aired over WNYC - FM in New York City and has recorded for the Nonesuch, CRI and New World labels. Mr Hodgkinson studied with Veronica Jochum and Russell Sherman at the New England Conservatory where he now serves on the faculty. He is a member of the Gramercy Trio. (Back to top)

Bayla Keys studied at Curtis and Yale was a founding member of the Muir String Quartet. Recent concert highilghts include the Bargemusic series in New York City, solo appearances with the Richmond, Concord, and Ohio Chamber Symphonies, and premiers of concertos by Bernard Hoffer and Richard Festinger. Ms. Keys teaches at Boston University where she is is co-chair of the String Department, and at the Tanglewood and Interlochen Music Festivals. She had recorded for Video Artists International, Ecoclassics, CRI, Musical Heritage, EMI-France and New World Records. (Back to top)

Julianne Lee is a member of the BSO and has recently been awarded the Presser Music Award. Ms. Lee made her solo debut at age 7 with the Lake Placid Symphonietta. She has appeared as soloist with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Korea and the Baden-Baden Philharmonie in Germany. Ms. Lee has participated at the Marlboro Music Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and a European tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra as Guest Principal Violist. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in violin performance and a Diploma in viola performance from the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Victor Danchenko, Joseph Silverstein and Joseph DePasquale. Currently she is pursuing her Masters Degree as a student of Donald Weilerstein and Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory of Music. (Back to top)

Winner of the 2007 Avery Fischer Career Grant, violinist/violist Yura Lee has enjoyed an exceptional career since coming to the United States in 1994. In recent seasons she has appeared with many prestigious orchestras, among them the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Tokyo Philharmonic as well as a Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony. Ms. Lee was the first prize winner in the Leopold Mozart Competition, where she was also awarded the Mozart Prize, Mozart Medal, Jugendjury Prize, and the Public Prize. As a chamber musician, Ms. Lee regularly performs at the Verbier, Caramoor, Marlboro, and Salzburg Festivals. During the summers of 2004-2006, Ms. Lee studied at The Juilliard School under the late Dorothy DeLay and Hyo Kang (Back to top)

Sharan Leventhal has built an international reputation as a champion of contemporary music. Her more that 100 premieres include works by Schuller, Kraft, Oliveros, and Bainbridge. Her recordings include the entire violin and piano works of Virgil Thomson on the Northeastern Recordings label. Ms. Leventhal has appeared as a soloist with the Boston Pops, the Boston Ballet and the Milwaukee and Vermont Symphonies. She was a founding member of the duo Marimolin, is a member of the Gramercy Trio and has served on the faculty of Michigan State University. (Back to top)

Kathryn Lockwood is the violist of the internationally renowned LARK Quartet, and duoJalal, a unique viola and percussion duo. Moving from her homeland of Australia to the US in 1991, she captured some of the most sought-after awards in this country including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, Grand Prize at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, Concert Artists Guild Management Award, and awards at solo competitions such as the Primrose Competition, Washington International Competition, and the Pasadena Instrumental Competition. Before relocating to New York in 2001, Ms. Lockwood held the position of violist of the Pacifica Quartet. As an original member of Pacifica Quartet, Ms. Lockwood was heard live on National Public Radio's Performance Today and on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Currently on faculty at University of Massachusetts/Amherst, Ms. Lockwood was previously on the faculty at Rutgers University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and the Music Institute of Chicago. (Back to top)

Irina Muresanu has received top prizes at the Montreal International Violin Competition, the Washington International String Competition and the Queen Elizabeth Violin Competition and was awarded the Pro Musicis International Award. She earned her B.M. from the Bucharest Conservatory, M.M. from the University of Illinois, and an Artist Diploma from New England Conservatory. Ms. Muresanu maintains an active solo and chamber music career in the US and Europe, having appeared at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Jordan Hall, the Phillips Collection, and several international venues. She has performed as a soloist with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Montreal Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and many others. Her music can be heard on Albany Records, which includes the world premiere of Marion Bauer's Violin Sonata, and VPRO Netherlands Radio label for the ARe-Se French label, which features works by Korngold. She has been broadcast on NPR, WGBH (Boston), Hong Kong Radio, Radio France and Romanian Radio. (Back to top)

Marcus Thompson, violist, has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and in chamber music series throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Far East. He has been a soloist with the orchestras of Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis; The National Symphony, the Boston Pops and the Czech National Symphony in Prague. He performed the West Coast Premiere of the Harbison Viola Concerto with the LA Chamber Orchestra; the Chicago Premiere with the Chicago Sinfonietta, and recently gave the Boston Premiere with the New England Conservatory Honors Orchestra. In recent seasons he has received critical acclaim for performances of the Penderecki Viola Concerto with the MIT Symphony Orchestra in Boston, and London, U.K. He is a frequent participant at chamber music festivals in Anchorage, Seattle, Sitka, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik and Okinawa. Born and raised in NYC, Mr. Thompson earned the doctorate degree at The Juilliard School. He is the Robert R. Taylor Professor of Music and MIT where he heads programs in chamber music and performance studies. (Back to top)