Artist Biographies

Erina Yashima

guest conductor

German-born conductor Erina Yashima is the First Kapellmeister at the Komische Oper Berlin, taking on the position in September 2022. Yashima had previously been the Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra between 2019 and 2022, where she assisted Music Director Yannick Nézet Séguin and conducted the orchestra in concerts in Philadelphia and Saratoga.

As a rising star in the industry, Yashima has performed all over the world with acclaimed ensembles and orchestras. Recent highlights include debuts with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hanover, Orchestra della Toscana, Arena di Verona, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Albany Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Niederrheinische Sinfoniker, as well as returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra. Yashima also conducted a new production of Così fan tutte in her debut with the Washington National Opera, and has led a production of Rusalka at the Theater Krefeld und Mönchengladbach. Her final debut of the 21-22 season was at the Ravello Festival, conducting the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini.

The 2022-23 season will see Yashima debut with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, WDR Funkhausorchester, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, and the Charlotte Symphony. At the Komische Oper Berlin, Yashima will conduct a variety of productions and programmes including Die Zauberflöte, Rusalka, Così fan tutte, Hamlet, a subscription concert, and the 75th Anniversary Gala. Yashima will also conduct two productions of Don Giovanni, one at the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca and Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, and the other at the Ravenna Festival, Teatro Galli in Rimini, and Teatro Verdi in Salerno.

Yashima made her opera debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2017 with a production of Der Schauspieldirektor for children. She conducted Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in Novara and Ravenna in February 2019, and Rossini’s La Cenerentola both in 2017 in Lucca and again in 2018 in Piacenza with the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra as well as Don Giovanni at the Teatro Verdi di Pisa.

Since 2015, Yashima has been studying with Riccardo Muti. As winner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Sir Georg Solti Conducting Apprenticeship, Yashima assisted Maestro Muti and worked closely with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. During this period, Yashima collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and assisted conductors such as Esa Pekka Salonen, Christoph Eschenbach, and Edward Gardner.

Yashima was an active participant of the Italian Opera Academy in Ravenna, working with Riccardo Muti on Verdi’s Falstaff, as well as in Bernard Haitink’s masterclass at the Lucerne Festival and was a finalist at the INTERAKTION workshop with musicians from major German orchestras.

Tai Murray

violin

Described as “superb” by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray has established herself a musical voice of a generation. “Technically flawless… vivacious and scintillating… It is without doubt that Murray’s style of playing is more mature than that of many seasoned players… “ (Muso Magazine).

Appreciated for her elegance and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners through her personal phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and choice of vibrato, remind us of her musical background and influences, principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold & Heifetz) and Franco Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Tai Murray was named a BBC New Generation Artist (2008 through 2010). As a chamber musician, she was a member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006).

She has performed as guest soloist on the main stages world-wide, performing with leading ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra, and all of the BBC Symphony Orchestras. She is also a dedicated advocate of contemporary works (written for the violin). Among others, she performed the world premiere of Malcolm Hayes’ violin concerto at the BBC PROMS, in the Royal Albert Hall.

As a recitalist Tai Murray has visited many of the world’s capitals having appeared in Berlin, Chicago, Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris and Washington D.C., among many others.

Tai Murray’s critically acclaimed debut recording for Harmonia Mmundi of Ysaye’s six sonatas for solo violin was released in February 2012. Her second recording with works by American Composers of the 20th Century was released by the Berlin-based label eaSonus, and her third disc with the Bernstein Serenade on the French label Mirare.

Murray is an Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of violin at the Yale School of Music, where she teaches applied violin and coaches chamber music. She earned artist diplomas from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the Juilliard School.

Tai Murray plays a violin by Tomaso Balestrieri fecit Mantua ca. 1765, on generous loan from a private collection.

Julie Albers

cello

American cellist Julie Albers is recognized for her superlative artistry, her charismatic and radiant performing style, and her intense musicianship. She was born into a musical family in Longmont, Colorado and began violin studies at the age of two with her mother, switching to cello at four. She moved to Cleveland during her junior year of high school to pursue studies through the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Aaron. Miss Albers soon was awarded the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and as a result toured France as soloist with Orchestre Symphonique de Douai.

Ms. Albers made her major orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1998, and thereafter has performed in recital and with orchestras throughout North America, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2001, she won Second Prize in Munich’s Internationalen Musikwettbewerbes der ARD, and was also awarded the Wilhelm-Weichsler-Musikpreis der Stadt Osnabruch . While in Germany, she recorded solo and chamber music of Kodaly for the Bavarian Radio, performances that have been heard throughout Europe. In 2003, Miss Albers was named the first Gold Medal Laureate of South Korea’s Gyeongnam International Music Competition.

In North America, Miss Albers has performed with many important orchestras and ensembles. Recent performances have included exciting debuts on the San Francisco Performances series and with the Grant Park Music Festival where she performed Penderecki’s Concerto Grosso for 3 cellos with Mr. Penderecki conducting. Past seasons have included concerto appearances with the Orchestras of Colorado, Indianapolis, San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver, and Munchener Kammerorchester among others.

In 2014, Miss Albers was named principal cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In addition to this appointment, she regularly participates in chamber music festivals around the world. 2009 marked the end of a three-year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. She is currently active with the Albers String Trio and the Cortona Trio. Teaching is also a very important part of Miss Albers’ musical life. She currently is Assistant Professor and holds the Mary Jean and Charles Yates Cello Chair at the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

Miss Albers’ debut album with Orion Weiss includes works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, Massenet, and Piatagorsky and is available on the Artek Label. Julie Albers performs on a N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1872 and makes her home in Minneapolis with her husband, Bourbon, and their dog, Dozer.

Anne-Marie McDermott

piano

Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott is a consummate artist who balances a versatile career as a soloist and collaborator. She performs over 100 concerts a year in a combination of solo recitals, concerti and chamber music. Her repertoire choices are eclectic, spanning from Bach and Haydn to Prokofiev and Scriabin to Kernis, Hartke, Tower and Wuorinen.

In the recent seasons, Ms, McDermott performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Alabama Symphony, San Diego Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players, and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

Recital engagements have included the 92nd Street Y, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, The Schubert Club, Kennedy Center, as well as universities across the country. Ms. McDermott has curated and performed in a number of intense projects including: the Complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas and Chamber Music, a Three Concert Series of Shostakovich Chamber Music, as well as a recital series of Haydn and Beethoven Piano Sonatas. Most recently, she commissioned works of Charles Wuorinen and Clarice Assad which were premiered in May 2009 at Town Hall, in conjunction with Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

As a soloist, Ms. McDermott has recorded the complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas, Bach English Suites and Partitas (which was named Gramophone Magazine’s Editor’s Choice), and most recently, Gershwin Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra with the Dallas Symphony and Justin Brown.

In addition to her many achievements, Anne-Marie McDermott has been named the Artistic Director of the famed Vail Valley Music Festival in Colorado, which hosts the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony in addition to presenting over 40 chamber music concerts throughout the summer. She is also Artistic Director of two new Festivals; The Ocean Reef Chamber Music Festival and The Avila Chamber Music Celebration in Curacao.

As a chamber music performer, Anne-Marie McDermott was named an artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 1995 and performs and tours extensively with CMS each season. She continues a long standing collaboration with the highly acclaimed violinist, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg. As a duo, they have released a CD titled Live on the NSS label and plan to release the Complete Brahms Violin and Piano Sonatas in the future. Ms. McDermott is also a member of the renowned piano quartet, Opus One, with colleagues Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom and Peter Wiley.

She continues to perform each season with her sisters, Maureen McDermott and Kerry McDermott in the McDermott Trio. Ms. McDermott has also released an allSchumann CD with violist, Paul Neubauer, as well as the Complete Chamber Music of Debussy with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Ms. McDermott studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Dalmo Carra, Constance Keene and John Browning. She was a winner of the Young Concert Artists auditions and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Ms. McDermott regularly performs at Festivals across the United States including, Spoleto, Mainly Mozart, Sante Fe, La Jolla Summerfest, Mostly Mozart, Newport, Caramoor, Bravo, Chamber Music Northwest, Aspen, Music from Angelfire, and the Festival Casals in Puerto Rico, among others.