Guest Artists in the Next Concert

Ye Jin Choi - cello

Cellist Ye Jin Choi grew up in Europe, predominantly in Prague where she was introduced to the cello. She began her studies at age 7 with Hana Kočí at the Jan Neruda Music Grammar School, along with Vladan Kočí at the Prague Conservatory. Only a year later, she received 3rd place in the Liezen International Cello Competition, Austria. Since then, she has been successful in numerous competitions, most notably being awarded the Absolute Winner of the Czech National Strings Competition (Celostátní Souteže ZUŠ ČR), alongside being named twice on the Commemorative List (Pametní List) for outstanding achievement by the Mayor of Prague.

From international concert halls such as Prague’s Rudolfinum and New York’s Lincoln Center to intimate private venues, Ye Jin is at home with audiences of all types, and has been part of the For Crying Out Loud Concert Series at Wigmore Hall—a series dedicated to babies and their parents. Additionally, she performed in masterclasses with renowned cellists and chamber musicians, such as Mischa Maisky and Menahem Pressler.

As an avid chamber musician, Ye Jin frequently collaborates with pianist Kevin Suherman, as the Orix Duo. The duo first came together playing the Brahms E minor Cello Sonata at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Wilfrid Parry Prize for their performance and rapport. As past winners of the Delius Prize, the duo was invited by the Delius Society to perform in Cambridge and were praised for their interpretation of the Delius Cello Sonata. Ye Jin has also been part of various chamber ensembles, working with members of the Juilliard Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Rodney Friend, Joseph Kalichstein, and Joanna MacGregor.

Highlights on the orchestral platform include being part of Czech Philharmonic’s commemorative concert dedicated to the centenary of Czechoslovakia’s independence, conducted by Semyon Bychkov. As a member of the Academy Symphony Orchestra and the Juilliard Orchestra, she played under renowned conductors such as Edward Gardner, Fabio Luisi, Sir Mark Elder, Karina Canellakis, Alan Gilbert, and Gianandrea Noseda. Ye Jin has led the cello sections of Academy’s Manson Ensemble, London Young Sinfonia, and Resonate Chamber Orchestra. She was principal cellist of the Royal Academy Opera Orchestra for the opening of the Susie Sainsbury Theatre with the presence of HRH The Princess Royal and The Duchess of Gloucester.

Though a native of South Korea, Ye Jin relates herself as a ‘Third Culture Child’, having grown up in different cultures and countries other than her own. Inspired by this, she specialised in cello repertoire influenced by various folk and national themes for her Professional Diploma degree at the Royal Academy of Music, focusing on composers such as Janáček, Ginastera, Gershwin, and Martinů.

Ye Jin also obtained her Master of Arts degree at the Academy under the Alec Rowley Memorial Trust Award, as a student of Christoph Richter. Graduating with a first-class distinction, she was awarded a DipRAM (Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music) for an outstanding final recital. She previously studied with Timothy Eddy at The Juilliard School, where she obtained her Bachelor of Music degree, supported by the Stonzek Memorial Scholarship.

Ye Jin currently plays on a Czech cello by Miroslav Komár (Prague 2008), but has also had the pleasure of playing on a cello by Giovanni Battista Rogeri (Brescia c. 1690) loaned by the Academy.

yejinchoicello.com

Orix Duo - cello & piano

Cellist Ye Jin Choi and pianist Kevin Suherman first collaborated playing the Brahms E minor Cello Sonata at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Wilfrid Parry Prize for their performance and rapport. As 2018 winners of the Delius Prize, the Orix Duo was invited by the Delius Society to perform in Cambridge and were praised for their interpretation of the Delius Cello Sonata. Additionally, the duo was part of the For Crying Out Loud! Concert Series at Wigmore Hall, a series dedicated to young children and their parents; and the Bloomsbury Festival’s New Wave Lunchtime Concert Series, performing a programme inspired by the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. The duo has worked closely with distinguished musicians such as Christoph Richter, Adrian Brendel, Michael Dussek and Joanna MacGregor.
https://www.facebook.com/orixduo

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Guest Artists for this Season

Ye Jin Choi - cello

Cellist Ye Jin Choi grew up in Europe, predominantly in Prague where she was introduced to the cello. She began her studies at age 7 with Hana Kočí at the Jan Neruda Music Grammar School, along with Vladan Kočí at the Prague Conservatory. Only a year later, she received 3rd place in the Liezen International Cello Competition, Austria. Since then, she has been successful in numerous competitions, most notably being awarded the Absolute Winner of the Czech National Strings Competition (Celostátní Souteže ZUŠ ČR), alongside being named twice on the Commemorative List (Pametní List) for outstanding achievement by the Mayor of Prague.

From international concert halls such as Prague’s Rudolfinum and New York’s Lincoln Center to intimate private venues, Ye Jin is at home with audiences of all types, and has been part of the For Crying Out Loud Concert Series at Wigmore Hall—a series dedicated to babies and their parents. Additionally, she performed in masterclasses with renowned cellists and chamber musicians, such as Mischa Maisky and Menahem Pressler.

As an avid chamber musician, Ye Jin frequently collaborates with pianist Kevin Suherman, as the Orix Duo. The duo first came together playing the Brahms E minor Cello Sonata at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Wilfrid Parry Prize for their performance and rapport. As past winners of the Delius Prize, the duo was invited by the Delius Society to perform in Cambridge and were praised for their interpretation of the Delius Cello Sonata. Ye Jin has also been part of various chamber ensembles, working with members of the Juilliard Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Rodney Friend, Joseph Kalichstein, and Joanna MacGregor.

Highlights on the orchestral platform include being part of Czech Philharmonic’s commemorative concert dedicated to the centenary of Czechoslovakia’s independence, conducted by Semyon Bychkov. As a member of the Academy Symphony Orchestra and the Juilliard Orchestra, she played under renowned conductors such as Edward Gardner, Fabio Luisi, Sir Mark Elder, Karina Canellakis, Alan Gilbert, and Gianandrea Noseda. Ye Jin has led the cello sections of Academy’s Manson Ensemble, London Young Sinfonia, and Resonate Chamber Orchestra. She was principal cellist of the Royal Academy Opera Orchestra for the opening of the Susie Sainsbury Theatre with the presence of HRH The Princess Royal and The Duchess of Gloucester.

Though a native of South Korea, Ye Jin relates herself as a ‘Third Culture Child’, having grown up in different cultures and countries other than her own. Inspired by this, she specialised in cello repertoire influenced by various folk and national themes for her Professional Diploma degree at the Royal Academy of Music, focusing on composers such as Janáček, Ginastera, Gershwin, and Martinů.

Ye Jin also obtained her Master of Arts degree at the Academy under the Alec Rowley Memorial Trust Award, as a student of Christoph Richter. Graduating with a first-class distinction, she was awarded a DipRAM (Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music) for an outstanding final recital. She previously studied with Timothy Eddy at The Juilliard School, where she obtained her Bachelor of Music degree, supported by the Stonzek Memorial Scholarship.

Ye Jin currently plays on a Czech cello by Miroslav Komár (Prague 2008), but has also had the pleasure of playing on a cello by Giovanni Battista Rogeri (Brescia c. 1690) loaned by the Academy.

yejinchoicello.com

Orix Duo - cello & piano

Cellist Ye Jin Choi and pianist Kevin Suherman first collaborated playing the Brahms E minor Cello Sonata at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Wilfrid Parry Prize for their performance and rapport. As 2018 winners of the Delius Prize, the Orix Duo was invited by the Delius Society to perform in Cambridge and were praised for their interpretation of the Delius Cello Sonata. Additionally, the duo was part of the For Crying Out Loud! Concert Series at Wigmore Hall, a series dedicated to young children and their parents; and the Bloomsbury Festival’s New Wave Lunchtime Concert Series, performing a programme inspired by the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. The duo has worked closely with distinguished musicians such as Christoph Richter, Adrian Brendel, Michael Dussek and Joanna MacGregor.
https://www.facebook.com/orixduo

Robert Schubert - clarinet

Robert Schubert graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1979, having studied with Isobel Carter-Stockigt and then returned to work with Phillip Miechel, completing a Graduate Diploma of Music in 1981. From 1983 to 1984, he studied clarinet with James Campbell at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada and with James Morton of the National Arts Orchestra of Canada in Ottawa. He then went on to study with Larry Combs of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

He is a qualified teacher of the Alexander Technique which he has practiced for over thirty years and shares with his students at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne University, the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and in workshops and seminars in educational institutions around Australia.

In 1988 he was appointed Principal Clarinet with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Japan, by Hiroyuki Iwaki, a position he held until his return to Australia in 1996. He recorded both standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa on the Deutsche Grammophon, Victor and Sony labels. He also performed with the NHK Orchestra in Tokyo and the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, he was a finalist in the Tokyo International Clarinet Competition. He appeared frequently as soloist with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and in chamber music performances with the Ebony Ensemble, which he formed in 1993. In 1995 he appeared at the Affinis Music Festival Japan, which brings together professionals from around the world.

In Australia Robert performs with the Melbourne Symphony, Orchestra Victoria and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared in the Melbourne International Festival, the International Chinese Arts Festival, the Australian International Clarinet & Saxophone Festival and the MISA music festival, Shanghai, China as soloist, recitalist and with various chamber ensembles including his clarinet quartet Clarion214, and in live broadcasts for the ABC. Mark Pollard, Julian Yu, Tetsuya Nishibe, David Canfield and Dindy Vaghan have all composed clarinet quintets for Robert and he recorded Julian Yu's chamber music in 2000/2001 with assistance from the Australia Council. In June 2003 Robert performed contemporary Korean & Australian works with Melbourne's Trio Erytheia with assistance from the Australia-Korea Foundation. In 2002 Julian Yu wrote the Concerto on Chinese Themes for clarinet & string orchestra for Robert, who made the premier recording for the ABC in March 2004. He has also collaborated with Australian composer Peter Tahourdin (1928-2009). Tahourdin’s Clarinet Sonata (1962) and the Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (2005) were both recorded by Robert for the ABC. The composer’s delight with the recordings was expressed by his writing two more clarinet works for Robert: Music for Solo Clarinet (2006), (which Robert premiered in December 2012) and the Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (2007). In September 2012 Robert's CD of Julian Yu's clarinet music entitled China Wind was released on Move Records and has received critical acclaim. In September 2012 he gave the world premiere of Julian Yu's The Little Gecko for chamber ensemble, narrator and animation and in 2013 the Chinese premiere of Yu’s Concerto on Chinese Themes at the Shanghai International Music Festival (MISA). He is currently recording a second album of the music of Julian Yu to be released in 2017.

Robert was Lecturer in Woodwind (since 1996) and Alexander Technique (since 2008) at the Victorian College of the Arts, and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music until July 2017. Robert is recognised as one of the leading clarinet pedagogs in Australia with the principal clarinettists of two of Australia’s eight symphony orchestras having studied with him, along with many students performing in service bands and contemporary ensembles worldwide.

Josephine Vains - cello

Josephine is a versatile and engaging performer, heard regularly in concert around Australia and overseas as a cellist and chamber musician. She has worked with myriad artists on diverse projects including piano trio/quartet /quintet, string quartet, opera, baroque ensembles, contemporary and electronic music, and Argentine tango music. She is a passionate educator, currently training the next generation of musicians at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the University of Melbourne. She is a regular tutor for Melbourne and Australian Youth Orchestra, Mt. Buller and Clunes Chamber Music, Pettmann National Junior Academy (NZ) and for iartschool (China).

Josephine is a founding member of Firebird Trio, lauded as a ‘fabulous internal communicator’ in The Age. Equally at home on modern and period instruments, Josephine performs and records regularly with other ensembles including CellOZ, Ensemble Old and New, Ludovico’s Band, Accademia Arcadia, Elysium Ensemble and Melbourne Baroque Orchestra.

In Australia she has performed for Musica Viva and Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne Festivals. International performances include at the Musicfest Vancouver, White Nights Festival (Russia), Longyou Caves Festival (China) and Akaroa Chamber Music Festival (NZ).

Today she performs on a Thomas Kennedy Cello, (1850) London, on loan from the estate of Annette Martin.