This Season's Featured Soloists (in order of appearance, with upcoming soloists featured first)
Robert Sage, piano
Robert Sage is Music Director of the Claremont Symphony Orchestra and the Claremont Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of CSO for over 35 years as both piano soloist and Conductor, during which time he has performed a substantial portion of the piano concerto and symphonic literature. Dr. Sage's Master's and Doctoral degrees in Piano Performance were both taken at the University of Southern California, under the tutelage of Lillian Steuber. He also studied with Harry Datyner, of the Geneva (Switzerland) Conservatory, and has taken master classes in conducting under the direction of Herbert Blomstedt and David Willcocks.
Marek Szpakiewicz, cello
Polish-born cellist Marek Szpakiewicz has been described by Yo-Yo Ma as an artist whose “energy, motivation, earnestness and generosity of spirit are evident through his work.” Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano stated, “[Szpakiewicz’s] performance of my ‘Fancy on a Bach Air’ is absolutely gorgeous.”
Szpakiewicz has drawn praise from critics in Europe, the United States and Japan, who describe him as “a gifted player,” “with expansive vision and immense authority,” “no technical limitation,” and “a rare performer who internalizes a profound musical world within.” Polish and American radio stations have broadcasted his live performances, including the one-hour special program dedicated solely to his music on KUSC-Los Angeles, the largest non-profit classical music station in the country. Strad Magazine comments on Szpakiewicz’s live recording of Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo as “remarkably accurate realization of the score.”
Dr. Szpakiewicz began cello lessons at the age of six in Lublin, Poland. In his early years, he studied with Ryszard Losakiewicz and Stanislaw Firlej. He later studied with Stephen Kates at the Peabody Conservatory. He completed his doctorate degree under the tutelage of Eleonore Schoenfeld at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. He also studied with such distinguished cellists as Daniil Shafran, Lynn Harrell, and Siegfried Palm.
Dr. Szpakiewicz currently teaches cello and chamber music at Azusa Pacific University, where he serves as Director of String Studies and Chamber Music. He is also on the faculties of Idyllwild Arts Academy Summer Program and Montecito International Music Festival. His students have won top prizes at numerous international and national competitions, including International Cello Competition in Chile, the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, among others. In addition, his former students have been accepted by such schools as Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and USC Thornton School of Music.
Dr. Szpakiewicz has also contributed his talent to film orchestration as a collaborator with Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. Among the scores he has worked on, the music for the critically acclaimed movie “Finding Neverland,” received the 77th Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2005. In 2008, Dr. Szpakiewicz earned permanent residency from the U.S. government as an “Extraordinary Ability Artist.” The title means that he has “sustained national or international acclaim and the achievements have been recognized” in his field, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In 2011, Dr. Szpakiewicz received recognition from Los Angeles County Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Michael Antonovich for organizing a musical event to raise relief funds for the March 11 earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Dr. Szpakiewicz has been supporting the Soma Children’s Orchestra in Fukushima, Japan, organized by El Sistema Japan, since its inception in 2012 through various charity concerts. He also visited the orchestra in 2014 for musical guidance. He donated portions of his debut recital in Tokyo in 2015 and his return appearance in Tokyo in the following year to the Soma Children’s Orchestra in a form of a 1/2-sized cello and a 3/4-sized cello respectively. These gifts have been encouraging younger children to join the cello section of the orchestra.
Szpakiewicz has drawn praise from critics in Europe, the United States and Japan, who describe him as “a gifted player,” “with expansive vision and immense authority,” “no technical limitation,” and “a rare performer who internalizes a profound musical world within.” Polish and American radio stations have broadcasted his live performances, including the one-hour special program dedicated solely to his music on KUSC-Los Angeles, the largest non-profit classical music station in the country. Strad Magazine comments on Szpakiewicz’s live recording of Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo as “remarkably accurate realization of the score.”
Dr. Szpakiewicz began cello lessons at the age of six in Lublin, Poland. In his early years, he studied with Ryszard Losakiewicz and Stanislaw Firlej. He later studied with Stephen Kates at the Peabody Conservatory. He completed his doctorate degree under the tutelage of Eleonore Schoenfeld at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. He also studied with such distinguished cellists as Daniil Shafran, Lynn Harrell, and Siegfried Palm.
Dr. Szpakiewicz currently teaches cello and chamber music at Azusa Pacific University, where he serves as Director of String Studies and Chamber Music. He is also on the faculties of Idyllwild Arts Academy Summer Program and Montecito International Music Festival. His students have won top prizes at numerous international and national competitions, including International Cello Competition in Chile, the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, among others. In addition, his former students have been accepted by such schools as Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and USC Thornton School of Music.
Dr. Szpakiewicz has also contributed his talent to film orchestration as a collaborator with Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. Among the scores he has worked on, the music for the critically acclaimed movie “Finding Neverland,” received the 77th Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2005. In 2008, Dr. Szpakiewicz earned permanent residency from the U.S. government as an “Extraordinary Ability Artist.” The title means that he has “sustained national or international acclaim and the achievements have been recognized” in his field, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In 2011, Dr. Szpakiewicz received recognition from Los Angeles County Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Michael Antonovich for organizing a musical event to raise relief funds for the March 11 earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Dr. Szpakiewicz has been supporting the Soma Children’s Orchestra in Fukushima, Japan, organized by El Sistema Japan, since its inception in 2012 through various charity concerts. He also visited the orchestra in 2014 for musical guidance. He donated portions of his debut recital in Tokyo in 2015 and his return appearance in Tokyo in the following year to the Soma Children’s Orchestra in a form of a 1/2-sized cello and a 3/4-sized cello respectively. These gifts have been encouraging younger children to join the cello section of the orchestra.
Maria Pérez, piano
Maria Pérez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she received her early musical training. Dr. Pérez earned a Bachelor's of Music degree in Piano Performance, with distinction, from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Master's and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her doctoral dissertation was on American pianist/composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk and his Caribbean-based compositions.
As soloist, Dr. Pérez has performed numerous recitals and a diverse repertoire of concerti. Her debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico was received with critical acclaim for her "captivating" and "bold" performances of Mendelssohn's Concerto in G minor and Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle. Other orchestral solo appearances include the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Conservatory Orchestra, Beach Cities Symphony, Pomona Concert Ensemble, Rancho Belago Symphony, Laguna Woods Symphony and the Hour of Power Orchestra of the Crystal Cathedral.
She has been a featured musical guest on several television programs and live radio talk shows. As a collaborative musician, Dr. Pérez's work has included performances with Martin Chalifour, Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Lev Polyakin, Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra; Tenor Daniel Rodriguez; Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan; Sopranos Ursula Kleinecke and Hayley Westenra; arranger Tom Scott; film composer John Debney; and world-renowned Chinese Erhu player Ma XioaHui. Dr. Pérez is a member of MTAC and has been on the faculty of the Claremont Community School of Music since 1993.
As soloist, Dr. Pérez has performed numerous recitals and a diverse repertoire of concerti. Her debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico was received with critical acclaim for her "captivating" and "bold" performances of Mendelssohn's Concerto in G minor and Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle. Other orchestral solo appearances include the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Conservatory Orchestra, Beach Cities Symphony, Pomona Concert Ensemble, Rancho Belago Symphony, Laguna Woods Symphony and the Hour of Power Orchestra of the Crystal Cathedral.
She has been a featured musical guest on several television programs and live radio talk shows. As a collaborative musician, Dr. Pérez's work has included performances with Martin Chalifour, Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Lev Polyakin, Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra; Tenor Daniel Rodriguez; Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan; Sopranos Ursula Kleinecke and Hayley Westenra; arranger Tom Scott; film composer John Debney; and world-renowned Chinese Erhu player Ma XioaHui. Dr. Pérez is a member of MTAC and has been on the faculty of the Claremont Community School of Music since 1993.
Tina Qu, violin
Tina Chang Qu is currently Instructor of Violin at Interlochen Arts Academy and Interlochen summer camp. She also gives masterclasses at Colburn School and various youth orchestras on both coasts. Prior to teaching at Interlochen Arts Academy, she was a member of the California Teacher's Association and taught at Colburn Community School and East Los Angeles College, as well as Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
Ms. Qu performs as a violin soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. At the age of nine Ms. Qu was accepted to the pre-college division at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with Professor Wang Zhen Shan. She received a Diploma from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Alice Schoenfeld. Within two months, she won the 23rd Mozart Festival Concerto Competition. Numerous additional wins soon followed. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2000. While at Curtis, she studied with Felix Galimir, Jaime Laredo, Pamela Frank, and Ida Kavafian. Following Curtis, she attended The Juilliard School, earning her Master of Music. While at Juilliard, she studied with Dorothy DeLay and Masao Kawasaki.
Ms. Qu has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Orchestra of China, Liao Ning State Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Los Angeles Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Claremont Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Symphony, and St. Matthew Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, her performances have taken her all over the United States and Europe.
Over the years, Ms. Qu has collaborated with many top-class artists and conductors such as Simon Rattle, Andre Previn, James Levin, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph Eischenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel, and James Conlon. She has also worked with artists including Plácedo Domingo, Mstislv Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Hilary Hahn, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Peter Serkin, Leon Fleisher, Andre Watts, Lang Lang, Evgeny Kissin, and Gary Graffman. She has been a member of Los Angeles Opera and frequently played with the LA Philharmonic as a guest musician. She is currently a guest musician with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Opera.
Ms. Qu performs as a violin soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. At the age of nine Ms. Qu was accepted to the pre-college division at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with Professor Wang Zhen Shan. She received a Diploma from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Alice Schoenfeld. Within two months, she won the 23rd Mozart Festival Concerto Competition. Numerous additional wins soon followed. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2000. While at Curtis, she studied with Felix Galimir, Jaime Laredo, Pamela Frank, and Ida Kavafian. Following Curtis, she attended The Juilliard School, earning her Master of Music. While at Juilliard, she studied with Dorothy DeLay and Masao Kawasaki.
Ms. Qu has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Orchestra of China, Liao Ning State Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Los Angeles Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Claremont Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Symphony, and St. Matthew Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, her performances have taken her all over the United States and Europe.
Over the years, Ms. Qu has collaborated with many top-class artists and conductors such as Simon Rattle, Andre Previn, James Levin, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph Eischenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel, and James Conlon. She has also worked with artists including Plácedo Domingo, Mstislv Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Hilary Hahn, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Peter Serkin, Leon Fleisher, Andre Watts, Lang Lang, Evgeny Kissin, and Gary Graffman. She has been a member of Los Angeles Opera and frequently played with the LA Philharmonic as a guest musician. She is currently a guest musician with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Opera.
