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Axel Strauss, violin   

In 1998, violinist Axel Strauss became the first German artist ever to win the Naumburg Violin Award, and in the seasons since, he has been equally acclaimed for his virtuosity and his musical sensitivity. Mr. Strauss maintains a busy performance schedule and serves as Professor of Violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He made his American debut at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in the fall of 1998, and continued a season with recitals in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Savannah, and West Palm Beach which culminated in a performance in New York’s Central Park with the New York Chamber Symphony, conducted by Robert Mann. His other concerto appearances have included performances with the Grand Rapids, Santa Fe, Des Moines, North Carolina, and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras, and the Naples Philharmonic. Highlights of the 2000-2001 season included recitals at New York’s Alice Tully Hall, the Cleveland Museum, and the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, as well as a tour of Germany with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and performances with the Budapest Philharmonic in Hungary. Axel Strauss performs on an outstanding violin by J.F. Pressenda, Turin 1845, on extended loan through the generous efforts of the Stradivari Society in Chicago.

Roy Bogas, piano    

A student of Ada Clement, Adolph Baller, Hedwig Rosenthal and Rosina Lhevinne, Roy Bogas received his training in chamber music with the Griller Quartet and the Alma Trio. At the age of 19 he became accompanist to Yehudi Menuhin, playing over a hundred concerts with him throughout North and South America. He has also played with many other artists including Zara Nelsova, Ruggiero Ricci, Michael Rabin, Jaime Laredo and Joseph Szigeti, with whom he recorded a number of 20th century works for Mercury Records.

In 1962 he was a prizewinner at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, making his New York and London debuts the following year. In addition to recital work, he has performed as soloist with virtually every orchestra in California as well as many other orchestras in this country and abroad. He is also principal solo pianist for San Francisco Ballet and Diablo Ballet. Currently a member of the music faculty at Holy Names College, he is very active as a chamber music performer, having appeared on the San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music Series at Davies Hall, as well as with the Sierra Chamber Series, the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento, Chamber Music Sundaes and the new Masterguild Series at Holy Names College.

Jean-Michel Fonteneau, cello 

Jean-Michel Fonteneau is a founding member of the award-winning Ravel String Quartet, winner of two prizes at the Evian String Quartet Competition and Les Victoires de la Musique Classique award for the best French chamber music ensemble in 1993. He has toured and performed throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Mr. Fonteneau was assistant professor of chamber music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon, France, and has served on the faculties of summer festivals including the Oberlin at Casalmaggiore program in Italy, the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival and ARIA summer academy in Canada. Mr. Fonteneau has been very active in presenting new music to many audiences. He has made national and West Coast premieres of works by composers Ross Bauer, William O. Smith, Joel Lindheimer and Andrew Imbrie. Mr. Fonteneau studied in Paris with cellists Dimitry Markevitch and Mark Drobinsky, as well as French pedagogue Dominique Hoppenot.

Amy Hiraga, violin

Violinist Amy Hiraga was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1991 until 1999. She is currently a permanent member of the San Francisco Symphony. Ms. Hiraga has performed and recorded with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the New York Chamber Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has appeared as soloist with the Seattle Symphony, the Aspen Philharmonia, Solisti New York, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra and the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. In addition, she has performed chamber music at the Caramoor, Bard, Olympic, Chamber Music West, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festivals, as well as with the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, Chelsea Ensemble and the Partita Chamber Ensemble. Her teachers include Emanuel Zeitlin in Seattle, and Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School. Amy Hiraga lives in Mill Valley, California with her husband, Peter Wyrick, and their two daughters, Mayumi and Mariko.


Peter Wyrick, cello  

Peter Wyrick is the Associate Principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony. He has performed as chamber musician and soloist with renowned chamber groups and orchestras throughout the world. Mr. Wyrick was a member of the acclaimed Ridge String Quartet whose recording of the Dvorak Piano Quintets with pianist Rudolf Firkusny on the RCA label won the French Diapason d'Or and was nominated for the 1993 Grammy Award for the Best Chamber Music Performance. He has participated in Finland's Helsinki Festival, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C., and Spoleto, Italy, as well as the Vancouver, Bard, Chamber Music West, La Jolla and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festivals. .

He has performed as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, the Aspen Chamber Symphony, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Queens Philharmonic, the American and the Oklahoma City Chamber Orchestras, and the Kozponti Sinfonicus in Budapest, Hungary. was the Principal cellist of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center and the Associate Principal of the New York City Opera Orchestra. His recordings include the cello sonatas of Gabriel Fauré with pianist Earl Wild for dell'Arte records, as well as performances for Stereophile and Arabesque records. Mr. Wyrick was one of the last students of Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School, and plays on a David Tecchler cello made in Rome circa 1724.