STRING FACULTY
Andrzej Grabiec, String Area Coordinator

Alan Austin, Baroque violin
Active career as chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player; member, period instrument groups Ars Lyrica Houston and Aquinas, the resident ensemble at the University of St. Thomas; principal player and concertmaster, Texas Bach Collegium (San Antonio), J.S. Bach Society Orchestra (Houston); regular performances, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Dallas Bach Society; featured guest performer, Early Music Weekend at Roundtop, Amherst Early Music Festival; studies with Baroque violinists Simon Standage, Elizabeth Blumenstock, Manfredo Kraemer, and Andrew Manze; faculty, University of St. Thomas, UH Moores School of Music; recordings on Dorian and Zephyr labels.

Wayne Brooks, viola
Principal Violist, Houston Symphony; graduate of the Curtis Institute; chamber music appearances with Joseph Silverstein, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson, and Christoph Eschenbach; festival performances in Houston, Vermont, Colorado, and Chicago; tours of Japan and Europe; recorded works of Webern and Berg; former faculty, Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Pacific Music Festival of Japan.

Andrzej Grabiec, violin
Former concertmaster, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio and Television Symphony, Wichita Symphony Orchestra; concertmaster, American Sinfonietta, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra; prize winner, Wieniawski and Thibaud International Competitions; Carnegie Hall debut in 1984; member, Polish radio trio, Mozart Festival Chamber Orchestra, Fairmount String Quartet, and the Trio NOVA; faculty, Sarasota Music Festival; recordings, Summit and Vifon.

David Klingensmith, jazz bass
Jazz Bassist, graduated from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music, and primarily studied with Paul Ellison and H. Stevens Brewster. He currently teaches and performs in Houston and surrounding areas. He leads The Blue Monks, and is a member of the Theory of Three and Category Five. He has performed with the Houston Symphony, Theater Under the Stars, Ray Charles, Clark Terry, Rita Coolidge, Rosemary Clooney, the Sun Ra Arkestra and many other renowned artists and organizations. His performances include commercial jazz, modern classical and forays into the avant-garde. He resides in Southwest Houston with his wife and four children.

Fredell Lack, C. W. Moores Professor of violin
Laureate, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium International Competition; winner, Brooklyn Academy Young Artists Award; more than 20 European tours, 35 broadcasts for the BBC in England, and seven for Radio RIAS in Germany; soloist with orchestras including Halle Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Stockholm Philharmonic, symphonies of Berlin, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, and the New York Philharmonic; recordings, Vox, CRI, Bay Cities, Centaur, and Albany

Kyung Sun Lee, violin
Faculty positions at Oberlin Conservatory, University of Houston, Aspen Music Festival, Seattle and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festivals, Euroart Chamber Music Festival, and numerous festivals in Korea; former member of the acclaimed KumHo/Asiana String Quartet of Korea; recordigns include two with pianist/husband Brian Suits, "Salut d'Amour" with pianist HaeSun Paik on EMI, several with KumHo/Asiana String Quartet, "Spanish Heart" with German pianist Peter Schindler and guitarist Sung-Ho Chang on Good International, and one with cellist Tilmann Wick released in January of 2004 on Audite Records; training at Seoul National University, Peabody Conservatory and The Juilliard School; teachers include Nam Yun Kim, Sylvia Rosenberg, Robert Mann, Dorothy Delay and Hyo Kang.

Paula Page, harp
Principal harp, Houston Symphony; former principal, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma symphonies; guest harpist, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Greand Teton Festival orchestras; former faculty, University of Oklahoma, Temple University Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Interlochen Arts Camp; faculty, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.

Rita Porfiris, viola
Member, Houston Symphony since 1995; principal, Indianapolis, New World Symphony and Schleswig-Holstein Orchester; section, Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Baroque Orchester Berlin; Plymouth String Quartet; recipient, Prix Mercure; prize winner, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, William Primrose Viola Competition; recital and solo appearances, Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center and the Salzburg Mozarteum; recordings, Opus One and Modern Masters.

Vagram Saradjian, violoncello
Vagram Saradjian gave his first public recital at age 9 and won his first prize at the Russian National Competition at age 18, which put him in the country's national spotlight. International recognition of his prodigious talent came when he won several major contests, including the Tchaikovsky International Competition in 1970 and the Geneva International Cello Competition in 1975. By the time he was twenty, Mr. Saradjian was being compared with such masters as Mstislav Rostropovich, who was his teacher at the Moscow Conservatory for eight years. As a recitalist, Mr. Saradjian has performed around the world in such concert halls as the Barbican Centre in London, Gaveau in Paris, La Scala in Milan, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle in Zurich, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and the Leningrad Philharmonic Hall.

Lawrence Wheeler, viola
Former principal, Pittsburgh Symphony; soloist, Minnesota, Icelandic, UNAM, Mexico City, Texas Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony; recitalist, New York, London, Stuttgart and at two international viola congresses; performances on NPR and BBC; has served as guest principal with Dallas and Houston Symphonies; summer teaching at Meadowmount, Encore and Texas Music Festival; frequent Houston recitals and chamber music performances

Mike Wheeler, guitar
Guest instructor for clinics throughout the U.S.; member, Danny Ward and Ed Gerlach Orchestras; performances with numerous celebrities such as Englebert Humperdinck, Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, Larry Gatlin and others; on faculty, University of St. Thomas

Dennis J. Whittaker, double bass
Winner, 1987 Gary Karr Solo Competition; principal, Houston Grand Opera, active as substitute bassist with Houston Symphony and as freelance performer; active as upright and electric bassist in jazz and pop ensembles; public school students have been accepted into programs at Tanglewood, the Disney Young Musician's Orchestra and the Texas All-State Orchestra; faculty, Texas Music Festival