Graduates of the
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Northwestern University, STRING MUSE is an ensemble of highly-qualified
and experienced musicians. This dynamic ensemble is comprised
of seven string players; four violinists, two violists and a cellist.
You choose your preferred combination of string instruments:
- String Quartet (2 violins, viola, cello)
- String Trio (violin, viola, cello)
- String Duo (any combination)
We would like to welcome soprano Katherine Polit who will be collaborating with STRING MUSE starting in 2010!
Katherine Polit -
Soprano
Praised
for her charming stage presence and crystalline coloratura, soprano Katherine
Polit captivates audiences on
the operatic and concert stage. She has performed the roles of Lauretta (Gianni
Schicchi) at Indiana University,
Musetta (La Bohème)
and Yum-Yum (The Mikado) with Opera
in the Ozarks, Madame Goldentrill (The
Impresario), Papagena (The Magic
Flute) and Flora (The Turn of the
Screw) with the University of Texas and Susanna (Le nozze di
Figaro) and Despina (Così fan tutte) with the Austrian
American Mozart Academy. As a
member of the Butler Opera Center, Ms. Polit has toured Mexico and Costa
Rica
in recitals and opera. She has also
been a featured Young Artist with Sugar Creek Opera for their
productions of Pagliacci and The Tender Land. Under
the baton of James Sinclair, she has performed as a guest artist on
Orchestra
New England’s annual ‘Colonial Concert’ and has been a frequent
collaborator
with Indiana University’s Guitar Ensemble.
Katherine discovered her love for singing at a young age, and
attended Interlochen Arts Academy.
She recently completed her Performer Diploma at Indiana University,
where she received the Performer’s Certificate for excellence in
recital. At Indiana University she has been a
featured soloist on several song programs, including Gretchen in
Schubert’s and
Schumann’s Scenes from Faust. She
has studied with world-renowned singers such as Carol Vaness and
Sherrill
Milnes. Ms. Polit earned a Master of Music in Opera Performance from
University
of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts in Music and
Modern
Languages from Carnegie Mellon University. She currently studies with
Patricia
Wise. In her free time, Katherine enjoys knitting up a storm. She
teaches knitting to kids and adults
at Yarn’s Unlimited in Bloomington, Indiana. When she’s not knitting or
singing, she loves running, traveling, and learning foreign languages.
Veronique Mathieu - Violinist
Canadian violinist Véronique Mathieu holds degrees from the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec, McGill University, and Indiana University. She is currently completing her Doctorate in violin performance under the guidance of Mark Kaplan at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Véronique has performed in various festivals in Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Israel, Switzerland, and the United States as soloist and chamber musician. She was recently invited to participate in the 2008 Lucerne Academy Festival under Pierre Boulez, and is currently the Associate Concertmaster of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Véronique wishes to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for its generous support through the loan of the 1715 Dominicus Montagnana violin. Information about her upcoming performances can be found at http://www.avaduo.com/.
Brian Beach -
Violinist
A recent graduate of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Brian holds a B.M. in violin performance from the University of Memphis, and is currently completing his thesis requirements for a M.M.E. with a concentration in Violin Pedagogy from Indiana University. Brian is on faculty of the Merit School of Music in Chicago, and routinely performs with a variety of orchestras and ensembles in throughout Illinois and Indiana. He has performed in orchestras and chamber groups throughout United States and Europe, and has worked with distinguished conductors Cliff Colnot, David Effron, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Michael Stern, and Leonard Slatkin. His major teachers have included Susanna Perry-Gilmore, Susan Waterbury, Michelle Zaitzeff, and Mimi Zweig.
Tracy Figard - Violinist
Tracy Figard began violin studies at the age of three, piano at age 9 and organ in August of 2003. She has also studied harp, harpsichord and viola. A recent graduate of Northwestern University with a double major in Violin Performance and Historic Keyboard and a minor in Philosophy, she studied violin with Almita Vamos and organ with Margaret Kemper. She is currently a student at Northwestern University getting a Master’s degree in Viola.
In 2006 Tracy won the Union League Civic and Arts Competition. She also performed Alexander Tchaikovsky’s “Distant Dreams of Childhood” for Violin and Viola with her sister, Kristin, on the viola at the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin.. In 2005 she was the winner of the Chicago/North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists competition. In 2002 she won the James Glacking Memorial Music Competition and played the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the North Suburban Symphony in 2002. During that year Tracy also performed, at the conductor’s invitation, Lalo’s Symphonie Espagñole with the Lake Forest Symphony. Tracy also accompanied her sister, Kristin, for their first CD produced by the Holland-American Music Society released in 2002, as well as performing with her sister on the ‘Live from Studio One’ and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by WFMT. Tracy’s violin performance won her both an Evanston Music Club Scholarship in 2002 and the Farwell Award of the Musicians Club of Women in 2003.
Peter Vickery - Violinist
Peter Vickery began his violin studies in Indianapolis and later began studying at the String Academy at Indiana University with Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig. Now he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance under the instruction of Alexander Kerr at Indiana University on a Friends of Music scholarship. Solo appearances have included performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, New World Youth Orchestra, and numerous tours with the Violin Virtuosi throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States. Peter is a current member of Indiana University’s Michael Kuttner String Quartet, and serves as Associate Concertmaster of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra.
Katarzyna Bugaj - Violist
Violist Katarzyna Bugaj began musical studies on the violin in her native Poland. Currently pursuing a Doctorate of Music at Indiana University, Katarzyna is a graduate of Western Michigan University, The Peabody Conservatory, and Interlochen Arts Academy. Her teachers include Victoria Chiang, Igor Fedotov, Yuval Gotlibovich, and David Holland. She also has a degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University and is pursuing a certificate of literary translation from Indiana University.
Ms. Bugaj is adjunct faculty at Valparaiso University; she was a member of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and a supplemental musician for the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra. She was also the principal violist of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra (2002-2004),and a member of the 2000-2001 Jerusalem International Symphony Orchestra.
Katarzyna has published several articles about music and is an active
translator of Polish musical texts. She also updated the translations of
Polish Christmas carols recorded on the bilingual CDs "Lulajze Jezuniu and Other Gems of Polish Carols" and "Oj, Maluski Maluski and More Gems of Polish Carols" (http://www.polishcarols.com/).
Kristin Figard - Violist
Kristin Figard graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance and Harpsichord Maintenance and Studies and a Master’s degree in Viola Performance. She studied Viola with Almita and Roland Vamos and Harpsichord with Stephen Alltop. Kristin currently performs with the ArsViva Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra. In 2008 Kristin performed the American premier of Yuri Falik’s “Lyrical Concertino” for viola and orchestra with the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra. The spring of 2007 found her performing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C on the viola as one of five students chosen for their University Student Showcase.
In 2006 Kristin won the Samuel and Elinor Thaviu String Scholarship Competition. She also performed Alexander Tchaikovsky’s “Distant Dreams of Childhood” for Violin and Viola with her sister, Tracy, on the violin at the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. From 2003-2004 Kristin was Principal violist of the Lion King orchestra for Broadway in Chicago. As the 2001 First Prize Viola winner of the Holland-America Music Society Competition, she performed on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series and the “Live from Studio One” Series both broadcast live on WFMT. She and her sister also recorded their first CD on the Holland-America Music Society label. Kristin performed both the Karl Stamitz and J. C. Bach Viola Concertos with the Highland Park Strings. She won the college division of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation of Chicago in 2001, just one year after winning the high school division in 2000, as well as winning the college division of the Chicago Viola Society Competition.
Sophie Webber -
Cellist
Sophie Webber graduated from Trinity College of Music, London in 2001 with a First Class Honors degree as well as the 2001 Sir John Barbirolli memorial prize for cello. She has since gained a Master's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, where she is currently pursuing her doctorate studies. Her principal teachers include Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Helga Winold, Richard Markson and Janos Starker. Sophie was an award-winner in many competitions, including the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, the Thames Valley Young Musicians' Platform (UK), First and Public Prize for chamber music in "Zumaia International Music Festival"(Spain) and the Leonard Smith Strings and Piano prize. Also an ardent new music enthusiast, Sophie engages in numerous collaborations with composers, including several recent mixed media performances. As solo cellist with choir, she has recently performed Rudi Tas's "Miserere" with Indiana University's University Singers as well as Jocelyn Morlock's "Exaudi" with the Southeast Missouri chamber choir. In December 2007, Sophie gave two performances of an all-solo cello programme, entitled, "Bach and Britten by candlelight" in churches in the UK, one in the renowned Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire, dating from 681 AD. She held a position as an instructor in music theory for four years at Indiana University. In spring 2007, Sophie taught cello and double bass as a faculty member at Southeast Missouri State University. More information about her upcoming performances can be found at http://www.sophiewebber.net/ .
