ZhongLing Li
[founding member]

ZhongLing Li has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in her native China as well as in the US and Europe. She is the exclusive winner of the 2006 Arthur W. Foote Award from the Harvard Musical Association. In May 2005, Ms. Li was awarded the Dan David Prize for Performing Arts, dedicated to only 20 people in the world with proven and exceptional excellence in sciences, arts, and humanities.

She made her solo debut with the Boston Pops in May 2004 as the winner of the Boston University 2004 Soloists’ Competition. Ms. Li holds both a Doctoral and a Master of Music degree from Boston University, where she studied with Prof.Dana Mazurkevich. During her studies at Boston University she was awarded distinctions such as the Grand Prize in the 2001 Bach Competition and recognition as an Outstanding Student in 2004. Ms. Li received her Bachelor of Music degree from Shanghai Conservatory, where she was winner of both the Shanghai Bach and Mozart Competitions. Ms. Li is a former member of the China National Symphony Orchestra, with whom she toured extensively throughout Europe and Asia. She currently teaches at Northeastern University Music Department.

Andy Tsai - Violin and Viola  [founding member]

Born in New Haven Connecticut and inspired by his uncle, violinist Nai-Yuan Hu, Grand Prize Winner of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Competition, Andy began his violin studies at the age of 4. He first appeared on national television by the age of 5.

He is winner of numerous competitions including the Boston Classical Orchestra Concerto Competition, Boston Chinese Concerto competition, and Boston University Bach Competition. He received the String Department Special Award from the New England Conservatory.

In Taiwan he has performed as soloist in Taipei 's National Hall with the North American Elite Orchestra. He then went on perform as soloist throughout Taiwan as part of their summer tour. His performances were broadcast over national television and radio. They were also recorded and published on CD.

Some of the other orchestras Andy has performed as soloist are, the Lexington Sinfonietta, Lexington Chamber Orchestra, and Colorado String in the Mountains Orchestra.

Andy received his Bachelor of Music Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, studying violin with Eric Rosenblith. He went on to receive his Masters in Music Degree, studying viola with Steve Ansell, from Boston University . His previous teachers include Roman Totenberg, Nai-Yuan Hu, and James Dunham.

Nikola Takov - violin [founding member]

A Native of Sofia , Bulgaria, Mr. Takov began playing violin at the age of five. He received his Bachelors Degree in Violin Performance from Louisiana State University and his Masters of Music from Boston University. His principle teachers include Yuri Mazurkevich, Kevork Mardrossian, Dora Ivanova, and Elmar Oliviera. Mr. Takov has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe in solo, chamber and orchestral settings. Nikola Takov has won competitions and has appeared as a soloist with numerous ensembles in Europe and the United States, as well as performing in numerous master classes including those held by David Cerone, Joseph Silverstein, Camila Wicks, Sergiu Luca, and Charles Castleman. Mr. Takov currently performs with the Portland Symphony, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Indian Hill Symphony.

Jan Müller Szeraws made his debut at age twelve with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción and has since then performed frequently as a soloist with orchestras in Chile, Germany and the United States, including Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción, Markneugraefler Symphonieorchester, Balinger Kammerorchester, Staufner Kammerensamble, Macon Symphony and Columbus State University Symphony Orchestra.

He has been a guest artist at the Andover Chamber Series, the Cape & Islands, Rockport, El Paso Pro-Musica, Strings in the Mountains, Delaware, Music at Gretna and Kingston Chamber Music Festivals, the Garth Newel Music Center and the European Chamber Music Association, performing in collaboration with artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Roberto Díaz, David Kim, Andrés Cárdenes, Samuel Sanders, Andrés Díaz, Laurence Lesser and Bernard Greenhouse.

As an enthusiastic performer of contemporary music, Müller Szeraws performs regularly with contemporary music ensembles such as Dinosaur Annex and Boston Musica Viva. He has performed for WGBH radio station in the United States, WDR and SWR in Germany and Radio UDEC in Chile.

Müller Szeraws has been artist and teacher in residence at the Jornadas Musicales Internacionales de Invierno in Concepción, Chile and has taught Master Classes at the Garth Newel Music Center, Columbus State University and Academia de Música Antonio Vivaldi, Concepción. As a graduate student, he was a teaching assistant of Andrés Díaz. He currently teaches at Spencer Brook Strings in Concord, MA

He has been awarded the 揗usikpreis der Museumsgesellschaft Freiburg i. Br.?and has been a Scholarship holder of the 揝tudienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes? as well as a recipient of a Deans Schoolarship and Performance Award at Boston University. He was a semi-finalist at the Naumburg International Competition and a prize-winner at the Washington International Competition. He currently is a grant recipient of the Saul and Naomi Cohen Foundation.

Jan Müller Szeraws studied at the Musikhochschule Freiburg, Germany and holds a Bachelor and Master's of Music Degree from Boston University. His teachers include Andrés Díaz, Christoph Henkel, Xavier Gagnepain, Arnaldo Fuentes and Javier Santamaría.

Angel Valchinov - violin

Angel Valchinov, born on 26th November, 1979, has been a Semi-Finalist at
the "Vaclam Huml" International Violin Competition in Zagreb, Croatia, has
won First Prizes at California Young Artist Competition, Temecula Young
Artist Competition, and has won the Concerto Competitions at his former
schools: Idyllwild Arts Academy and Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton,
Florida. He has also been a Semi-Finalist at the renown Spotlight Competiton
in Los Angeles.
He has performed with the following orchestras: Gold Country Symphony in
Sacramento, California, Pacific Union College Symphony in Napa Valley,
Idyllwild Chamber Orchestra (there he performed with conductor Ransom
Wilson, which performance was broadcast over the Internet), and in his home
country, Bulgaria: Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra (second biggest), and
Pazardjik Symphony (fourth biggest). His solo recitals include recitals in:
Miami, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach, Florida; Idyllwild, California;
Plovdiv State Radio (Bulgaria).
His teachers include Aaron Rosand, Alexander Kerr (Concertmaster of the
Royal Concertgebow Orchestra), Naoko Tanaka (Dorothy DeLay asssistant),
Viktor Danchenko, Sergiu Schwartz, Yuri Mazurkevitch.
Angel graduated from the Idyllwild Arts Academy with two honors: Best
Scholar in 10th Grade, and Most Distinguished Arts Student (the highest
award given to a student at that institution); and he also graduated from
the Harid Conservatory with three honors: he received the award for
Excellence in Violin Playing, the award Most Outstanding Chamber Musician,
and with the distinction cum laude.
He has attended the Aspen Music Festival for the last three years, the Texas
Music Festival, and the Bowdoin Music Festival. His orchestra jobs include:
The Miami Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony, Palm Beach Pops, and others.
He has also been a concertmaster of the Concert Orchestra at the Aspen Music
Festival, which premiered the opera "Gloria: a Pig's Tale". This performance
received a positive review in the New York Times.
Angel has been given grants from the Leni fe Bland Foundation, by Doris
Kovner (to attend the Aspen Music Festival), and Marie Iandoli (to attend
Boston University). He has had master classes with: Gil Shaham, Midori,
Pamela Frank, Joseph Silverstein, among others.
He just started recording the Complete Sonatas and Partitas by Bach, for
Orpheus Violin House and is also engaged to record the 24 Caprices by
Paganini in the near future.