Ilmar Gavilan, violin

Ilmar Gavilan as born in Havana, Cuba to parents who are internationally acclaimed classical musicians. His father is a conductor and his mother is a concert pianist. At the age of four he was introduced to the violin by his father. He subsequently began to attend formal violin lessons at the age of six. Ilmar made his solo debut when he was eight years old with Orquestra de Camera Brindis de Salas. He frequently performed on Cuban television and radio programs as well as with prominent orchestras throughout the country. Recognized during this period in his budding career with honors at numerous national competitions, Mr. Gavilan also performed the Mendelsohn violin concerto with La Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional de Cuba.

At the age of fourteen, Ilmar was recognized as the best interpreter of George Frederick Handel's music at the Lipinsky-Wieniawsky International Competition in Poland. Soon after this he enrolled at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow where he studied with Professor Maia Glizarova. Prior his graduation in 1993, he toured throughout the various republics of the former Soviet Union.

Since departing from Moscow, Ilmar studied with Zachar Braun at Las Escuela Superior de Musica "Reina Sofia" in Spain. Notable performances by Mr. Gavilan include those for Queen Sofia of Spain, Yehudi Menuhin and a laureate appearance at the International Heinrick Schering Violin Competition. In 1995, Ilmar came to the United States at the invitation of Joseph Egger of the United Nations Symphony. He is currently studying with Abraham Stern as well as Claire Hodgkins and Sherry Kloss, two former assistants of Jasha Heifetz. Ilmar has been invited to teach at the Julliard School of Music and is currently awaiting notice of his acceptance as a pupil of Dorothy Delay.

Elissa Johnston, soprano

Soprano Elissa Johnston performs throughout the United States and Britain in a wide range of repertoire. Her recent concert engagements have included appearances with the Atlanta Symphony with music director Yoel Levi, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In addition, recent performances with the Los Angeles Master Chorale of Bach's St. John Passion and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass were highly acclaimed. In May of this year she sang the soprano solos in Mahler's Second Symphony with the Santa Barbara Symphony and in 1995 she appeared with the L.A. Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen in the season-opening performances of Nielson's Third Symphony.

Ms. Johnston is also active in the realm of opera. Most recently she sang the role of Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute with the Los Angeles Guild Opera and the role of Prosperina in a concert performance of Henze's The Judgment of Calliope at the Aldeburgh Festival. She also recently performed the role of Britta in four concert performances of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Valery Gergiev. In the summer of 1995 she appeared as Marzelline in Beethoven's Fidelio with tenor Gary Lakes in a concert performance at the Aspen Music Festival. In the summer of 1996 she returned to the Aspen Festival to sing the role of Eve in Haydn's Creation with music director Lawrence Foster. In 1994 she made her Los Angeles Music Center Opera debut as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and she will return to the LAMCO in the 1996/97 season to sing roles in Le Nozze di Figaro and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. This Fall she will also return to Aldeburgh to sing the role of Female Chorus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia.

A California native, Ms. Johnston earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Southern California. In 1993 she was awarded first place in the Aspen Music Festival's vocal competition, leading to a performance of selections from Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne with the Aspen Concert Orchestra. She was also an award winner in the 1996 Opera Guild of Southern California Competition.

Babette Hierholzer, piano

Pianist Babette Hierholzer's debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1978 was followed by numerous performances with the famed orchestra, led by renowned conductors Klaus Tennstedt, Sir Collin Davis, Leopold Hager and Semyon Bychkov. A resident of Berlin now living in New York State, Ms. Hierholzer has performed extensively in recital and chamber music and as soloist with orchestras in most of the countries of Europe, the United States, South America and Africa. In 1986, she gave her American debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony playing the Liszt Concerto No. 1. Other engagements have included the Philharmonic Orchestra Kiel, Philharmonic Orchestra Ulm, Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra, touring with the Nordwest-deutschen Philharmonic, Orquestra Sinfonica Bilbao, Festival International de Bordeaux and the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. In May, 1993 she performed the Liszt Concerto No. 1 with the Orquestra Sinfonica de Chile. In June, 1993 she performed the same work with the Staatskapelle in Berlin with Paavo Berglund conducting. In 1994, she performed the Clara Schumann Piano Concerto with the St. Louis Symphony during its Summerfest and made her Canadian debut with the Saskatoon Symphony.

Ms. Hierholzer has made a number of recordings with MARUS/EMI Electrola playing works by Schumann (including the recently discovered Exercises, variations on a theme by Beethoven), Couperin, Debussy, Mozart and Scarlatti (Sonatas volumes one and two). Her next recording (soon to be released) will a compilation of works by Schubert. She performed the sound track and the double/stand-in role for Clara Wieck in Peter Schamoni's movie Spring Symphony about the life of Robert Schumann.

Babette Hierholzer has won numerous first prizes in international competitions including the Steinway Piano Competition in Berlin (seven times), the All German National Piano Competition (twice), the "G.B. Viotti Concorso Internazionale di Musica in Vercelli, Italy, the Medaille d'Argent of the Festival International des Jeunnes Solistes in Bordeaux, France and the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Andy Petlansky Memorial Award in Palm Springs. In February, 1992 she presented her New York debut recital as winner of the East and West Artists Prize for New York Debut.

Born in Frieburg, Germany, Ms. Hierholzer had her first piano lessons at the age of five with Elizabeth Dounias-Sindermann and Wolfgang Saschowa in Berlin. Her first public appearance came at the age of eleven in the Philharmonic Hall in Berlin playing Mozart's Concerto K. 488. She then studied with Herbert Stessin at The Julliard School in New York, with Paul Badura-Skoda n Vienna, with Maria Tipo in Florence and with Bruno Leonardo Gelber in Buenos Aires. She was awarded scholarships by the Study Grant of the German People and Oskar and Vera Ritter-Stiftung.