String Mentors
Annie Chalex Boyle, Violin
2022 Festival Musician
Internationally recognized violinist Annie Chalex Boyle has had a wide-ranging career as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral player, and teacher. Her playing has been hailed by critics as “brilliant” (Kalamazoo Gazette), “eloquent and poignant” (The San Antonio Express Journal), and “has a commanding musical impersonation” (Los Angeles Times). Equally comfortable with classical and contemporary works, Ms. Chalex Boyle has performed numerous new works composed for her as well as commissioned for the Harrington String Quartet. Ms. Chalex Boyle has won prizes at the Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Competition and the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and was a finalist in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition and the Stulberg International String Competition. She was also the Grand Prize Winner of the Junior Division of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. As a soloist, Ms. Chalex Boyle has performed recitals and been concerto soloist throughout North and South America. As first violinist of the Harrington String Quartet, the group toured extensively nationally and internationally, including a performance at Carnegie’s Weill Hall and on the roster of Mid-America Arts Alliance. The quartet was featured in the PBS television documentary entitled “A Sound Collaboration-The Harrington String Quartet” and released an Albany Recording of the complete string quartets of Daniel McCarthy. The Harrington Quartet performed with guest artists David Shifrin, Robert Levin, James Dunham, Arthur Rowe, Pepe Romero, James Dick, and members of the Pro Arte, Miro, and Cavani Quartets. Orchestral engagements include performances as Concertmaster with the Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita, Interlochen Faculty Orchestra, Lakeridge Chamber Orchestra, and Amarillo Virtuosi. She has performed with a variety of ensembles throughout Asia and Europe and has been heard frequently on NPR’s “Performance Today”. Ms. Chalex Boyle has also performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, American Sinfonietta, and Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. Before moving to Lubbock, she taught violin at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and was also a chamber music coach for the Chicago Symphony Youth Orchestra. Born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Ms. Chalex Boyle began violin in the Music for Youth Suzuki Program with Donna Cook and Karen Nurani. At the Music Center of the North Shore (now the Chicago Music Institute) she continued her work with Almita and Roland Vamos. She also attended the University of Southern California studying with Robert Lipsett and worked with Robert Mann and Felix Galimir at The Juilliard School. She is currently an Associate Professor of Violin at Texas Tech University.
Andrew Irvin, Violin
2022 Festival Musician
Andrew Irvin started his violin studies in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri with Kathy Rollings. This childhood interest has led to a life of concerts throughout North America and abroad. After study with Kevin Lawrence at the University of North Carolina, School of the Arts, Catherine Tait at Eastman and Katy McLin at Arizona State University he moved to Arkansas where he has been Concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. His solo repertoire ranges from Bach and Vivaldi, through Mozart and Haydn to Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Korngold and Vaughn-Williams and includes the world premiere of Michael Fines’ Double Violin Concerto.
Andrew’s chamber music highlights include performances with artist including violinist Augustin Hadelich, the Ying Quartet, the Audubon Quartet, bassist Milton Masciadri and composer Steve Mackey. Most exciting for him is the opportunity to make music with the excellent artists of the Arkansas Symphony which he considers his artistic home. He has numerous chamber ensembles playing everything from world premieres to the favorites of the chamber music repertoire. Recordings of Andrew include one as a member of the Camino Trio with clarinetist, Kelly Johnson, and pianist Gail Novak. The CD “Child’s Play” is out on the Potenza label. He can also be heard in recording on the Naxos label with the Hot Springs Music Festival (HSMF). The HSMF is a free summer music festival for musicians finishing their training and entering the professional realm. Andrew has been a faculty member since 2004.
Mr. Irvin was the progenitor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Bedtime with Bach series. An online concert series originating in March of 2020 and know for receiving national press and reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.
Mr. Irvin works with a select private studio and his students have attended schools across the US, many with a scholarship. Some of the schools include Ithaca, SUNY-Fredonia, Yale, Smith College, Arizona State University, Florida State University, St Olaf, Texas Tech, Interlochen Academy, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, Calvin College and many of Arkansas’ fine music schools. He plays a 1765 Gagliano violin.
Lauren Pokorzynski, Viola
2022 Festival Musician
Violinist Lauren Pokorzynski is a chamber musician, orchestral musician and soloist. Lauren is currently Principal Second Violinist at the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Lauren has also served as Concertmaster for the University Symphony Orchestra at Texas Tech University from 2016-2019, under the baton of both David Becker and Philip Mann. She is also currently Associate Concertmaster of the Lubbock Chamber Orchestra and in 2017, was a featured performer for Chamber Music Amarillo. In March 2020, Lauren soloed with the Texas Tech New Music Ensemble “NOW” at their inaugural performance. In January 2018, Lauren won the concerto competition at Texas Tech University and performed the Korngold Violin Concerto with the University Symphony Orchestra in the Fall of 2018. She also soloed with the Benzie Symphony Orchestra of Michigan in July 2018 playing Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3. In January of 2018, Lauren co-founded the Lubbock chapter of Classical Revolution, bringing high-quality chamber music to an underserved community in an engaging and intimate setting. She is currently employed at Texas Tech University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and served two seasons as the Administrative Assistant at the Lake City String Academy in Lake City, Colorado.
In Lubbock, Texas, Lauren has worked extensively with Amusement Park recording studios as a featured soloist on several albums and documentaries, and has premiered and recorded new music collaborations such as an active touring ballet entitled “Click”. Most notably, Lauren was recorded as Concertmaster for the Stephenson Trumpet Concerto, performing with soloist Andrew Stetson and the University Symphony Orchestra at Texas Tech University, recording under the MSR Classics label.
In 2021, Lauren performed with the L. Mattson Chamber Collective for their summer series in Allenspark, CO. Also in Colorado, Lauren was a founding member of the Ethos String Quartet at the University of Colorado at Boulder. With this group, she performed the premier of String Quartet No. 1 by composer Daniel Cox on the new music series “Pendulum”. The Ethos Quartet later performed this piece as the opening act and pre-concert talk for the Grammy Award winning Kronos Quartet in 2015. The Ethos Quartet performed in Boulder, Colorado and surrounding areas, including a sold-out showcase in Aspen, Colorado. Lauren also had the opportunity to perform chamber music around Florence, Italy and neighboring cities with the cellist from the Ethos String Quartet.
While living in Michigan, Lauren won the Grand Traverse Musicale scholarship for four consecutive years, as well as being honored with the Concertmaster position at the Michigan Youth Arts festival her senior year of high school. She also participated in the Michigan Youth Arts concerto competitions and the Michigan All-State Orchestra. Lauren performed with the Bel Canto String Ensemble, soloing with the Benzie Symphony Orchestra in 2010. In High School, Lauren studied with Paul Sonner and Annie Chalex Boyle of the Interlochen Arts Academy, and participated in the Traverse Youth Symphony Orchestra as the Concertmaster for many of her High School years. Lauren also worked as an intern for Chamber Music North of Traverse City, MI, greatly increasing her passion for chamber music. Besides working as an intern, Lauren began teaching young children in her early teens, and is certified in the Suzuki Method. She now maintains a private studio in Lubbock, TX.
Lauren has participated in master classes with artists such as Rachel Barton-Pine, Andres Cardenas, Paul Kantor, the Takács Quartet and the Kronos Quartet. Lauren graduated with high honors from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Violin Performance, studying with Lina Bahn. Now working toward obtaining her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Texas Tech University and studying with Annie Chalex Boyle, Lauren is continuing to expand her knowledge of music and musicianship as a dedicated student and performer.
David Schepps, Cello
2022 Festival Musician
David Schepps, cello professor at the University of New Mexico, has been soloist and chamber musician for NPR’s “Performance Today,” Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Phillips Collection (Washington DC), substitute with the Grammy winning Parker Quartet, recitalist in Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, England, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and at universities and radio stations throughout the USA. As a competition winner he soloed with the Calgary Symphony and North Arkansas Symphony, plus concerto appearances with the Christchurch New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz, New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony and many others. He plays in the internationally acclaimed Grand Teton Music Festival (since 1992), with major orchestra musicians in orchestra (broadcast on NPR) and chamber concerts. Schepps played in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, as principal of the Santa Fe Symphony and Opera Southwest and in the NM Philharmonic and Santa Fe Pro Musica orchestra. He has performed duos with cellists Matt Haimovitz and Wendy Warner, & bassist Gary Karr, and in chamber music with cellists Lynn Harrell, Laszlo Varga, and Timothy Eddy. Schepps CD’s include David Baker’s jazz influenced work for cello and percussion, and Grand Teton Festival concerts. His summer positions include Hot Springs, Montecito International and Fairbanks festivals. He gave a concert/master class tour of Taiwan (replacing Eastman professor Alan Harris), master classes at the American Cello Congress, for international soloist Wendy Warner at Columbus State University, and many other music schools, including universities in Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Utah, Illinois and Texas. Previous university positions were at Wichita State and Louisiana State University-Lafayette, including touring faculty quartets and trios. His orchestral positions include principal of the Arizona Opera Wagner Ring Cycles and Flagstaff Festival, assistant principal of the Phoenix Symphony, acting principal of the Baton Rouge Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Véracruz, and substitute in L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Symphonies of Kansas City, Colorado, Hawai’i (acting assistant principal), and Tulsa (acting principal), and the Malaysian Philharmonic. He played with the American Sinfonietta in their Bellingham WA summer festival and as assistant principal for their European tour.
Schepps holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Mannes College of Music (NY), an MM and DMA from Arizona State University, and did pre-college study at the Manhattan School of Music. After study with legendary cellist Pierre Fournier in Geneva on an ITT Fellowship and graduate research grant, Schepps wrote his doctoral thesis on Fournier’s technique and interpretations of the Beethoven cello/piano works. His other cello teachers were Claus Adam (Juilliard Quartet), Paul Tobias, Timothy Eddy, Takayori Atsumi. Thomas Liberti (NY Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra), and Paul Pulford (Banff Centre), post-doctoral work with Harvey Shapiro (Juilliard) and Alan Harris (Eastman), and in master classes of Starker, Harrell, Nelsova, Parisot, Neikrug, and Aldulescu (International Musicians Seminar–Prussia Cove, England). He studied at Canada’s Banff Centre, the Bach Aria Festival, with the Tokyo Quartet at the Yale Summer School, and at the Univ. of Wisconsin “National Cello Institute/Feldenkrais for Musicians Workshop” with Uri Vardi, Ralph Kirshbaum, Timothy Eddy and Richard Aaron. Dr. Schepps has been a university professor since 1985. His students have won jobs, competitions and scholarships throughout the world. He has hosted many guest artists and cello festivals involving hundreds of cellists of all ages and levels.
Kevin Mauldin, Bass
2022 Festival Musician
Kevin Mauldin, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, began playing the double bass at age 13. While attending Memphis State University, Kevin studied bass with Herman Burkhardt, and John Chiego. After leaving Memphis with a Bachelor of Music(1982), he attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) studying with Frank Proto and getting his Master of Music Degree in Double Bass Performance(1985). From there he won the position of Principal Bass in the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, (1986), also being involved with the local Jazz scene there.
In 1990, he began his musical career in Naples as Principal Bassist with the Naples Philharmonic, and the Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra (2007- present). Kevin was on the faculty at the University of Miami (2000 to 2010),the Brevard Music Festival (1994- 2004), the Luzerne Music Festival (1990- 92), and currently teaches at the Hot Springs Music Festival (2007 to present). Mr. Mauldin’s chamber music experiences include concerts in the Chamber Music Series at Artis- Naples, and the Festival Chamber Players in Hot Springs. Kevin gets to show his versatility by playing electric bass and jazz bass on Pops concerts while being active in the local Jazz community.
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Kevin Mauldin's 60x60 - 60 Videos over 60 Days Celebrating 60 years of Life!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqaL98Uj8G3lY7qwbOWMRtw8OUcLclkFh
Ann Marie Brink, Viola
Violist Ann Marie Brink has performed in solo and chamber music recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Aspen Music Festival, Library of Congress, Severance Hall, Rockport Music Festival, Newport Music Festival, Banff Centre for the Arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Chamber Music Chicago, and the Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival, and has been a featured soloist with the Dallas Symphony. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Brink’s performances with the Amernet String Quartet were praised by the New York Times as “an accomplished and intelligent ensemble. Their fine performances were most notable for the quality of unjaded discovery that came through so vividly.” She has coached and performed in residencies for Chamber Music America with the Cavani String Quartet, has twice been a fellow at the Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies and was invited by Isaac Stern to perform in his Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall. First-prize winner in both the Nakamichi Foundation Concerto competition at the Aspen Music festival and the Darius Milhaud Performance Prize Auditions, she has also won the Florence Allan Award at the Carmel Chamber Music Competition.
First introduced to the viola at the age of ten in a public school strings class, Ann Marie became one of the youngest members of the Pensacola Symphony, performing in the viola section while a freshman in high school. She later enrolled at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she was a featured soloist with the World Youth Symphony, received a Fine Arts Award and graduated with high honors. Ann Marie received her Bachelor of Music with academic honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was awarded the Jim Hall prize for achievement and leadership in music. She received her Master of Music from the Juilliard School, where she was awarded the prestigious William Schuman Prize, the single graduate prize given at commencement exercises. Her principal teachers were Karen Tuttle, Heidi Castleman and David Holland, and her chamber music mentors include the Emerson, Juilliard, Cleveland, Orion, and Cavani String Quartets. Ms. Brink has served on the faculties of Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas, Interlochen Arts Camp, Wintergreen Academy, Hot Springs Music Festival, Music in the Mountains Conservatory, Dallas Symphony Young Strings and The Institute for Strings.
In 2019, after performing 20 seasons as Associate Principal Viola of the Dallas Symphony, Ms Brink joined the faculty of DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, serving as Assistant Professor of Viola.