Robert Davidovici

Violin

In concerto, recital and chamber music performances in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia, violinist ROBERT DAVIDOVICI is acclaimed on five continents as a virtuoso who combines spectacular technique, wide-ranging repertoire and magnificent artistry with an exciting, compelling stage presence.  The Boston Globe has said that “he is a terrific violinist.  His technique is of the ‘wow’ variety, his tone as huge as he cares to make it.”  The Montreal La Presse said that “Robert Davidovici is a born violinist in the most complete sense of the word.  His Prokofiev Concerto was played with that perfect balance of lyricism and satire that the composer himself talks about, and sonorities that not even a Milstein has.”

In February 2007 Robert Davidovici  was soloist at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in the American premiere  of the Kletzki Violin Concerto (1928) with the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by  Leon Botstein, following which the New York Times commented on the "excellent " performance.

Robert Davidovici is the recipient of several distinguished First Prize honors, among them, the Naumburg Competition and the Carnegie Hall International American Music Violin Competition.

Born in Transylvania, Rumania, Robert Davidovici began his studies with a student of David Oistrakh.  He went on to study with Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School, where, upon graduating, he became a teaching assistant to the Juilliard String Quartet.

He has collaborated in concert with such esteemed artists as  Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern , Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Cho Liang-Lin and Emanuel Ax.  Carnegie Hall has featured Robert Davidovici as part of their “American Music Masters” series and he was the subject of a television special on WGBH Boston.

The New York Times, in describing Robert Davidovici’s performance on the Bach’s Solo Sonata No. 1 said that “…he played cleanly and without affectation.  Contrapuntal lines emerged clearly because multiple stops stayed in tune, and a fast, tight vibrato helped keep the music from sounding expressive in a 19th-century manner.  This was, in fact, excellent Bach.”  In describing his performance of the Bernstein “Serenade”, The New York Times stated that “it would have been hard to imagine a sweeter performance.”  And the Sydney Morning Herald commented that “Robert Davidovici lingered lovingly over the poetic passages of the Tschaikovsky Concerto, and ignited the fiery ones with passion.”

In addition to his solo engagements, Robert Davidovici is Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Violin at Florida International University in Miami.  He is guest professor at leading music schools around the world, most recently at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Universities of Washington, British Columbia and the Australian National University. 

His multifaceted career has included being Concertmaster of such orchestras as the Osaka Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, The Residentie Orchestra (The Hague), Cincinnati Symphony as well as the Grand Teton Music Festival, Chautauqua and Colorado Music Festival Orchestras.  Additionally, he is Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Ft. Worth.

Fanfare Magazine commented on his first CD that “Davidovici handles the five compositional styles with confidence.  His tone is ripe, his intonation dead on, and he plays with aplomb.  This is an impressive disc debut”. He has recorded as violin soloist  with the London Symphony Orchestra  for Cala Records. His CD “Mélodie-The Art of Robert Davidovici” was selected as one of the top 30 CD releases in Japan in 1995.  Robert Davidovici may  also be heard  on New World Records, Centaur,  Clavier and Meistermusic.  His latest CD, transcriptions of “Chopin-Nocturnes”, was released in May 2004 in Japan by JVC Victor. 

Misha Vitenson

Violin

Misha Vitenson , violinist, began his violin studies with his father, Yuri Vitenson, in his native city of Tashkent , Uzbekistan . In 1990, Misha immigrated to Israel and continued his studies with Chaim Taub. Misha's prizes and awards in Israel include annual America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships and the prestigious Braun Zingel Award, which he won in a competition held at the Rubin Music Academy in Jerusalem .

In 1996, Mr. Vitenson began studying with Sergiu Schwartz at the Harid Conservatory. Subsequently, he was awarded top prizes in international violin competitions, including “Premio Paganini” ( Italy , 1998) and Pablo de Sarasate ( Spain , 1997) and First Prize in the 1998 Citta d'Andria International Violin Competition ( Italy ). Mr. Vitenson is the winner of the 1999 Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition and First Prizewinner at the 2000 National Society of Arts and Letters Violin Competition. He is also both a two-time winner of the Harid Conservatory Concerto Competition and a two-time recipient of the Harid Conservatory's Joseph Gingold Award for Excellence (1998 & 2000).

Mr. Vitenson's recent engagements have included appearances as a soloist with all major orchestras in Israel, including the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, and the Israel Chamber Orchestra; the Padova e Venetto Orchestra on tour in Brazil, the National Uzbekistan Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival Symphonia Orchestra, the Harid Philharmonia and the Harid Chamber Strings. Mr. Vitenson has participated in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout Israel , the United States , Canada , South America and Europe . As a member of the Kinneret Piano Trio, Mr. Vitenson was invited to participate in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 1995.

After receiving his Bachelor degree from Harid Conservatory School of Music at Lynn University , Misha Vitenson was a student of Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School , where he received a Master of Music Degree. There he appeared as a soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall under the baton of Hugh Wolff.

In the fall of 2002 Mr. Vitenson joined the Amernet String Quartet and the faculty at Northern Kentucky University as an Artist-in-Residence, teaching violin and chamber music. Currently, he is Artist-in Residence at Florida International University .

Marcia Littley

Violin

Marcia Littley , violinist, founding member of the quartet, received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Juilliard School where she was a student of Naoko Tanaka and Dorothy DeLay.

As a member of the Amernet String Quartet, she was the winner of the First Prize in the Fifth Banff International String Quartet Competition, First Prize in the 1992 Tokyo International Music Competition, with the Special Asahi Award, Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and First Prize winner of the Yellow Springs National Chamber Music Competition. She holds an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Other teachers include James Ceasar, Jerrie Lucktenberg and Sally O'Reilly. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States and in Mexico , and has participated in music festivals such as Aspen , Ravinia, Interlochen, Tanglewood and the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall.

From 1996 to 2000, Ms. Littley de Arias taught chamber music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. From 2000-2004 she was Artist–in-Residence at Northern Kentucky University . Currently, she is Artist-in Residence at Florida International University , where she teaches violin and chamber music.

Javier Arias

Cello

Javier Arias was born in Mexico City , where he started his musical training with his father, Emmanuel Arias y Luna.  As a founding member of the Amernet String Quartet, Javier Arias has been the winner of the First Prize in the Fifth Banff International String Quartet Competition, First Prize in the Tokyo International Music Competition, with the Special Asahi Award, Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and First Prize winner of the Yellow Springs National Chamber Music Competition.

He also has been the winner of the First Prize in the National Young Artists Competition and has appeared as soloist with the Mexico State Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta de Camara de Bellas Artes and other orchestras in Mexico , Germany and Italy .

Mr. Arias received his Bachelor of Music Degree from the Juilliard School , where he was awarded the Lincoln Center Scholarship, the Loeb Memorial Scholarship and the Cohen Memorial Scholarship. He also holds an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Zara Nelsova, Salomon van den Berg, Carlos Prieto, Dennis Parker, and Anna Elizabeth Berlin.

Javier Arias was a participant in the Bach Seminar in Freiburg , Germany and at the Course of Phenomenology  of Music at the University of Mainz in Germany , imparted by Sergiu Celibidache.

From 1996 to 2000 Javier Arias was part of the Faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he taught chamber music. In 2000 he became an Artist-in-Residence at Northern Kentucky University , where he taught cello and chamber music.  He founded the Norse Festival at Northern Kentucky University , of which he served as Artistic Director.

Javier Arias performs regularly throughout the U.S. and abroad and has appeared in summer music festivals such as Mostly Mozart, Ravinia Rising Stars Series, Interlochen, Tanglewood, Newport , Rockport, Graetna and San Miguel de Allende among others.