The Latest Alumni Appointments:


Tessa Lark, www.tessalark.com

Charles Yang, "Time for Three" Trio, www.tf3.com

Alyssa Park, Lyris Quartet, www.lyrisquartet.com

Kejia He, violin professor, Shenyang Conservatory

Gao Can, Professor at Beiijing's Central Conservatory of Music and one of China's busiest violin soloists.

Ying Zhang, professor at the Wuhan Conservatory.

Yabing Tan, teaches at the XinHai Conservatory in Guangzhou



Here is a partial list of Cincinnati Starling Alumni:



Eric Bates currently plays in the first violin section of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 

Regina Beukes is the former concertmaster of the Cape Town Symphony in South Africa. She now lives in London where she serves as principal second violinist of the London Symphony Orchestra. *

Yehonatan Berick violin, is artist-in-residence and assistant professor of music at McGill University in Montreal. He was a winner in the Naumburg Competition in 1993.

Nora Chastain holds the prestigious professorship of violin at the Musikhochschule in LŸbeck, Germany. She performs extensively as a member of the Menuhin Piano Trio, with whom she has made numerous recordings.

Victoria Chiang is professor of viola at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and also teaches at the Hartt School of Music and the Aspen Music Festival and School. She is married to conductor Markand Thakar.

Bruno Eicher served as assistant principal second violin with the Rochester Philharmonic before joining the Atlanta Symphony as associate concertmaster.

Wei-Ming Hwang is violin professor at the National University in Taipei, Taiwan, and former associate concertmaster of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony.

Zoran Jakovcic is first violinist of the Essex String Quartet and director of the Essex Conservatory of Music in New Jersey. He is the former assistant to Robert Mann and the Juilliard String Quartet.

Jennifer John is professor of violin at the University of Boulder and serves on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Eli Matthew plays in the first violin section of the Cleveland Orchestra, and previously was a member of the St. Louis Symphony. *

Alyssa Park enjoys an international career as a violin soloist with numerous orchestras. At age 16 she won third prize in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Currently she teaches at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Kathleen Powell is concertmaster of the Memphis Symphony in Tennessee, and a faculty member at Rhode's College in Memphis. She earned her bachelor of music degree in violin from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Katrin Rabus is concertmaster of the North German Radio Orchestra in Hannover, Germany.

Kathryn Robertson graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1993. She holds the position of fifth chair, first violin in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Mark Robertson was the concertmaster and featured soloist for Deborah Lurie's score to "An Unfinished Life", a Miramax film being released world-wide September 9, 2005. H has also played on over 350 other motion picture scores including "War of the Worlds", "Fantastic Four" and "The Incredibles". He performed solos on the multi-platinum albums Under My Skin by April Lavigne and Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. In addition, Mark has produced several short films including the award-winning "Smile" directed by Chris Mais.

Rainer Schmidt became the second violinist of the Hagen String Quartet in 1988. The quartet is among Europe's busiest and most exciting young string quartets. The quartet is faculty quartet-in-residence at the famed Mozarteum in Salzburg and recently signed a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.

Eva Christina Schoenweiss is concertmaster of the Berlin Radio Orchestra, and co-founder and concertmaster of the New Basel Chamber Orchestra. She has solo management in Europe and maintains an active solo and chamber music schedule. She is married to cellist Wayne Smith.

Alexandra Shtarkman is associate principal second violinist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and a former member of the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. She also maintains a private violin studio.

Wayne Smith, cello, holds a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He was a faculty member of the Starling Preparatory String Project, teaching cello, ear training, theory and chamber music. Currently he is chamber music professor at the Hans Eisler Musikhochschule in Berlin. He is married to violinist Eva Christina Schoenweiss.

Stacey Woolley is a former first violinist of the Detroit Symphony and currently plays in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He has made three recordings on the Bay Cities label.

Luo-Jia Wu is a member of the first violin section of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Gefang Yang is the first violinist of the renowned Alexander String Quartet and artist-in-residence at the State University of California at San Francisco. He is also a former faculty member of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Yang Liu was a prize-winner in the Twelfth International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition in Moscow and performed the Nielson Concerto with the St. Louis Symphony under Robert Spano.

Lei-Yi Zhang is second assistant concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and teaches at McGill University in Montreal. In addition, she is a guest professor at the Shanghai Conservatory in China. She is a member of the Musique de Montreal Chamber Orchestra and is active as a solo recitalist in Canada.

* denotes Starling Preparatory String Project alumni.