Award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak has achieved international acclaim as a trailblazing artist, praised for his radiant stage presence, dynamic interpretations, and fearless power. Critics have described him as “an exciting new voice in Classical performance” (I Care If You Listen), “a powerhouse musician, with a strong voice and compelling sound” (The Whole Note) and lauded his “haunting lyrical grace” (Gramophone). The recipient of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s ‘Alexandra Jupin’ Award and former Young Classical Artist Trust’s (YCAT) ‘Robey Artist,’ Bak was also a prizewinner in the Sphinx, Lionel Tertis, and Concert Artists Guild Competitions, and has received accolades from ClassicFM, MusicalAmerica, and WQXR.

Bak’s enthusiastically-received sophomore album, Cantabile: Anthems for Viola (Delphian Records), has garnered significant international attention, featuring works by Arnold Bax, Benjamin Britten, and Ralph Vaughan Williams, paired with contemporary compositions by Jonathan Harvey, Bright Sheng, and Augusta Read Thomas. A proud new music advocate, Bak gave the world premieres of Kaija Saariaho’s Du gick, flög for viola and mezzo-soprano, Jessica Meyer’s Excessive Use of Force for solo viola and On fire…no, after you for viola, mezzo-soprano and piano, and Augusta Read Thomas’ Upon Wings of Words for string quartet and soprano. He has additionally championed works by H. Leslie Adams, Esteban Zapata Blanco, Carlos Carillo, Caroline Shaw, and Alvin Singleton.

Bak has appeared as soloist with such orchestras as London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, London Mozart Players, New York Classical Players, Juilliard Orchestra and Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra among others, and has performed under such esteemed conductors as Howard Griffiths, Stephen Mulligan, Keith Lockhart, Gerard Schwarz, and Ewa Strusińska. As a recitalist and chamber musician, he has been heard at some of the world’s greatest performance venues including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Jordan Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Perelman Theater at The Kimmel Center, Elgar Concert Hall, and Helsinki Musiikkitalo. Bak’s recent performances include recitals at Kravis Center, Wiltshire Music Centre, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harriman-Jewell Series, Lichfield Festival, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.

Janna Lower is Professor of Violin and Head of the String Area at the University of Florida.   Throughout 35 years of teaching, she has influenced and inspired hundreds of students of all ages; she has given masterclasses throughout the U.S as well as in Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Canada. 

She has received accolades on three continents for her performances, with appearances throughout Europe and North and South America as recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist.   Her broad and diverse performing career has included many world premieres, chamber music with internationally renowned musicians, concerto appearances from the far south of Chile to the far north of Canada, and tours with Andrea Bocelli in stadiums filled with 25,000 fans.  She was appointed concertmaster of the Charlotte (NC) Symphony Orchestra for a season, leading the orchestra in 68 performances and appearing as concerto soloist in their Mostly Mozart Series.  She holds two degrees from The Juilliard School and the DMA from the University of Michigan.

Ana Galdavadze is a violinist and music educator born in Tbilisi, Georgia. Violin was something Ana was talented at since her young age, and she developed that into a professional level. Ana's love of the arts propelled her through diverse and rich musical training: Master's Certificate from Sibelius Academy, a Master of Music from the University of North Dakota, and continuing doctoral studies at the University of Florida.

This has led her to be a concertmaster at such orchestras as The Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra and The UF Symphony Orchestra. She has been highly devoted to teaching the violin and mastered different students of all ages. Her devotion is also reflected in outside music events, sound recording projects, and international performances. Ana has been awarded many scholarships and awards for her art, including an Erasmus+ Exchange Program Scholarship, 1st prize in the Taktakishvili International Competition, among others.

Conductor Tiffany Lu is Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestra at the University of Florida, and also serves as Interim Music Director of the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival in Hancock, Maine.

In the 2022-2023 concert season, she was guest conductor with Symphony New Hampshire and Elgin Symphony Orchestra. From 2020-2022, she was Director of the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Professor of Orchestral Conducting at Sewanee University of the South. Prior to her current appointment, Lu served for five seasons as Associate Conductor of the Pierre Monteux Music Festival. 

Over seven years, Lu developed a diverse portfolio of work in the D.C. region and Delaware. She held the position of Assistant Conductor with the Prince Georges’ Philharmonic (MD) from ‘19-’22, was Music Director of the Wilmington Community Orchestra for five seasons, and also Assistant and then Associate Conductor with Washington, D.C.’s Capital City Symphony from ‘15-’22, creating groundbreaking and creative programming. She was also selected as Conducting Fellow for the Allentown Symphony in 2019 and 2020. Other positions have included Music Director of the University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra, cover conductor and principal librarian at the 2016 and 2017 National Orchestral Institute, and conductor with the DC Youth Orchestra Program and Annapolis Symphony Academy. Lu has guest-conducted the Symphony New Hampshire as well as the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra; and acted as cover conductor with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Georgetown University Orchestra, and Cornell University Orchestra. She also served as lead producer on two recordings by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as well as one with the Smithsonian Chamber Players. 

Lu maintains an active performing profile as an orchestral violinist, chamber music collaborator, and private violin teacher. Her doctoral research focused on new models in the orchestral education of undergraduate string players. Her primary conducting mentors have included Michael Jinbo, Jim Ross, and Jeffery Meyer. Lu grew up in Tampa, FL and holds degrees from Princeton University, Ithaca College, and the University of Maryland.

Lauren Burns Hodges, "a distinguished violist with a refined, mellow tone" (American Record Guide), is currently Associate Professor of Viola at the University of Florida where she also coordinates and teaches Music Appreciation classes.

For six years prior, she was Lecturer in Viola at Valdosta State University, Principal Viola of the Valdosta Symphony, violist of the Azalea String Quartet, and Director of the South Georgia String Project. She has performed and taught abroad in Italy, Austria, and France and recently presented recitals, masterclasses, and a body awareness workshop in Shanghai and WuHan, China. She has given masterclasses, clinics, and performances at universities and music schools throughout the country, including Illinois State University, Western Illinois University, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina and at Viola Day events in Morgantown (WV), Birmingham (AL), Valdosta (GA), Atlanta (GA) and Miami (FL). Dr. Hodges has twice been invited to teach masterclasses at the Primrose International Viola Competition and Festival held at the Colburn School, and she has presented at national AVS festivals in Oberlin (OH) and Knoxville (TN). Passionate about promoting the viola and engaging with the community, she hosts an annual viola day at UF and serves as a board member-at-large for the American Viola Society. Originally from South Carolina, Lauren studied at the University of South Carolina, Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Alabama.

Born in Shanghai, China, Peijun started her musical education at the age of four by taking violin lessons from Ms. Yao Shimei, a first violin member retired from Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018, Peijun earned a master’s degree of Music Education (M.M. Instrumental Emphasis) from Azusa Pacific University (APU) under the guidance of Dr. John Burdett.

With attending violin and viola classes from the studio of Dr. Alex Russell, Peijun received the first Artist Certificate in Combined Violin and Viola Performance in APU’s history and Artist Certificate in Viola Performance in 2022. She was also the principal viola of APU Symphony Orchestra.

Since Fall 2022, Peijun became the first DMA candidate in Viola Performance with a full scholarship and an appointed graduate assistantship position at the University of Florida.

In Summer 2020, Peijun was awarded the Apprenticeship position in viola for the MasterWorks Festival 2020 Program, which is regarded as “the most well-qualified and responsible applicants with significant education, performance and leadership experience.”

During the MasterWorks Festival 2020, under the tutelage of Ms. Lisa Boyko, a violist member of the Cleveland Orchestra, Peijun was selected to perform Dvorak Piano Quintet in A Major for a masterclass lectured by Ken-David Masur, the world-renowned conductor.

In Spring 2021, Peijun won the only one 1st Place of Viola, Group G (age 23 and up), at the King’s Peak International Music Competition, two 1st Prize at the Charleston International Music Competition (age 25 and up). In Spring 2022, Peijun received the Award as the 3rd Place Winner at the American Prize in Instrumental Performance, 2022 (college/university division)

As a co-founder of MAP (a non-profit organization named MARKER AND PIONEER International Culture Exchange Center), Peijun is the executive director of MAP International Music Competition, which received 1100 preliminary round applications and 692 selected finalists represented over 66 countries from the global area.

Michael Knowles, a native of Richmond, Virginia, is the Cello Graduate Assistant at University of Florida where he studies with Steven Thomas. 

Prior to attending UF, Michael was a teacher and freelance cellist who frequently performed with many of the orchestras, churches, and theater companies in Virginia. He also completed his undergraduate degree in Cello Performance studying with Wendy Warner at Columbus State University.

In addition to performing on cello, Michael is a conductor and an avid arranger for cello ensembles. In 2015 Michael founded The Richmond Cello Orchestra (RCO) a community cello ensemble dedicated to connecting the cello community of Richmond and expanding the repertoire available for cello ensemble. Currently RCO has over 100 cello arrangements in its library with many of them arranged by Michael himself.

During his time in Gainesville, Michael has continued to perform and arrange music. He performs regularly with ensembles at UF, runs the UF Cello ensemble Cellorando, and holds positions with the Albany, Gainesville, and Columbus Symphony Orchestras.

Dr. Alexander Pershounin has performed extensively throughout Europe and United States in both jazz and classical settings, and has been featured as a performer, arranger, and composer on such internationally recognized music events as Montreaux Jazz Festival in

Switzerland, Pori Jazz Festival in Finland, Europe’s Jazz Contest in Belgium, and New Orleans Jazz Fest, among many others. His performing credits include collaboration projects and appearances with world-class artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson, Bob Berg and Ray Charles to Itzhac Perlman and Yo Yo Ma.

He also has recorded several commercially released albums as a soloist and
ensemble musician. Dr. Pershounin holds music degrees from Russia’s most
prestigious music institution, Gnessins' State Academy of Music in Moscow, as well as
DMA and MFA degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Starting in the fall of 2024, Dr. Pershounin has joined the music faculty at
University of Florida School of Music, teaching classical, jazz, and commercial double
bass and bass guitar studio. Prior to UF he taught at the University of Northern Iowa,
Columbus State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Westfield State
College, and various music institutions in Russia. His students won national and
international competitions, were accepted to prestigious music institutions, and
successfully developed their own professional music careers.

Pianist Evan Mitchell's recent highlights include solo performances on the prestigious Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series (Chicago), at Merkin Concert Hall (NYC), and at several major venues in Shanghai; concerti with the symphony orchestras of Dallas and Fort Worth; and recitals with such major figures as double bassist Gary Karr, flutists Leone Buyse and Jim Walker, and clarinetist Corrado Giuffredi. He has made repeat appearances on several Cliburn series, and both performs and serves on the Board of Mount Vernon Music.

Dr. Mitchell received the DMA degree from Texas Christian University, and MM and BM degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His principal teachers have included John Owings, Arnaldo Cohen, and the late José Feghali. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Florida School of Music.

Evan Mitchell is a Steinway Artist. For more, please visit www.evanmitchell.net