JOSEPH KAUFFMAN
first violin
Violinist/Violist Joseph Kauffman is a freelance musician in living in Philadelphia. He has studied with Yayoi Numazawa of the Philadelphia Orchestra, James Lyon and Max Zorin of The Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Eduard Schmieder of Temple University. Kauffman holds violin performance degrees from Penn State (BM) University and Temple University (MM). He is currently a DMA candidate at Temple University. Kauffman has performed in many of the most prestigious concert halls throughout the world including Tchaikovsky Hall, Disney Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kimmel Center, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Kennedy Center amongst others.
Kauffman received 1st Prize in the MTNA chamber music competition, and was the winner of the Beene, Kroulik, and Brewster solo competitions. He was awarded the Albert Tashjian and Max Aronoff Prizes by Temple University for excellence in performance and teaching, and the creative achievement award by Penn State University for his memorable performances. He has performed as a soloist with the PSU Philharmonic, Williamsport Chamber Orchestra, Temple Symphony Orchestra, and others.
In 2010, Kauffman joined ipalpiti Artists International, an organization that helps young musicians begin their careers. He has performed chamber music live on the radio in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Kauffman performs regularly with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Princeton Symphony, ipalpiti Artists International, Symphony in C, AVA Opera, and the Philadelphia Virtuosi. During this past year, Kauffman performed chamber concerts with Branford Marsalis, and even had the opportunity to perform for Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia in the fall of 2015.
Kauffman teaches a talented class of violin and viola students who have gone on to win competitions and college scholarships. He also teaches chamber music at Temple University. Kauffman recorded for the television series documentary, “Philadelphia the Great Experiment,” and is participating in other upcoming television recording projects. Kauffman is the Co-founder and Co-artistic director of the “Music Transforms” concert series in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
ALEXANDR KISLITSYN
second violin
Born in Omsk, Russia in a family of musicians, Alexandr began to play the violin at the age of five under the tutelage of Professor Muralev, an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and the concertmaster of the Omsk Symphony Orchestra. As the winner of a number of national and international competitions, including First Prize at the Jyvaskyla International Competition 2011 in Finland and numerous awards from prestigious Russian organizations, Alex has concertized throughout Russia as a soloist with various chamber and symphony orchestras. In 2009, Alexandr toured Finland as a member of a Novosibirsk “Bright Bows” ensemble, and was assistant concertmaster of the International Symphony Orchestra that took part in an International Forum Russia–Asia in Indonesia in 2011 and in Thailand in 2012. That same year, he graduated cum laude from Novosibirsk Conservatory (under Professor Marina Kuzina-Koifman) where he was the concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra for several years. He has participated and performed at various summer festivals, including most recently the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg. Prior to his arrival to the United States, he was the leader of a string quartet, which premiered compositions of contemporary Russian composers. Alexandr received his masters degree from the Temple University Center for the Arts, where he studied with Eduard Schmieder (2012–2016), and served many times as the concertmaster of the Temple University Symphony Orchestra. He currently performs in chamber and solo music recitals in the Philadelphia area.
AKHMED MAMEDOV
violin/Viola
Akhmed Mamedov began to play violin at the age of seven and graduated from the Sobinov Saratov State Conservatory in 2005, where he was an active performer of solo, chamber, and string quartet repertoire. Among his awards are the Grand Prize in the Fourth Regional Goldenberg Violin Competition, a stipend from the “Russian Performing Art” foundation, a diploma at the 5th Demidov International Violin Competition, and an award from the VI “Golden Talent” music center. In 2006, Akhmed was selected to join “Youth Symphonic Orchestra of CIS Countries,” and toured the cities in Commonwealth Independent States, Europe, and the USA, under such conductors as Yury Simonov, M. Gorenshtein, and Vladimir Spivakov. Akhmed received a masters degree in violin performance as a student of Edouard Schmieder, and continued his studies with Schmieder to receive an additional masters degree in viola performance. He currently plays with Symphony in C and New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra.
ERIN BUSCH
cello
Erin is a cellist and composer residing in Philadelphia. She has studied composition with Maurice Wright, Jan Krzywicki, Cynthia Folio, Adam Vidiksis, and Richard Brodhead, and cello with Yumi Kendall, Jesus Morales, and Jeffrey Solow. Erin has had works premiered by Charles Abramovik, Jeffrey Solow, Cynthia Folio, John Koen, and Elizabeth Huston, among others.
Erin performs regularly with various ensembles in the Philadelphia area, including Symphony in C and the Philly Pops. Recently, she was part of the Philadelphia premiere of Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" alongside the Temple University Percussion Ensemble, Mobius Percussion, and members of The Crossing. Erin has participated in several summer festivals, including the European American Music Alliance (EAMA) in Paris, the Pierre Monteux School in Maine, the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Austria, the YOA Orchestra of the Americas Nordic–Baltic tour, and the Festival Napa Valley.
Erin is currently an adjunct professor of music theory and composition at Temple University, and accompanies the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing.