The Artists

Brian Lewis

One of the most versatile violinists on the current scene, Brian Lewis is an exceptionally gifted and charismatic artist. "There are a lot of fine violinists on the concert stage today, but few can match Lewis for an honest virtuosity that supremely serves the music,” reports the Topeka Capital-Journal. Much sought after as a performer and teacher, Mr. Lewis concertizes and teaches around the globe. He has released six CDs, most recently for Delos as soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra of music by Leonard Bernstein and Hollywood composer Michael McLean.

Mr. Lewis began his violin studies at the age of four, participating in the Ottawa Suzuki Strings program, and traveling to Japan twice to study with Dr. Suzuki. He received his Bachelor and Master degrees from The Juilliard School, studying with the renowned pedagogue, Dorothy DeLay. Mr. Lewis holds the David and Mary Winton Green Chair in String Performance and Pedagogy at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also Artistic Director of the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at The Juilliard School in New York City, concertmaster of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston, founding member of the Texas Piano Quartet, and Artistic Director of the Starling Distinguished Violinist Series at UT.

Laura Kennedy

Pianist Laura Kennedy has distinguished herself across the nation as a solo performer, accompanist and chamber musician. On National Public Radio's "Performance Today", she has been featured in all three capacities. Chamber music collaborations include performances with the Florida Symphony Chamber Players, the Fairmount String Quartet, Composers in Red Sneakers, and the Ibis Chamber Ensemble. Ms. Kennedy has performed in recitals with such performers as David Kim, Donald McInnes, David Perry, Joseph Robinson, Steven Elisha, and Lazlo Varga. She has also performed throughout the United States with violinist Brian Lewis with whom she has collaborated with for more than twenty five years. Ms. Kennedy has performed in Avery Fisher Hall at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City, the MusiConnections series and "What Makes it Great?" series in Kansas City for Kansas City Friends of Chamber Music, the Monadnock Music Festival, and Chamber Music at The Barn. Ms. Kennedy has also performed live in recital with Brian Lewis on Chicago's classical music radio station WFMT which was broadcast to more than 2 million people. As a member of the faculty at the Killington Music Festival and the Ottawa, Seattle, Ogontz, and Hartford Suzuki Institutes, she has accompanied in master classes for such teachers as Dorothy DeLay, Margaret Pardee, William Preucil, Stephen Clapp, Catherine Cho, Brian Lewis, and David Cerone. Coming from a long line of family musicians, Ms. Kennedy enjoys concertizing with her brother violinist Joseph Scheer and for her daughter Clara Kennedy, a cellist who recently graduated from The Juilliard School. Ms. Kennedy's most recent recording activities include two CDs entitled "New World" and "Pieces", recorded in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School in Los Angeles with violinists Brian Lewis and composer/violinist Michael McLean. Most recently Ms. Kennedy is the founder and artistic director of a concert series in Milford, New Hampshire, bringing beauty and the love of music to those in her community.