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Class Notes
Abi Fayette (Violin, Young Artist Program 2013 & 2014) has been appointed as the Artistic Director of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble, largely self-governed, consistently selects artistic directors from within its ranks.
As the youngest of four musical siblings, Abi Fayette entered The Juilliard School’s pre-college program early in her studies and received guidance from Shirley Givens. She further honed her skills alongside notable mentors such as Ann Setzer, Kyung-Wha Chung, and Joseph Silverstein. Abi continued her education at the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Ida Kavafian and later at the New England Conservatory with Soovin Kim. In addition to her role in the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Abi is a dedicated member of the Catalyst Quartet.
Technical Sgt. Ethan Hoppe (Violin, Young Artist Program, 2013 & 2014) has just been elected the concertmaster of United States Air Force Strings.
“The Air Force strings is a much smaller group than a typical symphony orchestra. We’re actually more analogous to a group of chamber players as we most frequently perform in string quartets, trios, and a mixed ensemble with accordion and bass that we call strolling strings. We also give public concerts as a string orchestra and as a symphony orchestra when we join our colleagues in the concert band. Our most common performances are at ceremonies and events for military and political leaders in the DC area.Playing so much chamber music for my job makes me think of my summers at Kneisel a lot. We wear a black shirt under our performance uniform, and I often wear the Kneisel summer T-shirt. Actually, on multiple occasions, a colleague of mine who is also a Kneisel alum (Atticus Mellor-Goldman) was wearing his T-shirt on the same days that I had mine on. We were there in different summers but connected over many nostalgic memories of the coaches and experiences.”
Wayne Lee (Violin, Young Artist, 2006-2009), currently in his 12th season with the Formosa Quartet, is performing at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society on December 3, in a program that culminates in Dvorak’s String Sextet with violist Hsin-Yun Huang and cellist Peter Wiley.