Ian Zook, horn, and Stephen Miahky, violin, with Aleksandra Velgosha, piano

Ian Zook is Professor of Horn at James Madison University and is an active orchestral and solo performer, appearing in concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He is a frequent substitute musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as many regional orchestras across the East Coast. He holds degrees from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan, and has performed at the Staunton, Verbier, Pacific, Sarasota, AIMS in Graz, and Aspen Music Festivals, and the National Orchestral Institute. His solo album, Musica Incognita, includes sonatas by Sylvan, Damase, Bassett, and Bowen, and he currently writes the Horn on Record article series for the monthly International Horn Society newsletter Horn & More.  

Praised for his “sweet, luxurious” sound (Fanfare), violinist Stephen Miahky is the Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin and First Violin of the Blair String Quartet at Vanderbilt University. He has garnered acclaim for his performances as a recitalist and a chamber musician throughout North America and Europe. His most recent engagements include performances New York City’s Symphony Space, Merkin Hall, and Bargemusic, Atlanta’s ProMozart Society, the Princeton Chamber Music Society, the Southwest Virginia Festival of the Arts, Vancouver’s Sonic Boom Festival, the American Academies in Rome and Berlin, the Netherlands’ De Lakenhal, NPR’s Performance Today, and for the Dalai Lama.

Aleksandra Velgosha, piano, was born in Moscow, Russia. Aleksandra’s achievements include first and second prizes in competitions like E. R. Davis Piano Competition, Crescendo Competition (Carnegie Hall, NY), and many others. Aleksandra received her BM in Piano Performance with honors from Washington Adventist University with Dr. Mark Di Pinto, and completed her Master's degree at the University of Maryland under Larissa Dedova. Aleksandra is in her third year of DMA, studying with Dr. Gabriel Dobner, and has taught at such institutions as University of Maryland (Class Piano Coordinator), Richardson School of Music, Takoma Academy, and Chanson Music School.