BLAKE POULIOT, violin soloist

Described as “immaculate, at once refined and impassioned,” (ArtsAtlanta) violinist Blake Pouliot (pool-YACHT) has anchored himself among the ranks of classical phenoms. A tenacious young artist with a passion that enraptures his audience in every performance, Pouliot has established himself as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime” (Toronto Star).  He was named Artist-in-Residence at Orchestre Métropolitain where he deepened his relationship with the orchestra’s music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He has collaborated with many musical luminaries including conductors Sir Neville Marriner, Pablo Heras-Casado, David Danzmayr, Vasily Petrenko and Thomas Søndergård, among many others.

Pouliot released his debut album on Analekta Records in 2019 to critical acclaim including a five-star rating from BBC Music Magazine as well as a 2019 Juno Award nomination for Best Classical Album. He has been featured twice on Rob Kapilow’s What Makes it Great? series and was an NPR Performance Today Artist-in-Residence. In 2016, he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Manulife Competition and was named First Laureate of both the 2018 and 2015 Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.

Pouliot studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and graduated from the Colburn School Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Robert Lipsett. Pouliot performs on the 1729 Guarneri del Gesù on generous loan from an anonymous donor.

ENSEMBLE

TERRA QUARTET
Harriet Langley, violin | Amelia Dietrich, violin | Chih-Ta Chen, viola | Audrey Chen, cello
Prizewinners at both the 2023 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and 2023 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, the Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young international ensemble based in New York City. They are composed of graduates of The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University and the Curtis Institute of Music. Praised for their “remarkable maturity and musicality” (Hyde Park Herald, Chicago), has garnered additional wins including the Grand Prize and Gold Medal at the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Christine and David Anderson Career Development Prize at the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition. TSQ is a member of Le Dimore del Quartetto in Italy and is the first quartet to have been chosen to participate in the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival’s Professional Fellowship Program at East Carolina University.

Juan-Miguel Hernandez, viola
Violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez was a founder and member of the Harlem Quartet (2006-2012) after which he joined the legendary Fine Arts Quartet (2013-2018). He is also a founder and member of the Trio Virado and Boreal Trio, both specializing in the creation of new repertoire.  In addition to his First Prize win at the International Johannes Brahms Competition (Austria), he has also won top prizes at the National Canadian Music Competition and the 9th National Sphinx Competition. He is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music (London), and has collaborated with Norah Jones on her album Broken Little Hearts as well as the album Hot House playing alongside Chick Corea and Gary Burton which won a Grammy. Hernandez plays on a 2008 Miralles viola from Altadena, CA.

Barry Shiffman, viola
Artistic director of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival and classical music at Rockport Music, internationally acclaimed violinist and violist Barry Shiffman is well-respected as a musician, educator and administrator. He was co-founder of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ), and currently serves as both the Associate Dean and Director of Chamber Music at the Glenn Gould School and Dean of the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He also serves as Executive Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

Mihail Jojatu, cello

Romanian-born cellist Mihail Jojatu joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s cello section in 2001 and became fourth chair at the start of the 2003-04 season. He studied at the Bucharest Academy of Music before coming to the United States in 1996, where he attended Boston Conservatory of Music and studied with former BSO cellist Ronald Feldman.  Jojatu serves on faculties of TMC and Boston Conservatory.

Arlen Hlusko, cello
Hailed for her “absorbing originality” (Gramophone) and “mesmerizing beauty” (NY Music Daily), internationally acclaimed Canadian cellist Arlen Hlusko is a dynamic, versatile young artist who has performed extensively as soloist and chamber musician across North America, Asia, and Europe. Newly appointed cellist of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Arlen is also a laureate of numerous competitions, Grammy award-winner for her collaboration with The Crossing, and recent alumna of the Curtis Institute of Music and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect.  She also founded her own interactive chamber music concert series, Philadelphia Performances for Autism, and is involved with several communities in Philadelphia & NYC, including Carnegie Hall’s “Musical Connections” at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

Jeremy McCoy, double bass
For 35 seasons, Jeremy McCoy served as the Co-Principal double bass for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, playing in more than 5,000 performances under music directors James Levine and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He retired from that position in 2020, but continues to be a highly sought after artist in orchestral and chamber settings. McCoy has performed as concerto soloist with the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, Classical Tahoe, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and Musica Viva of New York. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with members of the Arditti, Borodin, Cleveland, Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard and Tokyo string quartets and with many other distinguished artists. 

Thank you to our Festival Corporate Partner!