Jon Kimura Parker, piano | Chee-Yun Kim, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Colin Carr, cello | Mira Kardan, cello
The Festival’s Opening Night features the music of Brahms, brought to life by a distinguished ensemble of celebrated soloists whose collective artistry promises an evening of richness, intimacy, and expressive power.
PROGRAM
BRAHMS: 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117
ARENSKY: Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Intermission
BRAHMS: Piano Quartet in C minor
Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Pianist Jon Kimura Parker is renowned for his charisma, enthusiasm, and dynamic performances. A veteran of the international concert stage, he has appeared at major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Sydney Opera House, and London’s South Bank Centre. He is Creative Partner of the Minnesota Orchestra and serves as Artistic Director of the Honens International Piano Competition and Artistic Advisor to the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
Equally at home as a soloist and chamber musician, Parker performs with leading orchestras worldwide. A founding member of the Montrose Trio, he has collaborated with artists including Doc Severinsen, Audra McDonald, and Bobby McFerrin. He is Professor of Piano at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Chee-Yun Kim, violin
Violinist Chee-Yun is an internationally acclaimed soloist and winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. She has performed with leading orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra of Japan, Seoul Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Jaap van Zweden, and Manfred Honeck.
A champion of contemporary music, Chee-Yun has given acclaimed performances of violin concertos by Christopher Theofanidis and Kevin Puts, while remaining deeply committed to chamber music. She appears regularly at major festivals in the United States and abroad and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the United Nations. She has held faculty positions at SMU, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati CCM.
Colin Carr, cello
Cellist Colin Carr enjoys an international career as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing with leading orchestras worldwide. His orchestral engagements include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and major U.S. ensembles such as the Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia, and Montréal orchestras, as well as all the principal orchestras of Australia and New Zealand.
A highly sought-after chamber musician, Carr was a member of the Golub–Kaplan–Carr Trio for two decades and has collaborated with ensembles including the Guarneri and Emerson String Quartets and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. His acclaimed discography includes the complete Bach Cello Suites and the complete Beethoven Sonatas and Variations with pianist Thomas Sauer. He is Professor of Cello at the Royal Academy of Music and Stony Brook University.
Mira Kardan, cello
Cellist Mira Kardan is an emerging artist recognized for her expressive musicianship as a soloist and chamber musician. She attends the Glenn Gould School as a recipient of the Renette and David Berman Scholarships, studying with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz, and is a former member of the Colburn Music Academy, where she served as principal cellist of the Colburn Academy Virtuosi.
An avid chamber musician, Kardan performed with the Olive Piano Trio, winner of the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition Gold Medal, and her current string trio won first prize in the 2025 Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition. As a soloist, she won first prize in the 2025 Shean Strings Competition and will appear with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. She has been featured twice on NPR’s From the Top.