Silja Murto, violin
After graduating in 1998 from the Tampere Conservatoire, Finland, Silja went to study with professor Yair Kless and with Irina Svetlova, at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, Israel. She has won second (2000) and first (2001) prizes at the Clairmont Chamber Music Competition in Israel. She moved to London in 2001 and attained her postgraduate diploma from Royal College of Music in 2002, where she studied with Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky and Hugh Bean. Since 2002 Silja has combined a career of freelance playing with teaching. She has performed in music festivals in the U.S., Finland, Israel, Jordan and now regularly performs chamber music as well as plays with various orchestras in and around London e.g. the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Sinfonia and Philharmonia among others.
Doron Alperin, viola
Born in 1978 in Israel, Doron began his .musical training on the violin at the age of ten and switched to viola four years later when he joined the Thelma Yallin High School of Arts. He became a member the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995 and in 1997 was promoted to principle violist. During 1996-99 he was part of the IDF’s Distinguished Musician Corps and later received the prestigious Keren Sharet American-Israeli Cultural Foundation Scholarship for four consecutive years (1999-2003).
During the summer of 2002 and 2003 Doron participated in the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival. He has also participated in master classes with Tanya Christ, Jurgen Kussmaul, Atar Arad and Tabea Zimermann. Doron completed his Master’s degree in the Mozarteum in Salzburg in 2005 and is currently studying with Prof. Felix Shwart in Berlin.
Since 1999 he has been a member of the West-East Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, which came to UK attention after acclaimed performances in the Proms (the orchestra has also toured extensively in Europe, the Middle East, North and South America). He has frequently played in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta, since 2001.
Qarma Elias, violin
Qarma Elias started learning the violin in Amman at the age of 6. She holds a violin performance degree from Trinity College of Music in London. In addition she participated in masterclasses with Mistislav Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma amongst others. Currently, she is taking lessons with Professor Mathis Fischer in Berlin.
Since 2002 Qarma has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim where she participated in concert tours through Europe, the Middle-East, North and South America. She is also a member of the Tamouse quartet and has performed in Germany and the United Kingdom. Qarma teaches violin at North London Performing Arts center as well as at the Free International Music School in Palestine.
Katri Huttunen, cello
Katri Huttunen started playing the cello at age of 8 at her local music school in Kuopio, Finland. She studied with Raphael Wallfisch in London (1991-92) and at the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki) with Raimo Sariola and Heikki Rautasalo, receiving her Master of Music degree in 1996. Since then she has worked with several orchestras in Finland, including the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1998 to 2004 she worked as a cellist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow. In 2004 Katri moved to London where she has worked as a freelance cellist with, among others, orchestras the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia.
Shay Loya, piano
Shay was born in Israel in 1972. He studied with the composer Ron Weidberg (1983-1990), the pianist Pnina Zalzmann (1991-94), Neima Rosh (1994-1997) and Daniel Gortler (1997-1999). After graduating with distinction from the Rubin Academy and the musicology department in Tel Aviv in 1998 he completed an MA in musicology in Tel-Aviv University (2001). In addition to his studies, Shay was also involved in producing educational music CD-Roms (1997-2001). He moved to London in 2001 and completed a PhD in Music at King’s College London (2006). At the same time he studied piano with Aaron Shorr at the Royal Academy of Music (2003-5), gave recitals in London and worked as a teacher and accompanist. He is currently the music director of the Colourstrings Saturday School and a CETL teaching fellow at Durham University.
Evva Mizerska, cello
Evva Mizerska was born in Poland. In 2001 she graduated with highest distinction from the cello class at Frédéric Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. During the years 2001-2004 she completed the PGD and MMus courses at Trinity College of Music in London, where she studied with Richard Markson and was awarded a full scholarship for three subsequent years from this institution.
During 2000 Evva received the 1st Prize at the 7th International L. Janáček Competition in Brno, Czech Republic together with pianist Katarzyna Glensk. In 2002 Evva was awarded the Joan Greenfield scholarship; during the same year she also won the Vivian Joseph Cello Prize and the Leonard Smith Duo Prize in London. In 2005 Evva received a grant-award from the Solti Foundation and in 2006 she became a Junior Fellow at Trinity College of Music in London.
Evva has appeared in solo and chamber music concerts in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria and the UK; she has given major recitals at such venues as Croydon Fairfield Halls, Blackheath Halls, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Pump Room in Bath, Cheltenham Hall and internationally at Naples and Salzburg Festivals. Currently Evva lives in London; she is a cello lecturer at Morley College and has just completed her Junior Fellowship at Trinity College of Music. She also works as a cellist-soloist for Gary Parkes Music Agency.
Currently Evva is awaiting the release of her debut CD later on this year, recorded together with pianists Emma Abbate and Katarzyna Glensk, with complete works for cello and piano by Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer. The CD will feature the world premiere recording of the composer’s Second Sonata for Cello and Piano.David Stratkauskas, organ
David Stratkauskas is a native of Vancouver, Canada, and began his studies of music with the organ at age 7. His studies eventually led to an MA in music theory from the University of British Columbia, studying with Dr William Benjamin. In Vancouver, David worked as an accompanist, a conductor, and as organist and choirmaster of St Paul's church in the West End. He has also played at Vancouver's Anglican cathedral and has given recitals at many of the main churches in the city. David moved to London in 2003. He was director of music at St. Michael’s Church, Wandsworth Common until 2007, and is currently organist at St Mary's, Stoke Newington. He is also a classical and jazz pianist, and teaches theory and musicianship at the North London Colourstrings Centre.