Kira Denlinger, violin
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Currently pursuing a Master of Music in Violin Performance at the Wells School of Music, Kira studies with Ari Isaacman-Beck of the Dalí Quartet. She has previously studied violin with Crystal Kowalski and Vera Volchansky, and served as concertmaster and librarian of the Millersville University Orchestra. Currently, she is a member of the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Graduate String Quartet. Kira has performed in masterclasses for notable musicians including violinists Jassen Todorov, Timothy Schwarz, the American String Quartet, the Harlem String Quartet, and Listening In.
Stefania Osorio, violin
Born in Colombia, South America, Stefania graduated in Violin Performance from the National University of Colombia and later earned a degree in Music Education from Rowan University, majoring in violin and minoring in viola under Dr. Timothy Schwarz. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Violin Performance at West Chester University under the guidance of Professor Carlos Rubio. Stefania has been the winner of the Rowan String Ensemble Competition and the Rowan University Orchestra Concerto Competition (2022–2023). She has performed with major Colombian orchestras such as Filarmónica Joven de Colombia and has received masterclasses from renowned violinists including Juliette Kang, Marc Rovetti, and Kurt Nikkanen, among others.
Geovani Flores, viola
Edgar Geovani Venegas Flores is a Mexican violist from Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. He began his musical studies in 2014 and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from the Escuela Superior de Música (INBAL). He has studied with renowned teachers such as Alexander Bruck, Astrid Jerez, Matthew Schubring, Roberto Campos, and Gwendolyn Matías Ryan, and participated in masterclasses with artists including Kathryn Steely, Sheila Browne, Jaime Amador, and Roberto Díaz. From 2020 to 2024, Edgar was a member of the Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata (OJUEM) of UNAM, where he frequently served as principal viola. He has performed in major venues such as Palacio de Bellas Artes and Sala Nezahualcóyotl, collaborating with artists like Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Daniela Liebman. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Performance at West Chester University in Pennsylvania under the mentorship of Adriana Linares, continuing to expand his artistic and technical vision from an international perspective.
Adan Caldera, cello
Born in Venezuela, Adan is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree at West Chester University as a student of Ovidiu Marinescu. A member of the Graduate String Quartet at WCU, he holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Dmitry Kouzov. His chamber music teachers include Scott Cuellar, Francesca dePasquale, Darrett Adkins, as well as members from the Verona and Dali string quartets.
Thomas Hsu, piano
Thomas Hsu is a graduate of West Chester University, studying under Dr. Igor Resnianski, his teacher since high school. Since then, Thomas has had the opportunity to perform Chopin’s Scherzo No. 1 live on the WRTI classical radio station in 9th grade; won the second prize and the award for the best performance of a virtuosic etude in the Chicago International Music Competition in 2023; and was the Eastern division winner and a national finalist in the MTNA competition of the same year.
DuoforViolinandViolainGMajor, K423,W.A.Mozart(1756-1791)
In his short 35 years of life, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart proved to be one of the most influential composers of the Classical period. He began composing at only five years old, and he wrote for virtually every classical genre at the time, including but not limited to sonatas, concertos, symphonies, and a wide variety of chamber music. Among his chamber music output are two duos for violin and viola which Mozart composed in 1783 to complete a set of six duos that Joseph Haydn’s younger brother, Michael Haydn, was writing for the archbishop of Salzburg. The first of Mozart’s two duos is in G major and consists of three movements in the standard Classical structure – fast, slow, fast. The first movement, Allegro, is in sonata form and features virtuosic passages for both the violin and the viola as well as double stops which create the illusion that more than two instruments are playing. The second movement, Adagio, exhibits the beauty of Mozart’s lyricism, and he masterfully incorporates some unusual harmonies. The final movement is a joyous Rondo, and the opening theme returns four times throughout the piece with various interludes in between.
PianoTrioNo.1inBMajor,Op.8,J.Brahms(1833–1897)
Johannes Brahms was a prolific composer of the Romantic era, and he was the leader in the traditional forms of both instrumental and vocal music. Like Mozart, Brahms was a prodigy instrumentalist, but this was not so with his compositional career as it was with Mozart’s. Brahms began composing at 11 years old but was self-critical of his work and destroyed most of his early compositions. He began publishing his music at 20 years old, and the Op. 8 Piano Trio is among his earliest published works. However, Brahms returned to this work 36 years later and significantly reworked the piece, which was published again in 1891. He shortened the work (especially the first movement, which he nearly cut in half) and made it more appealing, while still keeping many of the same ideas from the original. Brahms is said to have claimed in a characteristic understatement, "I didn't provide it with a new wig, just combed and arranged its hair a little." This is the only piece by Brahms that still exists in two separate published versions. The first movement, marked Allegro con brio, is in sonata-allegro form, and features a calm and tender melody first introduced by the piano, followed by the cello. However, fiery triplets soon take over and continue to resurface throughout the movement.
StringQuartetinDMajor,Op.76No.5,J.Haydn(1732–1809)
Known as the “father of the string quartet,” Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer who worked as a court music director for many years. This gave him the freedom to experiment with composing for many different combinations of instruments, and Haydn wrote many string quartets and established the genre. Among his string quartets, the set of six quartets that comprise Op. 76 are some of his finest works in the genre. The fifth quartet in the set is in D Major and begins with a surprise – instead of the usual first movement sonata form, Haydn opens with a theme and variations movement marked Allegretto. The second movement, Largo. Cantabile e mesto, which translates to “singing and melancholy,” is the heart of the quartet. It is one of very few chamber pieces to be written in the key of F-sharp major. A key signature with six sharps is difficult to tune as an ensemble, especially for string instruments, but Haydn uses this foreign key to evoke warmth and heartfelt hymn-like singing throughout the movement. A very short Menuet follows, in the standard minuet and trio form. This movement acts as a bridge to the final movement, a fiery Presto that resembles horses racing and hunting horns. The entire quartet is a prime example of Haydn’s compositional ingenuity and displays his humor and wit throughout the piece.