The ICA is delighted to announce the first recipients of the Loren Kitt Memorial Scholarship award. Two ensembles were selected to receive the award this year: Chaos Incarné Trio and Maritime Silk Road Ensemble.
Both groups will be performing at ClarinetFest® 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.
The Loren Kitt Memorial Fund was established after the passing of clarinetist Loren Kitt in 2017 through an initial donation from Mr. Anthony Cecere, a French hornist and colleague of Loren’s in the American Chamber Players. This fund was established to recognize excellence in chamber music, an area of performance for which Loren Kitt was highly regarded. This fund will be used for an annual scholarship for a chamber ensemble that has been invited to perform at each summer’s ClarinetFest®️.
Each year, the Loren Kitt Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an up-and-coming chamber ensemble that has demonstrated exceptional chamber musicianship.
The recipient ensemble of the Loren Kitt Memorial Scholarship will receive a $1,000 scholarship, complimentary registration to ClarinetFest®, and a featured performance at the festival. Travel and other expenses will be the responsibility of the scholarship recipients.
Composed of Adella Carlson, Julianna Pierdomenico, and Taylor Stirm, Chaos Incarné seeks to collaborate with underrepresented composers, especially women, and make more contemporary trio repertoire available to the clarinet community. The group performs frequently throughout North Carolina and has performed at the inaugural ICA Low Clarinet Conference, ClarinetFest, the American Single Reed Summit, and the inaugural HERo Conference. The group’s most recent commissioning projects include works exploring the topics of feminism and environmentalism: #YESALLWOMEN (2022) by Julianna Pierdomenico and Chaos (2023) by Hannah Selin. At ClarinetFest 2024, Chaos Incarné will perform Roger Zare’s quartet LHC with Jeff Anderle, and follow this with the premiere of a new trio by Zare. Chaos Incarné is one of the first two ensembles to receive the ICA’s Loren Kitt Scholarship, an award established to recognize excellence in chamber music.
Adella Carlson is a performer and educator passionate about increasing the social relevance and accessibility of contemporary classical music. Actively involved in arts administration, education, and performance, Adella currently holds positions as the UNCG School of Music Administrative Assistant and the Ensemble Manager for the Greensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra, in addition to teaching a private studio of clarinet and piano students. Equally at home in solo, chamber, and large ensemble contexts, Adella is a member of the Piedmont Wind Symphony, and plays regularly with orchestras throughout North Carolina. Adella has been invited to play at the American Single Reed Summit, HERo Conference, ICA Low Clarinet Festival, and ClarinetFest. A 500-hour registered yoga teacher, Adella offers yoga classes for musicians and incorporates techniques for maintaining physical and mental wellness into her music pedagogy. Adella’s primary teachers have been Christopher Howard, Andy Hudson, and Anthony Taylor.
Julianna Pierdomenico is a performer, composer, and educator based in Greensboro, NC. Her academic interests include empowering and discovering the voices of minority groups who were erased from the history of Western art music from the late nineteenth through early twentieth centuries. Julianna presented her research on Ethel Smyth at the 2022 IAWM Conference in Corvallis, Oregon. She received her MM in Clarinet Performance and PBC in Musicology at UNC Greensboro in 2023 and was a music theory GA during her time there. Julianna has also earned her M.Ed. in Music Education from Kutztown University and Bachelor’s degrees in Music Composition and Film Studies and Production from Hofstra University. Her teachers include Laurie Friedman-Adler, Aileen Razey, Andy Hudson, and Anthony Taylor. Currently, Julianna is a middle school band director in the Greensboro area, teaches privately, and is a music director at a local church. In addition, she is a board member for the 501(c)(3) non-profit Keep Music Alive. She is a member of NAfME, IAWM, and the ICA.
Taylor Stirm is a current Doctoral student at UNC Greensboro and the North Carolina Student Representative for the International Clarinet Association. Currently, Stirm has a large private studio of clarinet and piano students and is a clarinet instructor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Community Music School and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro Community Music School. She is equally at home in solo, chamber and orchestral situations, having performed widely throughout the United States and internationally. Most recently, she has joined NexTonal Chamber Winds, a North Carolina-based ensemble. She has been featured at conferences of the International Clarinet Association, American Single Reed Summit and HERo, and aims to expand the clarinet repertoire through commissioning emerging composers from underrepresented communities. Stirm holds degrees from UNC Greensboro and Arizona State University, where her primary teachers have included Anthony Taylor, Luke Ellard, Andy Hudson, Robert Spring, Joshua Gardner and Theresa Martin.
Maritime Silk Road Ensemble
Upon establishment, the Maritime Silk Road Ensemble has been enthusiastic in promoting contemporary music and sharing the beauty of classical chamber works. The ensemble collaborates with some of today’s most regarded composers to premiere new works, dedicated to show the world the charm of contemporary music through the form of a chamber music group. In the past few years, the Maritime Silk Road Ensemble has premiered a number of contemporary chamber music works with local cultural influences, such as Night Thoughts, Tibetan Tunes, Three Bagatelles from China West by Dr. Chen Yi (member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences).
In the 2023-2024 season, the Maritime Silk Road Ensemble stepped on the stage at the 39th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival (the oldest comprehensive music festival in China). The Ensemble is participating in International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest 2024 in Dublin, Ireland this summer, as the first recipient in history who was awarded Loren Kitt Memorial Scholarship. Since banding in 2021, the Ensemble gave dozens of chamber music concerts at important stages, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. The Ensemble is rich and diverse in repertoire, not to mention classics by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Françaix, and Messiaen, and also contemporary music by Chen Yi, Zhou Long, as well as film music and animation music, etc. The Maritime Silk Road Ensemble has won numerous international music competitions, including the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, Fanny Mendelssohn International Music Competition, and Clara Schumann International Competition.
Founded in 2021 and based in Hainan, China. The Maritime Silk Road Ensemble comprises of four permanent chamber musicians, clarinetist Dr. Zhu Shuang, violist Dr. Yen-Fang Chen, cellist Dr. Dong Xue, and pianist Dr. Chi-Kit Lam. The Ensemble is under direction by artistic advisors Dr. Chen Yi (member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences) and Dr. Zhou Long (Pulitzer prize-winning composer).
The Maritime Silk Road Ensemble aimed to share music across borders and bridge cultures through music. Members from the Ensemble are eager to make music with musicians over the world, along the maritime silk road.
Zhu Shuang, clarinetist
Chinese clarinetist Zhu Shuang was born in Changsha City in the Hunan province of China. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2017. Zhu earned his Doctorate and Bachelor of Music degrees at ASU and attended the Hogeschool Gent in Belgium, graduating with a Master of Music degree in 2014. His Clarinet teachers include Wu Chongnai, Zhang Peng, Jin Guangri, Tao Chunxiao, Joshua Gardner, Robert Spring and Eddy Vanoosthuyse. His article “An Interview with Tao Chunxiao – a Chinese Clarinet Legend” was published as a cover story in The Clarinet. He has been selected multiple times to perform at the ClarinetFest. Zhu is currently an associate professor of clarinet at Hainan University. He is also the leader of the research project on The Oral History of Chinese Military Music, which is supported by Humanities and Social Sciences Research Fund of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
Yen-Fang Chen, violist
A native of Taiwan, violist Yen-Fang Chen enjoys a versatile career as a music educator, chamber musician, recitalist and orchestral player. Ms. Chen holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, and master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She was the principal violist of West Valley Symphony Orchestra and ACME contemporary ensemble in Arizona. As an active musician, Ms. Chen has appeared as guest artist in concerts at the Vianden Music Festival, Saarburg Music Festival, Red Rocks Chamber Music Festival, Phoenix Festival of the Arts, and PRISMS Contemporary Music Festival, etc. She is also a founding member of Maritime Silk Road Ensemble, and arranges music for the ensemble. Currently Ms. Chen is a faculty member at Hainan University where she teaches viola, violin and chamber music.
Dong Xue, cellist
Dong Xue, a young cellist, has pursued academic studies in China, the United States, and Canada. She obtained her degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music, the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in the United States, and the University of Toronto in Canada. She has been the principal cellist and assistant instructor for the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Classical Chamber Orchestra. She has been a guest principal cellist for the Kindred Spirit Symphony Orchestra in Canada and the principal cellist for the Momus Contemporary Music Ensemble in the United States.
Chi-Kit Lam, pianist
Dr. Chi-Kit Lam, a Blüthner pianist, was born in Hong Kong, China. His piano performance was acclaimed by the Hoje Macau Daily as “famous for his superb skills and deep musical expression.” Dr. Lam graduated from the University of Kansas in the United States with a doctorate in piano performance. Upon graduation, he was appointed as artist-in-residence at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Dr. Lam has been invited and toured to give solo recitals in cities in Europe, North America, and Asia, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Dean Acheson Hall at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Eutherpe Hall in León, Spain, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre, etc. He is also passionate about chamber music performances and is a founding member of the Maritime Silk Road Ensemble. He has held chamber music concerts with numerous internationally renowned instrumentalists such as Gabor Varga, Robert Walzel, Robert Spring, Fan Lei, etc. Dr. Lam is keen in promoting piano education and is the official instructor of the USMCE in China region. He has held masterclasses and lectures in the United States, Indonesia, Shanghai, Hainan, Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangdong, and has taught in various music festivals.
Chang Ruihong, guest violinist
Chang Ruihong was born in Beijing, China, and is currently studying for a doctorate in music arts at Rutgers University. She studied under Jiang Xiongda, Jiang Danwen, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Todd Phillips. When she was studying for a master’s degree at Mannes College of Music, she was praised by her mentors Ashkenasi and Aaron Rosand as a very talented and beautiful violinist. She is currently studying for a doctorate in violin performance with Todd Phillips, the most famous violin and chamber music master in New York. She has made her mark in domestic and international music competitions and won gold medals, including the Hong Kong Violin Competition and the Schoenfeld Competition. She focuses on the research of solo and chamber music performances, and has performed all over Europe, the United States, and China.
海上丝路室内乐团
Maritime Silk Road Ensemble
【乐团介绍】Group biography
海上丝路室内乐团成立至今，始终以推广当代音乐、向大众分享古典室内乐为己任。乐团近年来与当代作曲家共同合作，旨在通过室内乐团形式，向世界展现现代音乐的魅力。在过往几年间，乐团首演多部蕴含地方文化色彩的室内乐新作品，如美国艺术与科学院院士、作曲家陈怡博士的《静夜思》《藏乐二首》《西南小曲三首》等。
在2023-2024乐季中，海上丝路室内乐团受邀于第39届上海之春国际音乐节（中国历史最悠久的综合类音乐节）中举办专场音乐会。乐团又将于2024夏天，参与国际单簧管协会艺术节，同时成为历史首位国际单簧管协会Loren Kitt纪念奖金获奖团队。乐团自2021年成立至今，已在美国纽约卡内基音乐厅、上海东方艺术中心等表演场所举办数十场室内乐音乐会，演出作品不仅包含莫扎特、贝多芬、布鲁赫、勃拉姆斯、弗朗赛，梅西安等西方作曲家的音乐作品，还有周龙、陈怡等华人作曲家创作的现代室内乐作品，以及世界电影音乐、动画音乐等。此外，海上丝路室内乐团还积极投身到多项国际音乐赛事当中，先后在美国演奏家国际音乐比赛、范妮·门德尔松国际音乐比赛、克拉拉·舒曼国际音乐比赛中获奖。
海上丝路室内乐团于2021年5月创立在中国海南，乐团四位常任成员分别是中国单簧管演奏家朱双博士、中国台湾中提琴演奏家陈彦方博士、中国大提琴演奏家董雪博士、以及中国香港钢琴演奏家林志杰博士。乐团由作曲家陈怡博士（美国艺术与科学院院士）和周龙博士（普利策音乐奖获得者）长期担任艺术顾问。
海上丝路室内乐团始终秉承“音乐跨越国界，文化架起桥梁”这一理念，携手世界各国艺术家密切交流合作，促进音乐艺术推广。
朱双 / 单簧管 Zhu Shuang’s biography
朱双，旅美旅欧青年单簧管演奏家，于美国亚利桑那州立大学和比利时根特皇家音乐学院获得三个学位，包括音乐表演最高学位——音乐艺术博士学位。他的单簧管老师有伍崇鼐、张鹏、陶纯孝、金光日、乔舒亚·加德纳（Joshua Gardner）、罗伯特·斯普林（Robert Spring）、艾迪·瓦努苏伊斯（Eddy Vanoosthuyse）。他的文章“An Interview with Tao Chunxiao – a Chinese Clarinet Legend”曾被国际单簧管协会杂志The Clarinet以封面故事刊登。他曾多次入选国际单簧管协会艺术节独奏音乐会项目。他目前是中国海南大学单簧管副教授，也是中华人民共和国教育部人文社会科学研究基金项目《中国共产党军乐口述史研究》的负责人。
陈彦方 / 中提琴 Yen-Fang Chen’s biography
陈彦方，旅美青年中提琴演奏家，出生于中国台湾，先后获得美国德州大学奥斯汀分校硕士，美国亚利桑那州立大学音乐艺术博士，曾任ACME现代乐团驻团首席演奏家，美国亚利桑那West Valley交响乐团中提琴首席，现任教于海南大学。受邀作为多个国际音乐节特邀嘉宾，参与德国萨尔堡音乐节、卢森堡维安田音乐节、美国红石室内乐节、凤凰城市艺术节等演出。于全美作曲家协会年度研讨会、PRISMS现代音乐节中全球首演新作品，展示中提琴近现代演奏技巧。
董雪 / 大提琴 Dong Xue’s biography
董雪，旅美旅加青年大提琴演奏家，曾就读于中央音乐学院、美国辛辛那提大学音乐学院，获加拿大多伦多大学音乐艺术博士。曾担任多伦多大学交响乐团，新音乐乐团及古典室内乐团大提琴首席及助教，加拿大Kindred Spirit Symphony交响乐团客座大提琴首席以及美国辛辛那提大学Momus现代音乐室内乐团大提琴首席。
林志杰 / 钢琴 Chi-Kit Lam’s biography
林志杰博士，德国Blüthner博兰斯勒新锐钢琴家，出生于中国香港，其钢琴演奏被Hoje Macau日报评论为“技巧高超和深沉音乐表达闻名”。林博士毕业于美国堪萨斯大学，获得钢琴演奏博士学位。毕业后他被美国奥克拉荷马州狭地州立大学聘任为钢琴教授、驻院艺术家。林博士曾多次获邀在欧、美、亚洲多个城市举办巡回独奏演出，包括美国纽约卡内基音乐厅、华盛顿国务院Dean Acheson 演奏厅、西班牙里昂Eutherpe 演奏厅、上海东方艺术中心、香港文化中心等。他又热衷于室内乐演出，为海上丝路室内乐团创团成员，曾与多名国际知名器乐演奏家如Gabor Varga，Robert Walzel，Robert Spring，范磊等举办室内乐音乐会。林博士热衷于推动钢琴教育发展，是美国联邦音乐教程体系中国区官方培训导师、他在美国、印度尼西亚、中国上海、海南、山东、浙江，福建、江西、广东举办大师班和讲座，并屡次参与国内外各大小音乐节演出和授课。
常瑞泓 / 特邀小提琴 Chang Ruihong’s biography
常瑞泓，出生于中国北京，现就读于罗格斯大学攻读音乐艺术博士学位。师从蒋雄达，蒋丹文，Shmuel Ashkenasi，Todd Phillips。于曼尼斯音乐学院攻读硕士学位时被恩师Ashkenasi及Aaron Rosand称赞为very talented and beautiful violinist。她的刻苦精神也获得纽约和新泽西以及美国东部的大师与教授们的高度认可。现在跟随纽约最著名的小提琴和室内乐大师Todd Phillips学习小提琴演奏博士学位。她曾在国内外音乐大赛中崭露头角，均获得金奖，其中包括香港小提琴大赛和勋菲尔德大赛。她专注于独奏与室内乐演奏的研究，演出足迹遍布欧洲、美国和中国。
