Praised for his “virtuosic skill” (Stage and Cinema), “poised expression”, and “sweet, refined tone” (Chicago Classical Review), French violinist Blaise Magniere is a highly acclaimed chamber musician, active both in the U.S and abroad. He has toured extensively, including venues such as Wigmore Hall in London, Herculessaal in Munich, the Louvre Auditorium in Paris, the Schneider Series at Carnegie Hall, Ravinia Festival, Mostly Mozart, La Jolla Festival and the Caramoor Festival. As the first violinist of the Avalon String Quartet, he was the top prizewinner of the Munich ARD Competition and Grand Prize winner at the Concert Artists Guild Competition.

Armenian-American violinist and Icicle Creek Chamber Music Institute alum Hoorig Taline Poochikian began playing the violin with her mother at the age of six. She has performed at a number of venues across North America including Carnegie’s Weill Hall, the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Merkin Hall and the National Arts Center in Ottawa, Canada. She has also performed in Armenia, Egypt, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Currently based in New York City, Hoorig has received her doctoral degree in violin performance at Stony Brook University, where she studied with Hagai Shaham, Arnaud Sussmann, Phil Setzer and Jennifer Frautschi.

Violinist Marie Wang, has been in the Avalon String Quartet since its inception in 1995. As a member of this award winning ensemble, she has captured top prizes at the Concert Artists Guild and the Munich ARD international competitions. The quartet has been invited to perform at Wigmore Hall, Carnegie & Weill Halls, Alice Tully, 92nd St Y, Herculessaal (Munich),and the Library of Congress, among others. Her recordings with the quartet can be found on Cedille Records, Bridge Records, Albany Records, and Channel Classics. Marie’s solo recitals have been broadcast on NPR and her Concerto appearances have been broadcast on CBC Radio Canada. Presently, Marie is an Associate Professor of Violin at Northern Illinois University. Prior to her appointment at NIU, she was an Artist in Residence at Indiana University South Bend.

Russian-born pianist Oxana Ejokina appears frequently as guest recitalist and chamber musician on concert series across the United States and abroad. She has soloed with the Seattle Symphony, Symphony Tacoma, and St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, among others. Two of her long-term collaborations are with pianist Christina Dahl and Volta Piano Trio, whose recordings for the Con Brio label received accolades in international music magazines such as The Strad, Gramophone and American Record Guide. A sought-after teacher, Ejokina is Chair of Piano Studies and Associate Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University. She has been associated with the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts for nearly two decades, developing and directing classical music programs.