Maria Sampen, Professor of Violin at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, enjoys a vibrant musical career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, recording artist and teacher. In demand as a performer of both standard repertoire and new experimental works, her engagements include concertos, concerts and masterclasses in Europe, Asia, Canada and all over the United States. Dr. Sampen has commissioned and premiered recent concertos for violin and orchestra by composers David Glenn, Marilyn Shrude and Robert Hutchinson. Additionally, she has commissioned and premiered over 20 chamber works, including music by Marcos Balter, Andrew Mead, Robert Morris, Nico Muhly and Forrest Pierce.

Violinist and violist Timothy Christie enjoys a multifaceted career as performer, teacher, public speaker and recording artist. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, a nonprofit organization in southeastern Washington presenting more than 40 public chamber music events annually. He serves on the faculty of the Community Music Department at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, and is a member of IRIS Orchestra in Memphis, TN. In demand as a recitalist and chamber musician, Christie regularly collaborates with some of the most exciting artists and ensembles in the industry, including Third Coast Percussion, Spektral Quartet, PRISM Quartet, PROJECT Trio, Sybarite5, Turtle Island Quartet, the Harlem Quartet, and The Westerlies. The solo violist of new music ensemble, Brave New Works, since the group’s inception in 1997, Christie can be heard on recordings of William Bolcom’s Piano Quintet and William Albright’s Clarinet Quintet on AMP Records.

Russian-born pianist Oksana 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.