Jamie Fiste, currently Professor of Cello at Central Michigan University, has been an active recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. Recent solo performances include recitals in the beautiful Academy of Sciences in Budapest, Hungary, the Plymouth Chamber Music Festival in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Wisconsin Lutheran College recital series in Milwaukee, Notre Dame Alumni Series, Andrew's University in Berrian Springs, Michigan and the Ashmont Hill Chamber Music Series in Boston, Massachusetts. Recent chamber music performances include Barcelona, Spain, the Plymouth Chamber Music Festival in Massachusetts, Fontana Music Festival in Shelbyville, Michigan, the Ashmont Hill Chamber Music Series, performances at Tennessee Technological University and Michigan State University. Dr. Fiste has been a prizewinner in the Rolland Competition, Cello Society Competition and the University of Illinois Concerto Competition. Dr. Fiste has studied with Laurien Laufman and Karen Buranskas and has participated in master classes with Janos Starker and Fritz Magg. He received a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, a M.M. from the University of Notre Dame and a D.M.A. from the University of Illinois.

Cellist Laurien Laufman is an artist of international stature, having performed throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, India and the People's Republic of China. She has studied with many eminent cellists, including Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, Andre Navarra, and Paul Tortelier. Ms. Laufman has won numerous competitions, including the 1975 Concert Artist Guild Competition in New York, and was awarded the Silver Medal in the 1976 Villa-Lobos International Competition in Rio de Janeiro. Ms. Laufman has performed as solo artist for radio and television in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Poland, and Switzerland. She has recorded for Classica Records and Medeci Music Press. Ms. Laufman is Professor Emeritus of Cello from the University of Illinois School of Music, where she taught since 1980. Ms Laufman is Co-artistic Director of the Plymouth Chamber Music Festival.

Mary Findley has been on the faculty of The George Washington University since 1981, teaching violin, viola, and chamber music. She appears frequently in recital and chamber music concerts in venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art and various embassies in Washington DC, and Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Recital Hall in New York. She has appeared as violin soloist with many orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Schippers. Prof. Findley has made tours of the United States and has performed in festivals, concerts and radio broadcasts in Germany, Holland, Finland and Sweden. She has recorded works by Meyer Kupferman and Elie Siegmeister on the Soundspells and CRI labels.

LAURA KOBAYASHI is an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States. She has represented the United States Information Agency as an Artistic Ambassador and toured throughout South America and the Caribbean performing recitals and presenting master classes and lecture recitals. She has also performed in Norway and toured throughout South Africa as well. As a soloist, she has performed with several orchestras in the United States including the Seattle and Spokane Symphony Orchestras, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra and the Grand Junction Symphony and has also performed for live radio broadcast on WFMT in Chicago. She received Second Prize in the National Competition for Performing Artists sponsored by the Contemporary Recording Society. She has also participated in numerous summer music festivals including the Carmel Bach Festival and the Aspen Music Festival and has served on the faculties of the Brevard Music Center, Eastern Music Festival and the Hot Springs Music Festival. Her debut compact disc recording of music by 19th and 20th century women composers on the Albany Records label has been broadcast on national public radio in the United States as well as in Europe and has received rave reviews. Four premiere recordings, including Grande Sonate, Op.8 by 19th Century French composer Marie Grandval, are featured on this recording. Her edition of the Grande Sonate, Op.8 is also available from Hildegard Publishing Company.

Harold Levin has led a varied career as violist, conductor, composer, and teacher. He holds a high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, BM from Ball State University, MM from the University of Cincinnati, and DMA from Rutgers University. After performing in the viola section of the Louisville Orchestra for four seasons, Dr. Levin began a career of college teaching and conducting that has involved positions at the University of Nebraska, University of Memphis, Western Illinois University, and Ball State University. An active performer, Dr. Levin has played viola with the orchestras of Cincinnati, Omaha, Memphis, Long Island, Orlando, and Jacksonville, and has performed and conducted at summer festivals in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, and Vermont. Recently, he has appeared as soloist and in chamber venues in Ohio, West Virginia, Minnesota, Florida, Mississippi, and California. Also a commissioned and published composer, his music for both large and small ensembles has been performed across the country and recorded by several labels. Harold Levin studied viola with Michael Tree, Donald McInnes, Raymond Stilwell, Robert Slaughter, and David Holland. His composition teachers include Charles Wuorinen, Joel Hoffman, and Ernesto Pellegrini. This fall he will teach and perform as violist in the resident string trio of Cleveland State University while maintaining his conducting position as Music Director of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra in Orlando. During the summer months he serves as Instructor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

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Toyoko Henkel, violist, was born in Akita, Nothern Japan. At an early age she started to play the violin and the piano. After she graduated from Toho Highschool of Music she went to the USA, and studied with Josef Gingold at Indiana University. There she received the “Performer’s Certificate”. She also studied the viola with William Primrose and chamber music with Gyorgy Sebok, Janos Starker and Menahem Pressler. Since 1973 she lives in Germany and devotes herself to chamber music as a viola player. From 1987 on she has been solo violist of the “Freiburger Baroksolisten” and with this ensemble she recorded many CDs such as Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Telemann’s Viola Concerto, and many other works. In 2005 she moved to Berlin and continues chamber music activities.