THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY VIOLIN VIRTUOSI

Mimi Zweig is currently a professor of violin and director of the Indiana University String Academy. Since 1972 she has developed pre-college string programs across the United States. She has given master classes and pedagogy workshops in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Israel, Japan and Europe. She has recently produced StringPedagogy.com, an innovative web-based teaching tool. In the spring of 2006, American Public Television released the documentary, "Circling Around-The Violin Virtuosi" which features String Academy students. The String Academy and Mimi Zweig are recent recipients of a Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation grant which supports the teaching of gifted violinists. Her students have won numerous competitions, and teach and perform worldwide.

Brenda Brenner is an associate professor of music and assistant director of the String Academy at Indiana University. This September, Ms. Brenner will begin her responsibilities as professor of String Music Education at the Jacobs School of Music. She is also an active teacher and performer of chamber music throughout the United States. Her students have distinguished themselves in numerous competitions and have gone on to study at the finest music schools in the country. Ms. Brenner is a recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music.

Chih-Yi Chen, pianist, is currently on the faculty of the Indiana University String Academy and the Jacobs School of Music where she has been the String Academy pianist since 1994. Ms. Chen has performed extensively as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe and the Far East. She is pursuing a doctorate in Piano Performance at Indiana University with Luba Edlina Dubinsky.

Yoo-Jin Cho was born in Korea and started playing the violin when she was 6 years old. She was accepted into the music program for young musicians at the Korean National University of Music when she was 12 with full scholarship. She came to the U.S. to continue her studies when she was 16 and joined the Violin Virtuosi studying with Mimi Zweig. She has traveled with the Violin Virtuosi to various places abroad and also within the States including France, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Dallas, Seattle, and Chicago. Yoo-Jin was the 2004 winner of Suzuki and Friends Competition, and has appeared as soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. This past spring, Yoo Jin performed the Mendelssohn Concerto in Japan and Korea. She will be a junior at Indiana University studying the violin with Mimi Zweig and the viola with Atar Arad.

Juliette Cucunato will be a junior at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she studies with Mimi Zweig. Prior to her studies with Ms. Zweig, she studied with Darcy Drexler at the String Academy of Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Juliette has performed in concerts throughout the United States and in master classes of Corey Cerovsek, Leila Josefowics, Pinchas Zuckerman, the Perlman-Nikkanen-Bailey Trio, and Ralph Votapek. In 2002 she won the Milwaukee Symphony Young Artist Concerto Competition and the Menomonee Falls Young Artist Concerto Competition. As a hobby, Juliette is a ballroom dancer.

John Sanderson is 16 years old and has studied the violin at the Indiana University String Academy for four years. He began playing the violin at the age of three, playing fiddle music with his father. He credits this experience with giving him a love for music which he has never lost. Last May, he performed as a soloist with the New World Youth Orchestra of Indianapolis. As hobbies, John cooks, practices Kung-Fu, draws, and is building his own house.

Eighteen-year-old Peter Vickery has been playing the violin for 12 years. A former student of Brenda Brenner, he is currently studying with Mimi Zweig. His musical endeavors include solo appearances with the Carmel (IN) Symphony Orchestra, the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, the New World Youth Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Peter received 2nd place in the 2005 Lennox Young Artists Competition in Dallas, TX. Peter frequently plays the violin for his church and participated in a quartet mission trip to Ukraine in 2002. He loves to play chamber music whenever possible. One of his family's six children, Peter enjoys being home-schooled and appreciates the close-knit aspect of his family. After breaking his wrist on the court, Peter decided to forgo his basketball career and now enjoys watching the many great Indiana sports teams. Peter will enter the Jacobs School of Music as a Presidential Scholar this September.

Julie Wunderle will be a junior at Indiana University majoring in Violin performance. She joined the Violin Virtuosi seven years ago, and has enjoyed every aspect of this unique ensemble. She studied with Brenda Brenner for four years, and is currently a student of Mimi Zweig. Experiences within the Violin Virtuosi, such as touring France twice and Japan, performing in a benefit a concert at Carnegie Hall, and giving concerts throughout the United States, have been both memorable and beneficial. Julie has also had the opportunity to perform in many master classes and to participate in competitions. This year, Julie was concertmaster of the Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra. Along with her classes, Julie is also learning how to teach violin and has a class of students. Running, reading, and spending time with friends, family, and pets, all balance out her musical pursuits.

Stephanie Zyzak, 12, attends Mason Middle School, Ohio and will be in the 8th grade. She began violin studies at age four. At age seven, she was invited to perform in the Aspen Music School and Festival. The following year, she performed in Germany as an invited guest of the Internationale Kunst - Akademie Liechtenstein (IKAL). At age eight, she became the youngest recipient of the New Horizon Fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival and School. Currently, she studies with Mimi Zweig at Indiana University and is a member of the Violin Virtuosi group. In 2004, she won the Louisville Orchestra Young Artist Competition and performed with the Louisville Orchestra. She performed again with the Louisville Orchestra in 2005. She is currently working on her Grade 9 RACE (Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada) piano exam. Besides music, she spars nationally in TaeKwon Do, competes nationally in Irish dancing and golf. She qualified for the upcoming 2006 World Golf Championship. She has earned her second degree Black Belt in TaeKwon Do, and is a member of her school golf team.