Lydia Chernicoff, violinist, is the Founder and Artistic Director of New Muse Concerts, a chamber music series taken out of the concert hall, defined by its daring programming and casual, lively atmosphere.
She has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral player throughout the US, and in Europe, China, and South America. In 2007, Lydia founded Trio Appassionata alongside cellist, Andrea Casarrubios, and pianist, Ronaldo Rolim. The trio joined the artist roster of the Odradek Records label in 2013, and released its debut CD of American piano trios, gone into night are all the eyes, the following year. The recording was praised by the International Record Review for its "complete dedication and assurance... [and for] music-making as impressive and dangerous as a granite cliff."
Lydia has collaborated with the PostClassical Ensemble, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, INSCAPE Chamber Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and Alarm Will Sound. She has served on the chamber music faculty of Peabody Conservatory’s Preparatory Division, and as the director of the Homewood Chamber Music Program at Johns Hopkins University.
She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory as
a student of Violaine Melançon, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland where she studied with James Stern.
arx duo aspires to expand the genre of percussion chamber music, and is dedicated to the creation and presentation of new works involving percussion, as well as the education of young artists striving
to engage with audiences through the creation of new works. They have had premiere performances throughout the globe, conducted workshops on three continents, and worked with a variety of composers and artists to bring new creations to audiences everywhere.
Recently the duo has had their Royal Albert Hall concert premiere in London, UK performing Dominic Murcott's "Harmonic Canon". This fall, they begin a residency at Boston Conservatory working with the composition students to create ten new pieces! They continually perform recitals and collaborative concerts throughout the U.S. As members of The Percussion Collective Robert van Sice, now in its opening season, they premiered Garth Neustadter’s Seaborne this year, and have presented concerts and master classes at multiple universities.
With a repertoire ranging from established masters to today’s newest compositional voices, arx duo has worked closely with composers such as Alejandro Viñao, James Wood, and Ted Hearne. Upcoming new commissions include duos from Robert Honstein and Ian Gottlieb, a large project with the Dover String Quartet and Steve Mackey, and concertos from Pascal Le Boeuf, Nick Diberardino, and Jonathank Bailey Holland.
The name "arx duo" comes from the artists’ desire to forge new connections and artistic pathways or "arcs" within the genre, expanding the opportunities for their music to reach new audiences.
Mari and Garrett both proudly endorse Adams Instruments, Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, and Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets.
Hilary Glen, cellist, has been praised as a “standout performer” who has successfully “taken on the demanding and most expressive responsibilities assigned to [her] instrument.”
As an enthusiastic performer, she enjoys a varied career that has taken her from the Italian Alps,
to Carnegie Hall, and many places in between. She has collaborated with musicians including
Gil Shaham, Gary Hoffman, Yefim Bronfman, and The Who.
Formerly a cellist with the New World Symphony, Dr. Glen currently performs as the Assistant Principal in the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, Principal of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and is a section member of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and the Des Moines Metro Opera.
Dr. Glen is a devoted teacher and believes that music provides a crucial outlet for creativity and expression. She recently completed a one-year position at the University of Alabama where she helped increase the visibility of the cello program by starting the first-ever Cello Day at the school.
Dr. Glen completed her BM at Indiana University, studying under Janos Starker. She earned her MM and DMA, studying under Alan Harris, at the Eastman School of Music. When not playing the cello, Dr. Glen can be found singing, exploring the outdoors, and/or dancing.
Ian Gottlieb, is a Los Angeles-based composer and cellist whose music grapples with nostalgia, mysticism, folk tradition, and eclecticism. His music has been performed by ensembles and artists including Sandbox Percussion, Ensemble dal Niente, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Hilary Summers, Antico Moderno, Triple Helix, and Palaver Strings.
Recent commissions include works for Contemporaneous, Arcomusical, and arx duo. His work has received support from the Fulbright Commission in Brazil, The World Music Institute, New York State Council for the Arts, The Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and ASCAP. A Los Angeles native, he holds degrees from the Yale School of Music, Boston University, and Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences.
Pamela Hentges, violin, has recently “retired” to Charleston after a fulfilling career as a professional violinist. During that time, she held the Assistant Principal Second Violin chair of the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, D.C. for twenty-one years, Principal Second Violin chair of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Richmond, VA for fourteen years, and a Section Violin chair in the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Washington D.C., for two years. Pam has also performed with many chamber music groups and has appeared frequently as a solo recitalist.
She continues to maintain a private studio where she teaches violin students and coaches many musicians, on all instruments, during their preparation for professional orchestral auditions.
Pam began studying violin at the age of four with George Perlman in Chicago. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Catholic University of America, studying with Robert Gerle as a full scholarship student.
She is thrilled to have been welcomed into the music scene in Charleston, and is honored to be collaborating with the musicians of New Muse Concerts as they build new relationships with the Charleston community through music!
Natalia Khoma is an internationally renowned cellist. Since winning the All-Ukrainian competition, Khoma has won top prizes at the Budapest Pablo Casals International Competition, Markneukirchen Competition in Germany, and the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, as well as First prize at the Belgrade International Cello Competition.
The first and only Ukrainian cellist to become a laureate of the Tchaikovsky Competition, Natalia Khoma has since distinguished herself as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout Russia,
as well as the U.S., Canada, South America, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, South Africa and the Middle and Far East.
She has performed as a soloist with such leading ensembles as the Berlin Radio Orchestra, Moscow Radio Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Ukrainian National State Symphony Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble
of New York City Symphony Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra.
In 2010 Natalia was featured on a Grammy nominated CD for the Dorian Sono Luminus label. Natalia Khoma is an Honorary Professor of Lviv State Academy of Music, Odesa State Music Academy and Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kiev Conservatory).
In addition to her performing activities, Natalia is an Associate Professor of Cello at the College
of Charleston in Charleston, SC and Director of the Charleston Music Fest.
Dr. Kari Kistler is an in-demand performer of oboe and English horn repertoire, based in the Southeast. She is a core member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and also freelances in the greater region.
Kari has performed all over the US, including at the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West. Prior to moving to Charleston she was a Fellow with the New World Symphony (NWS) in Miami Beach, FL. She performed multiple times under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas while at NWS, as well as many other prestigious conductors—Christoph von Dohnanyi, Susanna Mälkki, Peter Oundjian, and John Adams, to name a few.
Kari has performed recently with the New York Philharmonic, the Charlotte Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, and the Savannah Philharmonic.
She earned her Bachelors of Music, summa cum laude, and her Doctor of Music degrees from The Florida State University, her Masters of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and her Performance Diploma from Boston University. Her main teachers were John Ferrillo, John Mack, Robert Sheena, and Dr. Eric Ohlsson.
Sadie Nichols has been playing violin and viola in the Charleston area since moving to the Lowcountry in 2001 to join the Charleston Symphony as Assistant Principal Viola.
Sadie grew up in Hershey, PA where she started her musical studies at the age of three from her mother. Graduating with performance degrees from Indiana University and University of Maryland, Sadie has since played regularly with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern PA Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, and various opera orchestras and chamber music groups from around the world including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Breckenridge Music Festival.
Sadie is an avid early music enthusiast and knitter extraordinaire. Sadie resides in Summerville with her husband Brandon and daughter Autumn.
Dan Urbanowicz, is currently a violist in the Sarasota Orchestra. He performs regularly with the Jacksonville Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Dan has played with the New World Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the Atlantic Symphony, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Firelands Orchestra, and the Plymouth Philharmonic. He has served as principal violist of the Augusta Symphony, Charlottesville Opera, Gulfshore Opera, Venice Symphony, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, and the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra.
Dan also enjoys playing the viola d’amore. As a viola d’amore player he has been featured with the Colorado Chamber Players, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, College of Charleston’s Second Monday Series, and Augusta University as a guest lecturer and recitalist.
His principal teachers include Martha Katz and Jeffrey Irvine. Dan holds a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
He plays on a 2017 Robert Clemens viola and his viola d’amore is from the 19th century and is of unknown origin.