Featured Eric Benning instrument owners

Daphny Chen, cellist, was born in Kaohsiung, and studied piano since childhood. She was trained by the respected musician Tai-Zan Xiao and subsequently learned to play cello from her teacher, Kuang-Jung Chang, where she quickly developed a brilliant talent in cello performance. After graduating at the top of her class from the Department of Music at the National Taiwan University of Arts (formerly known as the National Taiwan Academy of Arts), she went to the United States for advanced studies. Due to her excellent academic performance, she received a full scholarship from Pepperdine University’s Department of Music and obtained her B.A. in Cello Performance. With the assistance of a full scholarship, she continued her music study at UCLA, where she received her Master's Degree in Cello Performance.
Daphny Chen has played with many well-known symphony orchestras and has been invited to tour throughout the United States, performing recitals regularly to much acclaim. She formerly served as the President of Malibu Institute of Music. She presently teaches in the Department of Music of the Tainan University of Science and Technology and offers classes at Dacheng and Chongming Middle Schools in the city of Tainan, and as the Conductor of Mandolin Philharmonic Orchestra of the Chimei Foundation. For many years, Ms. Chen’s
performances have been well received by many master cellists, such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Janos Starker, and Anner Bylsma. Her experience with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was exceptional and is an oft-repeated tale in music circles because Mr. Rostropovich had previously announced that he would no longer admit students into his class. However, after he listened to Ms. Chen’s play, he decided to make an exception and took her in as his last disciple. Mr. Ronald Leonard, the first cellist of LA Philharmonic, even considers her as his successor among the various talented students who have come into prominence.
Furthermore, Daphny Chen studied human muscles and the history of western music in addition to mathematics, gravity physics, terrestrial gravity, and the principle of Chinese Tai- Chi, and developed her one and only training method named “the natural playing method without pain, pressure or being nervous” which brought favorable attention in music circles. She has been invited to many universities, schools and musical performance groups to make speeches and give demonstrations. She and her studies become popular wherever she goes.
Having resided abroad for many years, Daphny Chen has formed her independent and optimistic personality. Having been privately instructed by many musical masters, she accumulated rich performing experiences, and developed her unique, deep and dexterous playing skills. When she performs on stage, her self-confident elegance displays vividly through her well-knit and joyful execution of each musical note and naturally conveys the efficacious resonance of melody and life. After having returned her home in Taiwan, she has been actively planning and giving her performance of various types of music repertory ensembles, from which she is able to present her various music expressions to her audiences, and expand their unlimited imaginations in the realm of music through her vigorous and refreshing interpretation of music.
Daphny Chen has received numerous music awards, but she thinks that all the awards are simply some shinning rings and external labels. She dedicates her achievement totally to her parents. Unfortunately, her father was injured on job in 2001, and her mother, who served by his side, suddenly died of illness in 2003. Daphny Chen chose to return to Taiwan so she could take care of her father. She wishes her music fans in Taiwan can get to know her through her cello music. She would like to pass her well-honed knowledge and experiences to her students through her classes. Whenever she can, she will also give cello concerts, from which she can passionately communicate with her cello in front of the friends who love music, so everyone can enjoy together the pleasure of cello music and appreciate the beautiful world of Daphny Chen.

Andrew Cook, cellist, has excited audiences as a soloist and ensemble artist both in the United States and abroad. Mr. Cook received his bachelor's degree from the Peabody Conservatory under Stephen Kates and in 1987 went to study with Lynn Harrell as a scholarship student at the University of Southern California. Concert appearances have taken Mr. Cook throughout the United States, Mexico, France, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Central Asia, and Egypt. As a member of the Peabody Honor String Quartet, Mr. Cook performed live broadcasts for National Public Radio and Radio France, a command performance for Princess Grace of Monaco, and a performance at the Palace of Versailles. In 1988, he joined the Valcoeur String Quartet who were artists-in-residence at the University of Arizona in Tuscon
In 1990, Mr. Cook represented the U.S. at the Ninth International Tchaikovsky Cello Competition in Moscow. He has been a guest artist with the Ensemble of Santa Fe and the Lark String Quartet and has also been a guest at the Cerventino International Festival, Musica Da Camerata Festival, Grand Teton Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and San Miguel de Allende.
Mr. Cook was a founding member of the Vista Trio which has performed worldwide and has released two recordings on the Vision Records label. he has released his own solo compact disc of beautiful short concert pieces for cello and piano entitled, "After a Dream". Mr. Cook was recently a featured actor in an independent film, "Pure", where he plays a cellist and cello teacher. He is also working on a DVD of J.S. Bach suites for solo cello with AIX records.
He has served on the faculties of Goucher College, Pepperdine University, and California State University Northridge. In addition to the Gold Coast Chamber Music Festival he has been a faculty member of the Fairbanks Summer arts Festival. Mr. Cook is also active in the recording, television, and motion picture studios working on music scores for countless films. He is in great demand not only as a performer, but also as a teacher, lecturer, and educator.
www.andrewmcook.com

Carolyn Osborn, violinist. Graduate of The Eastman School of Music (BM) and the USC School of Music (MM). Carolyn has been a member of both the Capriccio Chamber Players and the Vista Piano Trio and she is currently a member of the Cuarteto Ysaye de Los Angeles, the Ariel Ensemble, LuminArias, and a guest artist with the Westlake Chamber Ensemble. Carolyn has been a member of the San Diego Symphony, The LA Chamber Orchestra, and the LA Music Center Opera Orchestra. She is presently a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the LA Mozart Orchestra. Assistant Principal Second violin for the Long Beach Symphony and Concertmaster for the Downey Symphony and the San Fernando Valley Symphony.

Hubert Pralitz, violinist. Pupil of Zino Francescatti, Henryk Szerlng and Sandor Vegh. Studied at the National Superior Conservatory of Music- Paris, France. He graduated with highest honors, receiving his Master's of Music at the Academy for Performing Arts "Mozarteum"-Salzburg, Austria. Mr. Pralitz has won many first prizes in international competitions and has played for such dignitaries and heads of states such as the presidents of France, Poland, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, and has held private concerts in the Vatican for Pope John Paul II.

Randall Garacci, violinist. Studied under the late Manuel Compinsky. Attended Cal Poly playing various ensembles. Plays in the San Luis Obispo Symphony as Principal Violin II. Also a member of the Mozart Festival since 1980 and the Tolosa Strings Chamber Ensemble.
www.slosymphony.com

Alexis Carreon, violist. Freelance musician in the LA area. She has studied with Milton Preves, Mary K. Rosen and Alan deVeritch. Principal violist for the Calabasas Chamber Orchestra performing with many ensembeles throughout Southern California. She has performed before 4 US presidents, Queen Elizabeth and the President of China.

Gayle Smith, cellist. Began her career as a soloist in Russia after becoming a finalist at the 1970 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Studied with Pablo Casals in Puerto Rico. Graduated from UC Berkley. Studied with Gregor Piatigorsky atht USC Institute for Special Music Studies. From 1966-1968 she studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Coached with Professor Peter Grummer. After receiving a medal at the Academy, she studied with William Pleeth at the Guildhall School of Music. She has and continues to perform across the globe.

Jonathan Karoly, cellist, has been a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since the 1997/98 season. A native of Chicago, he began studying the cello at the age of three, and was a prize-winning cellist, pianist, and composer from an early age. Following his studies in Chicago with Karl Fruh, Nathaniel Rosen, and in New York with Zara Nelsova, Mr. Karoly graduated in May, 1997, with a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from the University of Southern California where he was a pupil of Ronald Leonard.Active as a solo and chamber musician, Mr. Karoly has performed in the festivals of Marlboro, Verbier, Sarasota, Music Academy of the West, the International Laureates Chamber Music Festival in Los Angeles, and Aspen, where he was a fellowship recipient. In addition, he is a regular performer in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Society and Green Umbrella New Music Concerts. Mr.Karoly recently performed the Mendelssohn Octet in Carnegie Hall as part of Musicians from Marlboro 50th Anniversary Concerts. In 1999 Mr. Karoly was invited to perform several concerts of chamber works with Pierre Boulez at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. The New York Times called his playing “…highly musical and expressively generous….”An accomplished competition winner, Mr. Karoly has won grand prize in the Pasadena Instrumental Competition and first prize in the Chicago Cello Society Competition and all three divisions of the St. Paul Federal Bank’s Musical Arts Competitions. As a concerto soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras throughout the country, including performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has been principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles, among others. Mr. Karoly has appeared live in radio broadcasts in Chicago and Los Angeles in solo recitals and chamber music performances. A CD of Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn Piano Trios has been released for Telos Records.
http://www.laphil.org/resources/performer_detail.cfm?id=268

Gregory Bemko, cellist. Studied under Felix Salmond as a fellowship holder at the Juilliard Graduate School. He also held scholarships with Joseph Schuster, Maurice Eisenbert and finally studied with Pablo Casals. Became the principal cellist with the Denver Symphony and instructor at Denver University. After resigning, he became cello instructor at Occidental college in Los Angeles. Was principal cellist in the San Diego Symphony.
http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/2002/250222.shtml


Debra Fayroian,cellist. Debra Fayroian enjoys an active and successful career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. At appearances throughout the United States and Canada, she has captivated audiences with her remarkable musical insight and beauty of tone.
Fayroian has been a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since 1975. Prior to her DSO tenure, she was principal cellist for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. During her years at the DSO, she has been solo cellist with the Detroit Chamber Winds (with whom she has made several recordings on the Koch International label) and has also collaborated with many other chamber organizations, including the New York Pro Musica, Lafayette String Quartet, Ars Poetica, and the Lyric Chamber Ensemble. Fayroian currently serves as Artistic Director of Nightnotes, an annual series of eclectic concerts in Birmingham, Michigan.
Born in Detroit of Armenian parentage, Fayroian studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and later at the Aspen Music Festival. While at Aspen, she was coached extensively by members of the Juilliard String Quartet. Fayroian also studied at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was coached by Oliver Edel and Paul Makanowitzky.
Fayroian plays an active role in the musical education community. In addition to maintaining a private class of student and professional musicians, she is founding director of Strings at the Cranbrook Summer Music Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Active as a clinician with her husband, DSO Principal Tubist Wesley Jacobs, Fayroian gives demonstrations in area schools.
http://www.detroitsymphony.com/dso/orchestra/bio.aspx?ID=178&idx=artist

Matt Cooker, cellist. Matt Cooker studied at the University of Michigan with Oliver Edel and Samuel Mayes. He has played in orchestras in Toledo, Ohio; Sacramento, California and the Orchestra della Scala in Milan, Italy. Matt is currently a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and has been principal cellist of Los Angeles’ Symphony in the Glen since its inception. He has played in orchestras for diverse live artists (Barbra Streisand, Luis Miguel, Kenny G., the Scorpions, Stereolab, and AIR) and has been cellist for recent Sunset Strip rock artists (Anne McCue, Marcella Detroit, the Orphics and Lisbeth Scott). In 2003, he recorded the cello solos for Rolfe Kent’s score to Freaky Friday, and returned from London after five performances of Carlos Rodriguez’ Ex Machina for solo cello, with the Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. He has worked on over 500 orchestra film scores, many television shows and records. Matt has taken classes at Yoga Works in Santa Monica for ten years, and in 2003, completed their Teacher Training Program.

Colleen (Larsen) Coomber, violinist. Colleen is a native of Los Angeles, California. Colleen began the violin at age 6, studying with Lily Mahler Epstein, Sybil Maxwell and Elizabeth Holborn. Studying with Alice Schoenfeld, Colleen earned both a Bachelors and Masters of Music in Violin Performance at USC. She received orchestral training in both the American Youth Symphony and Debut Orchestras, holding concertmaster and principal chairs. Colleen is currently a free-lance musician in the Los Angeles area, playingg regularly with the Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra and several others. She now holds the position of Assistand Concertmaster of the San Bernadino Symphony and is Principal Second Violin of the Downey Symphony. She is married to the notable trombonist Robert Coomber and is the proud mom of two sons, Christopher and James.

Armen Ksajikian, cellist. Widely hailed as one of the greatest cellists in north-central Eagle Rock, California, Armen Ksajikian began his professional career at age 12 with the Abkhazian State Philharmonic (then part of Soviet Georgia). Since arriving in the United States in 1976, he has been very active in the musical life of Los Angeles. He has appeared as a soloist and principal cellist with numerous orchestras in the Los Angeles area, as well as the Bolshoi, Kirov, Stuttgart, Royal and American Ballet Theater orchestras. Ksajikian has participated in many music festivals including the Cabrillo, Colorado, Banff, Sitka, and Venice Film festivals. As a member of the Armadillo String Quartet since 1982, Ksajikian has been involved in such daring events as a 34-_ hour marathon performance of the complete quartets of Haydn, as well as concerts from the top of the Mendenhall Glacier to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Ksajikian has premiered works by Schickele, Cage, Rosza, Mancini, Adams, Corea, and many others. In 1985 Ksajikian was invited to perform with Jascha Heifetz in his master classes. In 1993 he made his film debut, as a limousine driver, in the action thriller True Lies with Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He can also be found in numerous Hollywood recording orchestras, with over 900 motion picture soundtracks to his credit. Armen’s hobbies include white water rafting, poker, backgammon, and playing concertos with the Southland’s symphony orchestras.