FACULTY Read Full Bio Liam Mansfield (b. 1996) had always felt an inexplicable attraction to the violin, but he started his musical career playing the piano. That path came to a halt when his strict, elderly piano teacher insisted he wake up at 4 am to practice scales before elementary school. He picked up the violin at Hyde Park Middle School at the age of 11, and from then on has played with an almost obsessive fervor... Liam Mansfield violin, Creative Director Read Full Bio FACULTY Scott Jackson is a concert violinist that has performed with symphonies across the nation, including the St. Louis and Pittsburgh Symphonies. He was a fellow with the New World Symphony after completing his doctoral studies at the Cincinnati Conservatory from 2018 until 2022, during which time his modern music ensemble, All of the Above, released an album to critical acclaim featuring the music of two contemporary composers with the title “Double Portrait”. Scott Jackson violin Read Full Bio FACULTY Omar Shelly is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada and has performed in some of the worlds most famous concert halls as a violist in several international orchestral training programs, including several occasions at Carnegie Hall with The Orchestra Now at Bard College and the New York String Orchestra Seminar, the Benedict Music Tent with the Aspen Chamber Symphony, both the Royal Concertgebouw and Royal Albert Hall with the Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme BBC Proms 2012, Troesh Music Hall of Toronto with the Orchestra of the Americas... Omar Shelly viola Read Full Bio Jeremy Russo is passionate educator and versatile performer who has appeared on stages across the United States, notably Carnegie Hall in NYC, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Smith Center in Las Vegas, as well as in Europe and Asia. A native of Las Vegas, he has shared stages as the core string member with world’s all-time favorite pop singers, namely Adele, Andrea Bocelli, and the Eagles... FACULTY Jeremy Russo cello Read Full Bio Shakeh Ghoukasian, a renowned violinist and educator, founded The String Connection and The String Connection Virtual Violin Festival in 2021, catering to advanced students. These initiatives, including Chamber Music and Suzuki Talent Education Programs, connect students with top artist teachers. Previously, as executive/artistic director of the Nevada School of the Arts for 13 years, she propelled the school's vision, initiating programs like the Jazz Initiative and Musical Crossroads, and establishing partnerships benefiting students and the Las Vegas community... FACULTY Shakeh Ghoukasian violin, Festival Director Rising Stars Faculty Liam Mansfield, violin
Creative Director Omar Shelly, viola Scott Jackson, violin Jeremy Russo, cello Shakeh Ghoukasian, violin
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