Violinist Kim ZabeIle, who is principal violist of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, has performed internationally at the Tanglewood, Salzburg, Victoria, and Vancouver festivals and has been featured in broadcasts on NPR, Performance Today, and the CBC radio. She received her musical training at the Universities of Michigan and Washington and at Indiana University. KIm maintains an active private studio as well, and is a coach for the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. She has recorded for Centaur, CBC Radio, Geffen, Focus, and Wild Boar records.

Ilkka Talvi
Violin
Phone: 206/281-2205 
e-mail

Finnish born violinist Ilkka Talvi was initially self-taught and later studied with famous teachers in Helsinki, Vienna, Paris and in this country (Heifetz at USC, Galamian at Curtis Institute). He first soloed with orchestra at 10 and played a sensational debut recital in Helsinki at 15. Mr. Talvi has performed as soloist and in recital in many European countries, as well as in many U.S. cities. Having taught the violin since elementary school, at the age of 13 he received his first teaching position and at age 20 became a faculty member at the Sibelius Academy, Finland’s leading conservatory. His students have become winners of important competitions, both national and international, have continued studies at major conservatories and universities, and have had successful careers as soloists, orchestra members, including concertmasters, and teachers worldwide.

Mr. Talvi has made numerous recordings, many of which have been world premieres, including concertos and other works by Bach, Hindemith, Diamond, Albert, Klami, Piston, Creston and many others, on Delos, Nonesuch, Angel and Finlandia labels. He performed regularly as soloist, in concertos by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Hindemith, Shostakovich, McKay, Bruch, Mozart and Baroque composers. Mr. Talvi has served as concertmaster of Mostly Mozart Festival, Malmö Symphony, Waterloo Festival as well as the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. For many years he worked with the renown Bach expert Helmuth Rilling in Germany and this country, playing as his concertmaster on a tour of the U.S. and Buenos Aires.

Ilkka Talvi is married to violinist Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi. Together, they have appeared on numerous series and festivals. Presently Mr. Talvi is busy performing and teaching both privately and at Seattle Pacific University.

Cellist Meg Brennand is known for her work on both modern and baroque cello.  She is cellist of the acclaimed Onyx Chamber Players, based in Seattle and Chicago.  A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Meg is also a member of the Auburn Symphony and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. Her interest in historically informed performance practice led to the study of the baroque cello and to appearances with many baroque orchestras on the West Coast. Meg is a member of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra and she was a founding musician of Gallery Concerts, specializing in 18th century chamber music on period instruments. An avid chamber music performer, she has performed throughout the Northwest, including Bloedel, Jacobsen, Second City, Mostly Nordic, Belle Arte, Camerata, First Sundays, La Conner. She has recorded for NPR, Wild Boar, and Centaur. 

Since 1991, Todd Gowers has performed, toured, and recorded with the Seattle Symphony as a substitute bassist. He has been principal bassist with the Bolshoi Ballet, Luciano Pavarotti, The Moody Blues, Yes, Tacoma Symphony and Opera, Fifth Avenue Theater, and Paramount Theater.  He has also performed with Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Northwest Sinfionetta, and Anchorage Symphony. In the summer of 1990 he was chosen by audition as one of 50 American musicians to combine with 50 Soviet musicians to create the American/Soviet Youth Orchestra. Conducted by Leonard Slatkin, this orchestra toured and recorded in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and the United States as part of the cultural exchange ushered in by Glasnost.

Mr. Gowers is also an active studio musician recording on numerous film sound tracks and commercials. Most recently he has been working with composer Phillip Glass in his new opera “In The Penal Colony.”  Featuring music by Glass, the opera is based on a short story by Franz Kafka, which saw performances in Seattle and Chicago, and New York City. Mr. Gowers has been adjunct professor of double bass at SPU since 1998, where every July he holds the Hammond Ashley Memorial Double Bass Workshop, one of the the largest bass camps in America. He has been teaching the bass privately since 1986, and has been a bass coach for the Seattle, Cascade, and Tacoma Youth Symphonies. As an orchestra teacher, he has worked for the Edmonds  and Northshore School Districts teaching at the elementary and middle school levels. Todd is also a frequent adjudicator at State and Regional Solo Contests.