Performing Sunday, May 1, 2011 @ 12:15 p.m.

Kyle Champion

As a founding member of Quatracelli!, Kyle is principal cellist with the Redlands Symphony, and former principal cello of the Riverside County Philharmonic and the Oklahoma City Chamber Orchestra. He regularly performs with numerous area orchestras including the Long Beach Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, and Pasadena Pops Orchestra. Mr. Champion has been an applied instructor of cello at University of Redlands since 1995, and has served on the faculties of La Sierra University, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma Baptist University. Kyle completed his Master of Music degree in cello performance at the University of Southern California, where he was a student of Ronald Leonard.

Jim Lee

While earning his Bachelor of Music in Cello performance at the University of Illinois-Champaign has had the privilege of studying under renowned cellists Hans Jensen from Northwestern University, and Tchaikovsky Competition winners Suren Bagratuni, Ko Iwasaki, and Natalie Khoma. Pursuing his passion for chamber music, Jim has had the opportunity to receive additional chamber music training under world-renowned chamber groups such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Borromero String Quartet, the Ying Quartet and the Moscow Conservatory Trio. He has expanded his performing career by having recorded for the WILL Radio concert series and a CD recording of 20th century work of Xenakis. He has taught at Pasadena Conservatory of Music since 2002.

Rick Mooney

Another founding member of Quatracelli!, Rick has had several solo appearances with the Claremont Community Orchestra and the Claremont Chamber Orchestra. He has performed with the Inland Empire Symphony Orchestra, the Claremont Concert Orchestra, and he freelances throughout the Southern California area. Rick has served on the Board of Directors and on the Cello Committee with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He has authored several pedagogical books including “Double Stops for Cello,” and “Position Pieces for Cello.” Mr. Mooney is also founder/director of the National Cello Institute, which holds workshops each summer, an annual Winter Suzuki Cello Workshop and has a Publications division, which specializes in arrangements and original compositions for cello ensemble.

Sarah Koo

Sarah Koo is known not only for her solo and chamber performances, but also as an avid educator and outreach advocate. She has served as Assistant Principal Cellist with the Phoenix Symphony and has toured Italy and Europe with the Symphonica Arturo Toscanini under the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel. At the age of 18, Sarah was admitted as the youngest participant to the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and played in the Festival's Orchestra as the Assistant Principal Cellist. Ms. Koo made her 2000 New York debut in a solo recital at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall as the youngest winner of the Artists International Competition.

  Ms. Koo was a teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic and brought music education to the public schools of New York. During her appointment in Phoenix, Ms. Koo taught in the One Nation program, a music outreach program at the Salt River Indian Reservation's high school. She has also organized benefit performances for causes like the New Orleans Relief Fund and the Jersey Battered Women's Services. Her involvement with the Community Service Fellowship at Juilliard, bringing performances to confined groups of people (e.g. nursing homes, cancer wards, etc.), has allowed her to encourage the genesis of similar programs throughout the United States.

She graduated with her Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where she was the sole recipient of the prestigious William Schumann Award for outstanding achievements in music, academics, and leadership. Chamber studies have been with Gil Shaham, Joseph Kalichstein, Peter Salaff, Jerome Lowenthal, and Jonathan Feldman. Solo studies have been primarily with Gilda Barston, Richard Hirschl, Darrett Adkins, and Ardyth Alton. Ms. Koo currently teaches the cello at The Pioneer School of Music and Fullerton College in Southern California.