THE USUAL SUSPECTS

BOB BECKER

WEBSITE: www.robertbeckerviola.com

After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Juilliard in the mid 1970s, Robert L. Becker developed a prestigious career as a viola performer and instructor. Becker is a co-founding member of the American String Quartet and has taught at the Aspen Music Festival for 15 years. In addition to recordings with artists such as Elvis, Babyface, Linkin Park, and Radiohead, Becker has worked on film and television scores for Princess Diaries, White Fang, Chicken Little, Animaniacs, Desperate Housewives, The West Wing, and more

After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Juilliard in the mid 1970s, Robert L. Becker developed a prestigious career as a viola performer and instructor. Becker is a co-founding member of the American String Quartet and has taught at the Aspen Music Festival for 15 years. In addition to recordings with artists such as Elvis, Babyface, Linkin Park, and Radiohead, Becker has worked on film and television scores for Princess Diaries, White Fang, Chicken Little, Animaniacs, Desperate Housewives, The West Wing, and more.

After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Juilliard in the mid 1970s, Robert L. Becker developed a prestigious career as a viola performer and instructor. Becker is a co-founding member of the American String Quartet and has taught at the Aspen Music Festival for 15 years. In addition to recordings with artists such as Elvis, Babyface, Linkin Park, and Radiohead, Becker has worked on film and television scores for Princess Diaries, White Fang, Chicken Little, Animaniacs, Desperate Housewives, The West Wing, and more

BRIAN DEMBOW

Brian Dembow is well known in the field of chamber music. As a member first of the New York String Quartet, then the Sequoia Quartet, and (from 1988 until 2002) the Angeles String Quartet, he has performed to critical acclaim for audiences worldwide.

Born in New York City, Mr. Dembow was admitted to the Juilliard School at age eleven as a scholarship student of the renowned teacher Dorothy DeLay. As a young violinist, he began capturing first-place finishes in competitions as well as winning the Edward Dethier Award and on two occasions, the Michael Rabin Award. At age eighteen he made his first appearances abroad with orchestra in a series of concerts throughout Germany and Scandinavia.

A move to Southern California in 1978 helped establish his reputation there as a teacher (at the University of California), as an orchestral musician (serving as concertmaster of both the Long Beach and San Diego Symphonies), and as a chamber musician. Introduced to the viola at the age of thirteen by the beloved violinist Joseph Gingold, Mr. Dembow came to be in demand as a performer on that instrument as well.

As a member of the Angeles String Quartet, Mr. Dembow won a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2001) for the landmark recording of the 68 String Quartets of Joseph Haydn for the Phillips Classics label. In addition, he has recorded for the Delos, Sine Qua Non, CRI, and Koch International labels. He has also served as Artist-in-Residence at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.

PAM GOLDSMITH

WEBSITE: www.pamelagoldsmith.com

Pamela Goldsmith was raised in Los Angeles and attended UCLA, Mannes College of Music, and Stanford University, where she received the degree Doctor of Musical Arts. Her principal teachers were Paul Doktor, William Kroll, and William Primrose. She taught at Stanford, California State Universities Los Angeles, Fullerton, and Northridge, and is presently on the faculty at the University of Southern California.

She has been a member of the American Symphony Orchestra (Stokowski), Casals Festival Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Chamber Orchestra; she was principal viola of the Cabrillo Music Festival. Her chamber music experience includes the Group for Contemporary Music at Columbia University, Camerata String Quartet, Stanford Chamber Players, and Sitka and Sun Valley Music Festivals. She has participated in numerous first performances of contemporary music, and has presented solo recitals across the country, on radio and television.

Recently she participated as performer and lecturer in the International Viola Society Congress (Wellington, New Zealand), the International Viola d’Amore Congress (Stuttgart and England), the International Master Courses (Kapaonik, Yugoslavia), and at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Pam is an emeritus winner of the 'Most Valuable Player' award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Her viola playing has been heard on countless records, films, and television shows; she also plays the viola d'amore. She was both Vice President and Secretary of the American Viola Society, and presently serves as Secretary of the International Viola Society. Her articles on the application of scholarly research to performance style have appeared in many journals.

SIMON OSWELL

Trained in Australia and the United States, the Australian violist Simon Oswell has performed and recorded as a soloist, chamber musician and film score artist in Australia, Europe, South East Asia and the United States. Currently residing in Australia, Simon divides his time between orchestral and chamber music work and has appeared as guest Principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and more recently the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Simon has worked extensively in the film music studios of Los Angeles, having played on Academy Award nominated scores of John Williams, Randy Newman, James Horner and the late Jerry Goldsmith. In addition, Simon performs as Principal Viola of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.