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 | Sanford Allen
Violinist Sanford Allen was appointed Director of the Clarion Concerts
in Columbia County's Leaf Peeper Series after the death of its founder Newell Jenkins. Mr. Allen started his study of the violin at the age of seven and entered the Juilliard School of Music at age ten, continuing at the Mannes College of Music under Mme. Vera Fonaroff. In 1962 he became the first black musician ever to become a regular member of the New York Philharmonic. Regarding his recording of Cordero's violin concerto with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Strad magazine said: "Its virtuoso challenges are thrillingly met by Sanford Allen a fabulous player who was, incidentally, the first African-American to gain a regular
place with the New York Philharmonic in 1962. Despite the challenging nature
of the writing, the listener's attention is held effortlessly throughout due
largely to the extraordinary commitment and finesse of Allen's playing.
Indeed the intensity generated by this impassioned performance is nothing
short of overwhelming. Well worth seeking out". His solo appearances with orchestra have included the Quebec, Baltimore, Detroit Symphonies and the New York Philharmonic. He served on the advisory panel of the New York State Arts Council and was also a member of the Executive Board of the Kennedy Center National Black Music Colloquium and Competition. In 1998, Mr. Allen gave a premiere performance of Sir Roland Hanna's Sonata for Violin and Piano
at the Kennedy Center in Washington, joined by the composer.
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 | Michael Cameron
Michael Cameron was born and raised in Queens, NY. He received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music and a Master's Degree, also in music, from Northwestern University. Mr. Cameron served as the cellist of the Marian Anderson Quartet since 1989 until 2002. Mr. Cameron devotes much of his time to the cause of sustaining the development and growth of chamber music in the United States and has served as an advisor at the behest of such organizations as Chamber Music America and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mr. Cameron has been a featured soloist on KUSC Radio's Sunday's at Four and serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Violoncellos Society.
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 | Ronald Crutcher
Ronald A. Crutcher is Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He began studying the cello at the age of fourteen with Elizabeth Potteiger and won the Cincinnati Symphony Young Artist Competition at age seventeen. Dr. Crutcher studied with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, later serving as one of his assistants and becoming the first cellist to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale. Dr. Crutcher studied in West Germany with Siegfried Palm and Enrico Mainardi. Other teachers have included Janos Starker, Margaret Rowell and Gerhard Mantel. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in March, 1985. A former member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, he has performed numerous recitals in the United States, Europe and South America. He currently tours in this country and in Europe with the Klemperer Piano Trio. Dr. Crutcher also served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Conservatory at The Cleveland Institute. He was the President of Chamber Music America and serves on the boards of the Fulbright Association, Musical Arts Association (Cleveland Orchestra), and the Cavani Quartet.
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 | Juan Ramirez
Juan Ramirez, founding member of the Atlanta Virtuosi Foundation Inc., began his studies in Mexico with Vivo Valenti and Vladimir Vulfman. His studies with Henryck Szeryng began at the age fourteen and continued as Szeryng became his principal mentor. Mr. Ramirez studied with Joseph Silverstein, as well as performing under Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Service in the Boston and Pittsburgh Symphonies preceded his acceptance of a permanent position with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Ramirez toured Israel, Europe and the Orient with various ensembles. Recipient of both the Koussevitsky and Bernstein Fellowship Awards, he was a prize-winning violinist at the Berkshire Music Festival. Mr. Ramirez plays the guitar, mandolin and marimba and, in addition to being a composer. Mr. Ramirez has been a member of the faculties of Georgia State University and Spelman College and has participated in music panels for the Fulton County Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, etc. He currently serves on the advisory boards of both the New World Symphony and Chicago Civic Symphony Orchestra, as well as directing the Buckhead Youth Orchestras in Atlanta, GA.
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 | Stephen Shipps
Stephen Shipps was educated at Indiana University studying with the legendary Joseph Gingold. He received his B.M. and M.M. with Honors as well as a Performerâs Certificate at IU. His other teaches include Ivan Galamian and Franco Gulli. Mr. Shipps has appeared as soloist with the Symphonies of Indianapolis, Dallas, Omaha, Seattle and Ann Arbor as well as the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra, the Madeira Bach Festival and the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. He is a member of the Meadowmount Trio and has been associated with the Fine Arts Quartet and the Amadeus Trio, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony and Opera, Omaha Symphony and Nebraska Sinfonia. He has served as Concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Symphony since 1990. He has recorded solo for Albany, American Gramophone, Bay Cities, NPR, RIAS Berlin, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, among others. He was awarded a dozen Gold and Platinum Records for his solo work on the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Albums. Mr. Shipps was Director of the ASTA National Solo Competition for the past six years, judged the Singapore and Kocian International Competitions as well as serving on the International Advisory Panel of the Indianapolis International Competition. He is currently Professor of Violin and dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan as well as Assistant to the Director and violin faculty at the Meadowmount School of Music.
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