An Evening of Brahms Chamber Music
Saturday, October 11, 2025
7:30pm
Joan Kwuon, violin
Ani Aznavoorian, cello
David Gresham, clarinet
Jean Smith, horn
Robert Cassidy, piano
Trio in A minor, Op. 114 for clarinet, cello, and piano
Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40 for horn, violin, and piano
Trio in B major, op. 8 for violin, cello, and piano
“These pieces were composed at different stages of Brahms’ life (Early, Middle, Late). One can tell from the opus number order that we’re starting with a piece from his late period and working backwards. Though, the Op. 8 trio we’re playing is a later revision of the earlier composition. Each is a musical gem, with the composer dis- playing his artistic mastery in every way possible.”
— Artistic Director Robert Cassidy, D.A., M.M., B.M.
Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40 for horn, violin, and piano
Trio in B major, op. 8 for violin, cello, and piano
“These pieces were composed at different stages of Brahms’ life (Early, Middle, Late). One can tell from the opus number order that we’re starting with a piece from his late period and working backwards. Though, the Op. 8 trio we’re playing is a later revision of the earlier composition. Each is a musical gem, with the composer dis- playing his artistic mastery in every way possible.”
— Artistic Director Robert Cassidy, D.A., M.M., B.M.
* Pre-Concert Reception *
6:00pm
Come early to raise a glass in celebration of the opening of our 45th Season and to share appetizers and conversations.
Artist Biographies:
Ani Aznavoorian
Ani Aznavoorian has established herself as a distinguished soloist, chamber musician, and principal cellist. At the age of 10, Ms. Aznavoorian made her solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, broadcast live on PBS. She has since performed with many of the world’s premier orchestras, including the Boston Pops, Tokyo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, International Sejong Soloists, Belgrade Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, and Edmonton Symphony.
Now in her nineteenth season as Principal Cellist of Camerata Pacifica, Ms. Aznavooriancontinues to captivate audiences with her dynamic stage presence and exceptional artistry. The Strad magazine describes cellist Ani Aznavoorian as having “scorchingly committed performances that wring every last drop of emotion out of the music. Her technique is well-nigh immaculate, she has a natural sense of theater, and her tone is astonishingly responsive.”
Ms. Aznavoorian’s accolades include Tokyo’s Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award, first prizes in the Chicago Cello Society National Competition, the Julius Stulberg Competition, and the American String Teachers Association Competition, as well as a top prize at the 1996 International Paulo Competition in Helsinki, Finland. Recognized as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she received a Level I Award from the National Foundation for the Arts Recognition and Talent Search and performed as a soloist at the Kennedy Center, where she was honored with a medal presented by former President Bill Clinton. As a first-year student at The Juilliard School, she made history as the youngest cellist to win the institution’s concerto competition, leading to a performance with the Juilliard Orchestra under conductor Gerard Schwarz at Avery Fisher Hall.
Her career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Hall, Aspen’s Harris Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, WFMT’s Live from Studio 1, and NPR’s Performance Today. Notably, with only 12 hours’ notice, Ms. Aznavoorianstepped in to replace Natalia Gutman for a critically acclaimed performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the San Jose Symphony. A dedicated chamber musician, she has been a member of the International Sejong Soloists and regularly performs with the Seattle Chamber Music Society and New York’s Jupiter Chamber Music series.
A passionate advocate for new music, Ms. Aznavoorian has premiered significant works in the cello repertoire, including Ezra Laderman’s Concerto No. 2 with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, conducted by Lawrence Leighton Smith; Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Cello and Piano at the Hamburg Staatsoper, choreographed by John Neumeier; and Auerbach’s Dreammusik for Cello and Chamber Orchestra, composed for her and commissioned by Camerata Pacifica.
In addition to her performance career, Ms. Aznavoorian is deeply committed to education. She has served on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, and currently teaches during the summer at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where she studied under Aldo Parisot. Her 2025-26 season features recital tours on the East and West coasts and a new CD celebrating her Chicagoland roots. Ms. Aznavoorianrecords exclusively for Cedille Records and proudly performs on a cello crafted by her father, Peter Aznavoorian, in Chicago.
Ani Aznavoorian has established herself as a distinguished soloist, chamber musician, and principal cellist. At the age of 10, Ms. Aznavoorian made her solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, broadcast live on PBS. She has since performed with many of the world’s premier orchestras, including the Boston Pops, Tokyo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, International Sejong Soloists, Belgrade Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, and Edmonton Symphony.
Now in her nineteenth season as Principal Cellist of Camerata Pacifica, Ms. Aznavooriancontinues to captivate audiences with her dynamic stage presence and exceptional artistry. The Strad magazine describes cellist Ani Aznavoorian as having “scorchingly committed performances that wring every last drop of emotion out of the music. Her technique is well-nigh immaculate, she has a natural sense of theater, and her tone is astonishingly responsive.”
Ms. Aznavoorian’s accolades include Tokyo’s Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award, first prizes in the Chicago Cello Society National Competition, the Julius Stulberg Competition, and the American String Teachers Association Competition, as well as a top prize at the 1996 International Paulo Competition in Helsinki, Finland. Recognized as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she received a Level I Award from the National Foundation for the Arts Recognition and Talent Search and performed as a soloist at the Kennedy Center, where she was honored with a medal presented by former President Bill Clinton. As a first-year student at The Juilliard School, she made history as the youngest cellist to win the institution’s concerto competition, leading to a performance with the Juilliard Orchestra under conductor Gerard Schwarz at Avery Fisher Hall.
Her career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Hall, Aspen’s Harris Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, WFMT’s Live from Studio 1, and NPR’s Performance Today. Notably, with only 12 hours’ notice, Ms. Aznavoorianstepped in to replace Natalia Gutman for a critically acclaimed performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the San Jose Symphony. A dedicated chamber musician, she has been a member of the International Sejong Soloists and regularly performs with the Seattle Chamber Music Society and New York’s Jupiter Chamber Music series.
A passionate advocate for new music, Ms. Aznavoorian has premiered significant works in the cello repertoire, including Ezra Laderman’s Concerto No. 2 with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, conducted by Lawrence Leighton Smith; Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Cello and Piano at the Hamburg Staatsoper, choreographed by John Neumeier; and Auerbach’s Dreammusik for Cello and Chamber Orchestra, composed for her and commissioned by Camerata Pacifica.
In addition to her performance career, Ms. Aznavoorian is deeply committed to education. She has served on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, and currently teaches during the summer at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where she studied under Aldo Parisot. Her 2025-26 season features recital tours on the East and West coasts and a new CD celebrating her Chicagoland roots. Ms. Aznavoorianrecords exclusively for Cedille Records and proudly performs on a cello crafted by her father, Peter Aznavoorian, in Chicago.
Robert Cassidy
Celebrated pianist, Robert Cassidy, has received widespread praise for his performances and recordings of solo piano repertoire, as well as vocal and instrumental chamber music.
Cassidy has been the Artistic Director of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series in Los Olivos, California since 2019. He has performed chamber music with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, cellist Ani Aznavoorian, violist Richard O'Neill, Ruysdael Quart, and with many other esteemed musicians and ensembles.
An extremely active and highly sought-after teacher and chamber music coach, Cassidy is in demand for master classes, workshops and lectures, private teaching, and adjudication. A former member of the faculty at Cleveland State University, Cassidy currently teaches piano and chamber music at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Dr. Cassidy holds degrees from Ball State University and the Manhattan School of Music.
Celebrated pianist, Robert Cassidy, has received widespread praise for his performances and recordings of solo piano repertoire, as well as vocal and instrumental chamber music.
Cassidy has been the Artistic Director of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series in Los Olivos, California since 2019. He has performed chamber music with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, cellist Ani Aznavoorian, violist Richard O'Neill, Ruysdael Quart, and with many other esteemed musicians and ensembles.
An extremely active and highly sought-after teacher and chamber music coach, Cassidy is in demand for master classes, workshops and lectures, private teaching, and adjudication. A former member of the faculty at Cleveland State University, Cassidy currently teaches piano and chamber music at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Dr. Cassidy holds degrees from Ball State University and the Manhattan School of Music.
David Gresham
Clarinetist Dr. David Gresham, professor of clarinet at Illinois State University, continues to be very active as a performer, having appeared as a soloist and chamber musician over 35 countries and all across the United States.
Recent concerto performances include performances at the Red Note New Music Festival of Roger Zare’s Bennu’s Fire for clarinet and wind ensemble (February 2020), and the world premiere of Sydney Hodkinson’sEmbers: an Incanation for clarinet and orchestra (February 2019). He gave the United States or New York premieres of several other concerti as well, including works by David Rakowski, Osvaldo Golijov, and Yevhen Stankovich. He made the premiere recording of David Maslanka’s Desert Roads for clarinet and band, released by Albany Records, and presented Desert Roads at the 2009 International ClarinetFest in Porto, Portugal. He recorded Mozart’s clarinet concerto with the Kiev Camerata in Kiev, Ukraine, for the TroppoNote/Cambria recording label, and has performed many of the other standard concerti with various orchestras.
Dr. Gresham frequently performs solo recitals at home and abroad, including at the Shanghai Symphony Recital Hall in Shanghai, China, in October of 2019, and at the 2018 International ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium. He has given recital tours of Japan, Chile and Argentina, and the United States, in addition to presenting five recitals at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York City.
From 1992 to 2009 he performed with the New York based new music group, Continuum, presenting a yearly series in New York City, touring throughout North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Central Asia, and recording music of Virko Baley, Valentin Bibik, Tania León, and Leonid Hrabovsky. Dr. Gresham’s contemporary music duo Intersecting Lines, with pianist John Orfe, performs at new music festivals, composer conferences, and universities, including the Society of Composers National Conference, the Manchester New Music Festival, the Red Note New Music Festival, the University of Iowa Center for New Music, among others. Several composers have written works for Dr. Gresham, including Carl Schimmel, David Maslanka, John Orfe, Dick Goodwin, and Paul Harvey.
Locally, Dr. Gresham performs with the Heartland Festival Orchestra, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois State University faculty woodwind quintet, Sonneries. Dr. Gresham holds the Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and the Doctoral degree from The Juilliard School.
Creative Works/Broadcast Media
Presentations
Clarinetist Dr. David Gresham, professor of clarinet at Illinois State University, continues to be very active as a performer, having appeared as a soloist and chamber musician over 35 countries and all across the United States.
Recent concerto performances include performances at the Red Note New Music Festival of Roger Zare’s Bennu’s Fire for clarinet and wind ensemble (February 2020), and the world premiere of Sydney Hodkinson’sEmbers: an Incanation for clarinet and orchestra (February 2019). He gave the United States or New York premieres of several other concerti as well, including works by David Rakowski, Osvaldo Golijov, and Yevhen Stankovich. He made the premiere recording of David Maslanka’s Desert Roads for clarinet and band, released by Albany Records, and presented Desert Roads at the 2009 International ClarinetFest in Porto, Portugal. He recorded Mozart’s clarinet concerto with the Kiev Camerata in Kiev, Ukraine, for the TroppoNote/Cambria recording label, and has performed many of the other standard concerti with various orchestras.
Dr. Gresham frequently performs solo recitals at home and abroad, including at the Shanghai Symphony Recital Hall in Shanghai, China, in October of 2019, and at the 2018 International ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium. He has given recital tours of Japan, Chile and Argentina, and the United States, in addition to presenting five recitals at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York City.
From 1992 to 2009 he performed with the New York based new music group, Continuum, presenting a yearly series in New York City, touring throughout North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Central Asia, and recording music of Virko Baley, Valentin Bibik, Tania León, and Leonid Hrabovsky. Dr. Gresham’s contemporary music duo Intersecting Lines, with pianist John Orfe, performs at new music festivals, composer conferences, and universities, including the Society of Composers National Conference, the Manchester New Music Festival, the Red Note New Music Festival, the University of Iowa Center for New Music, among others. Several composers have written works for Dr. Gresham, including Carl Schimmel, David Maslanka, John Orfe, Dick Goodwin, and Paul Harvey.
Locally, Dr. Gresham performs with the Heartland Festival Orchestra, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois State University faculty woodwind quintet, Sonneries. Dr. Gresham holds the Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and the Doctoral degree from The Juilliard School.
Creative Works/Broadcast Media
- Gresham, D. Arrangement for clarinet and piano of Faure's Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13 (2023)
- Gresham, D. Video recording & publishing to Internet of "An Illustrated Ontogeny of the Flower Snark" for clarinet and piano, by Carl Schimmel (2023)
- Gresham, D. Video recording & publishing to Internet of Symphonic and Acrobatic Variations on 'Au clair de la lune', for clarinet and piano, by Paul Jeanjean (2023)
- Gresham, D., & . Video recording & publishing to Internet: Max Grafe, Quintet for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, and piano (2023)
Presentations
- "An Illustrated Ontogeny of the Flower Snark" for clarinet and piano, composed by Carl Schimmel. NUNC!5 Northwestern University New-Music Conference. The Institute for New Music. (2023)
- Quintet for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, and piano, composed by Max Grafe. Red Note New Music Festival. Illinois State University School of Music. (2023)
Joan Kwuon
Joan Kwuon, whom The New York Times describes as “fiery, intensely musical and impassioned,” enjoys a critically-acclaimed performing career appearing with leading international orchestras. She was previously head of the violin department at Cleveland Institute of Music, where she also currently teaches, and was on the violin faculty at The Juilliard School.
Ms. Kwuon made her debut at the invitation of Sir André Previn at the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2000 and was presented at Lincoln Center the following season. Since then, Ms. Kwuon has been engaged by celebrated orchestras, including playing Mozart Violin Concerti with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart’s 250th birthday, performing the Sibelius Violin Con-certo with the London Symphony Orchestra and Previn, and appearing with Previn and the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared with NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Seattle Symphony, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Jyväskylä Sinfonia of Finland, Moscow State Radio Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Chicago Philharmonic, Janáček Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Turkey, Festival Internacional Cervantino in León, Mexico, Buffalo Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Bulgarian National Academic Orchestra, Orchestra Europa, and Busan Philharmonic.
An avid recital performer, Ms. Kwuon has appeared at the Metropolitan Museum with Previn, the Library of Congress with Sergei Babayan, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts with Previn. She has also performed at the Ravinia Festival, Caramoor’s Great Artists Series, San Francisco Performances, the Peggy Rockefeller Concerts in New York City, Krannert Center, Hoam Art Hall in Seoul, and the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia.
In duet with Tony Bennett, Ms. Kwuon performed jazz classics at Lincoln Center Jazz and the Grammy Awards MusiCares Gala. As an active chamber musician, Ms. Kwuon has collaborated with members of The Juilliard Quartet, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Sergei Babayan, and Cho Liang Lin on series including the 92nd Street Y, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, and La Jolla’s Summerfest.
Born in Los Angeles, Ms. Kwuon began playing violin at age six. She attended Crossroads School and studied at Indiana University with Miriam Fried, The Juilliard School with Joel Smirnoff and Robert Mann, and Cleveland Institute of Music with Donald Weilerstein. In addition to her faculty positions at CIM and at The Juilliard School, Ms. Kwuon regularly teaches and performs at numerous music festivals including Heifetz International Music Institute, The Round Top Festival in Texas, Interlochen Violin Institute, Borromeo Music Festival in Switzerland, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, and Bowdoin International Music Festival, as well as featured masterclasses for The Juilliard Starling-Delay Symposium and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.
Signing a multi-disc contract with Azica Records, her upcoming release of recital works by Strauss, Mozart, and Previn will be followed by a complete Beethoven Violin and Piano Sonata recording project.
Joan Kwuon, whom The New York Times describes as “fiery, intensely musical and impassioned,” enjoys a critically-acclaimed performing career appearing with leading international orchestras. She was previously head of the violin department at Cleveland Institute of Music, where she also currently teaches, and was on the violin faculty at The Juilliard School.
Ms. Kwuon made her debut at the invitation of Sir André Previn at the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2000 and was presented at Lincoln Center the following season. Since then, Ms. Kwuon has been engaged by celebrated orchestras, including playing Mozart Violin Concerti with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart’s 250th birthday, performing the Sibelius Violin Con-certo with the London Symphony Orchestra and Previn, and appearing with Previn and the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared with NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Seattle Symphony, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Jyväskylä Sinfonia of Finland, Moscow State Radio Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Chicago Philharmonic, Janáček Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Turkey, Festival Internacional Cervantino in León, Mexico, Buffalo Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Bulgarian National Academic Orchestra, Orchestra Europa, and Busan Philharmonic.
An avid recital performer, Ms. Kwuon has appeared at the Metropolitan Museum with Previn, the Library of Congress with Sergei Babayan, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts with Previn. She has also performed at the Ravinia Festival, Caramoor’s Great Artists Series, San Francisco Performances, the Peggy Rockefeller Concerts in New York City, Krannert Center, Hoam Art Hall in Seoul, and the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia.
In duet with Tony Bennett, Ms. Kwuon performed jazz classics at Lincoln Center Jazz and the Grammy Awards MusiCares Gala. As an active chamber musician, Ms. Kwuon has collaborated with members of The Juilliard Quartet, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Sergei Babayan, and Cho Liang Lin on series including the 92nd Street Y, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, and La Jolla’s Summerfest.
Born in Los Angeles, Ms. Kwuon began playing violin at age six. She attended Crossroads School and studied at Indiana University with Miriam Fried, The Juilliard School with Joel Smirnoff and Robert Mann, and Cleveland Institute of Music with Donald Weilerstein. In addition to her faculty positions at CIM and at The Juilliard School, Ms. Kwuon regularly teaches and performs at numerous music festivals including Heifetz International Music Institute, The Round Top Festival in Texas, Interlochen Violin Institute, Borromeo Music Festival in Switzerland, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, and Bowdoin International Music Festival, as well as featured masterclasses for The Juilliard Starling-Delay Symposium and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.
Signing a multi-disc contract with Azica Records, her upcoming release of recital works by Strauss, Mozart, and Previn will be followed by a complete Beethoven Violin and Piano Sonata recording project.
Jean Smith
Jean Marie Smith is a Los Angeles based horn player currently pursuing a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where she studies with Julie Landsman. Prior to Jean’s time at Thornton, she attended the University of Minnesota as a Chester E. and Marion D. Groth scholar and, under the tutelage of Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Horn Performance and Linguistics.
Jean has performed in masterclasses given by David Cooper, Gail Williams, Randy Gardner, and Richard Dean, among others, and has participated in the Eastern Music Festival and Curtis Summerfest Young Artist Program. In addition to performing in both large and small ensembles at the Thornton School of Music, Jean plays with the California Young Artists Symphony, and was a member of the Blue Ox Brass. Outside of music, she is an avid language learner and spends her free time practicing her second languages, Spanish and Korean.
Jean Marie Smith is a Los Angeles based horn player currently pursuing a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where she studies with Julie Landsman. Prior to Jean’s time at Thornton, she attended the University of Minnesota as a Chester E. and Marion D. Groth scholar and, under the tutelage of Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Horn Performance and Linguistics.
Jean has performed in masterclasses given by David Cooper, Gail Williams, Randy Gardner, and Richard Dean, among others, and has participated in the Eastern Music Festival and Curtis Summerfest Young Artist Program. In addition to performing in both large and small ensembles at the Thornton School of Music, Jean plays with the California Young Artists Symphony, and was a member of the Blue Ox Brass. Outside of music, she is an avid language learner and spends her free time practicing her second languages, Spanish and Korean.
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