Dr. Mei Mei Wei
Artistic Director/ Violin Professor
Dr. Mei Mei Wei
Artistic Director/ Violin ProfessorMei Mei Wei was a winner of the Artists International Violin Competition in New York, where she was invited to play a solo recital in Carnegie Hall. Her performance was highly praised by ”New York Concert Review”.
Born into a family of artists in Shanghai, China, Mei-Mei Wei studied for her bachelor’s degree in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Professor Tan Shu-Zhen, one of the most eminent violinists and violin pedagogues in China. Upon graduation, she went to the US on a fellowship to study, first at Rice University and then at the University of Southern California, where she received her Master’s degree under Edward Schmieder, a pupil of the legendary Russian violinist David Oistrakh. She also studied with legendary violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi. Mei Mei Wei received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Louisiana State University under the supervision of Kevork Mardirossian.
Mei Mei Wei held the positions of Associate Concertmaster of Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, First Violin Section of Phoenix Symphony. She was on the faculty of Louisiana State University, The Colburn School Conservatory of Music, the Idyllwild Summer Music Festival in California in the US.
As an active recitalist and chamber musician, Mei Mei Wei has appeared throughout the United States and her native China, playing with many American and Chinese orchestras and performing in festivals such as Arizona Chamber Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, National Repertoire Orchestra in Colorado, Shanghai Musician Association Chamber Orchestra, Bay Chamber Music Festival with Vermeer Quartet in Maine, East Meets West Music Arts Chamber Orchestra of Chicago, RoundTop Music Festival of Texas, Music Alive Ensemble of New Orleans. She played solo recital and chamber music with world-class artists such as Shumel Ashkenasi, Alexander Shtarkman, Kevork Mardirossian, and Dennis Parker.
After returning to China in 2008, Mei Mei Wei was appointed the Music Director, Soloist, and Concertmaster of the Shanghai Baroque Chamber Orchestra. Over the last ten years, she has been successfully leading the orchestra plays at the most well-known concert halls in China such as the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Concert Hall, Qingdao Grand Theatre, and Chongqing Grand Theatre, where she has gained popularity among Chinese audience. Under her leadership, the orchestra has become one of the best chamber orchestras in China. In recognition of her achievements, she was selected as a “Specially Recruited Expert”, under the prestigious “Thousand People Plan ” sponsored by the Chinese government.
Mei Mei Wei has taught at The Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Music School of East China Normal University. She also teaches in the summer at the Manhattan International Music Festival where she is the violin professor and Artist Director.
Isaac Malkin
Violin/Viola Professor
Isaac Malkin
Violin/Viola ProfessorIsaac Malkin received his training in Russia. His exceptional background derives from the rich tradition of the Russian violin school founded by Leopold Auer. This noble tradition encompasses technical perfection, beautiful tone, and passionate music-making. Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, and Misha Elman are among the outstanding performers whose virtuosity represents this heritage. Mr. Malkin has achieved recognition as a successful and highly sought-after violin teacher in Russia, Israel, and the United States. He has taught at the Israeli Conservatory in Tel Aviv, the University of California at San Diego, and the State University of New York at Purchase, among other schools. He has given numerous masterclasses in many different countries. Mr. Malkin’s students have become teachers, soloists, and members of chamber ensembles and orchestras. He has been highly praised by internationally known violinists and teachers such as Felix Andrievsky, Boris Belkin, Joseph Gingold, Henry Roth, Vladimir Spivakov, and Isaac Stern. He is also on the faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY. Isaac Malkin is the author of a violin method that emphasizes ways of correcting specific technical problems. He founded the Academy of Strings at UCSD and is founding director of the Academy of Music Festival at Ramapo College, New Jersey.
Manhattan School of Music College faculty since 1989.
Manhattan School of Music Precollege faculty since 1988.
Lily Wei Ye
Assistant Artistic Director/ Violin Professor
Lily Wei Ye
Assistant Artistic Director/ Violin ProfessorLily Wei Ye was born in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the daughter of Mei Mei Wei, a renowned violinist. She was introduced to the violin when she was six years old. In 2008, Lily moved to Shanghai and attended Concordia International School Shanghai, graduating in 2013. She participated in Concordia's APAC string festivals and became one of the soloists in her senior year.
Lily attended the Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, New York during the summers of 2012 to 2015. She won first prize in the Hong Kong International Youth Music Competition in 2015. In the same year, she placed second at the 19th International Violin Competition in Bari, Italy. In 2016, Lily attended the New York International Music Competition and Festival in Taiwan and received Gold.
Lily also attended the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 2017 and studied with Cornelia Heard and Naoko Tanaka. She graduated with her Bachelor's Degree from the New School's Mannes College of Music. Lily recently received her Dual Master's Degree both in Classical Violin Performance and in Music Education at the Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University’s Teacher College respectively. She has played in the Lincoln Center and made her solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 2019. She has performed solo recitals at the UN Headquarters in NYC， The Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, and Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre since then. As a soloist, she also toured in Boston, New Orleans, North Carolina, and other cities in the U.S as well as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and other countries in Asia. Early 2020, She was invited to play as a soloist with the New York Chamber Players Orchestra at the Cary Hall of DiMenna Center in Manhattan.
Currently, she is the Music Teacher of The Siena School in Maryland. Lily is also as Assistant Artistic-Director of the Manhattan International Music Festival
where she teaches and plays both solo and chamber music with world-class musicians.
Shmuel Ashkenasi
Violin Professor
Shmuel Ashkenasi
Violin ProfessorBorn in Tel Aviv, Israel, Shmuel Ashkenasi attended the Musical Academy of Tel Aviv and gave his first public performance at the age of eight. After studying with Ilona Feher, he came to the United States to study with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institute of Music.
He won the Merriweather Post Competition, was a finalist in Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Competition, and received second prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In 1969, he formed the famed Vermeer Quartet and remained its first violinist throughout the quartet’s 39-year career, gaining a reputation as one of the world’s outstanding chamber musicians.
Mr. Ashkenasi has toured the former Soviet Union twice and concertized extensively in Europe, Israel, the Far East, and the United States; and he has collaborated with Rudolf Serkin, Thomas Hampson, Murray Perahia, Peter Serkin, and Menahem Pressler. He has performed as soloist with many leading orchestras, including those of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Moscow, and Tokyo.
Mr. Ashkenasi joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007, and also teaches at Bard College.
Alexander Shtarkman
Piano Professor
Alexander Shtarkman
Piano ProfessorAlexander Shtarkman’s debut recitals in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City prompted strong words of praise from audiences and critics alike. Martin Bernheimer, Los Angeles Times, wrote “Alexander Shtarkman. Remember the name… He plays the piano with all the strength, flash, and eagerness that his age would suggest. He also plays with the sensitivity and mellow refinement one associates with certain grand old men of the keyboard, most of them Russian.” James Keller of The New Yorker staff wrote of Shtarkman’s 92nd Street Y appearance: “Shtarkman’s was a debut recital of importance. In fact, debuts just don’t come much better than this. Of the young pianists currently entering the international spotlight, Shtarkman is unquestionably among the most musicianly.”
Recital appearances in the United States include the Ambassador Foundation, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Tisch Center for the Performing Arts, Ravinia Festival’s Rising Stars Series, San Francisco Performances, Regional Arts Foundation at the Kravis Center, The Peace Center, and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Orchestral appearances include the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta at Orchestra Hall, Northwood Festival Orchestra, Marin Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque.
In August 1995, Shtarkman was awarded the First Prize of the Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy. As a result of this prize, he has been offered over sixty recitals and orchestral engagements in Europe within the next few seasons.
In addition to the Busoni Prize, Shtarkman is a major prize winner of the 1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the 1994 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. He also won the First Prize of the First Taipei International Piano Competition and was engaged for numerous concerts throughout Asia.
Shtarkman performs and gives masterclasses in Europe, Asia, South and North Americas, and in Russia where he is a frequent guest performer at the prestigious Great and Small Halls of the Moscow Conservatory.
Since 2002 Shtarkman has been serving as a member of the Piano Faculty at the Peabody Conservatory.
Darrett Adkins
Cello Professor
Darrett Adkins
Cello ProfessorCellist Darrett Adkins was born in Huron, S.D., and has made solo orchestral appearances with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Tokyo Philharmonic, New Hampshire Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and Monadnock Festival Orchestra. He has also appeared in recitals in Tokyo, Yokohama, Oslo, and throughout the U.S. Adkins has been a member of a Flux string quartet, which specializes in cutting-edge music, and the Zephyr Trio and was a winner of the Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award and Presser Music Award. His recordings include chamber music on the Koch, CRI, Mode, Tzadic, RCA, and MMC labels.
Adkins has been on the visiting cello faculty at Baylor University since 2001 and is a former faculty member at Encore School for Strings. He holds a BM from Oberlin College, an MM from Rice University, and a DMA from Juilliard, and has studied with Joel Krosnick, Norman Fischer, and Cordelia Wikarski-Miedel. At Juilliard, he has been a member of the faculty in 2003, assistant faculty from 1999 to 2003, and has taught in Pre-College since 2002.
Dennis Parker
Cello Professor
Dennis Parker
Cello ProfessorDennis Parker, Haymon Professor of Cello, has been on the faculty at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. for the past 32 years. Parker tours internationally as a soloist, recitalist, and educator. Recent seasons’ tours have taken him to, Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, Romania, France, Italy, Brazil, and Ecuador, where he gave the premiere performance of Ecuadorian composer, Luis Humberto Salgado’s “Cello Concerto” (1975) in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
He received his training at Indiana University with Janos Starker and Yale University with cellist, Also Parisot. His early training was with Channing Robbins. He held the position of Principal Cello in Porto Alegre, Brazil (1982-84) and was a member of the Detroit Symphony (1986-88).
He is the author of “The Popper Manifesto”(2002), the only complete video recording and users-guide Instructional Manual to David Popper’s “High School of Cello Playing.” With more than 3,000 copies distributed worldwide, this is a widely used text on all continents. He has also released many CD recordings, as well as the world premiere of the Brazilian composer, Walter Burle Marx’s “Cello Concerto,”. His other recordings range from the crossover, and jazz-influenced music “Cello Matters” (music of David Baker, Liduino Pitombeira, Daniel Schnyder, Astor Piazzolla, to recordings of his own transcriptions for cello including Debussy’s “Sonata for Violin” Poulenc’s “Sonata for Flute” Enesco’s “Violin Sonata no.3.” He has premiered and recorded and published editions for his transcriptions to Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No.5” and “Sinfonia Concertante.” He has recorded for Centaur Records chamber music of composers Erwin Schullhoff, Gideon Klein, Hans Krasa, and Viktor Ullmann, all killed in the Holocaust. Another recording features the “Cello Sonata “and “Piano Trio” of Russian composer, Ivan Sokolov.
Parker is also a sculptor and woodworker, recycling humorous reconstructions from old, out-of-use musical instruments as well as other found objects. You can follow his work on Instagram @Dennisparkercelloetc and on YouTube.