FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2017
Violinist Austin Hartman (left) and violist Guy Ben-Ziony (right)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet, quartet-in-residence at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music since fall 2012, announced its first personnel change in 17 years. Violinist Austin Hartman and violist Guy Ben-Ziony will replace violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson and violist Masumi Per Rostad, respectively, at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Hartman and Ben-Ziony will join Pacifica violinist Simin Ganatra and cellist Brandon Vamos as faculty members at the Jacobs School beginning Aug. 1. Hartman has been appointed professor of practice in violin and Ben-Ziony has been appointed visiting professor of practice in viola.
“In the time that the Pacifica Quartet has been in residence at the Jacobs School, they have transformed our string chamber music program,” said Gwyn Richards, David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean. “In their pursuit of the highest standards of artistic expression, they have become role models for our students and leading musical figures to the general public. All who admire them, are eager in anticipation of this new era, marked by the arrival of Austin and Guy.”
Bernhardsson, who joined the Pacifica in 2000, will leave the group to join the Oberlin Conservatory of Music faculty, while Rostad, who joined the group in 2001, will join the faculty at the Eastman School of Music.
“As we see off Sibbi and Masumi, and wish them well on their next adventures, we are thrilled to welcome both Guy and Austin to the ensemble,” said founding members Vamos and Ganatra, chair of the Jacobs Department of Strings. “Both share a strong passion and dedication to performing at the highest level. They are the perfect fit for the ensemble as we look to the future and prepare to embark on new, exciting projects ahead.”
Violinist Austin Hartman (left) and violist Guy Ben-Ziony (right)
Hartman has distinguished himself as a chamber musician and soloist with performances throughout the United States and abroad. He has appeared to acclaim in prestigious venues throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As soloist, he was the winner of the Stulberg International Competition and made two appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has collaborated with numerous acclaimed artists, including members of the Cleveland, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vermeer and Juilliard quartets, as well as with pianist Orli Shaham and cellist Mark Kosower. As first violinist and founding member of the Biava Quartet, Hartman was the winner of the Naumburg Award and captured top prizes at the Premio Borciani and London international competitions.
Hartman has recorded for the Albany, Naxos and Cedille labels, and has been heard on London’s BBC Radio 3. In addition to serving on the faculty of several festivals, just prior to joining the Pacifica, he served as assistant professor of violin at the University of Indianapolis. He has earned Artist Diplomas from both The Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music, as well as degrees from New England Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
“I am honored to be joining the Pacifica Quartet and the prestigious faculty at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University,” Hartman said. “These internationally recognized institutions have done so much to further excellence in the arts around the world, and it is with great anticipation that I am looking ahead to joining this team and contributing to that legacy of musical excellence.”
Ben-Ziony grew up in Israel’s scenic Jezreel Valley and has translated that beauty into masterful performances in many of today’s leading concert venues and throughout his collaborations as both a chamber musician and soloist with several esteemed artists and ensembles. He has appeared at numerous prestigious festivals and has worked with such artists as Gidon Kremer, Lisa Batiashvili, Christian Tetzlaff, Alexander Lonquich, the Camerata Salzburg, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He served as a member of the Zapolsky String Quartet and the Waldstein Ensemble Wien, with performances in many of Europe’s major concert halls, including the Musikverein, the Concertgebouw, and Wigmore Hall, among others.
Ben-Ziony’s close collaboration with composers in the Israeli Chamber Project has led him down numerous innovative paths, including his work with the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests. As a recording artist, his debut solo CD, “Monodialogue,” was released in 2016 on Genuin Classics to great critical acclaim. Since 2006, he has been a professor at the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig, and has given many master classes at major European universities.
“Being an advocate for music education, I am beyond thrilled to join Pacifica as teachers at the Jacobs School of Music, inspiring and supporting the next generation of musicians,” said Ben-Ziony. “Through teaching, I continue to learn and grow as an artist, a sentiment I know the members of the quartet share. I am looking forward to the beginning of this new era.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Linda Cajigas
Assistant Director of Communications
IU Jacobs School of Music
812-856-3882 | lcajigas@indiana.edu