Meet the Artists 2024
Takamori Arai/ Japan
Winner of numerous prizes in international and national competitions, Takamori has been performing in concerts and music festivals in Japan and Europe. This May 2022 he gave a debut solo performance at Weill Carnegie Hall in New York as a First Prize winner of IBLA Grand Award Japan international violin competition, with comments “…his tone production reminds the sound of the great vinyl records which are from violinists in the last century such as Oistrakh.”
A graduate of The Tokyo University of Arts with the top score and the Acanthus Music Prize for the outstanding academic achievements, Takamori was selected numerous times as a soloist with the university symphony orchestras and played under baton of such conductors as Professors Kazuki Sawa, Douglas Bostock, and Ken Takaseki. In 2014 he was selected as a soloist of the Musical Activity Supporting System by YAMAHA Music Foundation and performed throughout Europe. As participant in international music festivals he performed at Mozarteum Salzburg, IBLA Sicily, and in iPalpiti festival of international laureates in Los Angeles. During his college years he studied with professors Takashi Shimizu, Sungsic Yang, Eszter Perenyi, and Pierre Amoyal. He studied with Professor Eduard Schmieder in his international class Artist Diploma program at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University in Philadelphia. At present, he is an associate violinist at Musashino University of Music in Tokyo.
This is his forth season with iPalpiti.
Boris Borgolotto/France
Violinist Boris Borgolotto, began playing the violin at the age of seven at the National Conservatory of Toulouse and continued at the National Conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt, where he was awarded a unanimous first prize from the jury and prizes of Chamber Music, Analysis and Musical Culture. He graduated from Paris Conservatory (CNSM) in 2009 with 1st prize and honors unanimously, and chamber music with Itamar Golan.
He continued mentoring Dora Schwarzberg at the Vienna University of Arts and participated in the master classes of prominent musicians. Prizewinner of numerous competitions including “Jascha Heifetz” Special Mention at the IBLA foundation International Competition in Italy (2011) and 1st prize of the “American Fine Arts” in New York, in 2012 he made his Carnegie Hall debut, followed by USA Recital tour. He was invited as a Rising Star of the “Great Music Festival” in South Korea in 2011-2013 seasons and has played with the Academy of the Radio France Philharmonic under the direction of Myung-Whun Chung. In 2014, with the American pianist Ian Barber, and his childhood friend Marc Girard Garcia, Boris created the Zadig Trio.
In 2015, the Trio became artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels. Boris was selected to join iPalpiti in 2016. In 2019, he returned to iPalpiti with his Trio Zadig, culminating with the premiere of Fantasia Hungarian a by Brahms/Dreznin at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Since its foundation the Trio has won 11 international prizes in France, the USA, Austria and Italy, and is regularly invited to play in great halls worldwide. In opening the new roads in his passion for teaching, he accepted position as Head of Strings at Tsinghua Music Academy in Beijing and also a professor of violin at Xi’an Conservatory of Music.
Boris performs internationally as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and in festivals at important venues in France and throughout Europe and Asia. He plays a 1750 violin by the famous Italian maker Carlo Antonio Testore.
Samuel Allan-Chapkovsky, Violinist/Ireland
Born in Ireland, Samuel began his music education in Moscow, Russia with famous violinist Professor Victor Pikaizen.
He continued with masterclasses and festivals in Europe. In 2021 he was accepted into international class of Professor Eduard Schmieder at Temple University, Philadelphia, where he received MM Performance in 2023. Top prize winner at numerous competition including Remember Enescu in Romania (2017), Young Talents of Performing Arts in New Jersey, USA (2019), and XI International Byalis Dvarionas Competition in Lithuania (2021), Samuel performed at international music festivals in Italy, Spain, Estonia. As a soloist with orchestras, he performed with Sinfonietta Vratsa in Bulgaria, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Burgos International Festival orchestra and others.
Interested in intelligence technology, Samuel works remotely a software developer for companies in Canada and Ireland and works toward his Bachelor in Science in Mathematics expected graduation in December 2024 at Indiana University. This is Samuel’s first season with iPalpiti.
Daniel Miles/USA
Born in Detroit Michigan in 1997, violist Daniel Miles was introduced to the beautiful sound of the viola when he was ten years old in the Washington State public schools. At the age of fourteen he joined the Tacoma Youth Symphony where he was awarded a scholarship to begin private studies with violist John Scanlon. At 18 he was invited to perform with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA under esteemed conductors Christoph Eschenbach and Valery Gergiev, toured internationally at Carnegie Hall, The Royal Concertgebouw and Smetana Hall, amongst others. Daniel graduated Oberlin Conservatory under Peter Slowik with Bachelors in Viola Performance in 2020. In 2023 he received Masters Degree at USC Thornton School of Music under world renowned violist Karen Dreyfus, with an award “The Most Outstanding String Masters Candidate.”
Daniel has been invited to participate in various festivals such as: IMS Prussia Cove, Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin Music Festival and Heifetz International. He’s been part of the principal pool at USC since 2021 and has regularly performs with Downey, Pacific, and Seattle Symphonies.
Outside of Classical, he has also had the privilege of recording for artists like Mad Tsai for his Spotify Sessions and P. Diddy. He’s also recorded at Warner Bros. Daniel also teaching at YOLA, an El Sistema program founded by Gustavo Dudamel for inner city predominantly black and brown youth. As a winner of the 2022 Beverly Hills National Auditions he has received numerous solo engagements in Greater Los Angeles and was selected to the iPalpiti in 2023.
Zigmund Wang, Violist/China
Zi Wang was born in Shanghai and started to learn the violin at the age of four. He attended Szechuan Conservatory of Music with Professor Kaixiang Li and at the High School for Gifted Children of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Professor Mengla Huang. During 2016 -2018 seasons he was selected to work in violin section of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Opera Orchestra, and performed with the Zurich Youth Symphony Orchestra.
He participated in numerous music festivals, including Summit Summer Music Academy in New York. In 2018 Zygmund was accepted into Professor Schmieder international violin class at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University where he is currently working toward his Bachelor’s Degree. As the first prize winner of the 2019 World Youth Talent Festival, he performed solo at the Carnegie Hall in New York in the 2020 season. Zygmund’s father is a well-known luthier in China, and for this iPalpiti season, he will be playing a viola made by his father.
This is his 3rd season with iPalpiti.
Irina Chepizhnaya, Violin/Russia
Irina Chepizhnaya born in Ukraine, began her violin studies at the age of six. Between 1996 and 2009 she became First and top-prize winner in eleven international and national competitions, including Grand-prix at the International violin competition, “Forte-Maestro.” In 2007, her name was chronicled in the State book of Ukraine, “The Pride of the Nation.” In 1998, she entered the Music College of the famed Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, graduating cum laude from the Conservatory in 2007, and receiving a post-graduate diploma in 2010 (with Professors Ivanov/violin, and Bonduryansky/chamber music).
As a member of a chamber music ensemble in duo with pianist Elena Kuznetzova, she won First prize at the 16th International Chamber Music Competition in Thesaloniki, Greece, International Competition of Slavonic Music in Moscow, Russia (2006), and the 2nd International Chamber Music Competition, named after T. Gaydamovich in Magnitogorsk (2009). She is a grant-recipient of the “Russian Performing Art” Foundation and the music foundation by Elina Bystrizkaya. Irina has received full scholarships and participated in summer festivals such as Mozarteum Summeracademie, Holland Music Sessions, “Zeist music days”, in International Master-classes in Weimar, with Jerusalem and Ysaye Quartets, and eminent violin professors.
As a member of “Young Russian Talents” program, she is engaged in touring Russia as a recitalist and giving master-classes to gifted children. Irina has performed in major halls throughout Russia, and has appeared as a soloist with such renown orchestras as the Russian National Orchestra and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra (under Maestros Pletnev and Nikolaev), and with Moscow Philharmonic. Irina was named a Soloist with the Moscow Philharmonia in 2010. She served as concertmistress of the Opera Theater under Pletnev and tours with “Utopia” orchestra under Theodore Currentzis.
Irina was selected to join iPalpiti orchestral ensemble of international laureates beginning in 2010, and since, performed with iPalpiti in Los Angeles, Israel, Philadelphia and New York..
Pablo Rapado Jambrina, Violin/Spain
The Spanish violinist was born in Zamora, Spain in a musical family. He began his violin studies at age six, with Jesus Ramos at Zamora Music Conservatory. At 14 years of age, with many solo appearances under his belt, he performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Conservatory orchestra. Pablo continued at the Oviedo Superior Conservatory of Music, also studying baroque music with Zeljko Haliti, performing regularly as a soloist.
During his musical studies, he performed with numerous Spanish and French orchestras, and took part in violin and chamber music master classes with prestigious violinists, more recently with Albert and Alexander Markov. In 2006, he was awarded First Prize with honours in Paris, and in 2008 received Cum Laude Bachelor degree from the Maastricht National Conservatory of Music, Holland with teacher Robert Szreder.
Double-winner of the Sarasate International Violin Competition, Pablo performed as a soloist in the Berlin Konzerthaus with the JOSPA orchestra, in chamber ensembles with Albert and Alexander Markov at the Cordes et Pics Festival (France), and made his recital debuts in Paris in 2008 with pianist Christie Julien. In New York Pablo performed at Merkin Hall (Lincoln Center), WPM Concert Hall, Bargemusic, etc. Pablo began to teach in Spain in 2004, and from 2006 in France, also invited as a teacher at the Cordes et Pics Festival. In orchestral experiences from 2004-2011, Pablo has played at Navarra Symphony, Granada Symphony, Orchestra Les Arts (Valencia) under maestri Zubin Metha, Lorin Maazel, Lopez Cobos, among others. Nowadays he leads Premium Symphony Orchestra in Spain, also keeping residency in Brussels, Belgium, and touring.
Irakli Tsadaia, Violinist/ Georgia-Germany
Currently, first violinist at the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Irakli was Concertmaster of the Georgian Chamber Orchestra since 2013, Irakli has been calling Ingolstadt home when Audi and the City of Ingolstadt teamed up in 1990 to offer the Tbilisi musicians a new home in the heart of Bavaria. The company and orchestra have been inextricably linked ever since. Born into a musical family in Tbilisi, Georgia, Irakli’s first music training started with Tamaz Batiaschvili and Konstantin Vardeli, both members of the Georgian State Quartet. Since the age of eight, he received regular lessons in Moscow and Germany with Galina Turchaninova, who also taught Maxim Vengerov. At thirteen, Irakli was accepted as a student at the Munich Conservatory, where he also attended the master classes of Alexander Brussilovsky, Boris Garlitzky, Felix Andrievsky and Victor Tretjakov. In 2002, he continued his studies with Professor Victor Tretjakov at the “Hochschule für Musik Köln”.
First Prize winner at the music competition “Jugend musiziert” in Germany, he received diplomas in the Louis-Spohr International Violin Competition in Weimar (1999) and at the Paganini International Competition in Moscow (2006), and won Second Prize at the International Violin Competition Valsesia Musica in Italy (2008). In 2007, he recorded a CD of Four Seasons by Astor Piazolla (released by Sony BMG), performing as a soloist with “Kölner Klassik Ensemble.” Irakli is performing as a soloist and in chamber music with eminent musicians and conductors. His concert performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns, Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate and Four Seasons by Astor Piazolla were recorded for Radio and Television and broadcast on ARD, SWR, BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk), and in Tbilisi, Georgia. He was selected to join iPalpiti in 2010. In 2012, he was a selected as one of ten prize winners from 1,003 participants at the Mozarteum Summer Academy Salzburg and concluded the finale concert of the Salzburg Festspiele. Irakli plays Giovanni Paolo Maggini violin of the 17th century as a competition winner in the instrumental foundation of the “Hochschule für Musik Köln” which offers young musicians an opportunity to perform on high quality instruments.
Irakli was a member and soloist with iPalpiti from 2005 -2017.
Thomas Weilbach, Violist, Germany
Currently, Director of Erlenbach Music School, member of Munich Bach Orchestra, Thomas joined iPalpiti in 2004 and since, has toured and performed with iPalpiti in US, Europe, and Israel, including Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Zankel Hall, Mozarteum Grosse Hall.
Born in Munich, Germany, he received his first violin lesson at the age of six. He later earned the German university degree of “Diplommusiker.# Mr. Weilbach studied with Professor Urs Stiehler in Munich, and in 1991, continued as a student of violin and viola at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. He received his Diploma of Arts at the Munich College of Music. Further participation in master classes of solo and chamber music with Professor Eduard Schmieder/USA, Sandor Devich/Budapest, Madeleine Mitchell/ London, and M.A. Rhode/Munich among others allowed him to expand his expertise in performance and repertoire.
His orchestral experience was accomplished through a long standing membership in the German Federal Youth Orchestra, in the Young German Philharmonic Orchestra, and participation in youth concerts with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in national and international performances.
Thomas is focused on his career as a chamber and orchestral musician, as well as on being a teacher of violin & viola. Mr. Weilbach has taught violin since 2001 at the Erding School of Music. In November 2003, he received a university teaching position in the Augsburg College of Music. In that same year, he founded the Preysing String Quartet and has been playing ever since as first violin at numerous venues. As a chamber musician, he performs with the Amati Ensemble Munich, and the Augsburg Chamber Soloists, and often freelances with the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, he soloed with the Bartok concert for Viola, and Sinfonia Concertante by W. A. Mozart. He has been a member of iPalpiti since 2004.
Peter Lorenzo Anderegg, Cellist, USA
Featured performer with iPalpiti at Carnegie Zankel Hall March 7, 2007. Peter Lorenzo Anderegg is a professional chamber musician and orchestral cellist based in New York City. He is a permanent member of the Boston based Arcturus Chamber Ensemble and the Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra. Other ensemble appearances in 2006 include concerts in Europe and Asia with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, performances of the chamber opera “Turn of the Screw” at the Kennedy Center and at Lorin Maazel’s Chateauville Foundation in Virginia, as principal of the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra at Weill Recital Hall, and throughout the U.S. with the Juilliard Orchestra. He has appeared this year in several duo recitals in New York, with Kimball Gallagher, piano, and his twin sister Francesca, a violinist; he has recently performed piano trio and quartet concerts in venues ranging from Alice Tully Hall to Mountain
Lake in Florida. He has been an orchestral fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival.
Mr. Anderegg is also actively involved in contemporary music; he has premiered ensemble works at the Museum of Modern Art’s “Summergarden” series and with the Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players, and has premiered cello works by composers such as Anthony Cheung and Ricardo Romaneiro. He has furthermore collaborated with musicians in a diverse range of genres, from members of the Juilliard String Quartet to singer Robert Sims and jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller. As a soloist, Mr. Anderegg has been heard with the Harvard-Radclife Orchestra as their 2003 concerto competition winner and in frequent appearances with the Cambridge-based Bach Society Orchestra.
Mr. Anderegg received his M.M. from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Joel Krosnick and Darrett Adkins; his previous major teachers include Michael Reynolds, Norman Fischer, Yehuda Hanani, and Lynn Harrell. He received a B.A. in mathematics from Harvard University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and performed in and managed the Brattle Street Chamber Players, a string chamber orchestra. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, Ultimate Frisbee, and puzzles.
Agnieszka Dziubak, Cellist, Poland
I’m writing to tell you how happy I was in Los Angeles, I met excellent musicians, I learned a lot from Mr. Schmieder, I really loved to play in the orchestra. This experience changed my live, so I just want to say thank you very much. Thank you again,
Sincerely, Agnieszka Dziubak (Poland), 2001
Mariechen Meyer, Double Bass, South Africa
As a classical double bassist, Mariechen’s goals and projects are driven by two passions – double bass performance (solo, chamber and orchestra) and music pedagogy. Her focus for each goal is to develop and share music.
Mariechen Meyer received her Master degree at the University of North Texas studying under Jeff Bradetich. She started her studies at the University of Stellenbosch in 2008 with Roxane Steffens, after winning the coveted Avigail Bushakovich bursary and she completed her Bachelor’s Degree Cum Laude in 2011.
From the age of 13 she was a member of the Free State Youth Symphony Orchestra, acting as principal bassist for the last five of her school years (up to the end of 2007).
In 2002 she succeeded to the third round of the Sanlam Music Competition (open to all instruments) for primary school learners, held in Parow, South Africa. In 2004 she performed as soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and the following year she received a grant for further study at the Interlochen Summer Camp in Michigan, USA. During this event, she acted as principal bassist for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In 2006 she won the Musicon Soloists Competition in Bloemfontein, and joined the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of South Africa on a tour through Germany during September the same year, also acting as principal bassist. In July 2007 she received a grant to take part in the MUSICA MUNDI International Chamber Music Course and Festival for Young Musicians, held in Brussels, Belgium.
In 2008 Mariechen performed as soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Furthermore, she was one of three South Africans who have been invited to attend a Music Festival with a German Youth Orchestra which took place in Leipzig, Weimar and Dresden, for a period of two weeks in October 2009. She also received a grant to attend the Stift Festival in The Netherlands in August 2010. In May 2011 she was one of five to attend the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloist Program held annually by Jeff Bradetich in Denton at the University of North-Texas. Mariechen was selected to join iPalpiti in 2013 and has performed with iPalpiti in LA and on international tours through 2018.
Justin Smith, Double Bass, USA
Justin Smith is an aspiring double bassist from Smithtown, NY. He began playing the double bass at age 8. Under the tutelage of Eugene Levinson Justin began his studies at The Juilliard School at age 16 in the pre-college division. A graduate with BM, MM, he was a recipient of the Ann S. Alderman & Harold Alderman Scholarship, Homer & Constance Mensch, and Jim Wargowsky Scholarships respectively. After acceptance into the College Division at Juilliard, Justin was offered a mentoring position in the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, where he continues to mentor and teach Pre-College students.
Outside of Juilliard, Justin has worked with organizations such as the Nassau Pops, Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island, The World Youth Alliance, and Justin was hired as a session musician with Rebecca Perl on her album “Rendezvous”. Justin also was granted a full scholarship to both the Miami Music Festival, and Summit Music Festivals. In February 2017 Justin gave a solo recital in Merkin Hall as the winner of the Camerata Artists International Competition. Justin joined iPalpiti in 2019.
Olivia Jeongah Kim/Korea
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Jeongah Olivia Kim graduated from Seoul Arts high school and Seoul National University, earned her M.M. degree from New England Conservatory of Music, and doctoral program at the University of Southern California with full scholarship.
She is a winner of numerous competitions including the Seoul Symphony Orchestra Competition, Bucheon City Association Competition, Chosun Press Competition, Artist International Competition, and USC Concerto Competition.
After successful Carnegie Hall debut recital, she has performed extensively as a soloist with various orchestras including the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Prime Philharmonic Orchestra.
An active international performer, she played solo with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nürnberger Symphoniker, invited to the 2014 Beethoven Festival, and played Brahms’ Double Concerto with the virtuoso cellist Mischa Maisky.
A member of the Korean Chamber Orchestra since 2007, she has worked a concurrent professor at Hanyang University and Ewha Women’s University.
In 2016 her album <love poem> was released on Universal music. Olivia plays the Antonius Stradivarius violin of 1708.