Individual Profiles
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Hailed by the Boston Globe as “first class, with a robust sound and technique that seems to come from the center of the person” John McGrosso has been the first violinist of the Arianna String Quartet since 1998. He has been featured as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has performed in recital to critical acclaim throughout the United States. During seven years as a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s first violin section, Mr. McGrosso performed frequently in the orchestra’s “Chamber Music St. Louis,” and “Discovery,” series, and originated the popular “On the Stage” series of unique audience engagement evenings. He has taught on the faculties of Illinois Wesleyan University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Eastern Michigan University, and is currently an Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where the Arianna Quartet is tenured and has been in residence since 2000. As a member of the Arianna Quartet, he has collaborated with artists such as James Campbell, Gilbert Kalish, Bernard Greenhouse, Richard Stoltzman, and members of the Tokyo, Vermeer, and Juilliard Quartets, and been on the summer faculties of the Britt Institute, Madeline Island, and Music at Port Milford. Mr. McGrosso received his bachelors and masters degrees from Juilliard, and holds a Performer's Certificate from Northern Illinois University. He also attended the Aspen Music Festival, the Steans Young Artist Program at Ravinia, and the Quartet Programme in Aldeburgh, England. His violin teachers have included Dorothy Delay, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Joyce Robbins, Joel Smirnoff, and Gerald Beal, and he has studied chamber music with members of the Juilliard, Tokyo, LaSalle, and Vermeer Quartets. E-mail: mcgrossoj@msx.umsl.edu |
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Violinist David Gillham holds his Bachelor's degree from the University
of Manitoba, Master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory, and
Performer's Diploma from Indiana University. His teachers have included
Franco Gulli, Martin Beaver, David Stewart and David Zafer, and he has
studied chamber music with members of the Juilliard and Tokyo String Quartets.
Since 1998, he has been performing with his wife, pianist Chiharu Iinuma.
The duo’s recent performances have included concerts in China, Canada
and the United States. He has served on the faculties of Memorial University
and the University of Central Arkansas. In 2003, David was awarded the
prestigious Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee medal in recognition of his
outstanding contributions to the arts. E-mail: gillhamd@umsl.edu |
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The newest member of the Arianna String Quartet, violist Joanna Mendoza has been praised by New York Stringer Magazine for her "lush, sonorous and assertive tone." Ms. Mendoza has performed in North America, South America and Europe. Recent appearances include master classes and recitals at Renmin University in Beijing, China, University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin. She has performed and taught at music festivals such as Interlochen Arts Camp, Chamber Music at the Barn, Mammoth Lakes Music Festival, Midwest Young Artists, and the Bellingham Music Festival. Ms Mendoza was the violist of the Harrington String Quartet from 1997-2007 and most recently served as Associate Professor of Viola at the University of Oklahoma. Originally from Milwaukee, Ms. Mendoza earned her degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Juilliard School. Her chamber music coaches have included members of the Amadeus, Juilliard, and Cleveland Quartets. E-mail: joannamendoza@hotmail.com |
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Kurt Baldwin is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where the Arianna String Quartet has been in residence since 2000. As a founding member of the Arianna String Quartet in 1992, Mr. Baldwin has been awarded the Grand Prizes at the Fischoff Competition, Coleman Competition, and Carmel Competition, and was a Laureate at the 1999 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. Mr. Baldwin has concertized throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, France and Japan, has been heard in live radio broadcasts in over 30 states and on NPR’s “Performance Today”, and has recorded for the Albany, Centaur and Urtext classical labels. He has collaborated with members of the Tokyo, Cleveland, Juilliard, and Vermeer quartets, as well as Richard Stoltzman, Bernard Greenhouse, Gilbert Kalish and James Campbell. He studied with Janina Ehrlich at Augustana College, received his bachelor of music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory with Irene Sharp, and earned a master of music degree from the New England Conservatory, where he was a student of Bernard Greenhouse. Mr. Baldwin also holds a Performer’s Certificate from Northern Illinois University, where he studied with Marc Johnson and the Vermeer Quartet. |