Program

About the Artists

Becca Kasdan

A native of Massachusetts, violinist Becca Kasdan began her musical studies at the age of 5. She studied for ten years at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Program with Magdalena Richter, Anait Arutunian, and David Rubinstein. In 2012, Becca toured Argentina with the NEC Youth Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Hugh Wolff. The following year, she became a member of Benjamin Zander’s Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and went on tour to Carnegie Hall.

Becca is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she serves as a Violin Teaching Assistant and studies with Meg Freivogel of the Jupiter String Quartet. Previously, Becca studied with Violaine Melancon at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins where she received her MM and BM in Violin Performance. At Peabody, Becca served as the Co-Concertmaster of the Peabody Concert Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Peabody Modern Orchestra, and Principal of the Peabody Chamber Orchestra and Opera Orchestra. She is currently the concertmaster of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

Becca is devoted to bringing music into the community. She served as the first co-director of the Peabody String Sinfonia, a conductor-less string ensemble at Peabody Conservatory that performs exclusively at community venues. Becca Kasdan is the 2018 recipient of the Johns Hopkins President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music, and was inducted into the prestigious music guild, Pi Kappa Lambda.

Leslie Amper

American pianist Leslie Amper was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During her formative years, she won nearly every local award offered for young musicians. After two years at Oberlin College, Ms. Amper continued her studies at New England Conservatory under the guidance of Rudolph Kolisch, Gunther Schuller, and Russell Sherman.

Since her critically acclaimed New York début, Ms. Amper has delighted audiences in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Pittsburgh and at the Monadnock Musicʼs Virtuoso Piano Series. A member of the Alcyon Chamber Ensemble and the Jubilee Trio, Leslie Amper has also been a regular participant in Bostonʼs Emmanuel Music celebrations of the solo, song, and chamber music of Schumann, Schubert, Brahms and Débussy.

Accomplished in contemporary music, Ms. Amper’s Neuma Records recording of Andrew Imbrieʼs Short Story was selected for broadcast on the international radio program, “Art of the States.” Her concerto appearances include the Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony and The Eastern Music Festival Orchestra.

Leslie Amper has lectured at Harvard College, Boston University, University of Pittsburgh and New Hampshire Music Festival, where she is a regular performer. She teaches at Longy School of Music of Bard College, New England Conservatory Preparatory, and Wheaton College.