Faculty and Guest Artists
Helga Winold
Helga Winold's principal teachers in Europe were André Navarra and Adolf Steiner and she performed frequently on German radio and in concerts. She began her teaching career in Europe, but in 1963 she immigrated to the United States to study with Janos Starker at the Indiana University's School of Music. In 1967, she received the first Doctor of Music degree in cello granted by IU. She began teaching at the school in 1969.
For nearly 40 years, Winold devoted herself to training exceptional performers and music teachers, generously drawing on her masterful musical knowledge, research, and experience as a performer. Winold created two courses in cello literature that examine the cello's development, literature, and performance practice from its beginnings into the twenty-first century. Her cello literature and pedagogy courses draw students throughout the Jacobs School of Music -- including violinists, violists, bass players, and the occasional brass player -- who seek Winold's wisdom to broaden their understanding and discover new approaches. And of course, she instructs students privately in cello performance.
Outside the studio, Winold is a willing resource for IU music students. She serves on more than 20 doctoral committees and for the past decade has advised incoming graduate students in all of the string instruments.
Winold is a highly respected researcher and performer who has played solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. Her research specializes in the analysis of movement in string playing and the translation of thought into movement. She and IU psychology professor Esther Thelen used computers to track and analyze students' movements as they played the cello, leading to improved instruction, articles in scientific journals such as The Journal of Ecological Psychology, and an interdisciplinary course on the interaction of brain and body. Winold is a consultant to the Institute of Music and Medicine at the Freiburg University of Music in Germany.
Sungkyeong Kim, director
South Korean pianist Sungkyeong Kim has established herself as a versatile solo pianist, collaborative pianist, and educator. She has performed internationally both as soloist and guest collaborative artist in Korea, Europe, across the US, and Canada. Her primary teachers include Noel McRobbie, Moon Jung Kim, and Svetozar Ivanov.
As a collaborative pianist, she enjoys competitions, performing, recording, and coaching instrumentalists including strings, brass, and saxophone. An educator with over 15 years of teaching experience, Ms. Kim is a highly sought-after piano teacher in the Tampa area. Her students consistently score among the highest ranks in state festivals and competitions.
A cornerstone to Ms. Kim’s pedagogical approach includes strong foundational technique and technical skills, as well as notational reading in early stages of development. Ms. Kim currently lives in Tampa, Florida where she maintains a large private studio and is the collaborative pianist for USF Cello Studio of Professor Scott Kluksdahl.
Ashton Chen, director
Cellist and ethnomusicologist Ashton Chen is an avid chamber musician and believes it is at the heart of musicianship. His passion for diverse repertoire has led him to perform in a wide spectrum of solo and ensemble performances across the United States and Europe, including consortiums and commissions for new composers.
As an ethnomusicologist, his current research interests include exploring the social practices of minority music during The Cultural Revolution in China, music and migration, constructions of identity and multiracialism, and traditional and popular fusions in modern string music. His previous research surveyed perceptions of intonation and the related issues in cello pedagogy.
He received his MM in cello performance and chamber music from the University of South Florida in 2017, where he studied with renowned pedagogues Helga Winold and Scott Kluksdahl. Since then, he has joined the faculty at his alma mater, the State College of Florida, where he runs a cello studio and coaches chamber music, continuing the legacy of his late mentor, Nancy Streetman. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of Florida.
Fernando Lopez, director
Mexican-born pianist Fernando Lopez began his piano studies with Omar Salazar, University of Sonora, at age 7. Mr. Lopez was the recipient of an artist grant from the government of Sonora, Mexico to study abroad. Mr. Lopez holds performance as well as pedagogy degrees from the University of Arizona and the University of South Florida. His primary teachers include Pedro Vega, Tannis Gibson, and Svetozar Ivanov.
As a soloist, he has participated in various music festivals such as the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, the Piano Academy & Festival International in St. Andrews, Canada, and the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Piobbico, Italy.
Additionally, Mr. Lopez is an active collaborative pianist and organizes events and small venue concerts for piano, chamber ensembles, art songs and opera. Mr. Lopez’s unique adaptive pedagogical approach and style is rooted in a deep understanding of sound production through strong foundational technique, notational literacy and fluency, and multi-level theory building blocks.
Mr. Lopez is a piano adjunct faculty at the State College of Florida, where he teaches class piano and applied lessons.
Faculty
Chi Lee, viola
Chi Lee joined The Florida Orchestra as associate principal viola in the 2021-2022 season. Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, she came to the United States in 2009. Lee received her bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, her master’s degree from Rice University and her doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Maryland. Her principal teachers include Daniel Foster, Lawrence Neuman, Ivo Jan van der Werff, Karen Ritscher, Kin-Fung Leung and Yung-Chen Chan.
During the summers, Lee is an artist faculty at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC, where she performs as assistant principal viola with the Eastern Festival Orchestra. She also has performed as a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera in Iowa. Her performances in international festivals include the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Rendsburg, Germany, the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme in Aldeburgh, United Kingdom, Bard Music Festival, and Asian Youth Orchestra, where she toured Japan and China. Lee was a fellow of The Orchestra Now from 2016 to 2018, where she regularly performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. She also has served as associate principal violist with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in the 2018-2019 season and performed with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
An avid educator, Lee is a certified Suzuki teacher, and she has taught at institutions including Rice University, Bard Conservatory Preparatory Division and University of Maryland, and has given masterclasses in Taiwan, Winold Music Festival and Eastern Music Festival. Lee is an adjunct professor at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.
Lee lives in St. Petersburg with her husband. She enjoys the beach life, baking, hiking, exploring food and traveling in her spare time.
Bennett Astrove, violin
Boston-based musician Bennett Astrove performs internationally, in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and conductor. In Fall 2025 he joins the faculty at University of South Florida School of Music where he will serve as Instructor of Violin, Viola, and Chamber Music.
As guest artist, Mr. Astrove has performed on Faculty-Artist Concert Series at Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Italy and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Vermont, the Rutenberg Chamber Music Series, Homegrown New Music Concert Series, and with Terrior New Music Ensemble. He served as a member of the NU Music Ensemble and of UNCSA’s Chrysalis String Quartet with whom he performed at NYC’s Lincoln Center and toured Washington DC. In addition to his festival orchestral conducting with groups such as the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Philharmonic, Mr. Astrove has led such chamber ensembles as the Charles River Chamber Orchestra and USF New Music Consortium in performances of early modern masterworks like Igor Stravinsky’s Octet and Edger Varese’s Octandre, as well as numerous premieres by emerging composers.
A dedicated educator, Mr. Astrove has held Teaching Artist positions with The Florida Orchestra and the Winston-Salem Symphony’s collaboration with the Salvation Army, and he has served as a member of ArtistCorps, a multifaceted arts outreach initiative whose goal is to provide exposure, instruction, and arts integration to a population of high need K-12 students. As a member of the Chrysalis String Quartet, he held a residency at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Strings program and worked with school groups from NC to DC. In May 2025 Mr. Astrove will receive his DMA from Boston University School of Music where he also earned the Performance Diploma and has served as an instructor of applied lessons, chamber music, and scale classes. He also holds MM degrees in Chamber music and Conducting from University of South Florida and an MM in Performance from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His principal conducting mentor was Maestro William Wiedrich and he has participated in numerous conducting symposia such as The Conducting Institute in Fort Worth, Maestri Series in San Francisco and NYC, Schleicher Conducting Masterclass Workshop Series in Chicago, the Miami Music Festival Conducting Institute, and University of Colorado Boulder Orchestral Conducting Symposium, working with such artists as Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Donald Schleicher, Gary Lewis, and Mark Gibson.
Mr. Astrove is a certified instructor of hatha yoga and has taught in conventional yoga studios and as instructor to musicians, including his work at Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Italy.
Michelle Kim-Painter, violin
Violinist Michelle Kim-Painter has established herself as an in-demand artist along the east coast. Known for her “lively confidence,” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Michelle brings personality, spirit, and energy to each performance.
As a chamber musician, she has performed across the United States, Europe, and South Korea, taking part in series including Music from Salem, The Lighthouse Chamber Players, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Robert Helps International Music Festival. Michelle has performed in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, Castello Brancaleoni, Teatro Cagli, and The United Nations. She has recorded the world premiere of Robert Helps Quintet and Symphony No. 2 for Albany Records and has performed several world premieres by Pulitzer Prize Winning Composers as well as Guggenheim Fellows.
Christopher Bolduc, violin
Christopher Bolduc was born in Boca Raton, Florida. From an early age, he was exposed to various genres of world music ranging from Brazilian Bossa Nova, African Fusion, Western and Indian Classical, and American Jazz. He began studying violin at the age of 11. Soon after he became concertmaster of his respective school orchestras and participated in regional academic orchestras like All-County and All-State Orchestras, securing the concertmaster position of both during his senior year.
During previous summers, Mr. Bolduc attended Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Brancaleoni International Music Festival, the DaPonte String Quartet Institute and Bad Leonfelden Sommerakadamie receiving lessons from pedagogues Mimi Zwieg, Rictor Noren, I-Hao Lee, Bayla Keyes, Marcus Thompson and Mark Gothoni. Mr. Bolduc graduated with a BA in Violin Performance from the University of South Florida in 2020, a Masters Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Massachusetts in 2022 as concertmaster and violinist in the UMass Graduate String Quartet and with a Masters Degree in Chamber Music from the University of South Florida in 2024. He is currently attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison for DMA in Violin Performance as a School of Music Fellow studying under the direction of David Perry. Mr. Bolduc hopes that his listeners always leave feeling better than they did before, even in a small way.
2025 Guest Artist Workshops
Improvisation Class
Pablo Arencibia, piano
Pablo Arencibia is an award-winning pianist renowned for his dynamic performances and impressive career achievements. He began his journey as a concert pianist at the age of four, showcasing his talent in countries such as Venezuela, Spain, USA, France, Greece, Romania, and Colombia.
He graduated from the Juan José Landaeta National Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela, and holds a Master of Music degree in Jazz Piano Performance from the University of South Florida.
Pablo has performed with internationally acclaimed orchestras, including the Caracas Municipal Orchestra and the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated and recorded with a diverse array of international artists such as Terrell Stafford, Scotty Wright, David Pate, The Lennon Sisters, John Lamb, Federico Nathan, Jorge Pérez (Patax), Javier Bruna, Whitney James, and Jose Valentino. Additionally, he served as the musical director for the national tour of the Spanish musical theater show “Ay Carmela.”
With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Pablo has shared his expertise in piano and other music courses at renowned institutions like the Creativa School of Music in Madrid and TAI Arts at Rey Juan Carlos University. He currently teaches Jazz Piano at the University of South Florida, University of Tampa, and Hillsborough Community College.
Pablo’s contributions to the field of piano performance mechanics and instrument response have been published by Springer as part of the book Perspectives in Performing Arts Medicine: A Multidisciplinary Approach http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37480-8_12
Historical Performance
Kosuke Uchikawa, cello
Kosuke Uchikawa is a Japanese cellist who performs a wide range of repertoire from Baroque to Contemporary music. In 2022, he represented two contrasting solo recitals at University of South Florida; one featuring 11 cello solo caprices by a Baroque composer, Joseph Dall'Abaco, and the other focusing on 24 preludes for cello and piano by a living composer, Lera Auerbach.
As a chamber musician, he joined Rebecca Penneys Graduate Collective when he studied at University of South Florida in 2022, and performed standard repertoire, such as Brahms and Shostakovich as well as new music by Henry Kelder. As a collaborative musician, Uchikawa has been involved in many projects with a variety of artists. In 2018, he played String Quartet No. 2 by David L. Rappenecker, as a part of the choreography project “Distance” at Western Illinois University. “Concert Under The Stars” was a concert inspired by Jessey Murry’s and Lisa Yuskavage’s exhibition “Rising and Necessary Angels” at USF Contemporary Art Museum in 2022.
He also collaborated with composers, such as Texu Kim and Ivette Herryman. Uchikawa has recently started exploring historical informed performance. In 2022, he first performed caprices by Dall'abaco and toccata by Supriani with a historical setting instrument. He also played the fifth ricercar by Domenico Gabrielli in his recital in 2023. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in historical performance at Juilliard School since 2023, and specializing in music from the 17th and 18th Century.
2025 Guest Artists Masterclasses
Carolyn Stuart, violin
Carolyn Stuart is Associate Professor of Violin at University of South Florida, where she has been on the faculty since 1999. She is also the Director of Strings and Chamber Music at the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Italy, Artist-Faculty at Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, in Vermont, and recent Visiting Violin Professor at DePaul University School of Music. Her principal violin teachers have included Kevin Lawrence, Paul Kantor, and Mitchell Stern, and she earned degrees from The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, and Stony Brook University. Stuart’s recordings may be heard regularly on BBC and WQXR Playlists, and on Bridge, Gega New, Albany, Capstone, Glorious Pantheons, Ravello, and Blue Griffin labels.
Her violin playing has been described as “tonally resplendent and affectingly assured both stylistically and technically” (Fanfare Magazine) and she as a performer of "astonishing effectiveness, radiant inspiration, deep sensitivity, and colossal temperament" (Musical Horizons - Sofia), violinist Carolyn Stuart performs internationally as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She has appeared at Carnegie, Merkin, and Steinway Halls in NYC, REDCAT in L.A., Katzen Arts Center in D.C., Salle Gaveau in Paris, the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, The Bethaniënklooster in Amsterdam, Royal College of Music in London, Pushkin House and Mansfield 22 in London, Salon Christophori in Berlin, American University in Athens, University of Toronto, Royal Academy of Music in Denmark, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Association Philomuses of Paris, Teatro del Sale in Florence, Incontro Sulla Tastiera in Vicenza, and the Zurich and Vincenza Conservatories. Festival appearances have included Green Mountain, Chautauqua, Interlochen, Garth Newel, Hot Springs, Pine Mountain, Killington, and internationally in the Netherlands – Peter de Gröte, Bulgaria – Salon des Arts, International Music Festival, and Sofia Music Weeks, and Italy – Terre d’Arezzo Toscana, Classicariano Avellino, Autunno Musicale Caserta.
For two decades Stuart has toured as a member of the Stuart-Ivanov Duo with pianist Svetozar Ivanov, often presenting recitals with unusual concert formats combining music with other art forms (documentary footage, art films, animation, poetry, short stories, paintings). Their critically acclaimed Gega New CD, Nikolai Roslavets: Short Works for Violin and Piano, dedicated to the rarely performed music of this repressed Soviet composer, is now being produced for DVD release as “The Armoire”.
As one of the four internationally acclaimed members of MoVE, Stuart is avidly commissioning and recording works with this innovative violin quartet. They have premiered works of leading composers such as Evan Chambers, Daniel Wohl, Jessica Meyer, Jonathan Berger, Seung-Won Oh, Tommy Dougherty, and Jordan Nelson. She has performed as soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic, premiering Victor Chouchkov’s Triple Concerto, which she also recorded with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra. Along with members of her clarinet trio, Qthree, she has recorded the premiere of Kati Agocs’ Song Cycle Imagination of Their Hearts on the CD, Ice Age and Beyond: Works by Canadian Women Composers and has recently premiered Evan K. Chambers’ quartet transcription of his epic orchestral work, The Old Burying Ground, for voice-violin-clarinet-piano. A devoted performer of Evan Chambers’ music, she has recorded a significant body of his chamber music for the Albany CD, Cold Water, Dry Stone: New Music with Traditional Roots. Her Bridge CD, American Flute Quintets, named “Critics Choice” by American Record Guide, features the world-premiere recording of Joan Tower’s Rising with preeminent flutist Carol Wincenc and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Players.