Gualala Arts Chamber Music Series presents: Kirkwood Ensemble Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at the Gualala Arts Center

The Gualala Arts Chamber Music Series is pleased to present the Kirkwood Ensemble, a violin, cello, and piano trio, in a performance at the Gualala Arts Center on Sunday, March 18th, 4:00 p.m. The concert will include Beethoven's Trio Op.1 No. 1 in E Flat Major, Dvorak's Trio Op. 65 in F Minor, and Cafe Music by Paul Schoenfeld. The three musicians are Dawn Harms, violin, Victoria Ehrlich, cello, and Roxanne Michaelian, piano. These three outstanding chamber music players will bring a most welcome early spring performance to Gualala.

The Kirkwood Ensemble takes its name from the Music at Kirkwood Music Festival, a music education and training program at Kirkwood, near South Lake Tahoe, where developing musicians learn from an outstanding faculty in a beautiful Sierra mountain setting.

Dawn Harms leads an active musical life as a violinist, violist, chamber musician, and conductor. For ten years Dawn was first violinist with the Harrington String Quartet, winners of the Grand Prize at the prestigious Fischoff and Evian International chamber music competitions. She played first violin for five years with the Santa Fe Opera. A member of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and the New Century Chamber Orchestra, Dawn also performs as co-concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, and the Pacific Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of the Harmida Piano Trio, which appeared two years ago in Gualala, and Quartet San Francisco, a jazz string quartet. Dawn is the founder and conductor of the Elixir Chamber Orchestra, and co-founder and music director of the Music at Kirkwood Chamber Music Festival. Dawn also collaborated with her cousin Tom Waits on his latest recordings, "Alice" and "Blood Money," playing the violin and the Stroh violin. Ms. Harms currently serves on the faculty of Stanford University.

Victoria Ehrlich, cellist, was born in Texas and received her musical education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, the Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, as well as summer programs at Interlochen, Aspen, and Tanglewood. Her teachers include Robert Marsh, Bernard Greenhouse, and Robert Gardner. Before joining the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in 1984, she performed with the Santa Fe Opera and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and served as principal cellist with the Symphonies of Omaha, Richmond, Virginia, and Phoenix. Ms. Ehrlich has performed with such disparate groups as the San Francisco Ballet and Symphony, New Century Chamber Orchestra, California and Berkeley Symphonies, Lamplighters, and Pocket Opera, and is an active chamber musician, appearing regularly with the percussion group Adesso, the Gold Coast Chamber Players, the Fath Chamber Players, and the Ariel String Quartet. Recent work includes collaboration with poets and composers under the auspices of the American Composers' Forum.

Roxanne Michaelian, pianist, is the product of a musical family. She began studies with Claire James at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continued her education there, completing an undergraduate degree and earning a Masters Degree in Piano Performance under Paul Hersh. Ms. Michaelian's first appearance as soloist with orchestra was at the age of twelve, when she performed with the San Francisco Symphony in its youth concert series. She subsequently received First Prize in the North American Young Artists Competition in Denver and performed with the Denver Symphony under Brian Priestman. Other prizes include the Los Angeles Young Musicians Foundation Competition, where she was chosen as overall winner. As a result of that award, Ms. Michaelian appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Debut Orchestra under Calvin Simmons at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. She has also been heard with orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Oakland Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. In addition, Ms. Michaelian is an active chamber musician and one of the area's most sought-after collaborators. A past winner of the Coleman National Chamber Music Competition and the Carmel Chamber Music Society, she has performed in joint recital with members of the San Francisco symphony and nationally recognized artists, having toured the United States and Canada. She has also been a frequent participant at festivals including Chamber Music West, Chamber Music Sundaes, Mid-Summer Mozart Festival, San Jose Chamber Music Society, and the Seattle Chamber Music Festival. She serves as a coach at the Music at Kirkwood Festival, and also maintains an active private teaching schedule.

Tickets are $20 for advance purchases, or $25 on the day of the concert. Children and young people ages 7 through 17 are admitted free. Advance tickets are available at the Gualala Arts Center or at the Dolphin Gallery in Gualala. For advance credit card purchases by telephone, call the Arts Center at 707-884-1138. For further information visit our website, GualalaArts.org. Those unable to furnish their own transportation may call the Arts Center to request rides to the concert.