The Harmony Ensemble: “Beginnings”

Program:

Quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello W. B 60 Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
I. Allegro
II. Rondo (Tempo di Minuetto – Alternativo I – Alternativo 2 – Minuetto)

String Quartet Op. 60 no. 5 Hob. III/48 “Dream” Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
arranged by Franz Joseph Rosinack
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Cantabile
III. Minuetto, Allegretto
IV. Finale, Vivace

Intermission

Phantasy Quartet, Op. 2 Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Oboe Quartet in F major K. 370/368b W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Rondo (Allegro ma non troppo)

The Harmony Ensemble

Cooper Wright is an active performer and educator in Asia. A member of the faculty of the College of Music, Mahidol University since 2013, Mr. Wright teaches applied oboe, oboe literature and pedagogy and chamber music. Mr. Wright formerly served as Woodwind Department Chair where he started such initiatives as the Mahidol University Reading Orchestra, the faculty wind Side by Side concerts, and the Student Chamber Music Recital series. Mr. Wright is an avid pedagogue and has taught masterclasses internationally in the United States, Italy, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar. In 2023,

Mr. Wright co-hosted the International Double Reed Society conference with attendees from 40 different countries at Mahidol University. Mr. Wright was formerly the Principal Oboist of the Thailand Philharmonic and has been a featured soloist numerous times. Cooper Wright completed his Bachelor’s of Music at Michigan State University, a Master’s at the University of Oregon and is currently working on his DMA at Arizona State University. His primary teachers were Daniel Stolper, David Weber, and Martin Schuring. In his spare time, Mr. Wright enjoys cycling the countryside of Thailand and playing with his dogs Kahti and Dante.

Zhenzhen Dai was born in Guangxi, China. She currently teaches at Guangxi Arts University . Ms. Dai is the former associate principal violist of Guiyang symphony Orchestra, she served as a principal violist in Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-Juku’s Orchestra, she has performed ‘Hansel And Gretel ‘(Opera)with Maestro Seiji Ozawa for the concert tour in Japan. She has also performed as Guest Principal with Guangxi symphony orchestra. Ms. Dai is the member of China ASEAN Contemporary Chamber Orchestra.

As violist and violinist, she was invited to many modern music festival, including Beijing Modern Music Festival, Hangzhou Modern Music Festival, China ASEAN Music Festival.

In 2018, she was invited to perform as a viola soloist in the China ASEAN Music Festival and gave the world premiere of Israeli composer Alona Epshtein’s viola concerto in collaboration with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Dai has performed in a variety of music festival as a soloist and participated in many chamber music groups, including Beijing International Music Festival, where she has performed with Mr. Eduard Brunner (former principal clarinet of Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) and Mr. Charles Neidich (Professor of the Julliard school). The concert has been broadcasted by China Central Television.

She also attended Great Mountain International Music Festival in Korea for two consecutive years and Beijing International Chamber Music Festival where she performed Mozart clarinet quintet with Mr. Charles Neidich.
Ms. Dai received the Master degree in viola performance from the Manhattan School of Music under Professor Karen Dreyfus. Zhenzhen is also the recipient of the President Prize. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Central Conservatory of Music in China under Professor Su Zhen. Zhenzhen is currently pursuing her Doctoral degree at College of Music of Mahidol University.

 Visanee Vongvirulh is a Thai professional violinist and educator. She is a violin instructor at the College of Music, Mahidol University, as well as at her own private teaching studio, Visanee Violin Studio. Visanee graduated with a first-class honors in Music Performance (Violin) from the College of Music, Mahidol University, in 2012 and awarded a 9-month classical music training scholarship from ASEA-UNINET in 2012-2013. From 2014 to 2021, she was funded by the Royal Thai Government to pursue a second Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Instrument Pedagogy (Violin) at Mozarteum University, Salzburg, Austria. In 2024, she was awarded Mahidol University Scholarship to attend a summer workshop at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.

Visanee has performed with various orchestras, including the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Austrian Festival Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta da Camerata Salzburg, Immling Festival Orchestra, Philharmonie Salzburg, Skive Opera Festival Orchestra, Opernfestspiele Schloss Amerang, and Oper im Berg Festival Orchestra. She was the concertmaster of the Thailand Elite Orchestra, leading the performances of the opera Rigoletto.

Visanee has also advised and guided young musicians to win various competitions. In 2023, she received the Certificate of Recognition as an Inspiring Music Teacher from the Music Teachers Association of Thailand, and in 2024, she was awarded the Academic Staff of the Year by College of Music, Mahidol University.

As principal of the Naples Philharmonic for 25 years, Adam Satinsky was lauded both as leader of the cello section and as soloist with the orchestra. On two instances, renowned guest pianists invited him forward to collaborate on virtuoso encores by Schumann and Shostakovich. He became a sought after performer in concert series throughout the Naples area, including Big Arts (Sanibel Island) and Koreshan Art Hall Series (Estero).

Mr. Satinsky spent his pandemic lockdown year (2020) honing his playing by tackling the monumental etude repertoire, including recording the 40 Popper Etudes in just over 40 days. This experience led him to reexamine his career, inspiring him to take time away from orchestral playing to live and perform in his wife’s home country, Thailand.

In his early years Satinsky played in a string trio with two equally talented violinists, performing and competing in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The young musicians dubbed themselves the “Trio Con Brio”. He also attended the Interlochen Arts Camp for 3 summers, giving him his first opportunities to solo with an orchestra. It was after this that he began commuting to Baltimore, Maryland for lessons, chamber music and orchestral studies at the Peabody Institute’s Preparatory division. As the only Prep student to receive Stephen Kates’ advanced training, he was exposed to the great repertoire young and eventually performed a Haydn Concerto with the orchestra. His subsequent college degrees include a Bachelor’s of Music from Eastman and an Artist’s Diploma from Indiana University, with the latter performance-focused degree enabling him to devote all his time to absorbing the wisdom from the legendary Janos Starker. Fellow student Jeremy Denk, a now internationally acclaimed pianist, collaborated with Satinsky on multiple recitals.

Since the age of 14 he has added his unique signature musicianship to the summer festival scene in such scenic places as Boulder, CO; Teton Village, WY; Bellingham, WA; Marlboro, VT; Aspen, CO; Ernen, Switzerland; and Banff, Canada. More recently he has helped establish new chamber music festivals – one in the Low Country (in and around Beaufort, SC and Savannah, GA) and one in North Miami Beach (held in the winter).

His magnificent cello is a Christopher Dungey creation – a mere five years old – made in Grand Junction, CO. Satinsky has expanded his range of pursuits to restaurateur, opening multiple Thai Fusion restaurants with his wife.