Ms. Lee has performed with major orchestras, including the Saint Louis Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Korea Broadcast Symphony, and the Ural Symphony of Russia, among others. Future performances will take her throughout the United States, and include performances with the New Jersey Symphony and the premiere of Vivian Fung's Violin Concerto with the Metropolis Ensemble. Ms. Lee plays on Antonio Stradivarius' "Avery Fisher" through the generous support of the Juilliard School.

Violinist Ayano Ninomiya, winner of Astral's 2003 National Auditions and second-prize winner of the 2003 Walter W. Naumburg Competition, gave her highly acclaimed New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall under Naumburg's auspices. Astral presented her on its "Rising Stars" series at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Ms. Ninomiya is the grateful recipient of a generous loan of a Stradivarius violin from a private donor. She is currently on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music and first violinist of the Zing Quartet.

Violinist Elena Urioste, selected by Symphony Magazine as an emerging artist to watch, has been hailed by critics and audiences alike for her rich tone, nuanced playing, and commanding stage presence. The first-prize winner of the 2007 Sion International Violin Competition, Ms. Urioste was also awarded the audience prize and the prize for the best performance of the competition's newly commissioned work.

Ms. Urioste made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 13 and has since appeared as soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, and San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. Her media appearances include multiple performances on the popular radio programs "From the Top" and "Performance Today", as well as on Telemundo. Her first CD was recently released on the White Pine label.

Ms. Urioste is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. She plays on an outstanding violin: a Michael Bergonzi, Cremona, circa 1750, on extended loan through the generous efforts of the Society for Strings, Inc.

Violist Mark Holloway, hailed by the American Record Guide as an "outstanding violist," is a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two, with whom he performs regularly in New York and on tour around the United States. He received his diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Michael Tree, as well as a Bachelor of Music from Boston University.

A sought-after chamber musician, he has performed in festivals in the United States and in Europe; appears regularly at Caramoor and with the Jupiter Chamber Players; and plays as a guest with the New York Philharmonic, Orpheus, and American Symphony Orchestras. He was principal violist of the New York String Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Mr. Holloway has played live on Boston's WGBH and New York's WQXR and on NPR's "Performance Today". He has recorded for Naxos and Albany Records and has worked with some of the leading composers of our time, including Elliott Carter, Sofia Gubaidulina, Paul Moravec, George Tsontakis, and Joan Tower.

Violist Vicki Powell has been hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a fully formed artist" with "a voluptuous tone" and a "sound that is refined, but that has no trouble projecting." She is the recipient of a Gold Award in Music from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, First Prize winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra Greenfield Competition, the Johansen International Competition, and the Aspen Low Strings Competition.

Ms. Powell is a student at the Juilliard School, where she studies with Misha Amory.

Cellist Julie Albers is recognized for her superlative artistry, her charismatic performing style and her intense musicianship. During high school, she worked with the Young Artists Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Soon afterward, she was awarded the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and toured France as soloist with the Orchestre Symphonique de Douai.

Ms. Albers recently completed a two-year residence with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. In October 2005, Ms. Albers debut album was released on the Artek label. She performs on a Vuillaume cello made in 1872.

Cellist Nicholas Canellakis continues to receive critical recognition for his performances. In The New York Times his playing was praised as "impassioned," with "the audience seduced by Mr. Canellakis' "rich, alluring tone." In The New York Sun, he was noted for his "eloquence and fire."

Cellist Sophie Shao received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant at the age of 19, and has since performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Winner of top prizes at the Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky Competitions, The New York Times has applauded her "eloquent, powerful" interpretations of repertory, ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Crumb.

Ms. Shao recently collaborated with film composer Howard Shore on his score for The Betrayal, resulting in a commission of a concerto for her during the 2011-2012 season. Recent highlights include a performance of Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Hans Graf and the Houston Symphony, a performance of Tan Dun's Ghost Opera with Cho-Liang Lin in Indianapolis, world-premiere performances of Richard Wilson's Concerto for cello and mezzo-soprano with the American Symphony Orchestra, and recital and chamber music appearances at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Northwest, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Music Mountain (with the Shanghai Quartet).

Ms. Shao can be heard on EMI Classics, Bridge Records, Albany Records, and Howe Records. She recently completed at two-year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two.

To view Omega’s artists for the 2009-2010 season, please click here.

To view Omega’s artists for the 2008-2009 season, please click here.