Violin x 3
Week of December 4, 2021
An evening of colorful violin music featuring a trio of violinists: Kate Hatmaker, Jing Yan Bowcott and Pei-Chun Tsai in music by Bach, Bacewicz and Bartok, among others.
Kate Hatmaker is the cofounder and Executive/Artistic Director of Art of Élan, a San Diego-based chamber music organization committed to bringing innovative classical music to diverse audiences (www.artofelan.org), and has been a violinist with the San Diego Symphony since 2006. She has played with a wide variety of American orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony. She is a frequent chamber music recitalist and guest clinician and has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras in North America. A passionate advocate for innovation in the arts, she has been invited to speak at Carnegie Mellon University, UC-San Diego, San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University, among others. She completed her Master of Music degree at Carnegie Mellon University and her undergraduate training at both the University of Iowa and the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with high honors and degrees in both Political Science and French.
A Chinese native, Jing Yan Bowcott’s musical talent has taken her throughout China, Europe and the United States. Encouraged by her musical parents, Ms. Yan began playing violin at age seven and won her first violin competition at age 10. She later entered Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music and continued her studies with a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. After graduating with top honor “Distinction” and Royal Academy’s highest diploma for her outstanding final performance, Ms. Yan continued her study in the US with world-renowned violin professor Mauricio Fuks at Indiana University. As an orchestra musician, Jing Yan has worked with orchestras including Beijing Symphony, London Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and Chicago Civic Orchestra. Her chamber music collaborations include Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW, La Jolla Music Festival, Orchestra Nova and California Chamber Orchestra. She is the winner of the 1st Neimeng Violin Competition, Winifred solo competition and the “Royal Academy Soloist” award in 1999 and 2001. Ms. Yan joined San Diego Symphony in 2005. Aside from music, Jing has a great interest in fashion, travel, fine food and interior design.
Pei-Chun Tsai, from Tainan, Taiwan, is two-time first-prize winner of the Taiwan National Violin Competition. She has performed in Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. Pei-Chun has participated in many music festivals in the United States and Europe. After receiving Bachelor and Master’s degrees in violin performance from The Juilliard School, she completed her Doctorate in Musical Arts from the City University of New York. Pei-Chun is the founder and director of the Campanile Music Festival at San Diego State University where she curates innovative residencies of visiting artists from across the country. Recent guests include the Formosa Quartet and Brooklyn Rider. Pei-Chun has been a member of the San Diego Symphony since 2006. As a violin lecturer at San Diego State University, Pei-Chun performs with the San Diego State University Chamber orchestra regularly. She has recently released her solo violin album “Chaconnes” which you can find on Apple Music or Spotify.