TEACHING
Dr. Hristov's Violin Studios – News
- Freshman UT Violinist Zachary Miller was 3rd Prize winner of the Cleveland Orchestra Aria and Concerto Competition. He will perform Henryk Wieniawski’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 with the orchestra on April 2, 2019!
- Artist Certificate UT Violinist Shin-Wen Twu will participate in Yo-Yo Ma’s Annual String Festival in China this January! Best of luck, Shin-Wen!
- Congratulations to Benjamin Parton (BM in Violin Performance 2018) who received a full scholarship to pursue a Masters of Music in Violin Performance at Indiana University, Fall 2018; He was a finalist in the Concertmaster auditions at Indiana University.
- Carolina Pons (MM in Violin Performance 2018) was appointed Adjunct Professor of Violin at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico.
- Caroline Farmer (BM in Violin Performance and BME in Music Education 2017) received a graduate teaching assistantship to pursue Masters of Music in Violin Performance at Appalachian State University, Fall 2018 and was named Concertmaster of the APSU Orchestra. Way to go, Caroline!
- Congratulations to Lydia Anderson and Garren Anderson for winning First Prize at the 2018 Youth Aliyah Solo Competition. They will perform Sarasate’s Navarra for Two Violins and Orchestra in September 2018 with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra.
- David Lugo was selected as the MTNA Junior Strings Competition for the Southern Region, Winner 2018!! On to National Finals!
- Congratulations to Daniel Choo, who was the only Tennessean selected to join The National Youth Orchestra for their Summer 2017 tour with concert in Carnegie Hall and South America. Way to go, Daniel!
- Congrats to Daniel Choo for being selected as American Protégé International Concerto Competition- 1st Place! He will perform Bach, Adagio from Solo Sonata in G minor at the Gala Concert in New York's Carnegie Hall in December 2017!
- Congrats to Daniel Choo who won ENKOR International Solo Violin Competition – 3rd Place! Bravo, Daniel!
- Congratulations to Inna Karsheva for receiving Full scholarship to pursue Masters of Music in Violin Performance at Arizona State University, Fall 2017.
- Congrats to Ricardo Ferreira for winning a Fellowship to pursue а Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Houston starting the Fall 2017 semester! Good luck, Ricardo!
- Bravo to David Lugo for winning MTNA- Junior Competition, Division Level, Winner 2017!! He is one of 6 MTNA- Junior Competition, National Level, Finalist 2017.
- Ben Parton was accepted in the top tier orchestra of Aspen International Summer Festival- 2016! Bravo, Ben!
- Congrats to David Lugo for being MTNA- Junior Competition, State level, Tennessee, Winner 2016!!
- Congratulation to sophomore Ben Parton for winning the UTSO Concerto competition!! He will perform Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with UTSO in Spring 2016!
- Daniel Choo was the winner of MTNA 2016 Senior Competition State level! Bravo!
- Congratulations to David Lugo for winning ENKOR International Chamber Music Competition, 1st Prize, 2016!! Bravo, David!
- Congratulations to Daniel Choo for his 2nd place win at the American Protégé International Concerto Competition! Daniel will get to play a solo at the Winner's Recital in Carnegie Hall in December 2015. He will be joined by other winners from across the US and several other countries. Daniel was also the String Winner of the 2015 Knoxville Choral Society's Young Classical Musician Competition. Bravo, Daniel!
- Congratulations to UT Graduate Student Oleksiy Hamov for winning the 2015 University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition! Oleksiy will perform the 1st movement of Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the UT Symphony Orchestra on March 8, 2015 at 4:00pm.
- At the 2014 MTNA State Level Competition in Nashville, UT Graduate Student Carlos Hernandez was the First Alternate (2nd Place) in the Young Artist Competition. Daniel Choo was the First Place Winner of the Junior String Division. Congratulations to both for their outstanding achievements this year!
- In June 2014, Dr. Hristov was recognized as the Tennessee Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year. This past year, Dr. Hristov has also received the Tennessee Governor's School of the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award, the Knoxville Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, and the UT School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award.
- Anileys Bermudez (May 2010 – May 2013; MM 2012; Artist Certificate 2013) was appointed to the string faculty at Crown College; she also holds contracted positions with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and the Lexington Philharmonic. She was the 2013 Winner of the UT Symphony Concerto Competition, and the 2011 Winner of the Maryville College Showcase of Artists Competition.
- Inna Karsheva (August 2011- Present; BM Violin Performance 2015) was selected to perform at the Student Showcase Concert and participated in two master classes at the 2014 Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, where she served as Associate Concertmaster of the festival orchestra. Previously, Inna was the sole winner of the UT Music Study Club Scholarship Audition, top prize winner of the UT Celebration of Excellence Competition, and winner of the Maryville College Showcase of Artists Competition.
- Thomas Lovett (August 2011 – May 2013; MM 2013) has been appointed as Assistant Orchestra Director for the Ft. Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth, TX. Thomas was the 2012 Winner of the UT Symphony Concerto Competition, and the Maryville College Showcase of Artists Competition.
- Kimberly Simpkins (January 2013 – Present; MM 2015) was selected to perform at Student Showcase Concert and participated in two master classes at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy- July, 2014. Kimberly presented, "Managing Stage Fright for String Players" at the 2014 National Conference of the American String Teachers Association in Louisville, Kentucky, and at the 2014 UT Violin Festival.
- Carlos Hernandez (August 2012 – Present; MM 2015) was selected to perform at two Student Showcase Concerts and participated in a master class at the 2014 Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy.
- Ann Letsinger (August 2008-May 2010; MME 2010) is Instructor of Violin and Strings at Mount Kenya Academy in Nyeri, Kenya. Previously, she was Orchestra Director at the Miller Magnet Middle School (Macon, GA). During her time at UT and shortly thereafter, Ms. Letsinger performed in the violin sections of the Macon Symphony Orchestra, and the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra.
- Yu-Ting Huang (October 2012 – Present; MM 2015) served as the Associate Concertmaster for the 2013 Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, She was recently invited to be featured as Violin Soloist for the Taiwanese Association of East Tennessee Musical Presentation in April 2014.
- Lydia Kabalen (August 2011 – Present; MME 2014), 2014 UT Symphony Concerto Competition Finalist, Lydia Kabalen received the UT Chancellor's Extraordinary Professional Promise Award for 2014. ASTA Student Chapter President 2013-14, Lydia was appointed to the strings faculty at the Germantown, TN School District.
- Daniel Choo (August 2010 – Present); First Violinist of the UT Pre-College Quartet, "Fourza," Daniel Choo won the 2014 Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. In 2013, he was the First Alternate for the MTNA Junior String Competition (TN State Level). Previously, we was winner of the Orchestra at Maryville College Concerto Competition, and a prizewinner at the 2012 Sonata/Sonatina Festival Young Mater Artists Competition.
- Shaan Ramaprasad (August 2010 – Present) was appointed Concertmaster of the All-East Tennessee Regional Orchestra in 2014, and First Violinist of the Tennessee All-State Orchestra. He was also selected to perform in a master class with world-class violin soloist, Bella Hristova.
Dr. Hristov with students from the Unversidad Federal de Pernambuco in 2016.
Master class in Arcidosso, Italy in July 2017
Dr. Hristov's UT violin studio; Fall 2016
(From left to right, Sitting: Benjamin Parton, Carson Bohner, Stephanie Horton, Carolina Pons, Standing: Dr. Miroslav Hristov, Rachel Peña, Kristen Thames, Jane Robertson, Krista Heraux, Hannah Irwin, Natalie Lugo, Ricardo Ferreira, Cameron Lugo, Inna Karsheva, Top: Caroline Farmer, Clara Prinston, Rachel Wetz; Not pictured: Debra Sagmiller, Evelyn Pieper, Isa Beard)
Dr. Hristov's violin studio, Fall 2016
Dr. Hristov's Violin Studio; Spring 2014 (From left to right: Kristen Thames, Natalie Kimbro, Kimberly Shook, Debra Sagmiller, Yu-Ting Huang, Kimberly Simpkins, Inna Karsheva, Laura Psensky, Caroline Farmer, Lora Doherty, Andrew Orekhov, Isa Beard, and Carlos Hernandez. Not pictured: Lydia Kabalen, Alex Horton, and Sara Grace Bradley).
UT Violin Festival Masterclass 2014
Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy (With students: Kimberly Simpkins, Carlos Hernandez, and Inna Karsheva).
2014 American String Teachers Association National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky (With Graduate Students: Lydia Kabalen and Kimberly Simpkins)
Masterclass at the Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico – February 2013
Masterclass for pre-college students at the 2009 Southwest Virginia Community College International Music Festival