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CLASSICAL ENCOUNTERS presents The Pacific Trio: Edith Orloff, Pianist, Roger Wilkie, Violinist & John Walz, Cellist

Program: Trio (2001) by Mark Carlson/Trio in D Opus 70 No 1 ‘Ghost” by Ludwig van Beethoven/Trio in A Minor by Maurice Ravel


Background: Pianist Edith Orloff is known for her versatility as a performer, and has earned acclaim in the US and Europe. She has concertized with equal success as recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra. Her solo German debut in 1998 was received as “elegant, a pleasure to hear”, and her music-making has won praise at home and abroad for its interpretive vitality and perceptive musicianship.


She is a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Pacific Trio. The ensemble, with violinist Roger Wilkie and cellist John Walz, makes annual tours of the US and Europe. For many years the trio has served as ensemble-in-residence of the Idyllwild Arts summer festival, where Edith has taught piano and chamber music since 1976.

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Ms Orloff has played as guest artist with various notable musical groups, including the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, the Ensemble Con Brio of Bruchsal, Germany, and the Czech String Trio. In keeping with her interest in promoting new music, she has helped to launch several series devoted to the works of contemporary composers.  She is a regular performer on many prominent series in the Los Angeles area, as well as appearing in duo recital with each of her trio colleagues. Appearances in the LA this season include concerts for Pacific Serenades, Boston Court, and Le Salon de Musiques. She also enjoys a long-standing musical collaboration with her husband, Houston Symphony principal clarinetist David Peck. Their CD of modern works for clarinet and piano was released in 2004.  She has recorded for the Brio Classics, Resort Classics, and Yarlung labels.


Summer concert appearances have included La Jolla SummerFest, Grand Tetons Festival, Santa Barbara Chamber Music Festival, Festival Mozaic (formerly San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival), and ongoing performances at Idyllwild Arts.

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A Master’s Degree graduate of the California Institute of the Arts where she studied piano with Earle Voorhies, and chamber music with Cesare Pascarella. She has also worked with Jerome Lowenthal, Reginald Stewart, Rosina Lhevinne, Daniel Pollack, and Roberto Eyzaguirre.


Ms Orloff teaches privately and in master classes. In addition to her musical activities, she enjoys literature, travel, and study of languages, and resides in Houston and San Diego.


Violinist Roger Wilkie has enjoyed a rich and varied musical life as his career began in 1983, when at the age of 21 he joined the LA Chamber Orchestra eventually being appointed principal second violin. He has since returned to the ensemble appearing as guest concertmaster. He has also been guest concertmaster with such groups as LA Opera, the Round Top Festival Orchestra of Texas, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and the Real Filharmonia de Galicia, Spain under music director Helmut Rilling. Presently, Roger’s orchestral life is centered around the Long Beach Symphony where he has served as concertmaster since 1990. He has had many opportunities to solo with the orchestra performing the violin concertos of Brahms, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Bruch, Prokofiev, Brahms Double Concerto and in January, 2009, the Tchaikovsky concerto.


He was a founding member of the Angeles String Quartet performing and touring from 1988-1993, and was solo violinist with Santa Barbara based Camerata Pacifica as both recitalist and chamber musician over a ten year period. He has appeared at many chamber music festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Festival. The Pacific Trio has concertized in Europe in 2002, and again in 2004. The highlight of the 2004 tour was a performance and recording of the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Prague Philharmonic. In February 2009, the Trio toured Germany and Austria. His career extends to the Hollywood Studios where he has participated in the soundtracks for hundreds of films. In 2005, he received the honor of serving as concertmaster for John Williams' scores for “Indiana Jones IV”, “Munich” and “Memoirs of a Geisha”.


Cellist John Walz is a celebrated soloist and chamber music artist known for his dazzling virtuosity and elegant musicianship. A student of the legendary French cellist, Pierre Fournier, he has appeared as soloist with more than 150 symphony orchestras on 4 continents. His performances of 25 different concertos include both standard showcases and rarities like Martinu’s Concerto #1 and William Schuman’s Song of Orfeus. 


In 1979, John along with pianist Edith Orloff, formed the Pacific Trio. Now performing with violinist Roger Wilkie, this renowned ensemble has played more than 900 concerts throughout North America and Europe. He is currently the principal cellist with the Los Angeles Opera, a position he previously held for 20 years with the Long Beach Symphony. 


His ever expanding discography includes recordings of the concertos by Dvorak, Haydn, Shostakovich, Bloch, Martinu, Vivaldi, and trios by Brahms, Dvorak, Smetana, and the newly released Pacific Trio CD featuring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Archduke Trio.

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