Biographies—Strings
Suzanne Beia
Violin
Suzanne Beia is second violin with the Pro Arte Quartet based in Madison, Wisconsin, where she also serves as co-concertmaster of the Madison Symphony and concertmaster of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. She has been concertmaster with the Reno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Bay Area Women's Philharmonic and Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and was assistant concertmaster at the New World Symphony and principal second with the Wichita Symphony. In addition to performing with the Verano Trio and the Sedgwick String Quartet, Suzanne performed with Chamber Music West, the Telluride Chamber Music Festival and Festival de Prades.
Sally Chisholm
Viola
Sally Chisholm is the violist of the Pro Arte Quartet and Professor of Viola at the University of Wisconsin. She was the founding member of the Thouvenel Quartet which won first prize at the Weiner International Chamber Music Competition and commissioned Elliott Carter, Milton Babbitt, and Ernst Krenek among others. Recently Sally performed at the Warsaw Conservatory and the XXIII International Viola Congress.She performs annually in the Festival Der Zukunft in Ernen, Switzerland, and collaborates often with members of the Juilliard String Quartet and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Alvaro Gomez
Violin
Alvaro Gomez—originally from Chile—is recognized internationally as one of the most brilliant violinists emerging from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow where he studied with David Oistrach. Gomez has performed as a soloist and a conductor with many orchestras. He is presently Director of Orchestral Activities, Austin Peay State University.
Kathryn Hoffer
Violin
Kathryn studied with George Perlman in Chicago and at the Eastman School of Music with Carroll Glenn and John Celentano. She has been a member of the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra since 1974, and concertmaster since 1982. Other ensembles of which she is an active member include the Arioso Chamber Ensemble and the Capriccio String Trio. Kathryn has been an orchestra teacher for the Anchorage School District responsible for the beginning orchestra programs in 7 elementary schools. Currently she is the music director of the Anchorage Elementary Honor Orchestra program.
Parry Karp
Cello
Cellist Parry Karp is Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Chamber Music and Cello, at the University of Wisconsin and has been the cellist of the Pro Arte Quartet since 1976. He has performed over 1000 concerts throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, and Japan and made many award winning recordings with the Quartet and individually. Parry received early training in Vienna, Austria and studied with Lee Duckles, David Kadarauch, Peter Farrell, Gabriel Magyar and Gabor Rejto.
Karl Knapp
Cello
Karl Knapp is Assistant Professor of Cello and Music History at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and holds the position of principal cello with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Chamber Orchestra. Knapp is also a member of the Alaska Piano Trio and the Alaska Chamber Players.
Routa Kroumovitch Gomez
Violin
Routa Kroumovitch Gomez is a Professor at Stetson University, Florida. She studied with David Oistrach at the Moscow Conservatory and has had solo performances throughout the world. She has been concertmaster of many orchestras, and is now concertmaster for the Bach Festival Orchestra in Orlando. Honors include the Critic's Award for the best solo performance in Santiago, Chile, and a Fulbright Award.
David Perry
Violin
Violinist and Professor David Perry joined the Pro Arte Quartet and the UW-Madison faculty in 1995. As Concertmaster of the Aspen Chamber Symphony and the Chicago Philharmonic, and a member of the Aspen Ensemble, David enjoys many international engagements. Since the late 1980s, David has been active with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and has soloed with numerous orchestras including the St. Louis and Chicago symphonies. He studied with Dorothy DeLay, Paul Kantor, and Masao Kawasaki at the Juilliard School and plays on a 1711 Franciscus Gobetti violin.
Paul Sharpe
Double Bass
Paul Sharpe is the Artist-Teacher of Double Bass at North Carolina School of the Arts and principal double bass of the Winston-Salem Symphony. A recipient of numerous fellowships, prizes and honors, he maintains an active career internationally as an orchestral and chamber musician, and as a soloist. Recent accomplishments include recitals and master classes in Poland, Brazil and the Cleveland Institute. He grew up in Alaska.
