Atlanta Symphony Announces Five New Musicians

Music Director Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra have announced the appointment of five new full-time musicians. Four of the members began performing with the Orchestra in January 2011: Associate Principal Trumpet Karin Bliznik; Cello Jennifer Humphreys; Viola Yiyin Li; and Viola Jessica Oudin. Bass Joseph McFadden will begin with the Orchestra in September 2011.

Karin Bliznik, Associate Principal Trumpet, previously held principal positions with both the Charlotte Symphony and the Charleston Symphony, and is currently Principal Trumpet of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. Ms. Bliznik received a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, and Christopher Martin, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University, where she studied with Terry Everson and Thomas Rolfs. As a soloist, Ms. Bliznik recently won first place at the 2010 International Women's Brass Conference.

Jennifer Humphreys, cello, joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from the Charlotte Symphony, where she served as Assistant Principal Cello for two seasons. She studied at Rice University, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees as a student of Lynn Harrell, Brinton Smith, and Chris French. Ms. Humphreys has served as Principal Cellist of the National Repertory Orchestra and the National Orchestral Institute, and in 2004 traveled to Graz, Austria, to participate in the American Institute for Musical Studies.

Yiyin Li, viola, was previously the Associate PrincipAl Viola of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, New England Conservatory Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestras, EOS Symphony Orchestra, Outstanding Chinese Youth Artists Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-Juku Orchestra, and Pacific Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Li studied at the Central Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory.

Jessica Oudin, viola, served as PrincipAl Viola for both the Canton Symphony Orchestra (OH) and CityMusic Cleveland prior to joining the Orchestra, and was a frequent substitute musician with the Cleveland Orchestra. Ms. Oudin graduated with high honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she was a student of Jeffrey Irvine, and holds a master's degree from the Juilliard School. Further studies were undertaken at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student in the Professional Studies Program under the tutelage of Robert Vernon. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Oudin has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has collaborated with renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman at both Carnegie Hall and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Joseph McFadden, bass, was Principal Bass of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Mr. McFadden has also performed on stage with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Nashville Symphony. A native of Los Angeles, he received his bachelor's degree from California State University Northridge (CSUN), where he studied with Oscar Meza. He then completed graduate studies at Indiana University (IU), under the instruction of Bruce Bransby. Mr. McFadden is a two-time fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he studied with Chris Hanulik and Bruce Bransby and performed throughout the summer with the Aspen Chamber Symphony. Mr. McFadden plays on a bass he commissioned from Chris Threlkled which was finished for him in October of 2009.

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