Alexandr Kislitsyn, violin

   Celebrated for his "profound musical insight and exceptional violin artistry," Alexandr Kislitsyn has performed on stages across the globe, including such venues as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Kimmel Center. A musical prodigy, Alexandr made his debut as a concert violinist with a symphony orchestra at the age of six. Since then, his career has flourished with achievements in multiple international competitions and performances in Europe, Asia, Russia, and North and South America, where he has delivered solo recitals, chamber music performances, and masterclasses.
   Alexandr's discography is notable for its emphasis on contemporary classical music, having recorded and released nine albums with PARMA Recordings. He also released many records in electronic music genres. His exceptional talent has been recognized with multiple accolades, including one Gold medal and two Silver medals from the Global Music Awards. His collaborations extend to mainstream media, having appeared on the Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon, performing alongside The Heart and the Head. 
   As an orchestral virtuoso, Alexandr performed with multiple orchestras and ensembles, including the Omsk Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Novosibirsk Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, the iPalpiti International Festival, Southeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Temple University Symphony Orchestra, Trio Casals, and others. 
Academically, Alexandr holds a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance from Novosibirsk State Conservatory and a Master's degree in Violin Performance from Temple University. He is pursuing a Doctorate in Music Performance at Temple University, underscoring his dedication to music's practical and theoretical aspects.

Anna Kislitsyna, piano

     Praised by the Performing Arts Review for her “heroic interpretive intelligence, subtle technical virtuosity, and distinctive mastery of nuance and color,” Anna Kislitsyna has appeared in some of world’s most prestigious venues including Carnegie Halls’ Weill Recital Hall, The Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, Moscow Conservatory’s Rachmaninov Hall, and Paris Conservatory’s Alfred Cortot Hall.

     She has recorded 15 CDs on PARMA Recording’s Navona label including her solo CD, Piano Spectrums which won a Silver Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the 2023 Global Music Awards. Her recordings specialize in works by living composers and were followed with world premieres at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. To date she has premiered and recorded over 100 compositions by living composers.

     As a soloist, she has appeared with the Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra, Omsk Symphony, Helena Symphony, Southeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Berks Sinfonietta, Delaware County Symphony, Temple University Symphony Orchestra, and more. Anna has won prizes in multiple international competitions, including Global Music Awards (2020, 2022, and 2023), the Lautard-Chetchenko Competition in France, International Chamber Music Competition in Finland, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and Chopin International Piano Competition in Connecticut. From 2002-2012 she served as a soloist in residence with the Omsk Symphony Orchestra.

     As a collaborative pianist, Anna performs recitals with principal players of the Philadelphia Orchestra and has worked with Delaware University, Haverford College, West Chester University, Temple University, the Primavera Fund, Harmony for Peace Foundation, and PMAY Artists Initiative, Ictus International Music Competition, and National Trumpet Competition. From 2013 to 2023 she was a pianist of Trio Casals.

     Anna is a highly respected educator who has mentored countless aspiring musicians. Her students have won awards in over 150 international competitions including a solo performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a solo recital at the White House,  and performing on From the Top. She is currently on the faculty at Haverford College and the Nelly Berman School of Music.

     Dr. Kislitsyna has published a dissertation on Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Piano and Strings, as well as articles on the music of Messiaen, Prokofiev, Scarlatti, Bach, and Shchedrin. She holds a D.M.A from Temple University and a Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree from Novosibirsk State Conservatory in Russia. She also holds a Master’s Degree from West Chester University.

Branson Yeast, cello

     Cellist Branson Yeast, a native of Houston, TX, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music (B.M.), the Juilliard School (M.M.), and is also a protégé of cellist Wendy Warner. His performances as a chamber musician, soloist (recently, the Dvorak Concerto with Litha Symphony in Manhattan, 2023), and orchestral musician have brought him to perform in Chicago, London, Lucerne, Hamburg, Heidelberg, St-Jean-de-Luz (broadcast on RadioFrance), and across the north-eastern United States. While at Curtis, Branson was the last student of the late David Soyer of the Guarneri Quartet, a Jacqueline du Pré Memorial Fellow, and his graduation recital aired on WHYY Television. His passions for contemporary music and cross-disciplinary projects brought him to perform a memorized production of Pierrot Lunaire as part of a tour with the Grammy-award winning group “eighth blackbird,” and has also led him to make dozens of premieres of new works, including many chamber music and solo performances in halls such as Alice Tully and with contemporary dance companies such as Philadelphia’s BalletX. Branson currently resides in Philadelphia and was recently named Principal Cello of both Opera Philadelphia and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the latter of whom he recently performed concerti of CPE Bach, Boccherini, and Vivaldi.