A native of Atlanta, GA, Robert Howard began studying cello at age 12. Graduate of Rice University and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has studied and performed at festivals such as Tanglewood, Spoleto, Verbier, the Accademia Chigiana, and the Sandor Vegh Academy in Prague. Robert won first prize in the Rome Festival Competition and has received grants from the Maggini and Virtu Foundations. Robert has performed in the Festival Internacional de Musica in Costa Rica, the Festival de Guadarama in Spain, and on the Mostly Mozart series in Lincoln Center. Locally, he has performed with American Bach Soloists, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque, and the San Francisco Symphony. A regular guest on many Bay Area chamber music series, his concerto appearances include BARS Orchestra and Stanford Symphony. He has coached at San Francisco Conservatory, Stanford University, San Jose State University, and San Francisco State University. Robert founded and co-directs the Kenya International Chamber Music Festival. In addition to two live festivals in Kenya every year, KICF runs a weekly academy for teachers online, and sponsors beginning violin lessons in several locations throughout Kenya. 

Cellist Amy Hsieh made her New York debut recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 2002 as a winner of the Artists International New York Debut Award. She has since performed as a soloist and chamber musician in various locations around the United States, Europe, and Taiwan, including prestigious venues such as the National Concert Hall in Taiwan, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Dr. Hsieh is not only dedicated to performing, but also to mentoring aspiring musicians to succeed in the music industry. Her guidance has led her students to win several competitions and participate in masterclasses.

Dr. Hsieh earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School, her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and her Doctorate of Musical Arts from Boston University. Her teachers were Ardyth Alton and Michael Reynolds. Currently, Dr. Hsieh serves on the cello faculty at an International School in Taiwan and is a co-founder of C'est Bon Chamber Music Academy.

Dr. Leo Singer is an accomplished American cellist, educator, and scholar. He is the Director of the University of Michigan Youth Performing Arts Pre-College, a program offering world-class instruction to young musicians. During the summer, he serves on faculty at the prestigious Center Stage Strings and performs at festivals worldwide, including the Caroga Arts Music Festival and the Sevcik Academy in the Czech Republic.

Singer has collaborated with numerous renowned artists, including members of the Emerson, Cavani, Verona, and Euclid String Quartets, as well as Clive Greensmith, Carol Wincenc, and Robert McDuffie. As a pedagogue, his students have gone on to attend leading music institutions such as The Juilliard School, Rice University, Manhattan School of Music, the University of Michigan, and elite summer programs like Aspen, Pacific Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West.

A passionate scholar of technique, Singer authored Changes of Position, a book exploring foundational principles for the left hand. His prior leadership roles include serving as Coordinator and Distinguished Artist of Cello at the McDuffie Center for Strings and founding the Ann Arbor Chamber Fest, a concert series showcasing doctoral and professional chamber musicians.

Singer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale University, graduating with distinction in the intensive music major. He earned his Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at the University of Michigan, where he was teaching assistant to renowned pedagogue Richard Aaron. His other primary teachers include Ole Akahoshi, Andre Emelianoff, and Sibylle Johner.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory, Avery Waite is a dedicated music educator and an accomplished cellist. Special performances include a concert alongside legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, a performance for President Barack Obama, and an appearance on the TV show, Sesame Street. As an educator, Avery has worked with music students all over the globe, including in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Kenya, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Jamaica. Avery was also the recipient of a Fulbright Grant to spend a year in India helping to develop and coach youth orchestra programs all over the country. As Executive Director of the non-profit MusAid from 2014 - 2021, he facilitated and directed cultural exchange programs between American music educators and under-resourced music schools worldwide. Avery currently resides in Taiwan where he is an Orchestra Director at Taipei American School.

San Francisco Conservatory

Cellist Vicky Wang is Artistic Director and co-founder of C’est Bon Chamber Music Academy, where she inspires young musicians through chamber music and cultural exchange initiatives such as the Beyond Borders program in El Salvador, reflecting her belief in music as a bridge across cultures. She is on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and previously served as Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music, where she also performed as cellist of Trio 180. The piano trio, known for its vibrant performances and commitment to new music, celebrated its 20th anniversary with five commissioned works.

Vicky has performed, taught, adjudicated, and given masterclasses across North America, Europe, Central America, and Asia, with appearances at the Chamber Music America Conference, Pacific Music Institute in Hawaii, and Shkolnikova Academy in France. She has also participated in international festivals including the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, the Spoleto Festival in Italy, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan.

Her teachers include Eleonore Schoenfeld, Zara Nelsova, Darrett Adkins, Joel Krosnick, Alan Stepansky, and Marcy Rosen. She earned her BM and MM from The Juilliard School and DMA from the City University of New York.