Opera Lafayette - Krista Bennion Feeney

Krista Bennion Feeney, violinist, enjoys a diverse musical life of chamber music, orchestral and solo playing, as well as musical directorship. Currently she is a co-concertmaster of the Orchestra of St. Luke's and a member of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble (since 1983). In 2003 she was appointed concertmaster of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center by new music director Louis Langree. As a founding member of the Loma Mar Quartet, Ms Feeney recorded works by Sir Paul McCartney in an EMI album titled "Working Classical" which includes two new quartet works written for the Loma Mar Quartet. They are also soloists with the London Symphony in a "Working Classical" video.

At the age of 15, Ms. Feeney performed the Mendelssohn concerto with the San Francisco Symphony, returning several times in Mozart concerti conducted by Alexander Schneider. She's also soloed with numerous orchestras including the symphonies of St. Louis, Elgin, Modesto, the New York String Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's and the New Century Chamber Orchestra, of which she was the music director from 1999-2006.

From 1979-1991 Ms. Feeney was a founding member and first violinist of the Ridge Quartet, performing on four continents and recording both Dvorak piano quintets for RCA Red Seal with pianist Rudolf Firkusny. The Ridge also collaborated with clarinetist Benny Goodman and the Guarneri Quartet, among many others. She attended the Marlboro Music Festival where she performed with Rudolf Serkin and received almost daily chamber music lessons with Mischa Schneider.

Ms. Feeney is much in demand as a chamber musician and has performed and coached at many international festivals. She's recorded both Bach violin concerti with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, in addition to many chamber and orchestral works. In 1992 and 1996 Ms. Feeney toured in Europe and Great Britain as Leader of the London Classical Players, also recording for EMI, at the invitation of conductor Roger Norrington.

Violin studies were with Clarice Horelick and Anthony Doheny, then at the San Francisco Conservatory with Isadore Tinkleman and Stuart Canin, followed by studies at the Curtis Institute with Jaime Laredo, Felix Galimer and Mischa Schneider.

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