Musical Mischief, Mentor and Friends

Robert Zubrycki is a versatile violinist renowned for his extensive contributions to both classical and Broadway music. He has been a member of Orchestra Lumos for 30 years. Robert is the Concertmaster for the New York City Chamber Orchestra, a member of the American Symphony Orchestra and the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, and also has served as Concertmaster for the New York Oratorio Society, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He performs with the American Ballet Theater orchestra. A veteran of dozens of Broadway shows, Bob is in the orchestra of Carousel, and formerly in She Loves Me and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. He can be heard on the recent cast recordings of She Loves Me, An American in Paris and Paint Your Wagon (violin and mandolin). He has won an Emmy Award for his musical contribution to the documentary The Curse of the Bambino.

As a chamber musician, Robert is the first violinist of the Queen’s Chamber Band and the Queen’s Chamber Trio. The Trio’s recordings of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven are available on the Lyrichord label. Robert toured the United States with the Abaca String band, including performances at the Chautauqua Institute and the White House. He is currently the director for Concerts Around the Corner and the Cultural Arts Coalition in Brewster, NY. Bob is also an avid gardener.

He recently became a US Masters Swimming Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor and is an American “Red Cross” certified lifeguard.

Lisa Tipton, violinist and co-founder of the award-winning Meridian String Quartet, has toured internationally and held residencies at Queens and Bard Colleges. She won distinctions from the Evian International Competition, Artists International and Chamber Music America. As a devoted interpreter of new music, Ms. Tipton established the Made in America series at Weill Recital Hall and has performed on the Interpretations series at Merkin Concert Hall. She performs regularly with Amici NY, Orchestra Lumos, Little Orchestra Society, American Symphony Orchestra and on Broadway. Ms. Tipton’s critically acclaimed recording of the violin sonatas of Charles Ives was released on Capstone Records in 2006. She has performed as a soloist with the Cornell, NY Chamber Orchestra, the Bronx Symphony and Vari Musici. Recently Lisa, along with Adrienne Kim, Tomoko Fujita, Lisa Kozenko and Adria Benjamin launched The NY Chamber Music CoOP, a new creative performance collaborative in NYC. She has been heard on WQXR, WNYC and recorded on LRC, Midder, Arizona and Capstone Records. Lisa is the Director of the NY Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program and on the faculty of School for Strings. She earned her B.A. from Cornell University where she was a College Scholar, her M.A. from The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and her DMA from the CUNY Grad Center. Lisa has studied with Daniel Phillips, Ani Kavafian, Joey Corpus, Roman Totenberg, Joyce Robbins, Sonya Monosoff and The Juilliard Quartet. To learn more about this musician, visit: www.tiptonviolin.com

Adria Benjamin is a longtime member of Orchestra Lumos’s viola section and also serves as the orchestra’s personnel manager. She performs as an orchestral musician, chamber musician and in NYC as a recording studio and Broadway musician. She is a nationally recognized music educator through her work at Mannes College’s Preparatory Division where she conducts three orchestras, teaches viola, chamber music, performance workshops and chairs the String Department. She has performed as a soloist at the 92 Street Y, Zankel Hall, and has also performed at the White House. Adria was part of the founding team of the OK Mozart International Festival where, in addition to serving as Assistant Principal Violist, she also served as Artistic Administrator and Artistic Director. She performs annually at the Bard Festival. Adria was a founding member of the critically acclaimed Eos Orchestra and of the New York Viola Society. She is a former member of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Jerusalem String Ensemble. Her teachers include Mary Jane Metcalfe, Francis Tursi (Eastman), Karen Tuttle (Peabody) and Joey Corpus. While pursuing a Master’s Degree at the Peabody Conservatory, Adria served as Karen Tuttle’s teaching assistant and was awarded the Peabody Prize for Outstanding Viola performance. While at Eastman, Adria served as assistant to her conducting mentors, Gustav Meier and Robert DeCormier. She is often a part of the planning and creative teams and a performing artist for many concerts benefiting a wide range of non-profit organizations. With the New York Chamber Music Co-Op, Adria and her colleagues present an annual series of Concerts for Social Justice, all in support of the social justice initiatives at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

Peter Sanders, cello, is a native New Yorker and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Sanders has been a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra since 1999 (for which he has served as Acting Principal), Orchestra Lumos and has performed and recorded as a guest artist with the Perspectives Ensemble. He has toured Southeast Asia twice with the New York Symphonic Ensemble and as concerto soloist with the group performed in concerts in Taipei and Singapore. He is Artistic Director of the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival which had its inaugural season in 1993. Mr. Sanders was a winner of the 1998 Artists International award as a member of the Hollaender Ensemble. He has participated in many summer festivals including the Colorado Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival, Crested Butte Chamber Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival (faculty position), CVCMF, Lancaster Festival, Ohio (where he was principal cello from 1992-98), Windham Chamber Music Festival, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Park City & SLC Autumn Classics Music Festival and the Moab Music Festival. As a studio musician Mr. Sanders has recorded for a variety of popular artists including Pat Metheny, Jewel, Kathie Lee Gifford, Andy Bey and Carlinhos Brown. He can be heard on the Delos, Muse, Bridge, RCA Victor-Red Seal, New World, On the Lamb and KOCH International Classics labels. Radio and television broadcasts include WQXR, APM’s “Performance Today”, PBS and Vermont Public Radio.

Peter Sanders, cello, is a native New Yorker and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Sanders has been a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra since 1999 (for which he has served as Acting Principal), Orchestra Lumos and has performed and recorded as a guest artist with the Perspectives Ensemble. He has toured Southeast Asia twice with the New York Symphonic Ensemble and as concerto soloist with the group performed in concerts in Taipei and Singapore. He is Artistic Director of the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival which had its inaugural season in 1993. Mr. Sanders was a winner of the 1998 Artists International award as a member of the Hollaender Ensemble and is currently a member of the Ariadne Trio. He has participated in many summer festivals including the Colorado Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival, Crested Butte Chamber Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival (faculty position), CVCMF, Lancaster Festival, Ohio (where he was principal cello from 1992-98), Windham Chamber Music Festival, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Park City & SLC Autumn Classics Music Festival and the Moab Music Festival. As a studio musician Mr. Sanders has recorded for a variety of popular artists including Pat Metheny, Jewel, Kathie Lee Gifford, Andy Bey and Carlinhos Brown. He can be heard on the Delos, Muse, Bridge, RCA Victor-Red Seal, New World, On the Lamb and KOCH International Classics labels. Radio and television broadcasts include WQXR, APM’s “Performance Today”, PBS and Vermont Public Radio.