Santa Barbara Music Club

Member Type: String Player

Elizabeth Olson , Cellist

Elizabeth Olson, cellist, began music studies through public school music programs; continuing with private lessons, she currently studies with Geoffrey Rutkowski. She earned her BS Degree in Chemistry from Loma Linda University and her MS Degree in Accountancy from CSU San Bernardino. For the past ten years her passion has been chamber music, with performances including concerts at Loma Linda University and the Santa Barbara Music Club. Elizabeth is currently a CPA at Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. in Santa Barbara.

SBMC Concert Performances

Chavdar Parashkevov , Violinist

Chavdar Parashkevov, violinist, was born in Bulgaria and has concertized to lavish critical acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Winner of prizes from national and international competitions, his diverse career has included appearances as concerto soloist, solo recitalist, and chamber musician in Denmark, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the U.S. A graduate of the School for the Arts in Varna, Bulgaria, he came to the U.S. in 1997 to continue his education with Edward Schmieder at Southern Methodist University and Andjei Grabiec at the University of Houston. In 2005 Chavdar and pianist Vessela Gintcheva released the CD Moto Perpetuo, which features Bulgarian violin music, and in 2009 the CD was played for the Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS 125 to the Hubble Space Telescope. Mr. Parashkevov currently combines performing and teaching careers, and performs in the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras.

SBMC Concert Performances

Ray Tischer , Violist

Ray Tischer, violist, has performed internationally and has recorded over 1500 soundtracks, TV series, commercials, and albums with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and other notables. Dr. Tischer earned his DMA Degree from USC in viola and musicology, and is an avid practitioner of early music performance practice and jazz, in addition to being an Integrative and Music Therapist at Cottage Hospital. He performs on a Pietro Pallotta viola, made in Perugia, Italy in 1809, which he inherited from his mother, the esteemed violist Ann Tischer.

SBMC Concert Performances

Andrew Saunders , Viola da gambist

Andrew Saunders, viola da gambist, received his early training from Bill Darst, Professor of Baroque Violin at Oberlin Conservatory, with continued study at Viola da Gamba Society of America workshops. As cellist and double bassist, he has performed with the SBCC Symphony and the West Coast Symphony, and with chamber ensembles including Ensemble Aquila, the Paradox Trio, and the band, Waters Rising. Andrew performs on a viola da gamba left to him by Bill Darst when he passed away, and it is his inspiration that keeps his music alive.

SBMC Concert Performances

Jeannot Maha'a , Cellist

Jeannot Maha’a, cellist, is a specialist in historical performance practice on original instruments and studied at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute. In 2010 he founded Editions Violone, a Santa Barbara-based publishing house specializing in scholarly performing editions of rare and little-known music of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and currently heads an international team of musicologists in the search for forgotten music. Mr. Maha’a maintains a private cello and bass studio in SB, and performs on an Italian cello made in 1766.

SBMC Concert Performances

Joaquin Gray , Guitarist

Joaquin Gray, guitarist, is self-taught on that instrument as well as on the piano, and has played the many instruments of rock music and electronica, touring the U.S. with the experimental band Trance to the Sun. He received his BM Degree in Music Composition at UCSB, studying with Dr. Joel Feigin. Joaquin currently studies Flamenco guitar with the renowned choreographer Anna Galindo, in addition to collaborating in concerts as continuo player with the viola da gamba, amassing techniques to further his own compositions.

SBMC Concert Performances

Laurie Rasmussen , Harpist

Laurie Rasmussen, harpist, has toured across the U.S., Canada, and Europe as soloist and collaborative artist. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder, was top prize winner at the 2007 Lyon & Healy International Jazz and Pop Harpfest Competition, and was featured artist at Celtic music festivals in Germany and Italy. Laurie is currently harpist with the SB Folk Orchestra, is Instructor at SB City College, maintains a private teaching studio, and is owner of the harp showroom, Harps by the Sea.

SBMC Concert Performances

Marie Hébert , Violinist

Marie Hébert, violin, is active as soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. A former SB Music Club Scholarship awardee, she earned her BM and MM Degrees at UCSB, has performed with the Montecito International Music Festival, and toured in China with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra. Marie is currently Teaching Artist and Youth Ensembles Personnel Manager with the SB Symphony, Teaching Artist for SB Strings, violinist with the Folk Orchestra of SB, and maintains a private violin/viola teaching studio.

SBMC Concert Performances

Timothy Beccue , Cellist

Timothy Beccue, cellist, has won numerous awards for his performances spanning North America and Europe, including First Place in the 2018 SB Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Competition. He graduated with a physics degree from Westmont College, where he studied cello with Trevor Handy, has been soloist with the Westmont Orchestra and West Coast Symphony, and contracts as substitute cellist with the SB Symphony. In addition to his musical pursuits, he works with robotic telescopes at Las Cumbres Observatory.

SBMC Concert Performances

Han Soo Kim , Violinist

Han Soo Kim, violinist, is an award-winning and internationally accomplished artist who has performed to critical acclaim in numerous countries on four continents. Dr. Kim has concertized extensively as solo performer, duo-recitalist and chamber musician. In the United States, he has performed in some of the nation’s most prominent venues including Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Cutler Majestic Theater, Jordan Hall, Kaufmann Concert Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Performances have also led him to institutions and festivals including Académie Internationale de Courchevel, Boston Conservatory, Columbia University, Le Domaine Forget International Music Festival, The Juilliard School, Longy School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, Meadowmount School of Music, Morningside Music Bridge, Musicorda, New England Conservatory, and Stony Brook University. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the US and abroad performing standard concertos to contemporary world premieres. As a Promessa Records Artist he has released Encore Favori, a solo CD featuring a dozen encores and virtuosic showpieces, and will be recording the next album in 2021. He is Founder and the violinist of The Finehouse-Kim-Yhee Trio.
Dr. Kim has earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance under a fellowship grant. His Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in violin performance are from The Juilliard School where he was a merit scholarship recipient. His influential teachers and mentors include Roman Totenberg, Sally Thomas, and Pamela Frank. He has worked with distinguished chamber music artists including Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard, and Orion String Quartets. He is a Bella Rosins Artist and performs on a Carlo Antonio Testore of 1721. His CDs can be purchased at the Westmont College bookstore and hanjoannekim.com. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son Kian and dog Dolce, exploring restaurants in Santa Barbara, playing pool, and gardening.

SBMC Concert Performances