Summer Music Festival - Colorado College

Violinist Steven Copes leads a diverse and enthusiastic musical life as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader. He joined the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (http://www.thespco.org/) as Concertmaster in 1998, and since then has led the orchestra from the chair in several highly acclaimed, eclectic programs. He also appears frequently as soloist with the SPCO, performing concerti by Bach, Berg, Brahms, Hindemith, Kirchner, Mozart, Prokofiev,Vivaldi and Weill. A zealous advocate of the music of today, he gave the world premiere of George Tsontakis’ Violin Concerto No. 2, which and was written for him and the SPCO and recorded for KOCH, and also gave the NY premiere of Lutoslawski’s Subito forViolin and Piano (1992) at Merkin Hall. His performance of Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, which the Financial Times described as exhibiting “flashing, often exhilarating vigour,” earned him a prize at the 1992 Carl Flesch Competition. He also recently performed Four Rags by pianist/composer John Novacek on American Public Media’s Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.
An avid chamber musician, Copes co-founded the Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival in Colorado, and has also performed at festivals and series such as Aspen, Boston Chamber Music Society, Caramoor, Cello Plus, Chamber Music Northwest, Colorado College, El Paso Pro Musica, La Jolla SummerFest, Marlboro, Music in the Vineyards, Piccolo Spoleto, San Luis Obispo Mozart, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Skaneateles, Strings in the Mountains and Sweetwater Music Weekend in the United States and Canada; and abroad at festivals in Australia, Austria, Costa Rica, France, Japan, New Zealand, and Scotland.
Copes is a frequent guest leader with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and he has served in the same capacity with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the London Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony. He has worked with students at the Colorado College Summer Festival, the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, and at Western Michigan University, Indiana University, the University of Minnesota, and Roosevelt University in Chicago. A native of Los Angeles, he holds degrees from the Curtis Institute and the Julliard School, and his teachers include Robert Lipsett, Aaron Rosand, Robert Mann, and Felix Galimir for chamber music. He performs on a violin made by Guarnerius del Gesu in 1742 (the ex-Benno Rabinof), on generous loan to him from Michael and Jean Antonello.