The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has announced that ten new musicians will join the orchestra with the start of the 2019-20 season. MEREDITH KUFCHAK will serve as principal viola, and GEORGE NICKSON will be principal percussion. In addition, JENNA BARGHOUTI and GIYEON YOON join the first violin section; SARAH KIENLE, XIAOHAN SUN, and DAN WANG join the viola section; JENNIFER YUNYOUNG CHOI has been appointed section cello; ANDREW SANDWICK joins the clarinet section; and TOM FLEMING has been appointed second bassoon.
Violist Meredith Kufchak received a master’s degree in chamber music performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Kufchak grew up in Columbus, Ohio, as the youngest of six musicians. She completed undergraduate studies in viola performance at Rice University, where she studied with Ivo-Jan van der Werff at the Shepherd School of Music. She has performed in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition as well as the St. Paul String Quartet Competition. She has participated at music festivals including Yellow Barn in Vermont, Olympic Music Festival in Washington, and Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. Kufchak has performed regularly with the San Francisco Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, New Century Chamber Orchestra, and as principal viola of the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra.
Prior to joining the Dallas Symphony, George Nickson was principal percussionist of Florida’s Sarasota Orchestra from 2012 to 2019. He received a master of music degree from the Juilliard School, and completed his undergraduate studies at New England Conservatory. Nickson has performed with the orchestras of Boston, Detroit, Washington D.C., Toronto, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Recent highlights include world-premiere concerto performances at ensembleNEWSRQ in Sarasota, Florida and at Tanglewood; solo performances at the Spoleto Festival; and solo recording projects on the Naxos, Bridge, and Albany Records labels. Nickson, also a conductor, frequently leads performances of ensembleNEWSRQ, including world premieres, Charles Wuorinen’s New York Notes, and Le Marteau sans Maître of Pierre Boulez.
Posted August 21, 2019
