JAVS Fall 1997

San Francisco Conservatory of Music Viola Faculty

AnativeofRussia, Leonid Gesin studied with A.G. Sosin at the Leningrad State Conservatory, where he later served as amember of the faculty. He performed for 17 years with the Leningrad State Philharmonic. He also taught viola and violin for five years at the Rimsky-Korsakov Special Music School in Leningrad, then emigrated to the U.S. in 1978. Gesin is a member of the San Francisco Symphony and of the Navarro String Quartet. He appears in Chamber Music Sundaes and per forms with the Sierra Chamber Society.

Geraldine Walther, Principal Viola of the San Francisco Symphony since 1976, is former Assistant Principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Walther was first prize winner of the William Primrose International Competition in 1979. She appears frequently with Bay Area orchestras and cham ber music ensembles and has per formed with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival for the past decade. She was selected by Sir George Solti as amember of his "Musicians of the World Orchestra" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in July 1995.

Don Ehrlich, Assistant Principal Viola of the San Francisco Symphony, has been a frequent soloist and chamber musician in the Bay Area and around the world in such groups as the Aurora String Quartet and Stanford String Quartet, and on such series as Chamber Music West, Chamber Music Sundaes, and the Mendocino Music Festival. He received his B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory, his M.M.

Pau I Hersh, former violist and pianist of the Lenox Quartet, studied viola with William Primrose. He is former faculty member of the Grinnell College and SUNY at Binghamton, and has been artist-in residence and visiting faculty at the University of California at Davis, Temple University, Oregon State University, University of Western Washington, Berkshire Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and the Spoleto (Italy) Festival of Two Worlds. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and many other groups.

from the Manhattan School of Music and his D.M.A from the University of Michigan.

For more information, contact: Office of Student Services San Francisco Conservatory of Music 1201 Ortega Street, San Francisco, CA 94122-4498 [415] 759-3431 tel; [415] 759-3499 fax

Offering the Music Diploma, Bachelor of Music, and Master of Music.

Students from around the world come to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for several reasons:

jgordon@ sirius.com http://www.sfcm.edu Founded 1917. Colin Murdoch, President Deborah Berman, Dean

A student-teacher ratio of 6-to-1. The opportunity to study with an exceptional faculty in one of the world's most diverse and exciting cultural centers. Extensive performance opportunities both on campus and around the city. Concerts and recitals are presented at the Conservatory's Hellman Hall nearly everyday of the school year.

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We have a faculty for great music.