Sonya Stith Williams (violin), Heidi Hoffman (cello) and Robert Auler (piano) perform chamber music masterworks by Beethoven, Turina and Ravel.

Program

Turina: Circulo, Op. 91

Beethoven: Piano Trio in D Major, Op.70, No.1 “Ghost”

Ravel: Piano Trio

Heidi Hoffman, cellist, made her debut as soloist with the Seattle Symphony (USA) at the age of 17. She went on to study at the Eastman School of Music, SUNY Stony Brook, and the Tanglewood Music Center, where she played under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. She has performed in North and South America, Europe and Japan. Ms. Hoffman is a member of Symphoria in New York, the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in Chicago, and has served on the faculties of Ithaca College, Wells College, and Cornell University. She has recorded for the Albany and Fleur de Son labels, and her teachers have included Alan Harris, Timothy Eddy, and Julius Levine.

Sonya Stith Williams is currently the Assistant Concertmaster of Symphoria. Sonya holds a B.M. (violin) and M.M. (performance/literature)from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Zvi Zeitlin and Ilya Kaler. She has performed with the Skaneateles Festival, Civic Morning Musicals Recital Series, Laveck Concerts, Society for New Music, Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, Temple Concord Concert Series, and Syracuse Stage musical productions. She is also a member of the Symphoria String Quartet. Sonya has been a guest speaker at the Eastman School’s Arts Leadership program, and Syracuse University’s Women in Leadership organization. She teaches at Le Moyne College, SUNY Oswego, and the Eastern US Music camp. Sonya serves on the Board of Directors at Symphoria, is chair of the Education and Outreach Committee and also serves on the Syracuse YMCA arts branch board. She lives in Baldwinsville with her husband Matt and their three children.

Robert Auler: The New York Times commends Robert Auler’s playing for its “extraordinary rhythmic clarity and expression.” American Record Guide cites his “elegant tone and uncanny sense of voicing.” The Charlotte Observer writes that Auler handles “technical and virtuosic concerns with aplomb.” Auler has won first prize in multiple international piano competitions including the Society of American Musicians and the Stravinsky Awards. Auler has performed on six continents; notable venues include Carnegie Hall,
Teatro Colon, and Shanghai Symphony Hall. Auler records for Albany Records and serves as a Professor of Piano at the State University of New York (Oswego, where he won the President’s Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity. He and his wife Tara have two daughters, Katie and Caroline.