About Us
Our mission is to bring together Knoxville’s exceptional musicians with dedicated audience members to create inspirational chamber music experiences.
Meet the October 22 Artists
Ruth Bacon Edewards
Ruth Bacon Edewards has played the violin for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a student of Suzuki teacher trainer Susan Kempter, she remembers well the joys and struggles of the Suzuki journey. Ruth fell in love with performing in middle school, hearing the Mendelssohn Octet performed by older kids, and she knew that she wanted to be able to play like that. She earned her Bachelor’s of Music at the University of New Mexico, where she also completed her Suzuki long term training under the direction of her first violin teacher, Susan Kempter.
Sarah Ringer
Originally from St Louis, Sarah grew up in a musical family. In her early years she was particularly influenced by listening to her mom play string quartets with friends and perform with the St Louis Philharmonic as associate concertmaster. After earning a B.A. in history from Covenant College, Sarah attended the Hartt School of music in Hartford CT, where she earned a M.M. in violin performance with an emphasis in Suzuki pedagogy, studying with Katie Lansdale and Teri Einfeldt.Sarah’s orchestral experience includes the performing with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and serving as principal Second violin with the New Hampshire Philharmonic, as well as performing with other regional orchestras in New England and the Southeast.
Hillary Herndon
Violist Hillary Herndon has earned a national reputation for her brilliant playing, “sweetly soaring tone” (Time Out New York), creative programming and insightful teaching. She has been heard on NPR and PBS and has collaborated with some of the world’s foremost artists, including Carol Wincenc, James VanDermark and Itzhak Perlman, who described Hillary as “having it all… a gifted teacher and an excellent musician.” Ms. Herndon is dedicated to expanding the repertoire for viola through commissions of new compositions as well as research, performance and advocacy of little known existing works. Her recitals often feature brand new or unknown repertoire alongside the standard canon. Herndon’s first recording, “La Viola: Music for Viola and Piano by Women Composers of the 20th Century” received praise from all reviewers, including The International Record Guide, who called the CD “uncommonly interesting” and “strongly recommended.”
Jeannine Wilkinson
eanine Wilkinson is an active performer, teacher, and administrator involved in many different musical endeavors throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Since taking up residence in Knoxville in 2005 she performs regularly with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Mountains, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Symphony, and the Bryan Symphony. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. In 2016 Jeanine founded the Inner Voices String Quartet, comprised of four classically-trained musicians whose careers blissfully collided in Knoxville. This group of dynamic women are inspired and dedicated to providing audiences a unique listening experience of high quality music in a contemporary and modern way. Highlight performances included their debut in a former gas station and then later in an avant-garde hair salon, where not only was unique programming celebrated but also an emphasis on women in music.
Bernadette Lo
Taiwanese pianist Bernadette Lo (Lo, Wei-Chun) has become a much sought-after collaborative pianist, with extensive experience in both vocal and instrumental music. She has been engaged by the Sugar Creek Festival, Opera Illinois, Illinois Opera Theatre and the University of Tennessee Opera Theatre. She has performed in recital with acclaimed instrumentalists such as Yuri Mazurkevich, Dale Clevenger and David Griffin (both of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Ronald Barron (of the Boston Symphony Orchestra) and flutist Tadeu Coelho. She has concertized nationally with violist Hillary Herndon, which whom she has recorded two compact discs of works featuring female composers such as Harrison, Decruck, Clarke, and others.
Edie Johnson
Johnson has won prizes in many organ performance competitions including first place in the John Rodland organ and church music scholarship competition. She has performed for national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Organ Historical Society and the National General Assembly of the Disciples of Christ Church. Several of her performances have been broadcast on American Public Media's Pipedreams. A particular interest is the use of mental imagery and rehearsal in music learning, teaching and performing. Johnson has given many presentations to universities, chapters of the American Guild of Organists and to the Association of Anglican Musicians based on her doctoral paper that discusses techniques to optimize practice sessions and relieve performance anxieties.
Arthur Zanin
Arthur Zanin has performed in orchestral and chamber music settings in South America, the United States, and Europe. He is currently the Principal Trumpet of the Charlottesville Symphony and has appeared as a guest musician with a number of orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony and the Naples Philharmonic. Zanin worked as a freelancer in New York City performing in a variety of recitals, shows, and recordings in prestigious concert venues such as the Lincoln Center and the Kauffman Center.
Trillium Trio
Trillium, now in its eighth year, has enjoyed playing for enthusiastic concert audiences from Maryland to North Dakota, Virginia, and North Carolina, in addition to numerous performances in Blount, Knox, and Anderson counties. Trillium was a 2018 recipient of the Ann and Steve Bailey Grant for professional development, administered by Knoxville's Arts and Culture Alliance, and also performs for civic groups and private events around the region. The members of Trillium are Sara-Lee Cho (violin), Alicia Randisi Hooker (cello) and Robert Bonham (piano). www.trillium-trio.com
