OLGA SHPITKO (Violin)

Olga Shpitko was born in L’viv, Ukraine, graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory attaining a BM, MM and local Ph. D.  While studying in Moscow she toured many European countries with the Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory.  Ms. Shpitko has been Assistant Concertmaster of the “Young Russia” State Symphony Orchestra, has performed as a soloist with L’viv Symphony Orchestra, attended many festivals and played numerous concerts as a member of the contemporary music ensemble “New Music Studio”.

In 1995 Ms. Shpitko moved to Paris, France to continue her professional studies.  She won 1st prize at “Concours musical Regional d’Ile de France” and 2nd prize at UNESCO 8th International Competition “Flame”.

In 1997 she received the Lindred Scott Bendann Endowed Scholarship in Violin and the Heifetz Fund for Talented Young Musicians Award.  Ms. Shpitko came to study at the Peabody conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University.  She became a member of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in 1999 and in 2001 was promoted to the position of Assistant Concertmaster. Ms. Shpitko joined the first Violin Section of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2006.

KENN WAGNER (Violin)

Kenn Wagner, first violinist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, began focusing his studies toward a musical career at age thirteen ,after soloing with the New Orleans and Arlington, Virginia Symphonies. Driven to play in a great orchestra someday, he trained under Joseph Gingold, former Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Vernon Summers, violinist with the National Symphony. Before graduating from Indiana University, he won his first position with the New Jersey Symphony. While finishing his Bachelor Degree, playing with New Jersey, and substituting in the Baltimore Symphony, Kenn auditioned and joined the Atlanta Symphony in 1994, with the aid of coaching from William Steck, Concertmaster of the National Symphony. With his dream realized, he has enjoyed substituting with chamber music groups such as The Riverside Chamber Players, The Atlanta Chamber Players, fund raising concerts with the Georgian Chamber Players, and Awadagin Pratt’s Next generation festival. 

Kenn has appeared as soloist and concertmaster with the Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra, performing the Barber, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Glazanov violin concertos, with a reengagement this season performing the Beethoven concerto at Atlanta Symphony Hall.  Last season he also joined the Camerata at Kennesaw University as soloist performing the Haydn C Major concerto and was reengaged to play Navarra by Sarasate with Helen Kim. One special engagement this season has been his solo opportunity with the Dekalb Symphony performing Bach Double concerto with Olga Shpitko.  Mr. Wagner has served as Acting Assistant Concertmaster for Atlanta Symphony Orchestra during the 2004-05 season and has been Principal Second and Assistant Concertmaster of the Wintergreen Music Festival in Wintergreen, Virginia.

CHRISTOPHER PULGRAM (Violin)

Christopher Pulgram is now in his 16th season as first violinist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Pulgram graduated under the tutelage of Ruggiero Ricci from the University of Michigan School of Music, where he received the Norman F. Maier Distinguished Music Student Award. As winner of the Atlanta Pro-Mozart Society Competition, he attended the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, where he coached with Sandor Vegh. After studies at the International Menuhin Academy in Gstaad, Switzerland, he toured in Europe, Scandinavia, Canada, and the Far East, performing both as soloist and chamber musician with Yehudi Menuhin and Camarata Lysy. Additionally, Mr. Pulgram has recorded on the EMI label with Yehudi Menuhin at Abbey Road studios in London. Mr Pulgram was also the violinist of the Atlanta Chamber Players for 15 seasons and has recorded extensively with that ensemble.

Mr. Pulgram has performed throughout Europe and the United States as principal violinist with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and as a soloist with orchestras in the U.S., Switzerland and Italy, including 2001, 2003 and 2005 performances with the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra. He has served as concertmaster of the Elysium Chamber Orchestra in Atlanta, and during his tenure with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he served as Assistant Concertmaster for two years. Mr Pulgram is concertmaster of the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra and returns again this year for additional solo appearances. In the popular world, he has recorded with Usher and the group Collective Soul on their “Dosage” album. He recently recorded with Bruce Springsteen.

WES COLLINS (viola)

Wes Collins joined the viola section of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in May, 2008.  He completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music in May of 2007, where he was a student of Robert Vernon. In Cleveland, Wes played as a substitute with the Cleveland Orchestra and also played in the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, City Music Cleveland, and was Assistant Principal Violist with the Akron Symphony.  He has always been active in chamber music and was a founding member of the Vesuvius String Quartet from 2004-2006.  His summer activities have included the Tanglewood Music Center, Sarasota Music Festival, ENCORE School for Strings, and the Pacific Music Festival.  Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wes began studying violin with his mother, Sandy, at the age of four. He also played trumpet under the instruction of his father, Philip Collins, former Principal Trumpeter of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  Wes later switched to viola at the guidance and inspiration of Michael Klotz, Violist of the Amernet String Quartet.

JOEL DALLOW (cello)

Joel Dallow has been a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1999.  He has previously held principal positions in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, and the Haddonfield Symphony.  He has performed regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. 

In addition to his orchestral career, Mr. Dallow is a chamber musician and founder of Riverside Chamber Players, Inc.  Created in 2003, this ensemble is dedicated to performing high quality chamber music concerts in the outlying suburbs of Atlanta.  As part of its mission, the group provides educational concerts for the Fulton County School System.

As a soloist, Mr. Dallow has performed with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Gettysburg Symphony Orchestra and with the Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey.  He performed regularly with Music For All Seasons, Inc., an organization devoted to the importance of  providing the healing power of music to those most in need: residents of  hospitals, nursing homes, geriatric centers, prisons, and special facilities for children.

His teachers included Stephen Kates, Orlando Cole, William Stokking, Myron Lutzke, and David Geber.  Mr. Dallow is a 1994 graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University and a recipient of the Israel Dorman memorial award for achieving excellence in performance. 

Joel Dallow, born as the second of triplets, grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey in a musical family. His mother is a concert pianist and writer, and his father is a pianist and composer.  He currently resides in Roswell with his wife Mary Ellen and their three children.