Violinist Karen Lord-Powell enjoys a varied career as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and teacher. She teaches violin, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire at the Frost School of Music, and is a member of the leadership team for the Experiential Music Curriculum, Frost’s innovative approach to musicianship training. Formerly Principal Second Violin of the Louisville Orchestra, Karen’s orchestral experience includes work with the Indianapolis and Houston Symphonies, and with renowned conductors such as Stephane Deneve, Mariss Jansons, and Leonard Slatkin. She has appeared as Concertmaster of the Louisville Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the Miami Bach Society, and has been a featured soloist with the Glenelg Chamber Orchestra, the Northwestern Chamber Orchestra, and in recital at the National Governor’s Convention in Washington, D.C. Karen’s chamber music collaborations include performances as part of the Kentucky Center Chamber Players, the Sona String Quartet, and with members of the Bergonzi, Amernet, and Baumer String Quartets. She currently performs with the Nu Deco Ensemble and is recording an album of new works for Centaur Records with her husband, double bassist Brian Powell. Karen spends her summers as a tenured member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in Western New York State.
Cellist Aare Tammesalu, Cellist Aare Tammesalu acts as a soloist and chamber musician, performing classical and contemporary music. Besides, he is an active music producer and pedagogue. In 1985, Tammesalu graduated as a cellist from the Tallinn State Conservatory.
Later he acquired a Master’s degree at the Estonian Academy of Music. He has enriched his university experiences by taking private lessons from Mikhail Homitser in Moscow and participating in the master courses of Martin Ostertag. In 1987, Aare Tammesalu won a prize at the Contest of Estonian String Instrument Players.
As a soloist and chamber musician he has performed with several Estonian symphony orchestras and in numerous European countries, Canada, Israel, Iran, Russia and the USA, as well as participated in various Estonian music festivals. He is a member of the Tobias String Quartet and Resonabilis Ensemble. Aare Tammesalu has been the first performer and introducer of the works by Giovanni Bonato, Eino Tamberg, Lepo Sumera, Andres Uibo, Andrus Kallastu and others. He has released a CD with Estonian cello music (2010 ERES).
He was engaged as a performer and organizer of the musical accompaniment for the new production of the Estonian silent feature film "Young Eagles" (1927). He has organized Bach Competition in Tallinn in 2000 and
Pärnu Violin Competition in 2008 and 2010. Aare Tammesalu was awarded the Hendrik Krumm Culture Prize for founding and directing Mustjala Music Festival that takes place since 1995.
