Ralph Allen, Violin

Ralph Allen, violinist and violist, played the Sibelius Concerto with the Yale Symphony while majoring in Philosophy as an undergraduate, studying with Syoko Aki; he went on to get a Masters from the Cleveland Institute of Music with Donald Weilerstein, and a Doctorate from SUNY Stony Brook with Robert Mann, where he performed the Berg Violin Concerto with the Stony Brook Orchestra. In Holland, Ralph played with such ensembles as the Schoenberg Ensemble and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, serving as concertmaster of the European Camerata and the Helios Ensemble, studied with Vera Beths, and performed with the Remix Ensemble (Portugal) and the Musik Fabrik (Germany). Ralph participated in festivals such as Aspen, Schleswig Holstein, Norfolk, Tanglewood, and Jerusalem Encounters. Ralph and his wife, Iris Jortner, started this chamber music series on Roosevelt Island in 2007, where they have performed more than 60 concerts. In Israel, Ralph plays viola with the Israel Symphony Rishon Lezion, has performed with the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, the 21st Century Ensemble, and the Meitar Ensemble, and teaches at the Conservatory in Givataym. In the summertime Ralph performs and teaches at Apple Hill. Opera North in New Hampshire, and the Shenandoah Bach Festival in VA.