Artist Biographies


Katia Popov - 
Ist Violin 


Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Award winning violinist KATIA POPOV has held the positions of Concertmaster of the Sofia Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra. Continuing her studies in the Paris Conservatory, she became a Concertmaster of the European Symphony Orchestra with whom she recorded and traveled extensively throughout Europe. After moving to the United States, Katia became a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Principal II Violin of the Long Beach Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

She is a recipient of the Grand Prize of the International Violin Competition Kozian, First Prize at the Jeunesse Musicale Competition for chamber music and First Prize at the International Violin Competition Nedialka Simeonova. She also had a “Fulbright” Scholarship at the Academy of Music In Sofia.

Katia Popov is the first woman Concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Under the baton of such conductors as John Mauceri, John Williams, Thomas Wilkins, David Newman and Bramwel Tovey she has performed with some of the biggest stars in the show business like Placido Domingo, Sir James Galloway, Joshua Bell, Marilyn Horne, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Beck, Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire and many more.

She also has performed numerous times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has been part of such festivals as Salzburg, Bach Music Festival, Spoletto and Brahms Festival in Tour France. She has collaborated with such artists as Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonnen, Yo Yo Ma, Pinkas Zukerman, Sir Simon Rattle, Izhak Perlman. Her teachers include Iona Brown, Nell Goutkovsky, Vladimir Spivakov and Alexander Treger.

Katia is a busy recording musician who has recorded more then 600 scores for the Motion Pictures in Los Angeles where she has worked for many of the most sought after composers in Hollywood.

Ms. Popov is a founder and first violinist of the Award winning California String Quartet and is the Music Director of the Musical Sunday Afternoons, popular chamber music concert series in Los Angeles.

She has performed as a soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic, the European Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Chamber Orchestra, Redlands Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony and the Santa Monica Symphony, amongst others.

Katia is also an official endorser of the famous Thomastic Infeld “Vision Solo” Violin Strings from Vienna and the voice of the popular classical radio station “K-Mozart”. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Peter, daughter Irina, son Alexander and little yorkie named Zip!! In her “spare” time she loves to make jewelry and her favorite off time is going to Mammoth and Hawaii. Read about Katia by clicking: www.KatiaPopov.com

* Instrument


Pietro Guarneri of Mantua, Italy – 1691, Ex Wilhelmj.

* Selected Reviews


“Popov's musical voice was powerful, rich and full of life, her technique flawless and the collaboration with Diemecke delicately exact. " - John Farrel, Press Telegram

“Our soloist, Katia Popov, was fabulous. She has a beautiful sound that is bigger than some of the international soloists we’ve heard over the years, as well as technique to burn. She delivered a magnificent performance, using her magic fingers to surmount myriad hurdles with jaw-dropping ease. " - Jim Ruggirello, Long Beach Grunion, Gazzette Publications

“... Shining through like a bright light, soloist Katia Popov lit up the stage with her work on Bruch’s tuneful Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Popov, completely in control of herself and her instrument, gave a very exciting reading of it, played with precision, admirable clarity and Slavic flair. She coolly conveyed with the requisite power the piece’ demands…” - The Outlook

“We heard the perfect recital in Beverly Hills on October 24th, when we sat in on a performance by violinist Katia Popov and pianist Randy Kerber. Both were outstanding as they essayed Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Opus 47, and Franck’s Sonata for violin and piano in A major.” – The Outlook

“Speaking strictly in terms of execution, the chamber music concert given by the California String Quartet on April 24th at the Zipper represented complete musical perfection. Under the leadership of violinist Katia Popov, the group was clearly well rehearsed and played as if of one mind. the California String Quartet demonstrated that Chamber Music can be sublime, when prepared and executed with the sort of care apparent to all who were fortunate enough to hear it this night. “ – Charles Lonberger

Violinist.com interview with Katia Popov: on Hollywood, movie music and Wilhelmj's 1691 Pietro Guarneri

 

Zach Dellinger - Viola

A recent prize winner of the 2013 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, Zach Dellinger is redefining what it means to be a violist in the 21st century. His activities as a musician range from recording for television and film, speaking and performing at the 2012 TED X San Diego, performing as chamber musician and soloist throughout the US, and conducting the award winning Los Angeles Children’s Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

As an orchestral musician, Zach acted as principal viola of the internationally acclaimed Colburn Orchestra from 2008-2011, the Santa Barbara Symphony from 2010-2011, and recently has been playing in the viola section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Zach believes strongly in the healing power of classical music and has committed himself to bringing the worlds most exciting musicians together through the non-profit Street Symphony to perform on Skid Row, in the LA County Jail, and for Veterans suffering from PTSD.

 


Luanne Homzy - 2nd Violin

Internationally acclaimed American/French-Canadian violinist Luanne Homzy is highly sought-after for her technical facility, sensitive musicality and expansive versatility. First Prize winner of the International Chamber Music Competition Hamburg in 2009 with the Saguaro Piano, and of the Canadian Music Competition, she has performed concerti with orchestras such as the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and the Colburn Chamber Orchestra. Having served as concertmaster for the Colburn Orchestra, the American Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, she has worked closely with masters such as Sir Neville Mariner, Gustavo Dudamel, James Conlon, Kent Nagano, and John Williams.

Ms. Homzy has collaborated with renowned artists such as Arnold Steinhardt, Franklin Cohen, Ani Kavafian, Paul Coletti, Ronald Leonard, Niklas Schmidt, Richard Lester, Steven Dann, Paul Neubauer, the Tokyo String Quartet, and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Among the prestigious venues that have hosted her appearance are, Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Banff Center and Izumi Hall. Ms. Homzy has performed in and taught at various festivals including the Bari International Music Festival in Italy, Ravinia’s Steans Institute, Music By The Sea at Bamfield, The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, and the Domaine Forget Festival.

She has played for audiences in Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, the USA, Canada, Korea, and Japan. She has recorded an album with the Saguaro Trio on Fontenay Classics, live solo recitals and studio sessions for Radio-Canada and NPR. Equally at home in many genres, whether it be jazz, classical, rock, gypsy or Eastern European folk music, Ms. Homzy performs world wide with crossover supergroup Trio Dinicu, hailed as “dazzling” by the San Francisco Chronicle. She has recently appeared with artists such as the John Jorgenson Quintet, Florin Niculescu, and Tcha Limberger.

Ms. Homzy works with musical activists such as Street Symphony —a non-profit run by members of the L.A. Philharmonic and TED senior members that delivers on-site concerts for greatly underserved members of the community. She has also organized and presented community engagement performances and workshops in the U.S, Canada, Japan and New-Zealand.

In addition to her performing career, Ms. Homzy composes and arranges jazz, popular, classical, folk, and world music for diverse performing ensembles. Recent premieres include her arrangement of “Caprice No. 24 With A Swing” premiered in Italy in June 2012, and her arrangement of “Honeysuckle Rose” by Fats Waller, in Canada in July 2013, and "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay in Los Angeles in August 2014, all audience favorites. She also works as a studio musician and string arranger. Her work can be heard in projects from US, Asian and European markets.

Luanne Homzy is based in Los Angeles, where she is currently Music Co-Director of the American Contemporary Ballet. She is a member of the California String Quartet, and subs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She studied with Robert Lipsett and Arnold Steinhardt on a full scholarship at the prestigious Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, and later obtained her Masters from the Hamburg Hochschule in Germany.

 


Benjamin Lash - Cello

Benjamin Lash began studying cello at the age of six with Dean Bachus and Tanya Carey. In his early teens, as a first place winner of multiple Chicago area competitions, he performed concertos by Saint-Saens, Shostakovich, Hindemith, and Haydn. At age 17, Benjamin performed Bloch’s Schelomo with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Center. More recent concerto performances include Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major with the Colburn Orchestra, and Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Brentwood Symphony Orchestra.

Benjamin has performed recitals on the Music in the Loft Series in Chicago and in Texel, Netherlands. Radio broadcasts include two appearances on NPR’s From the Top, and the Dame Myra Hess Concert series recital at the Chicago Cultural Center broadcast live on WFMT. An active chamber musician, his performances include the Mendelssohn Octet with Ani and Ida Kavafian, a radio broadcast of the Mendelssohn Quartet Op. 41, No. 1 on American Public Media Performance Today, a Los Angeles chamber series with violist Paul Coletti, and a performance of the Martinu String Sextet with cellist Alisa Weilerstein at the Aspen Festival.

Benjamin has participated in summer festivals in the U.S. and Europe including the Sarasota Music Festival, Taos, Aspen, Holland International Music Sessions, and Fortissimo Fest in Sofia, Bulgaria. Benjamin taught in the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) mentorship program and was a Colburn Teaching Fellow.

In May 2013, Benjamin graduated from the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles where he studied with Ronald Leonard. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Music program at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where he studies with Ralph Kirshbaum.