Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio
Praised as "an expressive and passionate chamber musician" by the San Antonio Express-News, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio joined the Argenta Trio as Assistant Professor of Violin & Viola and Director of Orchestral Career Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony for thirteen years and Founder/Artistic Director of the acclaimed Cactus Pear Music Festival, Ms. Sant'Ambrogio previously recorded and toured internationally for eight seasons with The Cleveland Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnanyi. As a chamber musician and soloist she has performed throughout North America and in Estonia, Sweden, Ghana, Italy, Peru, Chile and Mexico. In addition to her active performing career over two decades, she is devoted to teaching serious young violinists, many of whom have successfully chosen careers in music.
Concertmaster of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra (OH) since 2008, she performs and teaches at various other summer festivals including: Bach, Dancing and Dynamite Society (WI); Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival (WA); and Music in the Vineyards (CA]. Her live chamber music performances are aired on National Public Radio and MSR Classics has just released her CD, Late Dates with Mozart. Ms. Sant’Ambrogio studied with and was the graduate assistant to Donald Weilerstein at The Eastman School of Music, where she received her Master of Music degree. Previously she received her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University with James Buswell and Laurence Shapiro. She plays a violin crafted in 1757 by J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, Italy, and when it is not under her chin, she and her husband Gary Albright enjoy life with their daughters, Isabel and Gabrielle, who are budding musicians.