Courtney Miller, Minji Kwon & U-Iowa String Quartet Portuguese Perspectives / Oboe Music

Oboist Courtney Miller maintains a career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. In addition to an array of recital appearances, Miller is a member of the prestigious chamber ensemble, Virtuoso Soloists of New York. As an orchestral musician, she performs frequently with orchestras in the United States, including the Quad City Symphony and Orchestra Iowa. Professor Miller is a frequent performer at IDRS Conferences, and her writings have been published in their Journal. She was a featured artist of the Brazilian Double Reed Society at the first International Conference of the Associação Brasileira de Palhetas Duplas (Brazilian Double Reed Society). In the summer months, Miller serves on faculty at Lutheran Summer Music. Miller has a Bachelor of Music degree from Florida State University, a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University. Currently assistant professor of oboe at the University of Iowa, Dr. Miller has previously served on faculty at Boston College and Ashland University. Courtney Miller is a Loree Artist.

Pianist Minji Kwon is a collaborator, educator and musician. Born in Korea, Kwon received the Ambassadorial Scholarship from the Rotary Foundation to study in the USA, and was the recipient of the Iowa Performance Fellowship while she worked on her Doctorate with Uriel Tsachor at the U-Iowa. Kwon taught as an adjunct professor at New York University, where she earned her Master's degree in Collaborative Piano. She has performed at venues around the world, including the Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in New York, and in Chicago, Prague, Mexico and Seoul. She has given concerts at Columbia University, Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan. Currently, Kwon serves as the staff pianist for the University of Iowa.

Violinist Scott Conklin regularly appears as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and clinician throughout the USA and abroad. Conklin has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras, including those in Louisville, Nashville and Berlin. Active as a recording artist, he released Pieces and Passages to critical acclaim (Albany Records), which features several world premieres and Conklin's own visual artwork. An earlier release, Violinguistics: American Voices, was similarly well-received and named a recommended album in The Strad. Conklin is currently associate professor of violin at the University of Iowa School of Music and a teacher of violin at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City.

Violinist Katie Wolfe leads a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader and adjudicator, having appeared in performance venues around the globe. An active recording artist, she has released albums on Centaur, Albany, Newport Classics and Kleos. Wolfe, who joined the string faculty of the University of Iowa in 2004, also taught at Oklahoma State University and served as Associate Concertmaster of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

Violist Christine Rutledge began her career in the Louisville Orchestra before moving on to faculty positions at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Iowa, where she is currently Professor of Viola. Rutledge is an avid performer of string works of J.S. Bach on both modern and period instruments, and performs new music as well. Performances and master classes have taken her around the globe, from New Zealand to Iceland.

Cellist Anthony Arnone enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, composer and teacher throughout the country and around the world. Arnone has collaborated with many of today's great chamber ensembles and artists, including members of the Pro Arte Quartet, Cypress Quartet, Fry Street Quartet and Arianna Quartet.