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Strings Faculty
Michael T. Jamanis, Department Chair
Violin
b. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
B.M., The Juilliard School
M.M., Yale University
D.M.A., Rutgers UniversityDr. Jamanis' teachers include Joseph Fuchs, Syoki Aki and Arnold Steinhardt. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Victor Herbert and Metro-Media Awards at The Juilliard School, and awards from the Ohio and Pennsylvania Federations of Music Clubs. Dr. Jamanis is a member of the Academy's ensemble-in-residence, The Newstead Trio, which has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He conducts the Academy's Summer Music Festival. He is on the faculty of Franklin & Marshall College. Dr. Jamanis joined the Academy's faculty in 1992.
Kelly Ali
String Bass
b. Queens, New York
Masters, University of Maryland in College ParkKelly Ali, string bass, was born and raised in Queens, New York. He completed his master’s degree studies at the University of Maryland in College Park. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at the Academy, Mr. Ali also teaches double bass at York College in York, Pa. He has served on the faculty of the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival and was guest principal bassist of the Heidelberg Symphony in Heidelberg, Germany. Mr. Ali has performed chamber music with ensembles such as the Charlottesville Chamber Music Society and the Ying Quartet. He has been a member of the Richmond Symphony since 2001 and performs frequently with the Virginia Symphony, National Philharmonic and various local orchestras in Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland.
Sara Male
Cello
b. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Diploma in performance and pedagogy, Victoria Conservatory of Music/Camosun College
B.M. in cello, Rutgers University
M.M., Mannes College of MusicSara Male's cello study began in her native Canada, where she took the Victoria Conservatory of Music Principal Emeritus Prize. Her major teachers were James Hunter, Bernard Greenhouse, Zara Nelsova and Timothy Eddy. Ms. Male is the winner of national and international cello competitions and performance fellowships. As a national class winner in the Canadian Music Competition, she gave a solo performance at the Canadian National Arts Centre. She is an active chamber music recitalist as a member of the Academy's ensemble-in-residence, The Newstead Trio. Ms. Male joined the Academy's faculty in 1993.
Ning Mu
Viola/Violin
b. Sheng Yang, China
B.A., Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing
Artist Diploma, St. Louis Conservatory
M.M., Rutgers UniversityExperienced in solo, orchestral and chamber music playing, Mr. Mu has received numerous awards for excellence in interpretation in China and in the United States, including the New York Artist International Debut Series in 1994 and has performed in chamber music recitals at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium and Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center. He is a member of the Beijing Piano Quartet and the Beijing String Quartet. He served as principal violist of the Saginaw Symphony Orchestra and assistant principal of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He is founder and music director of the International Music Festival and School in Bogota, Colombia. Conducting appearances include work with the Bucks County Youth Orchestra and the Manalapan Advanced Preparatory Orchestra. He joined the Academy's faculty in 1998.
Simon Andreas Maurer
Violin b. Biel, Switzer
Diploma, Conservatory of Biel-Bienne, SwitzerlandSimon Maurer grew up in Switzerland in a family of six children, all of whom became professional musicians. He studied music at the Conservatory in Biel, and continued his violin studies in the U.S. with Geoffrey Michaels at Swathmore College and Joyce Robbins at the State University of New York at Stoneybrook.
Mr. Maurer is an accomplished musician performing orchestral, chamber, operatic and solo repertoire throughout the eastern United States and Switzerland. He is currently Concertmaster of the Schuylkill Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia, and performs with Valley Vivaldi, Satori, and other groups throughout the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. He has performed as feature soloist in France and Switzerland with the St. Jean Orchestra of Geneva Switzerland, receiving rave reviews.
A founding member of Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, he has performed with the ensemble throughout North Eastern and Central Pennsylvania for over 14 years. Committed to concerts and education, the group presents a short play entitled "Chamber Music for Children", which Mr. Maurer has co-authored. The play, for string quartet and three actors, has been seen by over 10,000 school children.
Mr. Maurer also ventures in the practice of jazz and free style improvisation. He has been a featured soloist in Philadelphia area jazz clubs and often performs at "Jazzfest" in Schuylkill County. He has recorded numerous projects with folk singers and rock groups, and is currently associated with Maggi, Pierce and EJ, an international touring group.
During the summer, Mr. Maurer coaches chamber music and conducts the orchestra at the adult chamber music camp "Vermont Music and Art Association" at the Lyndon State College. He teaches violin and chamber music in his own studio in rural Schuylkill County, and is on the string faculty at the Pennsylvania Music Academy in Lancaster where he also conducts a student orchestra and performs annually in the summer festival "Music Naturally."
