Catherine Cho & Friends: Residency I
Saturday, February 6, 2027
7:30 p.m.
The Ebenezer Theater at Prager Family Center for the Arts
17 S Washington St, Easton, MD 21601
Catherine Cho & Friends is a trio of unique chamber residencies curated and led by Chesapeake Music Artistic Director Catherine Cho. Each residency features Catherine working and performing with different groups of outstanding young musicians, exploring and presenting programs that celebrate the richness and versatility of the chamber music repertoire. During each visit, these artists will deliver two days of community outreach & education events, followed by a culminating Saturday evening Interlude Series performance. These residencies offer audiences intimate and extraordinary musical experiences that showcase the artistry and versatility of a new generation of performers.
For Residency I, Catherine Cho (on viola) is joined by violinists Tianyou Ma and Gabrielle Després, cellist Leland Ko, and pianist Charles Berofsky.
Additional residency and concluding performance details will be announced soon.
PROMOTIONS
- Season Subscription || All 5 Interlude performances, save 20% off ticket price
- “Residency Series” Package || Feb, Mar, and Apr Interlude performances, save 15% off ticket price
- Free tickets || Students (+1 accompanying adult), Teachers, Talbot County First Responders
- 2-for-1/BOGO || First-time Chesapeake Music ticket buyers (must use promo code new2for1)
Ludwig van Beethoven
7 Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute (~ 10 mins)
Iannis Xenakis
- Andante
- Allegro
- Allegro
Ernst von Dohnányi
- Marcia
- Romanza
- Scherzo
- Tema con variazioni
- Rondo
Intermission
(~ 15 mins)
Johannes Brahms
- Allegro non troppo
- Andante, un poco adagio
- Scherzo: Allegro
- Finale: Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo
Catherine Cho
Catherine Cho draws upon her experiences as a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and artistic director to support and mentor artists in their quests to engage and enrich their high values as creative thinkers and communicators. She is devoted to fostering the next generation of performers, teachers, and leaders through the development of artistic excellence, curiosity, and clarity of vision through a holistic view of the artist.
She has appeared as a soloist with the Detroit, National, Edmonton, Montreal, National Arts Center, Barcelona, Haifa, New Zealand, Buenos Aires, KBS, Seoul, and Daejon orchestras, and has appeared in recitals and chamber music performances at the Kennedy Center, Ravinia, 92nd St. Y, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Casals Halls among others. She has appeared in 12 national tours with Musicians From Marlboro and participated in the festivals of Aspen, Chamber Music Northwest, Santa Fe, Four Seasons, Bridgehampton, and Vivace. She was a member of the Johannes String Quartet and La Fenice and was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as top prizes in the Montreal (1987), Queen Elisabeth (1989), and Joachim (1991) Competitions.
Her work as a teacher in the Juilliard Chamber Music Community Engagement Seminar highlights her passion for community connection through art and communication. She is a Music For Food artist, artistic director of Chesapeake Music, director of the Summer Music School/Travel Residencies and violin faculty at the Perlman Music Program, and the artistic advisor for the Starling-DeLay Symposium at Juilliard.
Cho received her BM and MM degrees at Juilliard, where she studied with Dorothy Delay, Hyo Kang, and Felix Galimir. Her mentors include Ruggiero Ricci, Franco Gulli, and Michael Avsharian Jr.
Charles Berofsky
Equally at home as a soloist, collaborator, and composer, Charles Berofsky seeks to engage audiences through a myriad of styles and genres of music. Charles grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and began piano lessons when he was six years old. He also developed an interest in composition from a young age and started organ lessons at age 14. Currently based in Munich, Germany, Charles gives solo and chamber performances regularly, both on modern piano and period instruments.
Charles has been a prizewinner at various international piano competitions, including Campillos (First Prize & Orchestra Prize), New York (Third Prize to a solo performer & First Prize for the piano four-hands ensemble), and Thousand Islands (First Prize, senior division). Charles has also won concerto competitions at both the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts; in the former instance, at age 20, he was one of the youngest students to ever win a concerto competition at Eastman. For his compositions, he has received a commission from the American Guild of Organists and four prizes from the Eastman School of Music. Other awards include First Prize at the 2018 Chicago College of Performing Arts Young Composer Competition and First Prizes at the Dearborn and Dexter Youth Artist Concerto Competitions in southeastern Michigan.
Charles has participated in festivals and master classes in the United States and Europe, including the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, International Lieven Foundation of Vienna, IMS Prussia Cove, Taos School of Music, and Chautauqua Institution. He has had the opportunity to work with pianists such as Thomas Adès, Ya-Fei Chuang, Jeremy Denk, Alexander Kobrin, Robert Levin, Andreas Staier, and Arie Vardi, as well as working closely in chamber music settings with Robert McDonald, Yeesun Kim, Angelo Xiang Yu, and Thomas Sauer. He has given solo recitals at Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich and Temple Emanu-El of New York and he recently performed concertos with the Symphony Orchestras of Málaga and Segovia in Spain.
Charles was recently named a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program (2027-2030). An avid chamber musician, Charles has been featured regularly as a guest artist with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players (New York) and the Pressenda Chamber Players (Washington, D.C. area). He is the pianist of Trio Sponte (Boston) and the Berofsky Piano Quartet (Ann Arbor). He was a recipient of the Borromeo String Quartet’s Guest Artist Award (‘23) and was a member of the New England Conservatory’s Honors Ensemble Program for two consecutive years, with Trio Sponte (‘23-24) and the Newbury Trio (‘22-23). In Munich, Charles has been featured on the Löwenberg Chamber Music Festival.
Charles is currently studying piano with Antti Siirala, as well as harpsichord and fortepiano with Christine Schornsheim, at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He will begin doctoral studies at the Juilliard School in New York in the fall, studying with Robert McDonald. Charles obtained his Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and his Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music. Previous mentors include HaeSun Paik, Alan Chow, Logan Skelton, and John Ellis (piano); Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Robert Morris, David Liptak, and Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez (composition); Peter Sykes, Michael Sponseller, and Lisa Goode Crawford (harpsichord); and Scott Van Ornum (organ).
Gabrielle Després
Praised for her “gorgeous, rich tone” and fresh, insightful interpretations, Canadian violinist Gabrielle Després has emerged as a compelling young artist, enjoying a diverse career as a soloist and chamber musician. As a recent finalist of the 2025 Sibelius International Violin Competition, she was also first-prize winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Juilliard Concerto Competition, and a top prize recipient at the Michael Hill, Elmar Oliveira, and Washington International Violin Competitions. She has garnered major honors including the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award, Verbier Academy’s Prix Reyl, and Juilliard’s distinguished William Schuman Prize. In 2020, CBC recognized her artistry by naming her to its list of 30 Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30.
As a soloist, Gabrielle has appeared with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, and Peninsula Symphony, among others. Her recital credits span leading series and festivals, including the Schiermonnikoog Festival, Gualala Chamber Music, St. Albert Chamber Music Society, and Kelowna Chamber Music Society. During her two-years as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra(2021–2022), she led concerts under eminent conductors, including a celebrated performance of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben with Sir Antonio Pappano.
A passionate chamber musician, she has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, ChamberFest Cleveland, Music in the Vineyards, IMS Prussia Cove, and the Edmonton Summer Solstice Music Festival, and collaborated with ensembles such as the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and CMS of Lincoln Center’s Meet the Music series. Committed to using music as a force for connection, Gabrielle has served as a Gluck Community Engagement Fellow at Juilliard, creating interactive programs for hospitals and nursing homes throughout New York City, and collaborates with Project: Music Heals Us, teaching and performing in carceral facilities across California. Alongside her dear friend Coco Mi, she is the co-founder of the NYC-based concert series, Lyrical Libations, which features pairings of chamber music and cocktails in intimate bars.
Gabrielle earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School as a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship and is now pursuing an Artist Diploma there, studying with Catherine Cho. Her formative mentors include Donald Weilerstein, Joseph Lin, Masao Kawasaki, Robert Uchida, and James Keene. Her artistic development has been supported by major awards from her home province of Alberta, including the Queen’s Jubilee Award, the Anne Burrows Music Foundation Award, and the Winspear Fund Scholarship, as well as immersive summers at leading programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, the Perlman Music Program, and the Verbier Festival Academy.
Gabrielle performs on a violin of Zosimo Bergonzi and a bow of Étienne Pajeot, graciously provided to her by CANIMEX INC., from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and gratefully acknowledges the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation for its invaluable support of her artistic journey.
Leland Ko
Cellist Leland Philip Ko (b. 1998) is the kind of person who is always asking “why” —
American-born but of Chinese-Canadian descent, schooled at both university and
conservatory, and extremely thorough in any number of activities ranging from
competitive tennis and distance-running to home-baking and origami, he wants to find
the similarities between seemingly disparate things, and in doing so hopefully find
something human in everything. Above all, Leland does his best to remember advice
once given to him that music is about life, not the other way around.
Nicknamed “the storyteller” and “a daring prince” by the media during his time at the
Queen Elisabeth Competition, and described as “one of those artists who defy analysis,
because words simply cannot describe the powerful emotions they evoke” (RTBF),
Leland is a first prize winner of the Walter W. Naumburg International Cello Competition,
an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and a third prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth
Competition.
Highlights for Leland’s 2026-2027 season include concerto appearances at home with
the Kendall Square Orchestra and the Apollo Ensemble of Boston, a recital at the
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and chamber music at Shriver Hall in
Baltimore, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Newport Classical Festival, the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and Wigmore Hall in London. Past
engagements have included a sold out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall,
performances at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall and
Jordan Hall, and concerto appearances with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal,
the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke, the DuPage
Symphony, the Roswell Symphony Orchestra, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.
Despite growing up a part of Boston’s strong youth orchestra culture, Leland feels that
chamber music is central to his being, having had formative years at Yellowbarn,
Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Four Seasons Chamber Music Workshop, and the
Perlman Music Program’s Summer Music School and its Chamber Music Workshop.
Leland’s love for chamber music has also led him to be a former Artist in Residence of
New York Piano Society (NYPS), and former Music Director of Opus 21, a student-run
chamber music collective at Princeton. He is the cellist of Trio Rai, the OAK Trio, the
Phaidros Quartet, and also a frequent member of the International Sejong Soloists.
Leland was a long-time student of Kirsten Peltz, Ronald Lowry, and Paul Katz before
attending Princeton University, where he graduated with an A.B. in German Literature.
He went on to complete an M.M. at The Juilliard School under the teaching of Minhye
Clara Kim, Timothy Eddy, and Natasha Brofsky, and then earned an Artist Diploma from
the New England Conservatory under guidance of Laurence Lesser, Yeesun Kim, and
Donald Weilerstein. Leland performs on a cello by Pietro Guarneri of Venice, c. 1728-30,
and a bow by Dominique Peccatte, both of which are on generous loan to him from
Canimex Inc. He resides in Boston, with his 14-year-old cat, Ham.
Tianyou Ma
Praised for his exquisite sound and expressive artistry, violinist Tianyou Ma is the winner of J.S Bach Barbash International Competition and recently was awarded Second Prize at the Michael Hill international Violin Competition. He is also a top prize winner at the Sendai International Music Competition, the Singapore International Violin Competition, and the Menuhin International Violin Competition.
As a soloist, Tianyou has appeared with major orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. He has collaborated with leading chamber ensembles such as the Dover Quartet, Rosamunde Quartet, and Ysaÿe String Quartet.
As a devoted chamber musician, Tianyou is a future member in the Bowers Program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from 2027-30. He has appeared at prestigious festivals including Music@Menlo, Four Seasons Workshop, Music from Angel Fire and Verbier Festival Academy.
Tianyou Ma is currently pursuing the prestigious Artistic Diploma program at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Catherine Cho, with whom he also serves as Teaching Assistant. He recently completed his Master of Music at Juilliard as a Kovner Fellowship recipient, where the school awarded him the William Schuman Prize for outstanding achievement and leadership.
Tianyou’s musical path has been shaped by the support of many scholarships and fellowships. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music on full scholarship with Pamela Frank and Shmuel Ashkenasi, where he was awarded the 2023 Milka Violin Artist Prize. His early training began at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, Australia, under Keith Crellin, before continuing at The Yehudi Menuhin School in the U.K. with Diana Galvydyte, where he was also supported by the U.K.’s Music and Dance Scheme.
Please make note of the following additional information:
- All programs, artists, and events may be subject to change.
- Cell phones and other electronic devices should be switched off prior to (and for the duration of) the performance.
- Photography and/or recording during the performance is strictly prohibited.
- Performances may be recorded and/or photographed by Chesapeake Music, and your attendance is considered consent to be photographed/recorded.
- Patrons who arrive after the start of the concert will be seated between movements or pieces at the discretion of the ushers.
- Outside food and drink is not permitted in the hall.
- Complimentary water will be available to all patrons before the concert and during intermission.
- Contact information for any questions and concerns: info@chesapeakemusic.org
How do I contact Chesapeake Music?
For questions, additional information, seating requests, or require special accommodations, please contact us at info@chesapeakemusic.org or 410-819-0380. We’re happy to assist and look forward to hearing from you!
How does seating work? Is the venue accessible?
Seating is general admission and unreserved, so guests are welcome to choose any available seat when they arrive. A small number of seats may be reserved for sponsors and those hosting our artists.
The Ebenezer Theater at Prager Family Center for the Arts seats approximately 160 visitors — 115 on the main floor level and 45 in the balcony. There is elevator access from the street-level lobby up to the main seating area. The balcony is accessible by stairs only.
If there are further questions or concerns regarding mobility and accessibility at the venue, please do not hesitate to reach out to info@chesapeakemusic.org.
How will I receive my tickets? What if I lose them?
All purchases are completed digitally, with tickets also being sent digitally to your email. Please double-check your spam/junk folder for your tickets. We do not mail physical tickets. If you misplace your digital tickets by email, please contact info@chesapeakemusic.org and we can resend them to you. If you are unable to present a copy of your digital ticket when arriving at the venue, our ushers will have a full ticket purchase list and can manually admit you.
What is your refund and exchange policy?
Chesapeake Music is typically unable to offer refunds or cancellations, but we invite you to get in touch with us at info@chesapeakemusic.com if an emergency arises and you can no longer use your ticket(s).
What time should I arrive for the concert and how long is it?
Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the concert is expected to last approximately 1hr45mins, inclusive of a short intermission.
Where do I park?
The Ebenezer Theater has a free parking lot, and free street parking is available throughout downtown Easton.
Is there a dress code?
There’s no dress code at our concerts. Whether you prefer to dress up or keep it casual, we want you to be comfortable and enjoy the music.