Quartet in residence – Rachell Ellen Wong
Rachel Ellen Wong – Violin
Felipe Bueno Rodrigues Baldo – Violin
Elias Vieira Pereira Filho – Viola
Cicely Parnas – Cello
Rachell Ellen Wong – Violin
Violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a unique and vibrant performer who is equally at home in both Baroque and standard violin repertoire. In 2020, she made history when she was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, becoming the only baroque artist to receive the honor. Her exceptional blend of technical virtuosity on gut strings, expressive musicianship, and understanding of period performance practices has garnered international critical acclaim and a dedicated following. Named “most approachable virtuoso” by the New York Classical Review, Rachell has appeared as a soloist across six continents and has established herself as one of the leading historical performers of her generation, collaborating with esteemed ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music, Jupiter Ensemble, Bach Collegium Japan, The English Concert, and Ruckus, among others. Equally accomplished on the modern violin, Rachell made her first public appearance with Philharmonia Northwest at age 11 and has since performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony, among many others. Rachell also teaches for the Valley of the Moon Music Festival in Sonoma, CA.
Rachell’s recent appearances include performances with the New World Symphony, Camerata Pacifica, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Ilumina Festival in Sao Paulo, Reno Chamber Orchestra, The Northwest Sinfonietta, and The Rome Chamber Music Festival. Alongside the exceptional conductor and keyboardist David Belkovski, Rachell is co-founder of Twelfth Night. Founded in 2021, Twelfth Night’s recent engagements include Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, Caramoor, Chatham Baroque, Arizona Early Music, San Diego Early Music, Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City, and Early Music Seattle where the ensemble has a regular presence.
Among her many awards, Rachell was the Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Rachell attended The University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, and The Juilliard School, where she was a Kovner Fellow recipient. Rachell performs on a baroque violin from the school of Joachim Tielke ca. 1700, and a violin made in 1953 by Carlo de March. She currently resides in New York City with her two bunnies.
Felipe Bueno Rodrigues Baldo – Violin
Felipe Bueno Rodrigues Baldo (born around 2000 in Bauru, São Paulo) is a young, exceptionally talented Brazilian violinist. He began his musical training in church at the age of seven, influenced by his musical parents. He became involved in a social music project in his home town at an early age and developed his passion for playing the violin there.
In 2015, Baldo joined the renowned Conservatório de Tatuí, where he developed his technical and musical skills under the guidance of Graziella Pagotto. During his time in Tatuí, he played with various orchestras in the state of São Paulo and made contacts with other musicians who paved the way for him to play at festivals and engagements in the capital. In 2017, he moved to São Paulo and became a member of the Orquestra Jovem do Estado de São Paulo (OJESP), where he has been concertmaster (spalla) for the past two years. He won the ‘Jovem Solista da OJESP’ competition in the famous Sala São Paulo and founded the Quarteto Aporá with musician friends.
In February 2021, Baldo was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he began his bachelor’s degree in the class of Russian violinist Boris Brovtsyn. After an interruption due to visa problems, he returned to Brazil and performed as a guest musician with renowned orchestras such as the Sinfônica Municipal, the Filarmônica de Minas and the OSESP, where he is currently a guest musician.
In 2023, Felipe Bueno Rodrigues Baldo was honoured with the most important student prize for classical music in Brazil: the Prêmio Eleazar de Carvalho at the 53rd Festival de Inverno de Campos do Jordão. Despite his classical training, he cultivates his love of Brazilian popular music, which he also expresses in street performances and in the duo Desconcerto.
Elias Vieira Pereira Filho – Viola
Elias Vieira began his viola studies at the age of seven in his native São Paulo, Brazil, and at the age of fifteen became the youngest viola student at the University of Music and Arts Vienna in the class of Prof. Jennifer Stumm, with whom he still currently studies. Since 2022 Elias has regularly participated in the Perlman Music Program in the United States, working with renowned teachers such as Merry Peckham, Itzhak Perlman and Carol Rodland. He has also received guidance from Nobuko Imai and Thomas Riebl. In 2024 Elias will perform at the Edinburgh Festival, Kronberg Festival, and Amsterdam‘s Concertgebouw as part of the Brazilian ensemble Ilumina, and play chamber music at the Musikverein in Vienna.
He plays a viola by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, made in Paris in 1852, generously on loan by Merito String Instruments Trust.
Cicely Parnas – Cello
Cicely Parnas is an acclaimed American cellist, composer, arranger, and educator based in Berlin. Born in 1993, she made her concerto debut at age eleven and quickly gained recognition as a prodigious talent. Her artistry was further acknowledged in 2012 when she won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, propelling her onto major stages such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Cicely has performed as a soloist with renowned ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony, and she has toured internationally with her sister as Duo Parnas, appearing in cities from Shanghai to Berlin.
In addition to her performance career, Cicely is passionate about arranging music, having adapted numerous works for various ensembles. Her arrangements, including the “Nine Arias for Cello and Piano” with Brooklyn Duo, have received critical praise. As a composer, she creates works for solo cello, string quartet, and film, always aiming to tell compelling stories through music. Her ongoing Commission Project, started in 2012, supports contemporary composers and has resulted in new works and recordings, such as the recent “Spoken in Waves” by Chris Beroes-Haigis.
Cicely is also a dedicated teacher, sharing her expertise through social media and offering free online lessons to make music education more accessible. Her musical curiosity extends beyond classical music: she is a member of the cello rock band Break of Reality, studies electronic music production at Berklee College of Music, and releases original songs as Sissilee.
Outside of music, Cicely enjoys reading, writing, sewing, baking, and rug-making, reflecting her wide-ranging creativity and passion for lifelong learning.