Pacific ChamberFest's Guest Artists
Ilya Rashkovskiy
Born in Irkutsk, Russia in 1984, Ilya Rashkovskiy debuted at age 8 with the Irkutsk Chamber Music Orchestra. He won the 2nd place at the Long – J. Thibaud Competition (2001), 1st place at the Hong Kong International Competition (2005), 4th at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, 3rd place at the Artur Rubinstein Piano Masters in Tel Aviv (2011) and the 1st place at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. He studied in Novosibirsk, Hannover and Paris with Mary Lebenzon, Vladimir Krainev and Marian Rybicki.
He collaborated as a soloist with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mariinsky Orchestra, the Orchestre national de Lille, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony, the Romanian National Orchestra amongst many others. Ilya performed in several prestigious concert venues throughout the world, such as the Théatre du Châtelet, the Salle Playel, the Cologne Philharmonic Hall, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo and Taipei National Concert Hall.
He is also active as a chamber musician, having collaborated with musicians such as Akiko Suwanai, Sayaka Shoji, Gary Hoffman, Daniel Lozakovich, Clara Jumi Kang, Bomsori, Borodin and Shanghai String Quartets. He recorded several CDs including Chopin Complete Etudes as well as Scriabin Complete Piano Sonatas.
Since 2017 he is also a guest professor at Sungshin Woman’s University in Seoul.
He has served as a jury member at the 12th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in 2024.
Mon-Puo Lee (Cello)
After winning top prizes in the Isang Yun and Enescu international cello competitions, Spanish-Taiwanese cellist Mon-Puo has established himself as a musician with a rare combination of creativity, virtuosity and artistry.
As soloist, Mon-Puo performed with worldwide renowned orchestras including the Berliner Symphoniker, the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, the Enescu Festival Orchestra, the Nüremberg Symphoniker, the Chamber Orchestra of Andrés Segovia, the Tonyeong Festival Orchestra,the Extremadura Symphony Orchestra, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Taiwan and the Jenaer Symphoniker under the guidance of Michael Sanderling, Alexandre Bloch, David Geringas, or Alvaro Albiach.
Mon-Puo is prizewinner at international competitions such as Isang Yun Competition (South Korea) , Enescu Competition (Bucharest) , Brahms Competition (Austria), Davydov Competition (Latvia), Khachaturian Competition (Yerevan) and Schoenfeld Competition (Harbin). Recognized for his talent and contributions to classical music in Spain and Taiwan, he was awarded the title of “Extraordinary Musician” in Madrid and “Ambassador of Culture” in Taiwan.
Mon-Puo performs at the major venues and festivals, including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Philharmonie Berlin, Stadtcasino Basel, Kronberg Festival, Wigmore Hall, National Concert Hall of Madrid, Elb Philharmonie of Hamburg, and the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Korea.
Equally at home on the international stage as a soloist, as playing chamber music, he was a member of the Kelemen quartet and his chamber music partners include artists such as Robert Levin, Clara Jumi-Kang, Vilde Frang and Alexander Gadjiev.
Born in Madrid to a Taiwanese family of artists, Mon-Puo studied with Natalia Shakhovskaya in Madrid and Prof. Jens-Peter Maintz in Germany. Always interested in continuously developing and learning, he is completing a postgraduate degree with violinist Rainer Schmidt and pianist Claudio Martinez Mehner in Basel.
Chih-Yin Huang-Niemand
Festival String Ensemble conductor, Conductor Workshop
Chih-Yin Huang-Niemand began after her exam in conducting and piano in Taiwan, R.O.C. her studies at the HfM “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin. She studied orchestra conducting with Prof. Hans-Dieter Baum and piano with Prof. Susanne Grützmann During her studies she worked with several orchestras such as the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg, the Elbland Philharmonic, the Berliner Symphoniker and the Neubrandenburger Philharmonie. She also participated in various international festivals, including the Pacific Music Festival, where she won several awards as a conductor. After her successful state examination as conductor of the Berliner Symphoniker, she founded the chamber orchestra Capella Amadeus. This chamber orchestra conducts her regularly in the Berliner Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Berlin Cathedral, the French Cathedral and in many other concert halls in Germany, Spain and Taiwan.
1999- 2002 Chih-Yin had worked at the Musical-Theater at Potsdamer Platz Berlin as a rehearsal pianist. After the bankruptcy of “Musical Stella”, she became a freelance conductor and piano teacher. Her students won many prizes at national and international competitions, including several first, second and third federal prizes at “Jugend musiziert”, Envia Musikwettbewerb, “Adolf-Metzner” music competition Frankenthal and a third prize at the Kleiner Schumann Competition as well as a first prize at the international Steinway competition.
From 2011 to 2016, Chih-Yin had a service contract to promote young pianists at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin.
Since 2015 she was regularly invited to Taiwan, where she gave both concerts and lessons and gave lectures to students. In May 2016, Chih-Yin was a guest conductor of a concert at Taiwan’s most important concert hall – the National Concert Hall in Taipei, where she was euphorically celebrated. Since 2016 she has conducted several concerts annually as a guest conductor in the largest concert hall in Taiwan in Taichung with a total of over 40,000 visitors, the concerts were always very successful.
On June 30, 2015, the Prime Minister of Brandenburg Dr. Dietmar Woidke Chih- Yin Huang-Niemand honored with the special prize for outstanding music pedagogical achievements and on 06.04.2022 she received the award of National Orders and Certificate of Honor -Mt. Jade Medal of Overseas Community Affairs Counci, R.O.C (Taiwan) for their outstanding cultural commitment and the associated representation of their home country Taiwan in Europe.
Since 2024, Chih-Yin Huang-Niemand has been appointed conductor and conductor of the Strausberg Symphony Orchestra.
Mission Statement:
The Pacific ChamberFest is an international classical music event that celebrates the joy of music-making each summer in a different memorable location around the world. The Festival presents a diverse and exciting fusion of unique educational and artistic opportunities, carefully crafted to accommodate a broad spectrum of musical perspectives from a large-scale ensemble to an intimate duo. The Festival’s mission is to shape an environment for the emerging talented artists to nurture and maximize their artistic potential by rehearsing, collaborating, and performing classical music alongside the professional musicians.
Festival Details
The Pacific ChamberFest is a classical music festival for talented artists to nurture and maximize their potential through a diverse and exciting fusion of unique educational and artistic opportunities, carefully crafted to accommodate a broad spectrum of musical perspectives from a large-scale ensemble to an intimate duo.
Dates: July 11-19, 2026
Location:Kreimusikschule, Märkisch-Oderland, Strausberg, Germany
Application Dates: by April 30, 2026
Tuition Fee:
The participant’s non-refundable tuition fee is $3,250 for the entirety of the festival and the observer’s non-refundable festival fee is $1,500. Both are due by May 15, 2026.
Participant’s tuition includes: private lessons, Masterclasses, Chamber coaching/rehearsals, concerts and accommodation only.
Observer’s festival fee includes: access to all classes, concerts, and accommodation only.
All accommodation is based on double occupancies. Triple occupancy is upon request.
Participants under the age of 14 must be accompanied by at least one parent or adult observer throughout the entire festival.
Application Guidelines:
- Festival is open to any of the following instruments: piano, strings, clarinet, and flute.
- Submit an application form including a YouTube video(s) of yourself playing any piece(s) for us to determine performance level. The application and video are due by April 30, 2026.
- Participant roster will be announced on May 5, 2026. A maximum of 15 participants will be selected.
- If selected, your chamber music chosen from the provided chamber music repertoire must be ready to perform on the first day of the Festival.
- Click the button below to taken to the application form. For any questions, please email pacificchamberfest@gmail.com
Festival Itinerary:
July 11, 2026 – Arrival. “First Play” 5:00-7:00 PM, followed by a “welcome party”
July 12–17, 2026 – ChamberFest events, 9:00AM – 3:00PM (lunch not included)
- Two 45 min individual chamber coaching sessions with Festival Faculty
- Two 45 min chamber rehearsal with Festival Faculty
- Two Piano duet/Ensemble rehearsals
- Masterclasses with Guest Artist and Festival Faculty
- Musicianship classes
- Daily Individual practices
July 18, 2026 – Festival Gala Concert, 6:00PM – 10:00PM
- Chamber Recitals
- Piano Duet Recitals
- Ensemble Concerts
- Faculty Concert
July 19, 2026 – Departure
Chamber Music Repertoire:
violin, violin/flute, piano
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin/flute, violin/flute, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin/flute, violin/flute, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, violin, viola, cello
violin, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin/flute, violin/flute, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
clarinet, viola and piano
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, cello
piano, violin, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
violin, violin, viola, cello
piano, violin, cello
solo violin, violin, violin, viola, cello, (bass)
Pacific ChamberFest Faculty
Dr. Bonnie Lin (Violin)
Bonnie Lin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the City University of New York and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. During her master’s studies, she was awarded the prestigious Hugo Kortschak Chamber Music Award, becoming the only Taiwanese recipient of this honor in that year.
After returning to Taiwan, she has remained highly active as a performer while dedicating herself to music outreach and education. In 2002, she was invited to participate in Season Two of the Public Television Service program Classical Magic, presenting the works of Paganini at the Chimei Museum, where she demonstrated his virtuosic techniques using rare violins and bows from the museum’s collection. In 2021, she was again featured on Public Television’s children’s program Follo Me After Class (下課花路米), giving an on-site interview and live performance at the Chimei Museum, introducing historical instruments to young audiences with warmth and clarity.
In 2020, she appeared on the renowned Japanese TBS travel program Sekai Fushigi Hakken! (The World’s Mysterious Discoveries, Episode 1546), in a special feature on Taiwan’s Chimei Museum, engaging in lively interaction with the host and showcasing the richness of cultural and musical exchange.
She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2008 and began serving as Concertmaster of the Counterpoint Ensemble in the same year, devoting herself to refined chamber music and to the cultivation of music education in southern Taiwan. In 2014, Taiwanese composer Lee Tzu-Sheng premiered the first work of his chamber opera trilogy, The Life and Love of Jiang Wenye (formerly Jiang Wenye and His Two Wives), in which Bonnie Lin performed both the violin and erhu solo parts. The work was nominated for the 2015 Taishin Arts Award. Professor Han-Jin Chen of National Taiwan Normal University commented:
“Violinist Bonnie Lin also performs on the Erhu. On both Western and Eastern instruments, she produces a clear and beautiful tone, demonstrating superb technique and refined musicality.”
Bonnie Lin has also been instrumental in guiding the Counterpoint Ensemble toward comprehensive artistic development. The ensemble presents annual concerts at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and has collaborated with many internationally renowned musicians, including cellist Sung-Won Yang, Hungarian violinist Ágnes Langer, and Norwegian conductor Lars Thomas, broadening its international perspective and artistic depth. The ensemble has long been engaged in outreach programs in rural schools, bringing chamber music into classrooms through live performance and interactive teaching, allowing music to become a source of inspiration and companionship for young students. In addition, she regularly appears in the Pingtung Hall Salon Concert Series and has frequently participated in lectures related to music therapy, exploring the applications of music in physical and psychological healing. She is also deeply committed to promoting the works of Taiwanese composers, curating annual concerts dedicated to contemporary Taiwanese repertoire.
In 2024, she was invited by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra to perform Lü Liang-Hui’s Violin Concerto Love of Sizihwan at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei, under the baton of conductor Yin-Fang Chang. The performance received widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics.
Since 2007, she has been a founding and long-standing member of Taiwan Connection, invited by Maestro Nai-Yuan Hu to join the ensemble from its inaugural season and continuing to perform with the group annually. Beyond major concert stages, she actively brings string quartet performances and lecture-concerts to rural schools throughout southern Taiwan, promoting the beauty of classical music to younger generations.
Committed to lifelong artistic growth, she has attended the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy for ten consecutive summers since 2014, studying with Maestro Nai-Yuan Hu. She frequently serves as concertmaster in festival orchestras and performs alongside internationally acclaimed musicians.
In 2025, she was invited by Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology to deliver a featured lecture in the “General Education Master Series” titled “The Past and Present of the Violin,” combining historical insight with live performance, which was warmly received by both faculty and students. In August 2025, she was invited by the Pacific ChamberFest to serve as a faculty member at the Ettlingen School of Music in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, coaching chamber music and string ensemble. In October of the same year, she collaborated with pianist Ya-Ting Liu in a three-concert series titled “Taiwan Impressions” in Auckland, New Zealand, at the invitation of the Auckland Hakka Association, receiving an enthusiastic response from the local community.
She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Music of National Kaohsiung Normal University and National University of Tainan. In addition to her teaching and performing career, she is also an avid marathon runner.
Alina Rowe (Viola)
British-Polish violist Alina Rowe has a varied and versatile career. She regularly performs across the UK and Europe, playing at venues such as Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Konzerthaus Berlin and the Royal Albert Hall. Alinka appears at festivals including Musikdorf Ernen, Swaledale Festival, Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival, Mendelssohn on Mull and Lewes Chamber Music Festival. She has enjoyed concerto performances at the Royal Festival Hall and St John’s Smith Square, and is regularly invited as guest principal in orchestras including Aurora Orchestra, Kammerorchester I TEMPI and Britten Sinfonia.
A deeply committed chamber musician, she is a member of the award-winning Talos Quartet, formed in 2023 and is also the co-founder of VOLTA Kammermusikfest, an international chamber music festival based in Basel, which has been praised for its atmospheric and innovative way of presenting music. She has collaborated with artists such as the Jerusalem, Brodsky and Doric Quartets, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Adrian Brendel and Steven Isserlis. Alinka has recorded for Decca Classics with the Cassadó Ensemble. At Prussia Cove Alinka has enjoyed masterclasses with Ferenc Rados, Rita Wagner and Hariolf Schlichtig, and was subsequently invited to IMS Open Chamber Music and its annual tour in 2021.
Evgeniy Sporov (Violin)
Pacific ChamberFest President and Co-artistic Director
Dr. Evgeniy Sporov is a distinguished violinist, violist, conductor, educator, and music administrator with a career spanning over three decades. He has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player.
Currently, Dr. Sporov serves as an Adjunct Professor of Violin and Viola at William Jessup University, where he also conducts the chamber orchestra. Additionally, he is the conductor and artistic director of the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra, for which he played a pivotal role in developing the curriculum. As the Academic Advising Coordinator at the Pacific Institute of Music, he oversees educational programs while maintaining a thriving violin and viola studio.
Beyond academia, Dr. Sporov is an accomplished orchestral musician. His orchestral experience includes serving as concertmaster, assistant concertmaster, and section violinist with several symphony orchestras, including the Traverse Symphony, Midland Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Modesto Symphony, Solano Symphony, and the Michigan State Symphony Orchestra.
A dedicated music educator, Dr. Sporov has held faculty positions at esteemed institutions and summer programs such as the Interlochen Fine Arts & Blue Lake Fine Arts Camps. Prior to relocating to the United States in 2000, he served as the regional supervisor for the string departments of 127 music schools and three music colleges in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia.
Dr. Sporov is also a board member of the Classical Masters Music Festival and serves as the president of Pacific ChamberFest, an international chamber music program dedicated to fostering young artistic talent.
His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Master of Music in Chamber Music from the Glinka State Conservatory. In 2006, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from Michigan State University.
Carol Chuang (Piano)
Executive Director and Co-artistic Director
Carol Chuang has enjoyed a lustrous career as an accomplished pianist, a widely-recognized piano pedagogue, and one of the most successful classical music entrepreneurs of Northern California. A native of Taiwan, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the National Institute of the Arts in Taiwan (later renamed Taipei National University of the Arts). Ms. Chuang came to the United States in 1996 pursuing a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with full scholarship at College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.
Currently, Ms. Chuang is the president and Executive Director of the Pacific Institute of Music in Folsom, California. As a pianist, she has performed regularly with her colleagues in piano trio, piano duo across Northern California. Ms Chuang is a frequent guest artist at such established chamber music festivals and concert series as: Crocker Art Museum Concert Series, Westminster Presbyterian Church “Music At Noon” Concert Series, MTAC State Convention and Folsom Lake College Harris Center for the Arts to name a few.
Ms Chuang is a passionate piano teacher, avid music educator and a clinician. She has served as a faculty member at the Music Fest Perugia in Italy since 2022. Her critically acclaimed masterclasses were showcased in the California State University, East Bay. During her more than 30 years in piano pedagogy, she has brought up numerous prize winners of local, state and international competitions, such as Vancouver Internatioanl Music Competition, San Jose International Competition, Chopin Foundation, Pacific Musical Society & Foundation, Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, International Crescendo Music Competition, CAPMT State Final Concerto Competition, Honors Competition and Contemporary Music Competition, MTAC Piano Solo and Concerto State Final Competition, United States Open Music Competition, MTNA Music Competition, Auburn Symphony Young Artist Competition, New York Debut Young Musician Competition and Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition in China and many more. Her students have frequently appeared as soloists with symphony and chamber orchestras across the United States and Europe.
As successful administrator and entrepreneur, Ms Chuang is a co-funder and an Executive Director of Pacific ChamberFest. She is a President and an Executive Director of Classical Masters Music Festival. Also, Ms. Chuang has been serving as a president of two major non-profit music organizations: Music Teachers Association of California, Sierra Branch and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, Sacramento Chapter. In the past several years, Ms. Chuang has organized and conducted the PIOM Piano Masterclass Series with leading pianists coming from around the world. Additionally, Ms Chuang currently serves as the California Coordinator of Crescendo International Music Competition. Through this competition, she has brought many students to Crescendo Competition Winners Concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York for many years. Being an active member of her community, she has been instrumental to many educational outreach programs and fundraising campaigns.
