Recently appointed Assistant Professor of Violin & Viola at the Unversity of Nevada at Reno, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio is the former Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony and appeared annually as soloist with the orchestra for over thirteen years. She made her solo debut with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and in the same year released her second CD entitled Souvenir de San Antonio, a recording of 20th century Mexican and American pieces for violin and piano. In 2004, she was a Ford Salute to Education Award winner for her outstanding contributions to music education in the San Antonio region. Formerly First Assistant Principal Second Violin of The Cleveland Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnanyi, she recorded and toured internationally with this acclaimed ensemble for eight seasons. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and in the countries of Estonia, Sweden, Ghana, Italy, Canada, Peru, Mexico and Chile. In addition to her impressive list of musical awards and honors, she has an outstanding reputation as an inspiring teacher.
Because of her passion for chamber music, in 1996 Ms. Sant’Ambrogio founded Cactus Pear Music Festival, a not-for-profit festival organization presenting a two-week long summer chamber music festival, Young People’s Concerts and master classes in San Antonio and the surrounding region. She has also created a series of Kinder Konzerts to introduce young children, ages 3 and up, to classical music. Her chamber music activities have included performances and recordings with such noted artists as William Preucil, James Buswell, Ron Leonard, Richard Goode, David Schifrin, Walter Trampler, Anne Epperson and Gunther Schuller. She is featured in chamber music recordings under the Arabesque label and her live concert performances are frequently heard on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. Ms. Sant’Ambrogio has performed as first violinist with the Miami String Quartet and has been a guest artist with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing at both Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center. She toured extensively throughout Ohio with Cleveland’s Myriad, and for ten years toured with the Amici String Quartet, of which she was a founding member.
In addition to her performances as violinist and Artistic Director of Cactus Pear Music Festival, Ms. Sant’Ambrogio performs and teaches at various festivals including: Nevada Chamber Music Festival (NV); Music in the Vineyards (CA); Round Top Festival Institute (TX); Arts for the Soul (CO); Mainly Mozart Festival (CA); Bach, Dancing and Dynamite Society (WI); and the Tuckemore Chamber Music Festival in St. John's, Canada. Ms. Sant’Ambrogio studied with and was the graduate assistant to Donald Weilerstein at The Eastman School of Music, where she received her Master of Music degree. Previously she received her Bachelor of Music degree with distinction from Indiana University as a scholarship student of James Buswell and Laurence Shapiro.
The name Sant’Ambrogio is frequently found in concert programs throughout America. John Sant’Ambrogio, former Principal Cellist of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, gave his daughter Stephanie her first violin lessons at the age of five. Her sister Sara is a cellist with the Naumberg Award-winning Eroica Trio. For over twenty years the Sant’Ambrogio family participated in the Red Fox Music Camp which was founded by grandmother Isabelle, a concert pianist. The legacy of teaching music has been passed down in the Sant’Ambrogio family for four generations. Stephanie continues this love and dedication with her own students.
Ms. Sant’Ambrogio plays a violin crafted in 1757 by J.B. Guadagnini of Milan, Italy. In the moments when this violin is not nestled under her chin, she and her husband Gary Albright enjoy life with their daughters, ten year old Isabel and eight year old Gabrielle.