About the Instructors
Dr. Katie Smirnova
Violin/Viola
STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance
PEABODY CONSERVATORY OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Master of Music in Violin Performance
Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance
THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL
Pre-College Division
Brett Walfish
Viola/Violin
NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Master of Music in Viola Performance
Graduate Diploma in Viola Performance
INDIANA UNIVERSITY JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance
Dr. Ismar Gomes
Cello (Virtual Only)
STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance
PEABODY CONSERVATORY OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Master of Music in Cello Performance
Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance
Biographies
Dr. Katie Smirnova, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Rushmore Music Festival, has received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance from the Stony Brook University under the mentorship of Hagai Shaham and Philip Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet. An avid teacher, Dr. Smirnova currently maintains a private teaching studio in Rapid City and Spearfish.
Throughout the year, Dr. Smirnova enjoys performing with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and the Rushmore Concert Artists, a touring group of the Festival’s Artist Faculty. She has also previously enjoyed collaborating with organizations such as the National Music Museum in Vermillion SD, San Diego Ballet, Stowe Tango Music Festival, Moscow Ballet, Bel Cantanti Opera Company, Stony Brook Chamber Ensemble, Groupmuse, among others. In addition to performing in various chamber ensembles and performance halls throughout the United States, she places a strong value on community outreach benefiting local schools, food shelters, veterans’ hospitals, senior living centers, libraries, and other similar venues. Dr. Smirnova has previously received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Victor Danchenko. Prior to attending Peabody, she studied with Dr. Ann Setzer at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division.
Highly interested in child psychology and the early music learning process, she has studied violin pedagogy with Rebecca Henry at the Peabody Institute and completed a two-year long-term Suzuki teacher training certification at the School for Strings in New York City.
Violist, Brett Walfish, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Rushmore Music Festival, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Ireland, Italy, and Israel. His concerts have taken him to Tel Aviv Opera House, the National Music Museum, the Historic Blackfriars Theatre and Carnegie Hall, among others. Praised by the conductor David Effron for a warm sound full of a “myriad of colors,” Brett is an expressive and charismatic performer. He has collaborated with world-renowned artists including Philip Setzer, Atar Arad, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Stephan Barratt-Due, Annie Fullard, Michael Klotz, Rudolf Koelman, Misha Vitenson, and Hillel Zori. He has also performed with the highly acclaimed conductorless chamber orchestra, A Far Cry, as well as the New World Symphony.
Mr. Walfish is a devoted teacher of violin, viola, and chamber music, and has studied string pedagogy with the legendary Mimi Zweig at the Indiana University and completed a two-year long-term Suzuki teacher training certification at the School for Strings in New York City. He frequently travels across the United States for guest masterclasses and teaches privately through the Professional Violin Studio in Rapid City and Spearfish. His primary mentors included Lawrence Dutton of the Emerson String Quartet, Nicholas Cords of the Brooklyn Rider Quartet, and Martha Katz and Atar Arad of the Cleveland Quartet. Mr. Walfish holds a Master of Music degree and a Graduate Diploma in Viola Performance from the New England Conservatory, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music.
His students have been accepted to the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Harvard University, Cornell University, among others.
Dr. Ismar Gomes is a chamber musician, recitalist, baroque cellist, and orchestral player. Recent performance highlights include recitals as a member of Duo Sorolla on distinguished concert series across the United States, as well as collaborations with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Emerson, and the Johannes Quartets. He is a member of the Virginia and Richmond Symphonies and frequently performs with the Baltimore Symphony. As a baroque cellist, Dr. Gomes is a member of Mélomanie and is a regular guest with several early music ensembles.
He previously served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Cello at Luther College and currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Cello at Gettysburg College. Dr. Gomes has presented masterclasses at many institutions including Georgetown, Towson, and Duke Universities. Past faculty appointments include the Cleveland Institute of Music Summer Chamber Music Festival, StringFest at Merkin Hall, the Performing Arts Institute, and the Three Bridges Festival. Ismar attended the Peabody Conservatory, studying with Alison Wells and Amit Peled. Previous teachers include Marc Johnson and Clive Greensmith of the Vermeer and Tokyo Quartets. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Stony Brook University, under the tutelage of Colin Carr.