Tricia Park (@wheresthepark) is the Founding Artistic Director of MusicIC and is one of this year’s MusicIC violinists. Praised by critics for her “astounding virtuosic gifts” (Boston Herald), “achingly pure sound” (The Toronto Star), and “impressive technical and interpretive control” (The New York Times) Tricia Park is MusicIC’s co-founding Artistic Director and enjoys a diverse career as a violinist, educator, and writer. Since her debut at age thirteen, Tricia has performed on five continents and received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career and Fulbright Grants. She has served on faculty at the University of Chicago, the University of Iowa, and has worked for Graywolf Press. She has taught masterclasses at the Peabody Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and Interlochen Summer Arts Academy, among others. A Juilliard graduate with an MFA from SAIC, Tricia is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Illinois Chicago and is Associate Director of Cleaver Magazine Workshops. She concertizes and maintains a private studio of violin students and writing clients. Tricia is working on her first book and is represented by Aevitas Creative Management. Learn more about Tricia at: www.triciapark.com

Samantha Bennet (@manther888) is one of this year’s MusicIC violinists. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a violinist “full of subtlety and poise,” Samantha Bennett is an active and versatile performer appearing with orchestras across the United States. She is a violinist with The Dallas Symphony and Dallas Opera, having previously served as Principal Second Violin of the Sarasota Orchestra for six seasons. She has also been a member of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and The Florida Orchestra and performs frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside her husband, percussionist George Nickson, Bennett is the founder and Co-Artistic Director of ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ), a contemporary music collective based in Sarasota, Florida. Through innovative programming and thoughtfully curated concerts, she leads performances of new and challenging repertoire and has presented numerous premieres by leading composers.

Born in Ames, Iowa, Bennett earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with Donald Weilerstein and Malcolm Lowe.

Celia Hatton (@chocoblanca) is this year’s MusicIC violist. She is a NYC-based violist and has performed across Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, and the US. Her playing can be heard on several Grammy-winning works, including as Principal Violist on Experiential Orchestra’s album The Prison and Jessie Montgomery’s Rounds. She is a member of A Far Cry, Principal Viola of Sphinx Virtuosi, and Co-Principal of Chamber Orchestra of New York. Hatton has performed with ECCO, The Knights,  the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. An Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University, she has given masterclasses at Colburn Music Academy, New York University, and Vanderbilt University. Hatton holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Kim Kashkashian, and a Master’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music with Karen Dreyfus.

Kenny Lee (@kenny.lee.music) is this year’s MusicIC cellist. An active conductor, cellist, and chamber musician, he is praised for his “lyricism, drive, tenderness, and passion” (The Times Argus). He is Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Iowa, where he conducts the symphony orchestra and teaches graduate conducting students. Recent engagements include the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Pardubice, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, and advocate for new music, with recordings on Naxos and Klavier Records.

As a chamber musician, Lee has collaborated with artists from the Berlin Philharmonic and members of the Juilliard, Cleveland, Borromeo Quartets. He and his wife, Jamie Clark, co-founded the Flatirons Chamber Music Festival. Raised in Oregon, he was trained at Eastman and the New England Conservatory. His principal teachers include Laurence Lesser, Paul Katz, Steven Sloane, and Carl St. Clair. Outside of music, he is an avid tennis player.

Blake Shaw (theeblakebass) is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger and educator from Iowa City. After receiving degrees from the University of Iowa and playing music as far away as Australia, Blake now spends his time teaching in Cedar Rapids as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Mount Mercy Campus of St Ambrose University. In addition to his academic and performance pursuits, Blake actively contributes to the arts community as chairman of the board for the Iowa City Jazz Fest and the Entertainment Director for the Iowa City Pride Festival. He also regularly serves as a guest artist, coaching ensembles in schools spanning from middle school to college levels. Despite his demanding teaching schedule, Blake can be found performing close to every week with a diverse array of bands, ranging from solo acts to big bands. Follow Blake on instagram for more info: @theeblakebass

Dan Padley (padleydan) is a guitarist/composer based out of Iowa City, IA. Since studying music at the University of Iowa, Dan has performed with many artists including Deb Talan, Wayne Newton, The Sloppy Boys, Elizabeth Moen, River Glen, Dana T, Blake Shaw, comedian Jimmy Pardo, and many more. Dan has released several albums and EPs, including his most recent full length ‘Crumbs, part II’.