A few of the returning artists to the
Festival each year are.....

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Formally established in 1935, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra began a period of significant growth in 1947 when David Van Vactor assumed dual roles as Chairman of the University of Tennessee's Department of Fine Arts and the KSO's Music Director.
For the next 26 years, Van Vactor attracted many outstanding musicians to the community and nurtured the Orchestra's burgeoning reputation for excellence. Today the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is recognized as one of the finest regional orchestras in the United States.

Yuri Vodovoz, Violinist Violinist, Yuri Vodovoz, native of Odessa has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and South America. His debuts at the Kennedy Center in Washington and at the Merkin Hall in New York were met with critical acclaim. His playing has been described as "breathtaking" (the Washington Post), "finespun lyricism" and "high-powered technique" (The New York Times). Mr. Vodovoz is on the faculty of Mannes College of Music and Ameropa Summer Festival in Prague.

Vladimir Valjarevic, Piano Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, pianist Vladimir Valjarevic came to New York City on a scholarship from the Mannes College of Music, where he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a recipient of the Marian Marcus Wahl Performance Award. His principal teachers were Pavlina Dokovska and Vladimir Feltsman. Vladimir Valjarevic has performed in the United States and Europe. He teaches piano at Mannes Preparatory and Extension divisions. Currently, he is a Doctoral Candidate at Rutgers University where he receives Saldarini and Frazier-Durham Awards and studies with Susan Starr.

Rob Taylor, Violinist iolinist Rob Taylor holds degrees in both music and literature from the Royal Conservatory of Music in the Hague, the University of Bonn, Union College, and Princeton University.
At age fourteen he began his studies with Yehudi Menuhin while attending the Congress of Strings program at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Concertmaster of the American Virtuosi, and Camerata New York, Rob resides in New York, where he performs with the Orchestra of St Lukes, Philharmonia Virtuosi, and the New York Chamber Soloists.

Stefka Evstatieva, Soprano Bulgarian soprano Stefka Evstatieva is one of the most acclaimed lirico-spintos in the world today and has appeared in the world’s leading theaters including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, La Scala, the Vienna State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Paris Opera, Theatro Colon in Buenos Aires and the Rome Opera. She has been praised for her portrayals of roles of the Italian repertoire which have included Desdemona in Otello, Leonora in La Forza del Destino, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, Maddalena di Coigny in Andrea Chenier, and many others as well as for several heroines of Slavic Opera such as Lisa in The Queen of Spades and Yaroslavna in Prince Igor. Ms. Evstatieva has been awarded her country’s highest title, "Honored Artist of the Bulgarian Republic." She has made several recordings including a recently released recital of Verdi arias as well as complete recordings of Mefistofele and Don Carlo.

Kenji Bunch, Viola A native of Portland, Oregon, Kenji Bunch studied at The Juilliard School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in viola as a student of Toby Appel, and was awarded a Master’s Degree in composition and viola, studying with Robert Beaser. He has also studied composition with Eric Ewazen and Stanley Wolfe. Mr. Bunch’s honors include the prestigious William Schuman Prize for Outstanding Leadership in Music and the Lillian Fuchs Prize for Viola and from The Juilliard School, grants from ASCAP (1999 and 2000), Meet The Composer (1999 and 2000), and the Leonard Bernstein Composers’ Fund (2000). Mr. Bunch performs regularly as a violist, and plays fiddle in the bluegrass band Citigrass NYC. He is currently a faculty member at the Juilliard Pre-College program, where he teaches composition and viola.

Diliana Momtchilova, Cello Diliana Momtchilova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria into a family of musicians. She made her debut at the age of nine as a soloist with the Sofia Chamber Orchestra, and later attended the State Academy of Music in Sofia, where she graduated with honors. She has performed with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic, Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the State Academy of Music in Sofia, among many other ensembles. She was the winner of the 1998 Cello Concerto Competition at the Juilliard School and performed as a soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra. Ms. Momtchilova has had numerous solo, chamber, and recital performances in a number of countries including Austria, Poland, Germany, Russia, Holland, Yugoslavia, Czechia, Slovakia, and the United States.