Biography:

 

KRISTA BENNION FEENEY, violin, enjoys a diverse career in chamber music, solos, and as concertmaster and orchestral leader. With pianist Rudolf Firkusny, the Ridge won the Diapason d'Or and a Grammy nomination in 1992 for their RCA recording of Dvorak's Piano Quintets. The Loma Mar Quartet recorded original works written for them by Paul McCartney for EMI. She has soloed in Arnold Schoenberg's rarely heard Concerto for Quartet and Orchestra with both the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke's. The DNA Quintet released two world premiere recordings of the music of Domenico Dragonetti which had remained hidden in the British Library for over 160 years. Ms. Feeney is the first violinist and founder of the Serenade Quartet and Serenade Orchestra, recreating a lost sound world of 18th century chamber music with historic instrument configurations that included the Viennese violone. Ms. Feeney has served as a concertmaster and frequent soloist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and member of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble since 1983. From '99-'06 she was the music director and frequent soloist of the New Century Chamber Orchestra based in San Francisco. As soloist Krista has performed with orchestras including the Symphonies of San Francisco, St. Louis, Elgin and the American Classical Orchestra in addition to the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Recent Solo highlights include The Lark Ascending with Simon Rattle conducting St. Luke's, Nardini's e minor concerto and Paganini's La Campanella on historic violin with the American Classical Orchestra as well as Lou Harrison's Suite for Violin and American Gamelan.