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 Praised in The New York Times as a "brilliant soloist" violinist Eric Grossman is a versatile performer. From collabor- ations with Lowell Liebermann to concerto appearances in many parts of the world, he has been hailed for his flawless technique, superb musician- ship and commitment to a wide range of repertoire.Mr. Grossman’s first teacher was his father, cellist John Grossman, who instilled in him an abiding love for music. A graduate of Juilliard, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay, Mr. Grossman enjoys an active performing career. He has given highly acclaimed recitals and solo performances with orchestras in the U.S., Europe, Korea, Japan, and Cuba under renowned conductors including Zubin Mehta, Stanislaw Skrowaczewki, and Michael Gielen. Mr. Grossman has performed and recorded Lowell Liebermann’s Violin Sonata with the composer, and recorded the soundtrack performance of Ravel’s Tzigane for The Elusive Muse, a PBS documentary on dancer Suzanne Farrel.
As a chamber musician, Mr. Grossman has collaborated with such noted artists as David Soyer, Seymour Lipkin, Philip Myers, and Sandra Rivers, among many others.
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Dr. Patricia Laurence, Violin
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 Dr. Laurence, has performed with major orchestras and has been a mentor for young violinists and pianists for more than three decades. In 1970 she joined the first violin section of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. where she played for two U.S. Presidents. She has also participated in summer festivals around the world including the Rome Festival (Italy), and the Grand Teton Music Festival. Dr. Laurence holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, a Master of Music Degree from Rice University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. She is the mother of two grown children and enjoys reading, traveling, birding, and swimming in fresh-water lakes.
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 Emma Rubinstein currently holds a two-year appointment at BYU-Idaho as Visiting Professor of Violin. From 2005-2008 she served as assistant concertmaster of CityMusic Cleveland in Ohio -- Cleveland’s premier chamber orchestra. Previously Assistant Professor of Music and first violin of the Oxford String Quartet at Miami University of Ohio from 1999-2005, Ms. Rubinstein has appeared as guest soloist and chamber musician nationally and internationally, has held guest teaching engagements in the US and abroad, appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts, and made CD recordings. She is the former first violinist and founding member of the Anacapa String Quartet (1989-1998). Based in Santa Barbara, CA, the quartet performed across the U.S. to outstanding reviews, giving concerts at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., Lively Arts Series at Stanford University, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Rockport Opera House, to name a few. They participated in radio broadcasts and toured throughout the U.S., Costa Rica and France. ASQ received numerous honors, awards and commissions throughout their career. Ms. Rubinstein spends summers teaching and performing at chamber music festivals and workshops in California and Oregon, and has taught chamber music courses for the American String Teachers Association.Ms. Rubinstein received her Master of Music degree from Yale University, her Bachelor of Music degree (Magna cum Laude) at Boston University, and her high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy.
Ms. Rubinstein currently lives in Idaho Falls with her husband Marlin, and their dogs, Bruiser, Myka and Coco, and maintains an active private violin studio. She is serving as interim concertmaster of the Idaho Falls Symphony for the 2008-09 season.
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Rick Hansen, Violin
Director of Orchestras, Madison School District, Rexburg, Idaho.
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 Rick Hansen is in his 34th year as the orchestra director at Madison High School and Jr. High School in Rexburg, Idaho. His orchestra program has been the benchmark of the Idaho public school system for many years, and has received recognition throughout the northwest. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Education and Master of Music degree in violin performance from BYU where he was a scholarship student of Henri Temianka and Percy Kalt. In addition to his duties in the school district, Mr. Hansen serves as concertmaster of the Idaho Falls Symphony, is a member of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, and maintains a private studio of violin students.
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 Jenny Oaks Baker is one of America's most accomplished classical violinists. She began playing the violin at age four, and made her solo debut in 1983 when she was only eight years old. She received her Master of Music degree from the renowned Juilliard School in New York City and her bachelor's degree in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Library of Congress and as a guest soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and the internationally acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In 2005, Ms. Baker soloed with the National Symphony Orchestra, with whom she was a first violinist for seven years, at the Kennedy Center under the direction of Marvin Hamlisch. Ms. Baker resigned from the National Symphony Orchestra in 2007 to devote more time to her young family. She has released eight albums since 1998. They have sold more than 150,000 copies, charted on Billboard, and garnered numerous Pearl Awards from the Faith Centered Music Association including Song, Album, and Artist of the Year. Ms. Baker, her husband Matthew, and their four children reside outside of Washington D.C.
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Jack Ashton, Violin, Conductor
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 Jack Ashton began his musical life at age eight while living in Tyhee, a small farming community in Eastern Idaho, later moving to Utah and studying with David Shand, Assistant Conductor of the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel. After serving an L.D.S. mission to Germany and a year of active duty with the US Army, Mr. Ashton reentered the University of Utah, studying and performing in the University Symphony under Dr. Shand. He also studied with Sally Peck Leutz and Oscar Chassow, as well as with Szymon Goldberg.When the Symphony became a full time orchestra, Mr. Ashton spent several years playing in both first and second violin sections and was appointed Assistant Principal Second Violin, a position he held for the next twenty-five years. Recently, after the appointment of Keith Lockhart as Music Director, Mr. Ashton rejoined the rotating violin section. Mr. Ashton has been very active as a music educator, founding the Young Artist Chamber Players and overseeing a private violin studio where he teaches about thirty students each year. Mr. Ashton has been married to Marie Yeates for the past thirty-eight years, and they have eight children. He enjoys hiking, gardening, and teaching his students.
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Dr. Jonathan Hillman, Viola
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 Dr. Jonathan Hillman, a native Idahoan, currently lives in Michigan where he is an active orchestra musician and teacher. Dr. Hillman received the D.M.A. and M.M. degrees in viola performance from Michigan State University, where he studied viola with Robert Dan. He also received the B.A. degree in music from Boise State University. This will be his seond year at Mountains & Strings. Dr. Hillman also enjoys composing music for middle-school level orchestras.
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Dr. Karin Hendricks, Cello
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 Karin Hendricks is delighted to return for a fourth season at Mtns and Strings. She has served as a string clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States, and enjoyed a successful public school orchestra career in Utah, Idaho, and Illinois. She was named 2005 “Teacher of the Year” at Logan High School (UT) and the 2008 Utah “Secondary Teacher of the Year” for the American String Teachers Association. She was a 2003 recipient of the “United States Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition” Award, presented by First Lady Laura Bush. She has maintained a private cello studio for 24 years, with students receiving state and national honors.Karin Hendricks received a Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Illinois, an M.A. in Music Education from Brigham Young University, and bachelors degrees in Cello Performance and German Studies from the Oberlin Conservatory and College. At Oberlin, she was a scholarship student of Peter Rejto and Catharina Meints. She has also received music performance training from such artists as John Williams, Hugh Wolff, Anner Bylsma, Roland Vamos, Michel Debost, Robert McDonald, Sharon Robinson, and the Beaux Arts Trio.
Dr. Hendricks teaches courses in music education and string pedagogy at the University of Illinois, where she also served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Illini String Orchestra. She has collaborated in education projects with several international soloists and chamber ensembles, including the Miró, Cavani, Pacifica, Arianna, Daedalus, and Fry Street Quartets; and the Jacques Thibaud Trio. She has an avid interest in music education psychology research, with a particular focus in student motivation and the development of ability and self-belief.
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