Guest Artist: Ernest Salem, violin and Alison Edwards, piano

Violinist and professor Ernest Salem maintains a busy schedule giving recitals and concerts across the United States, in Europe and South America. Formerly concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony, he is also active as a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area, having performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra, Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Asia American Orchestra and South Coast Symphony. In demand as a presenter, he’s offered master classes at universities, colleges and art schools throughout the United States. Dr. Salem holds degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Houston and the University of Minnesota. Included among his teachers are Yfrah Neaman, Fredell Lack and members of the Juilliard Quartet. Dr. Salem is also published in the American String Teachers’ Journal and the Long Island Historical Journal.

Alison Edwards, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, California State University-Fullerton, has performed nationally and internationally as soloist and chamber musician, including engagements in the United States and China. She has been featured concerto soloist with orchestras including the Peninsula Symphony, the Marina-del-Rey Westchester Symphony, the Rio Hondo Symphony and others. With long-time duo partner, Ernest Salem, Professor of Violin at the CSUF School of Music, Edwards completed residencies for music programs including the Shenandoah Conservatory, Blair School of Music, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Florida State University, Central Michigan University and Hope University.

As leader of the Piano Pedagogy Program in the School of Music, Edwards has been passionate and active as a piano pedagogy lecturer and clinician. In this capacity, she completed residencies for the piano pedagogy programs at Southern Methodist University and the University of Arizona, appeared at the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, and presented various topics in pedagogy and performance for the various branches of the Music Teachers’ Association of California. As masterclass clinician, she has taught for the Sara Compinsky Masterclass Series, the Orange County School of the Arts, and college/university programs. A former long-time student of Earle Voorhies, Edwards completed her undergraduate studies at California State University, Fullerton, and her graduate studies at the University of Southern California with Daniel Pollock and Dr. Stewart Gordon.

Currently, Edwards serves as Piano and Organ Coordinator in the School of Music at CSUF, where she has been a full-time faculty member since 2007.