Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival: Mozart & Brahms Piano Quartets

• Ambroise Aubrun, violin
• Virginie d'Avezac de Castera, viola
• Sophie Chauvenet, cello
• Zachary Deak, piano

The festival Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival was founded in 1988 by Professor Henry J. Bruman (1913–2005), who sought to introduce new audiences to chamber music at informal concerts on the UCLA campus. The festival's Artistic Director is Ambroise Aubrun, D.M.A.

About Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival

The Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival was founded in 1988 by Professor Henry J. Bruman (1913–2005), who sought to introduce new audiences to chamber music at informal concerts on the UCLA campus. The artistic Director is Ambroise Aubrun, D.M.A.

About Ambroise Aubrun, violin

Hailed as a "marvelous violinist" (France Musique) with "sensitive tone" (Pizzicato Magazine) and "tremendous ease, suppleness and beauty of sound" (Nice-Matin), violinist Ambroise Aubrun has performed extensively in Europe and North America. His albums for the Editions Hortus and Navona Records have embraced a wide range of repertoire from Bach to Tanguy (b. 1968) and received praise of the highest caliber (5 stars Pizzicato Journal, "coup de coeur" France Musique, and a nomination for the 2021 International Classical Music Awards).

Aubrun’s performances and albums have been broadcast on CBS, WFMT, France Musique, Klara Radio (Belgium), KPFK, WTUL New-Orleans and K-USC Los Angeles.

He has served as guest concertmaster of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and is a regular guest of the Los Angeles Philharmonic violin sections.

Aubrun studied at the Paris National Superior Conservatory, UCLA and the Colburn Conservatory of Music. He is the winner of the Charles Oulmont Prize of the Fondation de France and laureate of the Langart Foundation in Switzerland.

Currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Aubrun has served on the faculty of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara as well as several academies, and is regularly invited to give masterclasses around the world. He is the artistic director of the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival at UCLA.

About Virginie d'Avezac de Castera, viola

French violist Virginie d'Avezac began her musical journey at the Bordeaux Conservatory of music. An avid chamber musician, she has been collaborating with pianist Zachary Deak since 2010, captivating audiences in France, Morocco, and Southern California. Her artistry extends to performances in esteemed Chamber Music concert series, including the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival, South Pasadena Public Library Concerts, Concerts at the Dome, and Mason Concerts.

Her orchestral experience spans two decades, performing with prestigious ensembles such as the National Orchestra of Ile de France. the Bordeaux National Orchestra, the LA Master Chorale, and the New West Symphony.

Renowned for her commitment to performing music by living composers, Virginie d'Avezac achieved recognition as a featured soloist on the Grammy-winning album Mythologies by composer Danae Xanthe Vlasse in 2022.

About Sophie Chauvenet, cello

Sophie Chauvenet started playing cello in Reims, France, with Marc-Didier Thirault. She later studied at the Paris National Superior Conservatory (CNSMDP) with Philippe Muller, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and Marc Coppey. Laureate of the Maurice Gendron and Rampal competitions, she quickly decided to focus on her orchestral career, which led her to work with some of the world’s biggest conductors such as E.P. Salonen, P. Jordan, C. Eschenbach, V. Gergiev, M. Janoski, S. Osawa, M-W Chung, P. Jarvi, M. Franck, and G. Dudamel, to name a few. In addition to her orchestral position with the Orchestra de la Garde Républicaine (Paris), Sophie is an active chamber musician and a member of the four-celli quatuor serioso celli, the Voltaire Trio and Ensemble 1904.

About Zachary Deak, piano

Pianist Zachary Deak has appeared in recital as soloist and chamber musician in the United States, France, Morocco, Portugal, Moldavia and the United Kingdom. He has concertized at venues such as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Cité de la Musique, Salle Cortot, l'Archipel, in Paris, the Casa de Musica in Porto and the Theatre Micaelense in Ponto Delgada as well as l'Institut Francais in Agadir, Morocco.

The recipient of numerous awards, Zachary received the Hopkinson silver medal at the prestigious Chappell Medal Piano Competition in London in 2012. In 2013, he had the privilege to work intensively with the eminent pianist Maria Joao Pires in Paris and Brussels.

A graduate of the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and the Royal College of Music in London, Zachary received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California under the guidance of Dr. Stewart Gordon.

A dedicated teacher, Zachary is currently lecturer and keyboard area coordinator at Cal State University Los Angeles.