Cellist Julian Schwarz was awarded first prize at the inaugural Schoenfeld International Competition in 2013 and has since made over 200 concerto appearances in the US and abroad. Julian performs in a duo with Marika Bournaki as winners of the 2016 Boulder International Competition's "The Art of Duo," and is a founding member of the Frisson Ensemble. A devoted teacher, Mr. Schwarz serves as Associate Professor of Cello at Shenandoah Conservatory and on the artist faculty of New York University and Eastern Music Festival. He received BM and MM degrees from The Juilliard School under Joel Krosnick. A Pirastro artist, he endorses Pirastro "Perpetual" cello strings.