Robert Radliff
Violin, New Jersey Youth Symphony
New York native Robert Radliff is a powerful and engaging violinist, concertizing throughout the New York City area and across the country. Robert’s performances span a diverse mix of solo and lecture recitals, chamber music and string quartet, symphony orchestra, and commercial music events. Robert studied violin performance at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD with Violaine Melancon of the Peabody Trio, where he attained his Bachelor’s of Music in 2010. He holds a Master of Arts and Graduate Artist Diploma in Performance at Montclair State University where he studied with Weigang Li of the Shanghai Quartet; he was also a Graduate Assistant of the Orchestra.
Robert has been featured as guest soloist with numerous orchestras throughout Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, and the East Coast. He has collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic musical figures such as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Jamie Laredo, and many others. Internationally, Robert has performed in chamber music settings including the East China Normal University, Western District Chamber Music of Hong Kong, and the ‘Konzert im Kirchgarten’ series in Hanover, Germany. He performs as section violin with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, the Binghamton Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and the Berkshire Opera Festival in Great Barrington, MA. Robert is the founder of the chamber music series known as “Music in the Library” at the New Jersey Institute of Technology where he performs with the Littman Quartet.
A passionate and sought-after violin pedagogue in the New Jersey music education community as part of the Violin Faculty at the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp in Cazadero, CA from 2017-2002. He currently runs the violin program at the Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark, while also accompanying the chorus on piano. He was appointed to the to the position of Violin and Viola Faculty at the Raritan Valley Community College Music Department in January 2022, he coaches and adjudicates the violin section of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and the Lakeland Youth Symphony of Morris County, NJ.
Sharon Niessen
Piano, Chamber Music
Dutch pianist Sharon Niessen, born and raised in the Netherlands, is being praised for her lyrical and emotional playing and intelligent musicianship both as a soloist and chamber musician.
Sharon started her musical journey at the age of 9. She was prizewinner of national and international competitions such as Princess Christina Competition, IMKA International Music Competition and Charleston International Music Competition.
From a young age, Sharon has been giving concerts in the Netherlands and abroad, solo as well as in chamber music formations. She played in major venues in the Netherlands such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, TivoliVredenburg Utrecht and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. She had the honor to play in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, reaching another milestone in her career. She made her TV debut in 2004 and was heard on the radio.
She has played as a soloist with prominent Dutch orchestras such as Philips Symphony Orchestra, YouthOrchestra of the Netherlands, Dutch Promenade Orchestra, Helikon Orchestra, and worked with renowned conductors such as Sander Teepen, Jurjen Hempel and Jules van Hessen. One of her career highlights was her tour of five concerts with the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands and Liszt’s 1st Piano Concerto.
In addition to her career as solo pianist, Sharon has collaborated with other renowned artists, including world champion whistler Geert Chatrou, soprano Miranda van Kralingen, violinist Robert Radliff, and flutist Ilonka Kolthof.
Sharon studied with Ton Demmers, Jan Wijn and Joop Celis at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Fontys Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Tilburg (Netherlands).
