Bio Notes : Tessa Peterson, John Van Buskirk

Tessa Petersen was brought up in Dunedin, New Zealand. As an undergraduate student at The University of Otago, she studied with Australian violinist Pamela Bryce, won numerous prizes, and led the New Zealand Youth Orchestra. A British Commonwealth Scholarship took her to London to study with Levon Chilingirian at the Royal College of Music after which she went on to play and tour with leading chamber orchestras in the UK and Europe.

From 1993 Tessa was active in the USA as an orchestral and chamber player, concertmaster, recitalist and teacher in New York and throughout New England. She taught at Smith College, Westfield State College, Mount Holyoke College, coached chamber music at the Greenwood Music Camp for gifted children and worked in schools in Massachusetts. She has participated in the Aldeburgh Music Festival in the UK, as well as The Waterloo, Wolfeboro, Mohawk Trail, Marlboro and Monadnock music festivals in the USA.

Tessa is currently the William Evans Executant Lecturer in Violin at the University of Otago and the National President of STANZA--the Strings Association of New Zealand, Aotearoa.

John Van Buskirk, a versatile pianist referred to by the NY Times as “sensitive and assertive”, has played from Los Angeles and New York to Budapest, Prince Edward Island and the Netherland Antilles as a recitalist, chamber music player and recital partner to singers and instrumentalists.

He graduated from the Eastman School of Music, holds a Master’s Degree from the Juilliard School and completed post-graduate study at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. While living in New York City he played in The Music Today Ensemble, The New York Chamber Symphony and the Mostly Mozart Orchestra of Lincoln Center. In New England, he taught at Bennington College, Westfield State College and Smith College.

He has played for broadcast on NPR and the BBC. Mr. Van Buskirk made many recordings as a member of the New York Chamber Symphony and the Harmonie Ensemble among others. His solo recordings include Music of Robert Schumann—Newport Classics, The Art of the Fortepiano—Lyrichord as well as Songs of Robert Schumann, with Jane Bryden, soprano—Gasparo. Mr. Van Buskirk has played with the Mendelssohn Quartet, members of the Guarneri Quartet, the Jacques Thibaud String Trio, the Ying Quartet and at music festivals throughout New England. He recently relocated to Dunedin, New Zealand where he performs with Tessa Petersen as the violin/piano duo La Belle Alliance. His most recent recording is of Allen Shawn’s Messages (dedicated to him), included along with the composer’s performances on an Albany CD (Allen Shawn Piano Music, Vol II).