LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2

JENNIFER HIGDON
String Poetic

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 75

Steven Moeckel

As concerto soloist, concertmaster, and recitalist, violinist Steven Moeckel has engaged audiences and critics worldwide with his effortless virtuosity, vivid characterization and uncanny ability to capture the very essence of a work. A seasoned performer since childhood, Moeckel first appeared as concerto soloist at the age of 8. Since then, he has continued to solo with orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, interrupted only by a two year period as Principal Soprano Soloist of the renowned Vienna Boys Choir.

Moeckel’s concerto repertoire encompasses everything from the standard classical and romantic masterpieces to the visceral virtuosity of the Shostakovich Concerto and Corigliano’s Red Violin. Invited to China under the auspices of the newly formed Ling Tung Foundation, he was the first Western violinist to perform the beloved violin concerto, The Butterfly Lovers, with a Chinese orchestra. His special affinity for the British repertoire has most recently led to performances of the Elgar, Britten, and Walton Concertos.

Steven Moeckel has performed as chamber musician and recitalist with Leon Fleisher and Menachem Pressler at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival and frequently appears in concert with William Wolfram. Notable performances include recitals at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Colorado College Music Festival and the Sunriver Music Festival. With his long time partner pianist Paula Fan, Moeckel has toured Europe and the Americas, and performed the complete cycle of the ten Beethoven Sonatas three times to critical acclaim. Together they have recorded three albums. His most recent album with Indiana University pianist, Joanna Goldstein, celebrates the works of women composers during the time of Suffrage.

As a communicator, Moeckel’s ability to involve audiences in an astounding range of repertoire distinguishes him as a musician of rare versatility. A Laureate of the venerable Sibelius Competition, his performances earned recognition in the Helsinki press for his ability to probe the mind of a composer. At home in myriad styles, with pianist Paula Fan he performed a 12 hour marathon charity concert featuring masterworks of the classical literature interspersed with intermezzi featuring country, tango and jazz.

Steven Moeckel is equally at home speaking about music. Since his first appointment as Co-Concertmaster of Germany’s Ulm Philharmonic at the age of 19, he has been involved in outreach and educational events for orchestras and festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. He has served as a frequent coach for the New World Symphony in Miami and in 2019 was invited to participate in the National Alliance for Audition Support, a group that trains minority classical musicians in audition preparation in conjunction with the Sphinx Organization, the New World Symphony and The league of American Orchestras. He has served as orchestra coach at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and has appeared as a guest on the podcast series, ‘Behind the Screen,’ hosted by JT Kane and Matt Corey.

A graduate of both the famous Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg and Indiana University in Bloomington, Steven Moeckel has served as Concertmaster of the Ulm Philharmonic in Germany, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, and the Santa Fe Opera. He is a board member of a non-profit focused on music awareness called The Wayback Foundation, and currently president of the Arizona chapter of American String Teachers Association. In 2020 he was awarded a tenured violin professorship at Northern Arizona University and is artistic director of the Oxmoor Farm International Chamber Music Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

Nathan Arch

Nathan Arch recently graduated from Arizona State University, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with emphasis in Collaborative Piano. Over the years, Nathan has established himself in the Phoenix area as both chamber musician and choirmaster, concertizing in several locations throughout the Valley. Recent past appearances as collaborative pianist include Rocky Ridge Music Center (Colorado), Vianden International Music Festival & School (Luxembourg), and Saarburg International Music Festival & School (Germany). In Luxembourg and Germany, Nathan also served as scheduling coordinator for the festivals, which involved planning of day-to-day activities, along with appropriate repertoire selection for the students.

Nathan’s research interests and doctoral dissertation focus on the early chamber music of Aleksandr Borodin and his contemporaries, with the aim of furthering awareness of unknown works in the late-19th century Russian aesthetic. During this project, Nathan arranged and transcribed a lesser-known aria from the opera Prince Igor for standard piano trio, with the aim of creating an accessible product for both beginners and more advanced players.

As part of the duo ZelenArch with saxophonist Kristen Zelenak, the pair has toured extensively in the United States, presenting both standard works and new commissions. Recent appearances include SHE: Festival of Women in Music at the University of Arkansas, along with the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) 2024 biennial conference at Oklahoma State University. ZelenArch has made several professional recordings, most notably Carter Pann’s Sonata for alto saxophone & piano.

Nathan enjoys a varied career in Arizona as Director of Music Ministries at Church of the Master PC(USA) and as Staff Pianist at Northern Arizona University. Under his direction, his Chancel Choir has presented larger works such as Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Herbert Howells’s Collegium Regale.”