Sensational and unmistakable, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg stands out in the field of classical

music. Individual, passionate and powerful sound, a risk-taking persona and energetic

presence are her trademarks. A musician, author, and teacher, Nadja is recognized as one of

the world's preeminent violinists.

Since 1981, when she burst onto the music scene as the youngest recipient ever of the Walter W. Naumburg International Violin Competition, Nadja has remained in the media spotlight. A guest on NBC's The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson numerous times, Nadja has been featured on CBS' 60 Minutes, Nightwatch, and Sunday Morning, NBC's National News, and has been A&E's Artist of the Week with Elliot Forrest. She has also been featured on PBS' Live From Lincoln Center, Backstage/Lincoln Center, Journey, The Charlie Rose Show, City Arts, and Bravo's The Art of Influence, not to mention the PBS/BBC series The Mind, PBS' Sessions at West 54th, a PBS special presentation, "Dallas Symphony Orchestra: Music of Bernstein, Barber & Beethoven," and PBS' Children's Television Workshop's award winning program Sesame Street. In May 1999, CBS' 60 Minutes II aired a follow-up to their 1986 feature, highlighting the last 13 years of her career.

A highly acclaimed recording artist, Nadja's numerous classical recordings are released on the Angel/EMI Classic and Nonesuch labels. A sought-after artist who has performed with many of the world's greatest conductors and orchestras and at major international festivals, she has played at the White House in a command performance for the Arts & Humanities Awards. She has also collaborated with such artists as Mandy Patinkin, Joe Jackson, Judy Blazer, Janice Siegel, the Assad brothers, Mark O'Connor and Roger Kellaway.
Born in Rome, Nadja emigrated to the Unites States at the age of eight to study at The Curtis Institute of Music and later studied with Dorothy DeLay at The Julliard School. In 1989, she wrote "Nadja: On My Way," an autobiography written for children, in which she shares her experiences as a young musician building a career. She is the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize (1999) awarded to the instrumentalists who have demonstrated "outstanding achievement and excellence in music." She has been honored with an Avery Fisher Career Grant (1983), and in 1988 was Ovations Debut Recording Artist of the Year. She is in Who's Who of American Women and is also the recipient of an honorary Masters of Musical Arts from the New Mexico State University (May 1999), the first honorary degree the University has ever awarded.

A luminous, boldly emotive pianist who conveys great sensitivity and spirituality through her playing, Anne-Marie McDermott is widely celebrated for her performances on the world's most illustrious stages. A versatile musician, Ms. McDermott is at home with a wide range of repertoire, from Bach and Mozart to Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. As a solo recitalist, soloist with orchestra or as part of a chamber music ensemble, she conveys the message of the composer in deeply felt, spontaneous playing.