Burn City String Quartet

Sarah Schreffler (February) performs with the Burn City String Quartet and as a collaborative artist and soloist with Cactus Chamber Musicians. Previously, she served as concertmaster of MusicaNova Orchestra, and as a member of the South Beach Chamber Ensemble. Other orchestral performances have been with the Arizona Bach Festival, Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Opera, the Arizona Chamber Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony. In addition to her chamber music and orchestral activities, she is a frequent collaborator in sessions with a variety of recording artists. As a teacher, Dr. Schreffler serves on the faculty of Phoenix College. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Arizona State University. This is her first year with Arizona Musicfest.

Spencer Ekenes, violin (February), enjoys an active performance career as a recitalist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Spencer performs frequently with The Phoenix Symphony, West Valley Symphony, Cactus Chamber Musicians, and previously with Wichita Grand Opera (KS), Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, Taneycomo Festival Orchestra (MO), Idaho Falls Symphony (ID), and Mill Ave Chamber Players (AZ). Spencer is actively performing as second violinist in the Burn City String Quartet, based in Phoenix, AZ. Passionate about the violin/piano duo repertoire, Spencer has performed solo and duo recitals in the United States, Mexico, and Norway. Additionally, Spencer has engaged as a concerto soloist with the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Arizona College Symphony Orchestra, ASU Baroque Ensemble, BYU-Idaho Baroque Ensemble, University of Idaho Festival Orchestra, and the University of Montana Fall Festival Orchestra. Spencer completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. Under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine McLin (ASU) and Dr. Samuel Máynez Champion (Conservatorio Nacional de México), he completed the first publication of the complete works for violin and piano by the late Mexican violinist/composer Samuel Máynez Prince as his culminating project for his doctoral degree. Dr. Ekenes has taught high school orchestra in the Gilbert Public Schools and is active as a guest adjudicator and clinician throughout the greater Phoenix area. Dr. Ekenes has presented and taught masterclasses at high schools, colleges, and universities in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Kansas, and Washington state. Dr. Ekenes currently teaches an active studio of violin students in Mesa, Arizona. This is his first year at Arizona Musicfest.

Allyson Wuenschel, viola, is a member of West Valley Symphony and honored to be a part of Phoenix’s thriving musical and cultural life. She believes in music as a means for connection, communication, and expression; her greatest joy is sharing this passion with others. Allyson received her bachelor’s from Boise State University, her master’s from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and her doctorate from Arizona State University, where she studied with Nancy Buck. She holds teaching positions at Arizona School for the Arts and Phoenix College. An active freelance musician in the Valley, she also performs with MusicaNova Orchestra, and is a founding member of the Oracle Piano Quartet and the Burn City String Quartet. This is her first year at Arizona Musicfest.

Alex Duke is a cellist from the Phoenix area dedicated to sharing his love of music with his community. Alex studied at Arizona State University and University of Miami, learning under the instruction of Thomas Landschoot and Ross Harbaugh. He enjoys continued collaboration with numerous groups in the greater Phoenix area, including Oh My Ears, Mill Ave Chamber Players, Cantilena Chorale, and the Oracle Piano Society. In addition to his work as a performer, Alex maintains a private studio of cello students and teaches through organizations including Rosie’s House, Mesa Community College, and Harmony Project to pass on what he has learned to the next generation of musicians.