K.J. McDonald, violin (Castaic, CA), received his B.M. and M.M. with Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho at the Juilliard School, where he received a Kovner Fellowship. He currently studies with Donald Weilerstein at the New England Conservatory with the Dean’s scholarship and will continue his studies there as part of the trio in residence. He has worked with composers Steve Reich, Thomas Ades, Alvin Singleton, Kaija Saariaho, Tan Dun, and John Adams, and regularly premieres and commissions music from upcoming composers in venues such as Alice Tully Hall. He has founded several string quartets and piano trios, and has worked with both present and past members of the Juilliard string quartet, members of the Cleveland Quartet, Joseph Kalichstein, Merry Peckham, Kim Kashkashian, Vivian Weilerstein, Larry Lesser and Kirsten Docter. K.J. has a passion for pedagogy and has traveled the world teaching underprivileged children, including in Sal Paolo, Brazil. He has attended the Perlman Music Program, Yellow Barn, Lucerne, and IMS Prussia Cove music festivals. Previous Yellow Barn musician (2022, 2023)