Sophie Arbuckle – Founding co-director, violin/viola.
Described as “possessing a technical mastery and keen sensitivity while bringing the works of the composers to a living and breathing reality” (Amberieu, France) Sophie Arbuckle is a co-founding director of the Port Jefferson Music Academy and a member of the Braude Ensemble. She also serves on the violin faculty at the Preparatory Division of the Mannes College of Music and at the School for Strings in New York City. She is on the artist/faculty of the Killington Music Festival (VT), the Green Mountain Music Festival (VT), and the Sulzbach-Rozenberg International Music Festival (Germany). Ms. Arbuckle is emerging as one of the most sought after teachers for the young in New York City.

Throughout her career, Ms. Arbuckle has appeared as a member of various ensembles in all of the major concert halls in New York, in addition to having performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. She has appeared in several chamber music festivals, including Music@Menlo (California),where she co-directed the 2004 chamber music workshop, the Killington Music Festival (VT), Patrimoine en Musique des pays de l’Ain, and Fetes musicales de Savoie (France) as a member of the Braude Ensemble. She has served as guest concertmaster of the Sudbury Symphony (Canada), with whom she performed as a soloist on numerous occasions..

As a member of the Braude Ensemble, Ms. Arbuckle has performed in many prestigious venues such as the Royal Flemisch Philarmonie Chamber Music Series (Antwerp), Philarmonique de Namur (Theatre Royal, Ghent), Series Pont Rouge (Ghent), Astoria Concerts (Brussels), Festival des Arcs (France) where the ensemble was in residence in the summer 2004, and Fetes Musicales de Savoie (France) where the ensemble was featured on France 3 television. The Braude Ensemble is presently in residence at the Port Jefferson Music Academy and is the core of the "Academy Concerts" Series.

Ms. Arbuckle holds her MM degree from the Juilliard School. Her major teachers include Sally Thomas, Josef Gingold, Mauricio Fuks, Edith Peinemann and Arnold Steinhardt.

"…flamboyantly responsive, flexible and supple viola playing.”
MarieLouise Scharf, Sulzbach Rosenberg, Germany

"…Ms. Arbuckle possessing a technical mastery and keen sensitivity while bringing the works of the composers to a living and breathing reality”.
Le progress de l’Ain, Amberieu, France



Arik Braude – Founding Co-director; Artistic Director,"Academy Concerts"; violin.
Praised for “sophisticated, warm intensity, radiant timbre and well-balanced, harmonious performance style in the best chamber music tradition.” (Sulzbach Rosenberg, Germany, August 2005) violinist Arik Braude currently serves on the faculties of the Queens College Conservatory of Music (CUNY) and the Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division (New York). He is on the artist/faculty of the Killington Music Festival (VT), the Green Mountain Music Festival (VT), and the Sulzbach-Rozenberg International Music Festival (Germany). Mr. Braude is the artistic director of "Academy Concerts" in Long Island, NY and co-founder and co-director of the Port Jefferson Music Academy and a founding member of the Braude Ensemble.

Mr. Braude combines his teaching with an extensive solo and chamber music performance schedule in the U.S. and abroad. His students have won numerous competitions, and have performed as soloists and concertmasters with many student orchestras in New York City. Mr. Braude recently appeared at the Music@Menlo festival (CA) where he also directed the 2004 chamber music workshop, as well as in numerous festivals in Europe, including Festival des Arcs in France, where he also served as a violin professor; in Fetes musicales de Savoie (France), in Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival (Germany), and in numerous chamber music series in Belgium. He has collaborated with such artists as Michel Benet, Kenneth Cooper, David Finckel, Ani Kavafian, Misha Quint and Gerald Robbins. His all Mozart recording with forte-piano player George Kiss is scheduled to be released in January 2006. A recent review of this program read: “…With a thoroughly infectious joy in playing, Arik Braude put virtuosity and sensitivity at the service of this very beautiful work [Mozart violin & piano sonata], getting the concert off to the finest possible start.” (Grand Anecy, France, March 2005)

In 2000 along with his brother, violinist Benjamin Braude and his wife Violinist/Violist Sophie Arbuckle, Mr. Braude established the Braude Ensemble which has performed extensively in France and Belgium as well as the US. The group has recorded for the Talent Classics and Le Chant de Linos labels.

Mr. Braude studied with David Oistrach’s assistant Piotr Bondorenko, Felix Andrievsky Jeans Ellermann, Ifrah Neeman and Sally Thomas. His artistic development has also been profoundly influenced by master classes with Isaac Stern, Alexander Schneider and Ruggiero Ricci.

“…A virtuoso with a butter-like sound…” - Sulzbach Rosenberg, Germany

“…powerful and expressive performance, with phrasing that demanded the audiences’ attention" - Meriden Journal, Connecticut

“constantly engaging …seldom does one hear Mozart’s [“Kegelstalt” Trio] played so beautifully.” - Sulzbach Rosenberg, Germany

Benjamin Braude - Member of the Braude Ensemble and Port Jefferson Music Academy guest faculty. Superior Diploma in Violin Performance-The Royal Conservatory of Music, Anwerpen, Belguim. Violin studies with Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, Former Assistant concertmaster-The Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (Belguim). Former faculty-The Royal Conservatory of Music, Mons, Belguim. Chamber music and solo performances in Europe and US and Israel. Founding member of the Braude Quartet. Quartet residence-Festival des arcs-2004. Recording for Discovery and Talent records.

Julie Doczi - Flute. M.A. in music education, Trenton State College, BA, Douglas College. Certification in Orff-Schulwerk studies from the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. Flute studies with William Kincaid and Paige Brook. Extensive experience as an elementary vocal music teacher in the Three Village School District. Has taught flute privately and is an active chamber music player. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2001.

Tomoko Fujita - Cello. Doctoral Studies, SUNY Stonybrook. M.M. The Julliard School. B.A. Rice University. Cello studies with Colin Carr, Joel Krosnick, Norman Fisher and Andre Emelianoff. Participant at Spoleto (Italy), Tanglewood, Sarasota and Aspen festivals. Prize winner at the Corpus Christi Young Artist's Competition and The Fifth Annual Hellam Young Artist's Competition. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2004.

Laura Geoffrey - Violin. Studies at the Manhattan School of Music. Violin studies with Victor Danchenko and Isaak Malkin.. Solo performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra as winner of the Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition. Solo performances with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and the Ocean Pops Orchestra. Chamber music and recitals in Europe, Israel and the United States. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2003.

Stephanie Iovine – Cello/Suzuki Cello. B.A. SUNY at Stony Brook. Suzuki certified cello instructor. Cello studies with Timothy Eddy, Judith Glyde, Leslie Parnas, Barbara Stein Mallow, and Luis Garcia-Renart. Suzuki cello training at Ithaca College and the University of Hartford. Former principal cellist of the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. Principal cellist for the St. Martin’s Symphony Orchestra (Amityville) and the Hampton Chamber Orchestra. Former faculty, North Shore Suzuki School and the Spring Lake Music School. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2004.

Sue Kwon –Violin, Viola. M.M., New England Conservatory, B.M., Cleveland Institute of Music. Viola studies with Jeffrey Irvine, Martha Strongin Katz, and Carol Rodland. Secondary studies/masterclasses with Heidi Castleman, Victoria Chiang, Ralph Fielding, Kim Kashkashian, and Lynne Ramsey. Performances with Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Portland Symphony Orchestra. Assistant teacher to Jeffrey Irvine at ENCORE School for Strings since 2003. Port Jefferson Music Academy Faculty since 2005.

Margaretha Maimone - Violin. MM violin performance and music education at the Royal Conservatory of Music, The Hague (Netherlands). MA Theatre Arts, SUNY at Stony Brook. Violin studies with Davina van Wely, Jaap Schroeder (Classical violin) and Lucy van Dael (Baroque violin). Master Classes with Alice Harnoncourt and composer Bruno Maderna with whom she prepared the Dutch premiere of his 2nd Violin Concerto ‘Widmung’. Performances in The Netherlands and Belgium. Member of the Amsterdam Philharmonic and Royal Ballet Orchestras. Co-founder of the Delta Ensemble for Contemporary Music in Amsterdam. She is currently the director of the Ridotto concert series and a freelance violinist and teacher in the New York area. Port Jefferson Music Academy Faculty since 2006.

Edward A. Malave – Viola. BM., M.M., The Julliard School, Suzuki teacher training certificate from the School for Strings, NY. Alexander Technique Certification from The American Center for the Alexander Technique (A.C.A.T.). Viola studies with William Lincer. Chamber music studies with Robert Mann, Lillian Fuchs, Felix Galamir and Arnold Steinhard. Principal viola, Key West Symphony Orchestra (Florida). Former principal viola, Prince George Symphony and Kamloops Symphony Orchestra (Canada) and the Orquestra Filarmonica de Lima (Peru).Active freelance musician performing classical, pop and Broadway music, including performances with U2's Bono, Barry White, Sir Elton John, the Martha Graham dance company as well as numerous opera and symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Faculty, Soyulla Performing Arts Program (N.Y.C.) and the Westchester Conservatory. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2004.

Eleonora Rotshteyn - piano, Composition, Theory, Music Appreciation. M.M., B.M. in piano performance; M.M., B.M. in composition, Mannes College of Music. Theory Faculty, The School for Strings, NY. Prize winner at the National Young Pianist Competition in Russia at the age of ten. Grand Prize at the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati (Ohio) at the age of twelve. First prize winner at the 1995 Leschetizky Society competition in New York. Piano appearances in Russia and US including the Weill recital hall at Carnegie Hall and New York’s Steinway Hall. Compositions performed by the Mannes orchestra and numerous other ensembles. Substitute teacher of piano, ear training, composition and theory at the Mannes College of Music preparatory division since 2000. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2001.

Irena Sheyn - Piano. M.A., B.A. Rostov State Conservatory (Russia). Faculty, Grozny Music School (Russia) from 1972 to 1992. Piano faculty since 1992 at the Shostakovich Music School, Brooklyn and the First Jewish Gymnasium, Brooklyn NY. Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty since 2002.

Ensemble In Residence
The Braude Ensemble originated as the Braude Quartet, founded by Arik and Benny Braude and Sophie Arbuckle-Braude. Following its early appearances in Europe, the group was engaged by Talent Classic Records to record a series of world premiers. The first recording, which was declared a “Must Buy” by the Tower Records review (Washington, DC), consists of the two early string quartets by Ernst Toch. Since then, the group has evolved into a versatile and vibrant ensemble, which has collaborated with some of the most outstanding chamber musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. Each member pursues successful individual careers in Europe and the United States, while uniting in their passion for chamber music. The ensemble’s engaging programming and appealing performances have consistently drawn enthusiastic responses from their audiences. The ensemble is in residence at the Port Jefferson Music Academy, where it presents its signature series “Academy Concerts”, a series dedicated to bringing the arts to the younger generations.

The Braude Ensemble’s latest recording, Célébration Mozart is being sold on the Belgian label Le Chant de Linos.

“Four Talented musicians succeeded in creating a beautiful Mozartian atmosphere moving smoothly between unalloyed happiness to the intense nostalgia. The public was enthralled and their happiness could be seen on their faces on the way out of the concert.”
— Grand Annecy, France