Ms. Arbuckle has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. She has appeared in several chamber music festivals, including Music@Menlo (California), where she has co-directed the chamber music workshop, the Killington Music Festival (VT), Patrimoine en Musique des pays de l'Ain (France), Fêtes Musicales de Savoie (France), and Interharmony International Chamber Music Festival (Germany). She has served as guest concertmaster of the Sudbury Symphony (Canada), with whom she performed frequently as a soloist. Recent solo appearances include Mozart Simphonie Concertante with the Belgorade Orchestra (France).

As the violist of the Braude Ensemble, Ms. Arbuckle has performed in many prestigious venues such as the Royal Flemish 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, Fêtes Musicales de Savoie (France), Musique sans frontieres (France), Musicales Internationales (France), and Mainzer Kammerorchester Chamber Series (Germany)

Ms. Arbuckle has been closely affiliated with her husband, violinist Arik Braude, teaching a large and vibrant studio of young musicians. In 2007, they were invited to bring selected students for professional engagements as a part of the “Fêtes musicales de Savoie” in France. The success of the concerts led to the establishment of the “Jeunes Virtuoses de New York” master course and concert series. …

Ms. Arbuckle holds an MM degree from the Juilliard School.

"...flamboyantly responsive, flexible and supple viola playing."
– Marie Louise 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 progrès de l'Ain, Ambérieu, 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), violinist Arik Braude performs regularly in concert series and festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. As a soloist he has appeared with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Israeli Sinfonietta, the Belgorod Symphony Orchestra (Russia), the Antwerp Chamber Orchestra (Belgium), and numerous festival orchestras, including the International Master Players (Switzerland), the Yehudi Menuhin Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), and most recently, the Minsk Orchestra of Belo Russia (Fetes musicales de Savoie, France). Chamber music festival appearances include Music@Menlo (CA), Festival des Arcs (France), Fetes musicales de Savoie (France), Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival (Germany), and the Killington Chamber Music Festival (VT). He has recorded for Music@Menlo, Talent Classics and Le Chant de Linos labels.

Mr. Braude teaches at the Aaron Copland Conservatory of Music at Queens College (CUNY), and the Mannes College of Music preparatory division. He is presently the director of the “Jeunes Virtuoses de New York” concert series (France), and is a member of the artist-faculty of the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival. He has directed the Young Artist program at the Music@Menlo festival (CA), has served as guest violin professor at the Festival des Arcs (France), and has been a member of the artist-faculty of the Killington music festival (VT) and the Interharmony Music Festival (Germany). He has given master classes in France, Germany, England and in the US. Mr. Braude will be featured in the February 2010 issue of the Strad Magazine, in an interview about his teaching.

Mr. Braude’s students have appeared as soloists with professional orchestras in France, and have been given opportunities to collaborate with some of the leading chamber musicians in New York City. They have won numerous competitions, including From the Top and the LISMA International Music Competition. Mr. Braude’s students have successfully served as concertmasters of most of the major student orchestras of New York, including the New York Youth Symphony, and have soloed with most of them.

In 2007, Mr. Braude was invited to bring selected students for professional engagements as a part of the “Fetes musicales de Savoie” concert series in France. The success of the concerts led to the establishment of the “Jeunes Virtuoses de New York” master course, and to repeated concert reengagements.

Mr. Braude began his violin studies in a special music school in Kazan (Russia) with his father Nathan V. Braude, a student of the legendary Abram Yampolsky. He continued his studies in Israel with David Oistrach's assistant, Piotr Bondorenko, and Felix Andrievsky, and later in Hanover (Germany) with Jens Ellermann, in London with Ifrah Neeman, and in New York with Sally Thomas. He has performed in master classes for Isaac Stern and Alexander Schneider at the Jerusalem Music Center (Israel), and Ruggiero Ricci at the Yehudi Menuhin International Music Festival in Gstaad (Switzerland). He graduated with “Premier Prix” from the Royal Brussels Conservatory of Music (Belgium), and completed his DMA course work at the Graduate Center of CUNY.

Mr. Braude plays a Genarro Gagliano violin made in 1756

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

“…Arik Braude played with a radiant timbre, constantly engaging …seldom does one hear Mozart’s Kegelstalt Trio played so beautifully.”
– Anselm Stieber, Sulzbach Rosenberg, Germany

“… 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

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.

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.

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