What is Music in May?
Mim brings renowned musicians to Santa Cruz in a weekend full of concerts. Our intent is to expand and broaden the audience of classical music, impact youth, increase awareness of and develop relationships with other local non-profit organizations serving the Santa Cruz community.
Michael Tree
Guest Artist
MICHAEL TREE was born in Newark, New Jersey and received his first violin instruction from his father. Later, as a scholarship student at the Curtis institute of Music in Philadelphia, Mr. Tree studied with Efrem Zimbalist, Lea Luboshutz and Veda Reynolds. In 1954, the New York Herald Tribune wrote, "A 20- year-old American violinist, Michael Tree, stepped out upon Carnegie Hall stage last night and made probably the most brilliant young debut in the recent past... the violinist evidenced not one lapse from the highest possible musical and technical standards". Subsequent to his debut, Mr. Tree has appeared as a violin and viola soloist with the Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baltimore, New Jersey and other major orchestras. He has also participated in leading festivals, including Marlboro, Casals, Spoleto, Israel, Aspen, Santa Fe and Taos. As a founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet, Mr. Tree has played in major cities throughout the world. In 1982, Mayor Koch presented the Quartet with the New York City Seal of Recognition, an honor awarded for the first time. One of the most widely recorded musicians in America, Mr. Tree has recorded over 80 chamber music works, including piano quartets and quintets with Artur Rubinstein. Other artists with whom he has recorded include Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Jamie Laredo, Yo- Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson, Rudolf Serkin, Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman. Mr. Tree is co-founder of the Schumann Trio, featuring works for clarinet, viola or violin, and piano. His colleagues include Anthony McGill and Anna Polonsky. Mr. Tree is on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Bard College and the University of Maryland at College Park.