Eiko Kano, violin

Ms. Kano is an active violinist serving as an assistant concertmaster for the Albany Symphony as well as freelancing with New York Philharmonic. Ms. Kano received both Bachelor and Master Degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music. She has also won numerous awards including the top prize in the 4th International Music Competition of Tokyo and Forval Scholarship which enabled her to play a Stradivarius violin for two years. Eiko currently enjoys an active career in both NY and Japan. 

Yang Xu, violin

Violinist Yang Xu has garnered prizes in an array of international competitions, including the Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, Irving Klein, Novosibirsk, and the Kloster Schontal International Violin Competitions. Most recently, he was named the grand prizewinner of the Sorantin International Award for young artists. Mr. Xu joined the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra's first violin section in 2008.

He has soloed with the China National Symphony, and has been guest concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony and China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra. He will serve as guest Co-Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic in the 2015/16 season.

Patti Kilroy, violin

Described as “intensely focused” by The New York Times, violinist Patti Kilroy is a modern-minded musician with eclectic tastes based in New York City. Patti has performed with contemporary music ensembles like Alarm Will Sound, Argento New Music Project, ensemble mise-en, ETHEL, Newspeak, Signal, The Wordless Music Orchestra, the avant-rock Burning City Orchestra led by Noam Faingold, and the disco band Escort. She has also had the opportunity to play in the company of a variety of artists spanning many genres, including Icelandic singer Björk, avant-jazz-funk band Medeski, Martin and Wood, Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, the band Goldfrapp, Icelandic electronic artist Valgeir Sigurdsson, John Cale from the Velvet Underground, rock band Deep Purple, and Afro-Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón. Patti has performed in a variety of concert halls, bars, and living rooms, including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Center, Muziekgebouw a’ant Ij in Amsterdam, the Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, (Le) Poisson Rouge, Merkin Hall, Roulette, Issue Project Room, Galapagos, Symphony Space, and Death by Audio, among other places. 

In addition to performing, Patti teaches violin and chamber music at Western Connecticut State University and New York University. She was a visiting faculty member at Hunter College’s Department of Music this past year. She is also a candidate for the Ph.D. in Violin Performance at NYU Steinhardt, studying violin with Naoko Tanaka. 

Elizabeth Weisser, viola

New music champion, Elizabeth Weisser is the violist and Director of Development of the Talea Ensemble and has performed in ensembles such as the iO Quartet, Second Instrumental Unit, ICE, and Alarm Will Sound. She has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia on prestigious concert stages such as the London Symphony Orchestra at St. Luke’s and the Wiener Konzerthaus.  Ms. Weisser collaborates regularly with a wide range of artists and has worked closely with composers ranging from Pierre Boulez to John Zorn. Ms. Weisser holds a Bachelors degree from Oberlin Conservatory, Masters degree Mannes College and an Artist Diploma from SUNY Purchase.  She has performed at festivals including the Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Wien Modern, Kneisel Hall, and the Monadnock Music Festival.   She has recorded for Mode Records, Bridge, Tzadik, and New World Records.

Testimonials

"I fell in love with the sound of Paul’s violin the moment I tried it. It has sweetness and so much depth which gives me a great deal of freedom to express myself, not to mention how beautiful it is to look at as well! I often get compliments by colleagues/audience and am asked who made the violin. It’s a tremendous pleasure for me to have this violin by my side and remain in direct contact with Paul himself throughout my musical endeavors."

-Eiko Kano, Violinist/Assistant Concertmaster of the Albany Symphony Orchestra

"My viola has been an unbelievable instrument for me in terms of the depth of sound and the range of colors.  I never feel like I struggle to project or find precisely the tone I am going for at any given moment- from the most powerful sound to the most vulnerable.

Prior to owning this particular instrument, I was always searching for ways to make my instrument sound better- constantly trying different strings, getting adjustments, and so on.  From the day I got this viola, even as a brand new instrument, that all stopped.  I have found it to be incredibly reliable and really a joy to play.

My Crowley gives me the freedom to make decisions based on artistic and musical ideas and not based on my instrument's strengths or limitations.  I feel very lucky to have it."

-Elizabeth Weisser, Talea Ensemble

"Paul's violin has proven an invaluable asset to my musical education and professional life in New York City. The violin's clear, open sound has incredible versatility and is extraordinary at blending in a multitude of chamber music configurations (my primary use), but is perfectly capable of projecting over an orchestra as well." 

-Patti Kilroy, pattikilroy.com

"I absolutely love playing Mr. Crowley's violin. I feel as if I can make anything beautiful. It is a very new instrument, made just in 2015, but there would be no indication that it is just in the very early stages of growth. It already has an incredibly warm, full, and mature sound that can really only improve with age. I had been looking for years for a violin, and it was only when I started playing Mr. Crowley's violin that I felt a connection. I am thankful every day that I am able to play this instrument."

-Eliza Wong, Vanderbilt University

"I recently acquired one of your violins--a Del Gesu model built in Boston, 2013. Before it came into my possession, it was owned by Sean Aaron Carpenter, who lent it to his friend and my teacher, Aurelien Fort-Pederzoli, for me to try. I was first drawn to its dark tone and capacity to project even heavy forces into clear sound. Aesthetically, I admire how the flames on the back are not planed flat, and have a ridged texture. I've been playing it for about two months now, and it has matured noticeably, becoming more resonant. I find myself exploring what I can best describe as new dimensions of sound. I just wanted to thank you for crafting this instrument, and I'm sure that I will enjoy playing for years to come!"

-Frank Wen, University of Chicago

Collections

International Violin Competition of Indianapolis - https://www.violin.org/21st-century-violin-search 

Eastman School of Music - http://www.esm.rochester.edu

Dextra Musica Norway - https://www.sparebankstiftelsen.no/en

Michael Guttman Belgium - https://michael-guttman.com/about/