Members Blue Rose Trio

Audrey Solomon (left), Ira Glansbeck (center), Rose Chen (right)

Rose Chen, D.M.A., Piano
Pianist Rose Chen came to the United States in 1997 after winning numerous solo piano awards as a teenager and making her solo debut at the National Concert Hall in her native Taiwan. Rose earned a Bachelor’s Degree at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and Masters Degree at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In November, 2009 Rose successfully completed her Doctorate in Musical Arts with full-scholarship at the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music. She was awarded as the outstanding graduate in the USC doctoral program.

In the past six years, Rose has devoted herself to chamber music and is enjoying a chamber music career with much success. Her highly accomplished piano trio, the Blue Rose Trio had captured top prizes in the Colman, MTNA, and Peninsula chamber music competitions.  Rose has concertized in Canada, Austria, Brazil, France, Israel, Hong Kong, and China. Within the United States Rose also maintains a steadfast performing and teaching career in Alaska, Texas, and throughout California. Rose also had appeared in master classes with Goto Midori, Thomas Allen, Lowell Liebermann, Gilbert Kalish, Eroica Trio, Takacs Quartet, and Julliard Quartet.

In addition to her lifelong interest in Western classical music, Rose’s eclectic taste in music encompasses a variety of styles and genres, including Jazz, folk, and the music of the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The venues in which she has performed are comparably varied: concert halls, churches, schools, hospitals, and restaurants. Whatever the style or setting, it is playing in an ensemble, with the excitement of interacting among other musicians, often spontaneously, that she finds most rewarding.  This fervor carries across to others, she feels, making it an ideal medium for musical communication with an audience.            

Rose’s recent projects include playing the piano in a Tango band called Haberdashery Ensemble, and recording an all Villa-Lobos album with cellist, Dr. Lars Hoefs. Rose is currently the Artist-in-Residence of the Los Angles Musical Salon Concert Series where she collaborates with numerous guest performers. She is also the staff accompanist/vocal coach at Biola University in California. 

Audrey Salmon, Violin
Audrey Salmon, an Alaskan born violinist, is dedicated to a modern musical career with a diverse approach. With her focus on chamber music and a philosophy of making music part of the composition of every day life, Audrey strives to participate in the evolution of art and its function in American society. Stimulated by her classical music background, her music outreach endeavors, and her experiences in the entertainment industry, she is devoted to expanding concert venues and programs and exposing the public to the incredible effects music has on our communities.
Audrey began her studies with her mother, Beverly Beheim in Alaska and continued with pianist, Svetlana Velichtko. At 15 while doing correspondence school, she left home to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Linda and David Cerone, where she also continued on to complete her Bachelors in Violin Performance. Audrey received her Masters and a Graduate Certificate in Violin Performance at the University of Southern California with Robert Lipsett. She was a featured USC Alum in the “Trojan Family Magazine in 2007.

Audrey was the violinist and a founding member of the award winning Blue Rose Trio. They won top prizes in the Coleman National Chamber Music Competition, the MTNA National Chamber Music Competition, and the International Young Artists Peninsula Competition. They were recipients of USC’s “Outstanding String Ensemble” award. In addition to playing concerts in California, they performed in Alaska, Texas, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Rio Dejenaro Brazil, and Northern France. They were the first Chamber Group in Residence at the Anchorage Chamber Intensive, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, the La Salon Series, and the Chamber Music Festival of Marble Falls.
Audrey was titled “Miss Alaska 2000” and was the recipient of the Bert Parks Talent Award at “Miss America 2000”. She spent her year speaking and performing at schools promoting music education in the public school system with her platform “Outreach through Music”. While attending the Cleveland Institute of Music, she received a scholarship award for promoting music outreach in Cleveland. Inspired by her two-time winnings as Alaska State Fiddling Champion, Audrey is featured in classical crossover and folk fusion groups such as the group “Feast” in Colorado and the Worship team at her church, Pacific Crossroads. Audrey has performed live with pop artists such as Britney Spears on “Saturday Night Live”, “Il Divo” on the “Tonight Show”, and Chicago’s Peter Cetera. Her recent studio work includes recording for artists such as Kanye West, Christina Aguilera, Mary J Blige, Mandy Moore, Bryan McKnight, Rod Stewart, and Barry Manilow. Some major motion picture films she recorded for are “A Night in a Museum”,“Next”, “Spider Man 3”, and “Beowulf”.
In addition to concertizing and free-lancing, Audrey is dedicated to teaching for the Harmony Project and Education Through Music. Both outreach organizations work toward building communities and providing music education for children in a city that has lost most of its government funding for arts education.

Ira Glansbeek, Cello
Alaskan born, Cellist, Ira moved to Southern California in 1998. Currently he freelances in the Los Angles area and has performed with Los Angles Mater Chorale, New West Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Mlädí, among others. Ira has performed in such venues as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and Berlin Philharmonie. He has had the pleasure of performing at the Uriopäisches Musikfest Stuttgart in orchestra and chamber music settings with renowned conductor, Helmuth Rilling. As a chamber musician, Ira has worked with members of the St. Petersburg and Peterson Quartets and is a founding member of the Ascher String Quartets. Ira enjoys playing a variety of music, from new age to flim scores, classical to electronia, and anything in between.