Bios

Pyxis Piano Trio

Formed in 2021 by members of the Pyxis Piano Quartet, the Pyxis Piano Trio continues to perform chamber music works from the sonata, duo, and trio repertoire. Founded in 2009, the Quartet had become a vibrant presence in the mid-Atlantic region, known for compelling, engaging, and informative performances. Music critic Christine Facciolo writes that "balance, superb intonation and sensitive interpretation characterized [their] performance."

Pyxis has been heard to great acclaim along the East Coast in concerts from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Beginning their second decade, Pyxis remains artists in residence for series at both the Delaware Art Museum and with Market Street Music’s Festival Concerts (Wilmington, DE). Recent performance highlights have included return engagements at the German Society of Pennsylvania, the Newark (DE) Free Library, the "Celebrate the Arts"series at Doylestown Presbyterian Church, the Kent Chamber Music Series (MD), Saint Monica’s Church (Berwyn, PA), the Smyrna Opera House (DE) and debut appearances at the Cultural Center at the Havre de Grace Opera House (MD) and the Annie M. Gaul Concert Series at St. John’s (Hain’s) Church (Wernersville, PA). Other notable performances include the Delaware Symphony’s Champagne Chamber Series at the DuPont Hotel Gold Ballroom, Concerts on the Square at Holy Trinity Church Rittenhouse (Philadelphia PA), a benefit for the Harmony for Peace Foundation, and recitals as featured artists at the Delaware Chamber Music Festival and at Villanova University.

Pyxis believes in the importance of the music of our time and has collaborated with composers Ingrid Arauco, Chuck Holdeman, and David Schelat, and also delights in working with esteemed musical guests. Past guests have been faculty members from the University of Delaware, James Madison University, Pennsylvania’s School of the Arts, College of New Jersey and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Relache Ensemble, Serafin String Quartet, and Copeland String Quartet.

The musicians of Pyxis are also committed educators. As private instructors they have a significant impact on their community, reaching over 80 students on a weekly basis. The ensemble has performed and coached sectionals and chamber music for the Delaware Orchestral and Chamber Music Institute and the American String Teachers’ Association festival in Washington Township, NJ. They have presented educational concerts for children at the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington Montessori School, Saint Monica’s School, and in southern Delaware under the auspices of Coastal Concerts, Inc.

The group takes its name from the Pyxis constellation, also known as the Mariners’ Compass, whose symbol is the compass rose. The points of the compass rose represent the new artistic directions that the group strives to take together while recognizing the different backgrounds and experiences of its musicians.

Luigi Mazzocchi, violin

Luigi Mazzocchi was born in Venezuela where he studied music in the System of Youth Orchestras ("El Sistema"), the "Sojo" Conservatory, and the Latin American Violin Academy with José del Castillo. Mr. Mazzocchi was a founder of the Lara State Symphony Orchestra as principal second violin, Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Venezuela, and a first violinist of the "Simón Bolívar" Symphony Orchestra, touring Latin America and Europe, and recording a number of CDs on the Dorian Record label.

Mr. Mazzocchi has performed as soloist with all the leading Venezuelan symphony orchestras and attended international music festivals in the US, Panama, Spain, France and Australia. He is a prizewinner in solo competitions such as the 1995 "Del Castillo" Latin American Competition, the 1997 South Orange Symphony Artist Competition, the 1999 FOSJA Solo Competition in Puerto Rico (performing as soloist at the Casals Festival), and the 2000 Temple University Concerto Competition.

Since 1996, he has been living in the United States where he studied violin with Liliana Ciulei and Helen Kwalwasser. He holds a Bachelor's of Music degree from Rowan University and a Master's of Music degree from Temple University. He has coached with David Arben, Margaret Pardee, Zakhar Bron, Olivier Charlier, Naoko Tanaka, William de Pasquale, Luis Biava, Charles Parker, as well as the Emerson, Guarneri, and Orion String Quartets.

Currently, Mr. Mazzocchi is the Concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster of the Delaware Symphony, and a member of Opera Philadelphia, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Philly Pops, the West Jersey Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Philadelphia, as well as the Gaudeamus and the Caçhasa Ensembles. He has served as substitute violinist and a teaching artist for the Philadelphia Orchestra and as Guest Concertmaster for the Lancaster Symphony. He has also performed with Orchestra 2001, the Philadelphia Classical Symphony, the Serafin and Dalí String Quartets, the Pagode Project, and Alô Brasil. Mr. Mazzocchi has been a featured artist for Intercultural Journeys' 2015-16 season.

Jie Jin, cello

Jie Jin has been widely recognized for performances in music capitals in North America, Europe and Asia. She has appeared as a soloist with Bay Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, National Repertoire Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She held principal cello positions with National Repertoire Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music and Shepherd School of Music Orchestra at Rice University and played with Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony and New World Symphony . Ms. Jin has been invited to Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Colorado Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival, International Summer Academic Prague-Vienna-Budapest Festival, Beijing International Music Festival, Margess International Festival, Daniel Music Festival and Amadeus Masterclass.

Before her move to the United States, she won First Prize in the National Cello Duo Competition of China, the Bao-gang Elegance Art Award and the Excellent Performance Prize in the National Competition of China. An active chamber musician, Ms. Jin is the founder of the Tang-gu-la String Quartet. The Quartet toured England, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Australia and China and received numerous honors, winning Second Prize in the First National String Quartet Competition. Shortly after, the quartet appeared in Isaac Stern’s Oscar-winning documentary “From Mao to Mozart”, and performed for President Bill Clinton.

Ms. Jin began her cello study at age 5. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Upon receiving a full scholarship from Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, she came to the United States and studied with Prof. Norman Fischer for her Master’s degree. Ms. Jin also received the Artist Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Mr. Desmond Hoebig.

A committed teacher, her students won the top prizes in the competitions, performed in Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center and performed with orchestra as the soloist. Ms. Jin is currently on the faculty at Chamber Strings Summer Workshop. She serves as Principal Cello of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and performs with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.

Hiroko Yamazaki, piano

Hiroko Yamazaki has performed in the United States and abroad in Rome, Italy; Helsinki and Imatra, Finland; and Lausanne, Switzerland. She has collaborated with instrumentalists and vocalists including members of Tonhalle Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Delaware Symphony in performances at venues including the Smithsonian Institution, Kennedy Center, Swarthmore College, Aspen Music Festival, Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum, New York City and Puerto Rico. Her appearances at summer festivals include the Aspen Music Festival, the Rome Festival, the Luzerne Music Festival, and the International Festival-Institute at Round Top in Texas, where her performance with Minnesota Orchestra principal oboist Basil Reeve was recorded for NPR. Most recently, she performed with the Lewes Chambers Players which featured Chris Coletti, former trumpeter of Canadian Brass. Ms. Yamazaki has been the soloist with the Wilmington Community Orchestra, and as an orchestral pianist, she has performed on numerous occasions with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic.

Ms. Yamazaki was the winner of the Austrian-American Society Musical Scholarship Competition, which sponsored her summer studies at the Mozarteum Hochschule für Music und Darstellende Kunst in Salzburg, Austria. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in piano performance from the University of Maryland, where she was a Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship student of Anne Koscielny, and was a recipient of the Presser Foundation Award and initiated into Pi Kappa Lambda. She later received the University of Maryland’s Collaborative Piano Award and completed her Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano as a student of Rita Sloan.

Ms. Yamazaki also has extensive teaching experience in private lessons, class piano and coaching chamber music. She was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Delaware, Darlington Fine Arts Center and Luzerne Music Center. After spending several summers as a Fellow in the Collaborative Piano Program at the Aspen Music Festival and School, she was named Accompanying Coordinator and Teaching Assistant to Rita Sloan, Director of Collaborative Arts Program. Currently, she is Associate Head of the Piano Department and Master Piano Faculty with Distinction at The Music School of Delaware, where she is also on the faculty of the Summer Piano Institute.