Dr. Miroslav Hristov

Violinist Miroslav Hristov was hailed by Fanfare Magazine for his "razor sharp technique" and a "full palette of tonal colors." He presents master classes and performs extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in several international festivals and concert series, including the Musical Treasures series in Carnegie Hall, the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, the Sofia Music Weeks International Festival, the Balabanov House Music Days, the Big Arts Concert Series in Florida, and the Fredell Lack Series in Houston, Texas. Recent performances include solo and chamber performances in the national recital halls of Taiwan and Singapore. Hristov was First Prize winner of the International Violin Competition "Dobrin Petkov," and a prizewinner for the MTNA Collegiate String Performance Competition.

Hristov has recorded for Centaur Records, Romeo Records, Blue Griffin Records, the Divine Arts Record label, Bulgarian National Radio and WUOT Knoxville. His recordings are broadcast on NPR stations across the United States and abroad. As part of the internationally-acclaimed Kaleidos Duo with pianist, Vladimir Valjarevic, Dr. Hristov's recordings and performances have received rave reviews from The Strad Magazine, Fanfare, DUMA (Sofia, Bulgaria), and Lucid Culture (New York).

Hristov has presented his research on Eastern European pedagogical methods for violin at conferences around the world, including the International College Music Society Conference, the American String Teachers Association National Conference, and the Music Teachers National Association Conference. A dedicated teacher, his students have won numerous competitions, and many hold prestigious scholarships and professional appointments. Recent teaching awards include the 2014 Tennessee Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award, and the University of Tennessee School of Music's Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award.

Miroslav Hristov is Professor of Violin at the University of Tennessee. He is also Founder and Director of the University of Tennessee's Ready for the World Music Series, which brings renowned artists to perform and talk about musical styles and literature from diverse regions around the world, emphasizing each region's contribution to western classical music.

Dr. David Kovac

Dr. David Kovac maintains a varied career as a violist, conductor, artistic director, chamber musician, and instructor of violin and viola. He holds a tenured Associate Professor of Violin and Viola position at East Tennessee State University where has been teaching since 2016. He has collaborated with members of the Miami String Quartet, the Amernet String Quartet, the Rosamunde Trio, the Appalachia Piano Trio, New Ear Ensemble (a Kansas City based new music ensemble), and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestras around the United States and Europe. Other chamber music collaborations include performances with faculty at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Stony Brook University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Park University's International Center for Music, University of Tennessee, University of Kansas, and University of Nevada Las Vegas. He has performed as the featured soloist with the Kansas City Civic Orchestra in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and has collaborated in opera productions with the renowned Mark Morris Dance Company.  

In 2009 Dr. Kovac performed the world premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank's Puntos Suspensivos at the Joyce Theatre in New York City. The work was commissioned in part by the performing arts series, "Works and Process" at the Guggenheim Museum. He is the director of the ETSU Chamber Music Festival and previously served as an artistic co-director of the Heartland Chamber Music Festival, an internationally renowned summer program for young musicians that draws students and faculty from across the world, including the Miami String Quartet, Parker String Quartet, Harlem String Quartet, Ivan Chen, and Noah Geller. 

As an adjudicator he served on numerous competitions including MTNA-TN State, TMTA State, KTMA State, TN All-East, TN All-State, Alabama All-State and International New Star String Competition. Dr. Kovac's former students have included the concertmaster and principals of the Kansas City Youth Symphony and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as prize winners at the American Viola Society, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee Music Teachers Associations State competitions and winners of the Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee chapters of the Music Teacher's National Association competition. His students have received scholarships to numerous prestigious schools and summer programs, including Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, Pepperdine University, McGill University, University of Tulsa, University of Dallas, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Park University, Killington Chamber Music Festival, and the Tanglewood Chamber Music Festival. Among notable collaborations are Masterclasses with Borromeo String Quartet, Miami String Quartet and Chiara String Quartet, Parker String Quartet, Harlem String Quartet, Michael Stern.  

He has previously taught at the Dana Hall School of Music in Wellesley, MA, the Brattleboro Music Center in Vermont, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory of Music and Dance.