Events

Masterworks, featuring Melody Wootton and Sander Kostallari

Sander Kostallari began playing the violin at the age of six in his hometown of Pogradec, Albania. He continued his studies in Tirana, the capital of Albania, before moving to the U.S., where he graduated from Wayne State University on a full scholarship with a degree in violin performance. He has made solo appearances with The Rochester Symphony, The WSU Symphony, and The International Symphony. His various accomplishments and awards include serving as WSU Symphony Concertmaster (1998-1999), winning the WSU Concerto Competition (1996), being Concertmaster of the International Symphony Orchestra, Principal second violin for the Rochester Symphony, Concertmaster of the Livonia Symphony (2001-2010), and a member of the Flint Symphony Orchestra (2001-present). In the U.S., Sander studied under Geoffrey Applegate and received orchestral and chamber music coaching from Kypros Markou. He also studied the viola with James VanValkenburg and performed in master classes with Joseph Silverstein, Emmanuelle Boisvert, Brian Reagan, Neeme Jarvi, and the Brentano and Borromeo String Quartets.

Melody L. Wootton is an active performer in the Detroit area, playing with various ensembles, including Detroit Opera, Broadway shows that appear in Detroit, and as a substitute violinist with The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She is the 1st Violinist of the Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet and Principal 2nd Violin of the Lexington Bach Festival Orchestra. Melody was previously a member of the Baldwin Ensemble and the Fishwick-Levine-Wootton Piano Trio. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Master of Music in Violin Performance and Master of Chamber Music degrees from the University of Michigan. Her principal teachers included Andres Cardenes, Donald Weilerstein, and Paul Kantor.