Cheikhet is famous for his “golden tone” on romantic violin. Graduate of a Doctoral degree from Moscow Conservatory, Mark has built a unique niche for his talents in both worlds of performing and visual arts. A frequent guest of MBAW, Mark has performed as a soloist and chamber musician and is known for multimedia performances with exhibitions and their musical interpretations. “…his warm and beautiful sound transforms the listener to another world…Mark’s clarity of musical thought and virtuosity are truly remarkable… ” (Brescia Oggi)

Concert pianist Elena Portnaya holds two Doctoral Degrees from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and the University of Texas at Austin. Elena is a laureate of numerous international piano competitions and has performed solo and in chamber ensembles in Russia, Poland, England, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Switzerland and the United States.  Elena is currently the Artistic Coordinator at Musical Bridges Around the World and Artistic Director of The Gurwitz International Piano Competition.

As part of the mission of The Gurwitz International Piano Competition to discover the next generation of top young pianists, The Gurwitz Youth Ambassadors program develops young pianists in the greater San Antonio area through feature performances as well as community engagement such as playing in schools, attending or participating in masterclasses, performing for community groups, or speaking with students about how and why they chose to play the piano. 

Sam Reider is a pianist, accordionist, composer, and educator from San Francisco, California. His work brings together various streams of American music, from jazz and folk tunes to popular song and contemporary composition.

Prizewinner of numerous international competitions such as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and other competitions in Tokyo, Montreal, Marseilles, and Cincinatti, concert pianist Oleg Poliansky brings an intensity to all his performances be it a large concert hall or intimate chamber experience.