Asher Wulfman
Violin
Asher Wulfman is a performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral works for violin currently based in Ithaca NY. He is a member of Symphoria and Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly with Opera Ithaca and Cornell University's Ensemble X. He has appeared as a soloist with the Livingston Symphony Orchestra and the Oberlin Sinfonietta, and has performed at summer music festivals including Loon Lake Live, Skaneateles Festival, Spoleto Festival, Yellow Barn Music Festival YAP, Round Top Festival Institute, and Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival. He is a guest lecturer at Cornell University, and is on the faculty of Opus Ithaca School of Music, where he also coordinates and coaches chamber music.
Wulfman is a frequent interpreter of new music, and has enjoyed collaborating with and premiering works by composers such as Seare Farhat, María Bulla, Michele Cheng, Ashlin Hunter, Uri Kochavi, Aliya Ultan, and Tara Valkonen. He is regularly featured in Cornell University's contemporary music concert series, Ensemble X, and has also enjoyed collaborations with DMA composers in the Cornell music department. In 2022, Wulfman was invited to participate in Creative Dialogues, an international composer-performer workshop sponsored by the Sibelius Academy. In 2018, he was a featured artist with the Oberlin Sinfonietta, playing Four Portraits for Solo Violin by Grammy-winning composer Billy Childs.
Wulfman also enjoys studying and performing early music. As a member of the Thornton Early Music Ensemble, he performed many chamber and solo works on the baroque violin. He now enjoys studying solo Bach and singing Renaissance vocal music.
Wulfman holds a Master's Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and Bachelor's Degrees in Violin Performance and English from Oberlin College and Conservatory. His former teachers include Lina Bahn, Marilyn McDonald, and Richard Amoroso.
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INSIGHTS
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What made you take up your instrument as a child?
My mother is a violinist, so I was hearing the beautiful sound of the instrument before I was even born! As soon as I started reaching for her violin to try to play it, she got me a 1/8 size violin of my very own, and the rest is history.
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Why do you continue to perform?
I love to bring audiences joy and distraction from daily life. I also selfishly cherish opportunities to have fun playing great music with friends.
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What inspires you to make music?
I’m inspired by the frivolity of music making, which makes it feel truly human.
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What makes playing in an orchestra so special?
It is wonderful to be a part of something greater, and to hear so many colors and voices coexist.
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What is special about the CCO, to you?
The CCO is a hometown orchestra with a dedicated audience and a tangible community impact. The concerts always have an electric energy and the rehearsal process is always a joy.
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Describe a favorite moment or memory with the CCO.
I think back to many edge-of-my-seat concerts followed by happy celebration among friends.
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Is there something you would like CCO audience members to know about you that isn't in your bio?
I really enjoy meeting audience members after concerts, so please say hello!
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