David Jacobson, violin

Violinist, writer and lecturer, David Jacobson is the founder of the San Francisco Institute of Music where he created a unique system of teaching, employing what he terms the theory of “bel canto instrumental technique,” now known as the SFIM (San Francisco Institute of Music) Method. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Ivan Galamian, and has a Master of Music Performance degree from Boston University. Mr. Jacobson has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and many other orchestras throughout the United States and has appeared in recital in the major capitals of Europe.

He is the author of Lost Secrets of Master Musicians--A Window Into Genius. In 2015 he founded a publishing company--SFIM Books. SFIM Books evolved as a response to the need for publications that speak about art in a way that presents rational arguments about the value of the aesthetic view of life. . He is the vice-president of the Pacific Musical Society & Foundation and chairman of the Pacific Musical Society Competition.

Audinga Jacobson, violin and piano

Co-founder of SFIM, Audinga Jacobson brings to the Bay Area extensive performance and teaching experience in both Europe and the United States. She is a distinguished representative of the Russian school of violin playing. She continues the tradition of David Oistrakh as taught by her teachers Alexander Livontas (a student of Pyotr Stolyarsky, who taught Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh), Victor Radovich, and Dana and Yuri Mazurkevich. Her method of teaching, with modification from her association with American pedagogical methods, combines the best aspects of both traditions. Ms. Jacobson is also an accomplished pianist studying for 15 years with the renowned Lithuanian pianist M. Rubackiene She was a first prize winner of the National Lithuanian Violin Competition. She has toured Europe extensively as a member of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Jacobson received two Masters Degrees from the Lithuanian Academy of Music, one in violin performance and one in chamber music performance. She has appeared as soloist in television and radio broadcasts for both Lithuanian national television and radio. She was host for several years of a musical education program for children on Lithuanian national television. She has appeared in solo recitals and chamber music performances throughout New England. Ms. Jacobson serves on the board of the Pacific Musical Society & Foundation.

Margaret Tait, cello

Margaret Tait joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1974 and helped to create the Aurora String Quartet in 1979. The Quartet’s twenty-two years of performances and their recordings have received great acclaim internationally as well as here in the Bay Area. Ms. Tait studied with Irving Klein at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and with Gabor Rejto at the University of Southern California , where she received her Bachelor of Music degree. Her Master of Music degree is from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and enjoys performing a wide range of solo and chamber music repertoire. Margaret Tait, cellist, joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1974 and helped to create the Aurora String Quartet in 1979. The Quartet’s twenty-two years of performances and their recordings have received great acclaim internationally as well as here in the Bay Area. Ms. Tait studied with Irving Klein at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and with Gabor Rejto at the University of Southern California , where she received her Bachelor of Music degree. Her Master of Music degree is from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and enjoys performing a wide range of solo and chamber music repertoire.

Sergei Riabtchenko, cello

Sergei Riabtchenko received a Bachelor degree from Pushkin Music College in Russia, where he was the Grand Prix winner of the Moscow Young Musicians Festival. He received his Masters from the Moscow Conservatory of Music, and performed with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra until 1990. Upon moving to the United States, Mr. Riabtchenko taught for three years at San Francisco State University and currently performs with the California Symphony Orchestra and the Arlekin String Quartet. He began teaching at San Domenico in summer .

Janet Ketchum, flutist

Janet Ketchum, flutist, has enjoyed a varied career in music. As a performer, she was principal flutist with SF Ballet and SF Contemporary Music Players for over 12 years and solo recitalist with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and California Council on the Arts for 14 years. Currently, she has been principal flutist with Pacific Chamber Symphony for the past 18 years. She was the flute instructor at Santa Barbara's famed Music Academy of the West for five years, taught chamber music and flute at Dominican College, Pomona College, San Francisco Conservatory and San Domenican School. She is music contractor for orchestral recording projects at Skywalker Ranch having contracted for many notable motion pictures and video games including "Seventeen Again", "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past", "Zodiac", "Hellboy", "Spykids", "Inspector Gadget", to name but a few. This past season she appeared as soloist Nadja Salerno-Sonenberg and The New Century Chamber Orchestra. Janet is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.