Meet the Judges

Dale Stuckenbruck, Violinist

Grammy-nominated artist, is immersed in the diverse musical life in New York as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician and teacher. His mentor of three decades was the great violinist Erick Friedman, with whom he has appeared as soloist in recording and in chamber music. He has performed as soloist/concertmaster with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Philharmonia Virtuosi, New York Virtuosi, New York String Ensemble, Tchaikovsky Chamber Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony Orchestra, Music at St. Ignatius, Dance Theater of Harlem, Queens Symphony, Masterworks, and the Long Island Philharmonic. He recorded the “Concerto for Violin and String Choir” for Opus One by Louis Pelosi, with Erick Friedman on Kultur Video, and for countless commercial recordings and films. He has been featured in Strings Magazine, Wuolgang Umak (Korea), Newsday, Sarasate (Japan) and the New York Times . He has been a guest lecturer for the Juilliard School of Music (musical saw and Baroque violin), and the Long Island Guitar Festival.

He is recognized internationally as one of the premier artist of the musical saw. Such acclaim is substantiated by his recordings of “Sawing to New Heights”, and "Ancient Voices of Children" by George Crumb on Bridge Records, and for his performances of the “Divination by Mirrors” by Michael Levine with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and the New York Virtuosi. He has performed the saw in chamber music with Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, as soloist with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Queens Philharmonic, Hudson Highlands Festival Orchestra, and was featured with the New York Philharmonic. He as appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno with KORN and their recoding of MTV unplugged and also in a recording with alternative rock group Black Lips . Apperances with Erick Friedman, Dave Taylor, Leaf Peeper Concerts, The Sherman Ensemble, The Long Island Guitar Festival, Sequitor, The Pierrot Consort, L'Ensemble, have provided for the saw to be heard beyond its use as a folk instrument. He has inspired new chamber music to be written for the saw by David Loeb, John Link, Alan Hirch (Harrisdale Concerto), in films "American Splendor" and "Flirting with Disaster", and in numerous commercials.

As a mandolinist he has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, ABT, and with Paula Robison at the Metropolitan Museum and in a recording with her and the Charleston Symphony. As an erhu player he has appeared as soloist with the Queens Philharmonic.

He created the music for the films “Shadows” and “Fresh,” featured at the Whitney Museum and the Israeli Museum. He and Heawon Kim are founders of unique string ensemble for young talent, Kammermusik, the ECO orchestra of the Waldorf School of Garden City, and the Long Island Vegetable Orchestra. He appeared as a guest on "Conan" with his vegetables, Fall 2017.

As a multi-instrumentalist his passions include music and musical instruments from all parts of the world, and the performance of instruments through a historical perspective.

He is the violinist the chamber groups L’Ensemble and the Pierrot Consort and in chamber ensembles such as the Clarion Concerts, Leaf Peeper Concerts, and at the Caramoor Festival. Since 1975 he has toured with Heawon Kim, pianist, in recitals in Asia, Europe and South America. Adjunct full professor at LIU since 1986. Orchestra Director at the Waldorf Schoolof Garden City since 2011; Asisstant Director of the LIU-Post Chamber Music Festival; Faculty: Oyster Bay Music Festival and Songe d’Été en Musique. D.M.A. from MSM, 1984.