Raphaeli String Trio
Tess Padilla, Violin
Tess Padilla is a classically trained violinist and graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a BM in Violin Performance and extensive training in chamber music, studying with Tadeusz Wronski, James Buswell, Peter Marsh, Rostislav Dubinsky, Stanley Ritchie, and Joseph Rezits. She graduated from CSU-P with an MBA and emphasis in finance and non-profit management. Formerly the concertmaster of the Pueblo Symphony, Tess has over thirty years experience as a liturgical and secular soloist and chamber musician and is a member of Southern Colorado Music Teacher's Association and the American String Teacher's Association. While concertmaster of the PSO, Tess was adjunct faculty at CSU-Pueblo where she taught applied strings and string pedagogy, and was the director of the University Chamber Orchestra. She is the business manager of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and operates a private music studio teaching violin and viola and is the 1st violinist of the newly formed Raphaeli String Trio.
Dan Masterson, Violin/Viola
Dan Masterson is a graduate of CSU–Pueblo with a degree in Public Relations and Humanities. At CSU-P he was the Assistant Director and Personnel Manager of the Pueblo Symphony and the Colorado Music Fest. He served as the Director of Performing Arts at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center for five seasons. Dan is a former member of the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra, playing in both the violin and viola sections for thirty years. He has also performed with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs and the Broadmoor Pops Orchestra. His chamber ensembles include the Bella String Trio, Tempus Strings the Aspen String Quartet, and the newly formed Raphaeli String Trio as 2nd violinist and violist.
Norah Clydesdale, Cello
Norah Joy Clydesdale comes from a family of musicians originating in Glasgow, Scotland. She studied with Colin Hampton (Griller Quartet) and Andor Toth, Jr. (Hungarian Quartet) at San Francisco Conservatory, then studied with Gabor Reijto and Bernardo Segall at USC before culminating her training at Boston University with famed cellist and pedagogue George Neikrug, and participated in masterclasses with Isaac Stern, Walter Trampler, and Eugene Lehner (Kolisch Quartet). In the Boston area she played professionally with the Artaria Quartet before moving to Paris. In France, Norah was an active educator, teaching cello, violin and the love of music in Paris and developing the string department at the Lycée Omarosa in Lyon, France and teaching music in Milan, Italy as well. Coming to Colorado a few years ago, Norah has continued to be an active performer and educator. She has performed with the Grace String Quartet, was Asst. Principal Cellist of Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and was Principal Cellist of the Pikes Peak Philharmonic. Norah performed with the Pueblo Symphony and taught at Pikes Peak Community College and CSU-Pueblo where she taught cello and string techniques pedagogy and was a founding member of the Faculty Piano Trio – The Prometheus Trio. Norah is currently expanding the Clydesdale Music and Art Studio in Pueblo and is the cellist in the newly formed Raphaeli String Trio.