Faculty Artists
Meet Our Faculty Artist
Redfish Music Festival's faculty artists are internationally recognized performers, educators, and chamber musicians who bring exceptional artistry to Oregon's Southern Coast each season. Representing leading orchestras, universities, and conservatories, they share their expertise through inspiring performances, masterclasses, and mentorship within our tuition-free educational program. Together, they create a collaborative environment where audiences enjoy world-class chamber music and young musicians learn alongside some of today's most accomplished artists.
Fritz Gearhart
Festival Director • ViolinViolinist Fritz Gearhart has performed for audiences across the United States and internationally in Austria, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Spain, and South Korea. His distinguished career has included appearances at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and New York City's 92nd Street Y. Frequently heard on National Public Radio, his performances have also been featured on WFMT Chicago, WQXR New York, and the nationally syndicated program Performance Today.
A celebrated recording artist, Gearhart has released numerous recordings on the Albany, Koch Entertainment, Centaur, and Bridge labels, including Music of a Lifetime, featuring works by his father, Livingston Gearhart. He earned his Master's Degree and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and has held university teaching appointments at Indiana University South Bend, East Carolina University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Colorado Boulder. As founder and artistic director of Redfish Music Festival, he is dedicated to bringing world-class chamber music and exceptional educational opportunities to Oregon's Southern Coast.
Andrew Smith
Faculty Artist • CelloAndrew Smith is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Principal Cellist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. An internationally active performer, he is an original member of Camerata Deiá, the resident ensemble of the Festival Internacional de Deiá in Mallorca, Spain, and was a founding member of the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in southern Italy.
An accomplished recitalist, Smith has performed throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and North America with pianist Alfredo Oyagüez, appearing at venues including Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the Emilia Romagna Festival, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. Their recording, Spanish Music for Cello and Piano, received praise from American Record Guide for its "verve and sensitivity."
Smith has taught and performed at numerous summer music festivals and holds degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara, The Mannes College of Music, and The Hartt School.
Genevieve Feiwen Lee
Faculty Artist • PianoGrammy-nominated pianist Genevieve Feiwen Lee is celebrated for her versatility as a performer of music spanning five centuries. Equally at home on piano, harpsichord, toy piano, keyboards, and electronics, she has performed as a soloist throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, including appearances at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.
Lee has performed with orchestras including the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, the Vratsa State Philharmonic, and The Orchestra of Northern New York. Her Grammy® nomination recognized her recording of Tom Flaherty's Airdancing, and her recordings can be heard on the Innova, Albany, and Reference labels. She has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music Series, Southwest Chamber Music, Piano Spheres, and other leading chamber music organizations.
A founding member of the Mojave Trio, Lee earned degrees from the Peabody Institute, the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and the Yale School of Music. She is the Everett S. Olive Professor of Music at Pomona College in California.