Rising Stars

Realizing that young musicians establishing concert careers need performance opportunities, the Asheville Chamber Music Series in collaboration with the Asheville Art Museum established a “Rising Stars” Concert Series. These recitals will feature promising North Carolina musicians who show great potential.

A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Aaron Lipsky started playing clarinet at age 11 in his 6th grade band program. He started taking lessons in 7th grade with Steve Loew, a former member of the U.S. Marine Band. A graduate of A.C. Reynolds High School, Aaron presently is a junior at Indiana University.  Aaron has been a featured soloist with the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra and Asheville Clarinet Choir. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, Aaron attended the Brevard Music Center (BMC) Summer Institute and Festival, where he was the youngest student in 2017 and a BMC Scholar in 2018. He played principal clarinet in the Brevard Concert Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart and Ken Lam. During his time there, he studied with Steve Cohen, Eric Ginsberg and Ben Freimuth, as well as playing in masterclasses with Mr. Cohen and Mr. Freimuth. In the summer of 2019, Aaron attended the Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Program. While at Curtis, he played principal clarinet in the festival orchestra and was featured on a chamber music concert and a masterclass with the renowned Imani Winds. Aaron is the grandson of American Composer Phillip Rhodes.

Christopher Tavernier made his orchestral debut with the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of thirteen performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. 

He has won numerous competitions throughout the Appalachian region including the Hendersonville, Asheville, Augusta, and Charlotte Symphony concerto competitions. In 2017 he was selected as one of the winners at Brevard Music Festival's Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition which included undergraduate and graduate competitors. In 2018 he placed 1st in the inaugural Hayes School of Music Piano Competition in Boone, NC, and placed 2nd in the Big Arts Classic Music Competition in Sanibel, FL. Last year Christopher placed 1st in both the Lower College Level Piano and College Concerto divisions of the 6th Annual Gulf Coast Steinway Society Music Competitions in Mobile, and this year he received the distinct honor to perform at Carnegie Hall in NY.