Violinist Ernest Salem will perform at Hope College on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.

Salem will also hold a masterclass on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Wichers Auditorium in Nykerk Hall of Music.

The public is invited to both events.  Admission is free.

Salem is currently professor of music at California State University, Fullerton.  He has performed in concerts and recitals across the United States and presented master classes at various universities and colleges.  Active as a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area, he has performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra, Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Asia American Orchestra and South Coast Symphony.

Formerly concertmaster of the Wichita and Las Cruces Symphonies, Salem has also served as principal second of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and assistant concertmaster of the Texas Chamber and Texas Opera Theater Orchestras.  As a chamber musician, Salem has been violinist with California State University, Fullerton’s Premiere Trio, first violinist with Wichita State’s Fairmount Quartet, a member of the College of St. Benedict’s Chamber Ensemble “Pastiche,” and violinist with New Mexico State’s Delphian Trio.

Currently, he performs regularly as a chamber musician throughout Southern California.  In addition to performance activities, Salem has been published in the “American String Teachers’ Journal” and the “Long Island Historical Journal.”

Salem holds degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Houston and the University of Minnesota.  Included among his teachers are Yfrah Neaman, Fredell Lack, Walter Verdehr and members of the Juilliard Quartet.

Alison Edwards will be accompanying Salem for the performance.  Edwards is active as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher of piano and piano pedagogy. She has appeared with several orchestras, including the Peninsula Symphony, the Rio Hondo Symphony and the Marina-del Rey/Westchester Symphony; and as a chamber musician with Peter Marsh, violinist and director of chamber music studies at USC, and internationally recognized Korean cellist Young-Chiang Cho.

Edwards’ distinguished piano teachers have been Earle Voorhies, Daniel Pollock and Stewart Gordon. She has been a faculty member at the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, and presents master classes and lecture-recitals throughout the region.

Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., on College Avenue at 12th Street.