The Orfeo
Duo

Violinist Vita Wallace and Pianist Ishmael Wallace, sister and brother, have been performing as the Orfeo Duo since they were children.

Vita and Ishmael perform their entire repertoire, from the complete Beethoven Sonatas to John Cage's "Six Melodies" from memory. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 1997 as participants in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop.

They have performed in the United States, Latin America, Italy and Canada. They have spent several summers at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Vita Wallace won the Felix Salzer Award at the Mannes College of Music, where she studied with Felix Galimer. She studied with Lorand Fenyves at the Banff Centre, and Louis Icrasner at the Tanglewood Music Center. Vita plays a violin made by Lorenzo Carcassi in 1765.

Ishmael Wallace, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Mannes College, studied with Richard Goode. He won First Prize in the MTNA Yamaha Piano Competition. He is also the composer of operas (to his own libretti), chamber music, and orchestral works.