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A Far Cry is a self-conducted Chamber Orchestra consisting of 18 musicians, called the Criers; Sharon Cohen (violinist), Sarah Darling (violist), Omar Chen Guey (violinist), Miki-Sophia Cloud (violinist), Michael Unterman (cellist), Megumi Stohs (violinist), Loewi Lin (cellist), Liesl Schoenberger (violinist), Karl Doty (bassist), Jesse Irons (violinist), Jason Fisher (violist), Jae Young Cosmos Lee (violinist), Frank Shaw (violist), Erik Higgins (bassist), Courtenay Vandiver (cellist), Ashley Vandiver (violinist), Ashley Rabbat (violinist), and Alex Fortes (violinist). They were founded in 2007 by a group of 17 musicians in Boston. They rehearse in Jamaica Plain and is the Chamber Orchestra in Residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum since 2009. They also collaborate with local students in an educational partnership with the New England Conservatory. They also have five albums currently out.

The Criers
Sharon Cohen is an Israeli violinist currently in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv. She has her Masters of Music degree in the New England Conservatory and co-founded A Far Cry.

Sarah Darling, is a violist and baroque violinist from Boston. She received her B.A. at Harvard, spent a year at the Juilliard School and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and completed an Artist Diploma at the Hochschule fur Musik Freiburg as a recipient of the Beebe, Paine, and DAAD grants for study abroad. She is currently finishing a doctorate at the New England Conservatory with Kim Kashkashian.

Omar Guey is a violinist from Brazil. He received a doctorate from Stony Brook University where he studied with Philip Setzer, Ani Kavafian, and Pamela Frank. He received his Master's from the Juilliard School under Robert Mann, and a Bachelor's from Manhattan School of Music under Sylvia Rosenberg.

Miki-Sophia Cloud is a violinist who went to Harvard College, Vienna Music University, Yale School of Music, and the Perlman Music Program. She is currently getting her doctorate at the New England Conservatory.

Michael Unterman is a cellist, currently getting his Master's at the New England Conservatory. He has studied at the New England Conservatory for four years, and one year in Barcelona, Spain.

Megumi Stohs Lewis is a violinist from Portland, Oregon. Her teachers include Camilla Wicks, Ian Swensen, Lucy Chapman, Roger Tapping, and Phoebe Carrai.

Loewi Lin is a Taiwanese-Canadian cellist who is a founding member of A Far Cry. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Ottawa, and New England Conservatory.

Liesl Schoenberger is a violinist and has her Bachelor and Master's degree from Indiana University with teachers Mimi Zweig and Mauricio Fuks, and an Artist Diploma from Yale University studying with Ani Kavafian. She is currently getting her Doctorate at the New England Conservatory and teaching assistant to Lucy Chapman.

Karl Doty is a bassist from Duluth, MN. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degree from the New England Conservatory.

Jesse Irons is a violinist from Berlin, Vermont. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Peabody Conservatory.

Jason Fisher is a violist that grew up in Seattle. He received his bachelor's at Peabody Conservatory under Victoria Chiang and his Master's with the Longy School of Music with Roger Tapping.

Jae Young Cosmos Lee is a violinist from Korea. Lee holds degrees at the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the New England Conservatory.

Violist Frank Shaw has been a member of A Far Cry since 2007. He graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music and New England Conservatory.

Erik Higgins is a bassist who graduated from Indiana University and moved to Munich for a two-year apprenticeship with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Cellist Courtenay Vandiver received her Bachelor's at the New England Conservatory with Laurence Lesser, and Master's with Paul Katz.

Ashley Vandiver is a violinist who received her Bachelor's at the New England Conservatory and Master's at the Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands. Her teachers include Vera Beths, James Buswell, Kennith Goldsmith and Laura Bossert.

Annie Rabbat is a violinist from Chicago and received her Bachelor's from Indiana University and her Master's at Julliard School. After a year at Stony Brook University, she headed to the New England Conservatory. Her teachers include Miriam Fried, Robert Mann, Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, and Phil Setzer.

Alex Fortes is a violinist from San Diego and received degrees from Harvard College and Mannes College, and his teachers include Mark Steinberg, Peter Zazofsky, Hernan Constantino, Mary Gerard, and Michael Gaisler.

Programs
Their programs include music from various times periods, such as J.S. Bach, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Mozart, Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Bartok, Astor Piazzolla, Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, and Osvaldo Golijov. It is said their works are mixed with "solemn and snappy," with "extroversion."

Their works are usually a combination of older works with new works. As part of the resident ensemble of the Isabella Gardner Museum, they played a seven-concert series called the Avant Gardner series. This program focused on forward momentum and repeating patterns in music, with modern composers Andrew Norman, Christopher Theofanidis, Louis Andriessen, and the Baroque composer, Bach.

Vision
The Criers take turns leading the ensemble, and are in no particular hierarchy. All members are simultaneously leaders and followers of the group. All members take turns being section leaders during rehearsal. The age range of the group is young, from 25-36 with varying backgrounds. With the exception of the cellists, all players stand while performing. The group's goal is "to wrestle the music they love back from the cultural baggage it's accumulated." They have been labelled "post-classical" music by being part of Judd Greenstein's Ecstatic Music Festival.

Performances and Tours
A Far Cry has played with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and toured across America and their debut tour in 2012 in Europe. They have also played from venues such as the hall of the Gardner Museum, to Royale, a nightclub in Boston. They are currently on their seventh season.

Discography

 * A Far Cry: Debut (2009)
 * Copland; Aldridge: Clarinet Concertos (2010)
 * Piazzolla (2011)
 * TRACER (2013)
 * The Mozart Sessions (2012)