Rhythmix Cultural Works presents: DoubleTake Violin Duo Chamber Music from Mozart to Jazz November 2, 2011

As the second concert in its chamber concert series, Rhythmix Cultural Works will present the acclaimed violin duo known as “DoubleTake” performing works by Mozart, Marc Mellits, Prokofiev, and the premiere of a piece written for DoubleTake by Bay Area jazz composer Jeanne Geiger. Although DoubleTake was officially founded in November 2009, Shaina Evoniuk and Natasha Makhijani have been playing together since meeting in 2004 as students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Later, while Natasha was pursuing her Master’s degree in New York, she and Shaina founded a string quartet that presented concerts and community outreach events in New York, Washington, D.C., and France over the next two years. Finally living in the same area code again, DoubleTake has planted roots in the Bay Area. The group is actively involved in a diverse array of performance projects. Recent engagements include performances at various Classical Revolution events, collaboration with the renowned hip-hop group Felonious, and a fundraiser benefiting the Addis Light Foundation at Coda Lounge in San Francisco. In March 2010, DoubleTake was granted fiscal sponsorship by the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music through their Affiliate program.



Currently in demand as a performer throughout the Bay Area, Shaina Evoniuk holds a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Wei He. She has shared the stage with such diverse artists as Michael Tilson-Thomas, David Grisman, Lyrics Born, Zion-I, Mads Tolling, The Dodos, Crown City Rockers, and DJ Qbert. Her performances have included appearances at venues such as Davies Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, and Yoshi's Jazz Club as part of innovative Bay Area collective Jazz Mafia, with whom she holds the position of principal second violin. An avid teacher, Evoniuk is one of two violin faculty members at the San Dominican Music Conservatory in San Anselmo.



Natasha Makhijani holds a Bachelor of Music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music. Natasha has appeared as concertmaster and assistant concertmaster of numerous orchestras, including those of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Eastman School of Music, and the Eastern and Las Vegas Music Festivals. Most recently she appeared as assistant concertmaster and soloist with the National Repertory Orchestra. While at Eastman she was invited to be a member of the Graduate Chamber Music Society. In addition to DoubleTake, Natasha is currently a member of the Monterey Symphony Orchestra and the Sacramento Philharmonic, and is on the teaching faculty of the Canon School of Music.



Rhythmix Cultural Works (RCW) opened its doors in 2007 as a community arts center to bring people of all ages together for a wide range of high quality arts experiences. Only five minutes from downtown Oakland off Hwy 880, RCW offers a beautifully renovated 150-seat theater, art gallery and classroom as affordable space for live performances, exhibitions, arts education and cultural exchange for youth, families and adults. By providing a range of exhibits, workshops, classes and performances, RCW supports local, regional and international artists in the presentation of their work and strives to encourage community awareness through participation in the arts