Mikhail Shmidt, violin, was born in Moscow, and attended a music school for gifted children from the age of six. He was awarded first prize at the Concertino-Prague Competition in 1978, at the age of 14, and graduated summa cum laude from the Gnessin Musical Institute in Moscow. Misha’s teachers include Valentin Berlinsky of the Borodin Quartet and Khalida Akhtiamova. He has performed with the Moscow State Symphony, the Moscow Radio String Quartet, and as concertmaster of the Camerata Boccherini Chamber Orchestra. Since moving to Seattle in 1991 to join the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, he has established himself as a leading chamber musician of the Pacific Northwest. A founding member of The Bridge Ensemble, he has also been a guest artist with the Moscow Piano Quartet, touring Europe frequently, including Germany, Spain and Portugal. He has participated in the Colorado, Marrowstone, Olympic, and Seattle International music festivals.