Carole Cowan has been Concertmaster and soloist with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, now HVSO, since 1978. She is Professor Emerita at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Cowan has performed with many chamber musicians, including the Emerson and Alexander String Quartets, and as concertmaster with an amazing roster of artists, ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Yo-Yo Ma. She is co-founder of Newburgh Chamber Music, now in its 24th season, and performs with the Poné Ensemble for New Music. Carole has performed in Taiwan, Beijing, Italy, the Festival Casals in Puerto Rico, and was for thirty summers artist faculty at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. A native of Kansas, she earned a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. She is currently involved in several chamber music ensembles and serves on the Orchestra Committee of the HVSO. Carole also enjoys exploring the museums, concerts, and beauty of the Hudson Valley and New York City.