Karim Wasfi, cello/Eric Gratz, violin/Elena Portnaya, piano. During his illustrious career Karim Wasfi has held many prominent positions including director and chief conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. However, it is his work for the Peace through Arts Global Foundation, a program he established to promote peace in war-torn areas, of which is he is most proud. Praised as “eloquent” (Dallas Morning News) and “spellbinding . . . a disciplined musician beyond his years” (San Antonio Express News), 27-year-old violinist Eric Gratz is rapidly gaining recognition as a major musical personality. Elena Portnaya, pianist, is a graduate of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Russia and University of Texas at Austin, Texas.
