Artists

Luke Darville

Cello

Dr. Luke Darville began his cello studies with the Heritage Area String Program in Danville, KY. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville, a Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota, where he attended as a Berneking Fellow. He has had the privilege of studying with Dr. Clyde Beavers, Prof. Paul York, and Prof. Tanya Remenikova. During his studies, he has received awards from the University of Louisville, Macauley Competition, and the Schubert Music Club Competition. He has taught cello and string bass at the University of Minnesota Morris and Centre College; cello and piano at Mt. Calvary Music Academy; he was Director of Orchestras at Western Middle School for the Arts in Louisville, KY; and has held a private studio for 15 years. Dr. Darville has performed with orchestras throughout Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, Texas, and Kentucky. He has worked as a Teaching Artist for the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Darville is currently the Director of Orchestras at Model Laboratory Schools in Richmond, KY. He has been a featured recorded artist on Centaur’s Label. He plays on a cello crafted by the American luthier Timothy J. Jansma.

Reisa Fukuda

Violin

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Reisa moved to Lexington Kentucky in 2020. Reisa completed a BM degree from Toho School of Music, an MM from Haute Echole de Musique de Lausanne, and an artist diploma from Schwob School of Music.  Currently, she is a DMA candidate in Music Performance at the University of Kentucky. Over the years, Reisa has studied under Tsugio Tokunaga, Mami Teshigawara, Pierre Amoyal, Sergiu Schwartz, and Daniel Mason. Reisa has performed in orchestras and solo recitals internationally, including with the Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestra de Chambre du Valais, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, Lexington Chamber Orchestra, La Folle Journée au Japon, Wagner Geneva Festival, and New World Symphony.  Currently, Reisa serves as a professor of applied violin at Centre College. 

Lenka Pellant

Violin

Lenka Pellant is a Czech violinist. Coming from a musical family, she started to play the piano at the age of 3, following her violin playing when she was 6. Her professional violin career began at the Jan Deyl Conservatory in Prague and the Prague Academy of Performing Art when she earned her Master's degree in 2014. Throughout her studies, Lenka has performed as a soloist, and chamber and orchestra player in Europe and Asia. In 2014 she moved to Lexington, KY where she became the Concertmaster and a co-founder of the Lexington Chamber Orchestra. In 2019 Lenka moved to Germany, where she currently lives with her family.  

Sila Darville

Violin

Turkish violinist Dr. Sila Darville is the Assistant Prof. of Violin and Viola at Eastern Kentucky University. She holds degrees from Istanbul Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory, the University of Minnesota, and Texas Tech University. She received many international awards and honors including the Rotary Club International Competition for Young Musicians; the Turkish Educational Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award; the Berneking Fellowship; the Thursday Musical Young Artist Scholarship Competition and the Schubert Club Scholarship Competition. Throughout her career Dr. Darville has performed with many Symphonic Orchestras including the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Lubbock, Lubbock Moonlight Musicals and Kentucky Bach Choir as the principal second; the Amarillo Symphony, Midland Symphony, the La Crosse Symphony, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, and Louisville Orchestra as a section violinist and Amadeus Chamber Orchestra as principal viola. Her recent recordings include chamber music recordings of Kentucky composer Joe Levin published under Centaur Records. Dr. Darville has given guest lectures and clinics at the Kentucky Music Educators Association, University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Texas at Arlington, Campbell University, Youngstown State University, Bahcesehir University, and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Darville taught at Arkhé String Camp in Izmir, Turkey- a non-profit international summer camp for music camp for string students in 2022. Her recent performances include Prokofiev Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Eastern Kentucky University Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Ho-Yin Kwok. Dr. Darville is a founding member of the early music group Oracle Ensemble and performs regularly with Lexington-based chamber music ensemble Amadeus Lex. She performs on a 2021 Ben Mason violin. Dr. Darville is the recipient of the 2023 ASTA Kentucky Chapter Outstanding Educator Award.