New York City–based Venezuelan violist Ramón Carrero-Martínez is the newly appointed Principal Viola of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, as well as an internationally recognized chamber musician and dedicated educator.

Carrero-Martínez recently completed the prestigious Ensemble Connect Fellowship at Carnegie Hall (2023–2025), a program that combines world-class performance with community engagement throughout New York City public schools.

Carrero-Martínez has earned international acclaim as a prizewinner in major competitions as a former member of the award-winning Terra String Quartet, including the Grand Prize at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Second Prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and Third Prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and Festa. He has appeared as soloist with The Orchestra San Antonio and the New York Classical Players, and is a member of the Exponential Ensemble and New Haven Symphony, showcasing his expressive versatility across a wide range of repertoire and styles.

A versatile chamber and orchestral musician, Carrero-Martínez has toured and performed extensively across North America, Europe, and Asia, with leading ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Twelfth Night, Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, Experiential Orchestra, and the Metropolis Ensemble, among many others. His recent festival appearances include the San Antonio 210 Festival, Concordia Chamber Players, Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Nexus Chamber Music Festival, North Country Chamber Players, and The Cultural Caravan.

A passionate educator, Carrero-Martínez serves on the faculties of the San Antonio Classical Music Institute, UpBeat NYC, and Orchestrating Dreams, and has also taught with the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's. He works closely with young musicians from diverse backgrounds, guiding them to discover their artistic voices, and prepare for the multifaceted realities of a professional music career.

Ramón is a proud alum of the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his B.A. and M.M. under the mentorship of violist Daniel Avshalomov.

Violinist Abi Fayette is passionate about chamber music.

Ms. Fayette has performed with renowned artists such as Jonathan Biss, Brett Dean, Kim Kashkashian, and others. As an active touring musician, Ms. Fayette's performances have taken her all over the world with appearances spanning across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She has toured with Musicians from Marlboro, The Knights, Curtis Chamber Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Currently, she is a member of the Grammy Nominated Catalyst Quartet and serves as Artistic Director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for which she is also a prforming musician.

Ms. Fayette performs on a violin made in 1860 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume generously on loan from Marlboro Music.

The youngest of four children in a musical family, Ms. Fayette started her violin studies at age three with her mother. She earned degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory, studying under Ida Kavafian and Soovin Kim respectively. Other principal teachers include Ann Setzer, Kyung-Wha Chung, and Joseph Silverstein.