The Fernwood String Quartet was formed in 2017 by section leaders of the Alterity Chamber Orchestra, an Orlando based chamber orchestra focused on performing the music of living composers.
The quartet focuses both on contemporary composers and on the classical repertoire from Haydn and Mozart to modern classics. Concerts in Central Florida in the past years featured works from local and international living composers - including some Florida and world premieres -, as well as 20th century classics by Maurice Ravel, Arnold Schoenberg and Dmitri Shostakovich.
We also regularly play with other orchestras across Central Florida including the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. And we share a passionate love for chamber music that we want to share with audiences in our region.
Meet the Players.
Julia Gessinger
Julia M. Gessinger, a native of Germany, studied violin at the University of Miami School of Music. Her violin teachers since age 7 included Friedrich Rüstig, Thomas D. Moore, Nicholas Mann, and Robert Rozek. Julia began her professional career in Europe with the renowned ensemble “Internationale Bach Akademie Stuttgart.” In America, she has performed with Southwest Florida Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, and Opera Tampa. During her orchestra career, she has played with renowned artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Branford Marsalis, Andrea Bocelli, and Sarah Brightman, to name a few. She has been a core member of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra since 1996. In addition, she performs with Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Winter Park Bach Festival Orchestra, and regularly presents professional chamber groups such as Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, Fernwood String Quartet, and Cadenza Piano Trio.
Andreas Volmer
Andreas Volmer moved from Germany to Orlando in 2013. His passion is chamber music: Back in Germany, he played first violin in a string quartet that performed on a regular basis, covering a repertoire from Haydn and Mozart to Debussy, Bartok, and Shostakovich. With his quartet ensemble, he took part in several chamber music master classes with members of the LaSalle Quartet, Buchberger Quartet, Carmina Quartet, and Auryn Quartet, in Germany, Austria and Italy. In Orlando, he made his public debut as a chamber musician with a piano trio recital at the Timucua Arts Foundation in the summer of 2017. He is a core member of the Alterity Chamber Orchestra, founding member of the Fernwood Quartet, is regularly performing with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and has performed in multiple projects with Opera Orlando and Orlando Ballet.
Marla Morgan
Violist Marla Morgan has served as principal and assistant principal in various orchestras including the Stetson University Symphony Orchestra, the Stetson University Chamber Orchestra, the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, the PAI Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, and the Florida All-State Orchestra. Originally from Kissimmee, Florida, she attended Stetson University and earned a Bachelor of Music in viola performance in May 2013. While at Stetson, she was chosen by the faculty to be a member of Stetson University’s endowed string quartet, the "Barron String Quartet." Upon graduation, Mrs. Morgan joined the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, Marla has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, and the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra in addition to other freelance work.
Marla has attended the Meadowmount School of Music, the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary, and the Florida International Festival AT&T Youth Ensemble where she worked closely with members of the London Symphony Orchestra. She also toured Italy with the Stetson University Orchestra and was accepted into the Florida All-State Orchestra three years in a row. Her past teachers include David Moffit, Rechel Bryant, Dr. Harold Levin, Dr. Stephen Schmidt, Ms. Patricia McCarty, and Dr. Jesus Alfonzo.
Jean-Marie Glazer
Jean-Marie Glazer was born in Laval, Québec in 1998 into a musical family. He started performing in public at three years old, playing every style of music imaginable.
He started studying cello performance at 6, and began acquiring a lot of ensemble experience with FSYO, where he played for 13 years. He has since studied at Stetson University, in Domaine Forget, and in Firenze in conjuction with Colorado State University.
Mr Glazer has played with the Orlando Philarmonic, the Space Coast Symphony, and the Bach Festival Society. He also helps run the events organized by the Timucua Arts Foundation, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing music to the Orlando community,
He brings a love of chamber music and a great energy to Fernwood Quartet, with whom he is happy to make music as often as possible.