About Us

Semi-finalist of the 2011 Sphinx Competition, Sheena Gutierrez, is one of Bolivia’s promising young talents. Critics and mentors have acclaimed Sheena for her “striking musicianship”, “lovely tone”, “love for music”, and her “sensitive interpretation of classical masterpieces.” In 2005, Sheena debut as a soloist with the Coral Gables Conservatory Young Musician’s Orchestra. She also performed in the annual Superintendent’s Honors Music Festival for six consecutive years. These early successes paved the way to her performances in halls such as Carnegie Hall, New World Center, Adrienne Arsht Center, Harris Theater, Studzinski Hall, Benedict Music Tent, KKL Luzern Concert Hall (Switzerland), and König Albert Theater (Germany), among others.
Sheena regularly travels to festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Lucerne Academy Festival (Switzerland), Moritzburg Festival Academy (Germany), Bowdoin International Music Festival, Eastman School of Music: Music Horizons Program, Stringendo School for Strings, and Miami’s Classical Virtuosi Music Festival.
She joined the Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra-compromised of Top Laureates of the Sphinx Competition- on their 2011 tour -celebrating Sphinx Organization’s 15th anniversary. Other honors include a distinguished finalist in the 2008 Walenstein Competition, and an honorable mention in the 2011 Alexander & Buono International Competition.
As an avid contemporary musician, Sheena has participated in the Charles E. Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music, the Boston Conservatory New Music Festival, and the Boston New Music Initiative. She was also hand selected for 3 seasons, as one of the 130 highly gifted young musicians internationally, to travel to Lucerne, Switzerland and Paris, France to participate in the Lucerne Academy Festival founded by Pierre Boulez.
Sheena also has a strong passion for string pedagogy. She recently just recorded a CD forThe ABCs of Violin for the More Advanced, Book 4 with Janice Tucker Rhoda, author of the popular instruction series, the ABCs of Strings and Complete Technique, published by Carl Fischer Music.
Along with Stepan Rudenko, pianist, she has formed the Sotto Amore Duo in 2011 to inspire people with their love and passion for music. They will be on their fourth annual tour in the summer of 2014. Sheena was introduced to the violin at the age of 12 with Mariana Carreras, violinist from Havana, Cuba. She later studied with Thomas Moore, world-renowned Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at the New World School of the Arts and Professor Emeritus of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. She completed her undergraduate degree at the Boston Conservatory of Music studying with Rictor Noren. Sheena plays on a Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin made in 2002, kindly loaned by Sphinx Organization, and is an active performer in Miami, FL. She is now serving as Vice President of Classical Virtuosi of Miami.

Upon receiving a BM at the New England Conservatory of Music and MM at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stepan Rudenko has been avid about performing his solo repertoire and expanding chamber repertoire knowledge. Stepan is touring the United States with Sheena Gutierrez as Sotto Amore Duo. It is their mission to bring the music of Piazzolla, Brahms, Beethoven, Shumann, and contemporary composers to audiences worldwide.
His passion of music has ignited interest in collaborating with many composers of new music in Boston, Miami, and San Francisco. The aim is to make new music more accessible to the listeners and give new composers ability to touch people’s hearts and minds with music that have never been seen or heard before.
In addition to working with composers, he performs with various artists including Jorge Saade, and Sheena Gutierrez, as well as groups such as Miami Grands, and Sotto Amore Duo. Along with Sheena Gutierrez, violinist, he has formed the Sotto Amore Duo in 2011 to inspire people with their love and passion for music. They will be on their fourth annual tour in the summer of 2014.
Stepan began his studies at an early age at Ukrainian National Music School No.10. In 1999, he moved to California with his family, where he continued his studies with Anna and Viktor Polonsky, founders of the Polonsky Piano School - The Russian School of Music in Northern California, and later with Dr. Michael Schmitz, head of the Piano Department at Notre Dame de Namur University. Stepan received a Bachelor of Music Degree at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2010, where he was a scholarship student under direction of Patricia Zander and Veronica Jochum. In 2014 he completed his Master's Degree program at San Francisco Conservatory of Music with scholarship under the direction of Paul Hersh. He is now serving as President of Classical Virtuosi of Miami.