Our Story
Violist Dorian Rence is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Max Aronoff and Joseph De Pasquale. At the completion of her studies, in 1976, she joined the New York Philharmonic. She has been a participant at the Marlboro, Arcady, and Marland music festivals. Ms. Rence has performed extensively as a chamber musician, playing regularly with the Philharmonic Ensembles and the Hofstra Quartet. She has appeared as soloist with the Oklahoma City Symphony, The Curtis Institute of Music Orchestra, the Ridgefield Symphony, the Endymion Ensemble, and the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Music is a passion but not her sole passion. She has always felt a deep connection with animals.They don't lie, cheat, or steal. They don't judge. Most of them are grateful for a kind word, a pet, or a bit of food. They keep her life real. There's nothing more fulfilling than helping an animal in need. And the people she meets on the way are some of the finest on the planet.
Meet the founders
the founders
Eileen Moon joined the cello section of the New York Philharmonic in 1998 and was named Associate Principal Cello in 2007. A native of California, she began her studies with Irene Sharp at the San Francisco Conservatory and subsequently received a bachelor’s of music degree from The Juilliard School and a performance diploma from the Hochshule für Musik in Vienna, Austria. Ms. Moon won fourth prize at the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition in Moscow in 1994, and second prize at the Geneva International Cello Competition in 1991, resulting in performances in France and a radio recording in Switzerland. She has performed chamber music at numerous venues in and around New York City and appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles at Merkin Concert Hall. Ms. Moon currently supports a number of charitable causes for which she has taken part in organizing as both performer and presenter. Her passion for animals resulted in the formation of Friends of Warwick Valley Humane Society, an auxiliary group devoted to fundraising through educational seminars and performances. In addition, Eileen is involved with The Artemis Project, a non-profit animal rescue, rehabilitation and adoption organization in New York City, which she co-founded in 2000 with Philharmonic colleague Dorian Rence. Ms. Moon is a strong advocate for Celebrate Life Half Marathon, whose mission is to assist cancer patients with treatment and associated care. Eileen is Artistic Advisor at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Sullivan County, New York and curator and presenter of their chamber music series “Sundays with Friends”. She is founder and Artistic Director of Warwick Music Series in Warwick, New York and an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt.
Violinist Dorian Rence is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Max Aronoff and Joseph De Pasquale.
At the completion of her studies, in 1976, she joined the New York Philharmonic. She has been a participant at the Marlboro, Arcady, and Marland music festivals.
Ms. Rence has performed extensively as a chamber musician, playing regularly with the Philharmonic Ensembles and the Hofstra Quartet. She has appeared as soloist with the Oklahoma City Symphony, The Curtis Institute of Music Orchestra, the Ridgefield Symphony, the Endymion Ensemble, and the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Music is a passion but not her sole passion. She has always felt a deep connection with animals.They don't lie, cheat, or steal. They don't judge. Most of them are grateful for a kind word, a pet, or a bit of food. They keep her life real. There's nothing more fulfilling than helping an animal in need. And the people she meets on the way are some of the finest on the planet.
Dorian Rence
Eileen Moon
Artemis beginnings
In 2000 several New York Philharmonic colleagues and I were on a music tour in Greece. As a lifelong animal lover I knew there would be so many stray animals, so I had to avert my eyes at times. One afternoon, Eileen (Artemis co-founder and colleague) and I were returning to our hotel on Santorini. But we could not avert our ears - we heard a mewing and followed it into a vacant lot. There, under the blistering sun, was a tiny kitten no bigger than the palm of my hand. Her eyes were sealed shut by some hideous disease and she was screaming her head off.
There are some things you can ignore and others you can't. Eileen and I couldn't ignore this. A very kind Budget Car Rental representative drove us 30 minutes to the one vet on Santorini. As the vet examined the kitten, she took one look and said it was an upper respiratory infection, common on the Island, that had gone into the eyes.
"What are your intentions?" she asked.I replied, "Well, I can't take her back to the U.S."
She answered, “Why not?"
I mulled this over as the vet cleaned up the kitten's eyes -two beautiful almond-shaped eyes – blue and yellow. She became Athina. We returned to the lot and found the mom and two more kittens. One was too sick to even make a sound. My friend Eileen christened him Oscar. The mom and the other kitten weren't very sick. We had the vet treat them and release them back to the site. Eileen and I decided we would take Athina and Oscar back to the U.S. No animals were allowed in our hotel so we draped a large scarf over the carrier and took the stairs up to our rooms. Once inside, we hung the Do Not Disturb sign and let the kittens play.
They were impossibly small - both fit in one carrier with room for food, water and a tiny litter box on the flight back to New York. Oscar eventually lost one eye to the infection but he didn't let it cramp his style. He became a treasured member of Eileen's menagerie of 6 dogs. Athina lived with me until her passing in 2013 and Eileen lost Oscar during the same year. What we didn't lose was the memory of helping these kittens.
Their lives launched The Artemis Project – giving helpless animals in distress a second chance at life.
Dorian Rence and Eileen Moon
Artemis Founders
