French violinist Blaise Magniere is a founding member of the Avalon String Quartet and a faculty member at Northern Illinois University.  With the quartet, he was the top prizewinner in the Munich ARD Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition. During his high school years, he studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England, moving then to McGill University in Canada, Cleveland Institute of Music, and finally to Juilliard for continued studies.