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Lyric engages musicians for recitals, master-classes, residencies, music workshops and community-based performances at many venues across the country.
We partner with concert presenters, musicians and educators who share our mission of making classical music accessible to all, no matter what background or zip code. Please contact Reggie Bahl at 212.496.9927 to work with our current roster of musicians:
Seraph Brass
(All-Female Brass Quintet)
Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with the mission of elevating and showcasing the excellence of female brass players and highlighting musicians from marginalized groups both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for their “beautiful sounds" (American Record Guide), "fine playing” (Gramophone), and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura).
Now in its ninth touring season, Seraph primarily performs as a quintet, with a dynamic roster drawing from America’s top brass musicians. The group is currently in residency at the Walton Art Center’ s Artosphere Festival, alongside the Dover Quartet. Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group and performs exclusively on Yamaha instruments. The ensemble has toured around the world, including performances at the Tafalla Brass Week in Spain, Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, the Busan Maru International Music Festival in South Korea, the Forum Cultural Guanajuato in Mexico, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, and a two-week tour across China.
2022-23 performance highlights include Anthony DiLorenzo’ s Chimera for brass quintet and orchestra with the Florence Symphony in November, and performances at Chamber Music Raleigh, Chautauqua Institution, University of Toronto, Asheville Chamber Music Series, National Gallery of Art in D.C., Diehn Concert Series in Norfolk, UNC Greensboro, and extensive touring around the United States through Live On Stage. Seraph performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics. The group has commissioned new pieces by Catherine McMichael and Rene Orth; both featured on the Silver Medal Global Music Award-winning debut album Asteria. The group regularly participates in commissioning consortiums, recently supporting works by Kevin Day, Mischa Zupko, and Lillian Yee. In 2023, Seraph will premiere and perform a new concerto commission from Jennifer Jolley at the 2023 American Trombone Workshop with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” The group will return to Lieksa Brass week in Finland in Summer 2023.
Website: www.seraphbrass.com
Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with the mission of elevating and showcasing the excellence of female brass players and highlighting musicians from marginalized groups both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for their “beautiful sounds" (American Record Guide), "fine playing” (Gramophone), and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura).
Now in its ninth touring season, Seraph primarily performs as a quintet, with a dynamic roster drawing from America’s top brass musicians. The group is currently in residency at the Walton Art Center’ s Artosphere Festival, alongside the Dover Quartet. Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group and performs exclusively on Yamaha instruments. The ensemble has toured around the world, including performances at the Tafalla Brass Week in Spain, Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, the Busan Maru International Music Festival in South Korea, the Forum Cultural Guanajuato in Mexico, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, and a two-week tour across China.
2022-23 performance highlights include Anthony DiLorenzo’ s Chimera for brass quintet and orchestra with the Florence Symphony in November, and performances at Chamber Music Raleigh, Chautauqua Institution, University of Toronto, Asheville Chamber Music Series, National Gallery of Art in D.C., Diehn Concert Series in Norfolk, UNC Greensboro, and extensive touring around the United States through Live On Stage. Seraph performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics. The group has commissioned new pieces by Catherine McMichael and Rene Orth; both featured on the Silver Medal Global Music Award-winning debut album Asteria. The group regularly participates in commissioning consortiums, recently supporting works by Kevin Day, Mischa Zupko, and Lillian Yee. In 2023, Seraph will premiere and perform a new concerto commission from Jennifer Jolley at the 2023 American Trombone Workshop with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” The group will return to Lieksa Brass week in Finland in Summer 2023.
Website: www.seraphbrass.com
Konrad Paszkudzki Trio
(Bass, Guitar & Piano)
Sharing a love of classic jazz and the great standards of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, all members of the trio tip the hat to those that have influenced them—Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Israel Crosby, Ahmad Jamal, and Joe Pass, to name a few. The trio has a sound steeped in tradition, but always remains creative and inventive. They are the ultimate modern day swingin’ unit.
The three artists, also known for their nimbleness on their respective instruments, pride themselves on clean, graceful, toe-tapping execution. Listening to the trio play is a swingin’ party of sophisticated, melodic warfare, with Paszkudzki and Grasso constantly bouncing lines back and forth over the immovable bass lines of Dylan Shamat. The result is fiery straight-ahead jazz with melodic elegance and nonchalant grace and a worthy homage to the jazz greats.
Website: www.kpjazztrio.com
Sharing a love of classic jazz and the great standards of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, all members of the trio tip the hat to those that have influenced them—Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Israel Crosby, Ahmad Jamal, and Joe Pass, to name a few. The trio has a sound steeped in tradition, but always remains creative and inventive. They are the ultimate modern day swingin’ unit.
The three artists, also known for their nimbleness on their respective instruments, pride themselves on clean, graceful, toe-tapping execution. Listening to the trio play is a swingin’ party of sophisticated, melodic warfare, with Paszkudzki and Grasso constantly bouncing lines back and forth over the immovable bass lines of Dylan Shamat. The result is fiery straight-ahead jazz with melodic elegance and nonchalant grace and a worthy homage to the jazz greats.
Website: www.kpjazztrio.com
Kayla Williams & Friends
(Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Gospel)
Violist Kayla Williams is an advocate for music, who hopes to diversify music through her own experiences as a Black woman.
Originally from Florida, Kayla began playing the violin at age four then at age ten she discovered her true passion, the viola. As a winner of the 2018 Lynn Concerto Competition, she made her concerto debut performing Bartok’s Viola Concerto.
Williams has been the guest of music festivals across a range of music including the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Florida Folk Festival, and the 2022 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Williams has both live and recorded performances with Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.
As a recitalist, Williams has performed on concert series around the country, including Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, the Island Concert Association February Festival in St. Simons Island,GA, and the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Guest Artist Music Series. Her pianist is Christopher McCarthy.
Williams earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Lynn Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, Florida and a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Juilliard School in New York City. She is also the recipient of the 2021-2023 Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship.
Violist Kayla Williams is an advocate for music, who hopes to diversify music through her own experiences as a Black woman.
Originally from Florida, Kayla began playing the violin at age four then at age ten she discovered her true passion, the viola. As a winner of the 2018 Lynn Concerto Competition, she made her concerto debut performing Bartok’s Viola Concerto.
Williams has been the guest of music festivals across a range of music including the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Florida Folk Festival, and the 2022 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Williams has both live and recorded performances with Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.
As a recitalist, Williams has performed on concert series around the country, including Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, the Island Concert Association February Festival in St. Simons Island,GA, and the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Guest Artist Music Series. Her pianist is Christopher McCarthy.
Williams earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Lynn Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, Florida and a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Juilliard School in New York City. She is also the recipient of the 2021-2023 Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship.
Project Trio
(Bass, Flute & Saxophone)
Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, PROJECT Trio has made an impact on audiences of all ages. Bursting onto the scene with their landmark videos, right out of the internet generation, PROJECT Trio is a musical experience defining a new level of entertainment! PROJECT Trio is a musical experience not to be missed...
Gramophone Magazine singled out the group as “an ensemble willing and able to touch on the gamut of musical bases ranging from Baroque to nu-Metal and taking in pretty much every stylism in between,” while The Wall Street Journal hailed the Trio for their “wide appeal, subversive humor and first-rate playing.” The New York Times has called beatboxing flutist Greg Pattillo “the best in the world at what he does.”
The Trio was forged out of a collective desire to draw new and diverse audiences by performing high energy, top quality music. Using social media to broaden their reach beyond the concert stage and classroom, the Trio has its own YouTube channel, which has over 85 million views and 100,000 subscribers, making PROJECT Trio one of the most watched instrumental ensembles on the internet.
Combining the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars, PROJECT Trio is breaking down traditional ideas of chamber music. The genre-defying Trio is acclaimed by the press as “packed with musicianship, joy and surprise” and “exciting a new generation of listeners about the joys of classical and jazz music.”
Website: www.projecttrio.com
Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, PROJECT Trio has made an impact on audiences of all ages. Bursting onto the scene with their landmark videos, right out of the internet generation, PROJECT Trio is a musical experience defining a new level of entertainment! PROJECT Trio is a musical experience not to be missed...
Gramophone Magazine singled out the group as “an ensemble willing and able to touch on the gamut of musical bases ranging from Baroque to nu-Metal and taking in pretty much every stylism in between,” while The Wall Street Journal hailed the Trio for their “wide appeal, subversive humor and first-rate playing.” The New York Times has called beatboxing flutist Greg Pattillo “the best in the world at what he does.”
The Trio was forged out of a collective desire to draw new and diverse audiences by performing high energy, top quality music. Using social media to broaden their reach beyond the concert stage and classroom, the Trio has its own YouTube channel, which has over 85 million views and 100,000 subscribers, making PROJECT Trio one of the most watched instrumental ensembles on the internet.
Combining the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars, PROJECT Trio is breaking down traditional ideas of chamber music. The genre-defying Trio is acclaimed by the press as “packed with musicianship, joy and surprise” and “exciting a new generation of listeners about the joys of classical and jazz music.”
Website: www.projecttrio.com
Duo Karolina & Iwo
(Accordion & Violin)
Duo Karolina & Iwo is one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young generation. Winners of Grand Prix and First Prizes at international music competitions (France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland) performing i.e. at Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House and Warsaw Philharmonic, where it enjoyed its debut to a sold-out audience. It has played recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Georgia, United States, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand.
The Duo's performances are described as perfect and mature, yet luminous and filled with youthful vitality. Many pieces gain new interpretations and original sounds thanks to Iwo Jedynecki's accordion transcriptions. Both artists boldly venture into renowned works of chamber music literature giving them new quality and delightfully diverse colouring. The ensemble also collaborates with leading Polish composers. In 2016, Marcin Błażewicz composed the first ever double concerto for violin, accordion and symphonic orchestra, dedicating it to Karolina Mikołąjczyk and Iwo Jedynecki. In 2019 the Duo collaborated with Krzysztof Penderecki arranging his Violin Sonata (1953) for a duo of violin and accordion, receiving an offical approval from the Master.
As of today, the Duo has recorded three CD albums – Premiére with original and self-arranged (i.a. Frartes by Arvo Pärt) contemporary music for violin-accordion, Orfeum Trio Plays Piazzolla and BŁAŻEWICZ, the latter nominated for the Fryderyk Prize - a Polish equivalent of a Grammy. The duo also shows an up-to-date approach in promoting its work by presenting video recordings in social media: the one with Mozart’s Violin Sonata gained more than a milion views on Facebook and YouTube, and was shared by the most popular internet platform devoted to classical music – Classic FM -followed up by Kreisler's Chinese Tambourine performed on the Great Wall of China as well as Bach’s Goldberg Variations and excerpts from film music-inspired The Hollywood Fantasy projects.
Karolina Mikołajczyk plays a Duke London violin from 1776. Iwo Jedynecki plays a Pigini Sirius Millennium accordion. The purchase of both instruments was financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Duo Karolina & Iwo is one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young generation. Winners of Grand Prix and First Prizes at international music competitions (France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland) performing i.e. at Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House and Warsaw Philharmonic, where it enjoyed its debut to a sold-out audience. It has played recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Georgia, United States, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand.
The Duo's performances are described as perfect and mature, yet luminous and filled with youthful vitality. Many pieces gain new interpretations and original sounds thanks to Iwo Jedynecki's accordion transcriptions. Both artists boldly venture into renowned works of chamber music literature giving them new quality and delightfully diverse colouring. The ensemble also collaborates with leading Polish composers. In 2016, Marcin Błażewicz composed the first ever double concerto for violin, accordion and symphonic orchestra, dedicating it to Karolina Mikołąjczyk and Iwo Jedynecki. In 2019 the Duo collaborated with Krzysztof Penderecki arranging his Violin Sonata (1953) for a duo of violin and accordion, receiving an offical approval from the Master.
As of today, the Duo has recorded three CD albums – Premiére with original and self-arranged (i.a. Frartes by Arvo Pärt) contemporary music for violin-accordion, Orfeum Trio Plays Piazzolla and BŁAŻEWICZ, the latter nominated for the Fryderyk Prize - a Polish equivalent of a Grammy. The duo also shows an up-to-date approach in promoting its work by presenting video recordings in social media: the one with Mozart’s Violin Sonata gained more than a milion views on Facebook and YouTube, and was shared by the most popular internet platform devoted to classical music – Classic FM -followed up by Kreisler's Chinese Tambourine performed on the Great Wall of China as well as Bach’s Goldberg Variations and excerpts from film music-inspired The Hollywood Fantasy projects.
Karolina Mikołajczyk plays a Duke London violin from 1776. Iwo Jedynecki plays a Pigini Sirius Millennium accordion. The purchase of both instruments was financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Duo Brève
(Flute & Harp)
Duo Brève serves to share lasting programs of diverse works in genre and authorship with audiences around the country. The flute and harp duo met while performing at a summer festival in Maine in 2021, and have since performed recitals along the Eastern Seaboard.
Currently, Aimee and Mia are based out of Philadelphia and New Haven, and the two enjoy performing for local audiences as well as setting out on the road for new adventures and communities to perform for.
Philadelphia-based harpist Mia Venezia performs and teaches throughout the country, including performance settings such as the Nashville Opera, New World Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra where she holds the principal chair. A frequent collaborator in chamber music, Mia was featured as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh and a two time winner of the Pittsburgh Chamber Society Chamber Division. She currently tours with flutist Aimee Toner as a Lyric Music Society Artist. Mia recently graduated from the Yale School of Music as a Irving Gilmore fellow, where she studied with harpist and pedagogue June Han. Previously she has received degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University, graduating both institutes with distinguished honors. A passionate educator, Mia holds a private studio in which she hopes to inspire and foster the next generation of harpists.
Flutist Aimee Toner performs and teaches throughout the Northeast, including performing in orchestral settings with the Enigma Chamber Opera Orchestra, the Norwalk Symphony, the Du Bois Symphony, the New Amsterdam Opera, and the Glens Falls Symphony, and collaborating in chamber groups that have ranged from jazz trios in Italian restaurants to wind quintets on stage at Carnegie Hall. Aimee holds a Master’s of Music from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with piccolo player of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Cynthia Meyers, and a dual BA from Barnard College where she majored in Ethnomusicology and Economics. As an educator, Toner hosts a private studio and serves as faculty for the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestra and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Aimee is honored to represent Wm S. Haynes Co. as a Haynes Young Artist ,and plays on a custom silver Haynes Flute.
Duo Brève serves to share lasting programs of diverse works in genre and authorship with audiences around the country. The flute and harp duo met while performing at a summer festival in Maine in 2021, and have since performed recitals along the Eastern Seaboard.
Currently, Aimee and Mia are based out of Philadelphia and New Haven, and the two enjoy performing for local audiences as well as setting out on the road for new adventures and communities to perform for.
Philadelphia-based harpist Mia Venezia performs and teaches throughout the country, including performance settings such as the Nashville Opera, New World Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra where she holds the principal chair. A frequent collaborator in chamber music, Mia was featured as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh and a two time winner of the Pittsburgh Chamber Society Chamber Division. She currently tours with flutist Aimee Toner as a Lyric Music Society Artist. Mia recently graduated from the Yale School of Music as a Irving Gilmore fellow, where she studied with harpist and pedagogue June Han. Previously she has received degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University, graduating both institutes with distinguished honors. A passionate educator, Mia holds a private studio in which she hopes to inspire and foster the next generation of harpists.
Flutist Aimee Toner performs and teaches throughout the Northeast, including performing in orchestral settings with the Enigma Chamber Opera Orchestra, the Norwalk Symphony, the Du Bois Symphony, the New Amsterdam Opera, and the Glens Falls Symphony, and collaborating in chamber groups that have ranged from jazz trios in Italian restaurants to wind quintets on stage at Carnegie Hall. Aimee holds a Master’s of Music from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with piccolo player of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Cynthia Meyers, and a dual BA from Barnard College where she majored in Ethnomusicology and Economics. As an educator, Toner hosts a private studio and serves as faculty for the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestra and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Aimee is honored to represent Wm S. Haynes Co. as a Haynes Young Artist ,and plays on a custom silver Haynes Flute.
Anna Bogolubova
(Concert Pianist)
Anna Bogolubova is one of Ukraine's leading pianists and composers. In addition to her many television and radio performances, she was featured on a National TV Ukraine documentary – “Anna Bogolubova – Composer and Pianist.” She has performed solo recitals in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Germany, Andorra, Italy, Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine. First prize competition wins include: XX Incontro Internazionale Giovani Pianisti Citta Di Senegalis, Italy; Concurso Internacional de Piano, Andorra; The Music and Art Foundation Young Musicians Piano Competition, NY; New York Chopin Competition; BC Pops Competition; Richard Youth Concerto Competition in Binghamton, NY, and most recently Concurso Internacional de Piano Parnassos in Mexico.
After her highly successful solo debut at the age of 8 in the Odessa Philharmonic Hall, Anna was admitted to the Stolyarsky Music School where she was under the patronage of Anatoly Kardashef. At the age of 10 Anna was selected to perform Beethoven’s 2 nd Piano Concerto under the direction of Garry Oganezov, launching her in a performing career through her native country. She holds both Bachelor and Master’s Degrees from The Juilliard School for the Performing Arts and studied with Oxana Yablonskaya.
In August 2007, Naxos released a CD of her performing two concertos by H. K. Hedley with Russia Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Dmitry Yablonsky. She has over twenty years of pedagogic experience teaching privately and in schools such as The Lycee Francais de New York and the Hovnanian School. She has been invited to give Master Classes in several countries and has been a judge of international piano competitions. In 2010, she co-founded BOMAA (Beauty of Music and Art) in NYC.
Website: www.annapiano.com
Anna Bogolubova is one of Ukraine's leading pianists and composers. In addition to her many television and radio performances, she was featured on a National TV Ukraine documentary – “Anna Bogolubova – Composer and Pianist.” She has performed solo recitals in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Germany, Andorra, Italy, Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine. First prize competition wins include: XX Incontro Internazionale Giovani Pianisti Citta Di Senegalis, Italy; Concurso Internacional de Piano, Andorra; The Music and Art Foundation Young Musicians Piano Competition, NY; New York Chopin Competition; BC Pops Competition; Richard Youth Concerto Competition in Binghamton, NY, and most recently Concurso Internacional de Piano Parnassos in Mexico.
After her highly successful solo debut at the age of 8 in the Odessa Philharmonic Hall, Anna was admitted to the Stolyarsky Music School where she was under the patronage of Anatoly Kardashef. At the age of 10 Anna was selected to perform Beethoven’s 2 nd Piano Concerto under the direction of Garry Oganezov, launching her in a performing career through her native country. She holds both Bachelor and Master’s Degrees from The Juilliard School for the Performing Arts and studied with Oxana Yablonskaya.
In August 2007, Naxos released a CD of her performing two concertos by H. K. Hedley with Russia Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Dmitry Yablonsky. She has over twenty years of pedagogic experience teaching privately and in schools such as The Lycee Francais de New York and the Hovnanian School. She has been invited to give Master Classes in several countries and has been a judge of international piano competitions. In 2010, she co-founded BOMAA (Beauty of Music and Art) in NYC.
Website: www.annapiano.com
Trio Lucente
(Piano, Violin & Cello)
Trio Lucente shares gems of the piano-violin-cello trio repertoire with listeners near and far, offering delightful programming coupled with superb artistry. A special spark inhabits their collaborative synergy: a shared interpretive vision, and an excellent sense of humor, inspiring the best and more in this delightful trio.
Based in New York City, pianist Olga Gurevich, violinist Claudia Schaer, and cellist Jisoo Ok each bring remarkable individual accomplishments to the trio. They have played in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and Symphony Space in NYC, and in concert halls around the world, from Azerbaijan to Brazil to Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taiwan, and counting. Each has earned prestigious degrees, from the Juilliard School, from the Maimonides State Academy, from Stony Brook University, and all three are currently training a next generation of aspiring musicians at various schools and festivals. Their experience, creativity, and studies reflect in Trio Lucente's interpretive finesse, wit, and unified citizen-of-the-world attitude.
A few more interesting details:
Ms. Ok is a Latin GRAMMY nominee, having co–produced and released two critically acclaimed albums, Eternal Piazzolla and Eternal Tango,which were also featured on BBC News and Public Radio International’s The World. She is deeply committed to exploring connections with musicians of many backgrounds, having collaborated with distinguished artists such as latin jazz clarinetist/composer Paquito D'Rivera, tango pianist/composer Pablo Ziegler, bandoneonist Hector Del Curto, jazz violinist Regina Carter and bassist Ron Carter. She brings her extensive experience to Trio Lucente, which performs Paquito D'Rivera's Afro, among other gems, thanks to her suggestion.
Dr. Gurevich is a winner of international competitions, including in solo and piano-four-hands divisions in Salerno and Ragusa, Italy. Her solo piano recordings of Chopin as a part of Musopen project are featured at https://musopen.org/music/performer/olga-gurevich. Recently, she has appeared as soloist with the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra, the Richmond County Orchestra and others. She also collaborates with many singers, including Met Opera bass singer Mikhail Svetlov, and sopranos Cheryl Warfield and Anna Tonna.
Dr. Schaer recorded the six Bach Sonatas and Partias for solo violin to critical acclaim: "elegant, light touch and lucid timber ... a wonderful performance" (Japan Bach Review) and “unique small softness at the beginning of the bowstroke" (American Record Guide). She has given many all-solo-violin concerts, as well as performing as soloist with numerous orchestras and new music groups. She is an avid chamber musician, and has performed in England's prestigious Prussia Cove festival, in the Danish "Thy" Festival, and with Berlin Philharmonic members in Italy's "Barga Festival", in addition to her commitment to Trio Lucente.
More at: www.claudiaschaer.com/triolucente
Trio Lucente shares gems of the piano-violin-cello trio repertoire with listeners near and far, offering delightful programming coupled with superb artistry. A special spark inhabits their collaborative synergy: a shared interpretive vision, and an excellent sense of humor, inspiring the best and more in this delightful trio.
Based in New York City, pianist Olga Gurevich, violinist Claudia Schaer, and cellist Jisoo Ok each bring remarkable individual accomplishments to the trio. They have played in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and Symphony Space in NYC, and in concert halls around the world, from Azerbaijan to Brazil to Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taiwan, and counting. Each has earned prestigious degrees, from the Juilliard School, from the Maimonides State Academy, from Stony Brook University, and all three are currently training a next generation of aspiring musicians at various schools and festivals. Their experience, creativity, and studies reflect in Trio Lucente's interpretive finesse, wit, and unified citizen-of-the-world attitude.
A few more interesting details:
Ms. Ok is a Latin GRAMMY nominee, having co–produced and released two critically acclaimed albums, Eternal Piazzolla and Eternal Tango,which were also featured on BBC News and Public Radio International’s The World. She is deeply committed to exploring connections with musicians of many backgrounds, having collaborated with distinguished artists such as latin jazz clarinetist/composer Paquito D'Rivera, tango pianist/composer Pablo Ziegler, bandoneonist Hector Del Curto, jazz violinist Regina Carter and bassist Ron Carter. She brings her extensive experience to Trio Lucente, which performs Paquito D'Rivera's Afro, among other gems, thanks to her suggestion.
Dr. Gurevich is a winner of international competitions, including in solo and piano-four-hands divisions in Salerno and Ragusa, Italy. Her solo piano recordings of Chopin as a part of Musopen project are featured at https://musopen.org/music/performer/olga-gurevich. Recently, she has appeared as soloist with the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra, the Richmond County Orchestra and others. She also collaborates with many singers, including Met Opera bass singer Mikhail Svetlov, and sopranos Cheryl Warfield and Anna Tonna.
Dr. Schaer recorded the six Bach Sonatas and Partias for solo violin to critical acclaim: "elegant, light touch and lucid timber ... a wonderful performance" (Japan Bach Review) and “unique small softness at the beginning of the bowstroke" (American Record Guide). She has given many all-solo-violin concerts, as well as performing as soloist with numerous orchestras and new music groups. She is an avid chamber musician, and has performed in England's prestigious Prussia Cove festival, in the Danish "Thy" Festival, and with Berlin Philharmonic members in Italy's "Barga Festival", in addition to her commitment to Trio Lucente.
More at: www.claudiaschaer.com/triolucente
Dana & Kyle
(Fiddle & Guitar)
Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna present stories of environmental fragility through Irish music and evocative imagery.
Hailed as “ground-breaking” by noted folklorist and NEA Award-recipient Mick Moloney and “bursting with creativity” by renowned fiddler Kevin Burke, Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna connect the dots between their experience as composers and improvisers in New York City’s rich musical community and their deep admiration for traditional Irish music. The duo has collaborated with some of the greatest living interpreters of Irish music, including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Cillian Vallely, Kevin Burke, and Mick McAuley, and has received commissions from Palaver Strings and New York’s Irish Arts Center.
Since 2015, Lyn and Sanna’s work has been engaged in environmental themes. Their projects “The Great Arc” and “The Coral Suite” celebrate biodiversity through Lyn’s artwork, while also highlighting pressing environmental issues, and their work for string orchestra, “Under the Sea-Wind”, amplifies Rachel Carson’s message that the health of the planet rests on the balance of relationships between life and the cycles of nature.
Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna present stories of environmental fragility through Irish music and evocative imagery.
Hailed as “ground-breaking” by noted folklorist and NEA Award-recipient Mick Moloney and “bursting with creativity” by renowned fiddler Kevin Burke, Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna connect the dots between their experience as composers and improvisers in New York City’s rich musical community and their deep admiration for traditional Irish music. The duo has collaborated with some of the greatest living interpreters of Irish music, including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Cillian Vallely, Kevin Burke, and Mick McAuley, and has received commissions from Palaver Strings and New York’s Irish Arts Center.
Since 2015, Lyn and Sanna’s work has been engaged in environmental themes. Their projects “The Great Arc” and “The Coral Suite” celebrate biodiversity through Lyn’s artwork, while also highlighting pressing environmental issues, and their work for string orchestra, “Under the Sea-Wind”, amplifies Rachel Carson’s message that the health of the planet rests on the balance of relationships between life and the cycles of nature.
Davin-Levin Duo
(Harp & Guitar)
A “clearly felicitous combination of two plucked string instruments,” (Cleveland Classical), the Davin-Levin Duo is comprised of Emily Levin, Principal Harp of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Colin Davin, Associate Professor of Guitar at Shenandoah University. Since their first performance together in 2015 at The Juilliard School, the Davin-Levin Duo has revolutionized the genre, expanding the repertoire through commissions and arrangements and establishing their instrument combination as a dynamic chamber music experience.
The Davin-Levin Duo has appeared around the country, performing concert experiences ranging from (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City to intimate wine cellars in Boulder, CO. They have been featured at the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, Lyric Chamber Music Society, University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, and others. In February 2019, Colin and Emily recorded the Duo’s first album in a live concert, featuring their arrangements of de Falla, Ravel, and Philip Glass, alongside two commissions by Dylan Mattingly and Will Stackpole. Banter was released to critical acclaim in April 2020.
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Praised for her “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and for “playing exquisitely” (Dallas Morning News), Emily Levin is the Principal Harpist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition.
Emily has performed as Guest Principal Harp with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony, and regularly appears with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed throughout North America and Europe, including appearances with the Ojai Music Festival, the Dallas Symphony, and the Jerusalem, Colorado and West Virginia Symphony Orchestras, among others. She is a laureate of Astral Artists. For her debut album, Something Borrowed, the Classical Recording Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist of the Year.
In 2022 Emily launched GroundWork(s), a project commissioning American composers from each state for harp-centric works. Each piece premieres in the composer’s hometown, celebrating the communities that first supported them. Current projects include a solo harp piece by Michael Ippolito, and chamber works by Reena Esmail, Aaron Holloway Nahum, Angélica Negrón, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate. In Dallas, Emily is Artistic Director of Fine Arts Chamber Players, and harp faculty at Southern Methodist University. In summer 2022 she was harp faculty at the Aspen Music Festival.
Emily received her Master of Music degree in 2015 at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Nancy Allen and she completed undergraduate degrees in Music and History at Indiana University with Susann McDonald. Her honors history thesis discussed the impact of war songs on the French Revolution.
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Hailed as “the real thing, a player with a virtuoso’s technique, a deeply expressive musicianship, and a probing imagination” (American Record Guide) who “has the distinct ability to wring the depths of expressiveness from all that he plays” (Classical Guitar Magazine), and for his “precision, musical intelligence and passion” (Cleveland Classical), guitarist Colin Davin has emerged as one of today’s most dynamic artists.
Recent highlights include concertos with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Aiken Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra; collaborations with Sharon Isbin at the 92nd Street Y, Chautauqua Institution, and Baltimore Classical Guitar Society; and performances with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Edward Arron. In 2015, Colin appeared as a featured musical guest on the final season of The Late Show with David Letterman alongside the late Jessye Norman. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (on historic instruments from the museum's collection), the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Paris Conservatoire, the Fridge Fringe in Dubai, and venues throughout the United States and Canada. His collaborators include GRAMMY Award winning soprano Estelí Gomez and Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal harpist Emily Levin. He has been a regular guest artist at the Aspen Music Festival, and has four times been a guest teacher at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Colin Davin is co-head of the guitar department at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In demand for his insights in masterclasses and lectures, he has been invited to teach in a guest capacity at institutions including The Juilliard School, Peabody Institute, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. He holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Sharon Isbin; a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California with William Kanengiser; and underwent preparatory studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Jason Vieaux.
A “clearly felicitous combination of two plucked string instruments,” (Cleveland Classical), the Davin-Levin Duo is comprised of Emily Levin, Principal Harp of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Colin Davin, Associate Professor of Guitar at Shenandoah University. Since their first performance together in 2015 at The Juilliard School, the Davin-Levin Duo has revolutionized the genre, expanding the repertoire through commissions and arrangements and establishing their instrument combination as a dynamic chamber music experience.
The Davin-Levin Duo has appeared around the country, performing concert experiences ranging from (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City to intimate wine cellars in Boulder, CO. They have been featured at the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, Lyric Chamber Music Society, University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, and others. In February 2019, Colin and Emily recorded the Duo’s first album in a live concert, featuring their arrangements of de Falla, Ravel, and Philip Glass, alongside two commissions by Dylan Mattingly and Will Stackpole. Banter was released to critical acclaim in April 2020.
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Praised for her “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and for “playing exquisitely” (Dallas Morning News), Emily Levin is the Principal Harpist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition.
Emily has performed as Guest Principal Harp with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony, and regularly appears with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed throughout North America and Europe, including appearances with the Ojai Music Festival, the Dallas Symphony, and the Jerusalem, Colorado and West Virginia Symphony Orchestras, among others. She is a laureate of Astral Artists. For her debut album, Something Borrowed, the Classical Recording Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist of the Year.
In 2022 Emily launched GroundWork(s), a project commissioning American composers from each state for harp-centric works. Each piece premieres in the composer’s hometown, celebrating the communities that first supported them. Current projects include a solo harp piece by Michael Ippolito, and chamber works by Reena Esmail, Aaron Holloway Nahum, Angélica Negrón, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate. In Dallas, Emily is Artistic Director of Fine Arts Chamber Players, and harp faculty at Southern Methodist University. In summer 2022 she was harp faculty at the Aspen Music Festival.
Emily received her Master of Music degree in 2015 at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Nancy Allen and she completed undergraduate degrees in Music and History at Indiana University with Susann McDonald. Her honors history thesis discussed the impact of war songs on the French Revolution.
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Hailed as “the real thing, a player with a virtuoso’s technique, a deeply expressive musicianship, and a probing imagination” (American Record Guide) who “has the distinct ability to wring the depths of expressiveness from all that he plays” (Classical Guitar Magazine), and for his “precision, musical intelligence and passion” (Cleveland Classical), guitarist Colin Davin has emerged as one of today’s most dynamic artists.
Recent highlights include concertos with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Aiken Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra; collaborations with Sharon Isbin at the 92nd Street Y, Chautauqua Institution, and Baltimore Classical Guitar Society; and performances with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Edward Arron. In 2015, Colin appeared as a featured musical guest on the final season of The Late Show with David Letterman alongside the late Jessye Norman. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (on historic instruments from the museum's collection), the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Paris Conservatoire, the Fridge Fringe in Dubai, and venues throughout the United States and Canada. His collaborators include GRAMMY Award winning soprano Estelí Gomez and Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal harpist Emily Levin. He has been a regular guest artist at the Aspen Music Festival, and has four times been a guest teacher at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Colin Davin is co-head of the guitar department at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In demand for his insights in masterclasses and lectures, he has been invited to teach in a guest capacity at institutions including The Juilliard School, Peabody Institute, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. He holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Sharon Isbin; a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California with William Kanengiser; and underwent preparatory studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Jason Vieaux.
Konrad Paszkudzki
(Jazz Pianist)
Although raised in Western Australia by Polish parents, Konrad’s musical affinity and passion for swingin' American jazz revealed itself early on. He was accepted into university at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth at the tender age of 15, studying jazz piano and finishing his undergraduate degree a few weeks after turning 19. The precocious instrumentalist swiftly established a reputation as a leading jazzman in Australia, touring for the next two years and playing with his mentor, jazz trumpeter James Morrison.
After being offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, he relocated to the United States in 2009, receiving his master’s degree in 2011 at the age of 22. Upon graduation, he spent a year in Los Angeles playing piano with the likes of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Jeff Hamilton Trio. Konrad returned to the East Coast in 2012 after being offered a position to lead the house trio at the coveted New York venue, 54 Below.
Although raised in Western Australia by Polish parents, Konrad’s musical affinity and passion for swingin' American jazz revealed itself early on. He was accepted into university at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth at the tender age of 15, studying jazz piano and finishing his undergraduate degree a few weeks after turning 19. The precocious instrumentalist swiftly established a reputation as a leading jazzman in Australia, touring for the next two years and playing with his mentor, jazz trumpeter James Morrison.
After being offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, he relocated to the United States in 2009, receiving his master’s degree in 2011 at the age of 22. Upon graduation, he spent a year in Los Angeles playing piano with the likes of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Jeff Hamilton Trio. Konrad returned to the East Coast in 2012 after being offered a position to lead the house trio at the coveted New York venue, 54 Below.
Bare Opera
(Opera Singers)
Bare Opera reimagines opera for today’s audience by producing immersive and online performances that challenge old stereotypes, cultivate the next generation of opera singers, and inspire love for the art form. Bare Opera is an alternative opera company reinventing the opera experience.
Founded in 2014 by three women—Min Lew, Laetitia Ruccolo, and Kirsten Scott—the company has only evolved its mission and broadened its artistic base. With minimalist, modern aesthetics, Bare Opera’s exceptional emerging and established artists bring you the bare essentials of opera—a candid, innovative and immersive theatrical experience with breathtakingly beautiful music at its core. Taking place in unconventional spaces like galleries and warehouses, we strive to strip opera of its clichés and create a visceral and intimate experience for audiences, experienced and new alike. Bare Opera is keeping opera alive in the 21st century, one fresh production at a time.
Bare Opera reimagines opera for today’s audience by producing immersive and online performances that challenge old stereotypes, cultivate the next generation of opera singers, and inspire love for the art form. Bare Opera is an alternative opera company reinventing the opera experience.
Founded in 2014 by three women—Min Lew, Laetitia Ruccolo, and Kirsten Scott—the company has only evolved its mission and broadened its artistic base. With minimalist, modern aesthetics, Bare Opera’s exceptional emerging and established artists bring you the bare essentials of opera—a candid, innovative and immersive theatrical experience with breathtakingly beautiful music at its core. Taking place in unconventional spaces like galleries and warehouses, we strive to strip opera of its clichés and create a visceral and intimate experience for audiences, experienced and new alike. Bare Opera is keeping opera alive in the 21st century, one fresh production at a time.
Kinan Azmeh's CityBand
(Middle Eastern Quartet)
Formed in 2006 in New York City, the Kinan Azmeh CityBand immediately gained recognition for their virtuosic and high energy performance, receiving praise from critics and audiences alike.
With this New York ensemble, Azmeh strives to reach a balance between classical music, jazz, and the music of his homeland, Syria. Azmeh’s expressive clarinet meets Kyle Sanna’s rustic guitar, soaring at times over the dynamic and volatile backdrop of John Hadfield’s percussion and Josh Myers’ double bass. Each band member has come from varied backgrounds to add their personal flair to this ensemble, resulting in a thoroughly exciting and rewarding listening experience.
The quartet has toured the US, France, England, Germany, Holland, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Formed in 2006 in New York City, the Kinan Azmeh CityBand immediately gained recognition for their virtuosic and high energy performance, receiving praise from critics and audiences alike.
With this New York ensemble, Azmeh strives to reach a balance between classical music, jazz, and the music of his homeland, Syria. Azmeh’s expressive clarinet meets Kyle Sanna’s rustic guitar, soaring at times over the dynamic and volatile backdrop of John Hadfield’s percussion and Josh Myers’ double bass. Each band member has come from varied backgrounds to add their personal flair to this ensemble, resulting in a thoroughly exciting and rewarding listening experience.
The quartet has toured the US, France, England, Germany, Holland, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Yoonie Han
(Concert Pianist)
Praised for her "flowing tones, poetic phrasing and heavenly singing melodies" (Cincinnati Inquirer), and “musical imagination and feel for complex textures that drew vivid images” (Washington Post), South Korean pianist Yoonie Han has won top prizes in distinguished international competitions and the highest accolades for her poetic performances in major concert halls in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2009, Yoonie Han was honored with the Gawon Music Award as the “most brilliant pianist aged 17 to 31 of any nationality who possesses the most promising potential for global prominence.” She is the first-prize winner of the Washington International Piano Competition, Fulbright Concerto Competition, World Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Frederich Nordmann Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Chopin Piano Competition, Music Teachers’ National Association Piano Competition, and has garnered major prizes at the Helsinki Maj Lind International Piano Competition, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize, Concorso Pianistico Ettore Pozzoli Internaziole, and Valencia International Piano Competitions.
Following her 2001 grand-prize award in the Korea National Music Competition, the Korean Ministry of Culture named her its “Most Promising Young Artist.” She is the recipient of “Brava!” award given by the Italian Academy Foundation, and London Keyboard Trust. Having made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center at age 13, Ms. Han has since performed with the Berliner Symphoniker, Buffalo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Banff Festival Orchestra, Santa Cruz Symphony, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milan, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra of Korea, Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey, Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra, and Juilliard Symphony Orchestra. With the supports from Fulbright Foundation, she has toured major Steinway Halls in the U.S. and Europe. Her debut album was released on Concert Artists label, and She has released three albums with Steinway Records; “Love and Longing”, “Goyescas”, and “Le Rossignol Éperdu”. Her “Hollywood Romance” on Universal Records label was released in 2020.
Ms. Han received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, and her Doctorate from Stony Brook University. She is an Assistant Professor of Piano at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Yoonie Han is a Steinway Artist.
Praised for her "flowing tones, poetic phrasing and heavenly singing melodies" (Cincinnati Inquirer), and “musical imagination and feel for complex textures that drew vivid images” (Washington Post), South Korean pianist Yoonie Han has won top prizes in distinguished international competitions and the highest accolades for her poetic performances in major concert halls in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2009, Yoonie Han was honored with the Gawon Music Award as the “most brilliant pianist aged 17 to 31 of any nationality who possesses the most promising potential for global prominence.” She is the first-prize winner of the Washington International Piano Competition, Fulbright Concerto Competition, World Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Frederich Nordmann Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Chopin Piano Competition, Music Teachers’ National Association Piano Competition, and has garnered major prizes at the Helsinki Maj Lind International Piano Competition, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize, Concorso Pianistico Ettore Pozzoli Internaziole, and Valencia International Piano Competitions.
Following her 2001 grand-prize award in the Korea National Music Competition, the Korean Ministry of Culture named her its “Most Promising Young Artist.” She is the recipient of “Brava!” award given by the Italian Academy Foundation, and London Keyboard Trust. Having made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center at age 13, Ms. Han has since performed with the Berliner Symphoniker, Buffalo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Banff Festival Orchestra, Santa Cruz Symphony, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milan, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra of Korea, Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey, Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra, and Juilliard Symphony Orchestra. With the supports from Fulbright Foundation, she has toured major Steinway Halls in the U.S. and Europe. Her debut album was released on Concert Artists label, and She has released three albums with Steinway Records; “Love and Longing”, “Goyescas”, and “Le Rossignol Éperdu”. Her “Hollywood Romance” on Universal Records label was released in 2020.
Ms. Han received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, and her Doctorate from Stony Brook University. She is an Assistant Professor of Piano at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Yoonie Han is a Steinway Artist.
Akshara
(Indian Classical Inspired)
Building new forms on the foundations of Indian classical music, Carnatic musician, composer, and educator Bala Skandan formed Akshara Music Ensemble in 2008, assembling New York’s strongest voices in Indian classical music to explore the crossroads of the traditional and the contemporary. Skandan’s original music expresses classical Carnatic (South Indian) ragas and talas through the forms of world music, jazz improvisation, and modern composition, creating a music as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself.
With an instrumentation ranging from hammered dulcimer, violins, and cello to mridangam, kanjira, and bansuri, Akshara’s music utilizes a broad sonic palette that highlights its members’ backgrounds in Carnatic, Hindustani, Western Classical, and Folk music. Through agile melody, propulsive percussion, and energetic ensemble interplay, they craft a hybrid music of uncommon beauty and rigor.
Akshara has presented work sponsored by some of New York’s leading arts institutions and music venues, including The Rubin Museum of Art, Lyric Chamber Music Society, Cornelia St. Café and Rockwood Music Hall. In addition to their musical performances, Akshara is active in composing and performing new music to accompany classical dance productions, teaching workshops and masterclasses to music students, and bringing the richness of Indian classical traditions to audiences of initiates and neophytes alike.
Website: www.aksharamusic.com
Building new forms on the foundations of Indian classical music, Carnatic musician, composer, and educator Bala Skandan formed Akshara Music Ensemble in 2008, assembling New York’s strongest voices in Indian classical music to explore the crossroads of the traditional and the contemporary. Skandan’s original music expresses classical Carnatic (South Indian) ragas and talas through the forms of world music, jazz improvisation, and modern composition, creating a music as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself.
With an instrumentation ranging from hammered dulcimer, violins, and cello to mridangam, kanjira, and bansuri, Akshara’s music utilizes a broad sonic palette that highlights its members’ backgrounds in Carnatic, Hindustani, Western Classical, and Folk music. Through agile melody, propulsive percussion, and energetic ensemble interplay, they craft a hybrid music of uncommon beauty and rigor.
Akshara has presented work sponsored by some of New York’s leading arts institutions and music venues, including The Rubin Museum of Art, Lyric Chamber Music Society, Cornelia St. Café and Rockwood Music Hall. In addition to their musical performances, Akshara is active in composing and performing new music to accompany classical dance productions, teaching workshops and masterclasses to music students, and bringing the richness of Indian classical traditions to audiences of initiates and neophytes alike.
Website: www.aksharamusic.com
Matt Herskowitz
(Jazzical & Classical Pianist)
Uniquely combining the superlative technique of a classical virtuoso with his prowess in jazz, world music and free improvisation, pianist, composer and arranger Matt Herskowitz has carved out a unique and personal voice in music.
A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, Matt is originally from Rensselaerville, New York, and has made Montreal his home since 1999. A classical pianist for over 20 years, Matt’s interest in jazz began while studying at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he ‘apprenticed’ with seasoned jazz musicians performing in bars and jazz clubs.
At age 30, Matt moved to Montreal and decided to focus on jazz, with a detour into pop music along the way with the celebrated pop diva Lara Fabian. His focus soon shifted to his own compositions, combining his experience in Jazz, Pop, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Latin American music with his skills in contemporary classical composition and performance. This new synthesis culminated in the creation of his Juno-nominated album Jerusalem Trilogy (Justin Time Records, 2010). Among the albums fans was the late great Dave Brubeck, who commended Matt on the recording, saying: Congratulations! You have transformed the concept of ‘World’ music as I conceived of it half a century ago. You have carried it further than I could imagine.”
Uniquely combining the superlative technique of a classical virtuoso with his prowess in jazz, world music and free improvisation, pianist, composer and arranger Matt Herskowitz has carved out a unique and personal voice in music.
A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, Matt is originally from Rensselaerville, New York, and has made Montreal his home since 1999. A classical pianist for over 20 years, Matt’s interest in jazz began while studying at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he ‘apprenticed’ with seasoned jazz musicians performing in bars and jazz clubs.
At age 30, Matt moved to Montreal and decided to focus on jazz, with a detour into pop music along the way with the celebrated pop diva Lara Fabian. His focus soon shifted to his own compositions, combining his experience in Jazz, Pop, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Latin American music with his skills in contemporary classical composition and performance. This new synthesis culminated in the creation of his Juno-nominated album Jerusalem Trilogy (Justin Time Records, 2010). Among the albums fans was the late great Dave Brubeck, who commended Matt on the recording, saying: Congratulations! You have transformed the concept of ‘World’ music as I conceived of it half a century ago. You have carried it further than I could imagine.”
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