Lyric engages musicians for recitals, master-classes, residencies, music workshops and community-based performances at many venues across the country.
We partner with 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:
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.
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.
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, Guitar Department Co-Head at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Since their first performance together in 2015, 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 United States, 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, the Fine Arts Chamber Players, University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, and others. In April 2020, Colin and Emily released their debut album, Banter, featuring their arrangements of de Falla, Ravel, and Philip Glass, alongside two commissions by Dylan Mattingly and Will Stackpole. Banter was selected for Classical Guitar Magazine’s “10 Favorite Albums of 2020” and has been featured on radio programs in the U.S. and Australia.
Upcoming performances include the World Harp Congress in Cardiff, Wales, a return to the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, and the Lyric Chamber Music Society in New York.
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, Guitar Department Co-Head at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Since their first performance together in 2015, 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 United States, 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, the Fine Arts Chamber Players, University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, and others. In April 2020, Colin and Emily released their debut album, Banter, featuring their arrangements of de Falla, Ravel, and Philip Glass, alongside two commissions by Dylan Mattingly and Will Stackpole. Banter was selected for Classical Guitar Magazine’s “10 Favorite Albums of 2020” and has been featured on radio programs in the U.S. and Australia.
Upcoming performances include the World Harp Congress in Cardiff, Wales, a return to the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, and the Lyric Chamber Music Society in New York.
Seraph Brass
(Brass Quintet)
Winners of the 2019 American Prize in Chamber Music, Seraph Brass is a dynamic ensemble drawing from a roster of America’s top female brass players.
Website: www.seraphbrass.com
Winners of the 2019 American Prize in Chamber Music, Seraph Brass is a dynamic ensemble drawing from a roster of America’s top female brass players.
Website: www.seraphbrass.com
ARKAI
(Violin & Cello)
ARKAI is an award-winning string duo that redefines the boundaries of musical genre — fusing classical virtuosity with the electricity of a rock band, the spontaneity of a jazz combo, and the beauty of a string quartet. Graduates of The Juilliard School, their past engagements have included performances at The MET, Rockwood Music Hall, Lincoln Center, Chateau Marmont, Carnegie Hall and TED. ARKAI is currently creating its debut album, Aurora, in collaboration with seven-time Grammy-nominated producer Joel Hamilton.
ARKAI is an award-winning string duo that redefines the boundaries of musical genre — fusing classical virtuosity with the electricity of a rock band, the spontaneity of a jazz combo, and the beauty of a string quartet. Graduates of The Juilliard School, their past engagements have included performances at The MET, Rockwood Music Hall, Lincoln Center, Chateau Marmont, Carnegie Hall and TED. ARKAI is currently creating its debut album, Aurora, in collaboration with seven-time Grammy-nominated producer Joel Hamilton.
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.
Gloriosa Piano Trio
(Piano, Violin & Cello)
“Driven by lush violin-and-cello unison melodies” and a timbre that is “fuller than the brain imagines three musicians can sound” (Jon Sobel, BlogCritics), the Gloriosa Piano Trio burst onto the music scene in January 2014 as brightly as the flame lily for which the group is named. The trio’s carefully-crafted thematic programs delivered in exuberant performance have appealed to diverse audiences around the country, with critics hailing the Gloriosa Piano Trio’s debut concerts in Palm Beach and New York City as “...a special, aesthetic experience not to be ignored” (Allen Rosenberg, the Daily News).
All experienced chamber musicians with a passion for collaboration, pianist Yoonie Han, a Steinway Artist, violinist Eric Silberger, a prize-winner of Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition, and cellist Kevin Bate, the Principal Cellist at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, looked to the beauty of nature to inspire them with a name for their group, finding in the Gloriosa lily flower a fitting symbol to describe their fervent desire to share the music they love. The trio has performed at the Flagler Museum, the Morgan Library, the Parrish Arts Museum, Harvard Club of New York City, Island Concert Series in St. Simons, the Friends of Music in Stamford, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra Music Series, New Jersey City University, Emory University, and University of North Florida. The trio’s Saint-Saens’ album was released on the Centaur Records in 2019, the album was praised as “Gloriosa Trio carries off this large undertaking with impressive virtuosity and mature emotional depth” (Paul Burwasser, Fanfare Magazine).
Gloriosa Piano Trio enthusiastically work with living composers, and has commissioned new pieces from composer Theodore Wiprud and Karen LeFrak.
“Driven by lush violin-and-cello unison melodies” and a timbre that is “fuller than the brain imagines three musicians can sound” (Jon Sobel, BlogCritics), the Gloriosa Piano Trio burst onto the music scene in January 2014 as brightly as the flame lily for which the group is named. The trio’s carefully-crafted thematic programs delivered in exuberant performance have appealed to diverse audiences around the country, with critics hailing the Gloriosa Piano Trio’s debut concerts in Palm Beach and New York City as “...a special, aesthetic experience not to be ignored” (Allen Rosenberg, the Daily News).
All experienced chamber musicians with a passion for collaboration, pianist Yoonie Han, a Steinway Artist, violinist Eric Silberger, a prize-winner of Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition, and cellist Kevin Bate, the Principal Cellist at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, looked to the beauty of nature to inspire them with a name for their group, finding in the Gloriosa lily flower a fitting symbol to describe their fervent desire to share the music they love. The trio has performed at the Flagler Museum, the Morgan Library, the Parrish Arts Museum, Harvard Club of New York City, Island Concert Series in St. Simons, the Friends of Music in Stamford, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra Music Series, New Jersey City University, Emory University, and University of North Florida. The trio’s Saint-Saens’ album was released on the Centaur Records in 2019, the album was praised as “Gloriosa Trio carries off this large undertaking with impressive virtuosity and mature emotional depth” (Paul Burwasser, Fanfare Magazine).
Gloriosa Piano Trio enthusiastically work with living composers, and has commissioned new pieces from composer Theodore Wiprud and Karen LeFrak.
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.
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.
Dash Duo
(Trumpet Duo + Piano/Organ)
Yamaha Artists Mary Elizabeth Bowden and David Dash perform as the Dash Duo in virtuoso concerts around the world. They have performed as soloists with the Richmond Philharmonic, Naples Concert Band, and Naples Symphony Orchestra. They have toured with the Kassia Ensemble, were the featured artists at the University of British Columbia’s Brassfest, and have given dozens of recitals including the Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, Saint Simons Island Concert Association, Müzewest Concerts, Arts at the Abbey, and many universities. They commissioned James Stephenson’s Awakenings for two trumpets and organ and are commissioning a piece from Tyson Davis for two trumpets and string quartet/string orchestra. David and Mary are members of Watson Brass, the faculty brass quintet of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Website: www.dashduo.com
Yamaha Artists Mary Elizabeth Bowden and David Dash perform as the Dash Duo in virtuoso concerts around the world. They have performed as soloists with the Richmond Philharmonic, Naples Concert Band, and Naples Symphony Orchestra. They have toured with the Kassia Ensemble, were the featured artists at the University of British Columbia’s Brassfest, and have given dozens of recitals including the Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, Saint Simons Island Concert Association, Müzewest Concerts, Arts at the Abbey, and many universities. They commissioned James Stephenson’s Awakenings for two trumpets and organ and are commissioning a piece from Tyson Davis for two trumpets and string quartet/string orchestra. David and Mary are members of Watson Brass, the faculty brass quintet of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Website: www.dashduo.com
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.
Hassan Anderson
(Oboist)
Named the Yale School of Music 2019 Distinguished Teaching Artist of the Year, American oboist Hassan Anderson is a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and teacher.
A popular collaborator, amongst his numerous guest appearances with distinguished ensembles, are performances with the New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ecce), and The Harlem Chamber Players.
Equally adept in the classical and jazz genres, and dedicated to the next generation of musicians, Mr. Anderson regularly schedules teaching opportunities around his performances. He has served as a teaching artist for Carnegie Hall (Weill Music Institute), The Little Orchestra Society in New York City and Jazz House Kids, the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz. Mr. Anderson has also served on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and the Harlem School of the Arts.
Currently, Mr. Anderson is the Co-Artistic Director of The East Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ecce) and was recently named (Spring 2021) Assistant Professor of Oboe and Coordinator of Teaching Artistry at the University of South Carolina.
Website: www.hassananderson.com
Named the Yale School of Music 2019 Distinguished Teaching Artist of the Year, American oboist Hassan Anderson is a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and teacher.
A popular collaborator, amongst his numerous guest appearances with distinguished ensembles, are performances with the New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ecce), and The Harlem Chamber Players.
Equally adept in the classical and jazz genres, and dedicated to the next generation of musicians, Mr. Anderson regularly schedules teaching opportunities around his performances. He has served as a teaching artist for Carnegie Hall (Weill Music Institute), The Little Orchestra Society in New York City and Jazz House Kids, the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz. Mr. Anderson has also served on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and the Harlem School of the Arts.
Currently, Mr. Anderson is the Co-Artistic Director of The East Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ecce) and was recently named (Spring 2021) Assistant Professor of Oboe and Coordinator of Teaching Artistry at the University of South Carolina.
Website: www.hassananderson.com
Chelsea Knox
(Flutist)
Chelsea Knox is the Principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. A sought-after performer, Ms. Knox has held positions as assistant principal flute of the Baltimore Symphony and principal Flute of the New Haven and Princeton Symphonies. She has been hailed by the New York Times for her warmth, precision, and clarity, as well as by the New York Classical Review for her “expressive life and full tone.”
An active orchestral and chamber musician, Ms. Knox has appeared with numerous orchestras including the Seattle Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and IRIS Orchestra. As a soloist, Ms. Knox has performed concertos with the Baltimore Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Manchester Symphony, Juilliard Lab Orchestra, and Connecticut Youth Symphony. She has won competitions including the New York Flute Club Young Artists Competition and the Hartford Symphony Young Artists Competition.
Ms. Knox earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City as a student of Jeffrey Khaner. A native of Litchfield, CT, she received her early training at the Hartt School of Music, where she studied with Greig Shearer. In her spare time she is an active visual artist and her work has been displayed in galleries in New York and Connecticut.
Chelsea Knox is the Principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. A sought-after performer, Ms. Knox has held positions as assistant principal flute of the Baltimore Symphony and principal Flute of the New Haven and Princeton Symphonies. She has been hailed by the New York Times for her warmth, precision, and clarity, as well as by the New York Classical Review for her “expressive life and full tone.”
An active orchestral and chamber musician, Ms. Knox has appeared with numerous orchestras including the Seattle Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and IRIS Orchestra. As a soloist, Ms. Knox has performed concertos with the Baltimore Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Manchester Symphony, Juilliard Lab Orchestra, and Connecticut Youth Symphony. She has won competitions including the New York Flute Club Young Artists Competition and the Hartford Symphony Young Artists Competition.
Ms. Knox earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City as a student of Jeffrey Khaner. A native of Litchfield, CT, she received her early training at the Hartt School of Music, where she studied with Greig Shearer. In her spare time she is an active visual artist and her work has been displayed in galleries in New York and Connecticut.
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.”
Sophie Shao
(Cellist)
Cellist Sophie Shao, winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and top prizes at the Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky competitions, is a versatile and passionate artist whose performances the New York Times has noted as “eloquent, powerful” and the Washington Post called “deeply satisfying.”
Shao has appeared as soloist to critical acclaim throughout the United States: the Smith Center in Las Vegas, Lied Center in Lincoln, Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa, California, the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana, and the Bard Music Festival. She has premiered Howard Shore’s cello concerto “Mythic Gardens” with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra, the UK premiere with Keith Lockhart and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and European premiere with Ludwig Wicki and the 21st Century Orchestra at the KKL in Lucerne. Other past concerto performances include Haydn and Elgar Concerti with Lockhart and the BBC Concert Orchestra, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Hans Graf and the Houston Symphony, and the premiere of Richard Wilson’s “The Cello Has Many Secrets” with the American Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Shao has given recitals in Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Middlebury College, Phillips Collection, Walter Reade Theater and Rose Studio in Lincoln Center, the complete Bach Suites at Union College and in New York City. Her dedication to chamber music has conceived her popular “Sophie Shao and Friends” groups which have toured from Brattleboro, VT to Sedona, AZ, while other exciting collaborations include Tan Dun’s Ghost Opera with Cho-Liang Lin, performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, and Festival Mosaic, among many other presenters across the country. She has been a frequent guest at many leading festivals around the country including Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest, Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, the Bard Festival, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and was a member of Chamber Music Society Two/Bowers Program, a young artist residency of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Ms. Shao’s recordings include the Complete Bach Suites, Andre Previn’s Reflections for Cello and English Horn and Orchestra on EMI Classics, Richard Wilson’s Diablerie and Brash Attacks and Barbara White’s My Barn Having Burned to the Ground, I Can Now See the Moon on Albany Records, Howard Shore’s original score for the movie The Betrayal on Howe Records, Marlboro Music Festival’s 50th Anniversary on Bridge Records, the music of George Tsontakis on Koch Records, and Howard Shore’s “Mythic Gardens” on Sony Classical.
A native of Houston, Texas, Ms. Shao began playing the cello at age six, and was a student of Shirley Trepel, the former principal cellist of the Houston Symphony. At age thirteen she enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, studying cello with David Soyer and chamber music with Felix Galimir. After graduating from the Curtis Institute, she continued her cello studies with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, receiving a B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale College and an M.M. from the Yale School of Music, where she was enrolled as a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. She is on the faculty of University of Connecticut and plays on a cello made by Honore Derazey from 1855 once owned by Pablo Casals.
Cellist Sophie Shao, winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and top prizes at the Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky competitions, is a versatile and passionate artist whose performances the New York Times has noted as “eloquent, powerful” and the Washington Post called “deeply satisfying.”
Shao has appeared as soloist to critical acclaim throughout the United States: the Smith Center in Las Vegas, Lied Center in Lincoln, Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa, California, the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana, and the Bard Music Festival. She has premiered Howard Shore’s cello concerto “Mythic Gardens” with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra, the UK premiere with Keith Lockhart and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and European premiere with Ludwig Wicki and the 21st Century Orchestra at the KKL in Lucerne. Other past concerto performances include Haydn and Elgar Concerti with Lockhart and the BBC Concert Orchestra, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Hans Graf and the Houston Symphony, and the premiere of Richard Wilson’s “The Cello Has Many Secrets” with the American Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Shao has given recitals in Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Middlebury College, Phillips Collection, Walter Reade Theater and Rose Studio in Lincoln Center, the complete Bach Suites at Union College and in New York City. Her dedication to chamber music has conceived her popular “Sophie Shao and Friends” groups which have toured from Brattleboro, VT to Sedona, AZ, while other exciting collaborations include Tan Dun’s Ghost Opera with Cho-Liang Lin, performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, and Festival Mosaic, among many other presenters across the country. She has been a frequent guest at many leading festivals around the country including Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest, Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, the Bard Festival, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and was a member of Chamber Music Society Two/Bowers Program, a young artist residency of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Ms. Shao’s recordings include the Complete Bach Suites, Andre Previn’s Reflections for Cello and English Horn and Orchestra on EMI Classics, Richard Wilson’s Diablerie and Brash Attacks and Barbara White’s My Barn Having Burned to the Ground, I Can Now See the Moon on Albany Records, Howard Shore’s original score for the movie The Betrayal on Howe Records, Marlboro Music Festival’s 50th Anniversary on Bridge Records, the music of George Tsontakis on Koch Records, and Howard Shore’s “Mythic Gardens” on Sony Classical.
A native of Houston, Texas, Ms. Shao began playing the cello at age six, and was a student of Shirley Trepel, the former principal cellist of the Houston Symphony. At age thirteen she enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, studying cello with David Soyer and chamber music with Felix Galimir. After graduating from the Curtis Institute, she continued her cello studies with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, receiving a B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale College and an M.M. from the Yale School of Music, where she was enrolled as a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. She is on the faculty of University of Connecticut and plays on a cello made by Honore Derazey from 1855 once owned by Pablo Casals.
Konstantin Soukhovetski
(Concert Pianist)
Konstantin Soukhovetski is a recipient of over 15 awards, including: Second Prize, 2011 Iowa International Piano Competition; Third Prize, 2011 Bosendorfer International Piano Competition; Second Prize and Audience Prize, 2010 Ima Hogg International Competition; First Prize and Audience Prize, 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition; William Petschek Debut Recital Award; Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans; Second Prize, 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa; Third Prize, 2003 Cleveland International Piano Competition; The Juilliard School’s Arthur Rubinstein Award; The Juilliard School’s 2003 Gina Bachauer Competition; First Prize, 2002 Hilton Head International Piano Competition; Second Prize, 2002 Walter W. Naumburg International Piano Competition.
Konstantin is an alumnus of The Juilliard School where he earned a BM, MM and AD degrees under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Born in Moscow to a family of artists, Mr Soukhovetski studied at the Moscow Central Special Music School, under the auspices of the Moscow State Conservatory, with Anatoly Ryabov.
Konstantin Soukhovetski is a recipient of over 15 awards, including: Second Prize, 2011 Iowa International Piano Competition; Third Prize, 2011 Bosendorfer International Piano Competition; Second Prize and Audience Prize, 2010 Ima Hogg International Competition; First Prize and Audience Prize, 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition; William Petschek Debut Recital Award; Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans; Second Prize, 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa; Third Prize, 2003 Cleveland International Piano Competition; The Juilliard School’s Arthur Rubinstein Award; The Juilliard School’s 2003 Gina Bachauer Competition; First Prize, 2002 Hilton Head International Piano Competition; Second Prize, 2002 Walter W. Naumburg International Piano Competition.
Konstantin is an alumnus of The Juilliard School where he earned a BM, MM and AD degrees under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Born in Moscow to a family of artists, Mr Soukhovetski studied at the Moscow Central Special Music School, under the auspices of the Moscow State Conservatory, with Anatoly Ryabov.
Katherine Siochi
(Concert Harpist)
Praised by the New York Times as “excellent,” Katherine Siochi is an internationally
acclaimed harp soloist and principal harp of the Kansas City Symphony. From 2017 to 2019, she served as principal harp of the Sarasota Orchestra.
Siochi won the gold medal at the 10th USA International Harp Competition in 2016, one of the world’s most prestigious harp contests, and she is only the second American to win the prize since 1989. She has received numerous awards in national harp competitions as well, including first prize in the American Harp Society’s Advanced and Young Professional divisions.
From 2015 to 2017, she was concert artist for the American Harp Society, presenting recitals and masterclasses in 23 U.S. cities. As an orchestral musician, she has appeared in Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall and Alice Tully Hall, and she substitutes frequently with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed extensively across the United States and in Hong Kong, China, and Israel. In addition to the harp, Katherine studied piano at the Juilliard School during her undergraduate years. Her background as a pianist has contributed to her interest in transcribing piano works for the harp and her unique attention to voicing on the harp.
Siochi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in harp performance from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Nancy Allen.
Praised by the New York Times as “excellent,” Katherine Siochi is an internationally
acclaimed harp soloist and principal harp of the Kansas City Symphony. From 2017 to 2019, she served as principal harp of the Sarasota Orchestra.
Siochi won the gold medal at the 10th USA International Harp Competition in 2016, one of the world’s most prestigious harp contests, and she is only the second American to win the prize since 1989. She has received numerous awards in national harp competitions as well, including first prize in the American Harp Society’s Advanced and Young Professional divisions.
From 2015 to 2017, she was concert artist for the American Harp Society, presenting recitals and masterclasses in 23 U.S. cities. As an orchestral musician, she has appeared in Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall and Alice Tully Hall, and she substitutes frequently with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed extensively across the United States and in Hong Kong, China, and Israel. In addition to the harp, Katherine studied piano at the Juilliard School during her undergraduate years. Her background as a pianist has contributed to her interest in transcribing piano works for the harp and her unique attention to voicing on the harp.
Siochi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in harp performance from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Nancy Allen.
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.
Claudia Schaer
(Violinist)
With beautiful and intelligent interpretations, alongside intriguing programming, the versatile recitalist, chamber musician and soloist Claudia Schaer meets with accolades from audiences and musicians alike. Her recent recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partias for solo violin is hailed for its "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).
Native of Calgary, Canada, Claudia Schaer was 11 when she received the "Most Promising Violinist" medal at the Canadian "Kiwanis Music Festival", and she won prizes in international competitions thereafter. A graduate of the Juilliard School's Accelerated Bachelor/Master program, she served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Symphony, and as teaching assistant to her mentor, Sally Thomas, as well as receiving the "Sasakawa Young Leaders' Fellowship".
Ms. Schaer has toured Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark, giving many solo violin concerts, which included all six Bach Sonatas and Partitas, the Bartók Solo Sonata, and Boulez's Anthèmes. She gave her Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Debut (which included collaboration with the Echo-prizewinning David Orlowsky Trio). Other recent highlights included performances at the Banff Cetnre for the Arts, at Columbia University, and at Glencairn Cathedral in Pennsylvania (which featured a programme of violin and harp.)
An avid chamber musician, she has performed in England's prestigious Prussia Cove festival, in the Danish "Thy" Festival, and with Berlin Philharmonic members in Italy's "Barga Festival", among others. Her international commitment extends further to China, where she has given masterclasses in Guangzhou, Nanning, and Guilin, and is a Guest Professor of the Guangxi Arts College.
Claudia Schaer is currently a soloist and concertmaster of New York's North/South Consonance Ensemble, with which she premièred the Lifchitz Violin Concerto, among many other works. She completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University in 2011, mentoring with Phillip Setzer, Ani Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Philippe Graffin, and Soovin Kim, and writing about Varèse, Boulez, and the intersection of mathematics, philosophy, and music.
Website: www.claudiaschaer.com
With beautiful and intelligent interpretations, alongside intriguing programming, the versatile recitalist, chamber musician and soloist Claudia Schaer meets with accolades from audiences and musicians alike. Her recent recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partias for solo violin is hailed for its "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).
Native of Calgary, Canada, Claudia Schaer was 11 when she received the "Most Promising Violinist" medal at the Canadian "Kiwanis Music Festival", and she won prizes in international competitions thereafter. A graduate of the Juilliard School's Accelerated Bachelor/Master program, she served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Symphony, and as teaching assistant to her mentor, Sally Thomas, as well as receiving the "Sasakawa Young Leaders' Fellowship".
Ms. Schaer has toured Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark, giving many solo violin concerts, which included all six Bach Sonatas and Partitas, the Bartók Solo Sonata, and Boulez's Anthèmes. She gave her Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Debut (which included collaboration with the Echo-prizewinning David Orlowsky Trio). Other recent highlights included performances at the Banff Cetnre for the Arts, at Columbia University, and at Glencairn Cathedral in Pennsylvania (which featured a programme of violin and harp.)
An avid chamber musician, she has performed in England's prestigious Prussia Cove festival, in the Danish "Thy" Festival, and with Berlin Philharmonic members in Italy's "Barga Festival", among others. Her international commitment extends further to China, where she has given masterclasses in Guangzhou, Nanning, and Guilin, and is a Guest Professor of the Guangxi Arts College.
Claudia Schaer is currently a soloist and concertmaster of New York's North/South Consonance Ensemble, with which she premièred the Lifchitz Violin Concerto, among many other works. She completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University in 2011, mentoring with Phillip Setzer, Ani Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Philippe Graffin, and Soovin Kim, and writing about Varèse, Boulez, and the intersection of mathematics, philosophy, and music.
Website: www.claudiaschaer.com
Yoonie Han
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.
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.
Suchan Kim
(Baritone)
Suchan Kim (Baritone), a native of Busan, South Korea, recently sang the role of Belcore in Opera in Williamsburg’s production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’amore. He has performed as a resident in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program as well as with The Metropolitan Opera Education, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Carnegie Hall, Mannes Opera, Dallas Opera’s The Hart Institute for Women Conductors, Sarasota Opera, The Phoenicia International Festival of The Voice, Opera in Williamsburg, Bare Opera, Opera Vezimra, New Rochelle Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, New Amsterdam Opera, Decameron Opera Coalition, Light Opera on New Jersey, Loft Opera, Opera Ithaca, Barn Opera, Teatro Lirico D’Europa, The Palmetto Opera, Amore Opera, Boardwalk Opera, Sinfonietta of Riverdale, The New York Concert Opera, New York Grand Opera, New York Lyric Opera, Jamestown Concert Association, Fairfield County Chorale, Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, Sign & Sing, NYU IMPACT Conference, MidAmerica Productions, National Theater of Korea, Seoul Arts Center and several opera companies in South Korea.
Suchan was an Eastern District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2011 and he received the Opera Award from Mannes Opera in 2013. Mr. Kim holds a Bachelor of Music from Korea National University of Arts and a Master’s Degree and a Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College, the New School for Music. He studies with Arthur Levy.
Suchan Kim (Baritone), a native of Busan, South Korea, recently sang the role of Belcore in Opera in Williamsburg’s production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’amore. He has performed as a resident in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program as well as with The Metropolitan Opera Education, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Carnegie Hall, Mannes Opera, Dallas Opera’s The Hart Institute for Women Conductors, Sarasota Opera, The Phoenicia International Festival of The Voice, Opera in Williamsburg, Bare Opera, Opera Vezimra, New Rochelle Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, New Amsterdam Opera, Decameron Opera Coalition, Light Opera on New Jersey, Loft Opera, Opera Ithaca, Barn Opera, Teatro Lirico D’Europa, The Palmetto Opera, Amore Opera, Boardwalk Opera, Sinfonietta of Riverdale, The New York Concert Opera, New York Grand Opera, New York Lyric Opera, Jamestown Concert Association, Fairfield County Chorale, Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, Sign & Sing, NYU IMPACT Conference, MidAmerica Productions, National Theater of Korea, Seoul Arts Center and several opera companies in South Korea.
Suchan was an Eastern District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2011 and he received the Opera Award from Mannes Opera in 2013. Mr. Kim holds a Bachelor of Music from Korea National University of Arts and a Master’s Degree and a Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College, the New School for Music. He studies with Arthur Levy.
Tara Bhrushundi
(Jazz Pianist)
As a pianist, composer, educator, and businesswoman, Tara Bhrushundi continually adds to a list of accomplishments that demonstrate a standard of excellence in all areas of her work. She was one of eight young female jazz pianists from around the world chosen to perform at the 2011 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival held at Washington, DC's Kennedy Center. Her music is praised by jazz legend Toshiko Akiyoshi as "fantastic" and by Grammy- nominated composer Laurie Altman as "ingenious."
Bhrushundi holds a Master of Music in Jazz Piano Performance from Rutgers University, where she studied under Stanley Cowell and Conrad Herwig and won the Pee Wee Russell Jazz Scholarship. Bhrushundi is a Watchfire Music Composer and the 2012 Grand Prize Winner of the New Jersey Arts Collective’s music composition contest. Her live music booking business, Sweet Harmony LLC, has doubled in size nearly every year since 2008 and expanded to serve five Northeastern states. In the community, Bhrushundi pioneered a jazz concert series and a jazz piano scholarship competition for the Greater Princeton Steinway Society, where she serves on the board of directors. And in the field of education, she has developed a specialized, rigorous program called "Buzash Total Piano" designed to enrich the student in both the classical and jazz worlds.
As a pianist, composer, educator, and businesswoman, Tara Bhrushundi continually adds to a list of accomplishments that demonstrate a standard of excellence in all areas of her work. She was one of eight young female jazz pianists from around the world chosen to perform at the 2011 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival held at Washington, DC's Kennedy Center. Her music is praised by jazz legend Toshiko Akiyoshi as "fantastic" and by Grammy- nominated composer Laurie Altman as "ingenious."
Bhrushundi holds a Master of Music in Jazz Piano Performance from Rutgers University, where she studied under Stanley Cowell and Conrad Herwig and won the Pee Wee Russell Jazz Scholarship. Bhrushundi is a Watchfire Music Composer and the 2012 Grand Prize Winner of the New Jersey Arts Collective’s music composition contest. Her live music booking business, Sweet Harmony LLC, has doubled in size nearly every year since 2008 and expanded to serve five Northeastern states. In the community, Bhrushundi pioneered a jazz concert series and a jazz piano scholarship competition for the Greater Princeton Steinway Society, where she serves on the board of directors. And in the field of education, she has developed a specialized, rigorous program called "Buzash Total Piano" designed to enrich the student in both the classical and jazz worlds.
Ben Thomas
(Tenor)
Ben Thomas, a native of Auburn, Alabama, is renowned for his operatic career in the Southeast. He holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Auburn University and was awarded a full scholarship to receive a Master of Music degree with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, he performed many operatic roles including Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Laurie in Little Women, and Peter Quint in Turn of the Screw, and made his international debut in Beijing, China in October 2012.
Upon completing his masters degree, Ben moved to New York City and is actively performing across the five boroughs and beyond. Most recently, he made his Carnegie Hall debut last summer with the Manhattan Opera Studio summer series.
Ben Thomas, a native of Auburn, Alabama, is renowned for his operatic career in the Southeast. He holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Auburn University and was awarded a full scholarship to receive a Master of Music degree with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, he performed many operatic roles including Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Laurie in Little Women, and Peter Quint in Turn of the Screw, and made his international debut in Beijing, China in October 2012.
Upon completing his masters degree, Ben moved to New York City and is actively performing across the five boroughs and beyond. Most recently, he made his Carnegie Hall debut last summer with the Manhattan Opera Studio summer series.
Olga Gurevich
(Concert Pianist)
Pianist Olga Gurevich’s career spans the disciplines of concert artist, chamber musician, accompanist, and pedagogue. Her concert appearances include Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 92nd Street Y, the Symphony Space in NYC, Smirna Opera Theatre in Delaware, Westport Concert Series in Connecticut, Scuola Civica in Cagliari, Italy, and many others. Her performances were broadcasted by National Television in Azerbaijan, First TV Channel in Russia and RAI Tre in Italy.
Olga has been the principal accompanist for the Riverside Opera Company since 2010, and collaborated with many singers, including Met Opera bass singer Mikhail Svetlov. Olga Gurevich earned her Master's degree in Piano Performance, Piano Accompanying and Piano Pedagogy at Gnesin Academy of Music, and then finished her post graduate studies at Maimonides State Academy in Moscow, Russia with DMA in Piano Performance. Olga is a winner of international piano competitions both in solo and piano four-hands divisions (XIII Piano International competition in Salerno, Italy, and Ragusa Ibla Foundation International Piano competition in Ragusa, Italy).
Besides being an active solo and chamber music performer, Olga has been a devoted educator for over two decades. Ms Gurevich is on the piano faculties of Bloomingdale School of Music, 92Y School of Music in NYC and Suzuki Virtuoso Academy in Mineola, NY.
Pianist Olga Gurevich’s career spans the disciplines of concert artist, chamber musician, accompanist, and pedagogue. Her concert appearances include Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 92nd Street Y, the Symphony Space in NYC, Smirna Opera Theatre in Delaware, Westport Concert Series in Connecticut, Scuola Civica in Cagliari, Italy, and many others. Her performances were broadcasted by National Television in Azerbaijan, First TV Channel in Russia and RAI Tre in Italy.
Olga has been the principal accompanist for the Riverside Opera Company since 2010, and collaborated with many singers, including Met Opera bass singer Mikhail Svetlov. Olga Gurevich earned her Master's degree in Piano Performance, Piano Accompanying and Piano Pedagogy at Gnesin Academy of Music, and then finished her post graduate studies at Maimonides State Academy in Moscow, Russia with DMA in Piano Performance. Olga is a winner of international piano competitions both in solo and piano four-hands divisions (XIII Piano International competition in Salerno, Italy, and Ragusa Ibla Foundation International Piano competition in Ragusa, Italy).
Besides being an active solo and chamber music performer, Olga has been a devoted educator for over two decades. Ms Gurevich is on the piano faculties of Bloomingdale School of Music, 92Y School of Music in NYC and Suzuki Virtuoso Academy in Mineola, NY.
Jackie Gillette
(Clarinet)
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Clarinetist Jacqueline Gillette has made her mark as a performer, teacher, and administrator. She has played with orchestras like the Buffalo Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of New York, American Ballet Theater, West Point Band, and Louisiana Philharmonic. Equally at home as a chamber musician and soloist, she has performed recitals with the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, and Endless Mountain Music Festival. Most recently, she played the Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto as a featured soloist during the 2021 summer season of the Endless Mountain Music Festival.
With a passion for music education, Jacqueline has taught students from K-12 as a teaching artist for the Midori and Friends Foundation and Education through Music. She traveled to Zimbabwe and South Africa as a guest artist with the Music Inspire Africa organization, where she taught and performed around the two countries. In addition to classroom teaching, Jacqueline maintains a private studio of piano and clarinet students.
As a Music Administrator, Jacqueline has had success in Programming and Concert Production. While working as the Community Concert Coordinator for the Bowdoin International Music Festival, she produced around 30 concerts in 30 days. The aim of this program was to bring music from the festival to locations around the community that otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear classical music. To combat the Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacqueline created a virtual chamber music series called "Sunday Serenades" to help support musicians who were struggling financially. Through donations and fundraisers, she was able to present around 20 concerts and compensate the musicians for their work.
Aside from all things music, Jacqueline enjoys playing Bingo, painting plant pots, and eating her way around all of the delicious food in her community of Jackson Heights.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Clarinetist Jacqueline Gillette has made her mark as a performer, teacher, and administrator. She has played with orchestras like the Buffalo Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of New York, American Ballet Theater, West Point Band, and Louisiana Philharmonic. Equally at home as a chamber musician and soloist, she has performed recitals with the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, and Endless Mountain Music Festival. Most recently, she played the Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto as a featured soloist during the 2021 summer season of the Endless Mountain Music Festival.
With a passion for music education, Jacqueline has taught students from K-12 as a teaching artist for the Midori and Friends Foundation and Education through Music. She traveled to Zimbabwe and South Africa as a guest artist with the Music Inspire Africa organization, where she taught and performed around the two countries. In addition to classroom teaching, Jacqueline maintains a private studio of piano and clarinet students.
As a Music Administrator, Jacqueline has had success in Programming and Concert Production. While working as the Community Concert Coordinator for the Bowdoin International Music Festival, she produced around 30 concerts in 30 days. The aim of this program was to bring music from the festival to locations around the community that otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear classical music. To combat the Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacqueline created a virtual chamber music series called "Sunday Serenades" to help support musicians who were struggling financially. Through donations and fundraisers, she was able to present around 20 concerts and compensate the musicians for their work.
Aside from all things music, Jacqueline enjoys playing Bingo, painting plant pots, and eating her way around all of the delicious food in her community of Jackson Heights.
Tyler Walker
(Pianist)
Tyler Walker graduated from Valdosta State University in May of 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance and was in the studio of Dr. Lyle Indergaard. While at VSU, Tyler was the first freshman to win the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition. He won the same competition again, becoming the first student to do so for a second time and performed Chopin’s Grande Polonaise Brillante. He was also selected three times as a winner in the Georgia Music Educator’s Association’s Solo Piano competition after which he performed at the GMEA conference in Savannah, GA.
In 2013, Tyler was very fortunate to attend the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria for 4 weeks after winning a scholarship given by the Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta. Upon returning from the Mozarteum, Tyler moved to New York City and completed a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at Hunter College in the studio of Dr. Geoffrey Burleson. During his graduate studies, he was selected as a winner for the Hunter Symphony concerto competition and performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Tyler now runs a thriving piano studio in Manhattan and teaches piano to students of all ages.
Tyler Walker graduated from Valdosta State University in May of 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance and was in the studio of Dr. Lyle Indergaard. While at VSU, Tyler was the first freshman to win the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition. He won the same competition again, becoming the first student to do so for a second time and performed Chopin’s Grande Polonaise Brillante. He was also selected three times as a winner in the Georgia Music Educator’s Association’s Solo Piano competition after which he performed at the GMEA conference in Savannah, GA.
In 2013, Tyler was very fortunate to attend the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria for 4 weeks after winning a scholarship given by the Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta. Upon returning from the Mozarteum, Tyler moved to New York City and completed a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at Hunter College in the studio of Dr. Geoffrey Burleson. During his graduate studies, he was selected as a winner for the Hunter Symphony concerto competition and performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Tyler now runs a thriving piano studio in Manhattan and teaches piano to students of all ages.
Kayla Williams
(Viola)
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 will perform at the upcoming Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival during Fall of 2022. Williams has both live and recorded performances with Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.
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. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Juilliard areer
Advancement Fellowship.
Kayla believes music should be accessible to students of all backgrounds. She aspires to create a foundation of her own that will provide access and funding needed to support music programs in under-represented communities.
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 will perform at the upcoming Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival during Fall of 2022. Williams has both live and recorded performances with Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.
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. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Juilliard areer
Advancement Fellowship.
Kayla believes music should be accessible to students of all backgrounds. She aspires to create a foundation of her own that will provide access and funding needed to support music programs in under-represented communities.