Music for Life NYC

Announces Details of Debut Concert

November 29, 2011 at Carnegie Hall

Grammy Award-winning musicians

soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Sonia Rubinsky

to guest with the New York Women’s Ensemble, Music for Life NYC’s all-women orchestra

August 2011, New York, NY– Internationally acclaimed musician Virginia Luque, Founder of Music for Life

NYC/New York Women’s Ensemble, announced today the full details of the organization‟s upcoming debut concert

on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.

The inaugural concert will feature an all-Mozart program performed by the 50-member orchestra and guest artists

soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Sonia Rubinsky. Soprano Elisa Brown makes a special appearance, sing-

ing the world premiere of a work composed by Ms. Luque to commemorate this inaugural benefit concert.

A non-profit organization founded in 2010 and based in New York City, Music for Life NYC is dedicated to

humanitarian relief, social improvement and cultural outreach through the musical arts. Through concerts

performed by its musical arm, the New York Women’s Ensemble, the organization donates a percentage of the net

profits of each concert to the continuing work of selected charities that have demonstrated a devotion to helping

under-served individuals and communities.

The New York Women’s Ensemble is a one-of-a-kind orchestra made up of 50 of today‟s foremost female

classical musicians with solo careers and careers as members of such renowned organizations as the Orpheus

Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York City Opera Orchestra, Dallas Opera Orchestra,

Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony, among

others.

In announcing the debut concert, Music for Life NYC Founder Virginia Luque stated, “ After a year of careful plan-

ning, we are thrilled to be announcing our debut concert to be held at Carnegie Hall and to have as our guest solo-

ists Grammy Award-winning artists soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Sonia Rubinsky.

Our goal at Music for Life NYC is to use the universal language of music and its transcendent qualities for the better

-ment of society. The organization we are embracing for this premiere event is Children of the Night, a wonderful

not for profit foundation that has been working tirelessly to rescue children from child prostitution since 1979.”

Ms. Luque, a native of Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain, renowned for her work as a classical guitarist, conductor and hu-

manitarian, has formed an Advisory Board for Music for Life NYC comprised of extremely knowledgeable and tal-

ented individuals from the political, musical, acting, film and dance worlds to advise and help identify worthy char-

ities and guide the organization on its mission. Among the Board members are Remigio Morales Bermudez, former

Peru Minister of Agriculture; Fabiano Canosa, former curator of the New York Film Anthology; Russell Cleveland,

Founder, President and CEO of RENN Capital Group Inc.; Stuart Deutsch, live musical documentary film maker;

Shariff Eddine, a financial professional with Advanced Wealth Solutions Group, LLC; Hermann Hauser III, inter-

national guitar luthier; Gilbert Heatherwick, former President, Worldwide Sony BMG Entertainment Masterworks;

Paul Polycarpou, President of The Nashville Arts Magazine; Iðigo Ramirez de Haro, Consul Cultural Affairs, Con-

sulate General of Spain; celebrated artists Sonia Braga, Elisa Brown, Naomi Judd, Sonia Rubinsky, Larry Strick-

land and Rick Vito; Dr. Linda Stillman, Cultural Communications Specialist and United Nations NGO Representa-

tive for Soroptimist, and humanitarian, international choreographer and ballet master Maestro Hector Zaraspe. Continued...

GRANT COMMUNICATIONS Massachusetts—New York

Ms. Luque has also developed a working alliance between the Young Global Leadership Foundation (YGLF),

for which she serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Performing Arts of

the Learning Leadership Program. Created by Dr. Linda Stillman, YGLF focuses on forming and advancing the

aspirations and goals of the millennial generation (born 1980-2005) towards a more peaceful, prosperous and

positive world. Dr. Stillman will serve as host for Music for Life NYC’s concerts.

The inaugural season of Music For Life NYC will include three concerts: the November 29, 2011 gala, and two

additional concerts in 2012: one in February, featuring works by Bach and Dvorak, and the second in May, featur-

ing works by De Falla and Rodrigo. Further details on the winter/spring concerts will be forthcoming.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 8:00 pm

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall, NYC

New York Women’s Ensemble with guest soloists soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Sonia Rubinsky

Special performance by soprano Elisa Brown

Virginia Luque, Music Director

Opening remarks:

Dr. Linda Stillman, United Nations Representative & Chair of Young Global Leadership Foundation

Dr. Lois Lee, founder and president of Children of the Night

The Program:

V. Luque, Theme for Music for Life NYC

Elisa Brown, soprano; String Trio: Bojidara Kouzmanova, violin; Sheila Browne, viola; Natalia Khoma, cello

W.A. Mozart, “Presto” from Sinfonia Concertante K. 364

Mirjam Tschopp, violin; Sheila Browne, viola

W.A. Mozart, Symphony in G minor, K. 550 (second version with clarinets)

W.A. Mozart, “Non temer, amato bene” from Ch’io mi scordi di te, K. 505

Ana Maria Martinez, soprano; Arielle Levioff, piano

W.A. Mozart, “Come scoglio inmoto resta contro i venti” from Cosi fan tutte

Ana Maria Martinez, soprano; Arielle Levioff, piano

W. A. Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467

Sonia Rubinsky, pianist

Tickets: On sale October 1, 2011

To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.carnegiehall.org/ or call Carnegie Charge at 212.247.7800.

Carnegie Hall Box Office is located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Ticket prices: $40-Balcony; $55-Dress Circle; $75-Second Tier Boxes; $100-Parquet; $125-First Tier Boxes.

Student, Senior Citizen and group discounts available. For group tickets please visit groupsales@carnegiehall.org

or call 212-903-9705. Attached are biographies and photos of the members of the New York Women‟s Ensemble, guest artists

soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Sonia Rubinsky, featured artist soprano Elisa Brown, and details on the

Advisory Board for Music for Life NYC.

Additional information on Children of the Night can be found at www.childrenofthenight.org, and further details

about Music for Life NYC/New York Women’s Ensemble can be found at:

www.musicforlifenyc.org www.nywe.net and on Facebook.

For more information regarding the concert, or to request photos or interviews, please contact:

Laura Grant, Grant Communications

978.208.0552; Laura@grant-communications.com

New York Women’s Ensemble

Lauren Ausubel Flutist and coveted chamber and orchestral musician, Ms. Ausubel gave her Carnegie

Hall Debut in 2003 as a winner of the Artists International Competition, and was awarded an Honors

concert at Merkin Hall the following year. She has performed with numerous ensembles, including the

Manhattan Sinfonia and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As a member of Stony Brook Contemporary

Chamber Players, she appeared on National Public Radio's program “Around New York.” Ms. Ausubel

studied at The Juilliard School and Northwestern University.

Marta Bagratuni Cellist, has appeared as a recitalist on five different continents and has performed

concerti with the Leoplois Chamber Orchestra (Ukraine), Lansing Symphony (Michigan), and the

Detroit Civic Symphony, among others. Her most recent performance of Dmitri Kabalevsky‟s Cello

Concerto No.2 with the MSU Symphony will be broadcast on WKAR public radio, serving the entire

Mid-Michigan area. As a featured young artist, she spent summers at Kneisel Hall, Aspen Music

School, and the International Academy of Music (Italy) Festival on full scholarships. Miss Bagratuni

served as assistant principal of the Aspen Festival Orchestra and principal of the University of

Michigan Symphony. Currently, Miss Bagratuni is serving as a graduate assistant at Michigan State

University where she is also the principal cellist of the MSU Symphony. She earned a Bachelor of

Music Degree from the University of Michigan where she is now pursing her dDal Master of Music Degree in Voice

with Molly Fillmore and Cello Performance wit her father, Suren Bagratuni.

Brenda Boitson Tuba player, performs regularly with numerous Lancaster County Band Performances

and also provides tuba and baritone instruction. Ms. Boitson attended Montclair State University in

Montclair, NJ for Music Therapy with a tuba focus under the direction of Mary Ann Craig, former

president of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association, as well as Kyle Turner, who formerly

played tuba for the New York Philharmonic.

Maryam Blacksher Violist, performs as a soloist throughout the New York Metropolitan

area. She tours nationally and internationally with ensembles such as The One World Sym-

phony, The New World Symphony, and The Butch Morris Ensemble. Television appearanc-

es include Good Morning America and The Chris Rock Show. She has also performed in

Carnegie Hall, The Eagle Rock Theater, and The Contemporary Art Outdoors. Ms. Blacksher

received her musical training at The Manhattan School of Music; Queens College, The City

University of New York, and The Peabody Conservatory of Music.

Sheila Browne American Violist, recording artist, and professor at the University of North Carolina

School of the Arts and New York University, Steinhardt School. Ms. Browne has given solo and cham-

ber music concerts in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. She currently

serves on the Executive Board of the America Viola Society and teaches at California Summer Music

Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Viva Virginia. Ms. Browne was the violist of the

Gotham and Arianna string quartets and the only viola solo finalist at the 2004 Pro Musici International

Solo Awards, and was featured by Michael Tilson-Thomas while principal of the New World Sym-

phony in the PBS Documentary, "Beethoven Alive.” Ms. Browne studied viola with Karen Tuttle at

The Juilliard School.

Continued...

Caroline Coade Violist, is a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Passionate about chamber

music, Ms. Coade is a founding member of the Coade Duo (violin-viola), CutTime Simfonica (DSO

string sextet), and was the violist in the Woodland Trio (flute, harp, viola) from 1999-2007. She is

an active performer and teacher in the Detroit area and is a lecturer of Music (Viola) at the University

of Michigan School of Music as well as Adjunct Professor at Detroit‟s Wayne State University.

Ms. Coade is a graduate of The Interlochen Arts Academy, and received a Bachelor of Music Degree

from the Oberlin Conservatory, an Artist Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music, and a Master of

Music Degree from The Juilliard School.

Eva Conti Hornist, is currently principal horn with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and is in the

orchestra of “Billy Elliot” on Broadway. Ms. Conti has also held the position of principal horn with the

New Israeli Opera, Israel Camerata, and the Haifa Symphony. She has performed with The New York

Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera, The New Jersey Symphony, The

Israel Philharmonic, The Seattle Symphony, The Radio City Orchestra, The Aspen Quintet, and in

numerous Broadway shows. She has toured the US, Canada and Europe as a member of the Barbra

Streisand Orchestra and is on the recently released CD and DVD of the 2006 US tour. Ms. Conti holds

a Master of Music Degree in French horn from The Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of

Music Degree in classical guitar from The University of Rhode Island.

Jasmin Bey Cowin German harpist and Fulbright Scholar, performs on both the pedal and lever harp

as a soloist and ensemble player. Institutions she lectured or played for include the 92nd Street Y;

City College of New York; The German Consulate in New York and Washington DC; The Metro-

politan Opera House; The University of Irvine (CA); Melanchthonhaus in Bretten, Germany; Juedische

Gemeinde in Karlsruhe, Germany; Stadtkirche Karlsruhe; as well as many engagements in Berlin. She

is on faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she teaches harp. Other teaching

appointments include Marymount Manhattan College where she received the William C. Musham

Award for “Excellence in Teaching,” and at Hunter College, Adult Division. She is former Vice-

President of the New York Chapter of the American Harp Society.

Fatma Daglar Turkish oboist, is the principal oboist of The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and The

Maryland Symphony Orchestra. She also held the position of Acting Assistant Principal/Second Oboe

with The Louisville Orchestra during their 2003 - 2004 season. Ms. Daglar has performed on oboe

and English horn with such groups as The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Richmond Symphony

Orchestra, The National Philharmonic Orchestra, The Wolf Trap Opera Orchestra, and The Melos

Ensemble, among others. As a soloist, she has performed with The Maryland Symphony Orchestra,

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and The Peabody Camerata. Ms. Daglar toured Japan with The

Eastwinds Quintet, participated in a tour of the United States with The American Wind Symphony

Orchestra, and played concerts in China with The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. She has appeared and

recorded withThe Bach Sinfonia. Ms. Daglar received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Istanbul Conservatory of

Music. She holds a Master of Music Degree and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Oboe Performance from The Pea-

body Conservatory. She teaches at Towson University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and The Peabody Preparatory.

Jacqui Danilow Double bassist, has been a member of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under the

direction of James Levine and General Manager Joseph Volpe since 1979. She is a graduate of The

Manhattan School of Music where she studied the bass with Orin O‟Brien. She received her Master of

Music Degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Homer Mensch.

Continued...

Marji Danilow Double bassist, is active as a chamber artist, orchestral musician, and period-

instrument player. In her 13th season with The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Ms. Danilow has

also performed with The Barge Chamber Music series, Smithsonian Chamber Players, and Santa Fe's

Pro Musica Bach Festival. She performs regularly with The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and is

associate principal bass of The New York City Ballet Orchestra. Ms. Danilow has toured, performed,

and recorded with The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since 1984. As a period-instrument player, she

has been featured in numerous recordings on Sony Classical with Anner Bylsma and L'Archibudelli.

Ms. Danilow recently joined the double bass faculty at The Mannes School of Music. Her instruments

include a Paolo Maggini c. 1620 and a Carlo Guiseppe Testore c. 1692.

Susan Dubois American violist and principal of The Dallas Opera Orchestra, was chosen as a winner

of Artists International‟s 23rd Annual Auditions. She made her New York concert debut at Lincoln

Center‟s Alice Tully Hall with Maestro Otto Werner Mueller and The Juilliard Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Dubois holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School under Karen Tuttle.

Ms. Dubois is a member of the artist faculty at The University of North Texas.

Laura Flax American clarinetist, is recognized as one of New York's most distinguished and versatile

clarinetists. She is currently principal clarinetist with The New York City Opera Orchestra, The

American Symphony Orchestra, and The Bard Festival Orchestra, and is a former member of The San

Francisco and San Diego Symphonies. A member of the Naumburg award winning Da Capo Chamber

Players for 20 years, Ms Flax was involved in over 100 premieres including works by Joan Tower,

Shulamit Ran, Philip Glass and Elliott Carter. She is on the faculty of the Bard College Conservatory

and The Juilliard Pre-College. Her recording of Joan Tower's Wings is available on the CRI label and

music of Shulamit Ran on Bridge records.

Diva Goodfriend-Koven Flutist and piccolo player, has performed worldwide with major orchestras

and as a soloist and chamber music recitalist. She appears regularly as an associate musician with

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and The New York Philharmonic, and is a member of The American

Symphony Orchestra, The American Ballet Theater Orchestra, The American Composers Orchestra, as

well as The Locrian Chamber Ensemble. Ms. Goodfriend-Koven has appeared as a soloist in the U.S.

and abroad with The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and The New York Symphonic Ensemble. She has

also toured the U.S. with The Borealis Wind Quintet and The Ragdale Ensemble, and has toured both

internationally and in the U.S. with The Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Goodfriend-Koven has played with

The Bard College Music Festival, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Lake George Opera Company,

and The Boulder, Colorado Music Festival. An accomplished teacher, her students have won the Young Concert Artists

International competition for the last three years. Ms. Goodfriend-Koven has appeared on "Live from Lincoln Center,"

Metrolpolitan Opera HD broadcasts, and on numerous recordings with DGG, Sony Classics, Vanguard, and Pro Arte.

Alexandra Gorokhovsky Ukrainian violinist, joined The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in

1995. As a freelance musician, she performs with many orchestras in the Metropolitan New York

area, and is active in chamber music ensembles as well. Her Broadway orchestral credits include A

Light in the Piazza, Show Boat, Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, La Boheme, and Titanic, among others.

Ms. Gorokhovsky is the recipient of many Ukrainian prizes in regional, national, solo, and chamber

music competitions, and was trained at the Kiev State Conservatory. She received her Bachelor and

Master degrees from The Manhattan School of Music where she studied under the direction of Oleh

Krysa, Glenn Dicterow, Michael Gilbert, and Yoko Takebe.

Continued...

Karen Haringa American percussionist, plays regularly as a substitute and extra percussionist with The

Philadelphia Orchestra and The Baltimore Symphony, and has performed throughout the United States,

Europe, Asia and South America with these orchestras. Ms. Haringa also performs with The Chautaqua

Symphony Orchestra. She is a former member of The Phil-a-Rhythm Percussion Quartet and the Atmos

Percussion Quartet. Ms. Haringa was on the faculty of The he Settlement Music School in Philadelphia.

She received her Master of Music Degree from Temple University.

Diane Hoffman American trombonist, is a professional freelance musician and a music educator with

extensive experience in both the classical and musical theater worlds. She has performed with Marvin

Hamlisch, Michael Amante, Marilyn Michaels, and Daniel Rodriguez. Ms. Hoffman has also appeared

on radio‟s Milkman‟s Matinee andThe Make Believe Ballroom, and on WNEW Radio with the Richard

Thomas Big Band Orchestra.

Maureen Hurd Hause Clarinetist, has appeared in concerts and master classes throughout Europe,

Asia, and North America. She has performed in Carnegie‟s Zankel Hall, in Merkin Hall, in Alice Tully

Hall with The the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and with The Metropolitan Opera

Orchestra. Ms. Hause was a featured performer at the International Clarinet Association Clarinet-

Fests® in Vancouver, Canada, and in Japan, and will perform again in 2011, in Los Angeles. She has

recorded for Naxos, MSR Classics, and Marquis Classics. Recognized for her study of Benny Good-

man‟s classical career, she performed and lectured at The Yale School of Music and at Zankel Hall in

2009 as part of a Benny Goodman centenary. Ms. Hause joined the faculty of The Mason Gross School

of the Arts, Rutgers University, in 2002, and is Chair of Woodwinds and Associate Professor of Music,

Clarinet. Ms. Hause is a Conn-Selmer and Rico Artist.

Michelle Humphreys American percussionist, is principal percussionist with Opera Lafayette of

Washington, D.C., and Opera Vivente of Baltimore. Other current performing affiliations include

American Opera Theater, Washington Bach Consort, National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, Handel

Choir of Baltimore, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Chesapeake Orchestra at St. Mary‟s College of

Maryland, and Washington Bach Sinfonia. She has performed on several recent Naxos recordings with

Opera Lafayette, including the modern-day premiere of Rebel‟s Zelindor, Roi de Sylphes. She is also

active in the popular music world as a performer and studio-recording artist. Ms. Humphreys teaches

percussion at Morgan State University, Shepherd University, and Towson University, and is on the fac-

ulty of The National Music Festival. She is currently serving as President of the Maryland/Delaware

Chapter of The Percussive Arts Society.

Ingrid Jensen Canadian trumpeter, has performed as a leader and featured soloist around the world in

a wide array of musical genres. Her three CD's for the ENJA label and her latest CD, At Sea, won her

nominations from the Canadian Juno Awards, including an award in 1995 for Vernal Fields. Ms. Jen-

sen can also be heard with the GRAMMY® winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, the IJQ with Geoffrey

Keezer, Project O, Nordic Connect, and a number of New York-based bands. She has been nominated

twice for a Jazz Journalist Association Award in New York. Ms. Jensen was featured on Gil Evans'

Porgy and Bess at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, and was also a guest in the festival's "Tribute to

Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard." She has performed on Saturday Night Live! and was a featured

soloist at the Tribute to Billy Holiday project in Brazil. Ms. Jensen was on staff at the Port Townsend

Centrum Jazz Workshop for five years and held the professor of jazz trumpet chair at the Bruckner Conservatory of Mu-

sic in Austria. Currently, she is an artist-in-residence on the trumpet faculty at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Ms. Jensen graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Continued...

Julie Josephson American trombonist, is a freelance artist in the New York area, and has performed on

Broadway, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. She has won several concerto solo competitions and

has made numerous solo appearances around the United States. Ms. Josephson tours and records with

many new music groups and has been a guest artist at various schools and universities, such as Boston

University and The Eastman School of Music. Ms. Josephson is a solo artist and clinician for The

Bach/Selmer Company. She is one of the few brass musicians to receive the prestigious Artist Diploma

from The New England Conservatory of Music.

Rebekah Johnson America violinist, was awarded first prize in the Minneapolis Young Artist Com-

petition at the age of six. As a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Johnson has toured throughout

Europe and the United States, including solo performances for the inaugural season of Spoleto USA in

Charleston, SC, a recital tour of Zimbabwe in 2002 as part of the Eclipse of the Sun Festivities in

Africa, and performances at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Primarily focusing on traditional reper-

toire, Ms. Johnson has also premiered works by Philip Glass, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Frank Ezra Levy.

A frequent guest performer on the “Meet the Composer” series directed by Lukas Foss in the 1980s,

she was also a founding member of the Leonore Trio. Ms. Johnson's recording work includes “Three

Partitas by J.S. Bach” and a new recording featuring the works of Ysaye, Bartok and Villa-Lobos.

Ms. Johnson received both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees from The Juilliard School, where she

studied with Ivan Galamian and Sally Thomas.

Mimi Jones American bassist, has shared the stage with such talents as the great Lionel Hampton, Roy

Hargrove, Rachel Z, and Sean Jones, among many others. In 2003, she co founded ”Jazz Sabroson”

with drummer Antonio De Vivo and was commissioned by the Kennedy Center and The Department of

State to participate in an international cultural exchange program, performing throughout the Americas.

In 2006, "Jazz Sabroson" was elected by the Department of State and Jazz at Lincoln Center to partici-

pate in the Rhythm Abroad Program, this time performing throughout Africa. Ms. Jones is a recurring

artist at the Kennedy Center‟s annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival since 2000, and

premiered her debut release of “A New Day” from her first CD at the Festival in 2009. Recently,

Ms. Jones is performing in bands led by Tia Fuller, Mala Waldron, and Luis Perdomo, among others,

she made a special appearance at Beyonce's private party for Jay-Z's 40th birthday. Ms. Jones earned a Bachelor of

Music Degree from The Manhattan School of Music.

Natalia Khoma Ukrainian cellist and medalist of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Natalia

Khoma has performed as soloist with The Berlin Radio Orchestra, The Belgrade Philharmonic Orches-

tra, The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, The Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, and The Moscow

Radio Orchestra, among others. She serves as Organizer of the Children and Music Foundation which

provides training, instruments and financial aid to young, gifted Ukrainian musicians in need.

Bojidara Kouzmanova Bulgarian violinist and First Prize Winner of the Bela Bartok

Competition, Ms. Kouzmanova studied at the University of Performing Arts in Vienna,

and has performed as soloist with The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sofia

Symphony Orchestra, among others. Ms. Kouzmanova has appeared in Australia,

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and in the

USA. Several composers (R. Dimitrov, M. Kerer, P. Liakakis, J. Purgina, P. Richter,

T. Wally, among others) dedicated violin compositions to her, some of which she has

premiered. Her first CD recording was in 1996 with Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra

under the baton of Nayden Todorov, playing the Bruch Violin concerto No. 1 and

Mendelssohn Violin concerto. She has also recorded the violin concerti by Karen De Pastel, Sergei Prokofiev and Erich

Wolfgang Korngold and has done several CDs with works for violin and piano, recorded with the violin Stradivarius

"Da Vinci" (1725) on loan to her from Professor Dietmar Machold. Miss Kouzmanova has played with different famous

instruments, most of them given to her by Machold. She had the opportunity to play the Stradivarius "Red Diamond" -

1732, "Da Vinci" - 1725, Stradivarius 1717, Stradivarius "Ex Nachez" 1716, Stradivarius "Reynier" 1681, Pietro Guar-

neri 1735, Guarneri del Gesu 1741 and several new made violins including a Gerlinde Reutterer 2004, Greiner. Since

2008, she plays her own instrument made by Matthieu Devuyst. Continued...

Iryna Krechkovsky Ukrainian violinist, has been featured as soloist and chamber musician through-

out the United States, Canada, and Europe. She is a prizewinner at competitions including the Sorantin

International Competition in Texas and the Canadian Music Competition in Montréal. Iryna

Krechkovsky has appeared as soloist with the Canadian Academy Chamber Orchestra, The Toronto

Sinfonietta, and the orchestras of The Royal Conservatory of Music, The Cleveland Institute of Music,

and Stony Brook University. Ms. Krechkovsky is a founding member of newly formed Trio Céleste,

and is a member of the chamber orchestra CityMusic Cleveland. She served on the artist faculty of

ChamberArtsFest in France, was a teaching assistant to Linda Cerone at The Cleveland Institute of

Music and ENCORE School for Strings, and was artist-in-residence at the San Angelo Piano Festival

in Texas and the Montre al Chamber Music Festival in Canada. Ms. Krechkovsky received her Bachelor of Music and

Master of Music Degrees from The Cleveland Institute of Music where she was awarded the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize.

She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at Stony Brook University in New York.

Marta Krechkovsky Ukrainian violinist, was a prizewinner at the Kocian International Violin

Competition in Czech Republic at the age of 10, as well as top prizewinner in Canadian Music

Competition in Montreal. She has been a substitute player with The New York Philharmonic, The New

Jersey Symphony Orchestra, as well as concertmaster of The Juilliard Orchestra from 2005 -2009.

Ms. Krechkovsky has participated in numerous music festivals and has served as a concertmaster at The

Pacific Music Festival in Japan, The Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, and The Russian Easter

Festival in Russia. She has performed in Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Bargemusic, and has

appeared as soloist with The Canadian Academy Chamber Orchestra, The Toronto Sinfonietta and The

Lviv National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Ms. Krechkovsky received her Bachelor and Master of

Music Degrees from The Juilliard School and a Degree in Professional Studies in orchestral performance from The Man-

hattan School of Music.

Judy Yin-Chi Lee Taiwanese hornist, has appeared as soloist around the world. She has performed at

Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice

Tully Hall, and has traveled as principal horn with the national tour of the Disney Broadway produc-

tion of Beauty and the Beast. She was invited as a featured artist at the 2005 Northeast Horn Workshop

at Purchase College to record and perform an etude by Verne Reynolds. As a freelance musician,

Ms. Lee has worked with The New Jersey Symphony, The Harrisburg Symphony, The Key West

Symphony, The Opera Orchestra of New York, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and many

more. As a commercial player, she had performed and recorded with Ray Charles, Barry Manilow,

Harry Cornick, Jr., and The National Football League. Ms. Lee was awarded a full scholarship to the

Idyllwild Arts Academy, and received her Bachelor of Music Degree from The Eastman School of Music in horn perfor-

mance and her Performer‟s Diploma and Master of Music Degree from The Indiana University School of Music.

Priscilla Lee American cellist, made her solo debut with 1998 with The Los Angeles Philhar-

monic. A 2005 Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipient, Ms. Lee participated in the opening

concert of Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall with John Adams. She also premiered Osvaldo

Golijov's Ayre with Dawn Upshaw in New York, Boston, London, and Paris. She made her

Carnegie Hall debut as a member of the Trio Cavatina, winners of the 2009 Naumburg

Chamber Music Competition, performing the world premiere of The Faces of Guernica by

Richard Danielpour that was commissioned for the Trio by the Naumburg Foundation.

Ms. Lee has participated in the festivals of Marlboro, Santa Fe, Seattle, Delaware, St. Denis in Paris, Kingston, Lexing-

ton, and Taos. She was a member of Lincoln Center‟s Chamber Music Society Two for the 2006-2009 seasons. Ms. Lee

received her Master of Music Degree from The Mannes College of Music.

Eva Leon Spanish violinist and Top Prize Winner at the Michaelangelo Abbado International violin

Competition, won the 33rd Artists International Annual Debut Prize in New York, performing at

Carnegie Hall. Ms. Leon is an active soloist with performances around the globe, including The

Boston Classical Orchestra, The Cologne Ensemble, The Bratislava Chamber Orchestra, The

Galesburg Symphony, The Alter Musici Camerata, and most of the major orchestras of Spain.

Continued...

Arielle Levioff NYWE pianist, has performed at Bargemusic in Brooklyn, Weill Recital Hall at

Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Alice Tully Hall, and internationally in London, France, and Italy.

She has appeared as a soloist with The Merion Symphony in Gladwyn, Pennsylvania, The Goliard

Chamber Orchestra in New York City, The Christ Church Festival Orchestra in Oyster Bay (NY) and

The Astoria Symphony. She was a finalist in the 2009 Sorel Medallion Competition in Collaborative

Piano, and was the sole recipient of the award for excellence in chamber music upon graduating from

The Manhattan School of Music. A specialist in French repertoire, Ms. Levioff had the privilege of

studying with Philippe Bianconi, Philippe Entremont, and the late Gaby Casadesus in Fontainebleau,

France, at The American Conservatory summer program. She is on the faculty of the 92nd Street Y

School of Music, and has been a Yamaha artist since 2004.

Sara Albert Lewis American trombonist, is an active freelance musician in the New York City metro

area and is currently second trombonist with The Westchester Chamber Symphony, a principal member

of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Brass Quintet, and manager of The Opera On Tap Orchestra.

She was second trombone of The Southwest Florida Symphony and has been a prizewinner in many

international solo competitions. Ms. Lewis has performed with The Florida Orchestra, The Jackson-

ville Symphony, The Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, The Walt Disney's TubaFours, The Skif Dank

Band, and The Florida West Coast Symphony. She holds degrees in trombone performance from

Indiana University and The Manhattan School of Music.

Qing Li Chinese violinist, is principal second violin with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Li

joined the BSO in 1993, and was the acting assistant concert master in 1999-2000. Her solo perfor-

mances with The Baltimore Symphony garnered her critical praise for her astonishing musical

versatility of "the highest level musically" David Zinman, and "unsurpassed technical brilliance" by

Hohenlohe, Germany. As a chamber musician, Ms. Li has collaborated with such luminaries as Hilary

Hahn and Pinchas Zukerman. The winner of some of the most prestigious national and international

competitions, she has also won fellowships with major music festival programs including Aspen,

Tanglewood, and Meadowmount. In 2010, Ms. Li was on the faculty of the music department of The

University of Delaware. She earned both a Bachelor of Music Degree and Performance Certificate

from The Peabody Institute. Her teachers included Joseph Gingold and Berl Senofski. Ms. Li performs on a 1736

Gagliano, Naples.

Natasha Lipkina Russian violinist and violist, has won prizes in the Enescu Violin Competition in

Romania and in The Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition in St. Petersburg. She has performed

as a recitalist in Russia and Republics of the former Soviet Union, and has performed with orchestras

in Russia, Romania, Germany, Finland, Japan, and the United States. She has performed on Moscow

Radio and Russian television and has participated in numerous recordings of film music. As a quartet

member, she was recently seen on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with David Letterman, and

The Today Show. Ms. Lipkina made her viola debut with The Dubkinski Quartet. She has participated

both as a violinist and violist in numerous chamber festivals around the world. Ms. Lipkina received

her education in the Moscow Central Special School of Music, The Moscow Conservatory, and Indiana

University. She has been on the faculties of the music departments of NYU School of Education and The Children's

Orchestra Society.

Caitlin McConnell Cellist, is winner of numerous prizes, including the Pennsylvania, Regional, and

National Divisions of the National Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Competitions; the Gladys W.

Fisher Violoncello Award; the PFMC Award; the Agnes Fowler/Marie V. Thiesen Award; and the

Lawrence Foster Violoncello Award, among others. Ms. McConnell has performed extensively in the

United States, Holland, and Germany, where she toured and was featured on German television. She

has performed at such prestigious festivals as The Soesterberg International Music Festival in Holland

and InterHarmony International Music Festival in the Berkshires, MA. Ms. McConnell has performed

in master classes with Ron Leonard, Janet Sung, Kyoko Hashimoto, Anna Balakerskaia, Yuri

Mazurkevich, and Sidney Harth, and is as graduate of Duquesne University.

Continued...

Theresa McDonnell American hornist, has enjoyed a career playing in orchestras in the New York

Metropolitan area and on Broadway shows; she is currently playing at Spiderman Turn Off the Dark.

Orchestra credits include The Orchestra of St. Ignatius, The Oratorio Society of New York, Teatro

Grattacielo, The Westfield Symphony, The New Jersey State Opera, The Orchestra of St. Lukes, and

The New Jersey Symphony. Ms. MacDonnell began her musical theater career at The Paper Mill

Playhouse. She has played in numerous Broadway shows such as West Side Story, Spamalot, Tarzan,

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Nine, 42nd St, Jesus Christ Superstar, On the Town, Titanic and Sunset

Boulevard. Ms. MacDonnell has performed with Natalie Merchant, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin,

Barry Manilow, YES, John Denver, and The Three Irish Tenors. She can be heard on Disney's

cartoon series Little Einsteins. Ms. MacDonnell is a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music.

Andrea Menousek American hornist, has been a member of The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

since 1991, where she plays the position of second French horn. She frequently performs with the

NJSO Brass Quintet and the NJSO Woodwind Quintet. Ms. Menousek has also been a member of The

Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic since 1994, where she holds the principal horn position and

where she has performed as a concerto soloist. Ms. Menousek frequently performs with The Philadel-

phia Orchestra and has also performed with The Arizona Opera Orchestra, The American Symphony

Orchestra, and The International Mozart Festival in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She has been awarded

French Horn fellowships with The Tanglewood Music Center, The Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and

The National Orchestra Institute. Ms. Menousek received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Boston

University and a Master of Music Degree from both the University of Massachusetts and The Juilliard School.

Katherine Needleman American oboist, is principal oboist of The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

since 2003, the same year she won first prize at the International Double Reed Society‟s Gillet-Fox

Competition. She has made solo appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Saint Paul

Chamber Orchestra, and The Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra, among many others. She has also

appeared as guest principal oboist with The New York Philharmonic, The Saint Paul Chamber Orch-

estra, and the symphony orchestras of Boston, Atlanta, San Diego, and New Zealand. Formerly, she was

principal oboist of The Richmond Symphony and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Ms. Needle-

man is a founding member of the oboe trio, Trio La Milpa. As a chamber musician she has performed

in Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and The Metropolitan Museum, among others. She has appeared

at Italy‟s Spoleto Festival, The Alpenglow Festival, The Newport Music Festival, and frequently participates in The

Marlboro Music Festival Ms. Needleman received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of

Music. She is a Yamaha performing artist and a member of the faculty at The Peabody Conservatory.

Marilyn Rife American percussionist, served as principal percussionist/assistant principal timpanist

with The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, and also simultaneously served as an extra percussionist

with The Chicago Symphony for over 20 years. Ms. Rife has been a featured soloist with The Winters

Chamber Orchestra in the world premiere of Primitive Echoes, Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra,

by Alice Gomez. Ms. Rife records with composer/instrumentalist Alice Gomez, and flutist Madalyn

Blanchett. Their top selling recording, Flute Dreams, and their last recording, Obsidian Butterfly, were

released on Silver Wave Records. Many of their tracks can be heard on the soundtrack for the IMAX

movie, Bears. Ms. Rife and Alice Gomez also have several educational percussion works published by

Southern Music Company, including the popular marimba works, Rain Dance and Mbira Song. Ms.

Rife was Instructor of Percussion at Trinity University and St. Mary's University, both in San Antonio, TX. She is a

graduate of Oberlin College.

Carol Rodland American violist and recipient of a Fullbright Grant, studied with Karen Tuttle at The

Juilliard School. She was Ms. Tuttle's teaching assistant for several years before taking a position as a

viola teacher at The New England Conservatory. Ms. Rodland joined the faculty at The Eastman

School of Music for the fall 2008 semester, replacing the retiring John Graham.

Continued...

Eriko Sato Japanese violinist is a leading member of the New York City chamber orchestra and

chamber music scene. For the past two decades, Ms. Sato has been a co-concertmaster of The

Orchestra of St. Luke's and The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She is winner of the Tibor Varga

International competition and three Japanese National Awards, and has appeared as soloist with The

Louisville, San Francisco Chamber, Aspen Chamber and Tokyo Imperial orchestras. Ms. Sato has also

performed regularly with The Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, Gretna, and Chamber Music Northwest

festivals and Bargemusic. She has recorded for Vanguard, Deutsche Grammophon, Musical Heritage,

and Grenadilla. Ms. Sato teaches at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School and The Mannes College of

Music, and is a member of The Elysium and Ecliptica Chamber Ensembles along with her husband,

pianist David Oei.

Judith Saxton American trumpeter, enjoys an international career as a versatile and sought-after

orchestral performer, chamber musician, soloist and clinician. Her career includes performances in the

Soviet Union, South America, Australia, Europe and Japan in addition to her three years as principal and

soloist with The Hong Kong Philharmonic. In 2010-11, she performed principal with The St. Louis

Symphony on a set of subscription concerts. Her solo CD Concert and Contest Pieces for Trumpet was

chosen to be the free CD offered to all 5,500 members of The International Trumpet Guild with the

March, 2011 journal. Currently, she is trumpet artist/faculty and brass coordinator at The University of

North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), artist/faculty with The Eastern Music Festival (NC), and

principal and soloist with The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival (VA). Her recordings are on Crystal

Koss, Proto, Novitas, MSR, and Moravian Music Foundation labels. Ms. Saxton is a member of The Fulbright National

Screening Committee, and received her Bachelor of Music Education from Mansfield University, PA, and Master of

Music Degree from Northwestern University.

Maria Schleuning Violinist, has been performing with the Dallas-based contemporary music ensemble

Voices of Change since 1996, and was appointed Artistic Director in 2009. She has been a member and

featured soloist with The Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 1994. Ms. Schleuning has performed in

venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Hall, and The Museum of Modern Art as well as

numerous festivals throughout United States and Europe. Since 1993, she has been a faculty member at

The Bowdoin International Music in Maine, and has served in the same capacity at Idyllwild Arts in

California since 2007.She has recorded with Continuum in New York, as well as in Dallas with the

GRAMMY-nominated Voices of Change, and the Walden Piano Quartet. Ms. Schleuning received her

Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School.

Sophie Shao American cellist, was winner of top prizes at the 2001 Rostropovich Competition and the

XII Tchaikovsky Competition in 2002. Ms. Shao received the Avery Fisher Career Grant at the age of

19, and made her first appearance with The Houston Symphony at the age of 11. Other orchestral

appearances include L‟Orchestre de Paris and The Russian State Academic Symphony Cappella,

among others. She has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, appearing in such

venues as The 92nd Street Y, Carnegie, Avery Fisher, Alice Tully, and Merkin Halls in New York;

Suntory Hall in Tokyo; Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh; and Ford Centre in Toronto. Ms. Shao has collaborat-

ed with members of The Beaux Arts Trio; The Guarneri, Juilliard, Orion, Cleveland, Mendelssohn

String Quartets; and has performed with such distinguished artists as Gary Graffman, David Shifrin,

Andre Previn, Andras Schiff, Ani Kavafian, Andre Watts, and Christoph Eschenbach. She was a member of Chamber

Music Society Two, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's program for emerging young artists, and continues

to be a regular guest at The Chamber Music Society. A graduate of The Curtis Institute and Yale University, Ms. Shao

teaches cello at The Bard College Conservatory of Music, Vassar College, and Princeton University. She can be heard

on EMI Classics, Bridge Records, and Albany Records.

Continued...

Gili Sharett Israeli bassoonist, has played solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, and The

Tel Aviv Museum for the Arts in The Israel Philharmonic Chamber Music series. She plays regularly

in New York with The New York City Ballet, The American Symphony, on Broadway, the Encores!

series at City Center, and has performed with The Israel Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta

and the International Symphony Orchestra in Jerusalem under the baton of Lorin Maazel. Among her

numerous festival appearances are The Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland, Winter in Jerusalem in

Israel, and The Bard Summer Music Festival. Ms. Sharett has recorded for the Naïve, Nonesuch and

Tzadik labels with artists such as Lauryn Hill, the Rafi Malkiel Ensemble, The Light in the Piazza

musical, Suedama Ensemble, Dan Aran Jazz CD, among others. Ms. Sharett was on the faculty of

The Brevard Music Center during the summers of 2002 through 2005, and is currently on the faculty of The Blooming-

dale School of Music. She studied with Kim Laskowski, Dennis Godburn, Leonard Hindell and Mordechai Rechtman.

Maureen Strenge American bassoonist, is the principal bassoonist with The Northeast Pennsylvania

Philharmonic. As a freelance musician, she performs with many orchestras in the Metropolitan New

York area including The American Symphony Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Bard

Festival, The New York Philharmonic, The New Jersey Symphony, and The NewPaths in Music

Festival. She has performed in many of the Broadway orchestras, including Beauty and the Beast, Miss

Saigon, Nine, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, La Boheme, and West Side Story. She has recorded

with Dennis Russell Davies on the Musicmasters Label, on TelArc with Sir Charles Mackerras, and

with David Zinman on Elektra/Nonesuch. Ms. Strenge earned a Bachelor of Music Degree and a

Performer‟s Certificate from The Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music Degree from The

Juilliard School of Music.

Mirjam Tschopp Swiss violinist and violist, was the only prizewinner of the 2000 Max Rostal Viola

Competition in Berlin. Ms. Tschopp works closely with living composers and has premiered numerous

works, including a critically acclaimed performance with the WDR Symphony Orchestra in 2003 of

Nicolas Bacri‟s Third Violin Concerto, which was written for her. She appears as a soloist with such

orchestras as The Berliner Symphonics, The Dresden Philharmonic, The Camerata St. Petersburg, and

The National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina, and has performed in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam,

the Wigmore Hall London, the Kosciuszko Foundation New York, and the Grosse Musikhalle

Hamburg, among others. Ms. Tschopp has made a name for herself in ensembles including Anne-

Sophie Mutter, Josef Suk, Julian Milkis and Peter-Lukas Graf. Her recordings include the violin and

viola concertos of Ahmed Adnan Saygun, under the cpo label. Future recordings include the violin concertos of Ernest

Bloch and Ulvi Cemal Erkin. Ms. Tschopp holds a teaching post for violin and viola at The Tiroler Landeskonser-

vatorium.

Katalin Viszmeg Hungarian violinist, is the principal violinist of The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber

Orchestra and also performs with The Hartford Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber player,

Ms. Viszmeg debuted at Carnegie Hall as a member of The Sylveen String Quartet. Through her

collaboration with The New World Trio. Ms. Viszmeg formed the Kelet Duo with pianist Pi-Hsun

Shih, enthusiastically promoting the music of Eastern Europe and East Asia. Ms. Viszmeg has

performed as a soloist with various ensembles around the world, including the Béla Bartñk Youth

Orchestra, The Sándor Frigyes Chamber Orchestra, The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and

The Hartt Symphony. She garnered top prizes at the Hungarian National Violin Solo Competition, the

Hungarian National Chamber Music Competition, and the International Chamber Music Ensemble

Competition held in Boston, and was the winner of the Paranov Concerto Competition at the Hartt School. Ms. Viszmeg

earned her Bachelor and MasterDegrees from The Franz Liszt Music Academy and also completed an Artist Diploma as

part of the 20/20 Chamber Music Program at The Hartt School.

Continued...

Brenda Weckerly American percussionist, performs as a freelance musician with numerous orchestras

and ensembles, including The Harrisburg Symphony, The Delaware Symphony, Opera Delaware,

Orchestra 2001, The Ocean City Pops Orchestra, The Philadelphia Gay Men‟s Choir, The Allentown

Symphony, The Bach and Handel Chorale, and The Lancaster Symphony. Ms. Weckerly has held

positions with the President‟s Own U.S. Marine Band in Washington D.C., The Wichita Symphony,

and The Oklahoma Sinfonia. For eight years, she performed regularly with The Washington National

Opera, with which she toured Japan in 2002 with soloists Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo.

Ms. Weckerly earned her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Percussion Performance from DePaul

University and Wichita State University, respectively.

Nioka Kim Workman American cellist, is a highly sought after freelance musician with a rich musical

repertoire. Ms. Workman currently plays composed and improvised music on acoustic and electric

cellos, and tours in the U.S. and abroad with her own band with stellar artists such as India Arie, Dionne

Warwick, Kanye West, and Jay-Z and Avery Brooks, among others. She has freelanced with the

Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Kitchen House Blend, and the Housing Authority Orchestra. Ms.Workman

actively records for film and television and has appeared live on Good Morning America, Saturday

Night Live, PBS, the Oprah Network, and NBC, as well as on various sound tracks such as Maid in

Manhattan, Beyonce‟s Baby Boy, and Nickelodeon‟s Blue‟s Clues. She has co-produced music with

Michael Wimberly for Alvin Ailey II. Ms. Workman received a Bachelor of Music degree from the

Aaron Copeland School of Music/Queen's College.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR Virginia Luque World-renowned guitar virtuoso

Virginia Luque has turned her talents toward humanitarian relief as founder

of Music for Life NYC and Director of The New York Women's Ensemble,

a non-profit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and cultural

outreach through the musical arts. A native of Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain,

Ms. Luque began studying privately at the age of 11 with musical legend,

guitarist Andres Segovia. Since then, she has performed in major concert

halls around the world, thrilling audiences with her unparalleled perfor-

mances of exquisite musicianship and beauty. Ms. Luque recently recorded

Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. As a conductor,

Ms. Luque has recorded both the Mozart Concerto in C major, K.467 with GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Sonia

Rubinsky, and the Mozart Symphony in G minor, K.550 with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Luque's other

pursuits have garnered her a First Prize in the International Competition of Poetry based in Puerto Rico. She also received

her Professional Chef Degree from The French Culinary Institute of New York. Ms. Luque received a Master of Music

degree in Spain and, at Segovia's suggestion, came to America where she also received a Master of Music Degree from

The Juilliard School.

Ana María Martínez, soprano

Grammy Award® winner Ana Marìa Martìnez' dramatic range distinguishes her as one

of today's most sophisticated lyric sopranos. Her career spans the world's opera houses,

concert halls, recording studios and movie theatres, and she continues to engage her

audiences both with her signature roles and with new and exciting debuts on stage.

Released to critical acclaim is her recorded solo effort, simply titled Ana Marìa Martìnez

- Soprano Songs and Arias, recorded with the Prague Philharmonia conducted by Steven

Mercurio on Naxos. She stars on the Decca DVD Cosi Fan Tutte filmed at the Salzburg

Festival and performs the role of Nedda opposite Andrea Bocelli in the Universal CD

recording of I Pagliacci which debuted at #1. DVDs on the Euro Arts label include

Spanish Night with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Placido Domingo, and Amor,

Vida de Mi Vida where she joins Placido Domingo for Zarzuelas recorded live with the

Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg.

Ms. Martinez begins the 2009 - 2010 season on tour with Placido Domingo for concerts in Cartagena and Lima, Peru.

She then returns to the stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago following her debut last year as Nedda in I Pagliacci, this time

as Marguerite in Faust, which marks her debut in the role. She travels to her native Puerto Rico twice during the season,

first to Opera de Puerto Rico as Mimi in La Boheme and then to the Casals Festival for Mahler‟s Symphony No. 4 and a

selection of Mozart‟s concert arias. In addition, she will be heard in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra of

the Dominican Republic and the BBC Symphony at Barbican Hall. She then returns to De Nederlandse Opera in Amster-

dam as Liu in Turandot and finishes the season at the Ravinia Festival as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte conducted by James

Conlon.

The 2008-2009 season found Ms. Martinez singing the title role of Luisa Miller and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro

both with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Nedda in I Pagliacci with the Houston Grand Opera, and Amelia in Si-

mon Boccanegra with the San Francisco Opera. House debuts during the season included Nedda in I Pagliacci with the

Lyric Opera of Chicago, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus at Dallas Opera, and her headline making role and house debut as

the title role in Rusalka at the Glyndebourne Festival: "In the title role, the Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez

does brave back- flips before singing a radiant „Song to the Moon‟. Her dusky lyric soprano rides the great closing scene

to heartbreaking effect." (Sunday Telegraph)

Back on the concert stage she made her debut with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra in Moscow, with the Filhar-

monica della Scala, under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel for her Teatro alla Scala debut, and with the New York

Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in a concert conducted by Alan Gilbert in selections from West Side Story as part of a

celebration of Leonard Bernstein. She toured with both Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli, and was a guest soloist at

the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy.

Highlights of her 2007-2008 season included performing the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera

House Covent Garden. No stranger to this role, a previous portrayal resulted in Hugh Canning of the London Times

heralding Martinez as "...one of the most vocally lustrous and temperamental performers of this role here since Kiri Te

Kanawa's early days. Martinez is a beautiful woman with a fascinating voice, full of velvety mezzoish half-tints in the

middle and bottom ranges, with a gleaming top. She must come back soon, and often."

She also performed in concert with Placido Domingo in Spain and Germany as well as at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago

in addition to the Salzburg Festival, in an all-Zarzuela concert for TV entitled, "Amor, Vida de Mi Vida." She portrayed

Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte with the Florida Grand Opera and returned to the Opera de Bastille in Paris to sing the title

role in a new production of Verdi's Luisa Miller under the baton of Massimo Zanetti; singing the role of Mimi in La

Boheme with the Houston Grand Opera conducted by Patrick Summers; a debut with the SWR Sinfonieorchester

Baden-Baden und Freiburg for her first Verdi Requiem conducted by Sylvan Cambreling; and a debut with the Orchestre

de Paris to sing Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony. She also returned to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton

of Gustavo Dudamel to sing Villa-Lobos and selected Spanish and Latin American repertoire.

Highlights of the '05-'06 season included the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Houston Grand Opera and as Mi-

caëla in Carmen at San Francisco Opera as well as her debut as Nedda in I Pagliacci at the Netherlands Opera and her

Metropolitan Opera debut as Micaëla in Carmen for which Marion Lignana Rosenberg of Newsday said:

"A lovely singer, Martìnez is something more rare and wonderful besides: a beautiful musician. She shades her smoky, Continued...

soft-grained voice with finesse, phrasing with unfussy grace and serving up some of the most ravishing soft singing

heard at the Met in years. "

She also returned to Covent Garden as Violetta in La Traviata, her role debut as la Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro at the

Houston Grand Opera, and her debut at Paris Opera Bastille as Amelia in a new production of Simon Boccanegra.

In the 2004-2005 season Ms. Martinez created the role of Lucero in the world premiere of Daniel Catán's Salsipuedes

with the Houston Grand Opera and performed with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Other

highlights of the season included performances of Mimí in La Boheme with the Los Angeles Opera and a return to

Houston for a revival production of Roméo et Juliette. The summer festival season found Ms. Martinez at the Santa Fe

Opera in another role debut, singing Rosina in a new production of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Ms. Martinez' previous season included several critically acclaimed debuts: at the Santa Fe Opera as Fiordiligi in Cosí

fan Tutte, at the Dresden Semper Opera as Mimí in La Bohème and at the San Francisco Opera as Pamina in the Die

Zauberflöte, a role she has sung with the Vienna Staatsoper, Seattle, Bonn and Stuttgart operas. She returned to the

Deutsche Oper Berlin to perform Mimí in La Bohème as well as Violetta in their season's production of La Traviata.

Ms. Martinez also returned to Houston as Liù in Turandot and in the same role at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. The

festival season found Ms. Martinez returning to Santa Fe Opera as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.

Other highlights were her Hamburg Opera debut as Blanche in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites, her Violetta con-

ducted by Plácido Domingo at the Los Angeles Opera; her Deutsche Oper Berlin debut in Götz Friedrich's production

of Luisa Miller; her debut at the Vienna Staatsoper as Adina in L'elisir d'amore, and her acclaimed performance of

Mélisande in a Dieter Dorn production at the Florence Maggio Musicale Festival under Giuseppe Sinopoli. Martìnez

also performed with the Boston Symphony conducted by Bernard Haitink in both Boston and Carnegie Hall and toured

the world and appeared at the White House with Plácido Domingo and with Andrea Bocelli in concert. Other past en-

gagements include performing at the Richard Tucker Gala in New York's Avery Fisher Hall conducted by Julius Rudel,

as well as performances at Bonn, Montpellier, Stuttgart, Vienna, Los Angeles, New York City Opera, Minnesota, Seat-

tle, and Washington Opera.

In addition to her 2005 self titled CD on the Naxos label which Gramophone Magazine selected for their "Editor's

Choice," her discography includes a performance on Steven Mercurio's Sony Classical CD, Many Voices, and the Latin

Grammy award-winning recording of Albeniz's Merlin with Plácido Domingo (Decca), which coincided with the Gram-

my nominated recording of Bacalov's Misa Tango with Plácido Domingo (Deutsche Grammophon). Additional record-

ings include Glass' La Belle et la Bête and Symphony No. 5 (Nonesuch), Albeniz's Henry Clifford (Decca), Joaquin Ro-

drigo's: Obra Vocal I, II, IV & V (EMI), and Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas (Albany). Recorded on Naxos for

the Milken Archives and with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, she can be heard on Castelnuovo Tedesco's Nao-

mi & Ruth Opus 27 (Naxos) as well as Yizkor's Requiem (Naxos) and with the Barcelona Symphony, Marvin Levy's

Canto de los Marranos (Naxos), Julius Chajes' Old Jerusalem (Naxos) and Hugo Weisgall's Psalm of the Distant Dove

(Naxos).

Her rendition of Ave Maria is heard in the Denzel Washington film "John Q" and she has been featured on the Emmy

nominated PBS TV special and DVD American Dream: Andrea Bocelli's Statue of Liberty Concert with the New Jersey

Symphony.

A graduate of the Juilliard School with Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and alumna of the Houston Grand Opera

Studio, Martinez won the Pepita Embil Award at the 1995 Operalia II, first prize in the 1994 Eleanor McCollum Audi-

tions and Awards from Houston Grand Opera, and in the 1993 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions she was

a first place district and first place regional winner and national finalist. Martinez offers candid encouragement to young

singers as a contributing editor to Classical Singer Magazine. Martinez is the recipient of the National Association of

Latina Leaders' Groundbreaking Latina in Music award. Her recollections and reflections are profiled in Latino Wisdom:

Celebrity Stories of Hope, Inspiration, and Success to Recharge our Mind, Body, and Soul by Cathy Areu, published by

Barricade Books.

Continued...

Sonia Rubinsky, pianist

Sonia Rubinsky exemplifies the great tradition of virtuoso pianists: a profound and

serious musical commitment combined with an exciting and refined technical gift. She

is the winner of the 2009 Latin Grammy Award Best Recording of the Year for the 8th

Villa-Lobos CD of the series : Complete Piano Works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (8CDs),

Naxos.

Her ongoing drive to learn new repertoire has resulted in an active body of works that

includes numerous concertos and countless solo works encompassing all periods from

the Baroque to the present day.

Ms. Rubinsky is of Slavic origin. She lived 13 years in Brazil, seven in Israel, and the

rest of her adult life in New York. She gave her first concert at the age of five and a

half, and was soloist with orchestra at the age of 12. At the age of 16, she played for

Arthur Rubinstein, who immediately exclaimed upon hearing her: "What a temperament!" Miss Rubinsky appears in the

movie Arthur Rubinstein in Jerusalem.

Encouraged by this extraordinary maître, Miss Rubinsky obtained her Doctor of Arts Degree from The Juilliard School

in New York. She has appeared as recitalist in many of the most well known concert halls in the US, Europe, and Brazil,

including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bargemusic, Merkin Concert Hall, and the Miller

Theatre in New York; Hertz Hall, Berkeley, CA; Jordan Hall, Boston; Tel-Aviv Museum of Art -- Recanati Hall, Israel;

Teatro Municipal de São Paulo, Sala São Paulo, Brazil; and Aga-Zaal, Holland. She is a recipient of the prestigious

William Petschek Award as well as a "Best Recitalist of the Year" award from the São Paulo Association of Music

Critics. She won the Carlos Gomes Prize as Pianist of the Year for 2006.

As soloist, Sonia Rubinsky has played with a considerable number of orchestras, including the Orchestra of St. Luke's in

New York, as well as the Richmond, Springfield, Syracuse, Jacksonville, Cheyenne, and Phoenix Symphony Orchestras.

In Brazil, Miss Rubinsky has appeared with its most notable orchestras including the São Paulo State Symphony Orches-

tra (OSESP), the Orchestra of the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo and of Rio de Janeiro, and the University of São Paulo

Symphony Orchestra (OSUSP).

Miss Rubinsky recently finished recording the complete works of Villa-Lobos for piano for Naxos (a total of 8 CDs).

All recordings, together with her widely acclaimed Vol. I – chosen "One of the best five recordings of 1999", Bryce

Morrison, Gramophone Magazine (also nominated for a GRAMMY, 1999), are available worldwide and have received

rave reviews. Volume V was chosen as one of the 10 best releases of October 2006 by Gramophone Magazine – Editor's

Choice. Miss Rubinsky has also recorded for Nonesuch/Elektra (John Adams), Daghlian label (Debussy, Villa-Lobos

and Messiaen), Albany Records (Jorge Liderman), Clássicos (Mozart) and Scarlatti for Algol Editora.

Elisa Brown, soprano

Elisa Brown is dedicated to helping others through song, performing exten-

sively for the Zaraspe Foundation on behalf of the United Nations and other

humanitarian organizations to raise awareness for the less fortunate around the

world. The Zaraspe Foundation's motto: "Teach a Child. Help the Youth.

Protect the Elderly." shares Elisa's belief that the arts will bring prosperity to all

who are touched by them.

In addition to her work for the Zaraspe Foundation, Elisa has been a featured

soloist in numerous chamber ensembles throughout the Americas. Ms. Brown was the lead character in the Off-Broad-

way show, Spirito e Core, Kenneth Cooper conducting. Her debut CD, The Ave Maria Experience, was co-arranged and

produced with GRAMMY® Award winning producer Barry Goldstein. Their upcoming CD is scheduled to be released

in Spring 2012. Ms. Brown is a vlog reporter for Dig This Real Magazine in New York City, showcasing a variety of

spectacular music and dance performances from around the world.

Ms. Brown received a Bachelor of Music Degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music and studied voice with interna-

tionally distinguished voice teachers Maria Farnworth, Josephine Mongiardo, and Maria Powell.

Music for Life NYC Advisory Board

Remigio Morales Bermudez Former Minister of Agriculture of Peru, the son of the former President of Peru Francisco

Morales- Bermudez, and grandson of one of the first democratic Presidents of Peru, Remigio Morales Bermudez.

Sonia Braga Renowned Brazilian actress and star of many Hollywood and Brazilian films, nominated for both a Gold-

en Globe and an Emmy Award amongst others.

Elisa Brown Soprano who frequently performs and collaborates with The Zaraspe Foundation; vlog reporter/podcaster

for Dig This Real Magazine NYC; Advisory member of the Board of Directors of Young Global Leadership Foundation

(YGLF) and Co-Chair of the Performing Arts of the Learning Leadership Program.

Fabiano Canosa Involved in film making, former Curator of the New York Film Anthology; Board Member of and

Adviser to Symphony Space in NYC.

Russell Cleveland Founder, President and CEO of RENN Capital Group Inc.

Stuart Deutsch A Live Musical Documentary Film Maker with more than 100 films to his credits, he has filmed some

of the most well- known musicians in the business.

Shariff Eddine Financial Professional with Advanced Wealth Solutions Group, LLC; Ordained Minister; spokesperson

for The Young Global Leadership Foundation; serves with The James Dudley Luce Foundation.

Hermann Hauser III International Guitar Luthier.

Gilbert Hetherwick Independent consultant and producer for music artists in various genres; former President World-

wide Sony BMG Entertainment Masterworks.

Naomi Judd Multi-Platinum Recording Artist; Film and Television Actress, Bestselling Author.

Paul Polycarpou President of The Nashville Arts Magazine.

Iñigo Ramirez de Haro Consul Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Spain.

Sonia Rubinsky International Latin GRAMMY® Award Winning Pianist.

Larry Strickland Member of the Stamps Quartet that toured with Elvis Presley; Member of the Gospel Classic Sound

Quartet, Naomi Judd's manager and husband.

Dr. Linda Stillman Cultural Communications Specialist; United Nations NGO Representative for Soroptimist Inter-

national; founder of Young Global Leadership Foundation.

Rick Vito Legendary Rock/Blues Guitarist and Composer.

Maestro Hector Zaraspe Choreographer, Ballet Master, longtime Professor of Dance at The Juilliard School; Founder

of charitable organization Fundacion Zaraspe; and former Private Coach of Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn.

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