Sponsored By Jim Johnson
Winner of the 2002 Orléans Concours International and Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition, Canadian pianist Winston Choi is an inquisitive performer whose fresh approach to standard repertory, and masterful understanding, performance and commitment to works by living composers, make him one of today’s most dynamic young concert artists.
Sponsored by John Sampen & Marilyn Shrude
Soprano Charlotte Christie has appeared on stage in roles ranging from Carolina in Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage to Cinderella in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Charlotte spent two summers performing in the Classical Voice and Opera Program at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.
Sponsored by John Jamison & Kathy Wildermuth
Montana native Korine Fujiwara is a founding Carpe Diem String Quartet member, a devoted and sought-after chamber musician and teacher, and a gifted composer and arranger.
One of the most unique and sought-after chamber ensembles on the concert stage today, the Carpe Diem String Quartet is a boundary-breaking ensemble that has earned widespread critical and audience acclaim for its innovative programming and electrifying performances. Carpe Diem defies easy classification with programming that includes classical, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music.
Praised by The Cleveland Classical Review for his “astonishingly confident technique” and The New York Times for “thrilling [and] triumphant” performances, pianist Henry Kramer is developing a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.
Sponsored by Edward & Karleen Heintzberger
Norbert Lewandowski was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and began cello studies at the age of 13. He holds a Master's degree in performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music and currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina, where he is the principal cellist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
Sponsored by Albert Marshall
Violinist/violist Philip Payton is a member of the American Symphony, American Modern Ensemble, Furiant Trio, and Vital String Quartet. He also performs in Alarm Will Sound, American Ballet Theater, Colour of Music, Harlem Chamber Players, New Jersey Symphony, Nu Deco Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Sarasota Orchestra, and several others.
Sponsored by Elizabeth Carr
Kevin Schempf is Associate Professor of Clarinet at Bowling Green State University and is active as a soloist, chamber and symphony musician. After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Eastman School of Music, he performed with the United States Coast Guard Band and toured with them throughout the United States and to St. Petersburg, Russia. A frequent soloist with the Band, he was featured on NPR broadcasts and on their 75th Anniversary CD recording.
Sponsored By Jim Johnson
A multi-faceted performer with unique communicative abilities, MingHuan Xu has delighted audiences with her passion, effortless technique, sensitivity and charisma. Her versatility allows her to perform an eclectic mix of musical styles ranging from the standard works to avant-garde contemporary repertoire.
Garrett’s richness of sound identifies his sincereness and intellectual curiosity in his performance. His passion for developing the genre of percussion music has inspired many composers and musicians through creative collaboration and workshops.
Cellist Hamilton Berry’s eclectic taste has led him to pursue various performing, arranging, and composing projects in the New York area and beyond. A member of PUBLIQuartet, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Toomai String Quintet, Founders, and The Con Brio Ensemble.
Beyond This Point (BTP) is a Chicago-based percussion-based collaborative ensemble that aims to engage diverse audiences by exploring resonances and intersections across artistic mediums.
Violinist Brittany Boulding Breeden, a member of the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera Orchestra, has appeared most recently as a soloist with the Olympia Symphony, Northwest Sinfonietta, Auburn Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, and many more.
Saxophonist Roberto Campa is an up-and-coming artist pursuing a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance at the University of Michigan.
The Cerus Quartet consists of Roberto Campa on soprano saxophone, Laura Ramsay on alto saxophone, Kyle Kato on tenor saxophone and Samuel Dishon.
Violinist and violist Timothy Christie enjoys a multifaceted career as performer, teacher, public speaker and recording artist. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival (WWCMF), a nonprofit organization in southeastern Washington presenting more than 40 public chamber music events annually.
Percussionist John Corkill is a passionate advocate for the development, process, and creation of new artistic works that are accessible to the public at large. He is currently the percussionist for the University of Chicago’s Grossman Ensemble, an ensemble-in-residence at the University’s Center for Contemporary Composition.
James W. Doyle is a percussionist, teaching artist, composer, improviser, and multidisciplinary collaborator based in the Pacific Northwest.
Flutist Tracy Doyle is the Director of the School of Music at the University of Puget Sound. Previously, Tracy spent fifteen years at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, where she taught applied flute and courses in music education. Advocacy, equity, and community engagement are at the heart of Tracy’s work as a musician, educator, and leader.
Finnish-born cellist Katri Ervamaa, DMA, is a versatile performer, who specializes in chamber music, new music and creative improvisation. She has performed and given master classes throughout North America, Europe and Taiwan.
Soprano Jennifer Goltz-Taylor specializes in new chamber music, opera, and cabaret. Her reputation for interpretive sensitivity, vocal virtuosity, musical precision, and creativity as a performer has inspired Michael Daugherty, Robert Morris, Andrew Mead, Evan Chambers, Forrest Pierce, Stephen Rush, and many others to compose for her.
Sijia Huang, a native of Shenzhen, China, is a percussionist who has made significant strides in her musical career. She recently attained her Master of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music under the esteemed guidance of Robert van Sice.
Brian Kachur is a performing artist and music educator from Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. He has garnered both national and international recognition as a soloist — having been named a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, Winner of the University of Michigan Concerto Competition, and having been selected as a contestant for the eighth Adolphe Sax International Competition in Dinant, Belgium.
Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, saxophonist Philip Kleutgens attends Northwestern University, where he is completing a master’s degree studying with Professor Taimur Sullivan.
Praised for his “sweet, luxurious” sound (Fanfare), and the “thoughtfulness and seriousness” (Nashville Scene) of his interpretations, violinist Stephen Miahky serves as the Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin and First Violin of the Blair String Quartet at Vanderbilt University.
Nonoka Mizukami is a percussionist and educator based in Baltimore, MD. She is committed to performing contemporary music with living composers in various settings, such as solo marimba, chamber, and orchestra, in Japan and the US and to growing music education for the next generation.
Vanessa Moss is a tenacious performer, educator, and orchestral leader who has built a diverse musical career. Born and raised in the Northwest, she holds leadership roles across Washington state. Ms. Moss serves as concertmaster of the Walla Walla and Mid-Columbia Symphony Orchestras and as violinist with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. She is also the founder and Artistic Director of Sempre Chamber Music, a repertory ensemble of chamber musicians performing in the inland Northwest.
Applauded by The Washington Post as "a perfect encapsulation of today's trends in chamber music" and by The New Yorker as "independent-minded," multi-GRAMMY®-nominated PUBLIQuartet is an improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. PUBLIQuartet rose on the music scene as winner of the 2013 Concert Artists Guild New Music/New Places award, and in 2019 garnered Chamber Music America's prestigious Visionary Award for outstanding and innovative approaches to contemporary classical, jazz, and world chamber music.
Laura Ramsay is a saxophonist and educator originally from Bergenfield, NJ. She is in her final year of working towards undergraduate degrees in saxophone performance and music education at the University of Michigan, in the GRAMMY-award-winning saxophonist Timothy McAllister studio.
Praised as an “excellent soloist” of “great virtuosity” (NY Concert Review), with performances depicted as “thrilling” (Boston Globe), violinist Rubén Rengel is quickly gaining recognition as a remarkably gifted artist. Rubén was the winner of the Robert F. Smith Prize at the 2018 Sphinx Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition (2014), recipient of the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Prize (2019) and the Anna Y. Tringas Award (2013), and winner of the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela (2011).
When Nick Revel is not touring as founding violist of the multi-GRAMMY™ Nominated PUBLIQuartet, he is composing, producing, and performing original solo pieces, audio engineering ensembles of various shapes and sizes, and teaching students of all ages.
With “a special ability to present touching interpretations” (El Norte), Brazilian pianist Ronaldo Rolim is a prominent figure among the newest generation of outstanding musicians.
Chicago-based percussionist and performer Adam Rosenblatt has a penchant for finding interesting and uncommon ways to present and perform contemporary music.
Maria Sampen, Professor of Violin at University of Puget Sound, enjoys a vibrant career as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. Equally at home with repertoire ranging from classical to avant-garde to popular styles, Dr. Sampen has delighted audiences with her eclectic programs, her passionate performance style, and her highly expressive playing.
A New York City native and Eastman School of Music graduate, Curtis Stewart has performed as a soloist with the National Repertory Orchestra at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He has made chamber music appearances at Zankel Hall and the Rochester International Jazz Festival, holding his audiences “spellbound” with his “warm, clear sound…sparkling rhythmic energy” and “prodigious technique” (New Amsterdam Times, SoundWordSight).
Chinese pianist Xiaohui Yang, a winner of the 2017 Naumburg International Piano Competition has been hailed by the press as a "tastefully polished musician" (Haaretz, Israel) and “a magician of sound and virtuosity” (La Libre, Belgium).
