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Brass
(Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Euphonium)
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Dave Unland has performed with numerous ensembles including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Philharmonic, St. Louis Muny Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Moiseyev Dance Troupe, La Scala Ballet, Ringling Bros. Circus, Six Flags, Disney on Parade, Midwest Sport Show, Syracuse Symphony, Albany Symphony, Utica Symphony, Binghamton Symphony, BC Pops Orchestra, Tri-Cities Opera, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, St. Louis Brass Quintet, Ithaca Brass, and in a wide variety of freelance engagements.
He has also recorded with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Brass, a solo recording of Vaughan Williams' Tuba Concerto with the Utica Symphony and the Cornell Wind Ensemble, and a CD with the Ithaca Brass released in 2008.
He completed Doctoral studies and a Master's degree at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and a Bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville as a member of the Dean's College, Mensa and Mensa Elite.
Mr. Unland is a clinician and recitalist for Custom Music, a contributor to "woodwind, Brass and Percussion" and author of "Tuba Performance and Pedagogy," a textbook for college studies. He recently retired from Ithaca College after 33 years of being a professor of tuba and euphonium and working as a music education supervisor and chamber music coach.
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The cello is not an instrument that one normally associates with jazz. Chris White is helping to change that. Whether playing in an intimate duo with piano or guitar, with a jazz string quartet, or with his jazz group the Cayuga Jazz Ensemble, Chris' playing has the vibrancy of bowed string instruments, and the urgency of someone who is excited about what he is communicating. White's development as a jazz cellist has been strongly affected by his guitar studies of folk, rock and jazz during his formative years. These studies were largely self-taught, and focused on learning by ear, improvising, experimenting, and studying chords—things which cellists are usually not encouraged to do in traditional study. In the late 70s he began applying these skills to the cello. He found it to be a wonderfully versatile instrument for playing jazz because he could play melodies, improvisations, chords and bass lines.
Chris White has performed in Europe, Canada, and the United States. While living in Spain for three years in the early ’80s, Chris played in a wide variety of groups including accompanying singer-songwriters, and playing in flamenco, Celtic, and jazz groups. With some of these groups he traveled to other countries and made appearances on Spanish national TV. Chris also played cello in an American made for TV movie called “Lace II” which was partially filmed in Spain.
Back in the U.S., Chris completed a Master's Degree in Music Performance at Ithaca College. Since then he has published articles on the history of jazz cello in STRINGS (Spring ’89) and Down Beat (Feb. ’89).
Chris performed with his jazz quartet at The First World Cello Congress (June 1988), The Quanzaine de Montreal (April 1992), the New Directions Cello Festival (1995, 1997 & 2001) and at the 6th American Cello Congress in Maryland (May 2001). He also performs regularly as a classical cellist with The Binghamton (NY) Symphony and frequently free-lances with chamber and jazz groups. An active private cello teacher, Chris is also on the faculty of The Community School of Music & Arts in Ithaca. He also gives workshops on improvisation for cellists.
Chris feels the time is right for cellists to come together and begin sharing some of the new approaches and styles that cellists like him are exploring. To this end he founded and directs The New Directions Cello Association & Festival, which maintains a web site at www.newdirectionscello.org, puts out two newsletters a year and organizes an annual festival (now in its 17th year) dedicated to non-classical. Guest artists at the festival have included David Darling, Mark Summer, Matt Brubeck, Eugene Friesen and many others. The Panel of Artistic Advisors for the festival is comprised of David Baker, Ron Carter, David Darling, Yo-Yo Ma, and Julian Lloyd Weber.
Chris White's most recent CD release is called First Principles on the Cello Works label. This is a CD of jazz originals by Chris and also by the pianist on the recording, Eric Hangen. His previous CD is called Cello Again, which features studio and live recordings of jazz cello with duos, quartets and quintets. Other recordings are Cellosphere (1992), and Two Sides of Chris White (1993). He has published a book and CD method (1997) for learning to improvise and play jazz cello called Jazz Cello. This method is also available for violin and viola. White has also recorded on CDs by many other artists in the US and in Spain. Visit him at www.newdirectionscello.org/chris-white
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Lenora Brown Schneller earned a B.A., Sarah Lawrence College and a M.M. and Artists Diploma at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. An active performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, she has played with the Louisville Opera, Starling Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Players, and Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players. She is a founding member of the local new music group, Tabula Rasa. |
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B. M. in Jazz Studies, Ithaca
College. Plays professionally, locally and regionally. Principal
teachers include Steve Brown, Bob Sneider (Eastman School of Music)
and John Stowell. Five years teaching experience. |
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B.A. in Music, Hampshire
College, Amherst MA. 20 years performing experience in Boston, Washington,
D.C., San Francisco, and Seattle, playing rock, folk, reggae, blues
and country. Original CD to be released in fall, 2004. Five years
teaching experience. |
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Jan Nigro is a co-founder, songwriter for, and performer with Vitamin L, a youth choral group which performs extensively year round at schools, education conferences, festivals and camps. (1989 to present, over 800 concerts to date). For more info see the website: www.vitaminL.org. He is also the founder and musical director of Mostly Motown, (1998 to present) a vocal ensemble doing songs from the 60s and original musical and comedy material which Jan writes.
Since 1999, he has been an Artist in Residence (Songwriter) for the Empire State Arts Partnership Program in conjunction with the Hangar Theater and the Ithaca City School District. This dynamic program enables fourth graders to write and perform a musical play about something they are studying in history with the help of a professional director and a professional songwriter. From 1996 to 2003 he served as a composer for educational videos (National Geographic, Cornell University and others).
Jan and his wife, Janice Nigro have been co-recipients of the Tompkins County Human Rights DeWinter Youth Award for their efforts (through music) on behalf of equal rights (1992) and a Certificate of Recognition from the governor of New York “for being in the forefront of helping to promote the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by promoting peace in our schools and communities.” (2007).
Jan has been a member of various bands over the years, and is currently singing with The Eclectics and the 18 Strings of Luv. He has been on the faculty of The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), teaching guitar, since 1982.
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Matthew Ocone is an active performer and teacher on the classical guitar in the Ithaca area. He is a graduate of The Eastman School of Music, where he earned a B.M. with distinction while studying with Nicholas Goluses. He has also played in master classes for Paul O'Dette, Manuel Barrueco, William Kanengiser, Jason Vieaux, and Martha Masters. Matthew's repertoire ranges from baroque guitar transcriptions to twentieth century masterpieces. In addition to classical guitar music he also plays Brazilian popular music in the virtuoso tradition of Garoto, and Dilermando Reis, and has professional experience playing in rock, pop, and Latin groups.
As a teacher, Matthew has years of experience working with students of all age levels. In particular, he has done a lot of work teaching classical guitar to young children, and developed his own materials and methods for this purpose. Matthew strives to give all his students a well-rounded musical education by focusing and music theory and aural skills in addition to guitar playing techniques, and to help every student discover the joy and satisfaction of creating music.
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Sue Terwilliger is an Ithaca
native with a Bachelor of Music in Classical and Jazz Guitar from
Ithaca College. For the past 20 years she made her home in New York
City, where she played on various CD's and performed on several
television shows. She has toured abroad including Japan, Portugal
and Martinique. Sue is also bandleader, music director and guitarist
for an 8 - 15 piece band, performing for private events (weddings,
fundraisers) in the Northeast and Florida. Over five years teaching
experience. |
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| Caryn Christianson - Percussion
& Marimba |
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B.A. Music Education, Syracuse University.
Active local performer. Over ten years teaching experience in classical,
rock and jazz. |
| Steve Reichlen - Drums &
Percussion |
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Steve Reichlen received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Ithaca College in 2000. He has lived in both Central New York and New Orleans, Louisiana and has performed and recorded with several artists including: Terrence Blanchard, George Porter, Mem Shannon, Chubby Carrier and the Zydeco Swamp Band, and the Louisiana Philharmonic. He attended The Henry Mancini Institute in 2000 and studied privately with Steve Houghton, John Vidacovich, Gordon Stout, Steve Brown, and Tony Monforte. He now lives in Ithaca and teaches private lessons and performs locally and regionally with several artists including The Mutron Warriors, Solstice, El Rumbon, The Ventilators, The Urban Horse Thieves, and The Funky Blu Roots. |
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| Michael Wellen - Drums &
Percussion |
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Studied percussion at the
University of Buffalo and performed with the university's Percussion
Ensemble under the direction of Jan Williams. Founding member of
the infamous Zobo Funn Band. More than 30 years professional performing
experience playing Jazz, Rock, Latin and other styles. Owned and
operated Hillcrest Productions, a small recording studio. Has taught
at CSMA for over 20 years. |
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B.A. Piano, Ithaca College. Attended
High School of Music and Art, NYC. Studied with Kendall Taylor in
London, England. Over twenty years teaching experience. |
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Rachel Fannick has been passionate about piano and music since the age of six. She received her Bachelor's degree from Liberty University in Virginia, in Piano Performance, graduating with honors. During her undergraduate studies, she received the Liberty University Department of Music and Humanities 2009 Keyboard Award. Besides performing, Rachel loves to share her passion for music with others through teaching. She began teaching in high school and was then hired by Bloomsburg University’s Piano Preparatory Department as a piano instructor as well as having a private studio of her own. While working on her undergraduate degree in Virginia she maintained a private piano studio.
Rachel recently graduated from Ithaca College with a Masters in Piano Performance. There she studied in the studio of Dr. Jennifer Hayghe. While earning her Master’s degree, Rachel worked as a graduate assistant. Among the many duties required of her were teaching piano class, piano tutoring, supervising undergraduate piano tutors, teaching private lessons, and accompanying. She also gave numerous performances. In 2010 she was selected to perform in Ithaca College's “Chopin Festival”. After her first year at Ithaca College, Rachel gave a lecture recital comparing works by Samuel Barber and Vincent Persichetti. For her final recital she performed works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Bartok. Although Rachel loves to perform solo repertoire, she also enjoys collaborating with other musicians. Rachel has performed chamber works from Brahms to Peter Schickele, and is featured on a recording playing a contemporary chamber piece by Jane Brockman. She also enjoys collaborating with vocalists. She hopes that through her teaching and playing she can impart some of her love of music to others.
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Christopher Morgan Loy, composer-pianist, has a catalog of compositions
which includes works for piano, voice, chamber ensembles, chamber
orchestra, full orchestra, and chorus. He earned the Doctor of Musical
Arts in composition from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where
he studied composition with Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, Karel
Husa (1969) and Steven Stucky (2005).
Loy has been a guest composer/pianist in many venues and recital series
throughout the mid-west and New York State. In 1987, Loy was a founding
director of ‘EPICYCLE: an ensemble for new music’ based in Cleveland.
This organization helped to establish a significant voice for new music
in Cleveland.
Since the 1980s Loy has received over 25 commissions from members of
the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in
Cleveland Heights, the Sage Chapel Choir of Cornell University in
Ithaca, individuals and professional musicians.
In 1998, 2001 and 2008, he received the New York State Council on the
Arts Decentralization Program Grant to compose his Serenade, String
Quartet #1 and Poetic Rejuvenations —a large-scale work for five
players and poet/narrator. Each year he produces concerts in which he
premieres new works of his, along with works of other composers.
His works have been heard and premiered in Cleveland, Detroit, Houston,
New York, San Francisco, San Antonio, and Ithaca. He teaches Theory and
Composition at Binghamton University and serves on the faculty of the
Community School of Music and Art (CSMA) in Ithaca, NY. He is organist/
pianist at the First Baptist Church of Ithaca.
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Molly MacMillan is a well known musician living in
Ithaca, NY. She has been a featured pianist at the Sacramento Jubilee
Traditional Jazz festival, performing there also with the Lowdown
Alligator Jass Band, as well as other jazz festivals including Ottawa,
Montreal, Buffalo and the Thousand Islands, and Corning's Crystal
City jazz festival. Ms. MacMillan plays a beautiful piano, both
with her tasteful "comping" and her very melodic solos. She is also
a vocalist of uncanny agility with a light, mellow sound. Molly
has been involved in workshops with Marion McPartland and Dr. Billy
Taylor. She has traveled and recorded with such diverse groups as
The Hot Foot Club (swing band), the Molly MacMillan Trio, and cabaret
acts with Margaret Wakely, and with Richard Driscoll. She has recorded
CD's with various artists including the Trio and the HotFoot Club,
and is the producer of several CD's by the children's artist Mrs.
McPuppet. |
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Elena Nezhdanova was born in Russia and made her debut with an orchestra at the age of eight. After immigrating to the United States in 2000, she was a scholarship student at the pre-college programs at the Eastman Community Music School and Nazareth College. She was also the recipient of first prize in the Empire State Solo Piano Competition (2002) and the Ranlet Award for RPO concerto competition. As a soloist and a collaborator, she has given performances in Ithaca, Syracuse, and Rochester areas, and was a visiting artist with chamber groups in Los Angeles, CA and Richmond, VA at the Common Wealth University. She has participated in master classes with distinguished artists such as Claude Frank, Nelita True, Ann Schein, and Gilbert Kalish, and attended the Aspen Music Festival and School in 2006.
Elena earned a B.M. in piano performance at Syracuse University, where she was a recipient of many awards, including the Setnor School of Music Award for an undergraduate study. She completed her M.M. in piano performance at Ithaca College in 2010, where she taught Keyboard Musicianship classes as part of the Graduate Assistantship. She is currently working as a staff accompanist at Ithaca College.
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Jonathan Petronzio also known as "JP" graduated from Ithaca College School of Music in 2004 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. From 2001–2010, JP worked with his funk, soul and rock band REVISION as a singer, songwriter, producer, performer and recording engineer. During his time with the group, they played over 1000 shows and toured extensively around the country. In November of 2010, he began playing keyboards for local reggae favorites, JOHN BROWNS BODY, and continues to tour with them today. With 24 years of piano playing experience and over 10 years of teaching experience, JP is a great choice for students of all ages—beginners to advanced.
Background course work includes Music Theory, Technique, Musicianship, and Performance with emphasis in Jazz, Funk, Reggae, and Blues, balanced with a solid grounding in Classical music. JP also works with students on Electronic Music production techniques as well as songwriting and live performance skills—each student has a different desire for what they would like to achieve. JP will match whatever direction you'd like to take!
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Karen grew up studying at a community music school in the Chicago area and has been teaching piano and various classes at CSMA since 1983. She has always enjoyed being a student, and holds a B.M. in piano performance from the University of Southern California (USC), a Masters in Liberal Studies, with a concentration in Philosophy and the Arts from The New School for Social Research; and provisional certification in elementary education through SUNY Cortland. Karen performs chamber and solo piano music locally, often in programs presented by Music’s Recreation and as a member of the piano/string trio, “Three.” She serves as music director of the Hector Presbyterian Church, and continues to teach a few piano students at CSMA. In her spare time, she practices piano and Qigong and studies ancient Greek and Hindu philosophy.
As CSMA’s program director, Karen works with the faculty on curriculum development, interviews and auditions new instructors, gathers information for planning and publicity purposes, and puts together the master schedules and brochure information for each term. She is the primary contact for outreach programs and special summer programs. She works with the staff and faculty on policy issues and assists with the general daily management of the school.
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| Jennifer Lawrence
Birnbaum |
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Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum is a music teacher, choral director, performer and concert coordinator with music education degrees from Ithaca College and Columbia University. In addition to serving on the faculty of the Community School of Music and Arts, she is the choir director at the First Baptist Church of Ithaca. She has extensive experience in managing performances from concerts to opera and has held positions on the boards of the Kodaly Organization of New York, the Cornell Savoyards, Cayuga Vocal Ensemble and the Community Arts Partnership. CSMA has been Jennifer's second home for most of her life. She's played recorder since she was a young child and has been teaching recorder for more than 15 years. She especially enjoys working with students of all ages, and incorporates elements of music theory and history in her lessons. |
| Augusto Diemecke
- Violin |
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Student of Fredel Lack and graduate of
University of Houston School of Music and Ithaca Suzuki Institute.
M.M. in Violin Performance. Has performed with the Cayuga Chamber
Orchestra and Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra. Active performer:
solo, orchestra, chamber music; co-founder of Finger Lakes Strings.
Over 15 years teaching experience. |
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M.M., Violin Performance, Ithaca College.
B.A. in Violin Performance, University of South Carolina. Currently
a member of the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Tri-Cities Opera Company
and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, he plays regularly
with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and with numerous smaller chamber
groups. He has played with the DeVere String Quartet of Syracuse
and taught at the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival. He has
been a member of orchestras in GA, SC, WV, MD and PA. He plays on
both a standard Italian violin and a mezzo violin (made by Ithacan
Robert Spear). Over ten years teaching experience. |
| Jaime Kibelsbeck - Violin |
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Jaime Kibelsbeck earned a B.M. in Music Education and Viola Performance and a M.M. in Viola Performance at Ithaca College. She has provisional teaching certification in K-12 music. Jaime has performed with the Tri-Cities Opera Orchestra, the Albert Consort, and Le Petits Violons du Cornell. She currently plays with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes and various other ensembles. With a special interest in early music, she has additional performance experience on baroque viola, alto violin, and voice. She is currently an adjunct lecturer at Ithaca College and has over ten years teaching experience.
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| Joseph Prusch - Violin
/ Viola / Fiddle |
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Joseph studied Viola Performance and
Music Education at Ithaca College. He learned to play through the
Suzuki method and teaches through Suzuki methodology and non-Western
music. He has explored the mathematical basis of music with Dr.
Dani Novak and other professors, teaching those findings to his
students in private lessons and classes. He has taught music classes
for the Northern Lights Learning Center and the Community School
of Music and Art. Joseph is currently playing soprano violin for
the modern violin family consort designed by Bob and Deena Speer,
and he also plays bass for the Zydeco Trail Riders and electric
fiddle for local favorite Urban Horse Thieves. |
| Active soloist in Ithaca, New York City
and nationwide. Long affiliations with several professional ensembles,
including Musica Sacra, Voices of Ascension, AmorArtis and the Grammy-nominated
a capella ensemble, Pomerium. Seven years prior teaching experience.
Also teaches in Cornell's Vocal Coaching Program. Available for
parties. |
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DMA Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, May 2010. MM Syracuse University. Joanna has appeared with the Syracuse Opera, Oswego Opera, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Skaneateles Festival and will be making her solo debut in Colorado in August 2010 with the Strings Festival at Steamboat Springs. She served as director of the vocal program at Le Moyne College from 2006-2008 and runs the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies in Skaneateles, NY.
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Elisa Sciscioli currently specializes in contemporary singing styles and is the founding member, lead singer and songwriter for the R&B band, Solstice. She also sang with the Ithaca based 60s kick back bands, The Destination and The Mutron Warriors. Elisa is a former member of the College Choir, Women's Chorale and Vocal Jazz ensembles at Ithaca College where she earned a B. M. in Vocal Performance and Music Education. She has performed with the Ithaca Opera Company, Syracuse Opera Company and Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and has taught in Pre-K, elementary and high school settings.
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