The Nassau Music Society

This special event - Bizet to Broadway - in association with the Bizet - Broadway committee chaired by  Cornelia Nihon, features Canadian  opera singers and its goals is to raise funds  for a scholarship programme to help young Bahamian singers train either at home or abroad.

The evening includes cocktails and dinner.

Gianna CORBISIERO - Soprano

Praised as luminous by Opera News, Gianna Corbisiero is equally known for her warm vocal timbre as well as her exceptional presence on stage. Gianna has studied at McGill University, the young artist program at l’Opéra de Montréal and at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She has since then interpreted lead roles in such operas as  La Bohème, La Traviata, I Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and Carmen in Northamerica, Europe and Asia. She has had the privilege of being invited to sing with Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano and Charles Dutoit; as well with the Orchestre Metropolitain conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the Sinfonia de Lanaudiere conducted by Stephane Laforest and with Richard Tucker Foundation. In the past season, she sang with Bryn Terfel, Rene Fleming and Marcelo Alvarez for the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation.

Keith KLASSEN  - Tenor

Tenor Keith Klassen has emerged to become one of Canada 's busiest performers. Since graduating with honours from the Opera Division at the University of Toronto in 2002 he has performed over 50 roles from the standard operatic repertoire, as well as over 35 roles in the realm of new opera. He has been engaged across Canada, as well as in Scotland, Germany, the United States, Ireland and the Czech Republic . The Star Phoenix described him as having  "...a big ringing voice and great stage presence"; Classical 96.3 added, "Klassen's voice is pure honey with its ease of high notes and the lyrical grace of his phrasing"; Opera Canada raved that his Rodolfo was "...dramatically convincing, sung with passionate sincerity ensuring the audience's love" ; John Terauds of the Toronto Star called him "one of the country's most versatile artists"; and NOW magazine's Jon Kaplan went so far as to rate Keith as one of Toronto's top ten theatre artists.

In the past few seasons, critics and audiences alike have enthusiastically received his performances of Rodolfo (La Boheme), Alfredo (La Traviata), Don Jose (Carmen), the Duke (Rigoletto), Samson (Samson et Dalilah) and Alfred (Die Fledermaus). Keith has also continued his work with Tapestry New Opera Works, joining their newly formed studio company.

 Julie Nesrallah, Mezzo-soprano

 Julie Nesrallah, Mezzo-soprano is an extremely versatile singer and actress who dazzles audiences with her rich tone, engaging personality and deeply expressive communicative skills. She is regularly engaged by leading opera companies, symphonies, festivals and chamber music ensembles across North America and abroad.

On July 1, 2011 Miss Nesrallah sang “God Save the Queen” for His Royal Highness, Prince William and Her Royal Highness Princess Kate during Canada Day festivities in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. Miss Nesrallah has also performed for “An Evening for Peace” in Montreal for Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan. She also sang for Her Royal Highness Princess Haya in Amman, Jordan, to launch an endowment fund for underprivileged girls to study music in Canada.

Miss Nesrallah has been the recipient of many distinguished awards & prizes, including the Canada Council for the Arts Emerging Artist Award & Mid-Career Grant. She has made several recordings and is frequently featured on CBC Radio and National Public Radio in the United States. Miss Nesrallah is currently the host of “Tempo” CBC Radio 2's flagship national classical music program, and the host of “Solo” for CBC Television.

Michael MCMAHON - Pianist

Pianist Michael McMahon is the preferred partner to many of Canada’s finest singers.  He has performed regularly throughout Canada, in Europe, Japan and  the USA with singers such as Catherine Robbin, Karina Gauvin, Measha Brueggergosman, Dominique Labelle, Wendy Nielsen, Maureen Forester, Marie-Nicole Lemieux,Annamaria Popescu, Joseph Kaiser, Nathan Berg, Brett Polegato, Benjamin Butterfield, Daniel Taylor, Michael Schade, Russell Braun and Richard Margison.

Following his studies at McGill University in Montreal, he completed his musical education in Vienna at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst and the Franz Schubert Institute, and in Salzburg at the Mozarteum. During this time, he studied with such legendary artists as Erik Werba, Hans Hotter, Elly Ameling, Jörg Demus, and Kim Borg.

In addition to his active performing schedule, Michael McMahon is a Professor at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal. He has had long associations with l'Atelier lyrique de L'Opéra de Montréal, Opera Nuova, the Orford Arts Centre  and the Banff Centre for the Arts, where he has worked regularly as a vocal coach.  He is also often asked to give Masterclasses for singers and pianists, and recently was resident coach at the Franz Schubert Institute in Austria and the C.O.S.I. Summer Opera program in Italy.

He has made numerous broadcast recordings for the English and French networks of the CBC, as well as for the BBC, RBTF, Radio Suisse Romande, and Radio France.   His recordings on the Marquis, CBC , and Analekta labels have met with critical acclaim, including Juno nominations and the Prix Opus. Michael McMahon was also a judge and vocal coach for the award winning television series “Bathroom Divas”.

Gordon Bintner - Bizet Protégé

Gordon is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Opera and Voice at McGillUniversity’s Schulich School of Music. He studies voice with renowned baritone and pedagogue, Professor Sanford Sylvan and coaches with acclaimed pianist and vocal coach, Professor Michael McMahon.

This past summer, Gordon sang the title role in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at Opera NUOVA in Edmonton. This year, he will sing the title role in Opera McGill’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Gordon made his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra this fall after winning the grand prize in the OSM Standard Life Competition. Last spring, he won first prize in the Trois-Rivières Symphony Orchestra Voice Competition. These wins have yielded a number of professional engagements, including concerts with orchestra, recitals acrossCanada, and recording sessions with the CBC.

This spring, Gordon will be making his European début singing the role of Colline in Puccini’s La Bohème with Angers Nantes Opéra in France.

Internationally acclaimed pianist Wei-Yi Yang enjoys a flourishing concert career, appearing before audiences in North and Central Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia, in solo recitals, chamber music concerts and with symphony orchestras. Most recently, Mr. Yang was praised by the New York Times as the soloist in a "sensational" performance of Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie at Carnegie Hall.  Winner of the Gold Medal and Grand Prize in the San Antonio International Piano Competition, Mr. Yang has performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kosciuszko Foundation, the Kennedy Center, the Kumho Art Hall (Seoul, South Korea), the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, the Great Hall (Leeds, England), Taiwan National Concert Hall, the Royal Dublin Society, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, among numerous others around the world. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Yang has performed with members of the Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Minnesota Orchestras; the New York Philharmonic; the Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Singapore, and London Symphonies; Orpheus and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestras; and Orquestra do Estado de Sao Paulo, just to name a few.

Born in Taiwan of Chinese and Japanese heritage, Mr. Yang was educated first in the United Kingdom, and then at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Arkady Aronov. Mr. Yang has worked with such artists as Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Vera Gornostaeva, Byron Janis, Murray Perahia, and the late Hans Graf. Under the guidance of Boris Berman, Mr. Yang was awarded a doctorate in musical arts by Yale University in 2004. In demand as a guest teacher and lecturer, he has recently presented master classes and performances in Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai, and Daejeon, Korea, and in such institutions as Princeton, University of Missouri, Syracuse University, and Ithaca College.  Mr. Yang's performances are heard and seen around the world via international television, radio, and web broadcasting media. He can be heard on the Renegade Classics, Albany Records, and Holland-America Music Society labels. Mr. Yang has appeared at festivals in Novi Sad (Serbia), Monterrey (Mexico), Kotor (Montenegro), PianoFest (Long Island), Norfolk (Connecticut), Napa Valley, and La Jolla (California). Mr. Yang has recently collaborated with such artists as Frederica von Stade, Richard Stoltzman, David Shifrin, and the Pacifica, Cassatt, and Tokyo String Quartets. Wei-Yi Yang joined the faculty at Yale University in 2005.

Hear Ole Akahoshi play:click on photo

Recently hailed by the Los Angeles Times, German cellist Ole Akahoshi began studying cello at the age of four inBerlin. At the age of eleven he was the youngest pupil ever to be accepted by the late Pierre Fournier, with whom he studied for four years. In 1989 he moved to theUnited Statesto further his studies at The Juilliard School where he completed a Bachelor of Music Degree. He earned an Artist Diploma Degree fromIndianaUniversity, where he studied with Janos Starker, and Masters of Music Degree from Yale School of Music studying with Aldo Parisot. Recently with violinist Edna Mitchell, he premiered works by composers Iannis Xenakis and Shulamit Ran under the direction of Sir Yehudi Menuhin.

Akahoshi is principal cellist of the Sejong Soloists inNew York, as well as member of Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen Orchestra since 1998 and the Opera Nomori Tokyo. He has served as faculty at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Camp Encore/Coda, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Festival des Artes de ItuBrazil, and at the Great Mountains Music Festival inKorea, where he gives classes every summer. He has also judged numerous competitions including the Juilliard Concerto Competition, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Competition, and the William Waite Concerto Competition. Currently, Mr. Akahoshi is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and has been on the faculty of the Yale School of Music since 1997.

Mr. Akahoshi has collaborated with many outstanding musicians including Leon Fleisher, David Shifrin, Ani Kavafian, Garrick Ohlsson, and the Tokyo String Quartet. He has concertized on four continents in recitals and has been soloist with symphony orchestras such as the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Symphonisches OrchesterBerlin, and the Czechoslovakian Radio Orchestra. As top prize-winner of numerous competitions including the Concertino Praga and Jugend Musiziert, Mr. Akahoshi’s performances have been featured on CNN, NPR, Sender-Freies-Berlin, RIAS-Berlin, Hessischer Rundfunk, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Korean Broadcasting Station, and WQXR. He is also recipient of the fellowship award from Charlotte White’s Salon de Virtuosi.

Mr. Akahoshi has performed in Carnegie Hall, Avery-Fisher-Hall, Kennedy Center in Washington, the Aspen Music Festival, Suntory Hall and Tsuda Hall in Tokyo, Seoul Arts Center in Korea, Wigmore Hall in London, and Berliner Philharmonie. His other recital appearances have included venues in Israel, Italy, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, and Korea. He has made recordings for the Albany, New World Records, Composers Recording Inc., Calliope, Bridge, and Naxos Labels

hear Sophie play: 

Sophie Pacini is 19 years old and she was born in Munich. Her father is Italian and her mother German.

At the young age of eight she had her debut with Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major. When she was 10 years old she started to study piano at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria.

In 2004 Sophie was selected to participate in a newly founded group for highly talented young musicians directed by Prof. Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. In 2007 she began to study under Professor Pavel Gililov in his Master Class.

She attended Masterclasses of Fou Ts’ong and Dmitri Bashkirov at the International Piano Academy Lake Como.

She won several first prizes in national and international competitions for young artists, including the German “Young Musicians Award”, the international “Grotrian- Steinweg” competition in Braunschweig, the “Great Scolarship Prize” of the Austrian universities, which is endowed with 12,000 euros, and the “Huebel Scolarship Prize” of the Mozart University of Salzburg.

 At an early age she began to give national and international concerts and she has been invited to famous festivals, for example the “Deutschlandsberger Klavierfrühling” and the “Chamber Music Festival Lockenhaus” by Gidon Kremer.

She performed as a soloist in different concerts together with orchestras, such as the symphony no. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” for piano and orchestra by L. Bernstein with the “Mozarteum” Symphony Orchestra directed by Dennis Russell Davies and Mozart’s piano concerto K 595 in B flat Major on a tour of 11 concerts together with the Bonn Classical Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Heribert Beissel. This brought her to all famous concerts halls in Germany (e.g. “Die Glocke” in Bremen, “Laeiszhalle” in Hamburg, “Beethovenhalle” in Bonn, “Meistersingerhalle” in Nuremburg, “Liederhalle” in Stuttgart, “Herculessaal” in Munich, “Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt” in Berlin and in Wiesbaden, Karlsruhe and Bielefeld).

Furthermore she gave concerts in Warsaw, Pisa, concert tour to Poland P with Posen State Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Krzysztof Urbanski (Beethoven, piano concerto no.3) and at the Tyrolean Festivals directed by Gustav Kuhn (Chopin piano concerto no.1 and the Schumann piano concerto A minor).

Noteworthy to mention are TV gigs at “Klassik Kids” on ZDF (Second German Television) and the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting) gala event “Talentebörse” (talent contest) in Vienna.

This was followed by several recitals in 2010 at the Gasteig Munich at the Chopin Festival, in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Vienna (again during the “Chamber Music Festival Lockenhaus” and the Beethoven Festival) and Dresden. In September she went on a concert tour to Poland with the Philharmonic Orchestra Poznan. There she performed Chopin’s piano concerto no. 1, which she is going to perform again at the Salzburg “Mozarteum”.

In February 2011 she performed a recital at the International festival “Sommets musicaux de Gstaad” and won the desired festival award “Marguerite Dütschler”. It permits her to make a recording with orchestra by the renowned Swiss classical label “Claves Records” (Mozart piano concerto K 271 "Jeunehomme" and Schumann piano concerto A minor op.54).

For 2011 Sophie has already signed for concerts at the “Winner and Master” series at the Gasteig Munich, at the Beethoven-Festival Vienna, at the “Solitär” of University Mozarteum Salzburg and the “International Cervo Music Festival” (Italy) and the “Progetto Martha Argerich” Festival in Lugano.

 Hear Elena play: 

Described as “the pianist with the magic touch” by the Washington Post and as “one the most intriguing pianists of her generation” by the Miami Sun Post, Elena Baksht captivates her audiences from the moment she appears on the stage with a combination of profound lyricism, dazzling technique, and charismatic presence.

“...The Russian-born pianist Elena Baksht dazzled the audience. The intensity of her concentration and expressiveness was mesmerizing. The outstanding qualities of her performance were her grand dramatic scope, dynamic contrasts, power and control, technical skill, superb sense of timing and phrasing and musical maturity far beyond her youthful years. Her playing left one wanting to hear more.”  Palm Beach Daily News

Ms. Baksht first came to public attention at the age of 11, when she performed Bach’s D-minor piano concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra at the Central Hall Of The Arts in Moscow. Since then, her career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken her to concert halls around the world. Most recent career highlights include appearances with The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra under the baton of maestro Lawrence Foster; The Miami Symphony at the Lincoln Theater; The New Philharmonic of New Jersey;  Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall; Carnegie Hall and Weill Recital Hall; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; a National Public Radio live broadcast with violinist Vadim Repin, and the WQXR Young Artists Series.

Other recent engagements include appearances with The Plano Philharmonic (TX), Reading Symphony (PA), St. Angelo Philharmonic (TX), Guadalahara State Philharmonic, Mexico, Valley Symphony(TX), Richfield Philharmonic (CT), Highland Strings (IL), Bartlesville Symphony (OK), DuPage Symphony (IL), Westfield Symphony (NJ), The New Philharmonic of Chicago (IL), Garden State Philharmonic (NJ), and Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, among others.

Ms. Baksht has also appeared at such festivals as Tanglewood Music Festival, Fontainebleau Festival (France), International Music Festival in Castelnuovo de Garfagena, Summit Music Festival, the 12th Festival International De Música (Costa Rica), Bruges Recital Festival Series (Belgium), Cello Plus Festival (MI), Rutgers University Summer Fest, Mackinac Island Art Festival, and Gubbio Music Festival (Italy) among others.

As an active chamber musician, Ms. Baksht regularly concertizes with violinist Dmitri Berlinsky. Together they have played numerous concerts, both in the United States and overseas. She has also collaborated with violinist Vadim Repin and violist Yuri Bashmet.

Aside from her musical career, Ms. Baksht is a poet. Her poetry was published as part of the Anthology of Russian Poets in the West in 2004. In an attempt to bring two of her life’s passions together, Ms. Baksht has created, organized, and presented interactive arts programs incorporating poetry and music in a new public performance genre.

Terry is often considered the living link to the ragtime and jazz masters of the past. He is the protégé of the late Eubie Blake, and he also studied and performed with many of the early jazz masters in New Orleans and the West Coast revival legends such as Turk Murphy. He is recognizes as not only a virtuoso ragtime, stride and blues pianist but also a vocalist, an arranger, a comedian—famous for his dry wit—and leader of many highly regarded musical groups. He is a composer not only of rags and show tunes, but of movie and TV scores as well. In addition, he is an historian. His This is Ragtime is the definitive book on the subject, and was just republished with a new introduction by Wynton Marsalis by Jazz At Lincoln Center. Read the foreward by Eubie Blake here:    His 26-part radio series with the same title, was produced for NPR and fueled the 1970's ragtime revival. He has recently taught a course on early jazz and ragtime piano styles for Jazz At Lincoln Center and will be teaching a new course there next fall on Jelly Roll Morton.

Terry has performed in numerous theatrical projects including his one-man shows, The Naked Dance: The Music of Storyville, Eubie & Me and This Is Ragtime. He is the music director for an André De Shields musical about Louis Armstrong, Ambassador Satch, which opened in London’s West End and recently played in Dubai.

Waldo has appeared in concert all over the world, including several major shows for George Wein’s JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He appeared with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall presenting the world premiere of a Eubie Blake concerto. He has also produced over 40 albums under his own name and performed and composed for hundreds of TV programs.

This year Terry is working on a PBS Concert/Documentary on Ragtime with veteran producer, Charles Hobson and several recording projects with Zenph Productions and SONY Records.

NMS Members and friends enjoy an evening of local talent and up and coming young, Bahamian  artists in a relaxed atmosphere. Open to all Nassau Music Society members, friends and persons wishing to become members. See bios here

Cuban-born Guitarist Marco Tamayo, winner several times of Major International Competitions like the Andrés Segovia in Granada and the Michele Pittaluga, Citá di Alessandria, in Italy, was a pupil of Antonio Alberto Rodríguez and Leo Brouwer in Cuba, and studied in Austria with Eliot Fisk (Guitar), Reiner Schmidt (violin, from Hagen quartet), Anthony Spiri (cembalo), N. Hartnoncourt, among others. Tamayo has  recorded several albums for the Naxos Label, and is since the year 2001 A. O. Professor for Classical Guitar at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and since 2005 Professor  at the Landeskonservatorium in Klagenfurt, both in Austria. Marco Tamayo received his "Venia Docenti" am 21 March 2006, given by the Mozarteum University of Arts in Salzburg, Austria

Marco Tamayo, praised by the Italian newspaper L'stampa as "Il Re della Chitarra", has being acclaimed for his expressive interpretations and his technical capacities. His book named "Principles of the classical guitar performance" will be published in Europe this year 2010 by the Chanterelle company. Tamayo has extensively toured the Globe, around all Europe, Asia, USA, SouthAfrica and Mozambique, also performing concerts with famous orchestras and conductors like Kurt Redel, Paolo Ferrara, Damian Iorio, Phillipe Bender, Leo Brouwer, Alexis Soriano, Raúl Gutierres, among others, and orchestras like the Chamber orchestra of Aix en Provence, KSO in Austria, Philharmonic of Torino, Chamber orchestra of St. Petersburg, Philharmonic of Havanna, Philharmonic of Tampere, Philharmonic of Oulu, both in Finland, TransArt Orchestra of Salzburg, Ars Musicae from Klagenfurt, Sinfónica de UANL in Monterrey, México, etc. Tamayo performed his debut at the Chopin-Pleyel Hall in Paris, is sponsored by the Savarez Strings, and founder of the Salzburg Guitar Society. Tamayo also received the "Mauro Giuliani Prize" from the hand of the Giuliani Family for the finest interpretation of the music by the Italian composer.

Marco Tamayo is regular Juror of International Guitar Competitions as the Michele Pittaluga Int. Guitar Contest in Italy; Int. Volos guitar contest in Greece; Luys Milán Int. guitar contest; Lubljana Int. Music Competition for all disciplines of classical music; Villa de Petrer Int. guitar contest in Spain; Krycniza Int guitar contest in Poland; International Guitar Festival of Belgrade, among others, and teach regular Master classes at international guitars festivals and Universities like the Seoul University for Arts-Korea, San Francisco University, CA-USA, Monterrey-Mexico, Volos-Greece, Barcelona-Spain, etc. He is also a regular invited artist at festivals like the Belgrade Int. Guitar Festival, Oulu Int. Orchestral Music season in Finland, San Francisco Int. Guitar Festival, Aix en Musique Int. Music Festival in Aix en Provence, France, Uppsala International Guitar Festival, etc. In September 2006 Marco Tamayo received the "Citadinanza Onoraria", Citizen of Honour of the City of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy, and works together with Alirio Díaz and Ms. Micaela Pittaluga for the artistic direction of the Int. Guitar Competition Michele Pittaluga, Citá di Alessandria, where he won the first Prize in 1999. Tamayo is also co-artistic director together with Ms. Pittaluga, of the Music Festival Chitarra dal Mondo that takes place in the Italian city.

Marco Tamayo records for the Naxos Classical and has 6 albums on the market, among them, an album dedicated to the music of Cuba, the music by Mauro Giuliani and also one dedicated to the music for guitar of Niccolo Paganini.

Anabel Montesinos was born in Reus (Tarragona) in 1984. She started her musical education in the Escuela Municipal de L'Hospitalet de L'Infant (Tarragona) at the age of six and was awarded a distinction for her elementary grade in 1996. From the age of ten she studied with Vania del Monaco, and in 1997 she started her intermediate level at the Superior Conservatory of music of Tarragona, completing these in 2001. She went on to study her advanced level at the Conservatorio Superior de Música "Oscar Espla" in Alicante, Spain, in the class of Ignacio Rodes. She took also masterclasses with Manuel Barrueco and David Russell. Nowadays, Ms. Montesinos studies at the Mozarteum University of Arts and Music in Salzburg, Austria.

Her concert activities started at the very young age of 12, in Mallorca Island, followed by recitals in Spain, Poland and Italy. Since then she won a large list of National and International Prizes

Ms Montesinos has performed at important festival like: Int. Guitar Festival in Upsala, Sweden, Int. Guitar festival Kaluga, in Russia, Barcelona Int. Guitar festival, Spain, Talavera Int. Guitar Festival, Madrid /Spain, San Francisco Int. Guit. Festival, USA, Entre cuerdas, Int. GUit. Fest., Chile, Int. Guitar fest. In Cham, Germany, among many others. During the year 2009 she was a guest performing at different venues and international events celebrating the 70^th birthday of the Cuban composer Leo Brouwer.

In April 2003, Anabel Montesinos premiered the "Concierto Murciano" by Mario Medina at the International Youth Orchestra Festival in Murcia, Spain, together with the Int. Youth Orchestra conducted by Diter Lange. She also performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lublin, Poland, the International Orchestra of the Mediterranean, conducted by Cristian Florea, with the Philharmonic orchestra of Turin, Italy, conducted by Paolo Ferrara, and with the Niederbayerische Philharmonie of Germany, conducted by H. E. Coleman.  Also in October 2003, Anabel Montesinos performed together with conductor Cristian Florea at the Homenaje Concert in Madrid, to the composer Antón Garcia Abril, performing his "Concierto Mudejar" for guitar and orchestra. Ms. Montesinos also performed with the Symphonic Orchestra of Chile and with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since the year 2004 Anabel Montesinos has toured extensively performing in San Franciso, Chicago, both in USA, Poland, Chile, in Italy: Genova , (at the Paganini’s house) Pordenone, Alessandria, Turin, etc. In Spain: Valencia, Tarragona, Alicante, Madrid, Talavera, etc. From 2006 on she went on to South Africa, Mozambique, Brasil, ...The 2009 tour included France, Italy, Brasil for second time, Chile, and next will be Israel, Spain and USA.

Ms. Montesinos has recorded a CD for the Naxos Classical Label including composers of the Romantic period and was very high praised for her artistry and style of performance. Some of the International Airlines like British Airways included her album as a part of their entertainment program for overseas flights.

hear Gilad play:

Violist Gilad Karni has been praised throughout the world for his tone and interpretation. His technique and musicality have earned him countless honors, from first prizes at competitions to leadership roles in some of the world's finest orchestras. Equally at home in orchestral and solo or chamber music settings, Karni can be heard on concert stages around the globe in a range of repertoire, as well as on recordings.

Gilad Karni is currently Principal Violist of the, a post he was appointed to in 2004 by David Zinman. Prior to his tenure there, he was Principal Viola for two years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Karni's vast orchestra experience ranges from being the youngest member of the , which he joined in 1992, to Principal Viola positions of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, a post he held between 1996-2002, and the Rishon Le-Zion Symphony Orchestra in Israel.

In Berlin, Karni is in demand as guest Principal with such orchestras as the Berlin Staatskapelle under Daniel Barenboim, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, and Radio Symphony Orchestra. He makes frequent appearances with other European orchestras, as well, and at the invitation of Claudio Abbado, he performed as guest Principal Violist with the Orchestra of a United Europe in 1991. Karni has also appeared as soloist with orchestras in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USA.

In addition to his orchestral career, Karni is also an active soloist and chamber musician, appearing at many of the world's great festivals, including the Dubrovnik Festival, Bastad and Lapland Festivals (Sweden), Nordic Academy (Denmark), Festival PRO - Bahnhof Rolandsek and Neustadt Festival (Germany), Kfar Blum(Israel), Davos Music Festival (Switzerland), Kuhmo (Finland) and Kaposvar (Hungary) in Europe, and the Aspen, Newport, Bellingham Festival WA, Santa Fe and La Jolla Chamber Music festivals in the U.S., among others. Karni was also fortunate to have performed with both the late Isaac Stern at his 70th birthday celebration in Tel-Aviv, and with the Guarneri String Quartet in Carnegie Hall. In addition, he has appeared on radio broadcasts in Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa and the U.S.

Gilad Karni has left his mark on many international viola competitions, winning First Prize in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition 1994, and Third Prize at the ARD Munich International Music Competition in 1993. His other awards include Third Prize in the 1992 Bryan International String Competition (USA), First Prize in the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Competition for Best Performance of 1991, the Peter Schidlof Prize for the Most Beautiful Tone in the 1991 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition (England), and the Best Interpretation Prize for the commissioned concerto (by C. He. Joubert) in the 1989 Third International Maurice Vieux Viola Competition in France. Among Karni’s recent solo appearances are the May 2009 world premiere of Prokofiev's "Romeo & Juliet" arranged for viola and orchestra with the Berlin Symphony at the famed Berlin Philharmonie. His other solo engagements have included performances of Bartok's Viola Concerto in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland; Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Israel Sinfonietta, Wuppertal Symphony and the Berlin Symphony; and appearances alongside world acclaimed cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Heinrich Schiff with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. In past seasons, he performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, a world premiere of "ViolAlive" by Gideon Lewensohn and the Israel Sinfonietta, and gave the Hungarian premiere of Miklos Rozsa's viola concerto with the Budapest Concert Orchestra at the renowned Spring Festival to mark the composer's 100 year centennial. This performance led to a recording of the Concerto on the Naxos label, which was released in 2008 to great critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy.

Recent engagements include solo appearances with the Belgrade Philharmonic, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchestra, Georgian Chamber Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Hartford Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony, and the South American premiere of Prokofiev’s "Romeo and Juliet" arranged for Viola and Orchestra with the Bogota Filharmonica in Bogota, Colombia. In past summers, Karni has served on the faculty of the Banff Center of the Arts in Canada, the Aspen Music Festival in the U.S., and the Linderman Music festival in Seoul, Korea, and CISMA in China - at the request of Charles Dutoit. Karni's 2009-2010 projects, in addition to his regular work with the Tonhalle Orchestra, a recording of the Bruch Romance with the Biel Symphony Orchestra, a recording of  Gideon Lewensohn’s “ViolAlive” and the Shostakovich Viola Sonata arranged for Solo Viola, Strings and Celesta with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, a special chamber music concert at the Tonhalle with violinist Julia Fischer; leading master classes at the New World Symphony in Miami, and at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida,  and a return to the Israel Sinfonietta with concerts of the Bruch and Mozart with Maxim Vengerov conducting.

Future appearances for the 2010-2011 season include the Bartok Viola Concerto with the Transylvanian Philharmonic, Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” with the Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV, the Miklos Rozsa Concerto with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the direction of David Zinman, Hummel's Fantasie and Britten's Lachrymae with the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon) and a return visit to the Georgisches KammerOrchester.

Additionally Karni will perform  as a guest with the famed Jerusalem Quartet on tour with world famous pianist Menachem Pressler at the Concertgebouw and Paul Meyer clarinet, in Paris.

2011-2012 season is a sabbatical season for Karni, with solo performances, appearances at festivals, and giving master classes world wide. The season will find him on stage as soloist with the Orquesta Extremadura, Biel /Bienne Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Bilkent Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Riverside Symphonia, Mankato Symphony, Lamont Symphony as well as recitals and additional solos in The Bahamas,  Florida, Denver, Baltimore, and Switzerland as well as appearances in Music Festivals in the USA, Canada, Austria and Hungary.

A scholarship recipient of The America Israel Cultural Foundation (1985-1991), and an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music, Gilad Karni was appointed Professor for Viola at the in Switzerland in 2008.

American pianist Donald Berman is recognized as one of the chief exponents of new works by living composers, overlooked music by 20th century masters, and recitals that link classical and modern repertoires.  His reputation as definitive interpreter of the American new music canon is unsurpassed. He has established an extensive discography in the works of major American composers, including Ives, Ruggles, Kernis, Levering, Wheeler, Boykan, and many others. Mr. Berman's acclaimed recordings of The Unknown Ives (on CRI and New World, in two volumes) present premieres of unpublished works and new critical editions (by Mr.Berman) in the only recording of the complete short piano works of Charles Ives extant. On The Uncovered Ruggles Mr.Berman offers premiere recordings of unpublished sketches, transcriptions, and realizations of Ruggles' music by John Kirkpatrick. For ten years Mr.Berman devoted his energies to curating an exhaustive survey of neglected works by American composers sponsored by the American Academy in Rome - first in a 4-concert series at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and subsequently in a newly-released 4-CD set on Bridge Records (9271). Both the Americans in Rome recording and his recording of Charles Ives songs with soprano Susan Narucki, The Light That Is Felt (New World 80680) were named CD of the Month by BBC Music Magazine.

Donald Berman has performed to critical acclaim at major venues in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. In 2009 his electro-acoustic solo show When Brahma Sleeps, a collaboration with composer ad sound designer Mark Wingate, was premiered to critical acclaim at New York’s (le) Poisson Rouge in its innaugural season.  In 2010 Mr. Berman’s versatility was showcased by the Hartford Symphony with conductor Tito Munoz as the soloist in Christopher Theofanidis’ Piano Concerto side by side with Chopin’s La ci darem la mano Variations for piano and orchestra. He has premiered works as diverse as Su Lian Tan's U-Don Rock, David Rakowski's Chase, Donald Martino's Piano Trio, Milton Babbitt’s Septet but Equal, David Lang’s Burn Notice, and Arthur Levering’s Piano concertina Catena. Other recent performances have ranged from Mozart concertos with the Columbus Symphony to recitals linking Haydn and Schubert with new music, called "thrillingly clear" (New York Times). A prizewinner of the 1991 Schubert International Competition, Mr.Berman studied with Leonard Shure,  John Kirkpatrick, George Barth, and Mildred Victor.

Berman directs the Contemporary Music Ensemble at Tufts University, Directs the Summer Piano Institute at New England Conservatory, collaborates with musicologists on performance practice courses, teaches master classes as well as private students. He was a Radcliffe Institute Fellow at Harvard University in 2011, is Treasurer for the Charles Ives Society,  and currently lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and two children