The Nassau Music Society

WANG Jue (People’s Republic of China)First Prize and Gold Medal, 16^th Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition (2008)

click here for flier

(Shanghai, 1984).  Jue Wang’s first public performance was at the age of 10. At the same age he took part for the first time in an international music competition, the VII Stravinsky International Piano Competition (USA), winning  5th Prize. With only 17 years he was included in the “Catalog of Chinese celebrities” by winning the Gold Medal of the First Chinese Young Artist Competition (2001). 

In August 2008 Jue Wang  was declared   First Prize and Gold Medal Winner of the 16^th . (Spain). Among other prestigious awards are the Second Prize, Best Leschetizky Award, Best Asia Pianist Award of the Second Leschetizky International Piano Competition (Taiwan, 2004); Special Prize of the Sixth London International Piano Competition (Great Britain, 2005); Fifth Prize of the XIV Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition (Salt Lake City, USA); First Prize and Gold Medal, the Youngest Pianist Award and the Rolex Award of the 51st International Piano Competition “Maria Canals” (Barcelona, Spain); Third Prize and Bronze Medal at the  2^nd  Sviatoslav Richter International Piano Competition” in Moscow.

By winning such important prizes Mr. Wang was invited to perform at  prestigious concert series and to festivals such as the “Kremlin Musical of Moscow”  or “Virtuoso of the Planet” in Kiev.

Worldwide concert and recital tours are organized for him by the Secretariat General of the Santander International Piano Competition as part of his prize in Santander, including the appearances in the past season such as his recital debut at the Madrid Auditorio Nacional de Música, the inaugural concert of the Badajoz Festival Ibérico, recitals at the Ubeda International Festival, Santander Palacio de Festivales; San Sebastian Kursaal; his Valencia concert debut at the Palau des Arts  with the Palau des Arts Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta; Klavierfestival Ruhr (Germany), Sintra International Festival (Portugal); Festival de Radio France et Montpellier (France).

His second Latin American tour will include recitals at the Cervantino International Festial in Guanajuato (México), in Nassau (Bahamas) for the Nassau Music Society, Panamá and Lima, as well as concerts with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Santo Domingo, the Caracas Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal in Caracas, in Santo Domingo and with the Colombia National Symphony Orchestra in Bogotá, under the direction of Darquin Aquino, Rdolofo Saglimbeni and Baldur Brönnimann.

Jue Wang was selected for the master class that legendary pianist Byron Janis offered in April 2010 at New York Lincoln Center on occasion of the bicentennial celebrations of the birth of Frederic Chopin. Furthermore, in April 2010 he was awarded the New York City Van Lier Fellowship, created for the promotion of artistic careers.

Since 2002 Mr. Wang received his musical education at the Shanghai Conservatory of music where he concluded his studies obtaining a Masters Degree in 2009 in the class of his main teacher, Min-duo Li. In May 2010 he received the Artist Dipoloma in Manhattan School of Music which he prepared under under Dr. Marc Silvermann. Jue He also received master classes from renowned teachers, such as Fou Ts’ong, Dimitri Bashkirov, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gary Grafmann, Constance Keene, Paul Badura Skoda, Barry Douglas and Jerome Rose. Jue Wang lives at present in New York where he studies with Byron Janis.

His first CD for the Naxos label with works by Franz Liszt will be released in 2011.

In September 2010 he was appointed piano professor at the Shanghai Music Conservatory.

(click here to hear Stanford)

Born: U.S.A.

The American tenor, Stanford Olsen, received the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Utah and the Artists Diploma in Opera from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, who named him Alumnus of the Year in 1992. In addition to the Naumburg award, Stanford Olsen was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1986, and has received awards from the Richard Tucker Foundation and the Eleanor Steber Foundation.

Since his debut in 1986 opposite Joan Sutherland, Stanford Olsen has performed over 150 times with New York 's Metropolitan Opera, and has been heard in such major venues as La Scala, Australian Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, San Francisco Opera, and most other significant opera companies in the USA and Europe .

One of this generation's most versatile concert performers, Stanford Olsen regularly performs with the world's top orchestras and conductors in repertory from Bach to Béla Bartók. A frequent collaborator with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic, he has performed with such notables as Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Seiji Ozawa, the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra, James Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic, John Elliot Gardner and the English Baroque Soloists, and Helmuth Rilling and the International BachAkademie. He has performed at the festivals of Ravinia, Tanglewood, Salzburg, and the Baldwin-Wallace College Bach Festival (2007), and is a regular guest with the orchestras of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, St. Louis, Montreal, and Atlanta. Winner of the 1989 Walter W. Naumburg Award for recitalists, he debuted in Alice Tully Hall in 1989 singing Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, a piece he repeated in 1997 in the 92nd St. Y's final "Schubertiade" recitals, stepping in for an ailing Hermann Prey with James Levine accompanying. He continues to be a sought after recitalist in the USA and Europe, and one of the world's leading light lyric tenors.

Stanford Olsen is now Professor of Voice and Shelfer Eminent Scholar at Florida State University. A long-time coach for members of the Metropolitan Opera's Young Artist Development Program, he has taught young singers in masterclasses at Santa Fe Opera, St. Louis Opera Theatre, The Eastman School, Tanglewood, New England Conservatory, and The Manhattan School of Music.

Stanford Olsen's recordings of Bach, Mozart and Rossini have received critical praise, including a 1995 nomination for a Grammy Award for Rossini's Tancredi with Alberto Zedda on the Naxos label. His 1999 Telarc recording of Dvorak's Stabat Mater, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Shaw, also received a Grammy nomination.

Christy LEE

Christy Lee  is Assistant Professor at the College of the Bahamas in Nassau where she teaches piano, theory, and is Director of the COB Concert Choir.  Dr. Lee holds the DM in Accompanying and Chamber Music from Florida State University where she was the recipient of the prestigious University Fellowship.    She received the Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, in piano performance from The University of Alabama and the Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where she was the recipient of the first Madame Gwendolyn Koldofsky Accompanying Award.  She made her orchestral debut with the Jackson, TN,  Symphony Orchestra as winner of the 1988 Mid-South Piano Concerto Competition.           

In the world of opera, Dr. Lee has worked as pianist, coach, and assistant conductor at Opera Memphis, Chattanooga Opera, Pensacola Opera, Cleveland Opera, Lake Placid International Voice Seminar, Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, Pine Mountain Music Festival, and Dorian Opera Theatre.  She made her conducting debut in Mozart, Flute of Heaven while serving as Music Director for the Vocal Arts Apprentice Program of Lyric Opera Cleveland in its 1996  Festival Season.  Since 2003 she has been on the musical staff of La musica lirica, assisting in such productions as Donizetti’s Rita and Verdi’s Falstaff and performing in a variety of venues across the Marche region of Italy .Dr. Lee has held academic appointments at The University of Tennessee, The Cleveland Institute of Music, Encore School for Strings, Delta State University, and Florida State University. 

She is active as a recitalist and a chamber musician.  Along with COB colleagues Christine Gangelhoff and Christian Justilien, she has performed recently throughout  The Bahamas as members of “The C Force.”  She spends her free time exploring the beautiful Bahamian Islands .

Members and friends of the Nassau Music Society enjoyed an evening of local talent and NMS scholarship recipients over cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

PROGRAMME:

Shavincia Thomas (Flute):        Scena

                                                             from Ernestine (Chevalier De Saint Georges)

                                                             Suite Modale Movt. III (Ernst Bloch)

Anita MacDonald (Soprano)   Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?

                                                            From Das Knaben Wunderhorn (Gustav Mahler)

                                                            Aus! Aus!

                                              From Lieder und Gesägne aus der Jugendzeit (Gustav Mahler)

                                                       Lob des hohen Verstands

                                                      from Das Knaben Wunderhorn (Gustav Mahler)

B’Angelo Cartwright (Trumpet)   The Harmonious Blacksmith

                                                                         (George Friedrich Handel)

Lavanda Brown (Vocalist)          Music For A While (Richard Swift)

Accompanied by Calvin Parker (Pianist)       The Melon Seller (G. Bantock)

Dion Cunningham  (Pianist)                Etude Op. 10 No. 3 in E major (Frederic Chopin)
                                                                        Le Vent dans la plaine  (Claude Debussy)

Candace Bostwick   (Soprano)        He’s Got the Whole World In His Hand  (Margaret Bonds)

                                                                        O Mio Babino (Giacomo Puccini)

Eldridge McPhee (Lyric Baritone)      Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile (Francesca Durante)

                                                                        Du bist de Ruh (Franz Schubert)

Eldridge McPhee and Candace Bostwick        Think of Me

                                                                     from Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Weber)

Shanderia McKenzie   (Vocalist)       I Who Have Nothing (Carlo Donida)

Accompanied by Calvin Parker (Pianist)

and Selah Poitier (Double Bass)

Bazil Miller (Alto Saxophone)

B’Angelo Cartwright (Trumpet)

Calvin Parker (Piano)

Selah Poitier (Double Bass)                     The Music Never Stops

                                                                                  (Arranged by Calvin Parker) 

Evening Performers:  

Eldridge McPhee

 Candace Bostwick

Anita MacDonald

Dion Cunningham

Shavincia Thomas

This special event - Bizet to Broadway -  in association with Elizabeth Covington and Cornelia Nihon,was to raise funds for a scholarship programme to help young Bahamian singers train either at home or abroad.

The evening which included cocktails and dinner featured:

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.

Alexander DOBSON - Baritone

British-Canadian Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musicality and dramatic awareness on both opera and concert stages. Recent highlights include his riveting portrayal of Wozzek conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Hamilton, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for l’Opéra de Montréal, Silvio in Opera Quebec’s Pagliacci, Marcello in both Saskatoon Opera’s production and BRAVO’s TV rendition of La Bohème, De Retz in Bard Summerscape’s production of Les Huguenots and made his Royal Opera Covent Garden debut with The Midnight Court. Upcoming engagements include Marcello in Pacific Opera Victoria’s La Bohème. With Calgary Opera he last performed Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos and with L'Orchestre Metropolitain the title role in Don Giovanni.

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.

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”.

Beverly McARTHUR - Mezzo Soprano 

Mezzo-Soprano Beverly McArthur has been praised for her “rich voice” and “excellent” character portrayals. As a young artist Beverly performed roles with both the Vancouver Opera and Montreal Opera. These roles included Wowkle (La Fanciulla del West), Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Clotilde (Norma), and Zinnia (L’Ètoile).

Her other credits include the roles of Dido (Dido and Aeneas) and Tituba (TheCrucible) with the University of British Columbia , and Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Banff Opera Theatre. In addition to performing opera, Beverly has performed concerts and oratorio works. Beverly is happy to sing again as a part of Bizet to Broadway.

Peter is a remarkable talent who pos sesses the ability to perform not only as a classical musician but also as a spirited gypsy virtuoso with the added bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. His voice repertoire ranges from light pop, to authentic Irish folksongs to the great Italian operatic arias including Turandots “Nessun Dorma”. De Sotto has been referred to as “a credible Pavarotti stand-in” (Stereo Review). De Sotto has recently performed the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata, and just played a starring role in the Canadian Musical “Heartstrings”.

“Whenever Peter De Sotto (tenor, violin, mandolin) released his natural, Italianate tenor – usually in Sicilian and Neapolitan folk Songs – I found tears springing to my eyes. It hardly seems fair that he’s also a violin wiz who tossed off a gypsy number at dizzying speed.” (National Post)

Not only is Peter “an amazing violinist capable of playing any style of music convincingly” but he has “one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard. I couldn’t believe any one person could possess that much talent.” (Glenn Dicterow, concert master, New York Philharmonic)

 - Accordion - Piano - Bandoneon

 
Alexander Sevastian joined Quartetto Gelato in 2002. Alex (accordion, piano, bandoneon) has won four International Accordion Competitions including the Oslofjord in Norway (1998), The Cup of the North in Russia (2000), the Anthony Galla-Rini Accordion Competition in the U.S.A. (2001) and The Coupe Mondiale in the U.S.A. (2007).

Alex was born in Minsk, Belarus and began his studies on the accordion at the age of seven. In 1991 he attended the Glinka Musical College in Minsk. His advanced studies took him to the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow where he received his Masters in Performance degree in 2002, studying with renowned performer and pedagogue, Friedrich Lips.

Alex began his professional career in Moscow in 1996, performing with the Russian Radio Orchestra, which he toured with as a soloist throughout Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Alex also was a very active recitalist and chamber musician. Highlights of his career include appearances in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Glinka Capella Hall (St.Petersburg), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Minato Mirai Hall (Yokohama), Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto), Jack Singer Hall (Calgary) and Metropolitan Museum (New York). Recent solo engagements include recitals in Mexico, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, U.S.A. and Canada as well as appearances with several symphony orchestras.

Alex and his family moved to Canada in April 2001. In May 2003 he completed the Advanced Certificate in Performance program at the University of Toronto where he studied with Joseph Macerollo.

Alex made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under a baton of Peter Oundjian in April 2008 playing Malcolm Forsyth Accordion Concerto at the New Creations Festival. One of the highlights of 2008-09 season is Alex’s Debut Atlantic tour in Eastern Canada in February 2009.

Alex lives in Toronto with his wife Anna and son Vladimir. In the fall of 2005 he became a Canadian Citizen.

Currently cellist for Canada’s well known musical ensemble Quartetto Gelato, Liza has performed as soloist in front of orchestras across North America and has toured other countries such as China and Korea. In addition, she is a regular performer for Toronto’s Soundstreams series, and recently had the opportunity to premiere R. Murray Schaffer’s new work “The Childrens Crusade”. She also works with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Ontario including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Thunder Bay Symphony and Orchestra London. In addition, Liza has performed as a featured soloist and chamber musician onstage the prestigious Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), The Heleconian Club (Toronto), and The Arts Project (London). Recent chamber work has taken her to perform in other venues in such cities as New York, Montreal, Vancouver, and Granada in the Caribbean and all over Germany. Liza has been recorded both by CBC radio and CBC television, Canada and has also performed live for the television show for Canada A.M as well as 96.3 FM radio.

In 2007, Liza was the recipient of the RBC Youth Achievement Award and was able to study on full scholarship with Aldo Parisot at the Banff Center for the Performing Arts. Winner of the Thomas Jeffrey scholarship, the University of Western Ontario's highest and most esteemed bursary given to graduate students in the music program, Liza has recently completed her Masters in Music degree under the tutelage of Dr. Thomas Weibe. She also won second place in London's Music Scholarship Foundation competition and first place in Regina’s Music Club competition. An eclectic musician, she has also performed live for Toronto’s Much Music Video Awards, Summer Rush in Wonderland, and on-stage at the Air Canada Center (Toronto), at Club Soda (Montreal), at Copps Coliseum (Hamilton), and at the Molson Amphitheatre in London.

Ms. McLellan previously studied at the Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto, Ontario and completed a Performance Diploma there in 2003 as a student of David Hetherington. In 2002, Liza toured with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada on a full scholarship taking her to Japan, Hong Kong, and numerous cities in Ontario and British Columbia. For the first four years of her post secondary education, Liza was the chosen recipient of a large government grant awarded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

Elizabeth began playing cello at the age of five in her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. She played Principal Cello with the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra, winning a large music scholarship during her final year and by the age of 17 she was a full contracted member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

- Oboe, Clarinet, English Horn, Violin, 5-String Banjo, Acoustic/Electric Bass, Piano, Saxophone, Flute, Guitar and Harmonica

Born and raised in Calgary (Go Flames Go!), Colin graduated from the University of Calgary in 1997 with a degree in oboe performance studying with David Sussman. While preparing repertoire for his senior recital, Colin discovered Quartetto Gelato’s first CD. “I have never heard anything like this before!” - remarked Colin. Since then QG has remained a constant inspiration and musical measuring stick. “It is the greatest honor to follow in Cynthia’s footsteps and to share a stage (and while on tour, a carpool and hotel room) with these world class musicians”.

As an oboist he has played with groups such as; The Calgary Philharmonic, National Ballet, Symphony of the Kootenays, Scarborough Philharmonic, Contact Contemporary Music Ensemble, Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, The Jive Mommas, High Strung, The Fabulous Doo-Wop Boys, The Plaid Tongued Devils and “The Jersey Boys” Orchestra . In 2002, he was a featured Jazz oboist at the International Double Reed Festival where he performed and conducted a jazz master class with legendary jazz bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz.

In addition to oboe, Colin also plays clarinet, english horn, violin, 5-string banjo, acoustic/electric bass, piano, saxophone, flute, guitar and harmonica. He has yet to master the kitchen sink despite years of training…. much respect to the members of STOMP.

Outside of music, Colin also works as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. Most recently, Colin had the honour of playing the devil fiddler in the flying blue canoe for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies." Other shows include; “Lord of the Rings” (Mirvish), Fire (CanStage), “Forbidden Phoenix” (LKTYP), “KA” (Cirque du Soleil), “Amadeus” (Alberta Theatre Projects), “That Dance Show” (Saltance Productions), “Cats” (Neptune Theatre), Joseph’s Dreamcoat (StageWest/Drayton), “A Chorus Line” (StageWest), Sarah Brightman’s World Tour, and TV’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids!”.

Colin currently lives in Toronto with his wife Sonya and 6 year old son Xavier.

 (click here to hear Alexandre).

He showed an uncommon interest for both the violin and piano at a very early age. By the age of nine, he had the astounding ability to perform his first concerts with stunning virtuosity on both instruments, which brought him recognition as a musical prodigy. His chosen professional career as a violinist began very early and he was soon performing regularly as soloist with orchestra as well as in recital.

In 1998, at the age of 18, he received a Master’s degree in violin and a First Prize from the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec. Concurrently, he also received a Bachelor’ s degree in Piano Interpretation from the faculty of music of the University of Montreal. From 1998 to 2001, he studied at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia in Madrid with his mentor Zakhar Bron, teacher of violinists such as Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin. In 2002, he won the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award for best Canadian artist under 30 years old. Between 2003 and 2006, after winning the Musical Instrument Bank competition of the Canada Council for the Arts, he played the 1689 Baumgartner Stradivarius.

Winner of many prestigious national and international first prizes, he appeared as soloist in nearly 1000 concerts throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Japan, China, Taiwan, etc. Alexandre Da Costa performed in major halls such as Vienna’s Musikverein, Berlin’s Philharmonie, New York's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg’s Musikhalle, Madrid’s National Auditorium, Beijing’s Poly Theater, etc., and played with prestigious orchestras such as the London Royal Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony, the Hamburg Symphony, the Vienna Symphony, the Prague Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony, Spain’s National TV & Radio Symphony Orchestra, etc., under conductors such as Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin, Matthias Bamert, Günter Herbig, Pedro Halffter, Robert Bernhardt, Adrian Leaper, Lior Shambadal, etc. He recorded live performances for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the WestDeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Radio-Classical International, Radio-Canada/CBC, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), Radio Nacional de España (RNE), Austria State Radio (ORF), TV Asahi Japan , etc.

Between 1998 and 2006, he recorded 12 CDs for XXI-21 Records and ATMA labels, among them the world premiere recordings of violin Concertos by Portuguese composers Luis de Freitas Branco and Armando José Fernandes with the Extremadura Symphony Orchestra under Jesús Amigo, a disc nominated at the JUNO Awards 2006. Other recordings include Vivaldi Four Seasons with the chamber orchestra of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s violin & viola duos with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s Solo violist Christian Frohn, concerti by Tchaikovsky & Bruch, Bach & Ysaye solo sonatas, Spanish works by Turina, de Falla, Nin, Albeniz, etc., Bloch & Williams works with the Biel Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Kreisler works with the Canimex Ensemble under Jean-François Rivest, etc. in 2009, he will record concertos by Michael Daugherty with the Montreal Symphony under Pedro Halffter for Warner Classics. He now records for Warner Classics International, Octave Classique/Universal and JVC/Victor (Japan ).

In addition to his concerts schedule, Alexandre is active as a teacher, giving workshops and Masterclasses in various universities and Conservatories around the world while traveling for concerts. He was also named Musical Development Director of the Canimex Foundation, an organization gathering an impressive collection of Fine Instruments for the benefit of talented artists.

All reviews are unanimous in saluting Alexandre's faultless technique, inherited directly from the Russian School , his exceptional energy and musical talent. Alexandre da Costa now plays the 1727 "Di Barbaro" Stradivarius and a Sartory bow, courtesy of Canimex.

  (click here to hear Wonny play) was born in South Korea and grew up in Montreal.  He began piano studies at the age of eight and received a full scholarship to Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music in 1994.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Montreal University in 1998 and continued his studies with Anton Kuerti at the University of Toronto and at the Glenn Gould Professional School with Marc Durand. 

Awarded the first Elinor Bell Fellowship at the University of Minnesota in 2000, he completed his Doctoral studies there with Lydia Artymiw in 2004.

Mr. Song is also actively involved in grooming the next generation of concert pianists in Montreal. As associate director and director of artists-in-residence of Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts, Mr. Song offers masterclasses and workshops with the hope of inspiring young artists through innovative pedagogical approaches. On an academic level, Mr. Song is also co-developing a unique piano methodology series for group instruction with Angela Chan

 Mr. Song has already begun an exciting international career.  During the 2008-2009 season, he makes encore appearances in the Young Concert Artists Series in New York at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall and in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.  He also appears as soloist with the Peoria Symphony (IL) and in recital with JCC of Greater Washington.

Beethoven  Sonata op.2 no.2 (4th mvt.) by WonnyDuring the 2007-2008 season, Mr. Song made his New York concerto debut with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, as part of YCA’s gala Irene Diamond Concert. He has also appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, the South Dakota Symphony, Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra (FL), the Fort Smith (AR) Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Kenosha (WI) Symphony Orchestra, the Waterbury (CT) Symphony Orchestra, the Florida West Coast Symphony, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Center Orchestra of Ottawa, and the EuroAsian Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea and Thailand.   Mr. Song has appeared at festivals including the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the second Young Concert Artists Festival at CHANEL Nexus Hall in Tokyo, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the National Arts Center Young Artists Festival in Ottawa, Canada at the invitation of Pinchas Zukerman where he was awarded the 2002 “Galaxy Rising Stars Award” and the Holland Music Sessions.

As winner of the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, Mr. Song made his recital debuts at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall in New York, sponsored by the Claire Tow Prize, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., presented by the Washington Performing Arts Society.  He was also awarded the Fergus Orchestra Soloist Prize, the Saint Vincent College Concert Series Prize, and the Miriam Brody Aronson Prize.

Mr. Song was awarded the 2003 Prix d’Europe in Canada, which presented him in recital throughout Canada, France, Italy, and Sweden.  As the 2001 First and Grand Prize winner of the Minnesota Orchestra’s WAMSO Competition, he appeared in three subscription concerts with Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra in 2002, and was reengaged for three more subscription concerts with Osmo Vänskä in 2006.  He won the 1997 Ludmila Knezkova Piano Competition in Nova Scotia, as well as First Prize and Best Artistic Interpretation Prize at the 1995 Montreal Symphony Piano Competition and a Gold Medal at the 1994 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati.

Other highlights of Mr. Song’s career include a solo recital as Canada’s musical ambassador to the 1993 World Expo in Korea and a 1998 performance in Bangkok at the closing ceremony of the Asian Olympic games, an event attended by Thailand’s Royal Family.  Mr. Song returned to Korea in 2005 to perform in the opening concert of Seoul’s new Chungmu Art Hall with the EuroAsian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gum Nan-se.

Mr. Song’s first CD, a recording of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli, was released on the Canadian label XXI-21 Records and was a bestseller in Canada. In 2003, Mr. Song was featured in a special volume profiling “100 Korean-Canadians of Note,” which was published by Canada’s Korean newspaper, the Korea Times.

(hear John play)

Through his recitals, concerto appearances and critically acclaimed recordings, the Irish pianist John O'Conor has earned a reputation as a masterful interpreter of the Classic and Early Romantic piano repertoires. He has been praised for his formidable technique and through his eloquent phrasing, mastery of keyboard colour, and in particular his unique sound he has been called a true Poet of the Piano.

He has performed throughout the world with many of the world's leading orchestras including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, l'Orchestre National de France, the NHK Orchestra in Japan and the Atlanta, Cleveland, San Francisco, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit Symphonies in North America. He has given concerts in many of the world's most famous halls including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Wigmore Hall and South Bank Centre in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Dvorak Hall in Prague and the Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo. He enjoys collaborating in Lieder recitals and performing chamber music with many instrumentalists and ensembles such as the Cleveland, Tokyo, Vanbrugh, Vermeer, Takacs, Vogler and Ying Quartets.

John O'Conor first gained widespread attention in the USA in 1986 with the release of the initial volume of the complete Beethoven Sonata cycle on the Telarc label which was issued as a box set in 1994. CD Review described Mr. O'Conor's performances as "piano recording of the highest calibre and Beethoven playing at its best". Mr. O'Conor has made more than 20 recordings for Telarc, including the complete Beethoven Bagatelles (which was cited by the New York Times as the best recordings of these works) and Mozart Concertos with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has also recorded the complete Nocturnes, Sonatas and Concertos of the Irish Composer John Field.

In 2007 and 2008 he recorded the complete Piano Concertos of Beethoven with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andreas Delfs and these have been greeted with great acclaim.

Mr. O'Conor's early studies began in his native Dublin. He spent five years in Vienna studying with the renowned pedagogue Dieter Weber, winning 1st Prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973, and made a special study of Beethoven with the legendary German pianist Wilhelm Kempff.

Mr. O'Conor is regarded as one of the most important piano teachers in the world today. His students have won many international prizes and he is in great demand for masterclasses and as a juror at the most prestigious International Piano Competitions worldwide.

For his services to music he has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the National University of Ireland, by Trinity College Dublin and by Shenandoah University, the title "Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Government and the "Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst" by the Austrian Government.