Staff

 Greek-American conductor Peter Tiboris made his professional conducting debut in New York City with the American Symphony Orchestra on January 7, 1984, at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. Since then he has conducted in the world's most prestigious venues, with world-class artists. He has conducted nearly 150 concerts in historic Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall. Abroad he has conducted at numerous musical venues, including Vienna's Konzerthaus; London's Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Center; Prague's Dvorák Hall and Smetana Hall; Warsaw Philharmonic Hall; Moscow's Column Hall and St. Petersburg's Shostakovich Hall and Tchaikovsky Hall; Italy's Teatro di Roma, Regio di Parma, and Sala Verdi in Milano; and Mexico City's Bellas Artes, among many others.

Mr. Tiboris has led his Manhattan Philharmonic as Music Director since 1988 in New York City. He has appeared as a guest conductor leading orchestras such as the Brooklyn Philharmonic and New York City Symphony in New York; Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, and Oxford Philomusica in the United Kingdom; Virtuosi di Praga in the Czech Republic; Hannover Staatsorchestra; Sofia National Opera House Orchestra; Société Philharmonique de Montréal; Bohuslav Martinó Philharmonic, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, and North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague; EurOrchestra di Napoli, Sinfonica Siciliana di Palermo, Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma, Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Bari, and L'EurOrchestra da camera di Bari, in Italy; Orquesta de Bellas Arts in Mexico City; Warsaw Philharmonic, Opera I Filarmonia Podlaska, Silesian Philharmonic of Katowice, and State Philharmonic of Poznan in Poland; Orquestra Clássica da Madeira and Orquestra de Camara de Cascais e Oeiras in Lisbon; Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Bucharest; Glinka Capelle Philharmonic of St. Petersburg, and Radio and Television Orchestra of Moscow; and Millî Reasürans Chamber Orchestra in Istanbul. Additionally, he has conducted orchestras on recordings, including the Moscow Radio and Television Orchestra of Russia, the Sofia National Opera Orchestra of Bulgaria, and the Bohuslav Martinó Philharmonic of the Czech Republic.

Symphonic and choral works that he has conducted include all of the major masterworks by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Mahler, Schubert, Schumann, Verdi, Grieg, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Puccini, Rossini, and Tchaikovsky. His love of opera has occasioned him to conduct performances of Tosca, Cavalleria rusticana, Taneyev's Agamemnon from The Oresteia, Rossini's Ermione and Il barbiere di Siviglia, Cherubini's Médée, and Theodorakis' Elektra. He has also conducted major ballets in Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, including Grieg's Peer Gynt (which was named Ballet of the Year in Italy in 2007 by Danza e Danza magazine), and Adam's Il Corsaro.

He has received critical acclaim for his 11 recordings, including Mascagni's Zanetto and Silvano; Verdi's Requiem (Critical Edition); the premier recordings of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, 7, and 9; and Schubert's Symphony No. 9, all with Mahler's "Retouchen."

Mr. Tiboris also is the Founder and General Director of MidAmerica Productions, which began in 1984. Since then MidAmerica has presented some 500 concerts, featuring orchestras from around the world, in Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.

In 2000 Mr. Tiboris founded the International Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece, which presents performances at the Apollo Theater, built in 1864. Also named ÒLa Piccola ScalaII barbiere di Siviglia, Don Giovanni, Zanetto, Cavalleria rusticana), symphonic and choral works, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Homer's The Iliad (Book I), recitals, and Greek folk music with an array of international artists. In July 2009, the Festival of the Aegean will present Puccini's Tosca and Stars of the Vienna State Opera Ballet.

Most recently, Mr. Tiboris' served as a jurist in the Maria Callas 2009 Grand Prix in Athens. His future conducting schedule includes New York's Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Budapest, Bari, Novi Sad, Milan, Lecco, Verona, Bratislava, Venice, Graz, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Israel, and Spain.

A native of Missouri, Norman Dunfee received his B.S. degree from William Jewell College in Kansas City, and his M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. As a pianist, he has performed in recitals throughout the Unites States, as well as in Germany and England. A former student of David Bar-Ilan, he has appeared in numerous recital series in New York City, including the Trinity Church series and the Museum of the City of New York series. He came to MidAmerica in 1989 as a member of the marketing department. In 1990, he was appointed Director of Concert Operations, and in 1992, he became MidAmerica's Executive Director, overseeing all aspects of concert production. Dr. Dunfee also serves as Executive Director of Eckphrasis, an artist management company founded by MidAmerica Productions. In 1994, he was appointed Executive Director of Elysium Recordings, a new recording label, for which he manages all research, personnel, and production.

Joseph J. Bill was previously a senior administrator and financial manager for Comex, a membership organization for commodities trading. Originally from Long Island, New York, he attended Pace University and presently resides in New Jersey. He plays the keyboard as a hobby, although previously as a piano student, he performed in Carnegie Hall.

Sara Bong received her B.M. degree cum laude in piano from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She began her piano studies at the age of five and made her Carnegie Hall debut at age 16, appearing in concert with the pianist Eugene List. Sara began her tenure at MidAmerica in 1988 as the Assistant to the Director and was also the administrator for MidAmerica's Performers Management Exchange before being appointed Director of Marketing and Program Development in 1990, and Vice President in 2007.  Previously, she held administrative positions at the University of Cincinnati, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Kohler Arts Center, where she coordinated fund raising activities and events development. She also served as a staff accompanist at Interlochen's National Music Camp for two summers.

Sara released her first solo keyboard recording, “What if the King Should Come to the City,” on the Penguin on the Telly label, and has been heard in solo and chamber music performances in New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, and the Midwest.  She is also active in the New York Alumnae Chapter of the international music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota, and is a charter member of the Epsilon Nu Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda at the University of Wisconsin.

Joyce Howard-Brazel came to MidAmerica Productions in 1997, after serving for eight years in the U.S. Army as an Electronic Warfare Systems Repairer, attaining the rank of Specialist Promotable. Previously, she worked as a Customer Account Coordinator for WTGS-28, a FOX network affiliate station in Savannah, Georgia. A native of Brooklyn, New York, she attended the State University of New York at Purchase. She is currently studying music composition. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, crocheting, reading, cooking and traveling.

Molly Waymire studied mathematics and computer science at Indiana University. Over the past 20 years, she has gained experience in treasury and management through her work at several theaters, performing arts centers, and theme parks throughout the United States. She was appointed to her present position in 1993.

Dale Zeidman, Director of Public Relations and Publications, rejoined MidAmerica Productions in 2008, after a hiatus of seven years. Previously, she had worked at MidAmerica from 1994-2001. She came to MidAmerica Productions for the first time by way of Symphony Space, a New York theater; New York City Opera; and ABC News. Before returning to MidAmerica, she worked with several nonprofits in New York, including the New York Society for Ethical Culture, Brooklyn Arts Council, and Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music.

Eilana Lappalainen, Finnish-Canadian soprano, has performed title roles to critical claim in the world's premier opera venues which include Teatro alla Scala, Opera di Roma, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra de Montréal, Bellas Artes, Teatro Verdi Trieste, New Israeli Opera, Lithuanian National Opera, Finnish National Opera, Polish National Opera, Opera North, Staatstheater Essen, Prague State Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Michigan Opera, Minnesota Opera, Nashville Opera, Kentucky Opera, Portland Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Hamilton, Opera Ottawa, Marin Opera, Arizona Opera, and Opera San Jose, and in cities such as Wiesbaden, Dessau, Halle, Mannheim, Bremen, Würtzburg, Bielefeld, Liceu, and Winterthur. Her extensive repertoire has grown to include leading roles in such operas as Salome, Der Rosenkavalier, Arabella, Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin, Fidelio, Peter Grimes, Wozzeck, Der Freischütz, Jenůfa, Giovanna D'Arco, Un ballo in maschera, I masnadieri, Il trovatore, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Medea, Andrea Chénier, Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica, Il tabarro, La fanciulla del West, Turandot, and Tosca. At Carnegie Hall, Eilana has sung Verdi’s and Mozart’s Requiems, Zanetto, and a recital in Weill Recital Hall. Others concert performances have taken place in Germany, Mexico, Finland, Israel, Greece, and the UK. Her recording of Zanetto was released by Elysium Recordings in 2008.

Dennis J. Loy is proud to return to MidAmerica Productions after having worked closely with Founder and General Director Peter Tiboris in the early and building years of the company. His distinguished music career featured extensive work with young singers both in choral presentations as well as in music theory, music history, and music theatre. His ensembles were invited to perform on Christmas albums as well as appear at the North Central Association of the American Choral Director's Association Convention. In his capacity as choral director in the Wisconsin area, he did extensive work in music theatre, directing such familiar works as Anything Goes, My Fair Lady, Oliver, and The King and I, to name a few. His first New York appearance was with MidAmerica Productions in 1989, conducting John Rutter's Requiem in Avery Fisher Hall. He recently teamed with MidAmerica and noted operatic performers in its Aegean Festival in Syros, Greece.

His undergraduate and graduate work at Northeast Missouri State University led to a successful 10 year teaching career and fully prepared him to actively perform throughout the Midwest. He was invited as a guest clinician in Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin as well as to guest conduct various groups in numerous music festivals. He has successfully led performances of Bach's St. Matthews Passion, Handel's Messiah, Vaughan William's Hodie, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Tippett's A Child Of Our Time, among many others. In addition, he actively adjudicated throughout the Midwest during those years.

Mr. Loy moved from Wisconsin to New York in 1986 and initially joined MidAmerica Productions as it first Executive Director. He returns now as Conductor-In-Residence and actively participates in numerous MidAmerica Productions presentations.

Joe Stebbins has been involved in concert development and production with MidAmerica Productions for almost ten years. During his tenure, he has assisted conductors, music directors, and countless performers, in experiencing life-changing performances in New York’s historic Carnegie Hall. As a student assistant at International Schools in Hamburg, Germany, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he enjoyed traveling to sing and sometimes compete with choirs in Paris, Amsterdam, London, Mexico, Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong. He received his bachelor of arts degree at Columbia University and continued post-graduate studies at Hunter College and City University of New York pursuant to a master’s degree in musicology with an emphasis on late period Romanticism and 20th-century performance practice. In his leisure time, Joe enjoys teaching guitar, attending good films, and instrumental arranging.

Betsy Stein, Executive Associate to Peter Tiboris received her B.M. degree in oboe performance from New York University under the direction of Jerry Reuter, and her M.A. degree in performing arts administration, also from NYU. While still at NYU, she performed at Carnegie Hall as a member of the New York Youth Symphony, and also played with the NYU New Music Ensemble, NYU Orchestra, Washington Square Wind Quintet, and NYU Concert Band. She was an intern in the Performing Arts Administration Department of the New York Philharmonic and worked at Harwood Management for two years become coming to MidAmerica Productions more than 11 years ago. She has coordinated the Festival of the Aegean since 2007.

Nicholas J. White has been professional musician and theater artist for over ten years. He attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov in Saint Petersburg, Russia where he majored in music composition. White’s work for the concert stage has been heard in Russia, Estonia, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, the UK, and the United States. He has written, arranged, and/or played music for various theaters around the country including freeFall Theater and American Stage Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he worked as technician, performer, and educator for the past three years. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and the American Federation of Musicians (AMF). He hails from St. Petersburg, Florida.

Barbara Budhoo received a bachelor of science degree in medical lab studies and a bachelor of arts in psychology from City University of New York. Currently, she is a graduate student at Cornell University, pursuing a clinical psychology degree.

James Hall brought his experience in music and online journalism to MidAmerica in 2012.  He had previously written jazz reviews for About.com, taught English at Primera Languages, and managed web content for SolStars Wines.  James is an active trombonist and composer, leading a contemporary jazz sextet and freelancing in New York's Salsa, folk, rock, commercial, classical, and avant garde music scenes.