General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

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The American Chamber Ensemble, co-directed by pianist Blanche Abram and clarinetist Naomi Drucker, has presented concerts for more than 30 years. In residence at Hofstra University, ACE is a consortium of distinguished musicians whose concerts explore music for clarinet, piano, strings, woodwinds, and voice. ACE is dedicated to presenting the music of living American composers and has commissioned and presented world premieres by Elie Siegmeister, Meyer Kupferman, Vally Weigl, Max Lifchitz, David Hollister, Joelle Wallach, Albert Tepper, Marga Richter, Dana Richardson, Edward Smaldone, Jerry Rizzi, Katherine Hoover, Josef Alexander and Herbert Deutsch. ACE has recorded a number of these works for the Leonarda, Gasparo, Soundspells, Cala, Dionysus and 4Tay labels. Under the Elysium Recordings label, The Ensemble has recorded American Chamber Ensemble: American Clarinet Treasures, and American Chamber Ensemble plays Peter Schickele. A Long Island-based ensemble, ACE has, since 1980, included a work celebrating the Festival of Long Island Composers at each of its concerts.

Blanche Abram, piano and co-director, has performed throughout the eastern United States and the Caribbean. Ms. Abram is an adjunct professor of music at Hofstra University, a former faculty member of the 92nd Street Y. Ms. Abram has lectured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, including a presentation at the International Conference on Tension in Performance in Great Britain. She has been honored by the Music Teachers National Association as a "Master Teacher" and has authored numerous articles in Clavier, Piano, Keyboard, and various other music publications. Ms. Abram has appeared on several radio and TV stations, including WQXR, WNYC, WFUV, and News 12 Long Island. She has recorded for the Leonarda, 4Tay, Gasparo, Soundspells, and Dionysian labels. Her work as a pianist is referred to in Clarinet Virtuosi of Today, and her biography appears in American Keyboard Artists and other publications.

Naomi Drucker, clarinet and co-director, has performed, recorded, and toured extensively with the New York Philharmonic. She has performed in Japan, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, France, Canada and Argentina, and has appeared as soloist with the Nassau Symphony Orchestra, New York Virtuosi, Philharmonia Virtuosi, Massapequa Symphony, Long Island Baroque Ensemble, Long Island Symphony, and West Islip Orchestra. She has given performances at International Clarinet Conventions in Paris, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Currently the principal clarinetist of the New York Virtuosi, Ms. Drucker began her career at the age of 21 as principal clarinetist of the North Carolina Symphony. A graduate of Hofstra University and an adjunct professor of music at her alma mater, she received the 1994 George M. Estabrook Distinguished Alumni Award for career achievement. As a member of the American Chamber Ensemble, Ms. Drucker has recorded the music of Zaimont, Hindemith, and Weigl. She has performed on New York Legends - Stanley Drucker for Cala Records, and Naomi Drucker and Stanley Drucker Play Meyer Kupferman for Soundspells Records. Music for Doubles, a 1998 release on Elysium Records, features Naomi and Stanley Drucker performing Krommer's Concerto for Two Clarinets and Orchestra, with Peter Tiboris conducting.

Marilyn Sherman Lehman, piano, has given many solo and ensemble concerts, including performances in Kaufman Concert Hall of the 92nd St. Y, as well as museums, libraries, and universities in the New York area. A regional winner of the ASMA International Piano Competition, she has been a guest artist on WNYC, WEVD, and participated in chamber music festivals throughout the United States and Germany. Ms. Lehman earned her bachelor's degree from Hofstra University and master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. She formerly taught at Five Towns and Suffolk Community Colleges and currently serves on the music faculties of both Hofstra and Adelphi Universities. As a core member of the American Chamber Ensemble, she has performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall for the last three seasons and participated in an ACE recording released by Elysium Recordings.

Eriko Sato, violin, has been a member and frequent concertmaster of the Orpheus and St. Luke's Orchestras. She made her solo debut at age 13, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras in Louisville, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Ms. Sato was the winner of the Tibor Varga International Competition; the Young Musicians Foundation Competition; and three Japanese National Competitions. She is a founding member of the Aspen Soloists; the Festival Chamber Music Society; and the Salon Chamber Soloists. Ms. Sato has also participated in the Mostly Mozart, Aspen, Angel Fire, Gretna, and Kuhmo music festivals, and appears regularly with Bargemusic, Chamber Music Northwest, and at the Caramoor and Dobbs Ferry Music Festivals. As a concertmaster of Orpheus, she has recorded for Deutsche Grammaphon Sony Classics, and on Telarc, Arabesque, and MusicMasters labels with the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. For Elysium Recordings, she can be heard in American Clarinet Treasures and American Chamber Ensemble plays Peter Schickele. Ms. Sato has also recorded for Vanguard, Delos and Grenadilla, and has been featured on CBS News Sunday Morning. Ms. Sato is a faculty member at the Hoff-Barthelson School and the Mannes College of Music, where she teaches violin and chamber music. She has taught at Queens College and the Aspen Music Festival. She lives in New York City with her husband, pianist David Oei, and their pit bull mix, Jazz.

Deborah Wong, violin, is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where she earned her bachelor and master degrees. A winner of the Victor Herbert Award, she studied under Dorothy Delay. Ms. Wong has been a featured soloist with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, North Country Chamber Players, Stony Brook Symphony, and at the New England Bach Festival. She is a veteran performer with numerous chamber music societies and is a member of the Hawthorne Piano Trio. Her affiliation with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has taken her on tour of Europe and the United States, and has led to her involvement in recordings with Deutsche Grammophon. A champion of contemporary music, she is a member of the Atlantic String Quartet and performs with the Washington Square Contemporary Music Ensemble, as well as with the ISCM Chamber Players and the New York New Music Ensemble. In addition, she has appeared at the Caramoor, Aspen, Spoleto and Waterloo music festivals.

Lois Martin, viola, studied at the Peabody Preparatory School and the Eastman School of Music, where she was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. She continued her studies at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Lillian Fuchs. Ms. Martin is a founding member the Atlantic String Quartet and Fidelio, a unique ensemble consisting of viola, cello and piano. She is a member of Chamber Music Plus, the New York Chamber Symphony, Concordia, String Fever, the Salon Chamber Soloists and the American Chamber Ensemble. Her continuing commitment to contemporary music includes performances with The Group for Contemporary Music, the ISCM Chamber Players, the New York New Music Ensemble, Speculum Musicae, the Composers Guild, the Da Capo Chamber Players, the Composers Forum and Steve Reich and Musicians. Ms. Martin is also on the faculty of the Composers Conference at Wellesley College and has taught at Princeton University.

Chris Finckel, cello, began his studies with his father, George Finckel. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. A member of the Manhattan String Quartet and the New York New Music Ensemble, Mr. Finckel has performed extensively in Asia, Australia, Europe, Central America and throughout the U.S. and Canada. A frequent guest artist with the Tokyo String Quartet, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Speculum Musicae, Mr. Finckel has appeared at the Casals, Santa Fe, Ravinia, Saratoga, Norfolk and Rockport chamber music festivals. A dedicated performer of 20th-century music, Mr. Finckel has participated in the premieres of more than one hundred composers' works. He has recorded for the Nonesuch, New World, CRI, Bridge, and Vanguard Record labels.

Michael Finckel, cello, enjoys a wide-ranging career as cellist, conductor, teacher, and composer. A founding member of the Trio of the Americas and the Cabrini Quartet, he performs as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States. His love of contemporary music has involved him in concerts with New York's leading new-music ensembles including Speculum Musicae, Ensemble Sospeso, The Group for Contemporary Music, The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Steve Reich and Musicians, and the American Composer's Orchestra, as well as performances with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Pierre Boulez and Leonard Bernstein. Mr. Finckel is presently music director of the Sage City Symphony in Bennington, Vermont and oversees the orchestra's extensive commissioning program. He is a performing faculty member at the Chamber Music Conference and Composer's Forum of the East in Bennington, Vermont and at the Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. He has recorded for the Dorian, Opus One, New World, CRI, Vanguard, Vox/Candide and ECM/Warner Brothers labels.

Patricia Spencer, flutist, a member of the Hofstra University music faculty, has received wide recognition for her recitals and recordings of contemporary flute repertoire. Her solo CD, The Now and Present Flute, has been greeted with raves in Fanfare and The American Record Guide. Ms. Spencer, a past president of the New York Flute Club, is director of the Da Capo Chamber Players.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

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Sylvia Rosenberg, violin, has performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad, appearing with major orchestras, including the Chicago, National, and London symphonies; the Royal Philharmonic; Stockholm Philharmonic; Amsterdam Concertgebouw; New Philharmonia; Berlin Radio; and all of the BBC orchestras. Festival appearances include the Edinburgh, Bath, Santa Fe Chamber, Banff Centre, Sarasota, Marlboro, and Ravinia music festivals. Ms. Rosenberg has also appeared as soloist with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies at the St. Magnus Festival. A graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied with Ivan Galamian, she has also worked with Szymon Goldberg, and, on a Fulbright scholarship in Paris, with Nadia Boulanger. Ms. Rosenberg has been a professor of violin at the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, as well as a faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival since 1980. She has given frequent master classes, including at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin College, University of Southern California, Jerusalem Music Center, the conservatories of the Hague, Denmark, Stockholm, Amsterdam, New England, San Francisco, Beijing, and Shanghai; Hong Kong Academy; and the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School in London. In addition, Ms. Rosenberg often serves on the juries of many international competitions. She is currently on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and gives an annual series of master classes at London's Royal Academy of Music, from which she received an honorary degree in 2003. In April 2002 Ms. Rosenberg gave a highly successful recital in London's Wigmore Hall.

Barry Snyder, piano, has developed a reputation as a versatile musician, performing an array of solo, concerto, and chamber concerts. He first gained attention at age 22 after winning three major prizes in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He has since made 36 recordings and, over a period of almost four decades, given concerts around the world. Mr. Snyder has been a soloist with a number of orchestras, including the Detroit, National Symphony, Houston, Atlanta, Singapore, and Japan Philharmonic orchestras, and has worked with conductors such as Robert Shaw, Leopold Stokowski, David Zinman, and Charles Dutoit. As a chamber music collaborator, Mr. Snyder has appeared with artists such as Herman Prey, Jan de Gaetani, Zvi Zeitlin, and Sylvia Rosenberg, as well as with the Cleveland, Purcell, and Curtis quartets. An exponent of 20th-century music, he has given several world premieres of works by Sydney Hodkinson, Toshio Hosakawa, and Augusta Reed Thomas. In addition, several works have been written for him, including Verne Reynolds's Florilegium, Volumes II, and I and Carter Pann's Improvisations on the Name Barry Snyder for solo piano. A professor of piano and co-chair of the piano department at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, Mr. Snyder has given master classes at the Royal Northern College of Music, Trinity College and the Guildhall School, Hochschule für Musik, and the Manhattan School of Music, among others. Mr. Snyder was cited recently in the book The Most Wanted Piano Teachers.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

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Pianists Susan Grace and Alice Rybak bring together two distinguished careers. Each has earned recognition as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States and abroad. Both artists share a special interest in the vast repertoire for two pianos and the unique collaboration involved in its performance. Quattro Mani, formed in 1989, has gained international recognition with performances in Spain, Korea and many cities in the United States. Their special interest in twentieth century repertoire has led to collaborations with such composers as George Crumb, Joan Tower and Frederic Rzewski and to participation in contemporary music festivals throughout the USA and Europe.

Following the release of Quattro Mani's debut CD, A Game of Go, Fanfare wrote: "Grace and Rybak play all of this music with power and intelligence, shaping large expressive phrases. Quattro Mani's blistering performance forms the beating heart of an arresting recital." Quattro Mani's next CD - a recording of George Crumb's music for two pianos - was issued by Bridge Records, and immediately nominated as Best Chamber Music CD of the Year by the International Critics Committee of the Cannes Classic Awards. This CD received Fanfare's Critics Choice and highest ratings from France's Repertoire as well as from ClassicsToday.com. Speaking about Quattro Mani, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Crumb writes: "The duo piano team Quattro Mani is one of the very finest I have heard. Susan Grace and Alice Rybak are wonderful artists and their performances are both technically and musically superb." Quattro Mani has been featured on two recent critically acclaimed discs: The Music of Poul Ruders, Vol. 4 and Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 8, which was chosen as one of the top 10 CD's for 2004 by Amazon.com. Their most recent disc is Harmony for a New World. Quattro Mani is on the International Roster of Steinway Artists.

Alice Rybak is an instructor of piano and director of the accompanying program at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. The winner of several prestigious competitions and awards, Ms. Rybak entered The Julliard School at age seven, where she studied piano with Herbert Stessin. She has studied piano and chamber music with Menahem Pressler, Abbey Simon, and Janos Starker at Indiana University's School of Music. In demand as both soloist and collaborative artist, Ms. Rybak has performed throughout the country, including performances with the Colorado Symphony; Amarillo Symphony; and National Repertory Orchestras, as well as appearances at New York's Town Hall; and the 92nd Street Y. As the winner of the United States Information Agency's Artistic Ambassador competition, she presented five weeks of concerts and master classes throughout India, Thailand, and Malaysia and has also appeared at the Taipei Arts Festival.

Ms. Rybak has performed with a wide variety of musicians including violinists Rachel Barton, Dylana Jenson and Sergiu Schwartz and Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Judith Christin. She was a member of the Colorado Chamber Players for ten years and was also the pianist of the Denver Trio. She teaches at Indiana University's School of Music Summer Piano Academy and has also recorded for Crystal Records.

Susan Grace has performed solo and chamber recitals, and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, China and India. Additionally, she has performed in numerous series and festivals, including the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.; the Grand Teton Festival; Music at Oxford; and the Helmsley Festival in England. She has toured with the Goldnagle Duo in Hungary, Munich and other venues in southern Germany as a piano trio. Ms. Grace and her husband, Michael, have toured with a concert titled Piano Music and Painting; these programs, which include slides of the paintings upon which the piano compositions are based, have been presented recently on numerous series, including those at Florida International University; Bucknell University; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; South Dakota State University; the Loveland Civic Music Association; and the University of Lueneburg, Germany. In 2005 Ms. Grace, sponsored by the American Embassy, presented concerts of American piano music in India. She will be returning to India in the fall of 2006. As a collaborative artist, Ms. Grace has performed with cellist Janos Starker, violinists Martin Chalifour, Glenn Dicterow and Jose-Luis Garcia, clarinetist David Shifrin, soprano Martile Rowland and many other internationally known musicians.

Ms. Grace is artist-in-residence and lecturer in music at Colorado College, music director of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival and artistic director of the New Music Symposium.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

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Vitalij Kuprij, piano, has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes. He won the prestigious first prize as the youngest person to compete in the All-Union Chopin Competition held in the Republic of Kazan, Soviet Union; the gold medal in the Kiev Conservatory Competition and the Poltawa, Ukraine Mykola Lyssenko Competition. In addition, he received first prize in the Geneva Duo Competition for Violin and Piano and the first prize in the Piano 80 and Swiss Youth Competition; the Chicago Piano Competition; the New York Piano Competition; and the Cleveland Piano Competition. Mr. Kuprij's appearances on Ukrainian radio and television have brought him critical acclaim for his performances. Flutist James Galway chose Mr. Kuprij as his accompanist for the 1995 International Flute Seminar master classes held in Weggis, Switzerland and for an international tour. Mr. Kuprij has been much in demand as a soloist, recitalist and as a chamber musician throughout the United States and abroad, including in France, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and in Luxembourg. On March 7, 1999, he performed with the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall and following at the Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. In addition, as a composer he often performs his own works in concert. Mr. Kuprij has studied piano with Nina Najditsch at Kiev's Mykola Lyssenko Music Academy for Highly Talented Students. Prior to coming to the United States, he was a student of Vienna's Rudolph Buchbinder, at the Basel Conservatoire, Switzerland. In 1995, Mr. Kuprij moved to the United States in order to begin his musical studies with Gary Graffman, president and director of the Curtis Institute Of Music, from which he graduated in May 2000.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

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Tamara Volskaya, director, domra and mandolin, and Anatoliy Trofimov, bayan, comprise one of the most remarkable and inspiring musical duos to be found anywhere in the world. Honored artists of Russia; winners of international and national competitions; and professors at the Mussorgsky Ural State Conservatory, they have toured throughout Russia, Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, and recorded several CDs. Anatoliy Trofimov is a skillful arranger of all of the ensemble's repertoire. In 1997 the Russian Duo performed at Carnegie Hall in the gala America Salutes Moscow. In 1999 and 2004 they were featured on NPR's nationally syndicated program All Things Considered and on WMAR-ABC TV. In 2000-2002 the Russian Duo appeared as the featured artists at major international festivals in Japan, Spain and USA. In 2002 Volskaya performed at Avery Fisher Hall at the Mostly Mozart Festival with Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and at Merkin Hall as a soloist with chamber orchestra Bachanalia under Nina Beilina. In 2003 Tamara Volskaya performed with flute player Paula Robison at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and toured the United States. At the beginning of 2004, Tamara Volskaya performed two concertos by Vivaldi and by Pergolesi as a guest-soloist with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Recently the Russian Duo came back from a concert tour to Russia where they performed in seven main Ural and Siberian cities. In the summer of 2004 Russian Duo was invited to participate in Bard Music Festival's Shostakovich Festival. They performed for the production of two famous Shostakovich operas The Nose and Moscow: Cherry Tree Towers. Tamara Volskaya and Anatoliy Trofimov had a recital concert as part of the Lyric Society of New York concert series on December 2004 at Victor Borge Hall at the American-Scandinavian Foundation.

Mayya Kalikhman, domra, alto-domra, mandolin, and mandola, a former student of Ms. Volskaya, has fortified the domra section of Ensemble "Russian Carnival". She is a true multi-instrumentalist, equally adept playing the second-domra, alto-domra, mandolin, mandola and some percussion instruments in the ensemble. A graduate of the Musorgsky Ural State Conservatory, Ms. Kalikhman has gained admiration as both a soloist and music instructor in Kiev, Ukraine.

Natalia Vsevolodskaya, balalaika-alto and guitar, combines professional and deeply sensitive performance on the guitar with inspiring playing on alto-balalaika, and percussion instruments. She graduated Kiev musical school as a guitarist, has performed with the October Palace Orchestra, Kiev

Leonid Bruk, balalaika-contrabass, graduated from a musical school in St. Petersburg as a bass- guitarist. He was deeply attracted to contrabass-balalaika and has played for many years in various folk groups in Russia and the United States. His enthusiastic performance on bass-balalaika adds vigor and sparkle to the Ensemble's program.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

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As director of choral activities at California State University, Fresno, Anna Hamre is frequently in demand as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. She has worked with university, church, community choirs and school ensembles of all ages. She has been a guest conductor of a number of honor choirs, and several ensembles under her direction have been invited to perform at music conventions. Her various positions have given her the opportunity to premier numerous works, most recently the November 2004 American premier of Philip Wilby's new reconstruction of Mozart's Mass in C (Novello). At Fresno State she is responsible for the management of the choral program, and she directs the concert choir, chamber singers, and community chorus. She also teaches undergraduate conducting and graduate conducting and literature. She was honored on August 19, 2003 by the College of Arts and Humanities as the outstanding teacher award winner for the 2003-03 academic year. Ms. Hamre holds a bachelors of art degree in vocal and instrumental music education from Augustana College, in Sioux Falls, SD; a masters of music degree in choral music from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; and a doctor of musical arts in choral literature and performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder. She has written articles for the Choral Journal, Spotlight on Teaching Chorus, and the International Choral Bulletin. She has presented sessions for the California and Colorado chapters of the American Choral Directors' Association (ACDA), Colorado Music Educators' Association, the California Music Educators' Association (CMEA), and the Central California Kodály Educators. Masterworks Press of Olympia, WA publishes her music-literacy method, The High School/University Sight-Singer. She has served on the California state boards of both ACDA and CMEA.

Giselle Elgarresta-Rios is director of choral and vocal studies at Barry University. Ms. Rios founded the Barry University chamber ensemble in 1996 and the Tara Singers, a select group of singers who perform various styles of music throughout south Florida and abroad. Ms. Rios is a graduate of the University of Miami where she was awarded the bachelor of music, the master of music, and the doctor of musical arts degree, Phi Kappa Lambda; and studied at the American musical studies program in Graz, Austria and in various music programs in Italy. Ms. Rios has performed as a soloist in operas, zarzuelas, and in recitals throughout the United States. Additionally, Ms. Rios has performed in music festivals through Italy. Her principle voice teachers were Jana Young, Elizabeth Colson, Lucille Evans, and Dr. Susan Boardman. Advanced studies in choral conducting were with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe and Dr. Lee Kjelson. Her professional membership includes American Choral Director's Association, Music Educator's National Conference, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Additionally, Ms. Rios is a member of Iron Arrow, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Timothy Seelig is in his 15th year as conductor and artistic director of the Turtle Creek Chorale. Under his leadership, the chorale has continued to push the world of male choral music to new heights. Mr. Seelig holds four degrees, including a doctorate from the University of North Texas and the Diploma in Lieder and Oratorio from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He was co-founder and long-time artistic director of The Women's Chorus of Dallas and is adjunct assistant professor at Southern Methodist University. He has performed all over the world from Europe to the Far East. He made his European operatic debut at the Staatsoper in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 1991. He has two solo CDs, Everything Possible which was produced to benefit three local AIDS organizations, and Two Worlds released September 30, 2001, to kick off the Chorale's 22nd season.

Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse, artistic director and principal conductor of the New England Symphonic Ensemble, is a violinist, pianist, composer, and conductor. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Boston University, and the Peabody Conservatory, Dr. Rittenhouse has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Africa, and the West Indies. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the London Associate Board Overseas Award, the New York Concert Artists Guild Award, the International Music Guild Award, and the New York Madrigal Society Award.

The New England Symphonic Ensemble was organized more than two decades ago by Dr. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse. Since 1982 the ensemble has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, Russia, and Israel, and has performed frequently at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions.

Over the past 22 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, choruses, soloists, and orchestral musicians for performances at some of the world's greatest venues, especially at New York's Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

Under the guidance of MidAmerica's founder, Peter Tiboris, the company has presented over 790 concerts worldwide and more than 660 in New York at Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.

More than 2115 American ensembles, representing each of the 50 states, have appeared with MidAmerica in New York, as have 75 symphonic and choral ensembles from Europe, the Far East, South America, and Canada. There have more than 300 guest conductors, 620 solo artists, and 88,000 performers who have appeared on MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall.

In addition to presenting classic choral and instrumental works, MidAmerica Productions has championed the works of contemporary composers. On MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, there have been approximately 31 World Premieres, 16 United States Premieres, and 50 New York Premieres.

For more information about MidAmerica Productions, please contact Kathleen Drohan at 212-239-0205 or kdrohan@midamerica-music.com

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David Littrell is a university distinguished professor of music at Kansas State University where he conducts the university orchestra and teaches or plays the cello, baroque cello, five-string violoncello piccolo, double bass, viola da gamba, and electric cello. He is the director of String Fling, an annual event at Kansas State that attracts 750 string students from Kansas. He also conducts the Gold Orchestra, which includes 58 Manhattan, Kansas area string students in grades 5-10. The Gold Orchestra toured England in 1997, Seattle and British Columbia in 1999, and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2001. They performed at KMEA in 2004 and at the ASTA National Orchestra Festival in Dallas in March 2004. Mr. Littrell served six years as editor of the books and music reviews section of the American String Teacher, and he was editor of ASTA's two-volume String Syllabus. He was the editor and the compiler of GIA Publications' two volumes of Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra. Mr. Littrell twice received the Stamey Undergraduate Teaching Award at Kansas State University. In 1994 the Kansas Chapter of ASTA awarded him the Certificate of Merit. He was the national president of the American String Teachers Association in 2002-2004 and planned ASTA's first stand-alone conference in March 2003. He represented ASTA on a trip to France in March 2004 to learn about import opportunities for French string instruments and bows. Mr. Littrell adjudicates solo and orchestra contests and is a clinician and conductor throughout the United States.

Jim Kull has been director of bands at St. Charles East High School since 1994. Under his direction, the band program has grown into one of the largest in Illinois, with six concert bands and four jazz bands meeting daily for graduation credit. He holds degrees from Vandercook College of Music and the University of Illinois, and has done doctoral work at Indiana University. Mr. Kull has studied conducting with James Keene and Ray Cramer, and has participated in master classes with Frederick Fennel and Elizabeth Green. Under his direction, the St. Charles East High School Wind Ensemble has performed at the Illinois Music Educators State Convention and is well known for performances of contemporary literature for winds. Guest composers who worked with the bands include Frank Ticheli, Stephen Melillo, Timothy Broege and Jonathan Newman. The wind ensemble has also worked in consortiums to commission Rolf Rudin, John Mackey and Jonathan Newman for new wind works. Mr. Kull has also taught at Wheeling High School, Champaign Central High School, and at Kansas State University. Mr. Kull is also active as a saxophonist in the Chicago area, where he has performed with such jazz greats as Carmen Bradford, Charlie Haden, Ed Shaugnessy, and the Manhattan Transfer.

David Bernard, music director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, has been making music for more than thirty years and has performed in more than twenty countries on four continents. He has built the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony into one of the finest non-professional orchestras in New York City. In addition to founding the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in 1999, Mr. Bernard has been music director of the Lawyers' Orchestra since 2001 and was assistant conductor of both the Stamford Symphony (CT) and the Jacksonville Symphony (FL). Mr. Bernard has conducted performances at Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall. His performances have been broadcast on WQXR and WNYC, and he was featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News and The New York Times. Mr. Bernard has written his own completion of Mozart's Requiem, K.626, which was performed in an acclaimed performance at Avery Fisher Hall with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony and the New Amsterdam Singers. He has also prepared a new edition of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 1 and has written a Music Theory textbook, "The Structural Principals of Music". Mr. Bernard has studied at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, the Tanglewood Music Center and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Mr. Bernard led several acclaimed performances with the Stony Brook Symphony, including Schumann 1st Symphony, Shostakovich 6th Symphony, and a rare performance of Ives' 4th Symphony where he led the orchestra in partnership with Arthur Weisberg, the noted conductor of 20th century music. Mr. Bernard is an elected member of the Alumni Council of The Curtis Institute of Music and is a Trustee of the InterSchool Orchestras of New York.

Over the past 21 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, choruses, soloists, and orchestral musicians for performances at some of the world's greatest venues, especially at New York's Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

Under the guidance of MidAmerica's founder, Peter Tiboris, the company has presented over 780 concerts worldwide and more than 600 in New York at Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.

More than 2115 American ensembles, representing each of the 50 states, have appeared with MidAmerica in New York, as have 75 symphonic and choral ensembles from Europe, the Far East, South America, and Canada. There have more than 300 guest conductors, 620 solo artists, and 88,000 performers who have appeared on MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall.

In addition to presenting classic choral and instrumental works, MidAmerica Productions has championed the works of contemporary composers. On MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, there have been approximately 31 World Premieres, 16 United States Premieres, and 50 New York Premieres.

For more information about MidAmerica Productions, please contact Kathleen Drohan at 212-239-0205 or kdrohan@midamerica-music.com

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General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com.

Christopher Smith's performances have been highly acclaimed by both the press and attendees. His concerts are full of high energy and musical passion that rings true to all who listen. He was raised in Oxford, Alabama, where at the age of four, he began to take lessons from his mother, Gladys Smith. He has studied under several very accomplished teachers. Christopher Smith has performed at the White House on two separate occasions and is a featured artist for the Sea Island Company, a five star, five diamond resort on the beautiful Golden Isles of coastal Georgia. His music recordings have been heard in 28 countries and have received airplay across the nation. Mr. Smith has performed for United States presidents, Middle Eastern kings, foreign diplomats and dignitaries, Hollywood stars, governors, senators, and honored guests at the G-8 Summit at Sea Island.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

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Robert Miller piano, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan School of Music, and his master's and doctoral degrees from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. A former faculty member of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, he has made numerous solo, chamber, and concerto appearances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. As winner of the F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship, he performed a solo recital at Weill Recital Hall and at the Salle Cortot in Paris. He has appeared with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles at Merkin Hall and as a soloist with the Pine Mountain Music Festival Orchestra and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded for National Public Radio, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Educo Records. Mr. Miller is artistic director of the Carter Chamber Music Series at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he is on the music faculty.

Robert Botti, oboe, has performed throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia as an orchestra player, chamber musician, and soloist. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees at The Juilliard School. He has performed the Mozart Concerto with the New York Symphonic Ensemble, in Alice Tully Hall. Mr. Botti joined the New York Philharmonic in 1992 after serving as principal oboe of the New York City Opera Orchestra. He performs frequently throughout the season with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles in both Avery Fisher and Merkin Concert Halls. He is on the faculty of SUNY Purchase, has served on the faculties of Princeton University and the Manhattan School of Music, and given master classes at Yale, Princeton, and Indiana universities.

Pascual Martinez Forteza, clarinet, joined the New York Philharmonic as second clarinet in May 2001 after a tenure with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where he had been second clarinet since 1998. From 1999-2000, he also served as that orchestra's acting associate principal clarinet. Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Martinez Forteza was assistant principal clarinet of the Symphony Orchestra of Baleares, Spain. He also performed with Madrid's National Orchestra of Spain from 1993-1995. After earning a professor's degree from the Baleares and Barcelona Superior Music Conservatories, Mr. Martinez Forteza pursued advanced studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He received first prize in the University's 1998 Concerto Competition.

Leonard Hindell, bassoon, has played with the New York Philharmonic since 1972. Before that, he played with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Mr. Hindell has frequently given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall. His programs often include new music for the bassoon composed for him by contemporary composers such as Alvin Brehm, Howard Rovics, Ludmila Uleha, Charles Wuorinen, Ronald Roseman, and Katherine Hoover. He was a featured soloist at the 1979 International Double Reed Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Hindell served on the committee that helped establish the Philharmonic Ensembles, a series of chamber music programs featuring members of the New York Philharmonic; he often participates in its series at Merkin Concert Hall. During past summers, Mr. Hindell toured Japan and Hong Kong with the New York Symphonic Ensemble as soloist in Mozart's Bassoon Concerto. Recent engagements include a Carnegie Hall concert and a Lincoln Center Great Performers concert with violinist Vladimir Spivakov. He is on the faculties of the Mannes School of Music and SUNY Purchase.

L. William Kuyper, assistant principal horn of the New York Philharmonic, is an active soloist, clinician, and recording artist in both the United States and abroad. He also appears regularly with the Philharmonic Ensembles in their acclaimed chamber music series at Merkin Concert Hall. Mr. Kuyper joined the Philharmonic in 1969 after memberships in both the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and the United States Marine Band. While in the Marine Band, he participated in the state funeral service of President John F. Kennedy. Mr. Kuyper's recording projects have included the Britten Serenade for tenor, horn and strings on the Vox label; and, in collaboration with other distinguished principals of the Philharmonic, he recorded Schumann: The Complete Works for Winds and Piano (GRK 709), and Mozart: Elysium String Quartet and Friends (GRK 716), in which he performs the Horn Quintet, on Elysium Recordings, Inc.

Violinist Fiona Simon, a member of the Philharmonic since 1985, made her Philharmonic solo debut in November 1989, performing Vivaldi's Concerto for Three Violins. Ms. Simon began her career in her native England, where she studied with Szymon Goldberg and won major prizes in the Carl Flesch and Jacques Thibaud competitions. For three consecutive years, she was London's Young Artist of the Year. She has performed with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, and the English Chamber Orchestra, among others. She has also been featured in many recitals and concerts broadcasts with the BBC, and has made numerous appearances throughout Europe. Ms. Simon is a member of the Arioso Trio, the Vanderspar String Trio, and the Simon String Quartet.

Violist Dawn Hannay has been a member of the New York Philharmonic since 1979. Before joining the Orchestra, she was principal violist with the Omaha Symphony and the Nebraska Sinfonia, and was a member of the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. She also served as artist-in-residence at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia, and was a member of Ensemble I, a sextet specializing in works for unusual instrumentation. She spends the summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, playing with the Grand Teton Music Festival where she is a founding member of the string quartet Wind River 4.

Since arriving in the United States in 1987, Chinese-born Qiang Tu has established himself as a multifaceted artist much in demand. He won the San Angelo, Texas, Symphony Young Artist Competition in 1987, and the Grand Prize in the Downey Symphony Young Artist Competition of Los Angeles the following year. In 1994, he served as principal cellist of the Princeton Chamber Symphony. Mr. Tu joined the New York Philharmonic in November 1995. He has been awarded Sydney's Parlings Award for Music and has served as principal cellist of the China Youth Symphony. Mr. Tu has performed on a live broadcast on WNYC, and appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles chamber music series at Merkin Concert Hall.

Bassist William Blossom joined the New York Philharmonic in 1975, having previously been a member of the Milwaukee Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He performs with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles and other chamber music groups in the New York area. Mr. Botti is on the faculty of the Rockland Summer Institute of Orchestral and Chamber Music Studies and the Arcady International String Festival, Stockton Springs, Maine. For the past five years, he has been on the Board of Directors of the Rockland Conservatory of Music and currently serves as its President.

Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 225 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Genan Zilkha at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com.

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