OUR ARTISTS


VOCALISTS

BRANDON PEARSON

Vocalist and actor Brandon Pearson was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and was trained at Paseo Academy for the Fine and Performing Arts.

 

He’s appeared in numerous regional theatre productions, most recently Because of Winn Dixie at Alabama Shakespeare Festival (National tour), Rent (Off Broadway), New York Shakespeare Festival production of Hair at the Delacorte Theatre, London’s West End: Hair, Broadway: Hair (2009 Tony award winner Best Revival), and numerous television appearances.

 

He’s also made appearances with symphonies and choirs as a soloist, most recently, The Heartland Men’s Chorus. Along with performing, Brandon has also found joy in becoming a teaching artist engaging students from K-12 in the art of storytelling and interpretation through song. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

REBECCA L. HARGROVE

Rebecca L. Hargrove is an actress and singer. She is a recent ‘Best Opera Album’ Grammy Award Winner for her participation in the ensemble of The Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy and Bess. She has also been featured in the companies of Evita and Cabin in the Sky at New York City Center.

 

In the 2019-2020 season, Rebecca starred in The New York Times Critic’s Pick performances of Acquanetta as Acquanetta at Bard Summerscape, The Grey Land mono-opera as The Mother at Roulette Intermedium (album available on all streaming platforms), and as Yum-Yum in The Mikado with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.

 

Previous engagements include Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration with Jason Moran and Alicia Hall-Moran at Carnegie Hall, In the Parlour as Nellie Quander at The National Black Theater, and a series of new plays at The Lucille Lortel Foundation. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

JACOB HOFFMAN

Jacob Hoffman is a New York and L.A.-based, Chicago-raised artist. His career began early when, at age four, he commissioned, wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his Kindergarten class's inaugural (and only) Thanksgiving play. He's quite confident the play was a work of pure genius and hasn't looked back since.

 

Jacob spent much of his early years working in the Chicago theatre scene as an actor, educator, and administrator; he served as an Artistic Associate for Porchlight Music Theatre and as Artistic Director of Renegade Theatre Company, a youth-founded non-profit organization designed to provide professional opportunities for driven young artists.

 

Jacob is a graduate of New York University, holding a BFA in Drama from the Tisch School of the Arts. As an actor and writer, Jacob has worked extensively on the New York and regional stage. Beyond Theatre and TV/Film, audiences can catch Jacob at some of New York’s premier nightlife venues; he is a fixture of Feinstein’s 54 Below’s Sondheim Unplugged and 54 Below Sings series.

 

As an educator, Jacob has partnered with The Modern Voices Studio, where his work as a teaching artist has brought him into contact with students grades K-12 all across the United States. He is also a certified yoga instructor, creative Sign Language instructor, and private acting/audition coach. Jacob is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

CARAMI HILAIRE

Carami Hilaire is a soulful soprano from Brooklyn, New York, and is a graduate of the Professional Studies program at Mannes. Carami has received awards from both the Wagner Society of New York and the Premiere Opera Competition.

 

She has sung with the Internationale Opernwerkstatt based in Switzerland, performed the role of Tosca with both Regina Opera and New Jersey Verismo Opera to rave reviews, as well as performing the roles of Aida in Aida and Musetta in La Boheme.

 

In fall of 2020, she sang the role of Alice in Alice in the Pandemic with White Snake Opera Projects, and in 2022 she will sing the role of Lady Macbeth with Knoxville Opera, as well as return to White Snake Opera Projects to sing the role of Tiamat in Cosmic Cowboy. Carami is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

FALOTTE CRAYTON

Soprano Faylotte Crayton has premiered many works, including pieces by Conor Brown, John Boggs and Matthew Schickele, at The Morgan Library in Manhattan. 

 

She played the role of Masha in the world premiere of Elana Langer’s Four Sisters  at the Richard B. Fisher Center and made her American Symphony Orchestra debut singing the soprano solo in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, conducted by Leon Botstein. She has sung at such festivals as the Marlboro Music Festival, Bard Music Festival, Bard Summerscape, and SongFest. 

 

Faylotte Crayton holds a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School and a Master of Music from Bard College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with soprano, Dawn Upshaw.  She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

FOREST VANDYKE

Forest VanDyke is an actor, singer, writer, and teaching artist. Most recently, he was a featured singer on Gregg August’s Grammy-nominated jazz album, Dialogues on Race.

 

He has been blessed to work on the World Premiere of Dog Man: The Musical as George, and the West Coast premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choirboy as David. Other credits include: Bread and Roses and Cadaver Synod at Playwrights Horizon, the Lincoln Center New Writers Series, and Crush (composed by Stew and Heidi Rodewald).

 

Forest is so excited to be a part of the Living Arts Collaborative family; he is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

ERICA DORFLER

Erica Dorfler is an accomplished actor and singer. She has performed on and off-Broadway in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812A Christmas CarolThe Book of MormonMemphisCarmen Jones (Classic Stage), Avenue Q (New World Stages), and Witness (Playwrights Realm), among others.

 

Regionally, she has worked with the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, the Alliance Theatre, Two River Theater, and many more. Erica has also had the great fortune of performing with numerous symphony orchestras: from Los Angeles – where she performed in a concert version of West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl conducted by world-renowned maestro Gustavo Dudamel – to Anchorage, and all the way to Seoul, South Korea.

 

As a teaching artist, lecturer, and mentor, Erica has worked with the University of California, Irvine, the Bridge Arts Ensemble, Vanguard Theater Company, and The Broadway Collective. Erica is thrilled to bring that experience to her work with the Living Arts Collaborative, inspiring students to see the world in different ways through the magic of music. Erica has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theater from the University of Miami and is currently finishing her Master of Arts in Sociology with Arizona State University. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

CHRIS DEPROPHETIS

Chris deProphetis has been a New York City -based musical theater actor for the past two decades. Most recently, he performed with Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley in the musical Sunset Boulevard. He opened the Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific in Toronto under the direction of Bartlett Sher, and subsequently toured the US with the production.

 

Chris was a member of the 10th anniversary cast of Rent, which led him to open the show in Tokyo. Other favorite theater credits include: the National Tour of Miss Saigon, Camelot in Concert with the Santa Barbara Symphony, On the Town with the Madison Ballet, and Ragtime with Theater Under the Stars in Houston.

 

Chris is a graduate of the Guildford School of Acting in England and also studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He can also be seen on the Disney Plus show Encore!, hosted by Kristen Bell. There, he was able to combine his love of theater with music education in a reality tv setting. 

 

As an educator, Chris has worked with the Bridge Arts Ensemble to bring music education to young audiences in upstate New York.

PATRICIA NOONAN

Patricia Noonan is an actor, writer, and educator from Havertown, PA.  An alumna of Boston College’s Presidential Scholar Program, she has been living and working in NYC for over a decade. As an actor, she’s created roles in many shows including Death Takes a Holiday and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and appeared in revivals at Lincoln Center and City Center in NYC and theaters across the country. 

 

Patricia has performed nationally with symphonies and can be heard on the cast albums for Death Takes a Holiday and Merrily We Roll Along.  While theater is currently being streamed, you can catch her in the PBS “Live from Lincoln Center” Carousel or singing back-up vocals for Josh Groban on Jimmy Fallon.  

 

She made her TV debut on Law & Order: SVU and feature film debut in The Light of the Moon.  She has worked as a Guest Artist at NYU, Emerson College, Boston College, and Sacred Heart University and as a teaching artist in public schools for over five years.   

 

She is the book & lyric writer of the musicals Sweetwater and Learning How to Drown and a co-creator of the #makeitfair Project, which advocates for gender parity in the entertainment industry and beyond. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

PIANISTS

WILL HEALY

Will Healy is a composer and pianist based in New York. Noted for his “lushly bluesy” sound and “adroitly blended…textures” (New York Times), he is the artistic director of ShoutHouse, a collective of hip-hop, jazz, and classical musicians. His 40-minute song cycle for rappers, soloists, and chamber orchestra, Cityscapes, was released on New Amsterdam Records in 2019.

 

As a pianist, he has a passion for both new and old music, particularly the works of J.S. Bach, with a repertoire that includes the complete Goldberg Variations and Well-Tempered Clavier. Healy studied composition at The Juilliard School, where his primary teachers were Samuel Adler, John Corigliano, and Steven Stucky. 

 

Recent awards include a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, the W.K. Rose Fellowship, and a J-Fund commission. Healy’s work has appeared recently at The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, New York City Ballet, and (le) Poisson Rouge, among others.

 

Recent projects include: commissions for Copland House and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, arranging for the New York Philharmonic, and writing a full-length musical recorded remotely by a cast of 25 musicians. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

SILVIE CHENG

Since her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, Chinese-Canadian pianist Silvie Cheng has performed in concert halls across the globe, from New York’s Steinway Hall to Brussels’ Flagey Hall, and Montréal’s Maison Symphonique to Shanghai’s Poly Theatre. As guest soloist, she was most recently featured with Symphony Nova Scotia and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. 

 

Silvie tours extensively in North America, Europe, and Asia as the pianist of Cheng² Duo alongside her cellist brother, Bryan Cheng—they have released a trilogy of critically-acclaimed albums on the German label audite. Her performances, recordings, and interviews have been broadcast on WQXR, WCRB, Radio-Canada International, Vermont Public Radio, in Austria, Korea, Russia, Scotland, Germany, and more.

 

Silvie’s affinity for working closely with the composers of our time has led to nearly fifty world premieres, in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Cornell University, and the National Gallery of Canada. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, graduating with the Roy M. Rubinstein Award for exceptional promise in piano performance. Passionate about connecting with the next generation, she is a teaching-artist of MSM’s Distance Learning program in New York City, where she is currently based. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

JEREMY JORDAN

Critically acclaimed, “a clear technical virtuoso”, “a rare talent”, and “a true Wunderkind,” Chicago-born Jeremy Jordan burst onto the music scene at age 9 playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in a live televised performance. Jordan went on to appear on the famous radio program From The Top and From The Top: Live from Carnegie Hall performing Liszt.

 

Since then, Jordan has made his solo Carnegie Hall debut performing Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, and Wagner. After winning the 2006 Steinway Concerto Competition playing the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1, Jordan delivered acclaimed performances with the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Following studies at The Juilliard School on the Van Cliburn and Irene Diamond scholarships, Jordan performed at the United Nations Arts Council, the American Liszt Society, Concertgebouw, Tokyo Opera City, Prague’s Rudolfinum, and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 

 

Jordan continues to compose solo piano music, chamber music, orchestral music, and electronic music. His most recent album For Flint raised money to purchase clean water for families affected by the Flint Water Crisis. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

AMIR FARID

Based in New York City and Melbourne Australia, Amir Farid is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician internationally, appearing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Musica Viva Festival, Huntington Festival, Mona Foma, and Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia.  

 

He has performed concerti with the major Australian orchestras, and his recordings are heard frequently on radio stations throughout Australia and internationally, including as pianist of the Benaud Trio.  

 

Amir is also a recorded artist on the Steinway & Sons Spirio catalogue. In New York, Amir is a staff pianist for the Juilliard School and New York Philharmonic. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

ALEJANDRO SENIOR

A graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Alejandro Señior is a music director and pianist in NYC. Music Directing Credits at companies including: Actor’s Playhouse, Belen Jesuit Preparatory, Area Stage Company, University of Miami, Miami Children’s Theatre, among others. Some favorite credits as Music Director include: Beauty and The Beast, Addams Family, Little Shop of Horrors, CATS, Lion King, and Frog and Toad.

 

Alejandro was accepted into the Summer Music Internship program at Transcendence Theatre Company. Located in Sonoma, California, Transcendence produces a unique seasonal programming of live outdoor Broadway-style concerts, the award-winning Broadway Under the Stars. Alejandro is now a music team regular as their Summer Music Coordinator. These concerts featured incredible Broadway Performers including Leslie McDonnel (American Idiot, Hairspray), Tony Gonzalez (Mamma Mia!), Shaleah Adkisson (Rent, Hair), Beth Kirkpatrick (Les Miserables), Felicia Finley (Smokey Joes), and so many others!

 

Alejandro has also worked with Broadway Workshop, Applause, AfterWork Theatre, Joseph Harrell Voice Studio, and Broadway Artists Alliance., He’s also performed at 54 Below, Greenroom 42, and The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Alejandro is a freelance musician and educator, teaching at various educational institutions including NYU, Beacon High School, Horace Mann, and his own private studio. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

ROBERT FLEITZ

Pianist and composer Robert Fleitz performs, commissions, and writes music to curate evocative, surprising, and often multi-disciplinary experiences for audiences. To this end, he has personally commissioned 120 solo, chamber and performance art pieces, and has given the world premiere to hundreds more, notably including composers Tan Dun, Paola Prestini, and Liisa Hirsch.

 

Robert is the winner of the 2021 Pro Musicis International Prize; as well as the André Boucourechliev Prize in the 2020 International Piano Competition of Orléans. Active in performing both classical and new music, his career includes appearances in 24 US states and 13 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Praised for “mesmerizing” and “commanding” playing (The New York Times), and for musicality with “a delightful ease and lightness” (I Care If You Listen) and “groovy tendencies.”

 

As composer, Robert’s oeurve has been recently performed or commissioned by a diverse array of artists, including the Metropolis Ensemble (NYC), Jumblies Theatre Company (Toronto), Orkest de Ereprijs (Netherlands), the Druskomanija Festival (Lithuania), Festival Osmose (Belgium), and Hilary Easton Dance Company (NYC). He is the founder of the Swan City Piano Festival in Lakeland, Florida, his hometown. He completed BM and MM degrees at The Juilliard School and currently lives in New York City with his husband, the composer Krists Auznieks.

IAN AXNESS

Ian Axness is a versatile conductor, collaborative pianist, and coach with a passion for music-theatre and song performance. An Oberlin Conservatory graduate, he enjoys a wide range of performance projects, including opera, cabaret, and devised contemporary theatre, as well as musicals such as Sweeney Todd (Barrow Street), Carousel (NY Philharmonic), and Beardo (Pipeline Theatre - Drama Desk nomination).

 

Ian has worked with Ars Nova, Joe's Pub, 92nd Street Y, Shakespeare in the Park, New Dramatists, Two River Theater, NY City Opera, NYU Skirball, Mannes School of Music, and Juilliard, and spent five years on faculty at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. He continues to teach and accompany for The Performing Arts Project, and is grateful for all manner of musical travels and adventures. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

GRACE HAN

At the age of 12, California born pianist Grace Han, made her orchestral debut at Colburn’s Zipper Hall performing the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor with the Torrance Symphony Orchestra. Among her awards are prizes with the Korea Times Piano Competition, Southern California Bach Competition, Music Teacher’s Association of California Piano Solo and Concerto Competition, and recently, the Rondo Young Artist Piano Competition in New York City.

 

She has held solo performances in various venues in Los Angeles and New York including the Steinway Piano Gallery, Yamaha Peninsula Music Center, Kaufman Music Center, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

 

She is equally active as a chamber musician and has coached and performed with Daniel Avshalomov, Alan Kay, and David Krakauer, as well as participated in chamber music programs such as the YMF Chamber Music Series. Most recently, she performed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space with the New Amsterdam Orchestra.

 

As a private piano teacher, she teaches both the ABRSM and NYSTL curriculum where many of her students have excelled. Ms. Han holds a Bachelors and Master of Music Degree in the Classical Piano Performance Program from the Manhattan School of Music. She has studied previously with Dr. Louise Lepley, Dr. Solomon Mikowsky, and Alexandre Moutouzkine. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

IAN LEROY

Ian LeRoy is an NYC-based music director, pianist, and teacher. Favorite credits include The Songs of Braver and Dean (Lincoln Center), Once Upon a Rhyme (NYU Tisch Drama Stage), She Loves Me (Creede Repertory Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Near West Theatre), Spring Awakening (Youngstown State University), Edges (University of Mount Union) and the All-Ohio production of Once On This Island with the Ohio Educational Theatre Association.

 

He is currently a staff pianist for NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program, and is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.  

JEFF MARDER

Jeff Marder has been active as a keyboardist, conductor, and electronic music designer for Broadway shows for many years, having worked on productions such as Aladdin, Newsies, The Book of Mormon, Wicked, and many others.

 

In addition to his work on Broadway, he has also played piano for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, played keyboards and done MIDI programming for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” show in Las Vegas, and has toured as the pianist for the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble featuring Francois Clemmons (AKA “Officer Clemmons” of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Show).

 

Jeff earned his MA in Jazz Piano from New York University and his BM in Jazz Piano from William Paterson University. At age twelve, he made his piano concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

In addition to music, Jeff is passionate about international travel and training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble

KAREN DRYER

Karen Dryer is a pianist, vocalist, vocal teacher and musical director. She has been a music educator for over 20 years and has worked with students on numerous musical theater performances, shows and individual performances. She currently is a vocal teacher at New York University and has a private studio based in Soho. Karen has worked with students on Broadway and off Broadway productions.

 

As a musician, Karen has toured with three Broadway National Tours. And has recently subbed on the National tours of Aladdin, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Cats. She has music-directed numerous off Broadway productions, most notably Playwrights Horizons “The CHRISTIANS” which won a Drama Desk award in 2016.

 

Karen enjoys playing piano for musical theater classes, rehearsals, and shows and loves to sing whenever she isn’t teaching. Karen is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, and is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

NATHAN DAME

Nathan Dame is a writer and music director.

 

His musical, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, with Rob Baumgartner, Jr, was developed at Goodspeed and Bucks County Playhouse. Some credits: Pretty Filthy (The Civilians, OCR); Be More Chill (Two River Theater, Original Cast Recording); Dying For It (Atlantic); Mr. Burns (associate MD, Playwrights Horizons); What's It All About? (assoc. music director, New York Theatre Workshop.

 

He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

WOODWINDS & BRASS

KEVE WILSON

Hailed by the New York Times for her “magnificently sweet tone,” oboist and educator Keve Wilson excused herself from music theory and history as a kid to practice Irish jigs and reels instead.

 

Currently oboist with the Broadway revival Company, Keve inspires high school band and orchestra students with her original show Believe NYC---from the Band Room to Broadway. Other Broadway shows she has played in include Carousel and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

 

She has traveled with her oboe and performed in Argentina, Austria, Dubai, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Sicily, South Africa, South Korea and all across the United States.

 

Keve teaches early childhood music at The Diller-Quaile and Church Street Music Schools, and has been a teaching artist for the 92Y and Bridge Arts Ensemble. A winner of Concert Artists Guild and solo oboist with the Grammy nominated Absolute Ensemble, she released her album Pure Imagination on Composers Concordance/NAXOS. A two-time recipient of the Clifford-Levy Creativity Grant, Keve traveled to Makuleke Village in South Africa to learn and teach folk songs of the region. From Hyde Park, NY and a graduate of Eastman School of Music, Keve lives in Manhattan with her husband Kerry and Portuguese water dog Bugsy. She is a former member of the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

KIRK KNUFFKE

 

As a winner of DownBeat Magazine’s “Rising Star” critics poll in 2015, Cornetist and composer Kirk Knuffke has released 18 recordings as leader or co-leader and is featured as a sideman on over 50 recordings with Matt Wilson, Allison Miller, Butch Morris, Uri Caine, Pierre Dorge and Michael Formanek to name a few.

 

The New York Times tagged Knuffke as “one of New York City’s Busiest Musicians.” Originally from Colorado, self-taught Knuffke began playing with Butch Morris after landing in NYC in 2005. Knuffke then joined the celebrated Matt Wilson Quartet in 2009, recording Gathering Call (Palmetto) featuring John Medeski. He also currently performs with Allison Miller, Mary Halvorson, and groups led by John Medeski, Charlie Hunter, Ben Allison, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Bill Goodwin and Karl Berger.

 

His 2015 release Arms and Hands (Royal Potato Family) garnered praise from every major jazz publication, 4 Stars in DownBeat and a write-up in the Sunday New York Times. Feature articles in DownBeat and JazzTimes have spotlighted Knuffke’s unique talent. As a Teaching Artist, Knuffke has taught master classes at many universities including The Frost School of music in Miami, The University of Michigan, The University of Colorado, and many more. He is a former artist with the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

DAN LIDEN

Daniel Linden (M.M. from the New England Conservatory in Trombone Performance) has toured the U.S., Europe and Asia with orchestras, opera companies and rock bands. He regularly plays in Broadway and Off Broadway productions and has made many recordings in classical, jazz and pop/world genres. He has performed on Fox News, CBS, MSNBC and the Artie Lange Show. Festivals Daniel has played include the Montreal Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors and Bang on a Can Marathon.

 

Active in world music and jazz, Daniel has worked with David Byrne, Slavic Soul Party, Asphalt Orchestra, The Ed Palermo Big Band, The Gregorio Uribe Big Band and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars. Daniel has taught trombone at Brandeis University and is a teaching artist for Carnegie Hall. From 2018-2020 he held the trombone chair of Fiddler On the Roof in Yiddish Off Broadway at Stage 42. Daniel also writes and records songs under the name Hoosac. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

MARK DOVER

Clarinetist Mark Dover has always maintained firm roots in classical music, while at the same time devoting his career to searching as deeply as he can into the vast world of improvised music. In 2016, Dover joined the Grammy-nominated wind quintet, Imani Winds. With Imani Winds he maintains a busy touring schedule as well as multiple residencies at institutions such as University of Chicago, Mannes School of Music, Duke University and more.

 

Past season highlights include premiering Valerie Coleman’s Concerto “Phenomenal Women,” written for Imani Winds with the American Composers Orchestra under George Manahan at Carnegie Hall, as well performances in 2019 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano, and the Albany Symphony under David Alan Miller.

 

Mark also has an extensive background in jazz and improvised music and has performed and/or recorded with a wide array of musicians, including Vulfpeck, Edward Simon, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, David Binney, Bernard Purdie, Cyrille Aimée, The Temptations, Darren Criss, and many more. He serves on the clarinet faculty at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts as well as CUNY Queens College at the Aaron Copland School of Music.

He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble

YULIA MUSAYELYANV

Yulia Musayelyan is a flutist and composer born in Moscow, Russia. A versatile multi-genre performer and improviser, she leads an original jazz quartet, tango project, and co-leads the Macayú Trio, and plays regularly with the Fernando Huergo Quintet, Marta Gomez, MOZIK, Manhattan Camerata, and Brooklyn Orchestra, among others.

 

Her chamber works have been performed in New York City and featured in the 2006 short film Natalie Bonn. Yulia has released 4 albums as a leader and co-leader, and recorded on over 30 albums as a sideman. Her latest albums include Unsaid (Next Level, 2020) with her quartet, and Oblivion (ZOHO Music, 2021), with the tango project.

 

Yulia has toured the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Central and South America with various musical projects. She graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a BM in performance and got her MA in performance and composition from New York University. She joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music in 2017.

She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

PAUL JONES

Saxophonist and composer Paul Jones is, at heart, a storyteller. Whether drawing inspiration from classic works of literature or the confessional rhymes of hip hop; the spontaneous inventions of his jazz forebears or the intricate architecture of contemporary classical music; or simply connecting with his own life experiences – Jones’ music invariably takes the listener on a compelling narrative journey.

 

It’s precisely those qualities that led DownBeat to call Jones “a composer who has brilliant things to say and a captivating way of saying them.” The magazine has awarded both of Jones’ albums four-star ratings, calling his latest, Clean (Outside In), “an inspired work of art with an organic flow that belies its heady origins.” That blend of challenging complexity and riveting accessibility is key to Jones’ music, which is guided by a favorite maxim of the iconic Charles Mingus: “Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.”

 

Mr Jones is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

WILLEM DE KOCH

Willem de Koch is a trombonist, composer, educator, and arts activist. He is co-founder of The Westerlies, the new music brass quartet whose explorations of jazz, chamber music, and American folk have received praise from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR Music and NPR Fresh Air, and Downbeat.

 

He has performed and recorded with artists across the musical spectrum, including Wayne Horvitz, Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas, George Duke, Wycliffe Gordon, Fleet Foxes, Odesza, Common, and Feist. He strives to break down the barriers of genre in order to create a more integrated and inclusive musical landscape, build community and promote civic engagement through music, and use music education as means of self-empowerment and a tool for social justice.

 

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Willem moved to New York in 2011, received his bachelor’s degree from Manhattan School of Music in 2015, and earned his MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship from The New School in 2020. He lives in Brooklyn, and is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

THEO VAN DYCK

Theo Van Dyck is a trumpet artist and teacher based in New York City. He enjoys a versatile performing career and has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and jazz artist. Theo has commissioned and recorded many new works for trumpet including Pulitzer Prize winner Du Yun’s GRAMMY-nominated recording, Air Glow. Theo holds degrees in trumpet performance from The Juilliard School and Yale University.

 

Recently, Theo has performed with numerous ensembles, including: International Contemporary Ensemble, San Antonio Symphony, The Brass Project, S.E.M. Ensemble, Contemporaneous, MOD Brass, New York Chamber Players Orchestra, and Binghamton Philharmonic.

 

As an educator, he has  presented outreach events to hundreds of students across the country, led masterclasses at some of the world's leading music conservatories, and teaches private lessons in his community. Theo Van Dyck is a Larson Brasswerks performing artist and proudly endorses their trumpets. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

ANNA URREY

A versatile solo and chamber musician, flutist Anna Urrey performs frequently at venues such as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Le Poisson Rouge and National Sawdust, and engages in a variety of creative projects. As a core member of the Exponential Ensemble, she is passionate about chamber music and curating concert/educational programs.

 

Anna is the principal flutist of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, the Mark Morris Dance Company, NOVUS NY, and spent three summers at the Castleton Festival as principal flutist under the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel.

 

Sought after for high-profile concerts, she has shared the stage with a star-studded array of talent, including Plácido Domingo, The Irish Tenors, Patti LaBelle, Brian McKnight, Jennifer Holliday, Jane Birkin and Ólafur Arnalds.

 

Anna enjoys taking on innovative recording projects, which include the feature films Radium Girls (2018) and Little Women (2019), and in 2021, was a part of the Experiential Orchestra's GRAMMY winning recording of Dame Ethel Smyth's work, The Prison, for Best Classical Solo Album. She is former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble

ZACH HANN

Zachary Hann is a multi-faceted instrumentalist, composer and music educator based in New York City. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he was brought up as a clarinetist in the European classical tradition and has performed in orchestras and chamber groups throughout the world. Notable engagements include an international tour with the Colburn Conservatory Orchestra and performances with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra.

 

He has performed solo recitals in New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Taipei. He is also active as a saxophonist in a variety of musical settings. In 2017, he gave the United States premiere of Tajik composer Farangis Nurulla-Khoja’s Saxophone Concerto, entitled Ravishi Nur, with the New Juilliard Ensemble. 

 

As a composer, Hann’s work explores the through lines that connect classical, jazz and experimental music. In January 2021, he premiered his work Sunflowers, for synthesizers and alto saxophone, through a live stream performance hosted by the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, MA. 

 

As a music educator, Hann is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of musicians. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble, a non-profit initiative that bringing live music and educational workshops to public schools throughout New York State. He also teaches in the Music Program at Bard College.

STRINGS

ANN SUNHYUNG KIM

Violinist Ann SunHyung Kim has appeared in many of today’s most prestigious concerts halls including Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Dr. Kim has shared performances with the most celebrated artists of our generation, including violinists Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. 

 

Dr. Kim has participated in numerous international festivals including the Castleton Festival, Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, Artosphere Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, in Germany. She has participated in masterclasses by renown violinists such as Robert Mann and Shlomo Mintz.

 

As an avid orchestral musician, Dr. Kim has performed with prominent orchestras in the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and throughout Europe with conductors including Kurt Masur, Valery Gergiev, Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach and Manfred Honeck.

 

Dr. Kim attended Manhattan School of Music, where she completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under Albert Markov, Isaac Malkin and Lucie Robert.  In 2017, Dr. Kim received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, completing her studies with Hagai Shaham, Philip Setzer and Soovin Kim.

She is a former violinist and teaching artist with the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

COLIN STOKES

Cellist, composer and electronic artist Colin Stokes tours extensively as a member of the genre- defying electro-classical project Symphoniacs, and the contemporary classical ensemble Zohn Collective. 

 

As a member of Symphoniacs, Colin Stokes has released albums with Universal Music and Warner Music Japan and in 2017 performed for a live audience of 600,000 people at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. YouTube videos of his performances have been viewed over 10 million times and televised broadcasts of his performances reached 45 million people in 2016 alone. 

 

As a founding member of Zohn Collective, Colin has recently released a recording of music by Matthew Schreibeis on Albany Records. In 2018-2019 he toured with Zohn Collective and the Mexican puppet theater company La Coperacha in the US and Mexico, performing the Pulitzer Prize Finalist composition Comala by Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon. 

 

Colin Stokes completed his Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate at the Eastman School of Music and his Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School as well as further studies in cello and electronic music in Manhattan School of Music’s Contemporary Performance Program and traditional Arabic music at Bait al Oud in Abu Dhabi. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

ERIC EATON

NYC based cellist Eric Eaton has enjoyed a very diverse career in music playing with symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, rock bands and rappers. He is most passionate about performing chamber music.

 

He studied at the Manhattan School of Music with David Geber and holds a bachelor's degree in cello performance. Originally from Kansas City Missouri he has travelled all over the world performing concerts and teaching young musicians but has found his home in NY. he is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

ROBYN QUINNETT

Born on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, Robyn Quinnett began playing violin at eight years old.  She has won several competitions including the National Mariam Hayes and Ruth Kern Competitions.

 

Robyn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School studying with Naoko Tanaka and the late Stephen Clapp.  In 2019, Robyn completed her DMA from Stony Brook University studying with Hagai Shaham. She has attended the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Colorado College Music Festival, and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil.  She has performed with ensembles such as the American Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, and has recently joined Opera Philadelphia.

 

Robyn is dedicated to community engagement and pedagogy. She founded The Montserrat Music Festival, a summer teaching and performing festival, bringing music education and live chamber music to Montserrat. Her other teaching includes serving as a Violin Faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy.  Robyn also enjoys her position as Violin Teacher at The Chapin School in New York City. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

PERCUSSIONISTS

CORY COX

Cory Cox is a world-class drummer and native Houstonian known for his high energy and relentless creativity on the drums. He began playing drums at the age of eight and his professional success is much attributed to the completion of his studies at the Dave Brubeck Institute and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

 

Cory currently resides in New York City where he continues to excel not only as a performer, but also as a passionate educator at The Calhoun School, Bronx Arts, and the Brooklyn Institute of Liberal Arts, as well as the Litchfield Jazz Camp and Stanford Jazz Workshop.

 

His performance history includes the Bern Switzerland Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Dolomiti Ski Jazz Festival, Stanford Jazz Festival and dozens of other festivals throughout the U.S., Italy, Israel, Switzerland, Croatia and Japan. Cory has accompanied artists such as Dave Brubeck, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Owens, John Ellis, Joel Frahm, Javier Vercher, Marcus Strickland, John Raymond, Hironobu Saito, and Thana Alexa to name a few. Cory’s creativity and energetic sound can be heard on his album The Core. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

JOE TUCKER

Joe Tucker is a Brooklyn-based percussionist, sound designer, and teaching artist from Detroit, MI. He received his Bachelors degree in Percussion and Recording Technology from Western Michigan University, and his Masters in Contemporary Percussion Performance from Queens College, CUNY. He's studied under Michael Lipsey, Matthew Ward, David Cossin, Judy Moonert, Keith Hall, and Jeff Moehle.

 

As a percussionist, Joe is part of the NYC-based new music ensembles Nouveau Classical Project, Fresh Squeezed Opera Company, and the Curiosity Cabinet, as well as a former member of Mantra Percussion. He has also shared the stage with Iktus Percussion, So Percussion, Talujon, the Bang-On-A-Can Allstars, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, New Camerata Opera, and Gamelan Dharma Swara.

 

As a sound designer, Joe has created live and electronic scores for members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Ailey School, Wisefruit, as well as accompanying modern and ballet classes at the Merce Cunningham Trust, Hunter College, NYU, the 92nd Street Y, and the American Ballet Theatre. Joe is also teaching artist with Midori and Friends, and Talujon Percussion Outreach. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

MARIANA RAMIREZ

From Broadway, Off-Broadway, symphonic orchestras, Mexican traditional music for marimba, to chamber and pop music, Mariana Ramirez has performed in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the United States.

 

Mariana is originally from Mexico City and she is currently based in NYC where she performs regularly with Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, being one of the two women Mexican percussionists on Broadway. Likewise, Mariana has performed with many symphonic orchestras in Mexico and the United States, such as Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional and Dartmouth Symphony, among many others.

 

In chamber music she recorded with the legendary Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and performed around the United States with her percussion quartet Excelsis formed by 4 women from different countries. Mariana was recently the percussionist of the Broadway National Tour of Once On This Island. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

GREGORY LAROSA

Hailed by the New York Times as having “especially good time,” Greg LaRosa, serves as the Principal Timpanist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Traveling the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, Greg has performed in many of Europe’s most prominent music festivals. He is at home in a variety of musical genres, having performed alongside artists like Sarah McLachlan and Darlene Love.

 

As an educator, Greg has presented masterclasses and guest lectures throughout the world, including in Dehli, India and Shiga, Japan. He has taught extensively within the New York City Public Schools, and maintains a private teaching studio with students from a variety of age groups and backgrounds.

 

Greg holds degrees from The Juilliard School and The Colburn School and is proudly a Scholar with the Union League of Philadelphia. He is endorsed by Pearl Drums and Adams Percussion.

 

He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

AMY GARAPIC

Amy Garapic is a Brooklyn-based sound maker and educator. As an artist she is passionate about engaging with sound as a means to foster deep human connection through creation, performance and conversation. Focused in the development of new work, Amy can be found performing and teaching in major concert halls, academic institutions, rock clubs, public schools and parks alike.  

 

She is one-third of the powerhouse percussion trio TIGUE, with whom she regularly generates original and commissioned work, releases records, and tours and teaches throughout the U.S. and abroad. Amy has worked closely with hundreds of percussionists worldwide directing nearly twenty public outdoor performances of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit scored for 9-99 percussionists.

 

She is a resident facilitator with Found Sound Nation, supporting international fellows in month-long residencies. Focused in cultural exchange through the creation of civically minded new work, Onebeat is an initiative of  the United States State Department. Amy currently teaches percussion and Contemporary music at Dartmouth and Keene State Colleges as well as Percussion at the Special Music School in Manhattan. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

DAVID STEVENS

David Stevens is a percussionist, drummer, and educator based in New York City.

 

As an educator, David has taught students of all ages and musical interests. He’s known for his warm and genuine teaching style, as well as his ability to help students transcend their limits.

 

As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and The Knights.

 

On Broadway, David has performed in the Tony Award-winning productions of Hello, Dolly!An American In Paris, and Pippin, as well as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. He recently performed in cities across North America with the first national tour of the hit musical We Will Rock You – The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton.

 

David received his master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble. 

JUSTIN JAY HINES

Percussionist, composer, and educator Justin Jay Hines has performed with the New York Philharmonic, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, Alarm Will Sound, and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit.

 

Since 1997 he has served as a New York Philharmonic Teaching Artist in classrooms, concerts, workshops, and residencies across New York City and Japan. In May 2018 he made his New York Philharmonic debut hosting the Young People’s Concert Inspirations and Tributes: “The Riddle of Shostakovich,” and has gone on to become an annual host of the series.

 

As a Broadway musician, he has played many Tony Award–winning shows, including In the Heights, Pippin, Caroline or Change, Disney’s Tarzan, and HalfTime. 

 

As an educator, he has collaborated with the Juilliard School, the St. Louis Symphony, New World Symphony, 92nd Street Y, Lincoln Center Education, Carnegie Hall, and the Caramoor Center for the Arts.

 

Currently, Mr. Hines is a senior composition mentor for the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program, is on the teaching faculty of NYU, and is a former musician and educator for the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

CONTACT US: 

livingartscollaborative@gmail.com

New York, NY



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