Holly Bewlay
Voice

Holly Bewlay, born in Pusan, South Korea “possessing a truly Beautiful soprano voice” Dale Moore former President of NATS received her vocal training at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. Ms. Bewlay then completed her master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where she also received the prestigious performer’s certificate. While in Rochester she performed numerous solo engagements with Opera Rochester and Eastman Opera Theatre, including the roles of Despina Cost fan Tutte, Juliette Romeo and Juliette, Venere Orfeo, Laetitia Old Maid and the Thief, and Sophie Werther. “Ms. Bewlay has a clear and strong voice with an extensive range” Stephen Smith Houston Grand Opera. She has also premiered new works, appearing in Ray Picken’s opera An Affair of State in a main sage role as Bianca and has performed benefit concerts for the Friends of Acoustic People in Connecticut, and the victims of September 11th tragedy. She has been a soloist in the New Haven Choral’s performance of Bach Magnificat, the Yale Recital Chorus performance of Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, and three times Handel’s Messiah with Rochester Chamber Orchestra “the best Messiah in town” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Ms. Bewlay also was a soloist in Bach B minor Mass as a member of CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists) “Holly Bae Bewlay sang the pastorale sounding ‘Domine Deus’ with sparkling Charm” Hartford Courant. Ms. Bewlay has kept her solo recital works up as well. She recently gave a recital for Sounds of the World Concert Series at the Black Rock Art Center in Bridgeport, CT. She has also been invited to perform opera roles in Corfu Greece with the Artemis Institute for summer of 2005. Ms. Bewlay was a faculty member at the Connecticut School of Music, Westport teaching private voice, beginning piano, and ear training lessons. Presently she is pursuing her Doctorate in Music at the Eastman School of Music where she teaches numerous students from University of Rochester and Eastman School. Ms. Bewlay joined the faculty at the Kanack School starting fall of 2003.

Katie Pritt
Cello, Suzuki cello

Master’s degree in Classical String Performance, Irish World Music Centre, University of Limerick, Ireland. Bachelor of Music in Cello from Ithaca College. Member of Suzuki Association of the Americas; Suzuki cello teacher training at the International Music Festival in Berea, Ohio and at the Institute Suzuki in Montreal. In May 2004, Ms. Katie will graduate from the three year training program at the Alexander Alliance school in Philadelphia, and will be certified to teach the Alexander Technique.

Liana Koteva
Violin

Liana Koteva performs extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe. She has been a featured soloist with many orchestras, such as The Harid Philharmonia, Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra, The Boca Symphonic Pops Orchestra, and the ISOMATA Chamber Orchestra.

Liana received the “Most Promising Young Artist Award” after very successful solo performances with the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra, as a part of the Prestigious “Apolonia Music Festival” in Sofia, Bulgaria,in the summer of 2002. Liana’s performances from the 2003 “Apolonia” Music Festival Series in Sozopol, Bulgaria were broadcasted live on National Television and Radio.

Liana was a part of the prestigious New York String Seminar under the directorship of Isaak Stern in December, 2000. She worked with such people as Jamie Laredo, Leila Josefowicz, Soovin Kim, and performed 2 concerts in Carnegie hall.

Some of Ms. Koteva’s competition prizes and awards include: Grand Prizes at the Wallenstein Violin Competition 2000, the Boca Pops Concerto Competition 2000, the Musicorda Concerto Competition, the Harid Concerto Competition, as well as other top prizes at the NSAL Violin Competition 2000 and The Escandido International Competition.

Ms. Koteva is currently living in New York where she performs on regular basis with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Chamber Orchestra as well as with various Chamber groups around New York and Europe. She is on the Violin Faculty at the Kanack Music School in Rochester, NY.

Liana plays on an old German instrument from the 17th century, which was a generous gift from Mr. George Mosher, after her first recital in the US in 1995.

Paul Blackburn
Guitar

In addition to performing jazz guitar professionally, Mr. Blackburn instructs guitar with a method which provides a solid classical foundation, and then builds an understanding of America's primary music forms (jazz, blues and rock), all while developing the student's technical proficiency. His experience in teaching, from schools to camps to private lessons, allows him to help each student become a well-rounded musician, regardless of the student's age or musical experience.

Mr. Blackburn grew up in Rome, NY, and studied at SUNY Plattsburgh, but now lives in the City of Rochester because the people, the food and the culture make it the best place to be! If you would like to hear a sample of Mr. Blackburn's playing, see an outline of his guitar program, or find out where he's performing, visit www.paulblackburnguitar.com

Chris White

A  classical, jazz and improvisational cellist and cello teacher based in Ithaca, NY, Chris White has performed and taught around the U.S., as well as in Canada, Europe and North Africa. He has several solo recordings and has played on numerous recordings of other artists. Chris performed with his jazz quartet at The First World Cello Congress (June 1988), The Quanzaine de Montreal (April 1992), the New Directions Cello Festival (1995, 1997 & 2001) and at the 6th American Cello Congress in Maryland (May 2001). White performs regularly as a classical cellist with The Binghamton (NY) Symphony and frequently free-lances with chamber and jazz groups.  An active private cello teacher, Chris is also on the faculty of The Community School of Music & Arts in Ithaca. He also gives workshops on improvisation for cellists.

Chris has published a jazz book and CD series for string instruments called Jazz Cello, Jazz Viola and Jazz Violin and has authored articles in national string and jazz magazines. His most recent CD release is called First Principles, which features his own original compositions as well as originals by the pianist Eric Hangen. The group, called Chris White and the Cayuga Jazz Ensemble, consists of cello, trumpet, piano, bass and drums. White is the founder and director of the international New Directions Cello Association and Festival, now in its 14th year. www.newdirectionscello.com A new direction that White has taken in recent years is playing live improvised sound tracks to silent films on his electric cello with electronic effects and looping . For four years in a row he has interacted with the 1919 German film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” at Ithaca College. Last April White collaborated with keyboardist and percussionist Peter Dodge as part of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, performing a live improvised sound track to the 1928 Russian film “Man with a Movie Camera” and his latest effort was for the opening of an art exhibit at the Tompkins County Public Library.

Learn more about Chris White at:
www.newdirectionscello.com/chriswhite/index.htm


Megan Wobus
Violin, Suzuki violin, viola, Suzuki viola, fiddle, Suzuki fiddle

Lee Byrnie
Violin, Suzuki violin

Lee is a Rochester native, getting most of her training from the renowned Suzuki pedagogue, Anastasia Jempelis, at the Eastman School of Musicv. Lee is an accredited teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas and had also had extensive training in early childhood education.

Linda Ford
Violin, fiddle, Suzuki Violin

Linda studied violin with Oliver Steiner and Anastasia Jempelis at Eastman School of Music and fiddlers Barbara Lamb and Fletcher Bright at Augusta Heritage center in West Virginia and Nashcamp in Tennessee. She has been a member of local orchestras and several blue grass bands.

Alice Kanack
Violin, viola, Suzuki violin, Suzuki viola, improvisation

Alice is a Rochester native with degrees in Performance and Composition from the Eastman School of Music. She is an accredited Suzuki Association of Americas teacher, with training both in the US and in Japan with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Alice’s “Creative Ability Development” series of books and recordings are currently published by Warner Bros. and are sold internationally.

Sherry McCarthy
Piano, Suzuki piano

Sherry studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto as well as the McGill University where she received a Bachelor of Music Degree with a major in Piano Performance and a minor in Violin. She received her Master of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and currently enjoys teaching and performing with the Genesee Quartet.

Geoffrey Jones
Violin

Geoffrey Jones - Originally from New Zealand, came to the USA to study violin at the Eastman School of Music where he gained both his Bachelors & Masters degrees. His teachers were Zvi Zeitlin, Lynn Blakeslee & Oleh Krysa. Currently, Geoffrey teaches in the Rush-Henrietta Schools and plays in the Genesee String Quartet.

Mark DeMott
Guitar

Jennifer Ryckaert
Preschool classes

Cheryl Wright
Dance

Meg Ruby
Piano

Lydia Rubrecht
Cello

Lydia Rubrecht BM and BA from Rice University. Current Master's degree candidate at Eastman, where she is also a teaching assistant for pedagogy classes and teaches cello through the Community Education Division. Performing interests in Baroque performance practice and new music. Has performed in several summer festivals, including Spoleto USA, Yellow Barn, and Roundtop.

Lorraine Schaenfeld
Violin, viola

Julie Oris – Heikkila
Flute

Lina Morita
Piano, Suzuki piano