January 25th SZALON!

1.     Soprano Shannon Coulter will perform an aria dedicated to the memory of Louise Clearfield with Andrea Clearfield at the piano, from the Szalon

2.     "Marietta's Lied" from Die tote Stadt by Erich Korngold performed by Mika Komuro (piano) and David Roode(trombone) of Vox Cor Trio, from Cincinnati, OH

3.     Under the direction of Daniel Jackson and pianist Sira Jittapirom, CYC's Anonymous performs a program showcasing the vibrant influence of African American vocal ensemble music, from the Szalon

4.     The Dave Posmontier Trio (Bob Howell, sax, Chico Huff, bass, Dave Posmontier, piano) perform Dave’s compositions, “The Gospel” and “Funk Bunk”, from the Szalon.

5.     Jeysla Rosario Santos (soprano) and XingXing Yao (guitarist) perform Puerto Rican art songs by Ernesto Cordero, exploring nostalgia, memory, and the emotional landscape of leaving one’s homeland, from the Szalon

6.     Carlos Bianchini, pianist, performs Paisajes Op.7 I.Calles de Madrid & II.Lunas de León, from the Szalon

7.     Audra: Noa Even (soprano saxophone) and Anika Kildegaard (soprano) present Cecilia McDowall's White Fox Woman, a mini-opera based on Japanese folklore that tells the tale of a shapeshifting, man-eating seductress, from the Szalon

8.     Audra Casebier and Reese Revak perform selections from their debut album Here in Eden which explores humanity's relationship with faith through musical theatre, from the Szalon

9.     C. Francis Fisher performs excerpts from her in-progress epic poem, The Deep and Savage Way, accompanied by Andrea Clearfield on the piano, from the Szalon

10.  Eliza Edens will be playing folk and rock songs on the guitar, from the Szalon

Shannon and Andrea dedicate their performance to the memory of Louise Clearfield, mother of Andrea and Jon, wife of 68 years to Harris, mother-in-law to Nancy, grandmother to Courtney and Jack. Louise was a regular Salon attendee since 1986. 

Shannon Coulter and Andrea Clearfield

Shannon Coulter has performed as a soprano soloist and chorister for nearly four decades. Currently, she can be heard singing in choirs at Christ Church Philadelphia, with Singing City and the Temple University Singing Owls, and at the High Holy Days at Rodeph Shalom on Broad Street in Philadelphia. Shannon has performed operatic roles including Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro and premiered works by current composers like Andrea Clearfield’s Women of Valor (East Coast premiere) and Rollo Dilworth’s “Weather.” She is currently finishing a degree in Respiratory Therapy and looks forward to working in healthcare in the new year. She sings tonight to honor the memory of Andrea’s mother, and her friend, Louise Clearfield.

Andrea Clearfield is an award-winning composer who has written more than 175 works for orchestra, opera, chorus, chamber ensemble, dance and multimedia collaborations. Clearfield creates deep, emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges. She has been praised by The New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing,” the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces,” the Los Angeles Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration,” and by Opera News for her “vivid and galvanizing” music of “timeless beauty.” Clearfield’s music is performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. Among her works are seventeen cantatas including one commissioned and premiered by The Philadelphia Orchestra in collaboration with librettist/storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston. Her cantata, Women of Valor on the stories of biblical women was premiered at Royce Hall in Los Angeles with soloists Hila Plitmann and Gail Dubinbaum, narrator Valerie Harper and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony in 2000 under the direction of Dr. Noreen Green. She dedicated “Ruth’s Aria” to her mother, Louise. Her opera, MILA, Great Sorcerer, to libretto by Jean-Claude van Itallie and Lois Walden was presented at the acclaimed NYC Prototype Festival in 2019. Dr. Clearfield has been awarded a 2021 Pew International Residency Award, a 2016 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, two Independence Foundation Fellowships, two Rockefeller Bellagio Center Fellowships and fellowships from the American Academy in Rome, Yaddo, MacDowell, Helene Wurlitzer Foundation and Copland House among others. She is represented by Black Tea Music.

More at www.andreaclearfield.com

Shannon and Andrea dedicate their performance to the memory of Louise Clearfield, Andrea and Jon Clearfield’s mother.

Louise Clearfield, 1935-2025

Vox Cor Trio

An unique ensemble, Vox Cor Trio is composed of piano, trumpet and trombone. The trio focuses on playing classical vocal music, aiming to share emotional journeys and stories without lyrics. In 2022, Vox Cor Trio was launched in Cincinnati, OH by pianist Mika Komuro. Since then trumpeter Dr. George Carpten, trombonist David Roode and Mika Komuro have been touring Cleveland, Cincinnati Ohio, Rehoboth, Massachusetts and Greenville, South Carolina. 

Mika Komuro is a Japanese concert pianist who is internationally performing as a soloist, chamber musician and an orchestral player. She made her solo debut in Tokyo and London as well as her concerto debut in Bucharest, Romania. Mika served as a pianist and accompanist in Odense Symphony Orchestra, Denmark during 2014-2015 season. Dr.George Carpten IV is a Memphis native and serves as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Penn State. He is also the principal trumpet at Williamsport Symphony Orchestra and Altoona Symphony Orchestra. David Roode is principal trombone of South Bend Symphony Orchestra and associate trombonist of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with many European orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London) and the Royal Opera of Copenhagen.

Links:

Website:  https://www.voxcortrio.com/
Instagram:  @vox_cor_trio

Videos:

Anonymous

Anonymous is an elite group of Commonwealth Youth Choir, one of three programs of the Philadelphia Youth Choral Ensembles (PYCE). Singers of Anonymous are ages 16-18 and have sung in Commonwealth Youth Choir for many years—many of whom have also toured several continents. Anonymous’ director, Daniel Jackson, is a dedicated music educator and conductor, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in choral music education at Temple University. 

Links:
Facebook: Commonwealth Youth Choir
Instagram: @commonwealthyouthchoir

Donate to PYCE and Give the Gift of Song: pycemusic.org/donate

Dave Posmontier, Bob Howell, and Chico Huff

Dave Posmontier has been playing piano since the age of 7 and professionally for the past 50 years. A pianist, organist, composer, arranger and teacher, he has performed and recorded with many jazz artists including Christian McBride, James Moody, Chris Potter, Grover Washington Jr. and Johnny Hartman. Dave has 2 recent CDs to his name as well as a vinyl LP of his original compositions recorded back in the day in 1984. He has also been playing traditional and innovative klezmer music with a band called, “Klingon Klezmer.” They have performed in major concert halls throughout Germany and have released two CDs. In celebration of its 100th birthday in 2007, the renowned Settlement Music School honored 100 alumni who have made a difference in the world of music. Dave and his brother Rich were chosen to receive this honor.

More info on Dave can be found at www.daveposmontier.com

Bob Howell is a Philadelphia native who started his music career as a kid playing clarinet and bassoon in the All City Concert Band and Orchestra. As a teen, while studying bassoon with Ferdinand Del Negro, he discovered the tenor saxophone much to his teacher’s chagrin. Bob attended Berklee College of Music as a composition major, studied saxophone with Joe Viola and from there began to perform nationally and internationally with jazz and R&B artists. Bob also studied improvisation with Dennis Sandole. He has recorded with national and local artists such as Richie Cole, Odean Pope, Clark Terry, Dave Posmontier and has performed with Richie Cole, Odean Pope, Trudy Pitts, Vic Juris, The Three Degrees, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Lou Rawls, Johnny Mathis and many fine local Philly musicians. Bob has taught saxophone for Settlement Music School and is currently teaching saxophone at Widener University.

More info on Bob can be found at http://www.bobhowellsaxophone.com/

Chico Huff has been playing electric bass professionally for about 40 years. He is primarily self-taught, learning from all the wonderful musicians he’s had the pleasure of making music with over the years. He did his first paying gig when he was about 14, playing standards on Martha’s Vineyard in a restaurant in Katana. What better way to learn fast than to play with older players who neither told him what tune or what key they were going to play, just counted it in and it all worked out! Over the years Chico has had the pleasure of performing and recording with the likes of James Taylor, Carly Simon, Jeff Golub, Solas, Terrance Blanchard, John Belushi, Dr. John and Jefferson Airplane. He’s had the chance to travel to USA and Europe extensively through the gift of music as well as performing in Japan and Morocco.

More info on Chico can be found at chicohuff.weebly.com

Videos:

Jeysla Rosario Santos and XingXing Yao

Jeysla Rosario Santos is a Puerto Rican soprano currently pursuing her Master of Music in Opera Performance at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studies with Julia Faulkner and Amanda Majeski. She made her Curtis Opera Theatre debut in the fall 2024 as Poppea in the East Coast premiere of The Comet / Poppea. In the summer 2025, Jeysla was a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Studio Artist at Central City Opera, where she performed scenes as Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Clorinda (La Cenerentola), and Almirena (Rinaldo). Recent and upcoming engagements include Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Curtis Opera Theatre, and Frasquita in Carmen as well as Persephone (cover) in Lalovavi with Cincinnati Opera in the summer 2026. She is the recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Pittsburgh District), 2nd prize in the inaugural Koran Art Song Competition, and First Place in the Miami University Undergraduate Artist Competition. Jeysla holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Arts Management from Miami University. 

Xingxing Yao is a 20-year-old guitarist from Hangzhou, China. Xingxing began studying guitar at age three with Li Le and Andres Hsieh. She entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020, where she studies with David Starobin and Jason Vieaux, and is the Emilio Gravagno Fellow. Xingxing has won multiple awards across Asia, including 2nd prize in the Taiwan International Guitar Festival and 2nd prize in East End International Guitar Competition in Japan. At age 11, Xingxing was invited as the guest performer in world renowned guitarist Alvaro Pierri’s concert at the Joy of Music Festival in Hong Kong. This summer she attended and performed as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival. In addition to standard classical guitar repertoire, Xingxing is an active performer of new music, including recent performances of compositions by Tania León, Mel Powell, Paul Lansky, Mario Davidovsky, and Stephen Jaffe.

Audience Support & Social Links
XingXing Yao Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xingxingyao05/
Jeysla Rosario Santos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeyslars/

Donation Links
Venmo – XingXing Yao: https://venmo.com/xingxing-yao
Venmo – Jeysla Rosario Santos: https://venmo.com/jeyslars

Carlos Bianchini

Carlos Bianchini is a pianist, composer, and multidisciplinary creator.Educated at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de la Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (Madrid) and holding a Master’s Degree in Music Research from the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), he has developed a career that bridges contemporary music, stage creation, and audience communication.His work is defined by a poetic, visual, and emotional language, with the piano as its narrative and expressive core. He has presented his projects at major venues such as the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, and the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, among other international stages and festivals.As a composer, Bianchini has written music for orchestra, theatre, dance, and film, collaborating with directors, choreographers, and visual artists. Among his most notable works are Yo, Piano, El Sastre del Tiempo, Los Colores de la Música, and Piano & Clown Concerto, in which he explores the relationship between music and performance.With an aesthetic that combines classical tradition and contemporary sensitivity, Carlos Bianchini has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices of the new generation of composers, capable of connecting with diverse audiences through an honest and emotional musical language.

Links:

https://www.carlosbianchini.es/
https://www.facebook.com/carlosbianchini.music/ 
https://www.instagram.com/carlosbianchini.official/ 
https://www.youtube.com/@carlosbianchiniMusic

 Videos:

Audra

Anika Kildegaard (voice) and Noa Even (saxophone) are Audra, a genre-defying new music duo exploring the dynamic interplay and sonic intersections between soprano voice and saxophone. Our debut performances in early 2025 included the Spotlight Series at Rowan University (NJ), No Exit presents in Cleveland (OH), and the Fuse Factory in Columbus (OH). This season's performances include the Andrea Clearfield Szalon, Harrison Township Historical Society concert series (NJ), 2640 Space in Baltimore, and Bowerbird. 

Links:

Instagram: @audra_duo 
YouTube: Audra Duo 

Videos:

Audra Casebier and Reese Revak

Audra Casebier and Reese Revak are Philadelphia based performers and educators. They released Here in Eden in 2025, an album celebrating humanity's journey with faith through musical theatre. Their combined professional credits include: Opera Philadelphia, Walnut Street Theatre, OperaDelaware, Porthouse Theatre, Wilmington Concert Opera, The Curtis Institute of Music, Liberty City Arts, the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus and Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

Links:

Website - Audra Casebier
Instagram - @audracasebiervoice
Facebook - Audra Casebier Voice
Venmo - @Audra-Casebier

Listen:

Here in Eden on Spotify
Here in Eden on Apple Music

Videos:

C. Francis Fisher

C. Francis Fisher is a poet and translator. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Yale Review, the New England Review, and the Adroit Journal among others. Her first book of translations, In the Glittering Maw: Selected Poems of Joyce Mansour, appeared with World Poetry Books in 2024. She has been supported by residencies and fellowships from Yaddo and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference.

Links: 

Website: C. Francis Fischer
Instagram: @c__francis_

Purchase:
Joyce Mansour - In the Glittering Maw, Translated by C. Francis Fischer

Eliza Edens

Born and raised in rural Massachusetts and currently living in Brooklyn, NY⁠, Eliza Edens weaves together disparate influences of people and place into her work to create mesmerizing sonic tapestries with guitar and voice. With a love for tinkering with alternate tunings à la Nick Drake, a curious harmonic ear from years of childhood classical piano lessons, and an ever-expanding affinity for words and stories, Edens’ songs build a kaleidoscopic world that documents the parallels between hope and heartbreak. The resulting sound is a diverse palette of guitar-based, experimental folk-rock centered around Edens gently cradled voice and brimming at the edges with pockets of sonic whimsy.

Links:

Website: https://www.eliza-edens.com/
Bandcamp: https://eliza-edens.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: @eliza.edens
Venmo: @Eliza-Edens

 Videos: