October 29th, Halloween SZALON!

1. Classical guitarist Annette Kruisbrink will perform her compositions ‘The Bat Cave’ and the world premiere of ‘Miss Witch’ (specially composed for this Halloween Szalon) from her apartment in Zwolle, The Netherlands

2.     Flutist Lindsey Goodman performs Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz's piece Old Soul for alto flute and live-processed electronics from her home in Pickerington, Ohio

3.     Min-Young Kim, Violin and Jenny Chen, Piano, perform Mozart’s first violin concerto Mvmt I with Min’s cadenza along with the mesmerizing opening of Reena Esmail’s solo ‘When the Violin’, from the Salon

4.     EK DUO (Bassoonist Rachael Elliott and Percussionist Thomas Kozumplik) perform an original work, Cryptic Caves, alongside their arrangement of Philip Glass’ Mad Rush, from the Salon

5.     Pianist Junwen Liang will perform the mysterious Cloches á travers les feuilles & Poissons d’or by Claude Debussy from his Images, Book 2, from the Salon

6.     Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol perform “Day of the Dead” inspired selections from Latin America and the Caribbean, from the Salon

7.     Kuf Knotz (Producer/MC) and Christine Elise (Harpist/Vocalist) will fuse hip-hop with soulful beats & haunting vocals creating ethereal fall vibes, from the Salon

8.     Pianist/Composer Stephen DiJoseph will perform his original work “Ophelia” and “Roundabout” by Yes, from the Salon

9.     The Meraki Duo (Rick Barrantes Agüero, Bassoon and Maria Dell’Orefice, Piano) performs the theatrical Concerto for Bassoon in F Major by Carl Maria von Weber, from the Salon

10.  Robert and Katherine Oakes will perform an original spooky song, and Robert will read a selection from one of his books on ghostly lore with illustrations by Katherine, from their home in Pomfret, CT

11.  Rene Orth presents JABBERWOCKY, a music video to text by Lewis Carrol with music by Rene and vocals and film direction by Zachary James, from Rene’s studio in Philadelphia

Annette Kruisbrink

Dutch guitarist and composer Annette Kruisbrink has composed over 450 works. Her compositions have been published by Les Productions d’OZ, Canada and Digital Music Print, Belgium and various European publishers. She has received numerous awards at prestigious composition competitions. Kruisbrink holds guitar and composition seminars throughout the world and is often a jury member at international guitar and composition competitions. She has been performing as a soloist and has been playing in numerous ensembles. From 2000-2010 she taught contemporary music and ethno music at the Conservatory of Music in Zwolle. So far, 19 CD's and 3 DVD which exclusively include Kruisbrink’s works have been recorded. Annette teaches guitar and wrote a large number of didactic works and methodologies for guitar.

www.youtube.com/annettekruisbrink
annettekruisbrink.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/annette.kruisbrink

Video:

Lindsey Goodman

Flutist Lindsey Goodman is a soloist, recording artist, chamber collaborator, orchestral musician, educator, and clinician whose “palette of tone colors includes cool silver, warm chocolate, the bright colors of a sunrise, and the deep blue of midnight.” (The Flutist Quarterly) A committed advocate for living composers and electroacoustic music, Lindsey “appears to know no fear in tackling the most demanding music” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) and is an active commissioner of new works with over 190 world premieres to her credit. Lindsey, “a flutist who has it all” (The Whole Note), is principal flutist of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, instructor of flute at Otterbein University and Glenville State University, artist faculty member of the Mostly Modern Festival, and solo flutist of the new music ensemble What Is Noise. She is a founding member of flute quartet PANdemonium4 and of Chrysalis, a singing flutist and singing pianist duo, showcasing her training as a classical mezzo-soprano. Lindsey received degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, and Duquesne University. She resides in central Ohio with her husband, percussionist, composer, and educator Chris Carmean, and their dog Jack. 

Links:

www.LindseyGoodman.com
www.facebook.com/LindseyGoodmanFlutist
www.instagram.com/lindseyjgoodman/
www.youtube.com/lindseygoodmanfans

Video:

Min-Young Kim and Jenny Chen

Philadelphia violinist Min-Young Kim is a founding member and first violinist of the Daedalus Quartet, and has been presented by many of the world’s leading musical venues including Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Min is also the concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and is a frequent guest with ECCO and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has been featured as a soloist with the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall and with the Bard Festival Orchestra and performs on historical violin with Apollo’s Fire and Tempesta di Mare. She enjoys working closely with composers, commissioning and premiering new works including those of Fred Lerdahl, Anna Weesner, Huck Hodge, and Wolfgang Rihm. In her quest to play many strings, Min also plays the violoncello da spalla, a six string electric violin and the guitar. A graduate of Harvard and Juilliard, she currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania.

Instagram - @minystrings

www.daedalusquartet.com

Jenny Chen is a concert pianist, chamber musician, and educator. At age ten, she was accepted by the prestigious conservatory, Curtis Institute of Music. Her exceptional gift in collaborating with orchestral players is shown in her concerto performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra at age fourteen. Her successful performance led to another concerto performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Dr. Chen received a Master's Degree at Yale University and Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at Eastman School of Music. She joined the Curtis faculty in 2018, and in 2021 joined Temple University and Drexel University as a Ballet Pianist. Most recently also serves as the Pianist for the Philadelphia Ballet.

https://jennychenpiano.com/

Videos:

EK DUO: Bassoonist Rachael Elliott and Percussionist Thomas Kozumplik

Longtime collaborators, Rachael Elliott and Thomas Kozumplik met at the Yale School of Music, where with Padma Newsome and Bryce Dessner, they formed the oddly beautiful chamber music group, Clogs. EK Duo have performed on stages ranging from the Sydney Festival to BAM, from Big Ears to the Knitting Factory, from London Jazz Festival to Amoeba Music, and points between, sharing a love for chamber music, improvisation, groove, and sound exploration.

Artist pages:
https://www.clogsmusic.com/ek-duo
https://www.bassoonproject.org
https://tamikaze.art
Label -  vinyl, CD's HD downloads
Bandcamp - vinyl, CD's HD downloads
Apple 
iTunes 
Spotify 

Social Media:
https://www.youtube.com/243loop
https://www.youtube.com/@bassoonproject
https://www.instagram.com/tamikaze.art/

Videos:

Junwen Liang

Hailed as "captivating" by Stroll Magazine, Dr. Junwen Liang, a Chinese pianist, embarked on his piano journey at the age of nine and made his solo debut at thirteen. Throughout his career, he has been featured as a soloist with Central Texas Philharmonic, Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ithaca College Symphonic Orchestra. Further accomplishments also include performing at esteemed venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Kimmel Center, as well as being broadcast on WSKG in New York and Philadelphia's WRTI Classical Radio. In the upcoming 2023-2024 season, Junwen is poised to captivate audiences with both live and virtual performances across the United States, Italy, and China. He has also garnered invitations to participate in major festivals such as the Texas State International Piano Festival, Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy, Orford Musique, and Aspen Music Festival. In addition, Junwen has achieved notable success of winning multiple competitions, including The American Prize, The Princeton Festival International Piano Competition, New York International Piano Competition, and Philadelphia International Piano Competition. Junwen holds degrees from Penn State (DMA), Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (MM), and Ithaca College (BM). Currently, he is completing a graduate professional diploma at the Peabody Institute, under the tutelage of Richard Goode.

junwenliangpianist.com

Video:

Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol

Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol (a.k.a. Trio Crisol), Spanish for melting pot, founded in Philadelphia in 1997, is a Latin ensemble dedicated to the interpretation of a variety of folk and traditional music genres from all over Latin America and the Caribbean. Romantic Puerto Rican Boleros, energetic Mexican Mariachi music, feisty Cuban Sones, sensuous Colombian Cumbias, contagious Dominican Merengues, are among the many styles they perform. They released their first album in 2002: Songs from the New World. In 2009 Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol performed at the Kimmel Center as first place winners in the Philadelphia Best Latin Music Ensemble Category. Some of the venues they have performed at include the Kimmel Center, Penn’s Landing, the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Penn Museum of Anthropology, and World Cafe Live among many others. Tonight’s ensemble includes Magdaliz Roura - guitar/voice; Veronica Jurkiewicz - violin/voice and Juan Garcia Bossio - bass/voice

You can support this artist electronically (internet or phone apps) via Venmo, CASH, Zelle, or PayPal (use the “friend or family member” option to avoid fees), using her phone number 215-205-7692.

You can email her (triocrisol@gmail.com) if you are interested in buying her Latin Trio CD “Songs from the New World” for $10.

Links:

YouTube: youtube.com/TrioCrisol
FaceBook: facebook.com/TrioCrisol
Instagram: instagram.com/TrioCrisol
Twitter: twitter.com/TrioCrisol
Webpage: triocrisol.com
Hashtag: #triocrisol

Videos:

Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise

Named  Philadelphia Magazine Best Rapper of 2022  & 1 of 10 New Jersey artists Kuf Knotz (Producer/MC/Songwriter) and Christine Elise (Harpist/Vocalist) have brought their unique blend of hip-hop, soul and classical traditions to various communities. Releasing their highly anticipated third album "Hypnagogia" (2023), Kuf and Christine’s music explores themes of unity and the infinite possibility of creating a better world. They fuse hip-hop poetry with bluesy beats supported by the harp. And, you can dance to it. Cultivating the juxtaposition of mindful reflection and feeling free to effortlessly move to the rhythms, their performance is an era fusing, genre bending journey. The duo has been featured on NPR Music and WHYY.

Links:

Website - www.kufknotz.com
Video - https://www.kufknotz.com/epk
IG - https://www.instagram.com/kufknotz/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/christineeliseharp/

Stephen DiJoseph

Anything can happen when musician, composer, and filmmaker Stephen DiJoseph enters a studio or takes the stage. Whether it’s the percussive groves of his solo guitar and vocals, the quirk and funk of his trademark Jazz/Classical “Pianopoetry”, the Treance-Electronica of his “Whirld Music Trio” Project or the east and flow of his ambient orchestral productions. DiJoseph is an artist of many skills. He writes, “It’s always first about what I feel. Creativity and humor are central to performing and making music for me. It’s what inspires me and in turn, what I hope to inspire in others”. What also makes DiJoseph unique is another very “Outspoken Collaborator” as he refers to his experience of living with Tourette’s Syndrom. “Tourette’s showed up for me around the same time as my passion for music, around 6. So, it’s always been the ‘Art in the Syndrome’ for me.” Stephen’s autobiographical movie A SynapTic Adventure: Tourette’s And Beyond won best emerging documentary in the Bucks Fever Film Festival. In it, DiJoseph tells the story of growing up in “The Dark” as he explains…trying to understand the cause of the strange urges, movements and compulsions that filled his childhood. Conditions, that to this day, both challenge and propel his mission to create and inspire. He has created 9 CD’s, multiple music video productions and has performed widely in the US and abroad.

Links:

www.stephendijoseph.com
www.stephendijoseph.bandcamp.com/music

Video:

Rick Barrantes Agüero and Maria Dell’Orefice

Rick Barrantes Agüero is the Principal Bassoon and President of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Chamber Orchestra and holds faculty positions at the Community Music Scholars Program at Temple University and The Music School of Delaware. A 1st Prize Winner of the COFCAM Püchner Competition, he has played as a soloist with the New Jersey Chamber Orchestra, Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Sinfonia, GGS Chamber Orchestra, and Youth Orchestra of Guatemala. Mr. Barrantes regularly appears as a guest bassoonist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, APEX Ensemble, Symphony in C, and York Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he appeared as principal bassoon with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, AIMS Festival Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Institute, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Passionate about teaching young musicians, Mr. Barrantes previously served as bassoon teacher at the SiNEM (El Sistema) Costa Rica, School of Symphonic Music of Pérez Zeledón, and ANC Young Music Camp in Panama City. He has also guest taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp, The Philadelphia Orchestra All-City Fellowship, the University of Delaware, the University of the Pacific, the Guaranda International Music Festival (Ecuador), and the National Music Conservatory (Honduras). Mr. Barrantes earned degrees from the National Music Institute of Costa Rica, The Glenn Gould School, and Temple University. He is currently working on his Doctor of Musical Arts at Temple University, majoring in bassoon performance and minoring in orchestral conducting.

https://linktr.ee/rickbarrantes

Maria Dell’Orefice, a classical pianist and avid violinist, has shared the stage with a multitude of performers including Alexander Markov, Francesca DePasquale and Chris Botti. While Maria frequently presents solo and collaborative performances in the Philadelphia area, she has also performed solo piano in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as a result of winning the Semper Pro Musica Competition, Elite International Music Competition, and Crescendo International Piano Competition. Maria performed for a program in Mondavio, Italy in which she accompanied opera singers in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She is a musical director for the Delaware Valley Opera Company and has music directed and performed piano reductions for the productions of Goyescas and Abu Hassan. She is a recipient of the Association of Church Musicians of Philadelphia Organ Grant, which funds private organ lessons, and is currently the organist at Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Strafford, PA. Maria is the pianist for the Haverford College choirs, faculty at Temple University, and staff pianist for the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy (PYPA) Piano Festival.

Maria has studied under Charles Abramovic, Lambert Orkis, Jane Abbott-Kirk, and Sheila Paige and is an advocate of the Taubman technique. She earned her B.M. in Piano Performance from Baylor University in Waco, TX and earned a double M.M. in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

https://www.mariadellorefice.com/

Videos:

Robert and Katherine Oakes

Robert and Katherine Oakes are multimedia artists and educators based in northeastern Connecticut, where they serve on the faculty and staff of a junior boarding school. Together they perform original and traditional songs as the folk duo Oakes and Smith and have released several recordings under that name. Additionally, Katherine is a visual artist and illustrator, and Robert has also published three books on ghostly folklore—Ghosts of the Berkshires, Ghosts of Northwestern New Jersey, and The Ghostly Tales of the Berkshires—each of which feature illustrations by Katherine. For more information,visit oakesandsmith.net, robertoakes.net, and katherineoakesart.com. 

Video:

Rene Orth

Acclaimed American composer Rene Orth "breaks new ground" (Opera News), writing music described as “always dramatic, reflective, rarely predictable, and often electronic” (Musical America). She was the inaugural Resident Composer at Opera San José in the 2022-23 season, and recently completed a three-year tenure as Composer-In-Residence at Opera Philadelphia.

Links:

www.reneorth.com
https://www.instagram.com/reneorth/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/@reneorth/videos
https://www.facebook.com/reneorthcomposer/