Brad Balliett

Bassoonist Brad Balliett graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 2005, where he majored in composition under Robert Levin, Elliott Gyger, and John Harbison, and studied bassoon with Richard Ranti. Brad completed his master's degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in 2007, where he was a student of Benjamin Kamins. Upon graduation from Rice, Brad played second bassoon in the Houston Symphony during its 2007–2008 season. Brad has appeared at such festivals as Tanglewood, Lucerne, Aspen, and Spoleto USA. As a composer, Brad's music has been widely heard, including performances at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New England Conservatory, Rice University, Boston University, Aspen Music Festival, New York University, Northwestern University, the Salle Cortot at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, and on National Public Radio. Also active as a rapper, Brad performs as part of the experimental hip-hop dyad The Oracle Hysterical. As part of his fellowship program, Brad teaches in Brooklyn at PS 315.

Sarah Beaty

Sarah Beaty is both a passionate performer and a teacher of music. She has had recital debuts at London's Royal Festival Hall, Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, New York's Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Wigmore Hall in London. Sarah has performed at Italy's Spoleto Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and currently attends the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, and Prussia Cove's Open Chamber Music, UK. Sarah performs with the Ikarus Chamber Players, The Knights, The Metropolis Ensemble, The Second Instrumental Unit, Ensemble 360, and the Aronowitz Ensemble. A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Royal Northern College of Music, Sarah studied with Charles Neidich, John Bradbury, Lynsey Marsh, Chris Swann, and John Reynolds. She is the recipient of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe woodwind prize, an Ian Fleming Award from the Musicians' Benevolent Fund, a June Alison Woodwind Award from the Philharmonia Orchestra / Martin Musical Fund, and a Hattori Foundation award. As part of her fellowship program, Sarah teaches in Manhattan at PS 46.

Meena Bhasin

Meena M. Bhasin is a violist whose interests lie in music and international relations. She has traveled extensively, performing and collaborating in cultural exchange programs throughout Japan, China, Iran, and Israel-inspiring her continued dedication to use music as a means to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue. Meena trained under the guidance of Itzhak Perlman at the Perlman Music Program. In 2007 she graduated from a dual-degree program between Tufts University, where she graduated with honors in International Relations, and New England Conservatory, where she was the recipient of the 2006 Presser Award. Current engagements are taking Meena beyond her classical upbringing to encompass various types of world and popular music. She plans to tour the US as a guest soloist with legendary rock band, Jethro Tull. As part of her fellowship program, Meena teaches in Brooklyn at PS 282.

Brenton Caldwell

Violist Brenton Caldwell began studying the viola at the age of 12 and has since performed throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Most recently, Brenton won recognition in the National Young Artists Competition in Texas, performed at the BRAVO! Vail Valley Music Festival as a member of the Vuillaume Quartet, and was a guest faculty member at the Chamber Music Conference and Composers' Forum of the East in Vermont. A dedicated chamber musician, he has also appeared at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Music from Angel Fire, Banff, Ravinia, Verbier, Tanglewood, and the Pacific Music Festival. Brenton regularly performs alongside esteemed artists such as Roberto Díaz, Gary Graffman, Marc Johnson, Ida Kavafian, Menahem Pressler, Steven Tenenbom, and Eugenia Zukerman. As a soloist he has performed with the Curtis and Banff chamber ensembles, and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra. As part of his fellowship program, Brenton teaches in Queens at PS 62.

Nicholas Canellakis

Cellist Nicholas Canellakis has performed throughout Europe and the US, and has participated in the festivals of Santa Fe, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Verbier, Aspen, Music from Angel Fire, and Sarasota. Nicholas is a member of the prestigious Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two. A regular performer at Bargemusic in New York City, he has also appeared in venues such as Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, Jordan Hall, and Disney Hall. Nicholas was a founding member of the prize-winning Vertigo String Quartet, which made its New York debut in February 2008 and was Bargemusic's resident quartet for the 2007–2008 season. He graduated form the Curtis Institute and the New England Conservatory, studying with Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley, and Paul Katz. As part of his fellowship program, Nicholas teaches in the Manhattan at PS153M.

Julietta Curenton

At the age of 17, flutist Julietta Curenton made her debut with the National Symphony under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch. In addition, she has appeared as soloist with the Baltimore Symphony, Kennedy Center Institute Orchestra, and the US Army Orchestra. She has participated in various summer festivals, including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Orchestra, the National Repertory Orchestra (Colorado), and Spoleto Music Festival (Italy). Her awards and honors as a soloist include first prizes in the young artist competitions sponsored by the National Symphony Orchestra, the Fairfax Band, and the National Flute Association. A native of Virginia, Julietta began studying the flute at the age of six. Her teachers have included Jeanne Baxtresser, Carol Wincenc, and Peter Lloyd. As part of her fellowship program, Julietta teaches in Brooklyn at PS135K.

Owen Dalby

Violinist Owen Dalby has performed throughout North America and Europe as a solo, orchestral, and chamber musician. He was a top-prizewinner at the 2007 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition. Owen's enduring love of chamber music began at The Crowden School in California, and continued to develop at the Aspen, Adriatic, Kneisel Hall, Norfolk, Music@Menlo, and Yellow Barn summer festivals. He has appeared as a soloist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony, the Festival Orchestra of Sofia, and on several occasions with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. Acclaimed for his instrumental versatility, Owen is a co-founder of The Hindemith Ensemble and is also a member of the Momenta Quartet. He appears regularly with the Clarion Music Society, the Grand Tour Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St Luke's. A California native, Owen received bachelor's and master's degrees from Yale University. As part of his fellowship program, Owen teaches in Brooklyn at PS112K.

Gregory DeTurck

Gregory DeTurck has appeared in chamber recitals at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and at the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC; as well as on WFMT Chicago's Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series. He recently performed at Tanglewood's 2009 Festival of Contemporary Music. Gregory has won several prizes on the international piano competition circuit, including the Raeburn Prize for Artist of Special Promise at the 2006 Honens Competition in Calgary. Gregory has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the International Festival Orchestra Beijing, among others. He has earned degrees from Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Thomas Schumacher, and The Juilliard School, where he studied with Julian Martin. As part of his fellowship program, Gregory teaches in Queens at PS 131.

Joanna Marie Frankel

Violinist Joanna Marie Frankel is a 2007 recipient of a Career Grant from the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, and of The Juilliard School's prestigious William Schuman Prize for artistic excellence. Highlights of Joanna's upcoming season include solo recitals in Switzerland, The Netherlands, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, as well collaborations with orchestras in New Jersey, Tennessee, and Michigan. Recent engagements have included chamber music appearances at La Jolla's Summerfest and her European recital debut tour, during which she performed in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. Joanna made her Carnegie Hall recital debut in January 2007. In 2008 she was appointed to the Concert Artist Faculty at Kean University in violin and viola. A recent scholarship graduate of The Juilliard School, Joanna performs on the 1846 Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin labeled "Joseph Guarnerius fecit Cremonae," on extended loan from a generous patron through the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation. As part of her fellowship program, Joanna teaches in Queens, at PS 63.

Angelina Gadeliya

Ukrainian pianist Angelina Gadeliya has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the US, as well as in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Israel, and Ukraine. She has appeared as soloist with the Sinfonia of Colorado, and the Fort Worth, South Dakota, Oberlin, and Stony Brook symphonies. She has collaborated with such artists as Lucy Shelton, John Harbison, James Levine, members of the New York Philharmonic, and the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Goup. This past year, Angelina toured Ukraine, playing benefit concerts for families with special needs children-something she does annually to raise community awareness of this underserved population. She has studied with Gilbert Kalish, Angela Cheng, Pavlina Dokovska, and Julian Martin. A graduate of Oberlin, The Juilliard School, and Mannes College The New School for Music, she also holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. As part of her fellowship program, Angelina teaches in Brooklyn, at PS 130.

Alicia Lee

Alicia Lee has performed under the batons of Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, Charles Dutoit, and Michael Tilson Thomas. She is currently Associate Principal of the Santa Barbara Symphony. Other orchestral appearances include the New World, Charleston, and Pacific symphonies, as well as the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in several festivals, including the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, the Spoleto festivals of Italy and the US, the Lucerne Festival Academy, and the Yellow Barn Music Festival. Alicia was selected for two Carnegie Hall workshops, performing the music of John Adams under the baton of the composer, and Messiaen with David Robertson. Alicia holds degrees from Columbia University and the University of Southern California. She recently completed a certificate program at the Colburn School as a student of Yehuda Gilad. As part of her fellowship program, Alicia teaches in Brooklyn at PS 249K.

Alma Maria Liebrecht

Horn player Alma Maria Liebrecht is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Yale School of Music, where she studied with Jerome Ashby and William Purvis. Alma has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Jupiter Chamber Players, and at the Music from Angel Fire and Norfolk Chamber Music festivals. In addition, she has presented solo recitals at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, and for the Friday Morning Music Club in Washington, DC. Alma has also performed with the New York City Opera, the Richmond and Delaware symphonies, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Symphony in C (formerly the Haddonfield Symphony), where she was principal horn from 2005 to 2007. A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Alma enjoys running and a double musical life as a violinist. As part of her fellowship program, Alma teaches in Queens at JHS 185.

Paul Murphy

Originally from Kansas City, trumpeter Paul Murphy is passionate about drawing audiences deeply into the art of music through his work as a soloist, chamber musician, and teaching artist. Paul has also appeared with Second Instrumental Unit, the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, and the Bach Chamber Players at Holy Trinity's long-standing Bach Vespers series, where he performs on the baroque trumpet. Prior to living in New York, Paul served as the principal trumpet of the Daejeon Philharmonic in South Korea and has appeared regularly with the Kansas City Symphony. A graduate of the Yale School of Music and St. Olaf College, he has also studied at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West. Beginning this season, Paul is proud to join the teaching artist faculty of the New York Philharmonic. As part of his Fellowship, Paul teaches in Brooklyn at IS 278.

Evan Premo

Double bass player Evan Premo is an active chamber musician. He has performed concertos with numerous ensembles, including the 2009 world premiere of his own Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass with Andrés Cárdenes and the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Evan has also collaborated with Yizhak Schotten, Katherine Collier, and the Formosa String Quartet, in addition to performing his own arrangements for piano and bass at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Evan was a winner of the school's concerto competition in 2006 and, that same year, premiered his own Concertino for Bass Fiddle and Winds with the University of Michigan's Symphony Band. Evan's bass teachers include virtuosos Diana Gannett and Gary Karr, and he has studied composition with Michael Daugherty, Susan Botti, and Evan Chambers. He is also a member of Duo Borealis with soprano Mary Bonhag. As part of his fellowship program, Evan teaches in the Bronx at PS 157.

Eric Reed

Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, hornist Eric Reed moved to New York City in 2006. A graduate of Rice University and The Juilliard School, Eric has been a member of the New World Symphony and the Oregon Symphony. He is currently a member of the Harrisburg Symphony, the Cleveland-based Burning River Brass, and the Spectrum Brass Quintet. Eric has performed with Orchestra of St. Luke's, New York City Opera, Long Island and Brooklyn philharmonics, New York Symphonic Ensemble, and International Contemporary Ensemble. Also comfortable in commercial and jazz genres, Eric regularly appears with Gary Morgan's Latin big band, PanAmericana!, as well as being a regular substitute in numerous Broadway pit orchestras. In addition, he has performed in back-up orchestras to Ray Charles, Wynton Marsalis, and Boyz II Men. Eric studied with William VerMeulen and Roger Kaza at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and with Julie Landsman at The Juilliard School. As part of his fellowship program, Eric teaches in Queens at PS 13Q.

Brandon Ridenour

Trumpeter Brandon Ridenour has already established a busy career as a soloist, chamber musician, composer, and arranger. In 2006 at the age of 20, Brandon joined the Canadian Brass, becoming the youngest member in the group's 39-year history. That same year, he was also the International Trumpet Guild solo competition winner (playing his own composition), a featured soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, and an award-winner in ASCAP's Morton Gould Young Composer competition. Brandon and his father, pianist Rich Ridenour, have an extensive performing career as a father-son duo. Their CD, Trumpet Invasion, features their own arrangements for trumpet and piano. Brandon grew up in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated from The Juilliard School in 2007, where he studied with Ray Mase and Mark Gould. As part of his fellowship program, Brandon teaches in Brooklyn at MS51.

David Skidmore

Percussionist David Skidmore is an active performer, composer, and teacher. He is a member of Third Coast Percussion, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Ensemble XII, and Signal. David is on the percussion faculty at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. As a chamber musician, he has performed at June in Buffalo, Klangspuren Schwaz, the Ojai Music Festival, the Bang On a Can Marathon, and three Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. David has performed and collaborated with many of the world's finest musicians, including conductors Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, David Robertson, and Michael Tilson Thomas, composers Steve Reich, Steve Mackey, Matthias Pintscher, and Peter Eötvös, and chamber ensembles So Percussion and eighth blackbird. In May 2007, David's composition titled Unknown Kind was premiered at Carnegie Hall. He holds degrees from Yale University and Northwestern University. His teachers have included Robert Van Sice, Michael Burritt, James Ross, Paul Wertico, and Michael Hernandez. As part of his fellowship program, David teaches in Queens at MS 137.

James Austin Smith

An active chamber musician and new music advocate, oboist James Austin Smith is a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, Sospiro Winds, and the Metropolis Ensemble. James has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Speculum Musicae, and Manhattan Sinfonietta. His festival appearances include Marlboro, Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein, OK Mozart, Schwetzingen, and Spoleto USA. James received a master's degree from the Yale School of Music and bachelor's degrees from Northwestern University; he also spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Leipzig, Germany. His principal teachers are Stephen Taylor, Christian Wetzel, Humbert Lucarelli, Hansjörg Schellenberger, and Ray Still. The son of musician parents and the eldest of four boys, James was born in New York and raised in Connecticut. As part of his fellowship program, James teaches in Brooklyn at PS 69.

Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir

Cellist Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir has appeared as a recital and chamber musician across the US, Germany, France, Poland, Italy, and her native Iceland. She has also performed as a solo with the Des Moines Symphony (Iowa), Ísafold Chamber Orchestra (Iceland), and the Silesian Philharmonic (Poland), in addition to being featured on National Public Radio, Icelandic National Radio, and PBS. Saeunn has garnered numerous awards, including the Zara Nelsova Prize in the Naumburg International Violoncello Competition in New York City, and the Janigro Family and Romanini Foundation prizes in the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition in Zagreb, Croatia. An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with Mitsuko Uchida, Itzhak Perlman, and Kim Kashkashian. Saeunn studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Paris Conservatory, and received her master's degree from The Juilliard School, where her principle teachers included Richard Aaron, Tanya Carey, and Joel Krosnick. As part of her fellowship program, Saeunn teaches in Brooklyn at PS 28.

View a gallery of images of an in-school visit by Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir here ›

Yonah Zur

An avid chamber musician, violinist Yonah Zur regularly appears at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, and Merkin Hall in New York. He has also performed at the Marlboro, Yellow Barn, and Tanglewood music festivals, and throughout his native Israel. Yonah is a member of New York Philomusica. A strong advocate of new music, he devotes himself to music of both prominent and young composers. Yonah received his master's from The Juilliard School in May 2001, studying with Robert Mann, and received his bachelor's from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in 1999, studying with Avi Abramovich. He was a regular recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation awards from 1995 through 2001. As part of his fellowship program, Yonah teaches in Brooklyn at PS 108K.