Miss. Anna Shelest
Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “a fiery sensibility and warm touch,” Anna Shelest is an international award-winning pianist who has thrilled the audiences throughout the world. Her recent engagements included debuts at Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the Wiener Konzerthaus in Austria. Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine Ms. Shelest began her piano studies at the age of six. She attended the Kharkiv Special Music School for Gifted Children, where she was a student of Gary Gelfgat and later of Sergei Polusmiak. At the age of eleven she performed at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris as the youngest prize winner of the Milosz Magin International Piano Competition. An “effective collaborator” (The New York Times), Shelest made her orchestral debut at the age of twelve with the Kharkiv Symphony Orchestra, playing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Since then she has been a soloist with some of the world’s most renown orchestras such as Montreal Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, under Maestro Paavo Jarvi, and Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. Other appearances include Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, Lugansk Philharmonic, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Russian Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Sinfonia and the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra. As an international recitalist, she has performed in Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine, South Africa and the United States. Her chamber music collaborations include performances with the Amernet String Quartet, Cincinnati ARC Ensemble, and musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.[Read More…]
Mr. Sehwan Park
Sehwan Park, a native of Seoul, Korea performs regularly in solo recitals and as a collaborative pianist. Mr. Park worked with the Mannes Opera department while he was in Mannes College. In 2005, Mr. Park graduated from Mannes College of Music as a scholarship student, and his talents were recognized as he was awarded the Peter M. Gross award. Later that year, he was asked to travel with the Astrakahn National Conservatory Orchestra. He has been performing with numerous singers and musicians in Korea and New York Metropolitan area. Mr. Park performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2 with the Astrakahn National Conservatory Orchestra in Russia (2005) as well. He played Triple Concerto by Beethoven with the New York Symphony Orchestra and 212 Orchestra at the Merkin Hall and Good shepherd faith church. Also he coached singers and played the Cembalo at the OSH Opera company for Cosi fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro and dress rehearsal performance broadcasted by Korean broadcasting News, where he was also personally interviewed. He played for the FBI Asian/Pacific American Heritage Celebration in Newark and New York City. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree and Master’s degree at the Chung Nam National University and studied Orchestral Conducting with Vincent La Selva at the Juilliard school, evening division and he is currently a faculty at the New York Conservatory of Music and Art, a pianist at the OSH Opera Company, New York Soloist Ensemble, an associate artistic director and associate conductor at the Harmonia Opera Inc. and he attended the Rutgers University at a DMA course with Dr. Barbara Gonzalez-Palmer. His piano solo albums, ‘Tales Of The Piano’ and ‘My Past Memories’ are released world-widely and many piano lovers listen his romantic playing through radio stations and CDs. Mr. Park generally performs at many cultural concerts as well as government sponsored concerts for the FBI and the US Attorney. He has frequently worked with the New York Soloist Ensemble, performing in recitals at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, Kaye Hall at Hunter College and other churches and concert halls throughout the tri-state area as well as in Korea and Japan.
Dr. Miao Hou
Hailed by New York Times as “…Hou is a magical pianist who plays with impressive clarity and character…..a commanding, imaginative and sensitive performance….” pianist Miao Hou captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism, and interpretive sensitivity. After winning the Gold Medal of both Virginia Waring International Piano Competition and Rolf and Brigitte Gardey International Piano Competition, Miss Hou is fast establishing a rising reputation for her fresh and versatile artistry as a soloist and chamber musician. Hou showcases her colorful musical personality in solo recitals and collaborations with the world’s top orchestras and chamber musicians. After moving to the United States in 2000, Miss Hou won numerous prestigious prizes including the Gold Medal at the Rolf and Brigitte Gardey International piano competition in Florida, the Iowa International and Thousand Island International piano competition, 1st Shen Zhen International piano concerto competition and web hall competition, Kingsville International Young Artist Competition, Isabel Scionti Piano Competition and the Wideman Piano Competition, the “Best Performance of French Music” in the International Russian Music Competition and the Grand prize in Midland National Young Artist Competition. Miss Hou made her Carnegie debut under the baton of the acclaimed pianist and conductor Leon Fleisher playing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Zankel Hall. Since her spectacular debut, Hou has blossomed into an astonishing artist and she continues to appear with orchestras around the world.[ Read More…]
Dr. Daeil Yang
A native of Korea, cellist Daeil Yang received his Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music at Aaron Copland School of Music at City University of New York, where he studied with Alexander Kouguell, Vagram Saradjian and Marcy Rosen. He has recently acquired his Doctorate in cello performance at the University of Rutgers in New Jersey under scholarship. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut as well as member of Nova Philharmonic, Astoria Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Bronx Opera, Brooklyn Opera, St. Martin’s orchestra, Ensemble 212, Korean Broacasting Symphony Orchestra and have recorded for prestigious SONY label and independent labels. Over the years Dr. Yang has performed with such diverse artists as Jay-Z during super bowl, Marylin Horne, Wynton Marsalis, Sir Rolland Hannah, and has played for Kurt Masur and Lorin Maazel. Dr. Yang continues to give recitals and chamber music performances throughout the United States, and is an active cellist, teacher and clinician. Aside from coaching his students on weekly basis, he has a few chamber groups that he performs with regularly (COAX ensemble, Trio Da Camera and Newklang Ensemble). He is a founder and the director of New York Orchestal Society group, and N.Y.O.S. summer festival.
Miss Caroline St. Louis
Carrie St. Louis has just completed a year playing Glinda on the Broadway National Tour of Wicked. Just 3-1/2 years out of college, she will begin her second starring role on Broadway in February, 2016 (to be announced). She made her Broadway debut playing the lead role of Sherrie Christian in Rock of Ages at the Helen Hayes Theater, and before that, she played Sherrie in the original company of Rock of Ages in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel, where she won the Broadway World Las Vegas award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical in 2014. Other professional credits include the west coast premiere of The Fix at International City Theater (Deborah Pullman) and the world premiere of Justin Love at Celebration Theater (Amanda Bell).
Carrie’s sold-out cabaret in Los Angeles titled, “Here I Go Again” garnered her a Broadway World nomination for Best Female Cabaret Artist in 2012. She has sung the national anthem for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Lakers and the PAC 12 Tournament, and soloed with the band Foreigner at a Las Vegas concert. An alumna of Phillips Academy, Andover, she has a BA degree in Vocal Arts from the Thornton School of Music at USC. She is represented by Gabrielle Kachman at Authentic Talent Management NY and Jodie Bowman at Brady, Brannon & Rich Talent LA. [Read More…]
Dr. Yu Zhang-Koslovsky
Dr. Yu Zhang-Koslovsky received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard School in 2011. Since then Dr. Zhang-Koslovsky has been teaching at City College of New York. She enjoys teaching as well as performing and lecturing here in the U.S. and in her native China. Dr.Zhang-Koslovsky was presented in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall by the New York State Piano Teachers Association, from whom she received “Outstanding Achievements in the Arts” award. In 2011, Her recording of Chopin’s Grande Polonaise Brillante was used in the motion picture Atlas Shrugged, which was released in theaters nationwide on April 15, 2011. As an active performer, Dr. Zhang-Koslovsky has performed in major cities of the United States, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Zhang-Koslovsky performed with the International Piano Festivals in Europe, including solo recitals in Paris, the Canary Islands, Barcelona, Vila-Seca, and concertos with Tenerife Symphony Orchestra of Spain under conductor David Gilbert. In June of 2013, she gave a lecture recital, “The Piano Music of Three Contemporary American Composers—Eric Ewazen, Lowell Liebermann, and Behzad Ranjbaran” at the Chinese Conservatory in Beijing.She has also been featured on WQXR, New York City in a live radio broadcast on David Dubal’s program, Reflections of the Keyboard, in 2006. The famous radio host, author, and music critic, Mr. Dubal, describes her playing “touchingly sensitive, with much poetry, fire, and extraordinary imagination.” [Read More…]
Ukrainian violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv has quickly earned a reputation for performing with “distinctive charm and subtle profundity” (Daily Freeman, New York) and a “crystal clear and noble sound” (Culture and Life, Ukraine). Known for her work as a soloist and chamber musician, she regularly appears on prestigious solo concert series in North America, Europe, and Asia, and her performances are often broadcast on National Public Radio, Voice of America Radio, Ukrainian National Radio and Television, and Chinese Hunan Television.
The 2015-2016 season will include solo appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, as well as solo recitals and chamber concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, and the Syrinx Concert Series in Canada. Recent past concert seasons featured Ms. Ivakhiv at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, CBC Glenn Gould Studio, Piano Forte Foundation, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, University of Nevada–Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra, Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky Hall in Kyiv. Her first solo album, Ukraine: Journey to Freedom – A Century of Classical Music for Violin and Piano, recorded with Ukrainian pianist Angelina Gadeliya, is set to release on Labor Records (NAXOS) in February 2016. In North America, Ms. Ivakhiv has performed solo recitals at CBC Glenn Gould Studio, the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, the Kiawah Arts Series, and Embassy Series, in addition to solo appearances with the Charleston Symphony, Henderson Symphony Orchestra (Nevada), International Symphony Orchestra and Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and Civic Orchestra of New Haven. Internationally, she has performed extensively in Ukraine with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, where she debuted at the age of 12, the Lviv Virtuosos Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Kyiv Camerata, Chernihiv Symphony Orchestra, and in China with the Hunan Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Ivakhiv has also premiered several new works for violin, including pieces by composers Eli Marshall, David Ludwig, John B. Hedges, Bohdan Kryvopust, Yevhen Stankovych, and Oleksandr Shchetynsky. [Read More]
Dr. Yinjia Lin
Chinese pianist YinJia Lin has drawn international attention since her concerto debut at the age of 15 with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, conducted by Wing-Sie Yip. Recognized by critics, colleagues and the public as a pianist with the highest sensitivity, imagination and precision, combining brilliant musicality with great passion, Ms. Lin has performed solo recitals, concertos and chamber music concerts in New York City venues such as the Alice Tully Hall, WMP Concert Hall, Ana Tzarev Gallery, and the Frederick Loewe Theater at New York University, as well as performing at international venues including the Hong Kong City Hall and the Golden Horse Concert Hall in Canton, China. Ms. Lin has been awarded many scholarships, awards and prizes in both China and the U.S., including the Second Prize of the Buono & Bradshaw International Piano Competition in 2008, the First Prize of the New York University Piano Concerto Competition in 2005 and the First Prize of the Mozart International Piano/Violin Concerto Competition in Hong Kong in 1998. As an Adjunct Artist for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Lin performed numerous solo recitals in New Jersey for the 2008-2009 subscription season, captivating and delighting her audiences. Born in Canton, China, YinJia Lin began playing the piano at the age of six. In 2000, she came to the United States to study with Martin Canin at the Juilliard Pre-College division in New York City. The following year, Ms. Lin was accepted as a full-scholarship student by the Juilliard School’s college division. Ms. Lin has participated in many music festivals, including the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival from 2000 to 2003 and the Nice Academy in France in 2006. She has also participated in Master Classes given by Pierre Laurent Aimard, Lazar Berman, Olivier Gardon, Shi-Kun Liu, Ming-Qiang Li, and Arie Vardi. [Read More…]
Mr. Anton Polezhayev
Violinist Anton Polezhayev won “Grand Prix” and gold medal at the “International Violin Competition of Pierre Lantier” in Paris France, 1997. He was one of the finalists at the “Paganini International Violin Competition” in Genoa, Italy 1998, placing 5th, and was also a finalist at the San Francisco International String Competition of E.M. Klein 1994. He has won numerous other competitions, awards and scholarships. Anton was a member of the New York Philharmonic from 2002 to 2004. Prior to the Philharmonic, he was a member of New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2002. Anton was also an associate concertmaster of the York Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra from 2004 to 2008. In 2006 he performed as Associate Concertmaster with the Mariinsky (Kirov) Orchestra, St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2007 Anton held a position of Associate Concertmaster with Orchestra Sinfonica do Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a soloist and recitalist Mr. Polezhayev was featured on the cover of Part 2 of Newsday on October 21, 1992 and New York Times January 18, 2004 and has performed on radio and television. He has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras in the US and his native Russia. His credits also include performances at the International Concert Series at Hofstra University, the Tilles Center, Alice Tully Hall in New York City and numerous concert halls in Europe and Russia. Anton was educated at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Mitchell Stern (1991-92), Albert Markov (1993-1999) and Sheryl Staples (1999-2001). Anton was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1976, and began his violin studies at the Central Music School of Moscow State Conservatory. His first teachers were Anatoly Schwarzburg, Galina Turchaninova and Mikhail Bezverhny.
Miss Shinae Kim
An Korean-American clarinetist, pianist and composer, Shinae Kim, is a well established performing artist and educator. Miss Kim grew up in Seoul, Korea, then came to the United States to pursue professional music training. During her studying in the States, Miss Kim studied with the worldly famous clarinet virtuoso, Professor Charles Neidich for 6 years. Miss Kim was granted a full scholarship from Mason gross Art school at Rutgers. Miss Kim holds bachelor and master degree in Music of Aaron Copland School of Music in Queens College, CUNY.
Miss Kim is very active with her performing schedule including solo, chamber and orchestra appearances. She is enthusiastically involved in CCM and goespel recordings with clarinet music, solo and orchestra arrangements, and new compositions in South Korea and North America. Miss Kim received the Dorothy and Grosser Woodwind Excellence Award three times and the Discimus ut Serviamus award twice while she was attending ACSM at Queens College. Currently she serves at Young Nak Presbyterian Church of New York for eight years as a music director while teaching students in NYC and Long Island area.
Bowei Chen, a native of Beijing, is a multi-faceted pianist. He has performed as a soloist, collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and choir singer in Italy, Austria, Germany, Greece, France, Japan, America, and many parts of China. He served as the pianist of the world-touring and award-winning Beijing International Children’s Choir for 8 years before his journey to the United States.
Bowei came to the United States in 2009 and studied with pianist Pablo Lavandera at State University of New York at Stony Brook.In 2012, Bowei began to study with highly esteemed master pianists Gilbert Kalish and Christina Dahl. He became the firstundergraduate pianist in history to be accepted in their graduate studios. Over the years, Bowei was invited to perform with many elite artists and music organizations worldwide, and he has appeared as a collaborative pianist in many major concert halls including the Haus des Wiener Musikvereinsin Austria, multiple appearances at National Center for the Performing Arts in China, the Beijing Concert Hall, and the Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall.