Recording Artist Roster for Clear Note
The names below are active links that conjure up related information, pictures, and audio that’s all about…
Mary AKERMAN
Award winning guitarist Mary Akerman has concertized and taught around the globe. She currently teaches at Kennesaw State University, and has recently given concerts and masterclasses at the Festival de Guitarra Paracho in Paracho, Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra del Noreste in Saltillo, Mexico, the Southwestern Guitar Festival in San Antonio, Texas and at the ECU Summer Music Workshop in Greenville, North Carolina.
Benoit ALBERT
Benoît Albert is a versatile musician, guitarist and composer. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, Asia, North and South America. He has recorded seven CDs, including two entirely of his own compositions, and published numerous original works, both for solo guitar and a range of instrumental ensembles. The artistic director of the music/dance/graphic arts ensemble “La Compagnie des Arts,” an ensemble that has released two recordings: “l’histoire du tango” and “Detour,” Albert is actively engaged in supporting and producing arts events and happenings in his community.
Stephen ARON
Described by the New York Times as “cultivated and musical,” Stephen Aron performs regularly throughout the US, Canada and recently completed a tour of Italy. An avid arranger, his work is published by Tuscany Editions (“wonderful guitaristic arrangement,” American Music Teacher) and Mel Bay Publications (“historic,” Guitart). His original composition “Rockport Stomp” and the “Complete Guitar Works of Burle Marx” were recently released by Clear Note Publications. Aron’s recordings have been described as “stunning” (Guitar Review), “superbly produced” (Soundboard), “warmly recommended” (Fanfare) and “inspired” (Classical Guitar).
Andrea BAIOCCHI
American pianist Andrea Marie Baiocchi has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe. A Fellow at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and First Prize winner of the ‘National Career Award’ by the National Society of Arts and Letters, Ms. Baiocchi holds a Bachelors Degree and Performer Diploma from Bloomington’s Indiana University, as well as a Performer’s Certificate – the school’s highest musical honor.
Matthew COCHRAN
Matthew Cochran is an active guitarist, arranger, and educator. He is a member of the Tantalus Quartet, who has been called “an important new ensemble voice for the guitar community” by John Martin of Guitart International and “electrifying…a brilliant new light in the guitar world” by Thomas Kirchoff of the Amadeus Guitar Duo. He has performed and taught master classes at many of today’s leading guitar festivals including the Guitar Foundation of America, the Iserlohn International Guitar Symposium, Acadia International Guitar Festival, and Eastman Guitar Fest.
Jeff COGAN
Jeff Cogan has been active in the classical guitar scene for more than 25 years. His work as competition director for the Guitar Foundation of America has made him well known to those active in the international guitar world. While still a student at California State University, Northridge, he was invited to perform for the great Spanish Maestro of the guitar, Andres Segovia in an exclusive master class. After this performance Mr. Cogan was invited by Segovia to Geneva, Switzerland to perform in another class. Since then mr. Cogan has performed around the usa and europe.
James M. DAY
James M. Day is active as performer and scholar in Europe and the United States. His performances have included appearances at the Schubert Bicentennial Celebration at New York’s Lincoln Center, SolarFest Performing Arts Festival in Vermont, The International Guitar and Lute Exposition in Vicenza, Italy, and St. James Piccadilly in London. His concerts have been broadcast on public television and radio in several U.S. locations, and he has received numerous awards for his performances, including a top prize in the Rantucci International Guitar Competition in Buffalo.
James FLEGEL
Classical Guitarist James Flegel is known for his exquisite artistry and depth of expression. He has won praise for his passion, his ability to project a wide range of tone colors and dynamics, and his insight and sensitivity to the dramatic character of different musical eras and styles. He has performed in recital and as a concerto soloist throughout the United States, often accompanies choirs, and performs chamber music in duos with flute and with voice. He also performs with his wife, pianist Emilia Flegel, with whom he has arranged concerti by Rodrigo, Giuliani, Vivaldi, and Ponce, as well as chamber works by Bach and Falla.
Francois FOLWER
Guitarist François Fowler has given recitals and appeared with orchestras in the United States, Canada, and Mexico including concerts in Albany, Denver, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Jekyll Island, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Montréal, Monterrey, Rochester, San Jose, Seattle, Spartanburg, Springfield, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tifton, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg. He is a recipient of national and international prizes, including the 2001 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Guitar Competition, the 1997 Gibson Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Guitar Competition, and the prestigious Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award. In 2002, CBC Records released his world-premiere recording of Canadian composer Jacques Hétu’s Concerto pour guitare et orchestre à cordes, Op.56. Fowler’s CD Nocturne includes Hétu’s Concerto and Suite for guitar, solo guitar works by Hans Haug, and Brian Head’s Chant (published in Scott Tenant’s Pumping Nylon).
Petar KODZAS
Petar Kodzas comes from a musical family. His grandfather was sent to Brussels to study textile technology and without knowledge of his family switched to music! Petar was guided toward a career in mechanical engineering until he discovered a 19th century parlor guitar in his grandfather’s closet. It was a love on first sight! Before graduating from University of Belgrade, he toured and recorded on lute with an early music ensemble, played over 100 shows at the professional musical theatre, sat in jazz sessions, and performed around former Yugoslavia as a musical ambassador for an international organization Jeuness Musicales. Following his studies in Europe, Petar moved to United States. After school, competitions, concerts, more school, competitions and concerts he settled in the New York State. Since 1997 he is a faculty member at his alma mater the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music and Eastman Community Music School.
Dimitris KOTRONAKIS
Dimitris Kotronakis was born in Heraklion, Creta (Greece), in 1973. His studies on classical guitar begun when he was at the age of seven, and were completed under guidance of Vassilis Kanaras in 1992, when he graduated from the “International Conservatory of Athens”, obtaining his guitar diploma. He attended post-graduate studies on classical guitar at the “Athens Conservatory”, graduating again in 1996, under supervision of Costas Cotsiolis.
Lloyd LINNEY
On the stage, Lloyd Linney has delighted audiences in opera, recital, and oratorio in Italy and the Virgin Islands as well as in the United States. On the operatic stage, she has portrayed Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, both the Countess and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Marie in The Bartered Bride, as well as the title role in Martha. Her oratorio credits include Mozart’s Requiem, and Coronation Mass, Handel’s Jephtha and Messiah, Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives, Puccini’s Gloria, and Bach’s Passion According to St. John.
Brian LUCKETT
Classical guitarist Brian Luckett has performed in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States. His post graduate work emphasized chamber music equally with solo repertoire, and he has continued down this same path in his professional career with a particular interest in contemporary solo and chamber repertoire. Recent performances have paired him with guitarist Eliot Fisk and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra flutist Carl Hall. Other recent highlights include performances on Emory University’s Schwartz Center Opening Festival, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta’s Noontime and Family Concert Series, and numerous solo and chamber recitals at Emory, Agnes Scott College and throughout the Atlanta metro area.
Kevin MANDERVILLE
Kevin Manderville began his classical guitar studies at the age of eighteen with James Chandler. He received the Bachelor of Music degree from Stetson University, where he studied with Stephen Robinson. He also received the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees from Florida State University under the tutelage of renowned pedagogue Bruce Holzman. In addition, Mr. Manderville has also studied in masterclasses with some of today’s most prominent guitarists, including Sergio and Odair Assad, Manuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk, Roland Dyens, and Oscar Ghiglia.
Stephen MATTINGLY
Stephen Mattingly – guitarist, has been warmly received by audiences in the United States and Europe as a soloist and as a founding member of the Tantalus Quartet whose first CD, debut, was released in July 2007. His performances have aired on television and radio programs across the United States including KOLO, KUNR, WFLA, WLKY, and NPR affiliates. Stephen has performed on numerous concert series including those of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Valdosta State University. The 2009-10 concert season brings Stephen back to Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as he performs in a Gala Concert with the Grawemeyer Players of the University of Louisville. As recipient of the prestigious Theodore Presser Award, he recorded the complete guitar chamber music by Franz Schubert. Dr. Mattingly’s performance editions of these works are available internationally through Chanterelle Verlag.
Kostas MILONAS
As a composer he has worked on almost all styles of music: music for the theatre, for the cinema, music for piano, for guitar, chamber music, music for orchestra, song cycles as well as a lot of songs based on poems by famous Greek poets. In the theatre he collaborated with main theatrical companies in Greece and with various amateur troupes that occasionally put on palays in Athens as well as other Greek cities. In the cinema, he wrote the music for six films, some which were awarded in international festivals. His presence in the music industry has always been particularly remarkable. More than 100 songs based on Greek poetry bear his name. Some of his works are included in three LPs and six CDs. He gave many concerts throughout Greece and his works were repeatedly performed on television and radio broadcasts.
Thanos MITSALAS
Placed among the leading Greek artists of the guitar Thanos started his international steps at a very early age, being the youngest winner ever in the history of competitions like Volos -Greece (while 15 years old), Silesian Guitar Autumn-Poland (while 16 years old) and Carrefour Mondial de la guitare- Martinique/South America (while 18 years old). Since then he has performed successfully in most of the major international events of the instrument. He graduated with the greatest honors from New Conservatory of Thessaloniki-Greece (class of Costas Cotsiolis), Hochscule fur Music in Koln/Aachen-Germany (class of Thomas Muller Pering) and finally from the prestigious Juilliard School-NY (where he studied on a full scholarship at Sharon Isbin’s class, evaluated as one of the most brilliant talents of the school).
Stephen NG
As a tenor soloist, Stephen has performed all the major works of J.S. Bach, Handel’s Messiah, as well as many major oratorios. His portrayal of the role of Evangelist in Bach’s Passions has received much acclaim, and he has performed with major early music groups such as Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Carmel Bach Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival, and the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. Stephen’s other engagements also include performing with Festival Internacional Cervantino (Guanajuato, Mexico), Theatre of Voices, Schönberg Ensemble (Amsterdam), Tanglewood Music Festival, Berklee College of Music, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and Hong Kong Sinfonietta, working with conductors such as James Levine, Nicolas McGegan, Paul Hillier, Reinbert de Leeuw, J. Reilly Lewis, Daniel Reuss, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
Apostolos PARASKEVAS
Apostolos Paraskevas (BMI) is a recorded and published artist and a Grammy Award nominee (D. Starobin/Bridge/ ’98) is definitely a musician not unfamiliar with the contemporary music scene. During the past ten years, he commissioned more than 50 composers around the world and he has premiered/performed and recorded guitar concertos by Theodore Antoniou, Vuk Kulenovic, Alex Kalogeras, Joseph Diermaier, Anthony de Ritis, Thomas McGah, as well as his own works performing with professional orchestras and in major halls around the world.
Alan RAINES
Alan Raines, frequent guest conductor and sought after clinician with choruses throughout the United States, is the newly appointed Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at Stetson University. He has conducted All-State and Honor Choirs in 26 states. A recipient of the M.M. and D.M.A. degrees in Choral Conducting at UCLA, Raines served as the Assistant Conductor of the Angeles Chorale while as a student of Donald Neuen. Prior appointments include the University of La Verne and Georgia State University.
Michael RICKMAN
Steinway Artist Michael Rickman has been portrayed as “a resourceful and sensitive pianist, technically in control and emotionally rewarding.” His performances have taken him to many significant cultural centers around the world – Latvia, Chile, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Toronto, New York City, Miami, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Louisville, Kansas City, and Sacramento. Additional international exposure includes a visiting appointment at the Paedogogische Hochschule in Freiburg, Germany as well as eight summers teaching in the Stetson University summer program in Innsbruck, Austria. In 2007, he joined the artist faculty of the prestigious Orfeo International Music Festival (formerly the Schlern Festival), Vipiteno, Italy, as a performer and teacher.
Stephen ROBINSON
Heralded by The New York Times for his “effortless virtuosity with intelligence and good taste,” by The Tallahassee Democrat for his “sweet, pure sound, technique to burn and strong sense of musical and poetic phrasing,” and by (Puerto Rico’s) El Nuevo Dia as a “magnificent North American guitarist, full of virtuosity, magnificent technical precision, and a masterfully delivered diverse range of sound,” Stephen Robinson tours extensively as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist. He has appeared as guest soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestras, and conducts master classes at leading musical institutions and festivals worldwide.
Jouni STENROOS
Born in 1961, the Finnish guitarist Jouni Stenroos started playing guitar at the age of ten. He studied first with Ilkka Virta, and then Jukka Savijoki, who also was his instructor during his years at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. During his studies Stenroos got his first taste of the music of Coste and Mertz, which immediately became his favourite. Stenroos has also participated in several master classes, with such names as David Russell, Gordon Crosskey and Jorge Morel. In the late 1980′s he won third place in the international Scandinavian Guitar Festival in Finland. He received his diploma in 1990. After his studies, however, Stenroos sought inspiration in other areas, leaving the guitar aside for many years. Later on Stenroos found the classical guitar to be closest to his heart and returned to his roots. In 2004, in addition to a normal guitar, he joined an exotic genre and began to play a 10-string instrument.
STETSON University Concert Choir
The Concert Choir is one of four choral ensembles in the Stetson University School of Music. Forty-five highly select vocalists comprise this principal vocal touring ensemble for the School of Music. The Concert Choir has performed concerts throughout the United States and Europe. The choir has been selected by competitive audition to perform for several prestigious national, regional, and state professional musical conferences. The group has appeared recently in performances for the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the Southern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association and of the Music Educators National Conference. The group has appeared at numerous conventions of the Florida Vocal Association, Florida ACDA, and the Florida Music Educators Association. The concert choir has sung under the leadership of Robert Rich, Duncan Couch, and Alan Raines. Andrew Larson has conducted the choir since fall 2009.
Bert STRONG
Berit Strong won a Top Prize in the 1988 Guitar Foundation of America International Competition which launched her international performing career. She has toured Europe several times, once with guitarist Alice Artzt, and then as a soloist, appearing in major festivals in Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Italy, and Denmark. Ms. Strong has also performed solo recitals throughout the U.S., including the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Akron, Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass. and Jordan Hall in Boston.
Robert SWENSEN
A noted Mozart and bel-canto specialist, Robert Swensen has appeared as guest artist with major opera companies including those of Stuttgart, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Bayreuth, the Bavarian State Opera-Munich, the Berlin State Opera, the Opera Comique Paris, the Grande Theatre Geneva and the Vienna State Opera. His recent engagements include appearances as Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte at Opera Pacific in Southern California, the same role in a critically acclaimed production of Cosi fan Tutte at the Santa Fe Opera’s 1997 Summer Season, Nemorino in Madison Opera’s 1997 production of L’Elisir D’amore, Luzio in Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot with the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland, the title roles in Mozart’s Mitridate at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Mozart’s Il Sogno di Scipione with the Bavarian State Opera and Mozart’s Idomeneo at the Flemish Opera in Antwerp. He has also appeared in concert at Lincoln Center’ s Mostly Mozart Festival, Hermann Prey’s Schubertiade in New York and in Vienna, with the Bavarian State Radio Orchestra, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in the protagonist role of George Brown in Boildieu’s La Dame Blanche with the Opera Orchestra of New York.
Robert TEIXEIRA
Bob Teixeira first gained recognition as one of twelve guitarists selected to compete at the Guitar Foundation of America’s 1987 international festival. He has appeared as a soloist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the North Carolina Dance Theater. Texeira has also composed music and developed and performed arrangements to accompany the Moving Poets Theater and Dance Company. In addition to his duo performances with Akerman, he performs with his wife, cellist Tanja Bechtler and with the seven member world music ensemble, “Without Borders”.
John ARNOLD & Nora SUGGS
JOHN S. ARNOLD, guitarist, is presently the guitar instructor at Moravian College, and prior to this position taught guitar at Vermont’s Bennington College. In addition to numerous solo performances, he is an active chamber musician, performing with the Pennsylvania Sinfonia and Allentown Symphony Orchestras, SATORI, the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and Two Part Invention. He is also the founder and director of the annual Bethlehem Guitar Festival. Mr. Arnold holds an Artist Diploma degree from the Hartt School, University of Hartford, where he studied with Richard Provost; and Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Guitar Performance and Guitar Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University, where his major teacher was Glenn Caluda. Mr. Arnold has published arrangements for guitar with Clear Note Publications and Guitar Chamber Music Press.
NORA SUGGS, flutist, is a graduate of Houston’s Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, with extensive private education in music and degrees in biology, English literature, medicine, and surgery. She has played in England, Canada, Japan, and throughout the United States. Dr. Suggs is a founding member of the Lehigh Valley’s classical chamber music ensemble SATORI, and a regular performer of both traditional and contemporary chamber works. In addition to numerous solo and ensemble performances, she is active as a teacher, recitalist, and free-lance musician. Dr. Suggs teaches at Bethlehem’s Moravian College Music Institute; coaches flute ensembles and chamber music at the Community Music School of the Lehigh Valley; plays flute and pennywhistles with area Celtic bands; and studies and performs on shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute.
Karl WOLFF
“Karl Wolff’s transcriptions and performance are imbued with a rare, physical understanding of musical theory instantiated on the fingerboard.” He has performed with the Cornell Orchestra, the Ithaca Opera Orchestra, the contemporary music ensemble Sati, pianist Dave Brubeck, violinist Ken Fung, flutist Laura Campbell, cellists Chris White and Sera Smolen, among others, and has given numerous solo performances throughout the United States. Wolff has taught guitar at Cornell University, Wells College, Empire State College, and several conservatories in New York State. His recordings and transcriptions are available through Clear Note Publications.
Laura YOUNG
Laura Young is one of the most expressive artists in the world of classical guitar today. Born in Toronto of Russian and Irish heritage, Laura began her study of music at the age of seven and became a dedicated student of the guitar when she was nine years old. With a rare passion and intensity she applied herself to technical mastery of the instrument, building on the exceptional musicality evident from the moment she began to play.
From the time she was just a young girl and at every step of her career, Laura has been recognized as a gifted artist; winning prestigious prizes at international competitions such as the “Andrés Segovia” in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and the “Jacinto e Inocencio Guererro” in Madrid, Spain, among many others.Andrew ZOHN
American guitarist Andrew Zohn is recognized internationally for his work as a performer, instructor, and composer. He has performed concerts on four continents as a soloist, and as part of Duo Spiritoso with acclaimed Canadian guitarist Jeffrey McFadden including venues in Beijing, New York, Rotterdam, Vancouver, Honolulu, Buenos Aires, Edmonton, Calgary, Atlanta, Toronto, and Puerto Rico. Since 1999, Dr. Zohn has served on the faculty of the Schwob School of Music (Columbus State University) in Georgia, where he directs the annual CSU Guitar Symposium. He has also served as a visiting faculty at the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato della Valle d’Aosta in Italy.
