Faculty

Julia Adams (chamber music)

Julia Adams, violist, is a graduate of Oberlin College (BA Music). She received her MA in Music Performance from San Francisco State College and has an Honorary PhD in Music from Colby College where, as the violist of the Portland String Quartet, she served as Artist in Residence for a span of 20 years. Julia Adams has toured professionally with the PSQ to over 24 countries and has been awarded, with her colleagues, top critical acclaim from the New York Times, The Boston Globe and other major news sources for concert performances and recording releases. She was principal violist of the Eastern Philharmonic, the Northeast Chamber Orchestra and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and several viola concertos were written for and premiered by her—including Walter Piston, Robert Kelly, Norman Cazden and Jonathan Hallstrom. Her major teachers were Kim Harriman, Ferenc Molnar and Lillian Fuchs. She especially enjoys encouraging young violists to explore and champion the viola as a distinct and special tenor voice in the string family!

Michael Albert (voice, oboe, recorder)

Michael Percy Albert is a teacher of Oboe, Recorder, Violin, and Voice and has taught at Portland Conservatory of Music since 2004. Michael has also been an Applied Music Faculty member of Colby College as an instructor of OBOE and an Early Music Coach since 2006. In January of 2009 and 2011, Colby sent Michael along with two other faculty and fifteen Colby students to a Gandhi Ashram in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India to teach 250 students in grades five through eight. There, the baroque opera "King Arthur", by Henry Purcell was assembled and performed in thirteen days. Michael has performed as a soloist for many orchestras and chamber ensembles on oboe, recorder, baroque violin, countertenor throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has explored several musical styles including baroque, contemporary, celtic, and jazz. As a baroque violinist and countertenor, Michael has performed with Seraphic Fire and the Firebird Orchestra, both based out of Miami, Ecclesia, Tableau, St. Mary's Schola, and Bluehill Bach which are based in New England. Michael has played fiddle and whistle with the Beggar Boys celtic band, principal oboe with the Portland and Bangor Symphonies, the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra in Massachusetts, and the Colby College Orchestra. He is also a jazz oboist with Initial Ascent, a Toronto-based band. Michael also composes and performs music for film scores with Maine composer Jan Broberg Carter. He is a featured soloist on several of their recordings and can be heard on the new Hollywood film 'Nocturnal Agony', a short 'The Man With The Spying Glass', and on the PBS documentaries 'Sweet Ambition', 'The Polygamist's Daughter', and 'Swift Justice'. He collaborated with Nashville star, Kathy Mattea on the recording 'A Carolina Christmas at the Biltmore' for NPR in 2009. Michael received his education in Performace from the University of Southern Maine, Interlochen, and the Longy School of Music.

Julie Anderson (viola)

Julie Anderson, a Maine native, has studied the viola for 20 years. She is a graduate of Deering High School class of 2000, Rice University 2004 (BA) and Notre Dame de Namur University 2008 (MA). Teachers include: Meg Gillette (Portland Symphony), Julia Adams (Portland String Quartet) and Karen Richter (Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.) Julie received the Emerson scholarship to Interlochen (1998) and the Gould Award for solo performance (1999). She has been the principle violist for the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra and a member of the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Rice University Symphony Orchestra and Campanile Orchestra. Julie is currently a contracted violist with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Julie was a viola sectional and string quartet coach at the USM summer youth String Academy (2006) and held a private violin studio in Berkeley, CA (2005-2008). She has performed with many recording artists including, Ray LaMontagne and Rustic Overtones. Julie lives in Portland with her fiancé and two young children.

Jordan Messan Benissan (African drumming)

Jordan Messan Benissan, a native of Togo, West Africa, received a B.A. from the Institut des Sciences Commerciales in Lome, Togo. A member of the Ewe people, he was introduced to music and dance at an early age through ceremonies and rituals. He received his traditional music training from several West African master drummers. He has taught and performed for all levels, from elementary school through college level. His first CD, Drumming Through the Spirit of my Ancestors, has been widely distributed and was adopted by the Hennepin County Library (Minneapolis) as a teaching resource. Some of his performances include an opening show for the West African Drummer Babatunde Olatunji, a performance for the national NAACP Conference and performances for Mayo Clinic’s Multicultural Program. His World Music Band was featured as the official band for Béla Fleck’s Throw Down Your Heart concert in Waterville, Maine.

Naydene Bowder (piano)

A teacher of many award-winning students, Naydene is a graduate of the Julliard School and has done graduate studies at Hartt College, Manhattan School, and Columbia. She studied piano with Adele Marcus, Jacob Lateiner, and Ocy Downs, theory with Vincent Persichetti, harpsichord with Joseph Payne, chamber music with Ivan Galamian, Leonard Rose, Louis Persinger, and Bernard Greenhouse. Ms. Bowder has had appeared as both soloist and chamber musician throughout New England. She is currently on the faculty at Bowdoin College and the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Timothy Burris (lute, theorbo, baroque guitar)

Performance diploma in lute from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague; Ph.D. from Duke (lute and theorbo practice in 18th century Dresden); Fulbright fellowship in musicology. Lute instructor at the Royal Flemish Conservatory from 1990-96. Has appeared in concert with Robert Hill, Julianne Baird, Paul Elliott, Derek Ragin and Jennifer Lane, as well as playing under the baton of Peter Schreier and Rene Clemencic, et al. Several recordings of late German and early Italian Baroque repertoire, including modern premieres of works by G.A. Ristori and J.D. Heinichen. Heading up a series of the solo lute works of S.L. Weiss for the Dutch Northwest Classics label.

Dale Churchill (piano)

A.B., University of Massachusetts - Boston. Piano studies with Laurence Berman and Ran Blake. Music Director at Dean Junior College and Massasoit Community College. Director of Music at Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church. Mr. Churchill has thirty years of experience as a private piano teacher, conductor, and childrens music teacher.

Ray Cornils (organ)

Ray Cornils serves First Parish Church, UCC, Brunswick, Maine as Minister of Music where for the past 25 years he has led an extensive music program of five vocal and two handbell choirs. He is also the Municipal Organist for the City of Portland, a post he has held since 1990.

Known for his teaching skills for all ages, Ray is a member of the music faculties of Bowdoin College, the University of Southern Maine and the Portland Conservatory of Music, where he teaches organ, harpsichord and related classes.

Ray has concertized throughout the United States and Europe and South America. He has been a featured recitalist for conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. He performs regularly with the Portland Symphony Orchestra both as harpsichordist and organist. He has been soloist in Barber's Toccata Festiva, all six of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti, Poulenc's Concerto Champetre, Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, String and Tympani, Saint Saens' Organ Symphony and Jongen's Symphonie Concertante.

An active member of the American Guild of Organists, Ray has held many leadership roles, including Convention Coordinator for the 2014 National AGO convention in Boston. Mr. Cornils was trained at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has studied harpsichord with William Porter, Lenora McCrosky and Rhona Freeman and organ with Robert Reeves, Fenner Douglas, William Porter, Yuko Hayashi. He has done post-graduate studies with Dame Gillian Weir.

Keith Crook (classical guitar)

Keith Crook has taught classical guitar at the University of Maine and/or the University of Southern Maine for the past 25 years. During that time he has also had the opportunity of teaching most theory and ear-training courses offered at the under-graduate level. He studied guitar in Spain for seven years with Jose Luis Lopategui, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, Luis Gasser and others. Keith holds a B.M. and Masters Degree in guitar performance. Besides periodic faculty recitals, he has been active as a soloist and chamber musician on the roster of both the New England and the Maine Touring Artists Program. Recently two of his guitar compositions and an article have been published in Guitar Review .

Joshua DeScherer (contrabass, academic studies)

Joshua DeScherer (b. 1977, Englewood, NJ) has received degrees from Colby College (B.A., 1999), Tufts University (M.A., 2001), and The University at Buffalo (Ph.D., 2010). Dr. DeScherer has been performing and teaching professionally since his teenage years, and has previously held teaching positions at Bennington College and The University of New England. Composition is Joshua’s primary focus, and his music has been performed by The Colby College Wind Ensemble, the Sage City Symphony, and the Tufts University New Music Ensemble. Dr. DeScherer continues to be active as a performer across many genres. He is active as a soloist, performing contemporary and experimental music for the contrabass, and also plays regularly with The Mark Tipton Quartet (jazz), and The Colby Symphony. Joshua currently teaches music theory, music history, composition, and contrabass at the Portland Conservatory and is the curator for the Frontiers of Music concert series in Brunswick, Maine.

Tammis Donovan (early childhood music)

“Miss Tammis” knew she was hooked when she led, as a volunteer, a music circle at her 3-year-old son’s childcare center. Her father, a member of the Robert Shaw chorale in New York City, made certain that music was part of her life at home. An oboe player starting at age 10, she won many awards both individually and as a member of an ensemble. In the early ‘90s, she moved to Maine and joined a choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Brunswick shortly thereafter, and there, singing became a new passion. Tammis has taught Kindermusik as well as Musikgarten classes since 2002 and is a well-known early childhood music and movement specialist in the greater Brunswick community. She currently teaches over 100 children per week in area childcare centers, and offers library musical storytimes from time to time. Tammis also administers the Classics and German departments at Bowdoin College. Feeling strongly that Musikgarten and PCM are such a good match in their approach to music literacy, Tammis is very excited about bringing parents and their young children in the greater Portland region together in the joy of music and movement classes this fall at PCM.

Jennifer Dudley (voice)

Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Dudley has performed on opera stages throughout the US, including New York’s Metropolitan Opera and City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glimmerglass, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Bard Music Festival, and Spoleto Festival USA. Acclaimed for her performances of Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, she has also received praise for such roles as Carmen (Carmen), Isabella (L’Italiana in Algeri), Myrtle Wilson (The Great Gatsby), Rosmira (Parte- nope), Ma Moss (The Tender Land), Geraldine in John Philip Sousa's The Glass Blowers, and Kate in Kiss me Kate.

Orchestral engagements include the Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Philharmonia Baroque, and American Symphony orchestras, in repertoire ranging from Bach to De Falla.

Born and raised in Portland, Maine, Ms. Dudley received her B.A. from New York University and her M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music. She has trained extensively in theatre and dance.

As a change of pace, Ms. Dudley also performs jazz and musical theater standards in a cabaret setting. Ms. Dudley is on the voice faculty of the Portland Music and Dance Academy and the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Carol Elowe (piano)

Carol Eaton Elowe, born in Portland, Maine, holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Master of Music from Syracuse University where she was awarded membership in the honor society Pi Kappa Lambda. Her piano studies began in Portland under Ocy Downs and continued at the Manhattan School of Music with Dora Zazlavsky. Her teachers also include Jean Alderman, Frederick Marvin and Frank Glazer. She has appeared as guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Syracuse Symphony and as part of numerous recital series throughout the Northeast. She was a piano faculty member and recitalist at Phillips Andover Academy for many years. Carol Elowe is a Founder and the first Director of the Portland Conservatory of Music. Presently she is a member of the piano faculty, serves on the Board of Directors and is Artistic Director of the Noonday Concert Series.

Jesse Feinberg (jazz piano)

Pianist Jesse Feinberg has toured extensively during the past decade, performing with jazz greats such as Archie Shepp and Roswell Rudd. He is also a dedicated composer, french horn player, and bandleader. Jesse is in high demand as a jazz and classical pianist throughout New England; performing regularly with such ensembles as the Colby College Wind Ensemble, the Longfellow Chorus, and the UMA Touring Jazz Ensemble. Jesse holds a BM from UMA, and teaches private students there and in his own studio, and at Portland Conservatory of Music.

Jacob Forbes (drums and percussion)

Jacob Forbes, from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, has been an active musician since 2007. He is currently a music student at the University of Southern Maine studying Music Performance, with a concentration in Jazz Studies. As a drummer, he has worked with a variety of organizations including Maine State Musical Theater, The UNE Players, Maine Public Radio, Windham Center Stage, The Fogcutters Big Band, and The Choral Art Society. He is also a member of many active groups in Maine such as the Tom Luther Quintet, OC and The Offbeats, the Emmett Harrity Trio, Domino Vocal Jazz, The Larry Williams Band, and his own group The Forbes Quartet. He has had the opportunity to play with professional musicians such as Denis Diblasio, Gary Wittner, Steve Grover, and Jean Michel Pilc. Jacob is also a recipient of the Nathan E. Corning Jazz prize. Most recently, he played on a full-length recording of the Tom Luther Quintet entitled Everything is Blue.

Julia Frothingham (clarinet)

M.Mus., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, B.Mus/B.Mus. Ed., Julius Hartt School of Music. Studied with Leon Russianoff, Charles Niedich (Soloist), Charles Russo (New York City Opera), and Michael Sussman (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra). She played Principal Clarinet with the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, Maine Pro Musica and the Northshore Philharmonic. She has also appeared with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Maine State Ballet, Maine Chamber Ensemble, Maine Pro Musica, Lyric Theater, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Massachusetts Wind Orchestra and the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival. Founder and member of the Port City Winds, Ms. Frothingham is currently on the faculty of Portland Conservatory, and has been faculty at the Encore/Coda Music Camp and on staff at the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Camp as clarinet instructor and chamber music coach. She has maintained a private studio since 1994.

Tim Garrett (cello)

A native Mainer, Tim studied cello at The New England Conservatory, Bowdoin International Music Festival and University of Southern Maine School of Music. Mentors have included cellists from Juilliard, Indiana University and members of the Boston Pops, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, English String Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Tim has performed with orchestras all over New England, Canada, Italy and at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Currently, he is a member of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Maine Pro Musica cello sections as well as maintaining an active freelance career. Equally at home on stage with his cello plugged in, Tim has performed and recorded with many different groups including Gypsy Tailwind, Ray Lamontagne, Rustic Overtones, Mannheim Steamroller and Marion Grace. His band, Pete Miller, just released their debut album called Shake the Dawn. Tim teaches at Apollon School of Music, RDL Strings and The Portland Conservatory of Music.

Kyle Hardy (saxophone)

Born in Portland, Maine and raised in the coastal Downeast region, saxophonist Kyle Hardy has been playing for thirteen years and been performing almost as long. As a performer, Kyle has been seen with numerous bands of differing styles and sizes ranging from small group jazz ensembles to rock bands to full size big bands.

Kyle began studying music at the age of ten when he first picked up western classical flute. From there Kyle moved over to saxophone at thirteen and began studying jazz seriously at fifteen. During his high school years Kyle participated in festivals and competitions winning awards and scholarships that include Outstanding Woodwind in 2004 and the Bay Chamber Concerts Best Jazz Woodwind in 2007. In 2008, he graduated from the University of Southern Maine School of Music cum laude with a BMP in Jazz Performance.

Since graduating Kyle continued to play regularly in and around New England. In 2009 Kyle became the soloist chair in the Fogcutters Big Band, at that time led by accomplished trumpet performer and composer Mark Tipton. The following year he began gigging with Rustic Overtones as backup for soul and funk saxophonist Ryan Zoidis (Soulive and Lettuce). Kyle also helped lead a smaller jazz ensemble with bassist Chris Sprague, pianist Mike Beling and drummer Noel Brennan. The ensemble performed for three years and was focused around original music.

In 2012 Kyle began studying South Indian classical music. Under the guidance of musician, teacher and performer Amos Libby, he began studying India's rhythmic tradition through a drum called mridangam. In January of 2013, Kyle traveled to India to study under master mridangam player Sri Vidwan Vasudev Rao in Bangalore.

Today Kyle can be found in Portland's Eastend composing and teaching a growing studio of private students.

Emmett Harrity (piano)

Pianist Emmett Harrity is an active performer and educator throughout the southern part of the state, based in Portland, ME. Since graduating cum laude from the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance with a Concentration in Jazz Studies, Emmett has gone on to teach a growing studio of private students and become an in-demand performer in the jazz genre.

Currently he is the pianist for the Fogcutters Big Band, Rob Schrieber’s Standard Issue, poet/jazz vocalist Lady Zen, and the Maine Saxophone Project, as well as playing in his own groups.

Rachel Herzer (piano)

A piano teacher for more than ten years, Rachel Herzer relocated her teaching studio from Michigan to Maine in the summer of 2012. Herzer has taught students aged 5 to 60, of different backgrounds and reasons behind their decision to study music. Her teaching concentrates on classical training and utilizes material from a variety of teaching curricula. Herzer has BA in Music from Western Michigan University’s School of Music and a BFA in Painting from the Frostic School of Art.

Herzer's teaching philosophy: I believe music enriches communities and develops individual like skills and is an important part of a well-rounded education and a balanced life. My teaching philosophy is to instill the love of music in my students. Technique, practice, and repertoire are important yet mean nothing without passion and a desire to learn. It is the teacher’s responsibility to not only help their students develop technical ability but also foster a lifelong love of music.

Margaret Bruziak Hopkins (violin)

Margaret Bruziak Hopkins was born in Poland and began violin studies at age 7, adding piano at age 12. As a teen she was a member of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra for five years and a fiddler with the Polish Dancers of Boston. Ms. Hopkins received a B.M. in Performance from U. Mass. at Lowell where she also pursued Music Education. Ms. Hopkins received extensive Suzuki training at Ithaca College in NY, Hartt College at the University of CT, New York State University in Buffalo and Capital University in Ohio. She has performed in her native Poland as well as in Switzerland, Israel, England, Scotland, Wales, Canada and the United States. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of Americas and Maine Suzuki Association. She is the past president of the Maine Suzuki Association and secretary of the Maine String Teachers and Players Association (MSTPA). She served on the board of the Maine Music Educators Association as Orchestra VP. Ms. Hopkins teaches violin at schools in Saco and Old Orchard Beach, as well as Portland Conservatory of Music and at her private home-based studio. She performs with the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, the Maine Pro Musica, Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, the New Hampshire Music Festival, and freelances in the New England area. She has two daughters and a little grandson.

Robin Jellis (cello)

Robin Jellis has performed cello in Maine for more than 15 years. She received a Music Talent Scholarship (4 years) to attend the University of Southern Maine where she graduated cum lade with a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance. She played with the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra. She studied jazz improvisation with Gary Pack and was principal cellist with the USM Jazz Philharmonic. She has performed with the Bangor Symphony, in productions at Portland Players community theater and at the summer Bach festival in North Conway, NH. She plays with the Maine State Ballet Orchestra each year for their production of “The Nutcracker.” Robin started Suzuki Cello with Richard Noyes (Portland Symphony Orchestra) and continued her studies with William Rounds (PSO, Boston Pops) and Paul Ross (Portland String Quartet). She studied chamber music with the PSQ at Colby College, with Laura Kargul and Laurence Golan at U.S.M., and at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire, among others. She studied Medieval and Renaissance music with Pamela Blake. She is a member of the Medieval ensemble Trobairitz! Robin was a featured composer for the Yarmouth Contemporary Music Days in 2011 and has collaborated with several Maine recording artists. She performs regularly with Martin Steingesser, first Poet Laureate of Portland and provides music accompaniment for Rhythmic Cypher, a regular poetry reading in Portland. A registered Suzuki teacher, she received her teacher training at the Suzuki Institutes of Ithaca College and Hartt School of Music. Robin is on the faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 317 Main St. Community Music Center, and Waynflete School.

Sebastian Jerosch (trombone)

Born into a musical family—his father is a professional pianist—Sebastian grew up in East Berlin, former East Germany. He began studying piano at age 5 and later switched to the trombone receiving his first lessons from trombonists of the Komische Oper (Comic Opera) and Deutsche Staatsoper (German State Opera) in Berlin. He moved to the United States in 1992 and in 1994 was awarded a scholarship to study trombone performance at the Mannes College of Music. His teachers there included Per Brevig, principal trombonist, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and David Taylor, New York based freelance recording artist. After graduating in 1997, he married and moved with his wife to Maine, her home state. Sebastian keeps an active performing schedule throughout the state ranging from engagements with the Portland and Bangor Symphonies, Portland Opera and Ballet orchestras, the Maine Chamber Ensemble, brass ensembles all the way to jazz gigs and shows at the Maine State Theatre. Before joining the faculty at the Portland Conservatory in 2012, prior appointments at the University of Maine at Augusta (1998), Colby (2000) and Bates (2001) as instructor for trombone and lecturer illustrate an extensive teaching experience. He has continued to teach at all three institutions, has conducted many master classes and maintains a busy private studio. Sebastian also owns a small masonry business and he has recently completed studies for a Bachelor degree in Architecture at UMA. He lives in Yarmouth with his wife, their three children and several pets.

Timothy Neill Johnson (voice)

Timothy Neill Johnson began his musical career in his native Southern California, earning a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University of Los Angeles. He extended his studies at the Conservatory of Music in Antwerp, Belgium, focusing on early music and Art Song. As a specialist in concert and chamber music, he has sung as a soloist both here and abroad, singing with such groups as the Roger Wagner Chorale, La Petite Band, Portland Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Collegium Vocale, Boston Cecelia, Los Angeles Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, All Saints Episcopal of Beverly Hills, and the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert Series. His repertoire includes the works of J. S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Schumann, Vaughan Williams and Britten. As a tenor with the delicate qualities of early music, blended with the pathos of a singer of German Lieder and French Chanson, Mr. Johnson continually searches the deep beauties and expression in music. He is also a member of the duo “Music’s Quill,” with lutenist Timothy Burris, a duo specializing in English Ayres and French Air de Cours. They released in two parts, The Songs of Philip Rosseter, Parts 1 and 2. This is the first full recording of Rosseter’s songs.

Early studies as a drummer and percussionist and an intense interest in improvisation has allowed Mr. Johnson the ability to sing a large variety of musical styles. He currently lives in Maine, teaching at Bowdoin College and in the jazz department of the University of Maine at Augusta and most recently the Portland Conservatory of Music.

John Johnstone (classical and jazz guitar)

John Johnstone has a B.Mus. in Classical Guitar Performance, University of Southern Maine, and an Assoc. Degree in Jazz, University of Maine, Augusta. He has studied with David Leisner, Neil Anderson, George Sakellariou, and Bob Sullivan; master classes with Manuel Barrueco, Sharon Isbin, Nicholas Goluses, Adam and Bruce Holzman, Norbert Kraft and many others.

Mr. Johnstone has performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, and the Choral Art Society. Other performances include an all Bach solo guitar concert at the Maine Festival, a Renaissance solo guitar concert at St. Joseph's College, solo and chamber recitals at Olin Arts Center, Corthell Hall and Bowdoin Chapel. His classical, jazz, and electronic compositions were performed at Portland Conservatory of Music. Soundboard magazine has favorably reviewed his classical guitar compositions.

In addition to classical and jazz guitar, he teaches blues, rock and folk styles. Other instruments he teaches include electric bass and ukulele. Mr. Johnstone is on the guitar faculty at Bowdoin College and Portland Conservatory of Music.

Heather Kahill (violin)

Heather Kahill holds a B.A. in Violin Performance from the University of Vermont and an M.M. in Violin Performance from the University of Southern Maine. She plays violin in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with Ray LaMontagne, Rustic Overtones, and the ensemble Hewale Sounds while she was living abroad in Ghana, West Africa. Her interests include bluegrass, classical and popular music, and she has an active local career performing with diverse bands, musical theater, and classical ensembles. Heather has a thriving teaching studio at the Portland Conservatory of Music, and also enjoys hiking, running and traveling.

Nathan Kolosko (guitar)

The unique musical personality of Nathan Kolosko has piqued the interest of musicians, critics, and audiences alike. As a performer/composer Nathan plays concerts that are both original and eclectic, covering a wide breadth of repertoire. His compositions are published by Doberman-Yppan & Productions D'Oz and have been performed and recorded by numerous players. Nathan’s recordings have garnered sincere praise. "A high-octane agenda from a guitarist with the skill, imagination, and confidence to bring it alive." - Classical Guitar, London. Nathan enjoys collaboration and has a long-standing working relationship with flutist Carl Dimow and visual artist Ling-Wen Tsai. Nathan has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including grants from the Allied Arts Foundation and D'Addario Strings. In addition to being a performer and composer Nathan is a teacher dedicated to advancing the pedagogy of the guitar.

Ronald Lantz (chamber music)

Ronald Lantz is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music. He has studied with Janos Starker, The Berkshire Quartet, the Beaux Arts Trio, and at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Paul Makanowitszky. His summer studies at Meadowmount School included work with Josef Gingold, Sally Thomas, and Ivan Galamian. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, both as soloist and as principal player, and has served on the faculties of the University of New Hampshire, Bates College, the University of Southern Maine, Bowdoin College, and Colby College. He has coached young string quartets of high caliber through his teaching at Wayneflete School and the Portland Conservatory of Music. Ronald Lantz holds and honorary Doctorate in Music from Colby College.

Eleanor Lehmann (violin, viola)

Eleanor Lehmann began her musical studies on violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, in California. She received a degree in music education and performance from the California State University in San Francisco. After a year of public school teaching, she had the opportunity to move to Mexico and work as teacher and performer with many of the professional orchestras of the region. Returning to California in 1986, she accepted positions with the Modesto and Stockton Symphonies then entered into the teaching profession with the Merced City School District. In 2003, she moved to Maine where she now teaches both violin and viola at her private studio and the Portland Conservatory of Music. In 2007, she initiated violin classes at the University of Southern Maine for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She maintains an active performance schedule in both the Portland Rossini and Martson-Kotzchmar Music Clubs of Maine.

Chiharu Naruse (piano)

Chiharu Naruse holds a Masters Degree in Music Performance and a Masters Degree in Music Instruction from the Hochschule Fur Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. In Berlin, Chiharu studied piano under Klaus Baessler and Lied Accompaniment under Wolfram Riegar. Chiharu has performed throughout the world in recitals and piano competitions including a piano concert to benefit Amnesty International in Germany, the Hyogo Piano Competition in Japan (silver prize), the Clara Haskil piano competition in Switzerland, the Pescara Academie Piano Competition in Italy and the International Mozart Wettbewerb in Salzburg Austria.

In the spring of 2002, Chiharu moved to the United States to study under Frank Glazer. Since her arrival Chiharu has given several recitals at Bates College, played concerts with the Portland String Quartet, DaPonte String Quartet and Frank Glazer, performed Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, Mozart Piano Concerto K466 and the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto with the Augusta Symphony, performed as a featured artist at the Ocean Park Music Festival and the Franco-American Heritage Center and, most recently, did a concert series in which she performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Maine Pro Musica ensemble under conductor Janna Hymes. Chiharu has also toured extensively throughout the world playing concerts in France and Japan.

In addition to maintaining a regular performance schedule Chiharu is also a well-respected music teacher, chamber music coach, music competition adjudicator and accompanist, with many of her students receiving competition prizes. Chiharu currently is a member of the applied music faculty at Bates College and is also a faculty member and Director of the Professional Division at the Portland Conservatory of Music.

For more information on Chiharu please visit her website at www.chiharunaruse.com.

Deirdre Oehrtmann (violin)

Deirdre Oehrtmann has been a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra for forty years. A Maine native, “Dee Dee” graduated magna cum laude in seven semesters from the University of Southern Maine with a BS degree in Music Education. While there, she was named to the “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” Her private teachers have included Stephen Kecskemethy of the Portland String Quartet, Eric Rosenblith of New England Conservatory, and Arturo Delmoni of NYC.

Besides performing with the PSO, Deirdre is principal second violinist of the Maine Chamber Ensemble of the Maine Music Society as well as violinist with orchestras of PORT Opera, Maine State Ballet, Portland Ballet and the Oratorio Chorale. Mrs. Oehrtmann was founder and for ten years conductor of the Portland Young Peoples String Consort, training orchestra for the USM Youth Ensembles. She served for twenty-seven years on the staff of the Maine ASTA (American String Teachers Association) Summer Conference in many capacities – as chamber music coach, section leader, conductor of both the Junior and Intermediate Orchestras as well as being the director for her last six years on staff. Mrs. Oehrtmann is past president of the Maine Unit of ASTA and has also served as vice president of Orchestra for the Maine Music Educators Association.

Deirdre has extensive training in the Suzuki method and has units registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas covering books 1 through 6. Her Suzuki trainers have included John Kendall (USA), Ronda Cole (USA), Judith Bossuat (France/USA), Helen Brunner (England), Edward Sprunger (USA), Alice Joy Lewis (USA) and Edward Kreitman (USA).

Trond Saeverud (violin)

Conductor and violinist Trond Saeverud has been soloist with major orchestras in Europe and in the US, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London and the Orchestra of St. Luke's Lincoln Center, New York. He has produced CD's as soloist with orchestras in Denmark and Norway and he regularly premieres new works for the violin. His solo CD Ghost with contemporary Norwegian violin works, received the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy award (1997) and his recital CD Hika was awarded “editors choice,” Strad Magazine (May 2002). He plays a 1750 Guadagnini violin owned by the Bank of Norway.

Trond has conducted professional and community orchestras in Denmark, Norway and the USA, most recently in Maine, where he is founder and artistic director of the Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra with players from New Brunswick, Canada, and Maine, USA. During Bangor Symphony!s recent conductor search, Trond conducted subscription and Pops concerts, including a very successful production of West Side Story.

Engagements for this season include lectures, violin recitals and master classes in Norway and Japan and conducting the Galveston Symphony at the historic Galveston Opera House. Trond is also concertmaster of the Bangor Symphony and he teaches at the University of Maine at Farmington and Augusta and at Colby College.

Wren Saunders (bassoon)

Bassoonist Wren Saunders received a B.M. from the University of Southern Maine and a M.M. from New England Conservatory of Music in bassoon performance. While at New England Conservatory she studied with Richard Svoboda, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s principal bassoonist. Ms. Saunders is currently a member of the Orchestra of Indian Hill (MA), and is principal bassoon of the Bangor Symphony and is a former member of the Knoxville Symphony(TN). In 2007 she was a concerto soloist with the Bangor Symphony.

An active freelancer she has played with the region’s top orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, BMOP, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic, PORT orchestra, Vermont Symphony, and the ProArte Chamber Orchestra of Boston among others. Ms. Saunders can be heard playing principal bassoon with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra performing Violin Concerto No. 6 “Old Brass” on Mark O’Connor’s CD “Americana Symphony” on the OMAC label.

Ms. Saunders has a vibrant and successful bassoon studio where her students are regularly accepted into the Maine All-State and District festivals, the Portland Youth Ensembles as well as New England Conservatory’s Youth Orchestras and the Boston Youth Orchestras in Massachusetts. A number of her students have been accepted into some of the nation’s top music schools such as New England Conservatory, Boston University, Northwestern, The Hartt School of Music, Peabody Conservatory and others. She is currently on the faculty of Gordon College in Wenham, MA and the Portland Conservatory of Music in Portland, ME.

Harold Stover (organ, music fundamental, music history)

Harold Stover is a native of Latrobe PA and a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York. He is conductor of the Portland-based chamber chorus Renaissance Voices, and a charter member of the faculty of the Portland Conservatory. He has recently reetired as Organist and Director of Music of Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland.

His activity as an organ recitalist spans 45 years and includes appearances at The Riverside Church in New York, The National Cathedral in Washington, Westminster Abbey in London, and many other distinguished venues. He has recorded for Albany Records and as an ensemble organist has been heard in concerts by the Portland Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. His compositions include both concert music and liturgical music and have been published by Boosey & Hawkes, E. C. Schirmer, Belwin-Mills, Augsburg-Fortress, and other presses. He has been featured as organist, composer, and lecturer at regional and national conventions of The American Guild of Organists and has made seven appearances as organist and composer on Pipedreams, the nationally-syndicated program of organ music heard locally on Maine Public Radio. His prose writings on musical topics have appeared in The American Organist, The Diapason, and other music journals. He is a member of the Advisory Board of The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ, Inc., and served as its president from 2003-2006.

Mark Tipton (trumpet)

Mark Tipton has studied Classical Trumpet with Ryan Anthony (Canadian Brass), Jack Sutte (Cleveland Orchestra), Vincent Penzarella (New York Philharmonic) and Roy Poper (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra). He holds a B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, an M.M. from the Mannes College of Music, and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with John Lindenau. He has performed with such artists as: Yves Abel, John Williams, JoAnn Falletta, Frederick Fennell, Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, and Maria Schneider. Mark recently performed as Principal Trumpet for Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 for the 2012 New York Summer Mahler Project at Saint Bartholomew's Cathedral in Manhattan. His recent projects include a series of recitals centered around 20th-Century French Trumpet works and several Brass Ensemble engagements.

Mark has studied and performed Classical, Jazz, Folk, and World Music extensively, and has performed in 42 states and throughout Europe. He is the recipient of the Jazz Studies Award from Interlochen Arts Camp (MI) and the Herb Alpert Scholarship from the Henry Mancini Institute (UCLA). Currently he is Assistant Director and Trumpet Instructor at PCM, and Trumpet Instructor and Brass Ensemble Director at Colby College, where he also performs as Principal Trumpet in the Colby Symphony Orchestra.

An active composer, Mark has written numerous full-length Silent Film Scores (The Golem, Nosferatu, Safety Last!, etc.), and his 2012 orchestral composition, entitled Cor Cordis, was premiered by the Colby Orchestra in December of 2012. He is currently writing a score for Fritz Lang's Metropolis, as well as a Brass Quintet with Vibraphone/Percussion that explores concepts in astrophysics, and is titled Universitas Intimus.

His website can be found at www.marktiptonmusic.com.

Krysia Tripp (flute)

Krysia Tripp received an M.M. in Performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and studied with Thomas Nyfenger at Yale. In addition, she has studied with Leone Buyse, Robert Willoughby, Jack Wellbaum, and Julius Baker.

She has concertized in the U.S. and Europe, and has had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of artists including Luciano Pavarotti; Peter, Paul and Mary; the Brubeck Brothers, and Andrea Bocelli.

Krysia currently performs with the Southwest Florida Symphony, the Hartford Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Indian Hill Orchestra, and the Sigmund Romberg Pops Touring Orchestra. In addition, she has participated in the Spoleto Festival (USA and Italy), the Aspen Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, Bear Valley Festival (CA) and the New Hampshire Music Festival.

Recent Concert series include Chamber Music the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Art- Complex Museum, and Yale Center for British Art.

Krysia is a member of the Artist Faculty at USM, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges. She also maintains a private studio in Portland. Former students have won top prizes in prominent music competitions including the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition, and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Her students have also been selected to perform in NPR’s From the Top with Christopher O’Riley.

Contact: KTripp@maine.rr.com