Technically dazzling and intellectually probing artistry exemplify Ran Dank‘s pianism and musicality—captivating audiences and critics alike.
Ran Dank is one of today’s most ardent advocates for contemporary music. In recent seasons, he has performed Kevin Puts’ piano concerto Night, the Tobias Picker concerto Keys to the City, Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated, William Bolcom’s Pulitzer-winning set of Twelve New Etudes. Alongside his wife, pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, Ran debuted the world premieres of Frederic Rzewski’s Four Hands, and Alexander Goehr’s Seven Impromptus.
Swiss-born American pianist Gilles Vonsattel is an artist of extraordinary versatility and originality. He’s the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, the winner of the Naumburg and Geneva competitions, and a laureate of the Cleveland, Dublin, and Honens competitions. He’s appeared with the Munich Philharmonic, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, and Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, and he’s appeared in recital and chamber music concerts at the Ravinia, Lucerne, Bravo! Vail Music, and Santa Fe Chamber Music festivals; Chamber Music Northwest; Music@Menlo; Tokyo’s Musashino Hall; and London’s Wigmore Hall.
Yura Lee is a multifaceted musician, both as a soloist and chamber musician and as one of the very few who’s equally virtuosic on both the violin and viola. Her career spans various musical mediums. She’s known for captivating audiences with a repertoire that ranges from the baroque to the modern era, and she enjoys a nearly three-decades-long career that takes her around the world.
A modern player with a “signature sound” and distinctive style of playing, cellist Mark Kosower embodies the concept of the complete musician performing as concerto soloist with symphony orchestras, in solo recitals, and as a much admired and sought-after chamber musician. He is Principal Cello of The Cleveland Orchestra and a scholar and teacher of cello. Mark’s performance repertoire and discography are testaments to a deep devotion, not only to frequently heard repertoire such as Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and concertos of Haydn, Walton, Elgar, and Dvořák but, significantly, to less well-known concertos of Alberto Ginastera, Miklos Rozsa, Frederich Gulda and Victor Herbert. Mr. Kosower has recorded for the Ambitus, Delos, Naxos International and VAI labels, including as the first cellist to record the complete music for solo cello of Alberto Ginastera (Naxos). He was described as a “powerful advocate of Ginastera’s art” by MusicWeb International, and Strings Magazine noted of his Hungarian music album (also with Naxos) that “the music allows Kosower to showcase his stunning virtuosity, passionate intensity, and elegant phrasing.”
Acclaimed for his inspirational performances and eloquent musicianship, Paul Watkins enjoys a remarkably varied and distinguished career as soloist, chamber musician and conductor. He regularly appears as concerto soloist with orchestras throughout the world. Recent highlights include concertos with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Colorado Symphony, Hong Kong and Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestras, and appearances at the BBC Proms as conductor and soloist.
Robert Ingliss is principal oboe of the New Jersey Symphony and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He’s premiered solo and chamber music works by numerous composers, including Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Marc-André Dalbavie, Henri Dutilleux, and Charles Wuorinen. He’s performed in more than 30 countries on five continents, and, as a soloist, his engagements have included the American Symphony Orchestra, Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, League of Composers/ISCM Chamber Players, New Jersey Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Washington Square Music Festival, among others. Ingliss has taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, SUNY Purchase, and the University of Connecticut.
Todd Levy is principal clarinet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He’s a four-time Grammy Award winner, and he’s performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City, with the Israel Philharmonic, and at the White House in Washington, DC.
Argentinian-born bassoonist Julia Harguindey joined the Nashville Symphony and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra as principal bassoon at the beginning of the 2016–17 season. She’s performed with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and as guest principal bassoon with numerous ensembles, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy (in Québec).
Gabriel Kovach, born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, is active as both a chamber and orchestral musician. Mr. Kovach has been Principal Horn of the Phoenix Symphony since 2006. Previously, he has held positions as both the Principal Horn of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. During the summers he travels to Cooperstown, N.Y. as Principal Horn of the Glimmerglass Opera Festival. He has served as Principal Horn of the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa Canada, under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman.
Additionally, he has toured with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, sharing duties as Principal and Second Horn. Mr. Kovach also continues to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra as an active member of their substitute pool and joined them for tours of Asia in 2005. In 2008 Gabriel Kovach was named as an Endorsing Artist for Conn-Selmer.
