Guest Faculty are in residence at TMF for shorter and more intensive periods of time. Residencies may include lessons, coachings, and master classes, and are designed to give participants maximum exposure to a broad range of artists and experts.
International soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and conductor; performed extensively throughout countries of Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific; First Prize winner, International Competition for Chamber Music Ensembles in France; prize winner, Wieniawski and Thibaud International Violin Competitions; concertmaster, American Sinfonietta; former concertmaster, Polish National Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra; recording artist, Summit Records, Albany, Vifon, Natural Soundfields labels, and Polish Radio and Television, ORF (Austrian Radio, Vienna), West German Radio (West-Deutsche Rundfunk).
Hailed as one of the most gifted Chinese violinists of his generation, Zuo Jun began violin studies at age six and is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he studied with Professors Shen Guan En and Zheng Shi Sheng. In 1988, Zuo Jun’s talent was noticed by Fredell Lack and he went to the United States to study with her and subsequently with Berl Senofsky and Ariana Bronne.
Zuo Jun played as a first violinist in the Houston Symphony from 1994 to 2004. Prior to joining the Houston Symphony, he was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for a season. He has also appeared as soloist with many renowned symphony orchestras, such as the Shanghai Opera Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Radio Orchestra, Shanghai Ballet Orchestra, Jupiter Symphony Orchestra (New York), Julius Grossman Orchestra (New York), National Repertory Orchestra (Colorado), San Antonio Youth Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra, and New Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.
Zuo Jun has been a prizewinner in prominent national and international competitions, including the first prize in the China National Violin Competition in Shanghai in 1986. Also, he was awarded prizes in the Kingsville International Music Competition in 1990, the American Music Teachers’ National Association Competition in 1989, the Corpus Christi Young Artists Competition in 1989, and the National Violin Competition of China in 1984. In 1984, Zuo Jun was invited by the China Ministry of Culture to perform in Beijing to celebrate the 35 th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. In that same year, he gave a solo recital as part of the “Spring of Shanghai” Music Festival.
Critics have praised Zuo Jun’s performances for his musicality and technical brilliance. He was featured on “Good Morning America” (ABC) in 1990, interviewed by NHK in 1987, and performed live on Singapore national television in 1986 and 2004.
Former faculty, Moores School of Music; laureate, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium International Competition; former faculty Meadowmount; recipient of many teaching awards; winner, Brooklyn Academy Young Artists Award; more than 20 European tours, 35 broadcasts for the BBC in England,and seven for Radio RIAS in Germany; soloist with orchestras including Halle Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Stockholm Philharmonic, symphonies of Berlin, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, and the New York Philharmonic; recordings. Vox, CRI, Bay Cities, Centaur, and Albany.
First prizes - Washington and D'Angelo International Competitions; third prize Montreal International Competition; laureate, Tchaikovsky and Queen Elizabeth Competitions; Asst. Prof. of Violin, Oberlin College (2001-2007); Festivals: Aspen, Seattle Chamber Music, Green Mountain Chamber Music, EuroArt, and Great Mountains; soloist with Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre Français Albéric Magnard, CityMusic Orchestra of Cleveland, Jupiter Symphony, Prime Philharmonic, Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, among others; recordings on EMI, Audite Records, and Good International; education, B. M., Seoul National University; M. M. and Artist's Diploma, Peabody Conservatory; post-graduate studies, The Juilliard School; teachers: Nam Yun Kim, Sylvia Rosenberg, Robert Mann, Dorothy Delay and Hyo Kang.
Violin professor, Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College of Music; Soloist, performed over thirty different works with orchestras including Montreal, Toronto and Mexico City; Recitalist and chamber musician, appearances throughout U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia; Broadcasts and recordings for NPR, CBC Radio Network, Radio Canada, Radio France and Aureus Records; her violin students have been prizewinners in international competitions such as Indianapolis, Young Concert Artists, Paganini, and Sendai; jury member of several competitions including 2006 Montreal International Violin Competition.
Violinist Sean Yung-Hsiang Wang holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. A versatile musician, he also has a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School as a recipient of the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship, as well as a joint Ph.D. in musicology and humanities from Stanford University. He came from Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music, where he was on the violin and music history faculty.
Wang has performed widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia, with appearances at prominent venues (e.g., Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Jordan Hall) and festivals (e.g., OK Mozart International, San Luis Obispo Mozart, Thy, Schleswig-Holstein, Evian). With interest in a wide array of repertories, he was violinist-in-residence of the esteemed Guild of Composers in New York City in 1996-98 (in which capacity he premiered numerous contemporary compositions), and was active as a baroque violinist on the West Coast. Since winning First Prize at Taiwan’s National Violin Competition at age 13, he has been featured by the National Public Television of Taiwan, Nashville Public Television, as well as radio stations in the United States and abroad. He is a founding member of Trio Solari (with clarinetist Chad Burrow and pianist Amy Cheng), and currently performs with Brightmusic Ensemble (Oklahoma City, OK), Musiqa (Houston, TX), and IRIS Orchestra (Germantown, TN).
In the field of musicology, Wang is interested in performance issues in historical contexts, and has presented research papers at numerous national and international conferences. His Ph.D. dissertation investigates the relationship between tempo and character in the music of Brahms. In the classroom setting, he has taught historical and theoretical topics ranging from medieval monophony to electronic music. In addition, on the podium, he has led orchestras of the Juilliard School and Stanford University in symphonic and operatic performances. Wang’s principal violin teachers have included Rafael Druian, Sylvia Rosenberg, Lynn Chang, and Kathy Judd. He also studied conducting with Otto-Werner Mueller, musicology with William Mahrt (principal advisor), and music theory with Jacques-Louis Monod.
Principal Violist of the Houston Symphony. Born in Los Angeles, Mr. Brooks joined the orchestra as Associate Principal Violist after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1985 he won the position of Principal Viola. In February 2002 he commemorated his 25th season with the Houston Symphony, performing Berlioz' Harold in Italy with Christoph Eschenbach and the HSO.
In addition to appearances as soloist with the Houston Symphony, Mr. Brooks has appeared in chamber music performances with Joseph Silverstein, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson, and Christoph Eschenbach. He has participated in concerts of contemporary chamber music in the Houston Symphony's INNOVA series, in performances with Da Camera of Houston, and in chamber music festivals in Craftsbury, Vermont, and Lake City, Colorado. Since 1993 he has been the violist of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, serving on the faculty of Japan's Pacific Music Festival, and touring Japan (1993, 1994 and 1995) and Europe (1994 and 1997). He has also appeared at Chicago's Ravinia Festival in 1996 and 1997. With the Houston Symphony Chamber Players he has recorded works of Webern and Berg.
He served as an Associate Professor of Viola at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University from 1985 through 2001, where he taught both solo repertoire and classes focusing on the study of orchestral repertoire. Former students of Mr. Brooks perform in the New World Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Chiara Quartet, and Borromeo Quartet. In 1995 Mr. Brooks gave the Houston premiere of Alfred Schnittke's Viola Concerto with Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony.
Faculty, University of Colorado; member, Boulder Piano Quartet. www.matthewdane.com
James Dunham is an internationally known soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Formerly violist of the Grammy Award winning Cleveland Quartet, he has collaborated with such renowned artists as Emmanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Richard Goode, Lynne Harrell, Cho-Liang Lin, Sabine Meyer, Bernard Greenhouse and members of the American, Guarneri, Juilliard, Takacs and Tokyo Quartets. He has also worked with such composers as Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Paul Chihara, John Corigliano, Osvaldo Golijov, Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, Mel Powell, Bernard Rands, Christopher Rouse, Gunther Schuller and Joan Tower. Ms. Larsen has written a sonata for Mr. Dunham (2001) which he premiered at the Aspen Music Festival in July 2001 and has recorded for an upcoming Naxos CD release.
Mr. Dunham is a frequent guest artist with groups such as Houston Friends of Music, Da Camera of Houston, Musicians from Marlboro, the Boston Chamber Music Society and the Borromeo, Cassatt, Cavani, Colorado, Fine Arts, Mendelssohn, Miami, Pacifica and Ying Quartets. In addition to his chamber music activities, Mr. Dunham has given concerto and recital performances throughout the U.S. and served as guest principal viola with the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa and the Dallas Symphony under Andrew Litton in their home cities as well as at Carnegie Hall.
Currently Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, he directs their Advanced Quartet Studies Program. Mr. Dunham formerly taught at the New England Conservatory where he also Chaired the String Department. A devoted teacher, he frequently presents viola and chamber music master classes at leading schools and universities including Tokyo’s Toho School, Freiburg’s Hochschule für Musik, Beijing’s Central Conservatory, Boston and Northwestern Universities, USC, UCLA and the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.
Mr. Dunham was violist of the renowned Cleveland Quartet from 1987 through its final recordings and concerts in December 1995. The Quartet won the 1996 Grammy for “Best Chamber Music Performance” for their Telarc recording of John Corigliano’s String Quartet, written for their final tour. As a member of the Cleveland Quartet he also served as Professor of Viola at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. An Honors graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, Mr. Dunham studied liberal arts at Carleton College before receiving his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from California Institute of the Arts. While at Cal-Arts, he was a founding member of the Sequoia Quartet, winners of the 1978 Naumburg International Chamber Music Award, and in 1991 he received the Cal-Arts Music School’s first Distinguished Alumni Award.
Mr. Dunham is much sought after as a jurist for events such as the Fischoff, Coleman and William Primrose Competitions, and has also been a featured soloist at the International Viola Congress. His summer activities include teaching and performing at many festivals, including those of Marlboro, Domaine Forget, Aspen, Sarasota, Amelia Island (FL), Yale at Norfolk and Musicorda. He served as principal violist of the San Diego Mainly Mozart Festival for ten seasons, and is a regular participant in the Festival der Zukunft in Ernen, Switzerland. He is featured on an album of recent music for viola and winds on the Crystal Records label, and has recorded with the Sequoia Quartet for Nonesuch and Delos, and with the Cleveland Quartet exclusively for Telarc. www.jamesdunham.com
Faculty, The Hartt School and New York University; former member, Houston Symphony; former principal, Indianapolis, New World Symphony and Schleswig-Holstein Orchestra; former section, Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Baroque Orchester Berlin; Plymouth String Quartet; recipient, Prix Mercure; prize winner, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, William Primrose Viola Competition; recital and solo appearances, Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Salzburg Mozarteum; recordings, Opus One and Modern Masters. www.ritaporfiris.com
Faculty, Oberlin Conservatory of Music; former faculty, Shepherd School of Music; and former principal, Dallas Opera and Houston Grand Opera Orchestras.
Prizewinner, International Cello Competition, Geneva, and International Tchaikowsky Competition; concert tours to Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, Greece, and Latin America; appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, such as Gergiev, Kondrashin, Rostropovich, M. Shostakovich, and Temirkanov; recitals in Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; undergraduate and graduate studies with Mstislav Rostropovich, with top honors from Moscow Conservatory.
Hailed by New York Newsday for "…extraordinary musicianship…forceful, sophisticated and entirely in the spirit of the music," American cellist Brinton Averil Smith has performed at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, the Marlboro Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and in recital throughout the United States. Mr. Smith’s recent performances include appearances with orchestras in Detroit, San Diego, New Jersey, Houston, San Jose, Fort Worth, Tucson, Eugene, Flagstaff, Phoenix and Auckland, New Zealand and include the Brahms Double Concerto with violinist Gil Shaham. Mr. Smith recorded the Miklos Rozsa Cello Concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for a Koch International Classics release that received widespread international critical acclaim. The annual Gramophone Awards Issue praised Smith as a "hugely eloquent, impassioned soloist," and continued, "The sheer bravura of Smith’s reading is infectious." His recent recording of Faure’s piano trio and Apres un Reve with Gil Shaham for Shaham’s new Canary Classics label was recently chosen as Gramophone magazine’s Disc of the Month and was selected as one of BBC Music magazine’s best albums of the year.
Mr. Smith will also be featured on an upcoming Koch release of the chamber music of composer Steven Gerber with violinists Kurt Nikkanen and Cho Liang Lin. Mr. Smith joined the Houston Symphony in the fall of 2005 as their new principal cellist. Prior to this, he was a member of the New York Philharmonic, where he was the first musician appointed by music director Lorin Maazel, and was also previously the principal cellist of the San Diego and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Smith is a member of the faculty at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and has also served as a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. An active chamber musician, Smith has collaborated with members of the Beaux Arts Trio and the Guarneri, Emerson, Juilliard, Cleveland, and Berg quartets, as well as performances with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic Chamber Series and, with violinist Gil Shaham, at the Aspen Music Festival Winter recital series and the Linton series in Cincinnati. Mr. Smith was a prize winner of the Leonard Rose International Cello Competition as well as several consecutive Juilliard and Aspen Music Festival concerto competitions. While at Juilliard, he received the Melini Award for excellence in performance and was invited to perform at the American Cello Congress. His performances have been broadcast on CBS Sunday Morning and on radio throughout the U.S. and in New Zealand, South Africa, and Germany.
Brinton Averil Smith began his musical studies at age five. At age 10 he was admitted to Arizona State University, where he took courses in mathematics and German and, by age 17, completed a B.A. in mathematics. While a scholarship student of Eleonore Schoenfeld at the University of Southern California, he was also a teaching assistant in the mathematics department, and completed work for an M.A. in mathematics at age 19. He subsequently relocated to New York to study with cellist Zara Nelsova at The Juilliard School, where he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, writing on the playing of Emanuel Feuermann.
Associate principal cellist, New York Philharmonic, 1989-98. Formerly, principal cellist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Solo, chamber concerts, and concerto appearances in the U.S. and abroad, with recitals broadcast by NPR and the CBC. Appearances with the Mostly Mozart Festival, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Washington National Gallery, Bargemusic (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and the New York Philharmonic Ensembles. Awards include Editor’s Choice from Gramophone Magazine and Chamber Music Record of the Year by the British Music Industry Association for recording of the Korngold Trio on EMI Records; New York Times Critic’s Choice for Barber Cello Sonata recording, also for EMI Records. Former faculty, Harvard University, MIT. Faculty, Manhattan School of Music, Music Academy of the West, National Orchestral Institute.
Faculty, Boston University Tanglewood and Wabass institutes; member, Houston Symphony.
An active and versatile performer as a soloist, and as a chamber, early music, and orchestral musician, as well as being in demand as a double bass clinician. He has been invited to teach and perform at clinics and universities across the country and has performed in recitals throughout the United States. Dr. Ostlund has played with the Detroit Symphony, the Washington Bach Consort, the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Context, the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Ballet, among others.
Principal flutist of the Houston Symphony. She received her bachelors degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1983 as a student of Robert Willoughby. She continued her studies with Thomas Nyfenger at the Yale School of Music until winning the position of 2nd flute with the Houston Symphony in 1985. In 1991 she was named Principal Flute. She appears regularly as a soloist with the orchestra. Recently she performed the Mozart concerto in G with music director Hans Graf. In 1993 she recorded the same concerto with Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony for the IMP label. She performed the world premiere of Bright Sheng’s Flute Moon, commissioned by the Houston Symphony, in a concert broadcast on PBS. She has a lso appeared with harpist Marisa Robles and baroque specialist Nicholas McGegan. Aralee has toured extensively throughout Europe and Japan, and performed at Chicago’s prestigious Ravinia Festival as a member of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, often in collaboration with Christoph Eschenbach at the piano.
Assistant Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder; winner, Concert Artists Guild International Competition (2001); first prize winner, Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition and William C. Byrd Competition. www.christinajennings.com
Principal oboist of the Houston Symphony since 1984. Numerous solo appearances and festival residences all over the world. Education: bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School of Music. Atherholt won the position of principal obo of the New Jersey Symphony only after two years of graduation. Additional principal oboe positions include: the Opera Orchestra of New York, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Performed as guest principal oboist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in performances of Mahler’s 7th Symphony under Bernard Haitink. Later served as acting principal oboist on the BSO European tour 2000 under the direction of Seiji Ozawa. This season he has appeared as guest principal oboist of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. As principal oboe of the Houston Symphony he has distinguished himself as a soloist performing numerous concerti with the orchestra, including the Mozart concerto and the world premier of Schumann/Picker Romances and Interludes, both of which he later recorded with this orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach. Solo appearances around the world. He has performed with Spain’s Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias Oviedo in 1999 and in Japan’s Pacific Music Festival in 1995. He has toured Japan and Europe as part of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players and recorded Schoenberg’s Woodwind Quintet, Opus 26 with that group. As a chamber musician, he appears regularly with Da Camera of Houston and has appeared at Marlboro, the Pacific Music Festival, Ravinia, Caramoor Orcas Island and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. During the summer he serves as principal oboe of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and the Grand Teton Music Festival.
He is professor of oboe at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, and conducts guest clinics at various festivals and universities across the country including the National Orchestral Institute and The New World Symphony. This season he will be traveling to China to work with students at the Beijing Conservatory. His students play in orchestras throughout North America, Switzerland and Israel; many of them as principal oboist themselves.
Associate principal, Houston Symphony; former member, Pittsburgh Symphony; winner, Geneva International Music Competition; soloist, New York Philharmonic; concertized and recorded with Boston and St. Louis symphonies; recordings on DGG, Koch, Schwann and Gramola labels; European duo tours with Christoph Eschenbach.
Principal, Houston Ballet Orchestra; has performed as acting Associate Principal, Houston Symphony and principal, Orquesta Sinfonica Municipal de Caracas, Venezuela; appearances as soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, South America, and the U. S.; active clinician and adjudicator.
With a varied career encompassing symphony, opera, chamber music and teaching, clarinettist David Peck enjoys the full benefits of a life in music. A native of southern California, Mr. Peck is long-time principal clarinet of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Recordings of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the HSO, under Christoph Eschenbach, and of several major chamber works with the Houston Symphony Chamber Players make up the core of a diverse discography.
Formerly a student of Mitchell Lurie and Frank Salazar, he is now a highly regarded pedagogue himself. After many years of teaching at Rice University's Shepherd School and at the University of Houston, Mr. Peck currently maintains a home studio. He is a regular participant in the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, the Idyllwild Arts Chamber Music Festival, and the Santa Barbara Chamber Music Festival.
Associate principal since 1974 and acting principal (2001-2007), Houston Symphony; former faculty, Rice University, Oberlin Conservatory of Music; active chamber musician.
Dean of Students, Professor of Bassoon, Colburn Conservatory. Mr. Beene was formerly the Professor of Bassoon at the University of Michigan, a post he held since 1989. In addition to chamber music, masterclasses, and music festivals performances, other activities have included work with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Detroit Symphony. While at The University of Michigan, Mr. Beene also performed as the Principal Bassoonist of the Toledo Symphony.
Currently, bassoon and contrabassoon, Houston Symphony; principal, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra; soloist, Houston, Chautauqua, New Mexico symphonies; chamber music appearances, Chautauqua Wind Quintet, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Winds of Texas, Greenbriar Consortium, performances with National Symphony, Grand Tetons Festival Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra; B.M., Eastman School of Music, studio of K. David Van Hoesen.
* University of Houston faculty member
Steven Hendrickson is Principal Trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from Iowa’s Luther College in 1973 with a degree in music and philosophy. Further study followed with some of the world’s leading brass players, including Adolf Herseth, William Scarlett, and Arnold Jacobs. Before joining the NSO in 1982, he was a leading freelance musician in Chicago, performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera, and the Chicago Brass Ensemble, while working as a broker on the Chicago Stock Exchange. He has appeared as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra performing Bach, Vivaldi, Arutunian, Persichetti, and, most recently, the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. His 2006 recording for MRS Classics features works from the Baroque to the contemporary. Accompanied by organist William Neil and pianist Myriam Avalos-Teie, the recording includes compositions by Haydn, Copland, Schnittke, and others. Mr. Hendrickson is active in the Washington area as a recitalist and chamber musician, and serves on the faculty of the music department at the University of Maryland.
Mark Hughes “knows how to spin out a long line with the eloquence of a gifted singer.” He refined this “singing” style of trumpet playing while studying at Northwestern University with Vincent Cichowicz of the Chicago Symphony. After receiving a B.M. in Trumpet Performance from N.U. in 1983, Mr. Hughes was selected to be in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a scholarship student with Adolph Herseth, the Principal Trumpet with the Chicago Symphony. While in Chicago, Hughes also helped form the much recorded Millar Brass Ensemble.
Hughes is presently in his third season as Principal Trumpet with the Houston Symphony. Before coming to the Houston Symphony, he was Associate Principal Trumpet with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for twelve years. Prior to joining the ASO, Hughes toured with Richard Morris as the popular organ and trumpet duo "Toccatas and Flourishes," under Columbia Artists Management. While touring he had the distinction of appearing as soloist in all of the Continental United States as well as portions of Canada.
Mr. Hughes continues to appear as soloist with local orchestras and to give recitals. At a recent recital given at Emory University with University Organist, Timothy Albrecht, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution commented, "Here was creative collaboration of the highest order."
Mr. Hughes lives in Bellaire, TX with his wife Marilyn and their two children, Thomas and Caroline.
Principal trumpet of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and the Houston Ballet Orchestra. With Houston Grand Opera he has been featured as a soloist with soprano Kiri Te Kanawa in Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim,” and toured to Cairo, Egypt in the acclaimed production of Showboat. Likewise, he has performed in numerous world premiers with Houston Grand Opera including John Adams’s Nixon in China and Carlyle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree. Mr. Vassallo has also been f eatured as soloist in recent productions with Houston Ballet in Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City” and Leroy Anderson’s “Trumpeters Lullaby”. During the summer months he has been known to perform with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria.
Principal, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, former associate principal, Houston Symphony; principal horn, Chautauqua Symphony; former member, Vancouver, St. Louis, Boston, Boston Pops, and Portland (ME) symphony orchestras; soloist, St. Louis, Houston, Vancouver, St. Louis Philharmonic, and other orchestras; prizewinner, The American Horn Competition, 1987; active master class artist and conductor; former faculty, Rice University, University of Houston, University of Missouri, University of Illinois, Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
Member, Houston symphony; former member, United States Navy Band; former faculty, Michigan State and Sam Houston State universities.
Faculty, Sam Houston State University; Principal, Houston Symphony since 1977; solo appearances with HSO, United States Naval Band (Washington), Lexington Sinfonietta (Boston), Swiss Prize Winner, 1979 Geneva International Solo Competition; performances with Music of the Baroque (Chicago); HSO Chamber players, Atlanta Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic; has taught on faculties of the University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston, Rice University, University of St.Thomas.
Faculty, Moores School of Music; principal, Houston Grand Opera and Ballet orchestras. www.thomashulten.com
Principal, Houston Symphony since 1982; faculty, Shepherd School of Music-Rice University; guest tuba with the Boston, Chautauqua, Cincinnati, Chicago, Pittsburgh symphonies and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
* University of Houston faculty member.
Principal, Houston Symphony since 1984; former member, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma symphony orchestras; guest harpist, Boston, Cleveland, Atlanta symphony orchestras; principal, Grand Teton Music Festival; frequent chamber music performer; featured performer, national conferences, American Harp Society, World Harp Congress; faculty, Shepherd School of Music-Rice University,
Festival-Institute at Round Top.
* University of Houston faculty member.
Principal Percussion, Associate Principal Timpani Houston Symphony since 1986; performances with Pittsburgh Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, former student of Alan Abel; teaches select graduate percussion students at the Moores School of Music.
Member, Houston Symphony and timpanist, American Symphony Orchestra at the Bard Festival. Performed as a member of the percussion section of the Chicago Symphony throughout the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons. Regular performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, and the Harrisburg Symphony. Other orchestral appearances with the Baltimore Symphony and San Diego Symphony, among others. Recent solo appearances include performances with the Akron Symphony, New Hampshire Music Festival, Reading Symphony and Delaware Symphony. As active chamber musician, he has performed with various ensembles, including the Chicago Chamber Musicians, among others and is founding member of the Battery Four Percussion Group. He is a performing artist and clinician for the Pearl/ Adams Corporation and Zildjian.
Director of Percussion Studies, Moores School of Music, University of Houston; former member, Oklahoma City Philharmonic; specialist in solo classical marimba and contemporary music; active composer; recipient of Percussive Arts Society Composition Award; original works recorded on Albany Records label.
* University of Houston faculty member
