Artists — Living Arts Collaborative

Comprised of New York City’s finest musicians, each ensemble exposes students to musical styles including Broadway, Classical, Jazz, and World music.

Our Artists

Faylotte Crayton

Soprano Faylotte Crayton has premiered many works, including pieces by Conor Brown, John Boggs and Matthew Schickele, at The Morgan Library in Manhattan.
She played the role of Masha in the world premiere of Elana Langer’s Four Sisters at the Richard B. Fisher Center and made her American Symphony Orchestra debut singing the soprano solo in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, conducted by Leon Botstein. She has sung at such festivals as the Marlboro Music Festival, Bard Music Festival, Bard Summerscape, and SongFest.
Faylotte Crayton holds a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School and a Master of Music from Bard College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with soprano, Dawn Upshaw. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Carami Hilaire

Rebecca L. Hargrove

Rebecca L. Hargrove is an actress and singer. She is a recent ‘Best Opera Album’ Grammy Award Winner for her participation in the ensemble of The Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy and Bess. She has also been featured in the companies of Evita and Cabin in the Sky at New York City Center.
In the 2019-2020 season, Rebecca starred in The New York Times Critic’s Pick performances of Acquanetta as Acquanetta at Bard Summerscape, The Grey Land mono-opera as The Mother at Roulette Intermedium (album available on all streaming platforms), and as Yum-Yum in The Mikado with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.
Previous engagements include Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration with Jason Moran and Alicia Hall-Moran at Carnegie Hall, In the Parlour as Nellie Quander at The National Black Theater, and a series of new plays at The Lucille Lortel Foundation. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Carami Hilaire is a soulful soprano from Brooklyn, New York, and is a graduate of the Professional Studies program at Mannes. Carami has received awards from both the Wagner Society of New York and the Premiere Opera Competition.
She has sung with the Internationale Opernwerkstatt based in Switzerland, performed the role of Tosca with both Regina Opera and New Jersey Verismo Opera to rave reviews, as well as performing the roles of Aida in Aida and Musetta in La Boheme.
In fall of 2020, she sang the role of Alice in Alice in the Pandemic with White Snake Opera Projects, and in 2022 she will sing the role of Lady Macbeth with Knoxville Opera, as well as return to White Snake Opera Projects to sing the role of Tiamat in Cosmic Cowboy. Carami is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Briana Sheriff

Briana Sheriff is a dynamic coloratura soprano reigning from Terry, Mississippi. She is a Vocal Performance graduate of both Jackson State University and NYU Steinhardt.
In her most recent season, she made her Jazz at Lincoln Center debut as a featured soloist in Marcus Printup’s Journey Through Jazz: The Mighty Negro Sprituals and returned as a featured soloist in Alvin Ailey AmericanDance Theater’s Revelations, under the baton of Damien Sneed.
As a multi-faceted artist, Sheriff sang as Madame de Croissy in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Her operatic appearances include Puccini's Madama Butterfly with Mississippi Opera along with Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love and The Robber Bridegroom with New Stage Theatre. She made her off-Broadway debut in Theater of War’s Antigone in Ferguson. Sheriff is a collaborative artist with Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow, The Unsung Collective and Chorale Le Chateau.

Tatianna Overton

Tatianna Overton (she/her) is a Brooklyn based vocalist from Queens, New York. She’s been singing the majority of her life, starting lessons as a young teen and continuing her studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.
Tatianna performs and records regularly with various sacred, choral, jazz, classical, and contemporary ensembles. She has graced the stages of many legendary New York venues such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Apollo, David Geffen Hall and Kings Theatre.
Through all of her work, music, and artistry, Tatianna is on a mission to make beautiful experiences and music accessible to everyone, while spreading love and inspiring others to think a little bit more about their impact and place in this world.

— Vocalists —

Brandon Pearson

Vocalist and actor Brandon Pearson was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and was trained at Paseo Academy for the Fine and Performing Arts. He’s appeared in numerous regional theatre productions, most recently Because of Winn Dixie at Alabama Shakespeare Festival (National tour), Rent (Off Broadway), New York Shakespeare Festival production of Hair at the Delacorte Theatre, London’s West End: Hair, Broadway: Hair (2009 Tony award winner Best Revival), and numerous television appearances.
He’s also made appearances with symphonies and choirs as a soloist, most recently, The Heartland Men’s Chorus. Along with performing, Brandon has also found joy in becoming a teaching artist engaging students from K-12 in the art of storytelling and interpretation through song. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Malaika Sims Alvaro

Malaika Sims Alvaro (soprano) began her early musical training on the violin and piano at age six. By age fourteen, she was accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program in Washington, DC for violin where she performed on the Concert Stage at the Kennedy Center. A year later, she took 2nd place in the City-Wide Piano Competition of Washington, D.C. At age eleven, her performance in Puccini’s La Boheme in the Opera House set the stage for her pursuit of voice.
Malaika made her New York singing debut at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall winning critical acclaim. She has since sung lead roles and premiers in many productions of the major national and international houses in opera and legit musical theater. She appeared with The New York Lyric Opera Theater, Westchester Philharmonic, National Hungarian Orchestra, Mexican National Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra. She was a featured soloist with the Bronx Concert Singers for 3 seasons. She has performed in Israel, China, Singapore, United Kingdom, sang Brazilian classical favorites in a guitar recital under the auspice of Sharon Isbin at Alice Tully Hall and was a concert soloist in the church of Santa Giulia in Torino, Italy.
Malaika is a graduate of the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music and has over 20 years of teaching experience. She is a founding member of the chamber ensemble Dal Sogno which recently received several grants to continue its mission of performing works by underrepresented composers.

— Pianists —

Will Healy

Will Healy is a composer and pianist based in New York. Noted for his “lushly bluesy” sound and “adroitly blended…textures” (New York Times), he is the artistic director of ShoutHouse, a collective of hip-hop, jazz, and classical musicians. His 40-minute song cycle for rappers, soloists, and chamber orchestra, Cityscapes, was released on New Amsterdam Records in 2019.
As a pianist, he has a passion for both new and old music, particularly the works of J.S. Bach, with a repertoire that includes the complete Goldberg Variations and Well-Tempered Clavier. Healy studied composition at The Juilliard School, where his primary teachers were Samuel Adler, John Corigliano, and Steven Stucky.
Recent awards include a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, the W.K. Rose Fellowship, and a J-Fund commission. Healy’s work has appeared recently at The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, New York City Ballet, and (le) Poisson Rouge, among others.
Recent projects include: commissions for Copland House and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, arranging for the New York Philharmonic, and writing a full-length musical recorded remotely by a cast of 25 musicians. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Silvie Cheng

Since her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, Chinese-Canadian pianist Silvie Cheng has performed in concert halls across the globe, from New York’s Steinway Hall to Brussels’ Flagey Hall, and Montréal’s Maison Symphonique to Shanghai’s Poly Theatre. As guest soloist, she was most recently featured with Symphony Nova Scotia and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra.
Silvie tours extensively in North America, Europe, and Asia as the pianist of Cheng² Duo alongside her cellist brother, Bryan Cheng—they have released a trilogy of critically-acclaimed albums on the German label audite. Her performances, recordings, and interviews have been broadcast on WQXR, WCRB, Radio-Canada International, Vermont Public Radio, in Austria, Korea, Russia, Scotland, Germany, and more.
Silvie’s affinity for working closely with the composers of our time has led to nearly fifty world premieres, in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Cornell University, and the National Gallery of Canada. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, graduating with the Roy M. Rubinstein Award for exceptional promise in piano performance. Passionate about connecting with the next generation, she is a teaching-artist of MSM’s Distance Learning program in New York City, where she is currently based. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Amir Farid

Based in New York City and Melbourne Australia, Amir Farid is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician internationally, appearing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Musica Viva Festival, Huntington Festival, Mona Foma, and Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia.
He has performed concerti with the major Australian orchestras, and his recordings are heard frequently on radio stations throughout Australia and internationally, including as pianist of the Benaud Trio.
Amir is also a recorded artist on the Steinway & Sons Spirio catalogue. In New York, Amir is a staff pianist for the Juilliard School and New York Philharmonic. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Alejandro Senior

A graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Alejandro Señior is a music director and pianist in NYC. Music Directing Credits at companies including: Actor’s Playhouse, Belen Jesuit Preparatory, Area Stage Company, University of Miami, Miami Children’s Theatre, among others. Some favorite credits as Music Director include: Beauty and The Beast, Addams Family, Little Shop of Horrors, CATS, Lion King, and Frog and Toad.
Alejandro was accepted into the Summer Music Internship program at Transcendence Theatre Company. Located in Sonoma, California, Transcendence produces a unique seasonal programming of live outdoor Broadway-style concerts, the award-winning Broadway Under the Stars. Alejandro is now a music team regular as their Summer Music Coordinator. These concerts featured incredible Broadway Performers including Leslie McDonnel (American Idiot, Hairspray), Tony Gonzalez (Mamma Mia!), Shaleah Adkisson (Rent, Hair), Beth Kirkpatrick (Les Miserables), Felicia Finley (Smokey Joes), and so many others!
Alejandro has also worked with Broadway Workshop, Applause, AfterWork Theatre, Joseph Harrell Voice Studio, and Broadway Artists Alliance., He’s also performed at 54 Below, Greenroom 42, and The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Alejandro is a freelance musician and educator, teaching at various educational institutions including NYU, Beacon High School, Horace Mann, and his own private studio. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Ian Axness

Ian Axness is a versatile conductor, collaborative pianist, and coach with a passion for music-theatre and song performance. An Oberlin Conservatory graduate, he enjoys a wide range of performance projects, including opera, cabaret, and devised contemporary theatre, as well as musicals such as Sweeney Todd (Barrow Street), Carousel (NY Philharmonic), and Beardo (Pipeline Theatre - Drama Desk nomination).
Ian has worked with Ars Nova, Joe's Pub, 92nd Street Y, Shakespeare in the Park, New Dramatists, Two River Theater, NY City Opera, NYU Skirball, Mannes School of Music, and Juilliard, and spent five years on faculty at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. He continues to teach and accompany for The Performing Arts Project, and is grateful for all manner of musical travels and adventures. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Grace Han

At the age of 12, California born pianist Grace Han, made her orchestral debut at Colburn’s Zipper Hall performing the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor with the Torrance Symphony Orchestra. Among her awards are prizes with the Korea Times Piano Competition, Southern California Bach Competition, Music Teacher’s Association of California Piano Solo and Concerto Competition, and recently, the Rondo Young Artist Piano Competition in New York City.
She has held solo performances in various venues in Los Angeles and New York including the Steinway Piano Gallery, Yamaha Peninsula Music Center, Kaufman Music Center, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
She is equally active as a chamber musician and has coached and performed with Daniel Avshalomov, Alan Kay, and David Krakauer, as well as participated in chamber music programs such as the YMF Chamber Music Series. Most recently, she performed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space with the New Amsterdam Orchestra.
As a private piano teacher, she teaches both the ABRSM and NYSTL curriculum where many of her students have excelled. Ms. Han holds a Bachelors and Master of Music Degree in the Classical Piano Performance Program from the Manhattan School of Music. She has studied previously with Dr. Louise Lepley, Dr. Solomon Mikowsky, and Alexandre Moutouzkine. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Ian LeRoy

Ian LeRoy is an NYC-based music director, pianist, and teacher. Favorite credits include The Songs of Braver and Dean (Lincoln Center), Once Upon a Rhyme (NYU Tisch Drama Stage), She Loves Me (Creede Repertory Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Near West Theatre), Spring Awakening (Youngstown State University), Edges (University of Mount Union) and the All-Ohio production of Once On This Island with the Ohio Educational Theatre Association.
He is currently a staff pianist for NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program, and is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Nathan Dame

Nathan Dame is a writer and music director.
His musical, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, with Rob Baumgartner, Jr, was developed at Goodspeed and Bucks County Playhouse. Some credits: Pretty Filthy (The Civilians, OCR); Be More Chill (Two River Theater, Original Cast Recording); Dying For It (Atlantic); Mr. Burns (associate MD, Playwrights Horizons); What's It All About? (assoc. music director, New York Theatre Workshop.
He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Karen Dryer

Karen Dryer is a pianist, vocalist, vocal teacher and musical director. She has been a music educator for over 20 years and has worked with students on numerous musical theater performances, shows and individual performances. She currently is a vocal teacher at New York University and has a private studio based in Soho. Karen has worked with students on Broadway and off Broadway productions.
As a musician, Karen has toured with three Broadway National Tours. And has recently subbed on the National tours of Aladdin, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Cats. She has music-directed numerous off Broadway productions, most notably Playwrights Horizons “The CHRISTIANS” which won a Drama Desk award in 2016.
Karen enjoys playing piano for musical theater classes, rehearsals, and shows and loves to sing whenever she isn’t teaching. Karen is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, and is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

James Sheppard

James Sheppard is a versatile musician and teaching artist living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. James has composed for Sasha Velour's shows Nightgowns, Smoke and Mirrors, One Dollar Drags and her cover of Weill and Brecht's Pirate Jenny. He has also written for the Living Arts Collaborative, where his concerts Old MacDonald Had a Band, The Story of Babar the Elephant and Help Us Compose a Song have traveled to over fifty school districts in the Adirondacks.His collaborations with chanteuse Daphne Always resulted in a residency at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Joe's Pub and the Joco Cruise. Recently they won a Brooklyn Nightlife Award for Best Musical Group. As an educator, James is on faculty at the Diller-Quaile School of Music for their early childhood and instrumental vocal departments. James graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a BM and MM in Classical Composition under the Jay Rubinton Scholarship.

Jason Wirth

"One of the finest collaborative pianists I have heard" as well as "an impressive musician in his own right" (New York Concert Review), Jason Wirth "spun a gossamer web of unusual sounds on the piano" (The New York Times) in appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, in addition to solos with the Moscow Philharmonic and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
As a collaborator, Jason has performed with many major opera stars such as Eric Owens, Angel Blue, and drag superstar Monet X Change. Jason's recording of Poulenc's The Story of Babar with film star Michael Douglas has been released on Naxos, and he worked as a pianist and coach for the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, Arizona Opera, Sante Fe Opera and the American Ballet Theatre, as well as holding the Chair of the Collaborative Piano at Wintergreen Music Festival. As a music director he has led shows with New Camerata Opera, Lighthouse Opera (Verdi's Rigoletto and Floyd's Susannah), and the Modern Opera Company, of which he is a co-founder (Menotti's The Medium and Amahl and the Night Visitors, Sondheim's Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd and Weill's Street Scene).
Jason is also a passionate advocate for the music of today, having participated in numerous workshops of new works with the American Lyric Theatre and the Center for Contemporary Opera, among others. An alum of Mannes School of Music and Yale School of Music, Jason currently lives and works in New York City, where he maintains an active vocal coaching studio, working with both established and emerging artists.

Luc Cheng

Pianist Luc Cheng is an active soloist and chamber musician based in New York City. Currently, Luc is a staff pianist at The Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music and Hunter College. He is also deeply passionate about singing while laying the foundation for his own vocal studio heralding the Manuel García School of bel canto.

Patrick Thompson

Patrick Thompson is a writer and musician. Currently, he works at Carnegie Hall as a songwriter and performer with their early childhood education and community outreach programming. At New York City Center, he works as a teaching artist and has been creating new curriculums bringing musical theatre and songwriting to all five boroughs. As a music director, he has worked with NYU, The National Theatre Institute, Lincoln Center Theater, Berklee College of Music, CO_LAB and many others. He has regularly performed with many artists including Tony winner Ali Stroker as well as Grammy winner Falu. Recently, he has been working with Pink Umbrella Theater Company to create new accessible musicals for actors and audiences that identify with disabilities.

Keve Wilson

— Woodwinds & Brass —

Hailed by the New York Times for her “magnificently sweet tone,” oboist and educator Keve Wilson excused herself from music theory and history as a kid to practice Irish jigs and reels instead.
Currently oboist with the Broadway revival Company, Keve inspires high school band and orchestra students with her original show Believe NYC---from the Band Room to Broadway. Other Broadway shows she has played in include Carousel and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
She has traveled with her oboe and performed in Argentina, Austria, Dubai, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Sicily, South Africa, South Korea and all across the United States.
Keve teaches early childhood music at The Diller-Quaile and Church Street Music Schools, and has been a teaching artist for the 92Y and Bridge Arts Ensemble. A winner of Concert Artists Guild and solo oboist with the Grammy nominated Absolute Ensemble, she released her album Pure Imagination on Composers Concordance/NAXOS. A two-time recipient of the Clifford-Levy Creativity Grant, Keve traveled to Makuleke Village in South Africa to learn and teach folk songs of the region. From Hyde Park, NY and a graduate of Eastman School of Music, Keve lives in Manhattan with her husband Kerry and Portuguese water dog Bugsy. She is a former member of the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Kirk Knuffke

As a winner of DownBeat Magazine’s “Rising Star” critics poll in 2015, Cornetist and composer Kirk Knuffke has released 18 recordings as leader or co-leader and is featured as a sideman on over 50 recordings with Matt Wilson, Allison Miller, Butch Morris, Uri Caine, Pierre Dorge and Michael Formanek to name a few.
The New York Times tagged Knuffke as “one of New York City’s Busiest Musicians.” Originally from Colorado, self-taught Knuffke began playing with Butch Morris after landing in NYC in 2005. Knuffke then joined the celebrated Matt Wilson Quartet in 2009, recording Gathering Call (Palmetto) featuring John Medeski. He also currently performs with Allison Miller, Mary Halvorson, and groups led by John Medeski, Charlie Hunter, Ben Allison, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Bill Goodwin and Karl Berger.
His 2015 release Arms and Hands (Royal Potato Family) garnered praise from every major jazz publication, 4 Stars in DownBeat and a write-up in the Sunday New York Times. Feature articles in DownBeat and JazzTimes have spotlighted Knuffke’s unique talent. As a Teaching Artist, Knuffke has taught master classes at many universities including The Frost School of music in Miami, The University of Michigan, The University of Colorado, and many more. He is a former artist with the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Dan Linden

Daniel Linden (M.M. from the New England Conservatory in Trombone Performance) has toured the U.S., Europe and Asia with orchestras, opera companies and rock bands. He regularly plays in Broadway and Off Broadway productions and has made many recordings in classical, jazz and pop/world genres. He has performed on Fox News, CBS, MSNBC and the Artie Lange Show. Festivals Daniel has played include the Montreal Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors and Bang on a Can Marathon.
Active in world music and jazz, Daniel has worked with David Byrne, Slavic Soul Party, Asphalt Orchestra, The Ed Palermo Big Band, The Gregorio Uribe Big Band and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars. Daniel has taught trombone at Brandeis University and is a teaching artist for Carnegie Hall. From 2018-2020 he held the trombone chair of Fiddler On the Roof in Yiddish Off Broadway at Stage 42. Daniel also writes and records songs under the name Hoosac. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Mark Dover

Clarinetist Mark Dover has always maintained firm roots in classical music, while at the same time devoting his career to searching as deeply as he can into the vast world of improvised music. In 2016, Dover joined the Grammy-nominated wind quintet, Imani Winds. With Imani Winds he maintains a busy touring schedule as well as multiple residencies at institutions such as University of Chicago, Mannes School of Music, Duke University and more.
Past season highlights include premiering Valerie Coleman’s Concerto “Phenomenal Women,” written for Imani Winds with the American Composers Orchestra under George Manahan at Carnegie Hall, as well performances in 2019 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano, and the Albany Symphony under David Alan Miller.
Mark also has an extensive background in jazz and improvised music and has performed and/or recorded with a wide array of musicians, including Vulfpeck, Edward Simon, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, David Binney, Bernard Purdie, Cyrille Aimée, The Temptations, Darren Criss, and many more. He serves on the clarinet faculty at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts as well as CUNY Queens College at the Aaron Copland School of Music.
He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble

Yulia Musayelyan

Yulia Musayelyan is a flutist and composer born in Moscow, Russia. A versatile multi-genre performer and improviser, she leads an original jazz quartet, tango project, and co-leads the Macayú Trio, and plays regularly with the Fernando Huergo Quintet, Marta Gomez, MOZIK, Manhattan Camerata, and Brooklyn Orchestra, among others.
Her chamber works have been performed in New York City and featured in the 2006 short film Natalie Bonn. Yulia has released 4 albums as a leader and co-leader, and recorded on over 30 albums as a sideman. Her latest albums include Unsaid (Next Level, 2020) with her quartet, and Oblivion (ZOHO Music, 2021), with the tango project.
Yulia has toured the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Central and South America with various musical projects. She graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a BM in performance and got her MA in performance and composition from New York University. She joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music in 2017.
She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Anna Urrey

A versatile solo and chamber musician, flutist Anna Urrey performs frequently at venues such as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Le Poisson Rouge and National Sawdust, and engages in a variety of creative projects. As a core member of the Exponential Ensemble, she is passionate about chamber music and curating concert/educational programs.
Anna is the principal flutist of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, the Mark Morris Dance Company, NOVUS NY, and spent three summers at the Castleton Festival as principal flutist under the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel.
Sought after for high-profile concerts, she has shared the stage with a star-studded array of talent, including Plácido Domingo, The Irish Tenors, Patti LaBelle, Brian McKnight, Jennifer Holliday, Jane Birkin and Ólafur Arnalds.
Anna enjoys taking on innovative recording projects, which include the feature films Radium Girls (2018) and Little Women (2019), and in 2021, was a part of the Experiential Orchestra's GRAMMY winning recording of Dame Ethel Smyth's work, The Prison, for Best Classical Solo Album. She is former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Zack Hann

Zachary Hann is a multi-faceted instrumentalist, composer and music educator based in New York City. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he was brought up as a clarinetist in the European classical tradition and has performed in orchestras and chamber groups throughout the world. Notable engagements include an international tour with the Colburn Conservatory Orchestra and performances with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra.
He has performed solo recitals in New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Taipei. He is also active as a saxophonist in a variety of musical settings. In 2017, he gave the United States premiere of Tajik composer Farangis Nurulla-Khoja’s Saxophone Concerto, entitled Ravishi Nur, with the New Juilliard Ensemble.
As a composer, Hann’s work explores the through lines that connect classical, jazz and experimental music. In January 2021, he premiered his work Sunflowers, for synthesizers and alto saxophone, through a live stream performance hosted by the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, MA.
As a music educator, Hann is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of musicians. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble, a non-profit initiative that bringing live music and educational workshops to public schools throughout New York State. He also teaches in the Music Program at Bard College.

Julie Acosta

Julie ‘Jewls’ Acosta is a Grammy Award–winning trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and devoted teaching artist whose career has been powered by curiosity, courage, and a trumpet that doesn’t know how to whisper (most times). Whether behind a studio mic, on camera, or center stage with a full orchestra, Julie brings charisma, and a grounded confidence that feels both powerful and approachable.
A graduate of New World School of the Arts, she began her professional journey as a teenager in Miami’s vibrant Latin music scene, touring with icons such as Celia Cruz and Rey Ruiz. Those early years were a masterclass in rhythm, discipline, and stage presence — lessons she carried with her when she moved to New York City in 2002 with a deep desire to expand her musical voice.
In New York, opportunity met preparation. Julie performed in the 2007 Off-Broadway production “CELIA,” honoring the life of Celia Cruz, under the musical direction of Maestro Isidro Infante, and in 2010 became a core member of the groundbreaking all-women mariachi Flor de Toloache. During her 13-year tenure with the group, they took home a Grammy Award for their album Las Caras Lindas and garnered multiple nominations, helping redefine mariachi for a new generation. The ensemble became a pivotal chapter in her artistic life — one that shaped her as a performer, arranger, songwriter, and producer, and took her to stages across the world.
Julie’s versatility has made her a sought-after collaborator across genres. She has toured and recorded with Alejandro Sanz, Eddie Palmieri, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jose Alberto “El Canario”, La India, Los Hermanos Lebron, Tito Puente Jr. , The Arcs, Ha*Ash, Giovanni Almonte, Pedro Martinez, The Sinfonietta, Igmar Thomas & Revive, SOLJO and many others.
A trusted collaborator in the studio, she has also worked alongside acclaimed producers including George Noriega, Rafa Sardina, Dan Auerbach, Leon Michels, Andrés Levín, and Ray Chew — experiences that have sharpened her instincts in the studio and deepened her range as a performer and creative architect. Her trumpet lines cut with authority. Her arrangements breathe. Her vocals are airy + sultry with a bit of mystery, grace, and just enough edge to keep things interesting.
Whether performing with a full orchestra at Carnegie Hall, NPR’S Tiny Desk, appearing at the Kennedy Center, the Tony Awards, or shaping songs behind the scenes, she brings warmth, precision, and unmistakable fire to every project. Her playing is grounded yet bold — equally at home in mariachi, salsa, pop, classical, and beyond.
Her voice extends beyond music performance into television and broadcast, including appearances on Apple TV’s Little Voice, voiceover radio commercials for Kohls, and PBS Kids’ Emmy-nominated PEG + CAT (“The Mariachi Problem”).
Equally important to her artistry is education. As a Teaching Artist with Midori & Friends, the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program, and Living Arts Collaborative she helps students discover their creative voice and build confidence through music. Julie is deeply committed to mentorship and creative empowerment, she believes discipline and joy can coexist — that excellence doesn’t require ego — and that sometimes the best way to lead is with grace, strength, a light heart and a good laugh.
At her core, she is a collaborator, a builder, and a lifelong student of sound — an artist who honors where she’s been while leaning toward what’s next.
www.jewlbop.com
Instagram: Jewlbop Julie Acosta
Facebook: Julie Jewlbop Badeebop

Sam Atlas

Trumpet player Sam Atlas is a freelance musician and teacher in NYC. She performs regularly with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Pegasus the Orchestra. As an avid educator as well, Sam has created and maintained a small trumpet studio since 2017. Most recently, she taught local community members while attending the Aspen Music Festival. Sam earned her Master of Music in Orchestral Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Ethan Bensdorf. She completed her Bachelor of Music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Roy Poper.

— Strings —

Colin Stokes

Cellist, composer and electronic artist Colin Stokes tours extensively as a member of the genre- defying electro-classical project Symphoniacs, and the contemporary classical ensemble Zohn Collective.
As a member of Symphoniacs, Colin Stokes has released albums with Universal Music and Warner Music Japan and in 2017 performed for a live audience of 600,000 people at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. YouTube videos of his performances have been viewed over 10 million times and televised broadcasts of his performances reached 45 million people in 2016 alone.
As a founding member of Zohn Collective, Colin has recently released a recording of music by Matthew Schreibeis on Albany Records. In 2018-2019 he toured with Zohn Collective and the Mexican puppet theater company La Coperacha in the US and Mexico, performing the Pulitzer Prize Finalist composition Comala by Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon.
Colin Stokes completed his Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate at the Eastman School of Music and his Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School as well as further studies in cello and electronic music in Manhattan School of Music’s Contemporary Performance Program and traditional Arabic music at Bait al Oud in Abu Dhabi. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Eric Eaton

NYC based cellist Eric Eaton has enjoyed a very diverse career in music playing with symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, rock bands and rappers. He is most passionate about performing chamber music.
He studied at the Manhattan School of Music with David Geber and holds a bachelor's degree in cello performance. Originally from Kansas City Missouri he has travelled all over the world performing concerts and teaching young musicians but has found his home in NY. he is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Robyn Quinnett

Born on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, Robyn Quinnett began playing violin at eight years old. She has won several competitions including the National Mariam Hayes and Ruth Kern Competitions.
Robyn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School studying with Naoko Tanaka and the late Stephen Clapp. In 2019, Robyn completed her DMA from Stony Brook University studying with Hagai Shaham. She has attended the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Colorado College Music Festival, and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil. She has performed with ensembles such as the American Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, and has recently joined Opera Philadelphia.
Robyn is dedicated to community engagement and pedagogy. She founded The Montserrat Music Festival, a summer teaching and performing festival, bringing music education and live chamber music to Montserrat. Her other teaching includes serving as a Violin Faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy. Robyn also enjoys her position as Violin Teacher at The Chapin School in New York City. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Jason Wirth

"One of the finest collaborative pianists I have heard" as well as "an impressive musician in his own right" (New York Concert Review), Jason Wirth "spun a gossamer web of unusual sounds on the piano" (The New York Times) in appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, in addition to solos with the Moscow Philharmonic and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
As a collaborator, Jason has performed with many major opera stars such as Eric Owens, Angel Blue, and drag superstar Monet X Change. Jason's recording of Poulenc's The Story of Babar with film star Michael Douglas has been released on Naxos, and he worked as a pianist and coach for the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, Arizona Opera, Sante Fe Opera and the American Ballet Theatre, as well as holding the Chair of the Collaborative Piano at Wintergreen Music Festival. As a music director he has led shows with New Camerata Opera, Lighthouse Opera (Verdi's Rigoletto and Floyd's Susannah), and the Modern Opera Company, of which he is a co-founder (Menotti's The Medium and Amahl and the Night Visitors, Sondheim's Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd and Weill's Street Scene).
Jason is also a passionate advocate for the music of today, having participated in numerous workshops of new works with the American Lyric Theatre and the Center for Contemporary Opera, among others. An alum of Mannes School of Music and Yale School of Music, Jason currently lives and works in New York City, where he maintains an active vocal coaching studio, working with both established and emerging artists.

Arianna Behrendt

Arianna Behrendt is a Russian-American violinist from the Bay Area, California. She previously studied with David Chernyavsky, member of the San Francisco Symphony and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in violin performance at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where she studies with Isaac Malkin.
Arianna made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 10, performing as a soloist with the Sunset Youth Orchestra. Just two years later, she earned first prize at the Rising Stars International Competition in Riga, Latvia. While her early successes as a soloist were formative, her passion for orchestral music soon became the driving force of her artistic life. She has held principal and concertmaster positions in ensembles including the Golden State Youth Orchestra, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp, the Village Verein Orchestra, and the Eastern Music Festival’s Young Artists Orchestra. She was also a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, where she had the opportunity to lead a holiday sing-along concert under the baton of conductor Daniel Stewart.
In 2025, Arianna co-founded the NYC Orchestra Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering community through collaborative music-making. Her involvement stands as a testament to that dedication—a project that combines musical excellence with collaborative spirit. The initiative reflects her belief in music’s power to connect and inspire. Through her work she continues to explore opportunities that deepen her understanding of people and the collective art of performance.

Chris Santos

Chris Santos is a New York City based cellist born and raised in the Hudson Valley. They freelance extensively in the NYC and Tri-State area.

Daniel Conant

Guitarist Daniel Conant enjoys a burgeoning career as a performing, recording, and teaching artist in his native New York City. In New York, Daniel’s playing has been heard at venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Symphony Space, and the Morgan Library & Museum. He has performed internationally in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Mexico, and Canada, where he was a prizewinner at the Hamilton International Guitar Competition.
Recently, he has appeared in concerts hosted by the Ekmelic Society in Salzburg, Austria, The Village Trip Festival in NYC; and the Staunton Music Festival in Virginia. A champion of new music, Daniel has premiered works by composers Alba Potes, William Anderson, and Jonathan Dawe, among others.
In October 2023, he released his first album, a program of music for flute, viola, and guitar. Daniel looks forward to the upcoming release of Beds of Creeks and Coils, an album of new solo and chamber guitar works by composers Kyle Miller, William Anderson, and Ben Boretz.

Eleonore Oppenheim

Eleonore Oppenheim is a genre surfing musical polyglot. Her current projects include big dog little dog (a duo with composer/violinist Jessie Montgomery), an acoustic trio with art-pop auteur Glasser and multi-instrumentalist Robbie Lee, and the avant folk-jazz supergroup the Hands Free (with James Moore, Caroline Shaw, and Nathan Koci), among others.
Eleonore has an exciting repertoire of commissioned solo pieces and has also worked with established composers including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Meredith Monk, in composer-led ensembles like Missy Mazzoli’s “all-star, all female” bandsemble Victoire and Florent Ghys’ low strings and drums powerhouse Bonjour, with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and with many other artists from the indie rock, jazz, and folk worlds.
In addition to writing and arranging music, she has established herself as a go-to chamber musician, soloist, recording artist, and large ensemble player. Eleonore enjoys working in opera and the theater as well she has held chairs in the broadway shows “Oklahoma!” (dir. Daniel Fish), “Illinoise” (dir./choreo Justin Peck), “Floyd Collins,” (dir. Tina Landau), and two productions with Heartbeat Opera including a chamber version of “the Marriage of Figaro” starring Anthony Roth Costanzo in all of the lead roles at Little Island.
Also a music educator, she directs an ensemble, and teaches various classes at Special Music High School. She is an alumna of the Juilliard School, the Yale School of Music, and Stony Brook University.

Marybeth Bobo

Marybeth Bobo is a Manhattan based violinist working as a recording artist, performer, and educator throughout the Northeast. An Ithaca College graduate passionate about chamber music in all forms, Marybeth brings a conservatory background to the diverse soundscape of New York City. Notable performances within the last few years include opening for Blood Orange at Brooklyn Steel, playing in the New York Arabic Orchestra at David Geffen Hall, and with Tim Janis at Carnegie Hall.
As a recording artist, Marybeth layers the sounds of a string orchestra for clients ranging from religious artists to punk rock bands. Most notably, Marybeth is in the string ensemble for Matt Maeson’s “Everlasting”.
As a Suzuki teacher, Marybeth specializes in breaking complex ideas into accessible steps for children as early as 2 years old. The same heart based principles inform Marybeth’s coaching at the pre-college and college levels at institutions such as NYU and Stockton University.

— Percussionists —

Mariana Ramirez

From Broadway, Off-Broadway, symphonic orchestras, Mexican traditional music for marimba, to chamber and pop music, Mariana Ramirez has performed in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the United States.
Mariana is originally from Mexico City and she is currently based in NYC where she performs regularly with Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, being one of the two women Mexican percussionists on Broadway. Likewise, Mariana has performed with many symphonic orchestras in Mexico and the United States, such as Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional and Dartmouth Symphony, among many others.
In chamber music she recorded with the legendary Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and performed around the United States with her percussion quartet Excelsis formed by 4 women from different countries. Mariana was recently the percussionist of the Broadway National Tour of Once On This Island. She is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Gregory LaRosa

Hailed by the New York Times as having “especially good time,” Greg LaRosa, serves as the Principal Timpanist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Traveling the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, Greg has performed in many of Europe’s most prominent music festivals. He is at home in a variety of musical genres, having performed alongside artists like Sarah McLachlan and Darlene Love.
As an educator, Greg has presented masterclasses and guest lectures throughout the world, including in Dehli, India and Shiga, Japan. He has taught extensively within the New York City Public Schools, and maintains a private teaching studio with students from a variety of age groups and backgrounds.
Greg holds degrees from The Juilliard School and The Colburn School and is proudly a Scholar with the Union League of Philadelphia. He is endorsed by Pearl Drums and Adams Percussion.

David Stevens

David Stevens is a percussionist, drummer, and educator based in New York City.
As an educator, David has taught students of all ages and musical interests. He’s known for his warm and genuine teaching style, as well as his ability to help students transcend their limits.
As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and The Knights.
On Broadway, David has performed in the Tony Award-winning productions of Hello, Dolly!, An American In Paris, and Pippin, as well as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. He recently performed in cities across North America with the first national tour of the hit musical We Will Rock You – The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton.
David received his master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School. He is a former artist with Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Justin Jay Hines

Percussionist, composer, and educator Justin Jay Hines has performed with the New York Philharmonic, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, Alarm Will Sound, and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit.
Since 1997 he has served as a New York Philharmonic Teaching Artist in classrooms, concerts, workshops, and residencies across New York City and Japan. In May 2018 he made his New York Philharmonic debut hosting the Young People’s Concert Inspirations and Tributes: “The Riddle of Shostakovich,” and has gone on to become an annual host of the series.
As a Broadway musician, he has played many Tony Award–winning shows, including In the Heights, Pippin, Caroline or Change, Disney’s Tarzan, and HalfTime.
As an educator, he has collaborated with the Juilliard School, the St. Louis Symphony, New World Symphony, 92nd Street Y, Lincoln Center Education, Carnegie Hall, and the Caramoor Center for the Arts.
Currently, Mr. Hines is a senior composition mentor for the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program, is on the teaching faculty of NYU, and is a former musician and educator for the Bridge Arts Ensemble.

Andrew Beall

Hailed by NY Classical Review as “Spectacularly Virtuosic”, composer/soloist Andrew Beall’s work has been performed in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas. Grammy-winning Broadway Records released albums of his musicals, Song of Solomon and Platinum Girls, which have been produced internationally and domestically, and Goodbye New York, a commission by NewYorkRep, will receive it’s London premiere in 2027.
Recent commissions: “This Is Your Show” for Compassions & Choices and “Jennifer’s Lullaby” for the feature film, Four Cousins and a Christmas.
Broadway: Schmigadoon, Two Strangers, Maybe Happy Ending, Death Becomes Her, Gypsy, Les Miserables, West Side Story, The Notebook, The Lion King, In The Heights, Beetlejuice, Aladdin, Six, Spiderman, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Days of Wine and Roses, Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Off-Broadway: Gotta Dance, Cyrano, War Words.
Mr. Beall has appeared twice as a soloist with the Siberian Symphony Orchestra.
Training: Manhattan School of Music and New York University.

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