2008

Roberto Plano
Pianist

Roberto Plano is a fine young Italian pianist, and a sweet soul. He cherishes living in a small town in Italy, rather than in a big musical capital like Vienna or New York. He's impeccably polite, softspoken, articulate, charmingly shy. But when he sits at the piano, he unleashes a cascade of sound, and a torrent of emotion.

2008

Blackburn and Lang
Percussion and Flute

Helen Blackburn is currently principal flute of the Dallas Opera Orchestra and is on the faculty of Texas Christian University. She appears frequently in recital across the country and in Europe as a soloist and also with her husband, Drew Lang, in their flute/marimba duo. Ms. Blackburn has numerous credits with major performing arts organizations, both as a featured soloist and as a member, including the Aspen Music Festival, the South Bohemia Music Festival, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. A prizewinner of the Myrna W. Brown Artist Competition, the Ft. Collins Young Artist Competition, and the Aspen Wind Concerto Competition, she has served on the faculties of Stephen F. Austin State University and McMurry University and is a former president of the Texas Flute Society.

2008

Rodica Oancea-Gonzalez, Mihaela Oancea- Frusina, and Ilonka Rus
Violin, Violin and Piano

The Fidelis Quartet formed in 1997 is one of Houston's premier chamber music esembles, comprised of four Houston Symphony musicians with a keen interest in the quartet repertoire.

2009

Adam Wodnicki
Pianist

Internationally renowned pianist, recording artist and pedagogue, Polishborn artist Adam Wodnicki has received acclaim on five continents for his dramatic interpretations, poetic sensitivity and brilliant technique. He can be heard on Muza, Folkways, Centaur, Wergo, Altarus, Klavier, and Dux labels. Recordings of cello and piano sonatas by Dzubay, Muczynski and Shostakovich with cellist Carter Enyeart (Centaur) and solo discs with piano works by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (Altarus) received rave notices: ‘one of the year’s best contemporary chamber music albums’ (Chicago Tribune), ‘incontestable brilliance’ (H.C. Schonberg in American Record Guide), and ‘a recording by a master pianist’ (Journal of the American Liszt Society).

2009

The Austin Children’s Choir

Austin Children’s Choir raises awareness of ethnically and globally diverse choral traditions, raises selfesteem and public performance skills, and professionally develops young artists who contribute to the cultural fabric of the city. We instill in our children the idea of thinking globally by acting vocally.

2009

Brass Roots Trio

San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble is a unique ancient world music ensemble that accompanies ancient vocal music on a diverse collection of early and traditional instruments from the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.

The musical fusion of French Horn, Piano and Trumpet and a brilliant tenor explodes into an extraordinary fourth personality…Brass Roots Trio. Blending the classical chamber music genre with contemporary American styles, the trio has created a new sound that transcends traditional musical boundaries. Their musical trek through classical, baroque, jazz, ragtime, folk and gospel styles has lead to a repertoire of hundreds of ingenious original arrangements.

2009

San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble

The group made its debut in 1989 at San Antonio's historic San Fernando Cathedral, presenting Latin American music from the colonial period. In the years that have followed SAVAE has made fiveTrio Contraste arrived on the concert scene in 1992 and since that time has developed a devoted following across the United States and in Europe. Established by three successful solo artists with international careers individually, the group takes great pleasure in presenting the unusual and exciting works composed for the unique instrumentation created when these musicians come together. In recent years the ensemble has performed concerts in such varied venues as Nice, Brussels, the Hague, Riga, Houston, Tulsa, and Detroit.

2009

Trio Contraste
Violin, clarinet and piano

Trio Contraste arrived on the concert scene in 1992 and since that time has developed a devoted following across the United States and in Europe. Established by three successful solo artists with international careers individually, the group takes great pleasure in presenting the unusual and exciting works composed for the unique instrumentation created when these musicians come together. In recent years the ensemble has performed concerts in such varied venues as Nice, Brussels, the Hague, Riga, Houston, Tulsa, and Detroit.

As the name suggests, Trio Contraste is noteworthy for its variety of sounds as well as its variety of repertoire. Violinist William Terwilliger, clarinetist Martha MacDonald, and pianist Andrew Cooperstock represent three complementary instrumental families and, when performing such works as Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat , actually create an “orchestral” sound.