Alexandre Moutouzkine

The Dallas Morning News said Russian-American pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine, “played Brahms’ Op. 117 Intermezzi more beautifully, more movingly, than I’ve ever heard them. At once sad, tender and noble, this was playing of heart-stopping intimacy and elegance.”
Mr. Moutouzkine has toured throughout Germany, France, Spain, Russia, Italy, and North and South America, as well as in China and Japan. In recent seasons, he has appeared as soloist with the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Television Orchestra of Spain, Cleveland Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Valencia Philharmonic, the Gran Canaria and Tenerife symphonies in the Canary Islands, the National Symphonic Orchestra of Panama, the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba, the Israel Philharmonic, and the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra of the Czech Republic. His recital in London’s Wigmore Hall was hailed by International Piano magazine as “grandly organic, with many personal and pertinent insights, offering a thoughtful balance between rhetoric and fantasy...technically dazzling.” Mr. Moutouzkine’s performance of Chopin Études in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory was recorded live and released on the Classical Music Archives label in Russia. 
The winner of many renowned competition awards, Mr. Moutouzkine claimed top prizes at the Walter W. Naumburg, New Orleans, Cleveland, Montreal, Iturbi (Valencia), and Arthur Rubinstein international competitions, among others. He is a winner of Astral Artists’ 2009 National Auditions, and The Philadelphia Inquirer said of his Philadelphia recital debut under Astral’s auspices, “Moutouzkine’s kind of talent has an impact on his surroundings...[he gives] clarity to his musical choices, but heat to the conviction behind them,” and went on to say that his is “a career that will matter.” Recent highlights include debuts at the Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic in Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Berliner Symphoniker, a chamber music concert in Lincoln Center’s Kaplan Penthouse with the Jasper String Quartet, an appearance with The Philadelphia Orchestra on its “Beyond the Score” series, performances of complete solo works of S. Rachmaninoff on the “Carnegie Room” series in NY, and recitals throughout Asia, including appearances in the Beijing Concert Hall and Japan’s Yokohama Hall. The Greenwich Citizen claimed of his recent debut with the Greenwich Symphony in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 that Mr. Moutouzkine is “poised to join the pantheon of greats...outperforming even the composer himself.” Following the success of a performance of his own solo piano transcription of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, performed live alongside specially commissioned animation entitled “Who Stole The Mona Lisa?” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, he made his New York premier of the work at the 92 Street Y concert series and the Merkin Concert Hall in 2014/15 season.  
Alexandre Moutouzkine holds undergraduate degrees from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover and Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Music Academy and a Master’s degree and post-graduate degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Solomon Mikowsky. He received a 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award from MSM, and joined its faculty in September 2013. 

Arnold Steinhardt

Arnold Steinhardt was born in Los Angeles, receiving his early training from Karl Moldrem, Peter Meremblum and Toscha Seidel, and making his solo debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at age fourteen. He continued his studies with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute of Music and with Joseph Szigeti in Switzerland in 1962 under the sponsorship of George Szell.
Winner of the Philadelphia Youth Competition in 1957, the 1958 Leventritt Award, and Bronze Medallist in the Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition in 1963, Mr. Steinhardt has appeared throughout North America and Europe as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others.

Mr. Steinhardt is first violinist and a founding member (1964) of the internationally acclaimed Guarneri String Quartet with which he has made innumerable tours across the globe and recorded dozens of albums for RCA Victor, Philips, Arabesque and Surrounded By Entertainment. The quartet retired in 2009. He is professor of violin and chamber music at Colburn Music School, the University of Maryland, Bard College, and the Curtis Institute of Music. 

Arnold Steinhardt has written two books: Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998); and Violin Dreams (Houghton Mifflin, 2006).  He is the author of articles which have appeared in Chamber Music America, Musical America and Keynote. Recipient of Honorary Doctorates from the University of South Florida and Harpur College, Arnold Steinhardt has also received an award for distinguished cultural service from the City of New York presented by Mayor Koch. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010.

Mr. Steinhardt's recordings include Franz Schubert's complete works for violin and piano with Seymour Lipkin on Newport Classic, American Journey on Naxos Records with his brother Victor Steinhard featuring a variety of seldom heard American music and three new works written for him, two CD’s on Sheffield Lab with pianist Lincoln Mayorga: Strauss and Dvorak and Romantic Music for Violin and Piano which he recorded "direct-to-disc"; and a TownHall recording of unaccompanied Bach works.

Arnold Steinhardt plays a Lorenzo Storioni violin from Cremona, Italy, late 18th century.

Jonathan Spitz

Jonathan Spitz has served as Principal Cellist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since 1991. He has established himself as one of the leading cellists in the New York area with his performances as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral principal. He tours internationally as a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and serves as one of that ensemble’s artistic directors. He also performs as Principal Cellist of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra and the American Symphony Orchestra at the Bard Music Festival.

Spitz has performed as a soloist with the NJSO on numerous occasions, including performances of the cello concertos of Schumann, Dvořák and Haydn, as well as Brahms’ Double Concerto with NJSO Concertmaster Eric Wyrick. He has also performed frequently as a soloist with Orpheus, the Riverside Sinfonia and Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He first performed Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme as a 16-year-old soloist with the Bergen Youth Orchestra.

An active chamber musician, Spitz was a participant at the Marlboro Music Festival and has performed with legendary artists such as Rudolf Serkin, Benita Valente, Felix Galimir and Oscar Shumsky.

He is in great demand as a teacher and serves on the faculties of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, the Brevard Music Center and Sommer Sinfonie in Valdres, Norway. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, Spitz has recorded for multiple record labels.

Spitz performs on a cello by Grubaugh and Seifert from 2012.

Lidia Boguslavsky

One of the most distinguished pianists to emerge from the former Soviet Union, Lidia Boguslavsky has captured audiences throughout the United States, Europe and Russia with a “brilliant combination of technical assurance and sensitivity.”            

Ever since her debut with the Byelorussian State Philharmonic at the age of 14, Ms. Boguslavsky has been recording and performing extensively, both with orchestras and in solo recitals in major cities of the Soviet Republics. Among her many honors and awards are the Byelorussian Government’s Honorable Award, the Superior Teaching Award from the Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition in New York, and top prizes at the Byelorussian National Competition and the Soviet All-State Competition. A major advocate of contemporary music, Ms. Boguslavsky has premiered and recorded many works by leading Russian and Byelorussian composers and many of them wrote some works in consideration of her artistic individuality. Her passion for collaborative work resulted in a highly successful partnership with the celebrated Metropolitan Opera soloist, Dimitri Kavrakos. 

Lidia Boguslavsky began her distinguished teaching career early, becoming one of the youngest piano professors at the Byelorussian State Conservatory upon receiving her Doctorate at the age of 25. Among her students are many successful soloists, chamber musicians and collaborative artists who actively perform and teach both in Russia and abroad.

A highly sought-after pedagogue, Ms. Boguslavsky has published numerous scholarly works, including Working on New Repertoire and The Art of Legato, where she introduced her own methods that reflect on the celebrated Russian school of piano playing. Lidia Boguslavsky has presented master classes in St. Petersburg, Moscow, New York, as well as in Lithuania, Latvia, Germany and Spain and has served as a judge at various competitions, including the MTNA State Competition and The Young Pianists Competition in New Jersey.

Ms. Boguslavsky holds degrees from the Moscow Gnessin Pedagogical Institute (DMA), the Moscow Conservatory, and the Byelorussian Academy of Music. Among her teachers are such renowned performers and pedagogues as Yakov Milstein, Alexander Yoheles and Eugene Malinin.  

Lidia Boguslavsky is a member of the piano faculty of the Rowan University in New Jersey and Summit Music Festival in New York.  She has also taught and performed at Burgos International Music Festival in Spain, Northern Lights Music Festival in Minnesota, Weimar Festival in Germany as well as serving on a faculty at the College of Staten Island, the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase and Wagner College.

Scott Brubaker

Scott Brubaker has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1973, when he won his position at the age of 21.  Over the course of four decades, he has enjoyed the opportunity of working closely with most of the great conductors, singers, and instrumentalists of this era.  Mr. Brubaker has also developed a notable career as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist, performing throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.  In Japan he has made fifteen concert tours, seven as a featured soloist with the NY Symphonic Ensemble and the NY Philharmonia Virtuosi.  Dedicated to enriching the repertoire for solo horn, and the public’s awareness of the horn as a solo voice worthy of greater attention, Mr. Brubaker has commissioned, premiered, and recorded the works of outstanding American composers.  Additionally, he has transcribed, published, and recorded several important transcriptions.  Mr. Brubaker has performed chamber music with the Marlboro Festival, the Emerson String Quartet, Speculum Musicae, Harmonie Ensemble, I Musici de Montreal, and the MET Chamber Series.  He has appeared with such eminent orchestras as the Boston Symphony, the NY Philharmonic, the Leningrad Philharmonic, St. Luke’s, and Orpheus, while summering with such festivals as the Colorado, Grand Teton, Manchester, Mostly Mozart, and New Hampshire Music Festivals.  A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Mr. Brubaker has taught on the faculties of the Brooklyn conservatory and Princeton University.  His recordings may be found on the Chandos, Albany, Music & Arts, Well-Tempered, and Koch International labels.  The Metropolitan Opera’s recent release of Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle on DVD recently won a Grammy for best opera recording of 2013.

Pascual Martinez Forteza

A native of Mallorca, Spain, clarinetist Pascual Martínez Forteza joined the New York Philharmonic in 2001, the first and only Spanish musician in the Orchestra’s history. Prior to his appointment with the Philharmonic, he held tenure with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and at age 18 he was assistant principal and later acting principal of the Baleares Symphony Orchestra in Spain. He has recently performed as guest principal clarinet with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle.

Mr. Martínez Forteza appears regularly as a soloist, recitalist, and master-class teacher at international festivals and conservatories, including the International Clarinet Festival of Chanchung (China), ClarinetFest 2009 (Porto, Portugal), Buffet Crampon Summer Clarinet Festival (Jacksonville, Florida), University of Southern California, Mannes School of Music, The Juilliard School, New Jersey Clarinet Symposium, XI Encuentro Internacional de Clarinetes de Lisboa (Portugal), Mexico Clarinet Convention, and I Latinoamerican Clarinet Congress (Lima, Peru). Past and future engagements include solo performances of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, Weber’s Clarinet Concertos Nos.1 and 2, Krommer’s Concerto for Two Clarinets, Rossini’s Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra, and Luigi Bassi’s Fantasy on Themes from Verdi’s Rigoletto. He frequently collaborates with Philharmonic colleagues in New York City venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Carnegie Hall.

Since 2003 Mr. Martínez Forteza and Spanish pianist Gema Nieto have played throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States as Duo Forteza-Nieto. Together they founded the Benifaio Music Festival in Spain, where Philharmonic colleagues have joined them for a week of master classes and concerts. A decade ago Mr. Martínez Forteza founded Vent Cameristic, a wind ensemble of professional musicians from Spain. As a soloist with that ensemble, he has played every year at the Concerts d’Estiú in Valencia, Spain. In 2003 Spanish National Radio (RNE) produced a CD featuring selections from these performances. Mr. Martínez Forteza has also made recordings for radio and television in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Pascual Martínez Forteza started playing clarinet at age ten with his father, Pascual V. Martínez, principal clarinet of the Baleares Symphony Orchestra for 30 years and teacher at the Baleares Conservatory of Music in Spain. Mr. Martínez Forteza earned his master’s degree from the Baleares and Liceo de Barcelona Music Conservatories in Spain and pursued advanced studies with Yehuda Gilad at the University of Southern California, where he won first prize in the university’s 1998 Concerto Competition.

Mr. Martínez Forteza is currently a faculty member at New York University and teaches orchestral repertoire at Manhattan School of Music. A Buffet Crampon Artist and Vandoren Artist, he plays Green Line Tosca Buffet clarinets and uses Vandoren reeds and M30D mouthpieces.

Vladimir Valjarevic

Vladimir Valjarevic - A dedicated chamber musician and soloist, pianist Vladimir Valjarevic has been praised for his “caressing legato,” “silk-on-velvet seductiveness” (Fanfare Magazine), “beautiful lyricism and . . . wide variety of tones and colorings, perceptively applied with care” (All Music Guide). He has also been called “an outstandingly responsive partner and superb tonalist” (The Strad). His performances have taken him throughout America, Europe, and Asia, and have garnered enthusiastic critical acclaim. Valjarevic has collaborated with numerous contemporary composers in various projects, including commissions, recordings, and world premiers. He has recorded for Labor Records, Romeo Records, Centaur Records, and MSR Classics.  

Valjarevic studied in his native Bosnia, at Mannes School of Music (BM & MM), Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University (DMA) and at Geneva Conservatory in Switzerland, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. His primary piano instructors are Pavlina Dokovska, Pascal Devoyon, Susan Starr, and Planinka Jurisic-Atic.  Valjarevic is on piano faculty at Mannes School of Music (College, Prep, MannesNext) and Mason Gross School of the Arts.  He teaches piano pedagogy and piano literature at Mannes and Rutgers.  His festival affiliations include Beijing International Music Festival and Academy in China, Round Top in Texas, International Institute for Young Musicians in Kansas, and "Pianophoria!" in New York City.

John Romeri

Flutist John Romeri maintains an active performance schedule throughout New York City and the Northeast, often performing with ensembles such as Orchestra of St. Lukes, American Ballet Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra LUMOS, American Symphony Orchestra, the Glimmerglass Opera Festival Orchestra, On Site Opera as well as many other regional orchestras. Mr. Romeri is also a sought-after player of Broadway shows including the recent revival of Carousel starring Renée Fleming. Other Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd, Wicked, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard, She Loves Me, An American in Paris, On the Town, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, Ragtime, Mary Poppins, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and the Lincoln Center revivals of My Fair Lady and The King and I. Television appearances include Mildred Pierce [HBO], Late Night with Jimmy Fallon [NBC], and NBC's The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live!. John can also be heard on Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s Grammy winning album, “Love For Sale”.

Mr. Romeri often performs with chamber ensembles such as American Modern Ensemble (AME), Orchestra of St. Lukes Chamber Series, Alarm Will Sound, and Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, to name a few. Mr. Romeri is also the co-founder and director of Broadway Chamber Players – a chamber series based in New York City’s Times Square featuring the exceptionally diverse artists of Broadway.

Mr. Romeri holds two bachelor's degrees—in flute performance and music composition—from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where he studied with flutist Dr. Mary Posses and composers, Dr. Chen Yi, Dr. Zhou Long, and James Mobberley. Mr. Romeri received his master’s degree in flute performance from Mannes College - The New School for Music, where he studied with American Ballet Theater Principal Flute Judy Mendenhall. Other influential teachers include, Jacob Berg and Jan Gippo from the St. Louis Symphony, Walfrid Kujala from the Chicago Symphony, Sir William Bennett, Keith Underwood.  An avid educator himself, John has served on the music faculties of New York University, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, PS212 – The Professional Performing Arts School, Bard Advanced High School – Early College, The Ethical Culture School, and The Calhoun School.