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September 13-14, 2025・Reverberations ・Program featuring string quartets by Smetana, Beethoven, and Shostakovich
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November 7-8, 2025・Piano Quartet Program
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January 15-17, 2026・String Sextet Program
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March 21, 2026・Clarinet Quintet Program
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May 15, 2026・Igor Stravinsky L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)
September 13-14, 2025・Reverberations
Program featuring string quartets by Smetana, Beethoven, and Shostakovich
John Vaida
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, actively performing across the United States. His recent engagements include performances and teaching roles at prestigious festivals such as the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, with regular appearances on regional radio and television. A Pennsylvania native, he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society, leading the way for the growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region through a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Mr. Vaida currently holds positions at Mansfield University, Lycoming College, and Wilkes University, and he serves as Artist-in-Residence at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students consistently achieve top honors at competitions and gain acceptance to leading conservatories, festivals, and orchestras. A sought-after clinician, he presents workshops nationally, including at notable conferences such as the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. He currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association since spring 2024.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
Arthur Moeller
Arthur Moeller has accompanied the band Vampire Weekend on Saturday Night Live, has toured with the The Knights and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, and since 2021 has held a chair in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra. He has performed chamber music in Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the Sculpture Garden at MoMA, and at various festivals across the U.S. He is the Principal 2nd Violin of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra and has played as a substitute musician with the Princeton Symphony, the Albany Symphony and in various Broadway pits. Arthur attended Juilliard, where he studied with Naoko Tanaka, Cho-Liang Lin, and Ronald Copes. In addition to his performing career, he photographs people and things (www.arthurmoeller.com), reads 18th and 19th century literature, and bakes croissants.
Amy Iwazumi
Having given solo and ensemble performances to critical acclaim in over a dozen countries across five continents, Amy Iwazumi enjoys a diverse career as a musician, web developer and graphic designer, and the co-founder and chief of operations of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society.
She has performed in major venues in the United States such as the Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall), Alice Tully Hall, Rose Theater, and Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center; Harris Hall and the Bayer-Benedict Music Tent in Aspen, Colorado; and the Terrace Theater at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Abroad, she has given performances at notable venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London, UK; Salle Cortot in Paris, France; Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Korea; and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. She has also made TV and radio appearances on WQXR, NPR and CNN in the United States; Viva La Mañana and Tu Mañana in El Salvador; TeleClub in Costa Rica; KBS in South Korea; and NHK Radio in Japan.
She has performed at several music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands, La Jolla Summerfest in California, Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Salzburg Sommerakademie in Austria, and the Taipei International Arts Festival in Taiwan.
Ms. Iwazumi is also a recipient of the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Grant which supported a four-month cultural research residency in Japan where she furthered her studies playing the Shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument, and her practice of Omotesenke school of tea ceremony.
At age eight she was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College Division studying violin with the late Dorothy DeLay and composition with Eric Ewazen. She continued her studies with Ms. DeLay at The Juilliard School receiving her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, and studied chamber music with Martin Canin, the late Jacob Lateiner, the late Seymour Lipkin, and Joel Smirnoff.
Lisa Caravan
Lisa R. Caravan, is an Assistant Professor of Music Teaching and Learning at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, supervises student teachers, and advises graduate research. Her previous positions include Assistant Professor of Music (string education) at Bucknell University and Auburn University.
Dr. Caravan is an experienced performer in a variety of settings, with focus on chamber music and orchestral. She performs with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, an internationally recognized professional ensemble that specializes in “America’s Original Music.” Recently, she recorded with Paragon on their latest CD, Black Manhattan, Volume. 3. Dr. Caravan served as principal cellist of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra and was previously assistant principal cellist in the Binghamton Philharmonic. She has performed with numerous orchestras including Charleston Symphony, Columbus Symphony (GA), and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Caravan has collaborated with numerous performers including pianists Kevin Moore and Sar Shalom Strong, clarinetist/saxophonist Ronald L. Caravan and Todd Wilson, Head of the Organ Department at The Cleveland Institute of Music. She has performed with clarinetist Dr. David Odom and pianist Dr. Jeremy Samolesky as the Plains Trio in Alabama, New York, and Oklahoma. She has also performed in Paris and London with members of the Weis Trio.
As a sought-after clinician, she has been invited to work with orchestra ensembles regionally, nationally, and internationally in London, UK and Perth, Australia. She spent three years as the music director for the Auburn (AL) youth orchestra program and taught instrumental music to students in grades 4-9 in Fairport Central Schools (NY) and Brighton Central schools (NY). Dr. Caravan has presented her research at state, regional and national conferences including the American String Teachers Association, College Music Society, Suzuki Association of Americas Conference, National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference, New York State School Music Association, and others. Her research interests include music teacher preparation, cello pedagogy, and 21st century practice pedagogy.
Dr. Caravan earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and cello performance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Caravan is also a graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, where she earned Master of Music degree in performance and literature, Orchestral Studies Diploma and Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education. At Eastman she studied with Alan Harris, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Violoncello. Dr. Caravan is the first recipient of the Donald Shetler Music Education Prize and received a Teaching Assistant Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
November 7-8, 2025・Piano Quartet Program
John Vaida
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, actively performing across the United States. His recent engagements include performances and teaching roles at prestigious festivals such as the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, with regular appearances on regional radio and television. A Pennsylvania native, he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society, leading the way for the growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region through a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Mr. Vaida currently holds positions at Mansfield University, Lycoming College, and Wilkes University, and he serves as Artist-in-Residence at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students consistently achieve top honors at competitions and gain acceptance to leading conservatories, festivals, and orchestras. A sought-after clinician, he presents workshops nationally, including at notable conferences such as the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. He currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association since spring 2024.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
Amy Iwazumi
Having given solo and ensemble performances to critical acclaim in over a dozen countries across five continents, Amy Iwazumi enjoys a diverse career as a musician, web developer and graphic designer, and the co-founder and chief of operations of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society.
She has performed in major venues in the United States such as the Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall), Alice Tully Hall, Rose Theater, and Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center; Harris Hall and the Bayer-Benedict Music Tent in Aspen, Colorado; and the Terrace Theater at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Abroad, she has given performances at notable venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London, UK; Salle Cortot in Paris, France; Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Korea; and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. She has also made TV and radio appearances on WQXR, NPR and CNN in the United States; Viva La Mañana and Tu Mañana in El Salvador; TeleClub in Costa Rica; KBS in South Korea; and NHK Radio in Japan.
She has performed at several music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands, La Jolla Summerfest in California, Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Salzburg Sommerakademie in Austria, and the Taipei International Arts Festival in Taiwan.
Ms. Iwazumi is also a recipient of the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Grant which supported a four-month cultural research residency in Japan where she furthered her studies playing the Shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument, and her practice of Omotesenke school of tea ceremony.
At age eight she was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College Division studying violin with the late Dorothy DeLay and composition with Eric Ewazen. She continued her studies with Ms. DeLay at The Juilliard School receiving her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, and studied chamber music with Martin Canin, the late Jacob Lateiner, the late Seymour Lipkin, and Joel Smirnoff.
Theodore Buchholz
Theodore Buchholz is the cello professor at the University of Arizona. Described by newspaper critics as a “virtuosic cellist” with a “warm beautiful sound,” he has performed in prominent venues from New York’s Lincoln Center to international halls in Italy and Tokyo.
Buchholz’s album Afterglow: The Forgotten Works for Cello and Piano by Henry Hadley was released by Centaur Records in 2020. Earning the coveted five-star rating, Fanfare Magazine stated “Afterglow displays the composer’s rich harmonic language, and allows Buchholz to show off his impeccable phrasing during which he caresses each note. Its turns of phrase could simply not be more beautifully conceived and executed.” His recording of Hans Winterberg’s Cello Sonata was released under the Toccata label in 2018. Music for a Prince was released by Toccata Records in 2021, featuring the world premiere of works for cello by Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Bliss, and William Walton. As a nationally recognized researcher, Dr. Buchholz’s book The Cellist’s Guide to Scales and Arpeggios was published and internationally distributed by Mel Bay.
A fervent believer in the power of music education to transform lives, he is the Founding Director of the University of Arizona String Project. During the summers he performs and teaches at the Zephyr Music Festival in Italy. Dr. Buchholz’s current and former students perform in orchestras and chamber ensembles around the country and they teach private studios and in schools around the world. His students have been awarded scholarships to leading conservatories and universities, and have won awards in national chamber music and solo competitions. Theodore Buchholz is the recipient of the Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award and he received the Charles and Irene Putnam Award, the College’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in teaching.
Henning Vauth
German pianist Henning Vauth serves as Professor of Piano, Coordinator of Keyboard Studies, Coordinator of Graduate Studies, and Co-Director of the Center for Wellness in the Arts at Marshall University. He is a past President of the West Virginia Music Teachers Association and was named WVMTA Distinguished Leader 2023 and Teacher of the Year 2017.
A laureate at international competitions in Italy and Norway (“Ibla” and “Concours Grieg”), Henning Vauth has performed in the Americas, Europe, and Asia at venues such as the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, the Konzerthaus Berlin, in Germany, and Alice Tully Hall in New York City. He regularly follows invitations as faculty and jury member to international music festivals and competitions, such as the Global Summer Institute of Music – Europe in Bad Vöslau, Austria, the Las Vegas Chamber Music Institute, the Sicily International Music Festival and Competition in Italy, the Summer Academy of Music in Uelzen, Germany, the International Maestro Festival and Competition in Taipei, Taiwan, and the Curso de Perfeccionamiento in Medellin, Colombia. The Chicago Tribune entitled a review of his solo recital: “Pianist delights audience with playing, charm and wit.”
Dr. Vauth’s articles on musicians’ wellness and medicine are published in Piano Magazine, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Experimental Brain Research, Human Movement Science, and Movement Disorders.
Henning Vauth holds a D.M.A. in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in the United States after pursuing previous studies in Hannover, Germany (Musikhochschule), Paris, France (Ecole Normale de Musique) and Michigan (WMU). His teachers include Nelita True, Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, and Nelson Delle-Vigne Fabbri (piano), and William Porter (harpsichord). He received further inspiration in several master classes with Philippe Entremont and Jörg Demus.
January 15-17, 2025・String Sextet Program
John Vaida
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, actively performing across the United States. His recent engagements include performances and teaching roles at prestigious festivals such as the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, with regular appearances on regional radio and television. A Pennsylvania native, he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society, leading the way for the growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region through a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Mr. Vaida currently holds positions at Mansfield University, Lycoming College, and Wilkes University, and he serves as Artist-in-Residence at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students consistently achieve top honors at competitions and gain acceptance to leading conservatories, festivals, and orchestras. A sought-after clinician, he presents workshops nationally, including at notable conferences such as the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. He currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association since spring 2024.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
Ambroise Aubrun
Hailed as a “marvelous violinist” (France Musique) with “sensitive tone” (Pizzicato Magazine), violinist Ambroise Aubrun has performed extensively in Europe and North America and has shared the stage with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Scott St. John, Martin Chalifour, Clive Greensmith, the Borromeo and Ebène string quartets among others.
His albums for the Editions Hortus and Navona Records have embraced a wide range of repertoire from Bach to Tanguy (b.1968) and received praise of the highest caliber (5 stars Pizzicato Journal, “coup de coeur” France Musique, and a nomination for the 2021 International Classical Music Awards).
Aubrun’s performances and albums have been broadcast on CBS, WFMT, France Musique, Klara Radio (Belgium), KPFK, WTUL New-Orleans and K-USC Los Angeles.
He has served as guest concertmaster of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and is a regular guest of the Los Angeles Philharmonic violin sections.
Aubrun studied at the Paris National Superior Conservatory, UCLA and the Colburn Conservatory of Music. He is the winner of the Charles Oulmont Prize of the Fondation de France and laureate of the Langart Foundation in Switzerland.
Currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Aubrun has served on the faculty of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara as well as several academies, and is regularly invited to give masterclasses around the world. He is the artistic director of the Bruman Chamber Music Festival at UCLA.
Aubrun plays a Matteo Goffriller violin, on loan from the Langart Foundation.
Amy Iwazumi
Having given solo and ensemble performances to critical acclaim in over a dozen countries across five continents, Amy Iwazumi enjoys a diverse career as a musician, web developer and graphic designer, and the co-founder and chief of operations of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society.
She has performed in major venues in the United States such as the Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall), Alice Tully Hall, Rose Theater, and Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center; Harris Hall and the Bayer-Benedict Music Tent in Aspen, Colorado; and the Terrace Theater at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Abroad, she has given performances at notable venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London, UK; Salle Cortot in Paris, France; Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Korea; and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. She has also made TV and radio appearances on WQXR, NPR and CNN in the United States; Viva La Mañana and Tu Mañana in El Salvador; TeleClub in Costa Rica; KBS in South Korea; and NHK Radio in Japan.
She has performed at several music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands, La Jolla Summerfest in California, Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Salzburg Sommerakademie in Austria, and the Taipei International Arts Festival in Taiwan.
Ms. Iwazumi is also a recipient of the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Grant which supported a four-month cultural research residency in Japan where she furthered her studies playing the Shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument, and her practice of Omotesenke school of tea ceremony.
At age eight she was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College Division studying violin with the late Dorothy DeLay and composition with Eric Ewazen. She continued her studies with Ms. DeLay at The Juilliard School receiving her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, and studied chamber music with Martin Canin, the late Jacob Lateiner, the late Seymour Lipkin, and Joel Smirnoff.
Aurelien Pederzoli
Violist AURELIEN PEDERZOLI is one of the founders of the Musique dans le Gers music festival, based in southwest France. In 2008, he founded the Anaphora Ensemble, a chamber music project, which appeared frequently on national radio and performed in venues ranging from a jazz club to a symphony hall. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Pederzoli was first violinist of the Corky Siegel Chamber Blues band and toured nationally and internationally with them. He has also collaborated with Rachel Kolly, Christian Chamorel, Daniel Baremboim, Kent Nagano, the Ysaye Quartet, H.J Lim, members of Eighth Blackbird, Shmuel Ashkenasi, the Lincoln Trio and Mathieu Dufour. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Pederzoli performed as a founding member with the Grammy- nominated Spektral Quartet, in residence at the University of Chicago. In 2015, he co-founded the Black Oak Ensemble, a string trio at its core, and has been performing with them ever since. 2018 marked the release of their debut album Silenced Voices on the Cedille label. Mr. Pederzoli is a graduate of the Paris Conservatory and also attended the Bern Hochschule in Switzerland.
Erin Ellis
Cellist Erin Ellis leads a versatile career as a performer and teacher. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the United States as well as in Germany, Canada, Chile, Italy, and Holland. Her CD recording of J. Dall’Abaco’s 11 Capricci for solo cello was recently released on Albany Records, with reviews noting “flawless” technique and “a fresh approach.” She is featured on several other albums, including the recently released Duruflé Requiem with the Georgia State University Choirs. Dr. Ellis is also an accomplished baroque cellist and has appeared with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Indy Baroque Orchestra, and with members of Chatham Baroque.
A dedicated music educator, she maintains an active private studio and is Associate Professor of Cello at West Virginia University, where she teaches cello, coaches WVU’s graduate string quartet (Montani Quartet), and coordinates the string chamber music program. Her students have received recognition at the MTNA Chamber Music Competition, have been Teaching Fellows at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, and have been awarded first prize for Collaborative Faculty Student Mentored Research at WVU. Her students have also been accepted to prestigious organizations such as Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Brevard Summer Music Festival, Sewanee Summer Music Program (as an Orchestral Fellow), Carnegie Hall’s NYO2 program, and Interlochen Academy of the Arts boarding school. Recent graduates have received graduate assistantships and significant stipends for continued study, including a fellowship at the Kennedy Center. Several of her students have received scholarships for Suzuki Cello Teacher Training and are influential teachers in the region and abroad.
Dr. Ellis is a regular presenter at professional conferences, including the College Music Society’s National Conference, the WVMEA Conference, the PMEA/NAfME Eastern Division Conference, and the American String Teacher’s Association National Conference. She spends her summers in Leicester, VT, performing and coaching chamber music at Point CounterPoint Chamber Music Camp.
Lisa Caravan
Lisa R. Caravan, is an Assistant Professor of Music Teaching and Learning at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, supervises student teachers, and advises graduate research. Her previous positions include Assistant Professor of Music (string education) at Bucknell University and Auburn University.
Dr. Caravan is an experienced performer in a variety of settings, with focus on chamber music and orchestral. She performs with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, an internationally recognized professional ensemble that specializes in “America’s Original Music.” Recently, she recorded with Paragon on their latest CD, Black Manhattan, Volume. 3. Dr. Caravan served as principal cellist of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra and was previously assistant principal cellist in the Binghamton Philharmonic. She has performed with numerous orchestras including Charleston Symphony, Columbus Symphony (GA), and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Caravan has collaborated with numerous performers including pianists Kevin Moore and Sar Shalom Strong, clarinetist/saxophonist Ronald L. Caravan and Todd Wilson, Head of the Organ Department at The Cleveland Institute of Music. She has performed with clarinetist Dr. David Odom and pianist Dr. Jeremy Samolesky as the Plains Trio in Alabama, New York, and Oklahoma. She has also performed in Paris and London with members of the Weis Trio.
As a sought-after clinician, she has been invited to work with orchestra ensembles regionally, nationally, and internationally in London, UK and Perth, Australia. She spent three years as the music director for the Auburn (AL) youth orchestra program and taught instrumental music to students in grades 4-9 in Fairport Central Schools (NY) and Brighton Central schools (NY). Dr. Caravan has presented her research at state, regional and national conferences including the American String Teachers Association, College Music Society, Suzuki Association of Americas Conference, National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference, New York State School Music Association, and others. Her research interests include music teacher preparation, cello pedagogy, and 21st century practice pedagogy.
Dr. Caravan earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and cello performance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Caravan is also a graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, where she earned Master of Music degree in performance and literature, Orchestral Studies Diploma and Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education. At Eastman she studied with Alan Harris, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Violoncello. Dr. Caravan is the first recipient of the Donald Shetler Music Education Prize and received a Teaching Assistant Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
March 21, 2026・Clarinet Quintet Program
Calvin Falwell
Calvin is currently the 3rd/Bass Clarinet/Utility with the Sarasota Orchestra and is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of South Florida. Calvin is also a core member of the Philadelphia based ensemble Network for New Music.
Festival appearance’s include Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Colorado Music Festival and Killington Music Festival. Performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Dolce Suono Ensemble and Ensemble NewSRQ.
Calvin has presented classes at The Guildhall School of Music, Trinity Laban, University of Sheffield, University of North Texas, Boston University, Lynn Conservatory of Music, University of Miami, National Conservatory de Colombia and the European Clarinet Congress.
Former appointments include the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarasota Opera and The College of New Jersey. Calvin is a Buffet Crampon, D’Addario Woodwind and BG Artist.
John Vaida
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, actively performing across the United States. His recent engagements include performances and teaching roles at prestigious festivals such as the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, with regular appearances on regional radio and television. A Pennsylvania native, he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society, leading the way for the growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region through a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Mr. Vaida currently holds positions at Mansfield University, Lycoming College, and Wilkes University, and he serves as Artist-in-Residence at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students consistently achieve top honors at competitions and gain acceptance to leading conservatories, festivals, and orchestras. A sought-after clinician, he presents workshops nationally, including at notable conferences such as the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. He currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association since spring 2024.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
Arthur Moeller
Arthur Moeller has accompanied the band Vampire Weekend on Saturday Night Live, has toured with the The Knights and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, and since 2021 has held a chair in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra. He has performed chamber music in Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the Sculpture Garden at MoMA, and at various festivals across the U.S. He is the Principal 2nd Violin of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra and has played as a substitute musician with the Princeton Symphony, the Albany Symphony and in various Broadway pits. Arthur attended Juilliard, where he studied with Naoko Tanaka, Cho-Liang Lin, and Ronald Copes. In addition to his performing career, he photographs people and things (www.arthurmoeller.com), reads 18th and 19th century literature, and bakes croissants.
Amy Iwazumi
Having given solo and ensemble performances to critical acclaim in over a dozen countries across five continents, Amy Iwazumi enjoys a diverse career as a musician, web developer and graphic designer, and the co-founder and chief of operations of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society.
She has performed in major venues in the United States such as the Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall), Alice Tully Hall, Rose Theater, and Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center; Harris Hall and the Bayer-Benedict Music Tent in Aspen, Colorado; and the Terrace Theater at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Abroad, she has given performances at notable venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London, UK; Salle Cortot in Paris, France; Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Korea; and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. She has also made TV and radio appearances on WQXR, NPR and CNN in the United States; Viva La Mañana and Tu Mañana in El Salvador; TeleClub in Costa Rica; KBS in South Korea; and NHK Radio in Japan.
She has performed at several music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea, Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands, La Jolla Summerfest in California, Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Salzburg Sommerakademie in Austria, and the Taipei International Arts Festival in Taiwan.
Ms. Iwazumi is also a recipient of the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Grant which supported a four-month cultural research residency in Japan where she furthered her studies playing the Shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument, and her practice of Omotesenke school of tea ceremony.
At age eight she was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College Division studying violin with the late Dorothy DeLay and composition with Eric Ewazen. She continued her studies with Ms. DeLay at The Juilliard School receiving her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, and studied chamber music with Martin Canin, the late Jacob Lateiner, the late Seymour Lipkin, and Joel Smirnoff.
Bryan Hayslett
Cellist Bryan Hayslett continues to distinguish himself as a versatile solo, chamber, and orchestral player. Dr. Hayslett is currently Assistant Professor of Cello and Academic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University and serves as section cellist of the Palm Beach Opera. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2009 as first prize winner of the Alexander & Buono International String Competition and returned the following year as a repeat top prize laureate.
Dr. Hayslett is a proponent of new music, having founded and participated in Juxtatonal, Semiosis Quartet, and several other new music chamber groups across the New England area. His solo concert tours feature new music as a central focus, and he has commissioned composers including Joan La Barbara, Anthony Green, Drew Baker, David Macbride, and Annika Socolofsky. Additionally, he has premiered works with the Equilibrium Concert Series, The Fifth Floor Collective, and New Music Brandeis and has worked with composers such as Louis Andriessen, Joan Tower, Evan Ziporyn, Ted Hearne, and Yehudi Wyner. Dr. Hayslett can be heard on an Innova recording, “A Special Light,” featuring music of David Macbride. His album Cello Unlocked was released in 2024 to critical acclaim across the globe and explores connections between music and language, including several tracks with him singing and playing.
As Executive Director of Bow and Bridge Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit he founded, Dr. Hayslett helps to provide high-quality performance and learning opportunities to cellists by fostering and supporting an inclusive musical community around the world. The organization is working to encourage the next generation of cellists to think creatively and collaboratively by providing access to high-caliber artists in a cooperative environment.
As a scholar, Dr. Hayslett’s Theory of Prominence, published by Cambridge University Press, suggests that listeners perceive rhythm in contemporary music in similar ways to how they perceive the rhythm of language. His focus on temporality in and perception of contemporary music was inspired by his study and performance of Lee Hyla’s music. He has received several research grants and has presented his research at conferences across the United States and in Austria, Norway, and Portugal.
With degrees from NYU (Ph.D.), The Boston Conservatory (M.M., G.P.D.), and The Hartt School of Music (B.M.), Dr. Hayslett’s principal teachers include Marion Feldman, Rhonda Rider, Terry King, and Yuri Anshelevich. In addition to soloing with the Boston Conservatory Lab Orchestra, Dr. Hayslett has performed with groups such as Eighth Blackbird, the New York Arabic Orchestra, Ne(x)tworks, Experiments in Opera, Sound Icon, and the Boston Chamber Orchestra. He has collaborated with artists including Joseph Silverstein, David Kim, Carol Rodland, Scott Kluksdahl, and Lauren Flanigan. He has been artistic faculty at festivals including the Killington Music Festival and the Fox River Chamber Festival. Teaching residencies have included the University of South Florida and University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Previously, he taught cello and music history as adjunct artist faculty at NYU Steinhardt. Dr. Hayslett performs on an American cello made by Gary Davis in 1998.
Beyond music, Hayslett competes in triathlons, cooks, and enjoys woodworking.
May 15, 2026・Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale
Keisuke Hoashi
You’ve seen Keisuke Hoashi (pronounced CASE-kay) on your TV for the past 30 years in over 250 films, TV shows, and commercials (including “How I Met Your Mother,” “Mad Men,” “The Princess Diaries Part II,” “Hawaii 5-0” and Apple, Honda, Lowe’s, and Apartments.com with Jeff Goldblum). Also an experienced voice actor, you’ve heard Keisuke in the latest “Smurfs” movie, “Bob’s Burgers,” “Gremlins”; the videogames “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Ghost of Tsushima”; and in countless English-language dubs of foreign TV series on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Disney+.
A native of NYC, Keisuke holds degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Potsdam/Crane School of Music. He has been a technical writer at IBM, AT&T, NCR, and the NYS government. In 2006, Keisuke co-founded the New York Summer Music Festival, an international summer music camp in Oneonta, NY. Serving in a multitude of technical, administrative, and creative roles, he hosted over 400 public performances; taught classes in filmmaking, acting, and musical theater; and produced over a hundred original student films and musicals.
Keisuke is delighted to return to Wilkes-Barre! He was part of the Encore Music Camp’s inaugural seasons at Wilkes College in 1985, and is grateful to NEPACMS for reconnecting him to his childhood. He lives in Hollywood, CA. • www.hoashi.com • imdb.me/keisuke
Nuno Antunes
Born in Portugal, clarinetist Nuno Antunes performs extensively with a variety of ensembles in and around New York City. Nuno is currently a member of Sylvan Winds, Trio Cabrini, IRIS Orchestra, Atlantic Collective and Principal Clarinetist with Opera Saratoga. He is a frequent collaborator with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St Luke’s, American Ballet Theatre, The Knights, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the MET Opera Orchestra, America Symphony Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, Miami Symphony Orchestra, New York City Opera and Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa. He played clarinet and bass clarinet for the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, and has been a substitute clarinetist for the productions of My Fair Lady, The King and I, Sunset Boulevard and Sweeney Todd. Nuno has appeared as a soloist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, performing Strauss’s Duett Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon and Orchestra. Other solo performances include Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra and Lutoslawski’s Dance Preludes. He has performed as a guest artist with various chamber music groups, including the Parker Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, NOW Ensemble, Lisbon Clarinet Quartet, and the Jasper String Quartet. Nuno has held faculty positions at various schools and festivals, including Killington Music Festival, New York Summer Music Festival, and Professional School of Arts of Beira Interior. Nuno holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music, with David Krakauer, and Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra, with Nuno Silva and Ettienne Lamaison.
Kara LaMoure
Kara LaMoure is bassoonist and Artistic Director of WindSync, one of North America’s most active and acclaimed wind quintets. With WindSync, she has performed on stages including Ravinia, Strathmore, and Chamber Music Northwest and carried out residencies at New World Symphony, Eastman School of Music, University of Texas, and music festivals throughout the United States. Fascinated with the role of humor in music, LaMoure is a founding member of the Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet, a comedic crossover group known for their online presence and their following among young musicians. She is a prolific arranger for chamber winds, and her transcriptions for bassoon quartet and wind quintet have been performed on five continents. A supporter of global youth orchestra movements, LaMoure has served as the bassoon coach for Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra (Switzerland), Esperanza Azteca (Mexico), and Bahia Orchestra Project (Brazil). At home in New York City, she performs as a guest musician with ensembles including American Symphony Orchestra and American Modern Opera Company. A lifelong “band kid,” LaMoure started bassoon through her public middle school band program near Dallas, Texas, and she earned degrees studying under John Hunt (Eastman School of Music) and Christopher Millard (Northwestern University).
Martin Hodel
Martin Hodel, Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, plays Principal Trumpet in the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico and made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2016. He played full time in the trumpet section of the Minnesota Orchestra and is heard on three commercial recordings with that group. Hodel frequently performs and tours with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and substitutes with the Pittsburgh Symphony. As Principal Trumpet with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Hodel toured the U.S. and Japan, and he has toured coast to coast with the Dallas Brass, and China with Rodney Marsalis. He holds a doctorate in trumpet performance and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. He has worked as a soloist with conductor Helmuth Rilling and has shared the stage as a soloist with jazz artists Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, David Murray, and Jimmy Heath. Hodel’s first solo CD—with organist Bradley Lehman—is titled In Thee is Gladness. A forthcoming solo recording with St. Olaf faculty, First Light, will be released soon. Hodel appears as a soloist on nine other compact discs, has soloed live with the St. Olaf Choir on the nationally-broadcast radio program, A Prairie Home Companion, and has played live on Minnesota Public Radio, on public television, and on national broadcasts of the radio programs Sing for Joy and PipeDreams. Hodel holds a doctorate in trumpet performance and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. His teachers include Charlie Geyer, Ray Mase, James Ketch and Craig Heitger.
Rebecca Ciabattari
Rebecca Ciabattari has been instructor of low brass and brass methods at Lycoming College for over a decade and Principal Trombonist of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra since 2015. She also serves as Orchestra Manager/Librarian of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, as well as music teacher and Choir director at Saint John Neumann Regional Academy High School.
Ciabattari has held positions in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, Ohio Light Opera Orchestra, and the Graz Festival Orchestra. Past collegiate faculty appointments have included Case Western Reserve University, South Carolina State University, Hiram College, and Mansfield University.
Additionally, Ciabattari has performed frequently with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra, and the Blossom Festival Band in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Since 1998, she began a long-standing membership with Cleveland-based, Burning River Brass (BRB), performing throughout the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alaska and Puerto Rico, as well as Taiwan. BRB’s seventh recording is expected to be released in 2018.
Ciabattari holds two degrees focused in trombone performance; a Bachelor of Music, with Performer’s Certificate, from the Eastman School of Music; and a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She later completed a Master of Arts degree in Music Education with Teacher’s Licensure from Case Western Reserve University. Devoted to both music and family, Ciabattari enjoys the multi-faceted environment Williamsport has to offer with her husband and three busy children.
Baljinder Sekhon
Baljinder Sekhon is a composer and percussionist based in State College, PA. His music has been presented in over 600 concerts in twenty-six countries. From works for large ensemble to solo works to electronic music, Sekhon’s music demonstrates a wide range of genres and styles. His works have been performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center (Korea), Heinz Hall, and National Recital Hall (Taiwan). Seventeen commercial recordings of his work have been released, with his most recognized output being his contributions to the percussion and saxophone genres. Sekhon currently serves as Associate Professor of Composition at Penn State University where he received the 2024 Excellence in Mentoring Award from the College of Arts and Architecture. His numerous appearances as a percussionist include those at the L.A. Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series in Walt Disney Hall, Festival Spazio Musica in Cagliari, Italy, and at the Bang On a Can Marathon in New York City.
John Vaida
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, actively performing across the United States. His recent engagements include performances and teaching roles at prestigious festivals such as the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, with regular appearances on regional radio and television. A Pennsylvania native, he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society, leading the way for the growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region through a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Mr. Vaida currently holds positions at Mansfield University, Lycoming College, and Wilkes University, and he serves as Artist-in-Residence at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students consistently achieve top honors at competitions and gain acceptance to leading conservatories, festivals, and orchestras. A sought-after clinician, he presents workshops nationally, including at notable conferences such as the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. He currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association since spring 2024.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
James VanDemark
One of the most brilliant virtuosi ever to perform on the double bass, James VanDemark was hailed by the New York Times at his Lincoln Center recital debut as “an exceptionally gifted string player and a musician of taste, intelligence and the best spontaneous musical instincts, with an unerring sense for exact intonation.” The San Francisco Chronicle praised his “wonderful facility for making really musical phrases, relaxing, building, shading with unlimited subtleties – and a capacity to dig into whole pages of rip-roaring coloratura and make every note count.”
VanDemark began his musical studies at the age of 14 in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, making such rapid progress that just 18 months later he made his solo debut with the Minnesota Orchestra. Subsequently, VanDemark has performed as soloist with the New York Philharmonic (Mehta), St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (Zukerman), Buffalo Philharmonic (Yoel Levi), Grant Park Symphony (James Paul), Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (Peter Bay), the San Antonio Symphony (Barrios), the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra (Rampal), the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra (Hugh Wolff), the New Mexico Symphony (Lockington), the Quebec Symphony, the National Symphony of Mexico, the Netherlands Radio Symphony, and in numerous other concerto appearances.
VanDemark’s duo recitals with André Watts, including one on Lincoln Center’s Great Performer Series, and also with Samuel Sanders, Anthony Newman, Barry Snyder, and Robert Spillman have won him great acclaim. Chamber music collaborations with the Guarneri, Cleveland, Colorado, Muir, Ying, and Audubon Quartets, the Los Angeles Piano Quartet, Vienna Schubert Trio, Kandinsky Trio, Gryphon Trio and pianists Gary Graffman, Alfred Brendel, Anton Nel, Anton Kuerti, and Jeffrey Kahane highlight VanDemark’s versatility.
The recipient of numerous commissioned works, including those by three Pulitzer Prize winners – Gian-Carlo Menotti, Joseph Schwantner, and Christopher Rouse – VanDemark also performed the American premieres of Nino Rota’s Divertimento Concertante(Charlotte Symphony) and Edvard Tubin’s Double Bass Concerto (Queens Symphony). VanDemark’s most recent commission is a solo double bass work by the noted composer/violist Adrienne Elisha.
VanDemark recently premiered and recorded the recital work Dana la Colora by composer/cellist Emilio Colon. He also recently premiered the concerto Shiva Shakti by composer Todd Coleman, winner of the Scorch Music Competition, and performed and recorded Jerod Sheffer Tate’s Iyaaknasha’ (The Medicine Man and His Helper) with the Columbus (OH) Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra.
Also in considerable demand as a narrator with orchestra, VanDemark has appeared on numerous occasions with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Texas Festival Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia, the NEO Ensemble, and many others. In June, 2011, VanDemark will premiere a new narrated work with orchestra, A Young Rodent’s Guide to the Orchestra (for which VanDemark wrote the text and Emilio Colon the music), with the Texas Festival Orchestra.
As a sought-after guest artist at summer festivals, VanDemark performs at the Mostly Mozart, Spoleto, Seattle Chamber Music, Montreal Chamber Music, Round Top, Maverick, Norfolk, South Bank (London), and Newport festivals.
An important direction in VanDemark’s career has been his involvement with Native American performers in Circle of Faith, composed by Alton Clingan. VanDemark commissioned this unique musical and cultural collaborative work, developing it in conjunction with respected Native artists and elders. He also produces the work, which has had more than two dozen performances since its 1992 premiere with the Muir Quartet.
Appointed Professor of Double Bass at the Eastman School in 1976, at age 23, VanDemark became the youngest person ever to hold such a position at a major music school. VanDemark is recognized as a renowned teacher; his students hold positions with many of the world’s major orchestras – Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minnesota, San Francisco, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the orchestras of Syracuse, Buffalo and Wichita. Currently, VanDemark serves as Co-Chair of the String Department at the Eastman School, and Chair of the Musical Arts Major, Eastman’s interdisciplinary academic honors program.
As a recording artist, VanDemark can be heard on d’Note Records, Philips, Telarc, Vox, Pantheon, and NEXUS.
VanDemark has been profiled in such diverse media as Connoisseur magazine, the New York Times, on PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and in the Lakota Times, the largest Native American newspaper in the United States.
VanDemark graduated in 1976 from SUNY Buffalo (BFA, Magna cum Laude). His principal teachers include bassist James Clute and cellist Paul Katz, with additional study with bassist Gary Karr and cellists Gabor Rejto and Leonard Rose.