Join Our Mailing List   "What an absolutely fantastic concert! Awesome and elevating - as the name promises, and inspiring, moving, and truly truly beautiful!!! Great music, great sound, really interesting and lively commentary. You elevated me from November dreariness into a magical place!" Karin Stowe, Vermont

WILLIE DOCTO Founder & General Manager Violin Willie enjoys combining his musical background with his management experience. He has served as general manager of the Georgetown Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Chamber Orchestra working with conductors Andrew Litton and Fabio Mechetti. He has also worked with the Fairfax Symphony and the American Symphony Orchestra League. Since 1996, he has owned an association management company providing event planning and marketing consulting services to clients in the U.S, Poland and the Philippines. Willie has served on the boards of the Monteverdi Music School and the Vermont Arts Council. Willie performed as a freelance musician in the Washington, DC area for over 15 years. He has performed in the Georgetown Symphony, Prince William Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, and Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra. He is a principal player in the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra Society and is a member of the Vermont Philharmonic. Willie studied violin at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, and graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Willie performs on the "Aunt Lulabelle" violin handcrafted by Thurmond Knight of Glover, Vermont.   G. RICHARD AMES Compère G. Richard Ames is an actor and activist from Burlington. He performs regularly for QuarryWorks Theater in Adamant, Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, and at many other venues in northern and central Vermont. He is an activist for civil rights, litter eradication, and for peace. Rick is pleased to be at these concerts, both as emcee and as an eager listener to Eleva's musical offerings. LYNNETTE COMBS Harpsichord Lynnette Combs received a degree in music from Swarthmore College, where she studied organ with Robert Smart and played harpsichord with various student ensembles. She is organist at the First Church (Universalist) in Barre, Vermont and is a founding member of Consort Courante, which plays music from the Baroque era on period instruments. In 2002 Ms. Combs was named Artist of the Year by the Vermont Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She has played with the Vermont Symphony, the Vermont Philharmonic, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra and numerous other chamber ensembles and choruses.   JENNIFER FLASTER Violin Jennifer Flaster is a member of the Vermont Philharmonic and Montpelier Chamber Orchestra Society. She served as concertmaster of the McLean Orchestra in Virginia and played with the Washington Savoyards and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra along with many other Washington, DC music ensembles. She was a member of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in New York City before moving to Vermont in 2006. In addition to performing classical and chamber music, she was a founding member of 24fps, a Washington-based rock band. LINDA J. GALVAN Cello Linda J. Galvan (who has also performed as Linda Hougland) attended the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Ronald Leonard and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance and a Performer's Certificate. Ms. Galvan was a Fulbright Scholar with Maurice Gendron in Germany and remained in Europe as first solo cello with the National Ballet, Dance Theatre of the Netherlands, and as a member of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Galvan later joined the faculty of the University of Victoria (British Columbia). Performances spanning the entire gamut of orchestral soloist, recitals, and chamber music have taken Ms. Galvan throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. After performing with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Galvan moved to New England, where she is an active teacher and performer in recital, as a guest soloist, and as principal cellist with Camerata New England. She was principal cellist with the former the Hanover Chamber Orchestra and as a member of Trio Veritas. Linda and her husband Carlos are co-founders of A Carlin Foundation, providing music education for children in under-served areas.    LOU KOSMA Bass Lou Kosma is presently a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He teaches privately and is an adjunct double bass instructor at New Jersey City University. Past affiliations include principal bassist for the American Ballet Theatre, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and acting principal for the New Jersey Symphony. He was also a member of the Chautauqua Symphony for 17 years. Lou continues to play radio and television jingles and industrials. He received his degree in music education with applied double bass from Temple University. During the summers of 1967 and 1968, he was a fellowship student at Tanglewood. Lou is Music Director of the Vermont Philharmonic, the Thurnauer Symphony Orchestra, and conductor of the Junior Orchestra of the Youth Orchestras of Essex County.    JOHN LINDSEY Concertmaster John Lindsey holds the highest tribute and rank conferred upon a faculty member in the State University of New York System, the SUNY Distinguished Service Professor. Mr. Lindsey has been on the violin faculty at the internationally known Crane School of Music since 1981. In 1993 he was awarded the SUNY Potsdam President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and, in 2003, the prestigious State University of New York Chanceller’s Award, also for Excellence in Teaching. He was recognized by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England, with the 2003 International Musician of the Year Award and with the Mozart Award for Musical Achievement in the Fall of 2008. In 1989 he was selected from over 200 applicants as the winner of the city of Dayton’s Annual Allegro Residency for the Arts. Mr. Lindsey is in demand as a Concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician, as well as teacher and chamber music coach. He is presently the Concertmaster of the Eleva Chamber Players (VT) and the Orchestra of Northern New York and has served as Concertmaster of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dallas (TX) Chamber Soloists, The Warren (OH) Chamber Orchestra. the Castle Farm Festival Orchestra (MI), and the Hanover (NH) Chamber Orchestra, In 1973 he was Concertmaster of an orchestra which toured Israel and Jordan. The final concert was given at the Cultural Palace in Amman for King Hussein of Jordan. In 1978 he played chamber music for Prince Philip of England. Mr. Lindsey has appeared in solo recitals at The Carnegie Recital Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center (five times) and in Boston, Montreal, Dallas, and Chicago on the Dame Myra Hess Series. In February 2009, he gave his 3rd recital and workshop in 16 months on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Prior to his appointment at The Crane School of Music, Mr. Lindsey was Chairman of Strings at Baylor University, The Governor’s School of North Carolina, and the University of Kentucky. He also taught strings in the Dallas, Texas, public schools. He is listed in eleven national and international who’s who publications, among them Who’s Who in American Music, International Who’s Who of Intellectuals, Directory of Distinguished Americans, and Who’s Who in International Music. In the summer, Mr. Lindsey is a member of the violin faculties of the Ameropa Festival in Prague (CZ), the Adult Chamber Music Conference at Interlochen, Michigan, and the Mozart Festival in Woodstock, Vermont. In previous summers he was on the faculties of the 2008 International Chamber Music Festival and Concert Tour in Bulgaria, the Ithaca Chamber Music Institute (NY), the National Music Camp at Interlochen (MI), the Illinois Summer Youth Chamber Music Camp(IL), the Ottawa Suzuki Institute (KS), the Southeastern Music Camp (GA), the Stage de Musique in Marcillat-en-Combraille, France, and the Canna International Chamber Music Festival in Canna, Italy. Mr. Lindsey and his wife Amornrat have founded the International Chamber Music Festival in Thailand, held annually in Thailand during the winter holiday season. SANDI-JO MALMON Cello Sandi-Jo Malmon is a member of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble, the Hanover Chamber Orchestra and the Lake George Opera Festival (NY). As a member of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble, she has appeared in concert at various venues around New England, in the Midwest, on the eastern seaboard, and in Europe. She made her Lincoln Center debut in 1991 with the Boston Quartet. She is currently on the adjunct cello faculty of Northeastern University. She has served on the faculties of the International Composers' Conference at Wellesley College, the International String conference in Pennsylvania, Powers Music School and the Brookline Music School. A student of Richard Kapuscinski and Paul Tobias, Sandi-Jo received degrees in cello performance from Oberlin College/Conservatory of Music, the New England Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music. She has recorded on Blue Hill Records, North Star Records, Lakewest Records and Pamet River Recordings. Sandi-Jo is the Librarian for Collection Development at the Loeb Music Library at Harvard University. MOWRY PEARSON Violin Mowry Pearson grew up in the Boston area where he studied with Lucy Parker and George Zazofsky. He received his degree from Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Robert Soetens and Steven Staryk. Mr. Pearson's active chamber music career has included extensive periods as principal violinist with the Apple Hill Chamber Players and the Atlanta Chamber Players, with concerts at Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Phillips Collection (Wash., DC), as well as tours to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has performed with many Boston area orchestras and ensembles including Cantata Singers, Emmanuel Music, Boston Musica Viva, Boston Lyric Opera, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. Mr. Pearson has been a soloist with the Concord Chorale and the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, and given many solo recitals including Jordan Hall, the Gardner Museum, and WGBH radio. In addition, Mr. Pearson has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall and major concert halls throughout Europe. Recordings include the Deustche Grammaphon, Centaur, and Koch labels. For the past three seasons he has been assistant concertmaster of the Opera North orchestra, and recently established residence in Brattleboro, VT. His violin is by Bartomoleo Tassini, Venice 1752.   OLGA PINEDA VIolin Olga Pineda received her B. M. Magna Cum Laude in Music Education at the St. Scholastica College in 1995, after receiving a B.S. in Marketing at De La Salle Univeristy in the Philippines. She has been a member of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and was a violinist in the touring company production of Miss Saigon. As a pianist, she has been a piano soloist with the Pasaknungan Chamber Orchestra and has served as accompanist for Broadway musicals with the Philippine Artists International. Olga is a member of the Clarion Chamber Ensemble, Manila's premier chamber music organization. Olga is a freelance musician and teaches violin and piano at the Joy Of Music Program School in Worcester, Massachusetts.   REGINALD PINEDA Violin Reginald Pineda received a B.M. in Violin performance at University of Santo Thomas (UST), where he received a full scholarship granted by The Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines and UST Conservatory. He received a Graduate Performance Certificate in Violin performance at Boston Conservatory of Music. Regie has served as Concertmaster of Boston Conservatory Orchestra and the UST Conservatory Orchestra and as principal violinist of the second violin section of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Regie is a member of the Clarion Chamber Ensemble, Manila's premier chamber music organization. In addition to being a freelance musician, Regie teaches violin, viola and chamber music at the Joy Of Music Program School in Worcester, Massachusetts.    SHELLY TRAMPOSH Viola Dr. Shelly Tramposh is an avid recitalist and chamber musician, and has performed recitals in Europe, Central America, and throughout Northern America to critical acclaim. She is also a member of both the Perron Trio and the Potsdam String Trio. Before joining the faculty of the Crane School of Music, Dr. Tramposh was a member of several orchestras, including the Colorado Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Colorado Springs Symphony, where she was Associate Principal viola. She is currently Principal violist of the Orchestra of Northern New York and Associate Principal of the Eleva Chamber Players. Her teachers include Martha Katz, Steven Tenenbom, and Burton Kaplan. She holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Tramposh teaches a course titled “The Art of Practicing” at the Crane School of Music, and has conducted workshops on practicing, orchestral excerpt preparation, and pedagogy.    SCOTT WOOLWEAVER Viola Scott Woolweaver graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan School of Music before moving to Boston for graduate work with the violist Walter Trampler. He was a founding member of the Boston Composers String Quartet, which won the silver medal at the 1993 String Quartet and Chamber Music Festa in Osaka, Japan, and with the Quartet, performed across the United States and in Europe. He is violist of the award-winning New England Piano Quartette, Boston's Handel & Haydn Society and Boston Baroque, and spends his summers at the Rocky Ridge Music Center and the Telluride Chamber Music Festival in Colorado, and the Adult Chamber Music Seminar at the Interlochen, Michigan Arts Camp. Mr. Woolweaver formally joined the Ives Quartet in 1998 after performing with the other members for seven summers as quartet-in-residence at the Rocky Ridge Music Center and Telluride Chamber Music Festival. A champion of 20th century music, he has premiered numerous works for viola, many of which were written for him. He is a faculty member of the All Newton Music School, Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts, and has recorded for the Orion, Koch International, Teldec, Audiofon, Albany Records, Decca and Northeastern labels. Scott is the conductor of the popular Messiah sing-along in Woodstock, Vermont.    GUEST ARTISTS  MERIDITH HARRISON Mezzo Soprano May 27 & 28, 2010 Tulsa, Oklahoma  Meridith Harrison is originally from Fulton, MO where she grew up in a musical family. She currently resides in Tulsa, OK, and teaches choral and vocal classes at the 6th & 7th grade centers in Owasso, OK. She sang with the Tulsa Opera chorus for 11 years and performs with them as often as her schedule allows. She was selected as a guest vocalist for Tulsa Opera's 50th Anniversary Celebration in which she sang with many professional singers from around the world. Ms. Harrison earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree at Oral Roberts University where her emphases were on Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. She is a member of the Vocal Arts Ensemble in Tulsa. She is also an active member of Northeast Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Educators Association, Music Educators National Chapter and the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary in which she holds a local position as Sergeant at Arms. She frequently performs at weddings and other events, including the local and state Fraternal Order of Police services.   KEVIN GINTER Tenor June 16, 2010 Music at Moose Meadow Waterbury, Vermont Kevin Ginter, tenor, received his Bachelor's of Music degree from Castleton State College in 2008, while studying with Suzanne Kantorski Merrill, and securing leading roles in musical theater, and training for Opera. In the fall of 2008 Kevin began singing at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, studying with Richard Barrett and working towards a Masters Degree in opera performance. At the conservatory Kevin has sang leading tenor roles in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Weill's Down in the Valley, Offenbach's Ba-ta-clan, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. In the summer of 2009, Kevin attended the prestigious young artist program IVAI in Tel Aviv, Israel. In October of 2009, he had his Carnegie Hall debut singing two roles in The Remarkable Theater Brigade's concert, Opera Shorts. He planst ot attend IVAI Virginia in the summer of 2010.    THOMAS BEARD Baritone August 26, 2010 Music at Moose Meadow Waterbury, Vermont Baritone Thomas Beard was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and recently completed three years as artist-in-residence with Washington National Opera's Placido Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. He was the first, and thus far the only, African-American male singer to be personally chosen by Maestro Domingo working directly under the Maestro's tutelage. Mr. Beard received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Winston-Salem State University where he began his formal vocal studies with D'Walla Simmons-Burke. Mr. Beard made is his operatic début as the Bonze in the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore's production of Madama Butterfly. Subsequently, he has appeared as Marcello in La Bohème, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Escamillo in Carmen, in the title role in Gianni Schicchi, as the Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore, and as Porgy in Porgy & Bess. As a member of The Washington Opera, he performed over 90 times, including in their recent tour of Japan. He made his début with Pittsburgh Opera Theatre in the world premier of the Jazz-opera Just above my head. He also débuted with the International Opera of Rome as Colline (La Bohème) and Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni). In November of 2002, Mr. Beard made his John F. Kennedy Center début as Corporal Morrel in Carmen Jones staring Vanessa Williams and conducted by Placido Domingo. He recently sang his first Giorgio Germont in WNO's La Traviata directed by Marta Domingo. In June of 2005, Mr. Beard débuted in the title role of Verdi's Rigoletto. In 2006 he toured Australia and New Zealand as Porgy in Porgy & Bess. In the summer of 2007, he toured throughout Italy, Spain and Germany where he again performed the title role of Porgy. Most recently he performed a Patriot Day Celebration with the VA Medical Chorale & Symphony Orchestra where he performed with Gospel Great & Grammy winner Larnelle Harris and Metropolitan opera star Harolyn Blackwell. While with the Washington National Opera, Mr. Beard has understudied the roles of Gerard and Mathieu in Giordano's Andrea Chenier, and the Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. In January 2005, he covered the roles of Senator Raitcliffe in the world premier of Democracy by Scott Wheeler and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. Mr. Beard has performed for numerous dignitaries, including U.S. Senators and Governors, in many concerts at Embassies and concert halls across the country. He has also performed as special guest soloist at the White House. More information.