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September 15 - Guest Artists:
Vassily Primakov
Vassily Primakov made his New York concerto debut in May 2004 at Alice Tully Hall with Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto, and a New York Times review exclaimed that it was a "fiery performance…with bold, expressive phrasing and dramatic commitment that brought the audience to its feet."
Audience uproar has become a hallmark of Primakov performances, which incorporate dazzling, nearly superhuman passion with sensitive poetry. In Santa Barbara, California, where Mr. Primakov has been adopted as a "musical son," no one will forget his riveting performance of the final movement of the Rachmaninoff third piano concerto during the Music Academy of the West’s 1997 "Concerto Night." It was a musical tour de force so dazzling that the audience exploded, and local patrons of the arts immediately took Mr. Primakov to their hearts. The pianist returned to Santa Barbara soon after to perform the entire concerto with the Santa Barbara Symphony orchestra.
Vassily Primakov began his U.S. career after capturing First Prize in the 2002 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. His debut recitals in the Young Concert Artists Series in New York at the 92nd Street Y, sponsored by the Peter P. Marino Prize, as well as in Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., and Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, immediately brought him rave reviews. Mr. Primakov has performed recitals and as concerto soloist throughout the States, including appearances with the San Diego Symphony, the Maryland Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Westchester Philharmonic and the Yakima Symphony among many others.
At the YCA Auditions, Mr. Primakov was awarded many special prizes, including the Slomovic Orchestral Prize, the John and Esther Browning Memorial Prize, the Paul A. Fish Prize, and appearances with the La Jolla Chamber Music Society and at the Usedom Festival in Germany. He won prizes in the Cleveland International Piano Competition (1999) as well as the Silver Medal and Audience Prize at the 2002 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition. Mr. Primakov is also the recipient of a Susan W. Rose Career Grant, and today performs widely across the United States in solo recital and with orchestra.
Born in Moscow in l979, Mr. Primakov entered the American music scene in 1997, at the age of 17, as a student of Jerome Lowenthal at The Juilliard School in New York and later that summer in Santa Barbara at the Music Academy of the West. His early music studies were with his mother, Marina Primakova, who still teaches piano today in Moscow. At the age of 11, he entered Moscow’s Central Special Music School, and during these years, from 1990 to 1996, he played concerts in Russia, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Romania. By the time he was 15 years old, Mr. Primakov had won First Prize in the Rachmaninoff International Young Artist Competition and the Tchaikovsky Young Artist Competition in Russia.
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October 20 - Guest Artist:
John Hultman
After 30 years “on-the-air” at Newsradio 780, WBBM-AM, Chicago, John Hultman is back, filling in as anchor in Morning Drive and Mid-day.
John, who was born in Chicago, attended New Trier High School in Winnetka and Purdue University. He worked on television in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Detroit, Michigan, before returning to his hometown on WBBM-AM in 1968.
John served as News Director for ten years and was Senior Correspondent, covering many big stories, including Pope John Paul II’s visit to Chicago, and the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 191 near O’Hare in 1979. He also joined former Governor Jim Thompson covering trade missions to Budapest, Warsaw and Moscow.
John is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Chicago Headline Club. He is a past president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and was named Illinois Department of Journalism. He served for six years as a Broadcast Judge for the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Annual Journalism Awards Program. He is a retired Major in the United States Army Reserve.
John has performed on-stage at Orchestra Hall as a narrator with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at Pick-Staiger Hall at Northwestern University in Evanston with the North Shore Concert Band.
John and his wife of almost 50 years, Wilma, live in Northbrook. They have three children and six grandchildren. John enjoys singing in the church choir, sailing, and baking hundreds of loaves of bread each year…most of which he gives away!
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November 3 - Guest Artist:
Pat Sheridan
Patrick Sheridan has been enthusiastically received as a solo artist around the world. He made his solo debut playing an arrangement of The Blue Bells of Scotland accompanied by his mom, Diana, when he was just 8 years old, only months after he had started playing his chosen instrument, the tuba! He made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 15 playing a Mozart Horn Concerto on the tuba. Since then, Patrick has rocketed to success as a solo performer in venues ranging from the White House to an NBA half-time show to the Hollywood Bowl.
As a former member of "The President’s Own" United States Marine Band, he thrilled audiences across the United States with his amazing virtuosity and musicianship as one of the band’s primary soloists. He is equally at home with standard classical repertoire and as an entertainer in the "pops" realm. In addition to his musical studies with legendary tuba artists Arnold Jacobs, Sam Pilafian, Daniel Perantoni, Harvey Phillips and Jim Self, Mr. Sheridan holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in finance and marketing from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Sheridan’s touring schedule regularly takes him throughout the United States as well as Europe and Japan. This year his touring schedule will take him to 20 countries around the globe and 35 states across America and includes such ensembles as the Grand Rapids Symphony, The Estonian National Orchestra, The San Antonio Symphony, The Williams Fairey Band and the United States Army Band. Patrick is currently the Visiting Professor of Tuba at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. Patrick was most recently featured on NBC’s Today Show and is regularly featured on BBC Radio and PBS and NPR broadcasts including the program, "All Things Considered."
Besides his busy concert schedule, Mr. Sheridan has co-authored the popular pedagogy book, The Breathing Gym, with Sam Pilafian.
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December 15 - Guest Artists: Keller Winners
Nathan Kross
Nathan Kross is a 19 year old Depauw student who is going into his 4th year in a Piano Performance/Mathematics double degree program. He has studied with Claude Cymerman for the past three years. He has been blessed with fantastic teachers in the past as well, studying with Mary Heller for six years, and Yat-Yee Chong for three years. Nathan sang with the Bach Chorale Youth Chorus for six years, and the Bach Chorale Singers Adult Chorus for one year through their Bach Scholar Program for young musicians.
He has placed first and second in the Jameson Competition, and has been a winner in the Depauw Concerto Competition in both 2006 and 2007. Nathan enjoys games of all types, including chess, Final Fantasy 7, and Magic: The Gathering. He also likes playing sports as a hobby.
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Jinty McTavish
Jinty McTavish is a junior at West Lafayette Senior High School and plays in the school string orchestra and symphony orchestra. She has played the violin for twelve years and was a soloist with the LSO for the 2002 Lollipop Concert performance of “Peter and the Wolf”. Jinty received honorable mention at the Keller Competition in 1998, and won the Indiana Music Teacher’s Association State Competition in 2002, 2004 and 2007. She played in the Indiana All-State Orchestra in 2006 and 2007 and played the Grade 10 Violin practical exam at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto this past August. Jinty is starting her sixth year with the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony. She also plays in the Wabash Valley Youth Chamber Orchestra and recently became a member of the LSO in January of 2007. Jinty hopes to be a Violin Performance Major at Indiana University after high school.
Jinty lives in Lafayette with her mother, father and little sister, Briagha. She likes to golf, dance, and play music with friends and at church. She enjoys activities with the church youth group and hanging out with her friends. Jinty would like to thank her parents and Briagha, her church family, and her friends for their support. She would also like to thank Regan Eckstein for being such a great teacher and God for the gift of music!
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Christian Schrock
"Son of Dr. and Mrs. Larry Schrock of Covington, Christian was home schooled through high school, graduating in 2006. He played in the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony for two and a half years during high school, serving as principal cellist for two years. He is currently a freshman at Indiana State University, majoring in cello performance. He would like to become a freelance artist and private teacher.
At fourteen years old, he began studying cello with Dr. Alberto Jaffe’s video series for strings, produced by A Beka Academy. His first "in person" teacher was Barbara Hedlund from Urbana, Illinois. He currently studies with Dr. Kurt Fowler, cello professor at ISU.
In addition to the cello, Christian plays the piano. He has accompanied various individuals, played for weddings, and was also a church pianist.
He would like to express his thanks to his teachers for giving him the tools needed to play well. He would like to specially thank Mr. Alfred Abel for teaching him much about musicianship and orchestral playing. Most of all he would like to acknowledge that God has provided the opportunities, as well as the teachers, that have been such a help and encouragement to him."
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January 19 - Guest Artists:
Corbin Beisner
Corbin Beisner was born in Las Vegas, NV in 1988. He started playing the piano at five years old and shortly after started studying jazz. At twelve, Corbin started studying classical piano and also became interested in composition.
He has attended music summer festivals in Interlochen, Michigan, the Mannes School of Music is New York City, and most recently the Forum Internacional de Musica in Barcelona, Spain and the Lake Como Summer Piano Academy in Lake Como, Italy. He has won numerous awards at competitions including: the MTNA state competition, the International Liszt Competition in Asuza, California, and the Premier Prize in the Forum Internacional de Musica competition. He currently studies with Luiz de Moura Castro at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.
Mr. Beisner has given concerts around the world. Most recently he played with the Las Vegas Philharmonic under Harold Weller in January 2007 and played Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in March with the Beth El Orchestra in Hartford, CT under Joseph Ness. This summer Corbin plans to attend the piano festival in Obidos, Portugal. He will play two solo recitals in Barcelona in November 2007 and will concertize in China and Taiwan in May 2008. In January, he will play Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto under Maestro Weller with the Lafayette Indiana Symphony and will also play Liszt’s Totentanz with the Beth El Orchestra in April. Mr. Beisner continues to study and work diligently and to develop his career as a touring composer-pianist.
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March 15 - Guest Artists:
Rick Graef
Richard Graef has been the Assistant Principal Horn of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra since 1991. He has appeared as soloist with the ISO on several occasions. In addition to his on stage performance, Mr. Graef has served several terms as the ISO’s Orchestra Committee Chairman, Pension Trustee, Tour Committee Chairman, and recently was awarded the Patch Award for Orchestral leadership from his colleagues. Mr. Graef has previously held the position of 3rd/Associate Principal Horn with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, 3rd Horn with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and Co-Principal Horn with the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra (in Durban, South Africa).
Richard also performs regularly with the Ronen Chamber Ensemble, the Circle City Winds, the Indiana Brass Quintet, and the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Graef has toured Europe with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the former Soviet Union and the United States with the American Soviet Youth Orchestra, and Japan with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He is a past winner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young artists competition and has performed Mozart’s third Horn Concerto with the CSO.
Mr. Graef graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College with the degree of Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance under the teaching of John Covert. Mr. Graef has also studied with Gail Williams. While at Ithaca College, Richard was elected to the honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda. In 1988, Phi Kappa Phi selected Richard as the John B. Harcourt Scholar. Ithaca College also presented Richard with the outstanding Young Alumni award in 1993. Richard and his wife Sandra, a band director and LSO Flutist, enjoy spending time with their two energetic sons R.J. and Austin.
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April 12 - Guest Artists:
Marc Loudon
Marc Loudon was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he studied piano with Naomi Kennard Singleton and organ with Genevieve Collins. He also studied the French organ literature with Donald R. M. Paterson at Cornell and with Herndon Spillman at LSU. At the age of sixteen he won, with Camilla Rachal, both the Baton Rouge and the New Orleans Symphony duo-piano competitions, and also won the Baton Rouge Sonata Contest competition.
Locally, he has performed extensively with the Bach Chorale Singers, for whom he has been principal accompanist and organist for almost 30 years, with the Tippecanoe Chamber Music Society, and with the LSO. Appearances with the LSO include pianist in both orchestral and solo roles, most recently in the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos (with Greg Kostraba, 2000) and Petrouchka (1999 and 2007), and as harpsichordist under the direction of Peter Stafford Wilson (2006). In addition to numerous continuo roles, he has appeared as piano soloist with the Bach Chorale Singers and Orchestra as piano soloist in the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9 and the Beethoven Choral Fantasy. Numerous local organ performances include three performances of the Duruflé Requiem with the Bach Chorale, the Poulenc Concerto for Organ Strings and Tympani, and a duo-organ performance with Michael Bennett that premiered their arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition for two organs.
Mr. Loudon serves as Associate Organist of First United Methodist Church in West Lafayette. In his “other life,” Marc Loudon is Cwalina Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy at Purdue.
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May 17 - Guest Artists:
Greg Kostraba has successfully combined a career as a radio professional and concert pianist. At the Fourth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in June 2004, Greg’s performances were called “mesmerizing” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) and “boldly hewn” (Dallas Morning News), and garnered him semifinalist status. His January 2006 performance of Kaintuck’ by William Grant Still with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Chelsea Tipton II conducting, was broadcast nationwide on National Public Radio’s Performance Today.
Greg has performed throughout the Midwest, including appearances with the Toledo, Lima, Purdue, and Lafayette Symphony Orchestras, and given solo piano and chamber music performances at the Great Gallery of the Toledo Museum of Art, Bowling Green State University, Owens Community College, Adrian College and Oakland University in Michigan, St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, and with the Tippecanoe Chamber Music Society (TCMS), which he co-founded. Highlights of his 2007-08 season include performances with the Lafayette and University of Toledo Symphony Orchestras, the Monroe County (Michigan) Community College Band, the inaugural Chamber Music Toledo season, and a return engagement at the St. Roch Chamber Music Festival in Caseville, Michigan.
Dr. Kostraba holds masters and doctoral degrees in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a degree in international relations from American University in Washington, D. C. He has studied piano and chamber music with Dorothy Bolognini, Alan Mandel, Richard Morris, Sandra Rivers, and the late Richard Fields, and participated in master classes with Eugene Istomin as well as members of the La Salle, Audubon, and Tokyo String Quartets.
Winner of the 2007 Ohio Public Broadcasting Award for Radio Producer of the Year, Greg is the Classical Music Director and Senior Radio Host at WGTE Public Broadcasting in Toledo, Ohio, where he is responsible for programming classical music. He is also the host of the award-winning Live From FM 91, FM 91 In Concert, and Afternoon Classics. Greg was Program Host/Producer at WBAA from 1995 to 2001, and has also worked at WGUC in Cincinnati and KRPS in Pittsburg, Kansas, where he served as Program Director.
When he’s not playing or listening to classical music, Greg enjoys big band music, especially recordings of his father, trumpeter Dan Terry. Most Tuesday nights, you can find him with his father at John’s Korner Bar and Grill in South Toledo, where he plays piano with the Rusty’s Jazz Café Orchestra. A Subdeacon at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Rossford, Ohio, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
