Lauded for playing “with fire and commitment” by Schenectady’s Daily Gazette, flutist Jill Sokol is an established presence on the Northeast music scene. Jill is Second Flutist with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and freelances with the New Jersey Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Syracuse Orchestra, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, and Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Previous music affiliations include the Dicapo Opera Theatre and Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, as well as the New Haven, Westchester, and Albany Symphonies. Jill has also performed with popular performers Josh Groban, Natalie Merchant, Jane Birkin, The Irish Tenors and The Who, and she works regularly in chamber music since performing at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival. After completing her undergraduate education at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Jill earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees at Peabody Conservatory of Music and Stony Brook University, respectively.
Andrea Herr enjoys a varied performing career as bassoonist and contrabassoonist. Her orchestral engagements have included performances with the Little Orchestra Society, New York City Opera, the New Jersey Symphony and the American Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Herr held Principal Bassoon positions in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia and Opera Teatro Galicia. Noted performances include the American Premiere of the opera Prima Donna by Rufus Wainwright, the Lincoln Center Premiere of Disney Fantasia, Live in Concert and Premieres of new works by Lalo Schifrin, Joan Tower and Keith Jarrett. On Broadway Andrea has performed with the New York productions of Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, Into the Woods and West Side Story. Other appearances include performances with the Lincoln Center Festival, Paris Opera Ballet and the Bach Aria Festival.
For Music for Life International Andrea traveled to India with members of the Metropolitan Opera to perform with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra.She has recorded for PBS Television, Radio Nacional Espana and for numerous television and radio commercials including Pepsi-Cola, Disney and Visa.Andrea holds degrees from the New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School and is an adjunct faculty member at William Paterson University, New Jersey City University and Kean University.With a passion for our historic resources, Andrea completed the Certificate in Historic Preservation from Drew University.
Kenneth Ellison has performed internationally with many ensembles, including the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, the Riverside Symphonia, the Greenville Symphony and the American Fine Arts Festival, and has played under such conductors as Andrea Quinn, John Rutter, Frederick Fennell and Rossen Milanov at such venues at Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, NJPAC and the Liszt School of Music. He performs regularly with the Chelsea Opera Company and is Professor of Clarinet at Kean University. Kenneth can be heard on the recordings “Bread of Life” with the Tim Keyes Consort, “On Course” by Laurie Altman, “Pictures at an African Exhibition” by Darrel Yokely and the trio@play CD’s “Wille Was Different” and “In the Sandbox.” Kenneth is on the Master Faculty at Westminster Conservatory. He holds degrees from Furman University and Arizona State University.
Grammy nominated marimba artist Greg Giannascoli was a winner of the 2001 Artist International New York Recital / Young Artist Competition and was also top prize winner of the 1997 Patrons of Wisdom International Young Artist Competition. Greg performs regularly on the many Community Concert Series programs throughout the US, as a soloist with orchestras and in recital throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Greg has performed recitals in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Theatro Juarez in Mexico and the Glenn Gould Studio in Canada. Greg performs on the Yamaha 6000 marimba. He performed with Orchestra 2001 on the Grammy nominated recording of George Crumb’s American Song Book VII; Songs of the Heartland. In Greg’s newly released book, “Opinions on Playing the Marimba”, he interviews many leading marimba players about what they learned from their teachers, what evolved along the way and what they now teach their students. Published by Heartland Marimba Festival Publications.
Reviews of Greg’s performances include: “Here is music played so well it would capture and hold anybody’s attention indefinitely.”-Classical New Jersey, “With great mastery and two mallets in each hand Giannascoli gave a true lesson with what can be done with this singular instrument.”-The National of Mexico City, “Giannascoli’s performance of Miyoshi’s works was nothing less than astonishing, both in terms of artistry and virtuosity...tremendous facility...startling display of clarity and precision.”-Splendid Music Magazine. Reviews of Greg’s first CD, ‘Concertino’, include: “...elegantly phrased and sensitively performed...sails confidently through the most challenging technical passages.”-Percussive Notes. His most recent CD, ‘Prism Rhapsody’ was also reviewed: “...extremely gifted and skilled performer...facility behind the instrument apparent...virtuosic...precise...sensitive...beautiful lines...high caliber performances...stellar on all accounts.” – Percussive Notes.
