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PIANO
KATIE COSCO
M.A., University of Memphis, jazz piano
performance. B.S., Indiana University, music and audio technology. Studied
classical piano with Daniel Fletcher, John Ogden, James Tocco and Han Boepple,
jazz piano with Gene Rush and Dr. David N. Baker. Former faculty member,
University of Memphis. Professional experience ranges from numerous solo piano
performances to traveling keyboardist with the Four Tops. Performed with many
well-known artists, including Smokey Robinson, Little Anthony and the Imperials,
the Coasters, the Chiffons, Lesley Gore, Ben E. King, Peggy March, Jerry Van
Dyke, Charo, Jack Sheldon, Billy Swan, Clint Holmes and Billy Eckstein.
Performed as the keyboardist/leader for Tony and Tina’s Wedding in NYC,
as well as with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Mercedes Ellington
"Tribute to Duke Ellington" show, and with orchestras under the
direction of Bill Conti and Michael Berkowitz.
EMI KAGAWA
D.M.A., SUNY Stony Brook; The Juilliard School; New York
University; M.M., University of Colorado, B.M., Kyoto City University of Arts.
Studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Richard Goode, Claude Frank, Larry Graham,
Yoheved Kaplinsky, Miyoko Lotto, Martin Canin, Christina Dahl, Gilbert Kalish,
Ann Schein, Angela Cheng, and Samuel Sanders. Served on the faculties of NYU,
the Perlman Music Program, the Great Neck Conservatory, the Piano School of NYC,
the Hartwick College Summer Festival, and the Belvoir Arts Camp, in addition to
maintaining a private teaching practice. Winner of numerous national and
international competitions, including the Gina Bachauer International Piano
Competition at Juilliard and first prize at the Nancy Clark International Piano
Competition. A native of Osaka, Japan, Emi Kagawa has been active as both a
soloist and a chamber musician, and has performed extensively throughout the
United States, Canada, Italy, and Japan. NY performances include Weill Recital
Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Trinity Church concert series,
Steinway Hall and Symphony Space. Featured performer on the McGraw-Hill
Companies’ Young Artists Showcase series (broadcast on WQXR). With her
innovative approach as an artist and as a co-director of MANI Brooklyn Chamber
Music, Ms. Kagawa has participated in the world premieres of the music of
Michael Thomas Jackson and Tom Kraines. She is currently collaborating on a
number of productions involving a variety of contemporary visual artists,
filmmakers and dancers.
RON LEVY
B.A., Oberlin Conservatory;
Juilliard Preparatory School. Studied with Joseph Schwartz as a scholarship
student at Oberlin, Diana Arlyck, and Leland Thompson of the Juilliard School.
Former Executive Director of the Bergen Youth Orchestra. Recently elected
President of the Professional Music Teachers’ Guild. Currently chairs the Music
Department at Felician College, while maintaining active and ongoing affiliation
with the Manhattan School of Music, Kean University, and the Juilliard
Preparatory School. Regularly appears as a soloist and in partnership with many
of the world’s leading singers and instrumentalists, including more than four
dozen artists on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera. Founding member of the
Hudson Trio, Kaleidoscope, the New World Trio, the Manchester Chamber Players,
and the Palisades Virtuosi; has been pianist and harpsichordist of the Oberlin
Orchestra, the New Jersey Philharmonic and the Westchester Symphony and is
currently keyboardist of the Manchester Music Festival, the Adelphi Chamber
Orchestra and the Albany Symphony. Associated with the Manchester Music Festival
since 1985, of which he is a faculty and Board member. Composer of many works
for voice and piano. Several prominent composers have written works for Mr.
Levy, notably James Grant, John Lampkin, Richard Lane, Erik Nielsen, and David
Sampson. Adjudicator, conductor, critic, lecturer and writer on musical
subjects. Recordings by Mr. Levy are available on the Albany, Centaur, Eroica,
Koch International, MMF and Summit labels.
NELSON PADGETT
B.M. and M.M., Peabody
Conservatory of Music. Studied with Leon Fleisher. Has taught privately for over
twenty years. Currently teaching in New York City at Third Street Music School
Settlement, America's oldest community music school. Performance credits range
from solo appearances with the Houston and National Symphony Orchestras to world
premieres of major works by Philip Glass. In addition to concerts across the
United States, he has performed in Canada, Japan, South Korea, and throughout
South America and Europe. His many competition successes include a Silver Medal
from the William Kapell International Competition and a Beethoven Fellowship
from the American Pianists Association. Recital partners have included
violinists Nai-Yuan Hu, Pamela Frank, Elmar Oliveira, and cellist Daniel
Gaisford. Has been heard at the Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, and Newport Music
Festivals.
PAMELA IBETH VERA
M.A., Hunter
College/CUNY, conducting and piano. B.M., Queens College/CUNY; Post Graduate
Degree, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Professor of Music at Bergen and
Passaic County Community Colleges; and faculty member of the Brooklyn
Conservatory of Music. Winner of the 1995 Herbert Rogers Performance Studies
Award. Varied orchestral and choral conducting experience including Assistant
Conductor of the Hunter College Symphony Orchestra, and Founder, Conductor and
Music Director of the Maya Chamber Orchestra. Critically acclaimed pianist with
numerous live, television and radio performances throughout New York and
Ecuador, including performances at Lang Recital Hall, Weill Recital Hall, First
Presbyterian Church of New York Choir, Queens College Concert Hall, Brooklyn
Conservatory of Music Recital Hall, City University of New York and Teatro
Principal Centro de Arte.
ROBERT F. WATERS
Ph.D., M.M., University of Maryland, College Park; B.M., B.A., University of
North Carolina, Greensboro. Studied with Santiago Rodriguez, Thomas Schumacher,
and French concert pianist Daniel Ericourt. Taught piano to children and adults
in classical, pop and jazz improvisation, both privately and in university and
school settings. Currently Assistant Professor of Music History at Seton Hall
University; formerly held university and college level teaching positions at
Winston-Salem University, Wake Forest University, Shorter College, Montgomery
College, and Adama Mickiewicza University in Poznan, Poland. Has performed
extensively as a piano soloist and chamber musician, including performances at
events for Audrey Hepburn, Tommy Tune and Pete Rodino. As a journalist, was a
contributing music writer for the Washington Post for ten years and has
been a music reviewer, critic and feature-writer for a wide variety of
publications. As a musicologist, has written numerous musicology and music
critic articles on classical music, including opera, has recently written a book
on French classical music and is currently writing one on opera. He has lectured
and presented papers in Australia, Greece, England and throughout the United
States.
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