Kenneth Bell, horn

Kenneth Bell, adjunct instructor of horn, has had a rich and varied career. A native of Buffalo, New York, he has a Bachelors of Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Masters degree from the Catholic University of America.

His professional career began at age 19, when he played Mahler Symphony #6 in Carnegie Hall with the Buffalo Philharmonic under Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas. He has played often with the Buffalo and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, the National Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has played regularly with the BSO under Yuri Temirkanov and Marin Alsop, including two European Tours and two Carnegie Hall appearances. He is presently Assistant First Horn with the Baltimore Symphony.

Ken was a member of two premier military bands, The United States Marine Band, and the Army Field Band. In the Marine Band, he wrote and performed educational concerts and recitals with the woodwind quintet. As first horn with the Army Field Band, he performed college clinics across the United States.

Besides his orchestral and military band touring, Mr. Bell toured the US and Europe as principal horn with several Broadway shows, including CATS, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber, and West Side Story.

As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art. He has been an active arranger and publisher of music for horn and chamber music for over 18 years.

Mr. Bell has taught students of all ages, from college students at Catholic University and the College of Charleston to beginning horn students in his own private studio. His newest teaching endeavor is an interactive history of the horn, as part of “BSO on the Go” at Strathmore Hall.

His teachers have included Roy Waas, Milan Yancich, Verne Reynolds, Ted Thayer, and Julie Landsman, from whom he learned the Caruso method. Ken believes in an approach based solidly in fundamentals, and tailoring his teaching methodology to the needs of each individual student.

Robert Bokor, violin

Celebrated by The Miami Herald for his "effortless technique, big, febrile tone, blazing speed, faultless articulation and virtuosic diablerie" and praised by the Jerusalem Post for his "virtuosity, commanding tone and formidable technique", Serbian violinist Robert Bokor is a frequent guest at major concert halls in Europe, Israel, Asia, South, Central and North America, including the Sala Verdi of Milan, Konzertgebouw Amsterdam, Auditorium Conciliazione of Rome and Franz Listzt Academy of Budapest, amongst others.

Since his solo debut with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, when he was 11 years old, Robert Bokor has regularly collaborated with many orchestras including the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV, Romanian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Sinfonieorchester St.Gallen, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, Koszalin Philharmonic, Wroclaw Philharmonic, Rubinstein Philharmonic, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta, Daejeon Philharmonic, Amazonas Philharmonic, Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Bucharest Radio Chamber Orchestra and Arpeggione Kammerorchester, amongst others. Robert Bokor has also appeared at several music festivals including the Summerfest, Rozsa Festival, Erlacher Musiksommer, Les Jardins Musicaux and this year for second time at the Endless Mountain Music Festival in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. His recent and future engagements include concerts and tours in Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Brazil, USA and Canada.

Born in Macedonia into a family of musicians, he grew up in Belgrade, where he also studied at the Belgrade University of Arts. Within a short time he went on to win numerous awards and competitions as well as frequently appearing on European radio and television broadcasts. After serving for several seasons as a concertmaster of the Sinfonieorchester St.Gallen in Switzerland, he continued his rich musical activities as a chamber musician, soloist and conductor.

Since 2008 he also holds the position of the Artistic Director of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra of Serbia and in March 2011 he took over as Chief Conductor of the Austrian Arpeggione Kammerorchester.

Sought after as a performer of great stylistic diversity, Robert Bokor has been a strong advocate of contemporary music with his concert appearances including many world premieres of new works dedicated to him.

As an active educator Robert Bokor holds master-classes worldwide, appears as a guest lecturer on several universities and serves as a juror on International music competitions.

Rebecca Dodson-Webster, horn

Rebecca Dodson-Webster was born in Apollo, Pennsylvania, and holds degrees from Grove City College (B.Mus), Carnegie Mellon University (MFA), and the University of Wisconsin (DMA). Her teachers include Douglas Hill, Soren Hermansson, Martin Smith, and John Cerminaro. Rebecca is currently Associate Professor of Horn at Mansfield University. Her solo CD Music for Horn and Piano is available on the Centaur Records label. Rebecca has performed in solo and chamber recitals in the United States, Canada, and Scandinavia; and she presented Tai Chi for Horn Players at the Southeast Horn Workshop in March, 2004. Currently she serves as associate principal horn of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes (NY) and performs with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra (PA).

Barry Dove, percussion

Barry Dove, a native Baltimorean, is acclaimed as one of today's outstanding percussionists.

The Washington Post's critic cited Dove's "...superhuman dexterity [which] made his marimba seem to play itself...Barry Dove [is] a marvelous player...Barry Dove played with assurance and amazing agility...Exceptionally virtuosic marimba playing... Barry Dove brought wit and impressive voltage."

The Baltimore Sun critic cited "Barry Dove gave a calmly virtuosic, highly expressive account of the demanding solo part."

He is the Principal Percussionist of the Washington Contemporary Music Forum, Principal Timpanist of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Key West Symphony Orchestra and is a section percussion player with Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Dove also plays and has toured with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and is a percussionist for the National Theatre Playbill in Washington DC. Mr. Dove is vibraphonist of the Barry Dove Jazz Quartet and founder of Global Percussion Trio and is percussion instructor at University of Maryland Baltimore County and Loyola College.

Chris Finet, bass

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Chris Finet is now based in New York and performs internationally covering a wide range of styles from orchestral music, contemporary, chamber music, and jazz. Chris earned his bachelors degree in double bass performance from Northern Arizona University where he studied under bassist Joel DiBartolo before going on to a masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Orin O’Brien of the New York Philharmonic as well as Jeremy McCoy of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

As an orchestral bassist, Chris works regularly with a number of orchestras in and around New York such as the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, Chamber Orchestra of New York, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in addition to holding the position of principal bass of the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra in upstate New York.

Doris Hall-Gulati, clarinet

After being awarded First Prize in the Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition, Doris gave her New York debut, performing the world premiere of John Carbon's "Rhapsody For Clarinet and Orchestra," at Avery Fischer Hall, Lincoln Center, with Gerard Schwarz and the New York Chamber Symphony. About the performance, Allan Kozinn of The New York Times wrote, "... a demandingly agile clarinet line, played with both virtuosity and nuance by Doris J. Hall-Gulati, wove its way through a variegated orchestra fabric." Ms. Hall-Gulati made her Carnegie (Weill) Hall debut playing with the Alaria Chamber Ensemble, and her Merkin Hall debut, premiering Thea Musgrave's "Ring Out Wild Bells," with the Philadelphia Trio.

Doris can be heard on the MMC, Naxos and New World record labels. About the recent Naxos recording of Hansen's "Nymphs and Satyr Ballet Suite," Paul Cook of classicstoday.com, was moved to say, "I was particularly taken (by) Doris Hall-Gulati on the clarinet."

An advocate for "new and old" music, Doris has performed in music festivals and on multiple series as soloist and chamber musician, throughout the US as well as China and Russia. She toured the Silk Road with the International Music Festival in West China in July 2007, touring six cities as performer and teacher. Due to this latest trip, Doris was invited to serve as a Visiting Professor at the Lanzhou Multicultural University.

Andrea Priester Houde, viola

Andrea Priester Houde joins the faculty of West Virginia University this year as Visiting Assistant Professor of Viola. She received a Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from the University of Memphis with Leonard Schranze. Further studies followed with Victoria Chiang at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where she earned a Master of Music in Viola Performance with an emphasis in Pedagogy and a Graduate Performance Diploma. While at Peabody she received the Israel Dorman Award for excellence in string playing and two Career Development Grants. Other teachers include Heidi Castleman, Jeffrey Irvine, Mark Jackobs, and David Holland. Pedagogy studies were with Rebecca Henry and Drs. Laura and Harlan Parker.

An active performer, Ms. Houde is a member of the Maryland Symphony and Principal Viola of the Lancaster Symphony. Her versatility has led to such opportunities as performing tango with Astor Piazzolla’s god son, Marcelo Nisinman, and playing in a rock band on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Houde has attended and performed in festivals across the United States including the Aspen Music Festival and School, ENCORE School for Strings, Brevard Music Center, the Quartet Program, and Interlochen Arts Camp. She was awarded two Peabody Singapore Fellowships in which she travelled to Singapore to mentor students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory and to perform with the Singapore Symphony.

Gita Ladd, cello

"Superb cellist' and "..among Baltimore’s most popular musicians", are but two of the accolades from the Baltimore Sun, regarding the performances of Gita Ladd. Ms. Ladd has been one of the most sought after cellists of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area for almost twenty years. For most of that time she performed as a titled member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, including several appearances as Principal Cello for the annual "Messiah" performances and at the SummerMusicFest Series. Ms. Ladd is currently Principal Cello with the Baltimore Opera Company, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and Post Classical Ensemble of Washington D.C. During the summer, Ms. Ladd performs as Principal Cello at the Endless Mountain Music Festival in Wellsboro, PA. She has also performed as Principal Cello with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Assistant Principal Cello of the Knoxville Symphony and a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Pops with Eric Kunzel. Ms. Ladd also performs throughout the year at the Kennedy Center with various ensembles including the Washington Opera, Washington Ballet, Washington Chorale and American Ballet Theatre.

Santiago Rodriguez, piano

Mr. Rodriguez made his Carnegie Hall debut under the baton of Dennis Russell Davis, and in recent seasons has returned for engagements in Finland, Korea and Taiwan. His international career was launched in 1981 when he won the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; he also received a special prize for the best performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Touches, a work commissioned for the competition. Mr. Rodriguez’ unique life and artistry were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kurault in 1993.

One of today’s foremost interpreters of the music of Sergei Rachmaninov, Santiago Rodriguez has performed all of the composer’s major piano works in concert. He is currently recording The Rachmaninov Edition, which, when completed, will encompass the entire catalog of Rachmaninov’s original solo piano compositions. Mr. Rodriguez has recorded numerous world premieres, including Piano Concerto No. 1 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; the Concertino for piano, strings, and cymbals of Carlos Surinach; and the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Alberto Ginastera, which was premiered by Mr. Rodriguez at Alice Tully Hall in New York.

Santiago Rodriguez also enjoys a distinguished reputation as a teacher and master-clinician. Since 1980, he was a member of the Piano Division at the University of Maryland where he held the rank of Professor and Artist-in-residence. Mr. Rodriguez holds a masters degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied on full scholarship as a pupil of Adele Marcus, and he completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude with William Race at the University of Texas.

Gregory Sandomirsky, violin

Bringing the Russian tradition to international music, Gregory Sandomirsky began studying violin in USSR at Krivoy Roy Lysenko Music School, where he graduated with honors. He received his Masters in Violin from the Odessa Conservatory in 1971.

He began his teaching career there as an assistant to Professor Mordkovich, and later taught violin and chamber music at Kirovograd and Krivoy Rog Colleges of Music.

Mr. Sandomirsky has performed as an orchstra member, concertmaster and soloist with symphonies around the world. He is currently associate concertmaster of the Kansas City Symphony.

In the summer of 2003, he served as Guest Concertmaster, Camerata Strumentale "Citta di Prato" at the Academia Musicale, Chigianna Festival, Italy and continues solo appearances throughout Europe.

Bram Wijnands, piano

Born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Bram Wijnands began playing piano at an early age. By the time he turned eight, he studied Barrelhouse Blues (Boogie Woogie) and stride-piano recordings of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis, Jack Dupree and Memphis Slim. One thing led to another and in 1991, he graduated in Jazz instrumental education and performance at the Hilversum Conservatory in the Netherlands, the largest school of Jazz in Europe. During and after graduation, he performed with Jazz-artists Slide Hampton, Gene Connors, Jos Moons, Richard Ross and Deborah Brown, then immediately embarked with his trio on a tour throughout eastern Europe, Russia, western Europe and the United States. Performances included the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival, 18th&Vine Heritage Festival and the Topeka Jazz Party.

Currently he is involved with the UMKC Conservatory of Music headed by Bobby Watson teaching Jazz-piano, arranging for small bands, combo and Jazz piano techniques and theory. Also he teaches Jazz piano and bass at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Jim Mair's program. This creates a unique opportunity for conservatory students to fill in or sit in at the Majestic and get some live experience.

Lately this pianist performed with such luminaries as Hal Melia, Bob Kindred, Marilyn Maye, Bobby Watson, Jimmy Slide, Warren Vache, Jon Hendricks,Duke’s Boys, James Carter and the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra.