2025 EMMF Guest artists
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Jeffrey biegel
In an age when many artists’ fortunes begin with a meteoric ascent and quickly cool with the inexorable free fall, pianist Jeffrey Biegel has managed to buck that trend, fashioning a career of steady success studded with concerts at major venues with major orchestras, a Grammy-winning recording, and more than twenty-five commissioned works by living composers. His life takes its roots from age three, barely able to hear or speak, until corrected by surgery. The “reverse Beethoven” phenomenon explains his lifelong commitment to music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years. During the pandemic year of 2020, he focused on composing original “Waltzes of Hope;” “Sonatina;” and “Three Reflections: JFK, RBG and MLK,” for solo piano; and for piano and orchestra, orchestrations by Harrison Sheckler. The next year saw the world premieres of his “Reflection of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg” with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s “Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg” for mezzo-soprano, piano, and orchestra in tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, featuring mezzosoprano Denyce Graves, as well as the world premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s “Shadows” newly arranged for piano and seven players with the Idaho State Civic Symphony. In 2022, he premiered Jim Stephenson’s Piano Concerto; Daniel Perttu’s “A Planets Odyssey” for piano and orchestra; Farhad Poupel’s “The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh” for piano, orchestra, and chorus; his own concerto, Three Reflections: Freedom (JFK), Justice (RBG) Equality (MLK); and Christopher Marshall’s “Thanksgiving Variations on ‘We Gather Together.’” For 2023, The fifty-state Rhapsody National Initiative begins, with the Utah Symphony leading a three-season effort with Peter Boyer’s Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue, with a world premiere recording of the new Rhapsody with Peter Boyer conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for a February 2024 Naxos digital release. The 2024-25 season foresees a new work for piano and orchestra by Adolphus Hailstork with the Pacific Symphony, Carl St. Clair conducting, and Grammy winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester’s “AWAKE” for piano and orchestra (premiere tba).
Considered the most prolific artist of his generation, Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon him in 2015, for his achievements in performance, recordings, chamber music, champion of new music, composer, arranger, and educator. In 2019, Kenneth Fuchs’s Piano Concerto: Spiritualist with the London Symphony Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, featuring Jeffrey as its soloist. In 2019, the first digital recordings were released on his Naturally Sharp label: “Cyberecital: An Historic Recording,” “A Pianist’s Journey,” and the September 2021 release of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue 1924 version with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Bruce Kiesling conducting. Jeffrey created the first largest consortium of orchestras in 1998 for Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s “Millennium Fantasy” premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000; followed with Charles Strouse’s Concerto America with the Boston Pops; Lowell Liebermann’s Concerto no. 3 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; William Bolcom’s “Prometheus” for piano, orchestra, and chorus with the Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale; Richard Danielpour’s “Mirrors” with the Pacific Symphony; Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s “Shadows” with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; Jake Runestad’s “Dreams of the Fallen” with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Chorus of New Orleans; Lucas Richman’s Piano Concerto: In Truth with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and recorded with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; and Kenneth Fuchs’s Piano Concerto: Spiritualist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA). He also premiered and recorded Giovanni Allevi’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and commissioned Christopher Theofanidis’s Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra; the Peanuts Concerto by Dick Tunney, based on music by Vince Guaraldi; Jimmy Webb’s “Nocturne for Piano and Orchestra” and PDQ Bach’s Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra by Peter Schickele with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Bringing new music to youth orchestras saw the world premiere of Daniel Dorff’s Piano Concerto with the Etowah Youth Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gagliardo.He studied at the Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, herself a pupil of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, and is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.
DREW TRETICK
Drew Tretick is a favorite with audiences for his expressive performances and warm stage presence. A graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, he has performed throughout the world. He has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak National Symphony, and has appeared as soloist with others. By invitation of Andrea Bocelli, Drew and Andrea performed together for his charity foundation. From Mr. Tretick’s concert appearances in Las Vegas, a survey recognized him as a favorite entertainer at The Venetian.
Appearances for television and radio include PBS, NPR, ABC, NBC, ESPN and he has recorded and performed with Tony Bennett, Ivan Gancedo, Stevie Wonder, Chris Isaak, Glenn Campbell, Sandy Patti, Doc Severinsen, Mike Garson (legendary pianist for David Bowie) and the late John Denver. Olympic gold pair skaters have performed to his music in competition as well as for the Olympic Champions On Ice tour. Karen Chen, a current U.S. Figure Skating champion, took home gold setting the highest competition score ever skating to Mr. Tretick’s spirited version of The Godfather, which he recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Drew began playing at age five and was performing professionally by his early teens. He studied viola at the North Carolina School of the Arts with Sally Peck, and under her training, he was nominated by the Commission on Presidential Scholars to compete at Princeton University. From that winning performance and through several written essays, Drew was recognized as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was then accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. From his musical progress and academic standing, he was awarded the Lincoln Center Scholarship and completed both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in only four years. His Juilliard master recital was the first ever in the school’s history to include a synthesizer electronic violin, and this innovative performance was broadcast over National Public Radio. He also studied and performed two summer seasons at the Aspen Colorado Music Festival.
Upon graduating from Juilliard, he was appointed Associate Professor and one of the youngest faculty members ever at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He also toured extensively around the world to Asia, Europe, Canada and throughout the United States. He has held principal and section orchestra and studio orchestra positions throughout his career. Mr. Tretick also holds a Master of Business (MBA) degree. All members of his family are professional musicians and members of major symphonies, and his mother and father had distinguished performing and teaching careers.
MELISSA MANCHESTER
Melissa Manchester is a songwriter, composer, and actress with a distinguished career that extends over half a century. Born into a musical family (her father was a bassoonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and surrounded by opera and classical music in her early years, she started out as a singer in the New York club scene, produced her first albums in the 1970s with a song like “Midnight Blue” enjoying a top ten position for weeks. “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” won her a Grammy in 1983. Staying active and constantly reinventing herself, she has produced, over the span of five decades, more than two dozen albums and composed songs for the soundtrack of almost as many movies. In 2021, she was admitted to the American Songbook Hall of Fame, being hailed as “a songwriter or performer who continues to write and perform music that will stand the test of time and become the pop standards of tomorrow.”
Not resting on her laurels, Melissa Manchester has composed in the last year, on the urging of Jeffrey Biegel, a piano concerto that will receive its world premiere during the Endless Mountain Music Festival. Since it has never been heard before, it will be a surprise to all of us except for soloist, orchestra musicians, and conductor. Even your program annotator knows very little about it, except that it is in five sections or movements with titles: Still, Strength, As One, Renewed, and Awake! Let’s lean back in our seats and listen to how Melissa Manchester renewed herself and “dressed up” for the occasion!
AYSSA WRAY
Alyssa Wray’s extraordinary talent and magnetic stage presence shine in Songs That Feel Like Sunshine, a vibrant celebration of goldenera popular music, timeless Broadway classics, and contemporary hits. Praised by American Idol judges as a “once-in-a-generation performer” (Katy Perry) and compared to Beyoncé for her “work of art” performances (Luke Bryan), Alyssa brings unmatched artistry and emotion to every note.Joining her on stage will be Prima Theatre’s Resident Music Director and Nashville-based pianist Ali Murphy, alongside a chamber orchestra of talented Endless Mountain Music Festival instrumentalists.
Since her national debut, Alyssa Wray has captivated audiences across the country. Her commanding presence and ability to bring raw emotion to every note have solidified her place as one of today’s most exciting emerging performers. Alyssa has performed for renowned artists likeAriana Grande and continues to push creative boundaries with her vocal versatility and inspiring performances.
Teresa Chung
Teresa Cheung is in frequent demand for symphonic, choral, operatic and balletic productions throughout the United States, Canada and Hong Kong. Following an acclaimed 13-season tenure as Music Director of Pennsylvania’s Altoona Symphony Orchestra, she was appointed Resident Conductor of the Endless MountainMusic Festival. Her current season is highlighted by herdebut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
Teresa Cheung’s recent engagements have found her on the podia of the Amarillo, American, Bakersfield, Chappaqua, Mid-Texas, Mobile, New Amsterdam (NYC), Phoenix, Portland, Stamford, Venice and Western Michigan symphony orchestras, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Rochester philharmonic orchestras, Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Brooklyn’s Regina Opera and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Additionally, she often appears as conductor for colleges and universities and with All State/All County orchestra festivals. She has also served as a conducting clinician for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ “Meet the Artist” program.
Widely known for her creative concert programming, collaborative projects and community outreach initiatives, Teresa Cheung is also a passionate advocate for music education for all ages. During her tenure in Altoona, she created numerous outreach programs that engaged area children and high school musicians and choristers, ballet companies and civic organizations.
Under her leadership, the ASO also performed with university instrumental and choral ensembles from Penn State University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Juniata College. Her vision of extending the Altoona Symphony’s artistry and reputation beyond Central Pennsylvania led to the filming of Dvorák’s New World, an acclaimed joint-project with the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts’ Humanities on the Road program that was broadcast throughout Pennsylvania in December, 2011. Another highlight of Ms. Cheung’s novel interdisciplinary projects was the North American premiere of F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu on Halloween 2017, reuniting the original symphonic score of Hans Erdmann with the silent film in Berndt Heller’ s reconstruction. Teresa Cheung began her career as Resident Conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, where she was also conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Evansville Philharmonic Chorus. Among her many artistic initiatives, she led the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra on its first international concert tour to Japan in 2002. Subsequently, she served as Resident Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor for the Bard Music Festival and SummerScape. A native of Hong Kong, Teresa Cheung received her Masters Degree in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music. She is also the recipient of the JoAnn Falletta Conducting Award for the most promising female conductors.
PEGGY DETTWILER
Peggy Dettwiler is professor of music and director of choral activities at Mansfield University, where she conducts the Concert Choir, Festival Chorus, and Chamber Singers, and teaches choral conducting and methods. She holds the doctor of musical arts degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. She also has a master of music degree in choral conducting from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master of music degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In 2010, Peggy received the Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and she placed second in 2011 and 2013 for the American Prize for Choral Conductors at the College/University level. Peggy has served as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the country and has given presentations at numerous NAfME and ACDA Conventions. She has produced two DVDs, one entitled, “Developing a Vocal Color Palette for Various Choral Styles” and the second, “Sing in Style.” Peggy made her conducting debut in Carnegie Hall in January of 2014 and presented an interest session at the World Choral Symposium in Seoul, Korea, in August of 2014. Peggy received the Presidential Coin for Excellence from General Francis Hendricks, president of Mansfield University, and was designated “2015 Honored Artist of the American Prize.” In 2016, she served on the jury for the World Choir Games in Sochi, Russia, and was one of ten conductors from seven countries, who participated in the course, CONDUCTING 21C: Musical Leadership for a New Century, held in Stockholm, Sweden. In January of 2017, Peggy served as Artistic Director for the concert, “Of War, Peace, and the Power of Music,” held in Carnegie Hall and sponsored by Performing Arts Educators.
MCLAIN FAMILY BAND
Direct from the hills of Kentucky, The McLain Family Band has become internationally known as one of the most spontaneous, creative and spirited groups performing contemporary Appalachian Bluegrass music.
Since 1968, they have performed in all 50 states – and 64 countries during 15 international concert tours, some as musical ambassadors of the U.S. Department of State. The McLain Family Band has appeared on prestigious stages such as the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Carter Family Fold. They have been featured at thousands of festivals and concerts and performed as soloists in more than 230 appearances with orchestras.
For eleven years, The McLain Family Band hosted The McLain Family Band Festival which was featured on NPR’s Folk Festival USA and produced by Kentucky Educational Television for national distribution. Other television appearances include NBC’s Today Show, The CBS Morning News, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Pearl Bailey ETV Special, The BBC, TNN’s Nashville Now and the Johnny Cash Christmas Special.
The McLain Family Band has consisted, through the years, of various combinations of family members. The core touring band includes: Raymond McLain, Ruth McLain, Alice and Al White and Daxson Lewis, with occasional guest appearances from NancyAnn Wartman and Michael & Jennifer McLain.
TRINA GROSS
Trina is the second and e-flat clarinetist in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's clarinet section, a position she has held since 2002. Prior to joining the ISO, she was principal clarinetist of the Louisville and Augusta Symphony Orchestras. She has also held positions with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra. As an active chamber musician, she is a founding member of the Circle City Winds and performs frequently with other ensembles in Indianapolis.
Trina is currently an instructor of clarinet at Butler University in Indianapolis. She performed Messiaen’s Quatour Pour la Fin du Temps with the Eroica Trio during Butler’s Arts Fest in April of 2016. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Butler Wind Ensemble in Scott McAllister’s Concerto Americana for Clarinet and Saxophone in the fall of 2015. She has been an Instructor of Clarinet at the University of Indianapolis and Indiana State University and maintains a private studio in her home.
As a soloist, Trina performed the Weber Concertino with the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra Rochester, NY in January of 2016. She has also appeared as soloist with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra, the Indiana State University Wind Ensemble, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.Trina earned her bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music. She received her master of music, performance certificate, and performer diploma from Indian University Jacobs School of Music. Her principal teachers include Eli Eban, James Campbell, Alfred Prinz, Charles Neidich, and William Osseck.