Abiquiu Chamber Music

This concert is significantly underwritten through the great generosity of ANONYMOUS of Chicago, IL; ANNE BECKETT of Youngsville, NM; and by MELODIE and JON USHER of Abiquiu, NM. 

The sharply-etched rhythms and wide-open "trademark" harmonies of Aaron Copland's Sextet (Piano, clarinet, String Quartet) open this unique program and is followed by Matthew Aucoin's elegant and ethereal Celan Fragments in its
World Premiere arrangement for Piano Quintet. The concert's second half features Osvaldo Golijov's monumental Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for Klezmer Clarinet and String Quartet. The work was inspired by the writings of the great Kabbalist Rabbi of the title, from Provence eight centuries ago, 

 JAMES SHIELDS, Clarinet, joined the Oregon Symphony as Principal Clarinet in the autumn of 2016. Before relocating to Portland, James served as principal clarinet of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, as well as the New Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque. A graduate of The Juilliard School, James studied with Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra. James has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra (MI), and the Albuquerque Philharmonic (NM), and as guest principal clarinet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival (CO), and Santa Fe Pro Musica (NM).  In addition to his orchestral and solo activities, Mr. Shields is increasingly becoming known to North American audiences as a dynamic and passionate performer of chamber music, making over 30 appearances annually in more intimate settings throughout the United States and Canada.  James is the co-artistic director of Chatter, an Albuquerque-based chamber music organization that presents more than 60 concerts per year; he has also been a featured soloist in Chatter concerts. In addition to his performing activities, James holds an M.M. in composition from the University of New Mexico, and continues to compose regularly. A recent review from the Albuquerque Journal enthused that …Shields performed with an exceptional beauty of tone and dynamics ranging from arresting fortes to subtle pianissimos, gentle zephyrs of sound seemly coming out of nowhere especially in the sublime Adagio... The final Rondo:Allegro was testimony to the sheer joy of being alive. He and his partner Shelley Brown (Flutist with the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet) and their dog Ruby share transcontinental homes in Portland and Toronto. ACMF welcomes James' return after his 2016 stunning performance of the Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets.

 DEBRA AYERS Piano, performs internationally with instrumentalists, singers and chamber music ensembles. Co-founder of Montage Music Society, Debra also performs with Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival, Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, Serenata of Santa Fe, Sunday Chatter, Taos Chamber Music Group and Santa Fe Desert Chorale. She has enjoyed collaborations with Aspen Music Festival Chamber Players; American, Apple Hill, La Catrina and Vega string quartets; Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet Pro Musica’s Chamber Ballet, Breckenridge Music Festival, the International Piatti Cello Festival and at Denver’s annual JAAMM Festival. A proponent of contemporary music, premieres include works by Ofer Ben-Amots, William Bolcom, Paul Elwood, Jeff Harrington, Andrew List, Daniel Schnyder, Ronald Strauss, Bruce Wolosoff and Yehudi Wyner. Debra and cellist Marc Moskovitz presented the North American premiere of the rediscovered Zemlinsky Cello Sonata at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  An alumna of the University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin, her teachers include Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Jean Barr, André-Michel Schub, Brooks Smith, Martin Katz, and John Barrows. Debra can be heard on a number of critically- acclaimed recordings, including “STARRY NIGHT Project…music based on visual art” (MSR) and Music of Ernst Krenek with soprano Ilana Davidson. Her newest recordings (music by Ofer Ben-Amots) are in the Milken Archive. ACMF has been delighted to have Debra performing here in 2015 with Montage Music and 2016 with the NM Winds.  She makes her home in Santa Fe with husband Gregg De Prince.

Praised by the Santa Fe New Mexican for his “fluid phrases; rich, focused tone; rhythmic precision; and spot-on intonation”, Albuquerque native, violinist and conductor DAVID FELBERG is Artistic Director and co-founder of Chatter Sunday, Chatter 20-21, and Chatter Cabaret.  He is Concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony and Music Director of the Albuquerque Philharmonic. He also teaches contemporary music at the University of New Mexico and is the associate concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic.  His robust conducting career has included conducting the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, and many performances of contemporary music with Chatter.  David performs throughout the southwest as concert soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.  He made his New York debut in Merkin Hall in 2005. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Arizona and a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of New Mexico.  He has taken advanced string quartet studies at the University of Colorado with the Takacs Quartet and was awarded a fellowship to attend the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. David has been delighting ACMF audiences with his performances every season since 2009, including his regular performance with our resident ensemble, Trio Arriba.  

This concert is gratefully underwritten through the great generosity of SUSAN CHANDLER, Tucson, AZ; JANET HARRINGTON and ROBERT WHITE of Abiquiu, NM; and PIANOWERKES of Albuquerque, NM.

This virtuosic solo program showcases some of the most exciting---yet poignant--works of the solo repertoire, ranging from the 18th through the 21st centuries. The brilliance of Matthew Aucoin's Etudes (NM Premiere); the reflective Beethoven Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight); the heart-churning Fourth Ballade in Fm, Op. 52 of Chopin; and the elegance of the shimmering Jeux d'eaux a la villa d'este by Liszt will be further augmented with the infrequently heard Brahms Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21/1.

 Canadian pianist CHRISTINE YOSHIKAWA has established herself as one of Canada’s exciting young pianists of her generation. Her performances have garnered international acclaim and critics have praised her as a pianist of "pure power” (South Bend Tribune), "remarkable endurance, refinement, precision and authority", and "radiant lyricism, elegance and warmth". (The Observer). In recent seasons her wide ranging recital and concerto repertoire from Beethoven to Xenakis has been applauded; and her international career includes performances in major cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Prague, Sofia, and Tokyo. After making her concerto debut with Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto with the London Westminster Philharmonic at the age of 9, she has since appeared as soloist with major orchestras including the Orchestre Philharmonie d'Avignon France, Kammerorchester Dusseldorf (Germany), Pazardjik National Symphony of Bulgaria, Olympia Symphony, Elkhart Symphony, Sydney Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Youth Symphony, and Nagoya Gakuen Philharmonic (Japan) among others.

Winner of many national and international competitions including the Canadian Music Competitions, Young Concert Artist Guild, Grand Prize Laureate of the 1998 Kromeriz International Piano Festival Competition (Czech Republic), Ehrhart Chamber International Competition, and Second-Prize Winner of the Yakov Flier International Piano Competition among others, solo highlights of recent seasons include a recital debut in Spain, the Olomouc Philharmonic Hall (Czech Republic), Grand Théâtre de Québec, Steinway Festival (FL), and performances of concerti by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chausson, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff with orchestras in Chicago, London, Richmond, Fort Nelson, Penticton, and in Indiana and Florida, and a world premiere in Glasgow, Scotland in a performance of Andrew Albright's Six Vignettes for Piano and Chamber Strings with the Kensington Concertante.

Beginning her piano studies at age 2 with her mother, and later with Jocelyn Pritchard and Jean-Luc Pelletier in Paris, Christine won first place in the Canadian Music Competitions at the age of 6, and by the age of 10, she had earned diplomas with first class honors and top medals from the Western Board and the Royal School of Music in London. Additionally, she was awarded a full scholarship to study with distinguished pianist Gyorgy Sebok of Indiana University Bloomington, at the Banff Centre of the Performing Arts, and was a Charter Fellow of the prestigious Toradze Institute at Indiana University South Bend under the tutelage of Martin Professor of Piano, Alexander Toradze. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from Arizona State University as a pupil of renowned American pianist Robert Hamilton. Dr. Yoshikawa was named the Mary Louise Remy Endowed Scholar, a recognition reserved for the top two of just 85 Research Scholars across North America selected from over 6000 nation-wide nominations. She is also the winner of the prestigious Kieckhefer Doctoral Dissertation Award, for her research on the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Aiken-Rockfeller Concert Artist Career Grant and Medallion, British Columbia Arts Council Grant from the Government of Canada, Regent Scholar, and the President's Scholar Award. She holds additional performance degrees with distinction honours from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia where her former teachers include Arthur Rowe and Jane Coop.

A committed educator, Christine conducts clinics and masterclasses internationally and has held teaching positions at the University of British Columbia and Arizona State University. Currently, Dr. Yoshikawa serves on the faculty of Chipola College. She is on the roster of Recording Artists for Eroica Classical Recordings. Various performances are archived at the Canadian Music Centres across Canada and at Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, and her concerts are broadcast on national radio across North America and abroad. Christine first appeared at ACMF in 2012 and we are thrilled at her return for the 10th Anniversary Celebration. 

This concert is significantly underwritten through the great generosity of ABIQUIU VALLEY FARM, Abiquiu, NM; with the appearance of DiYi Tang underwritten through the great generosity of LUCY AND JAMES WANG of Shanghai, China/Rancho Mirage, CA. 

ACMF's season finale is an eclectic showcase of vibrant works not only rarely programmed---but rarely programmed together!  The artist roster for the closing concert includes 15 distinguished musicians and our incomparable NYC conductor Jeffrey Milarsky, all prominent in their respective instruments. Artists are united to bring listeners these widely ranging works of the 20th and 21st centuries.  Matthew Aucoin's tender, Op.1 Poem is presented along with his Piano Trio, both NM Premieres.  Celebrating Steve Reich's 80th birthday year, ACMF opens with his Pieces for Wood (5 percussion); progressing to the virtuosic Madrigals for Violin/Viola Duo of Martinu. The concert concludes with the brilliant soprano Sarah Wolfson in the Folk Songs of Luciano Berio, with the ACMF Artist Ensemble of viola, cello, harp, flute/piccolo, clarinet, and two percussion. You won't want to miss this wonderfully diverse program.

Lyric Soprano SARAH WOLFSON continually demonstrates a remarkable ability to communicate with an audience, whether in recital or on the operatic stage. The New York Times called her a keenly intelligent artist…who sings with luminous sound and impressively focused high notes. Sarah Wolfson is on the MET roster, having just performed in 2017 in their production of Fidelio. During 2014, Ms. Wolfson performed solo recitals in South Carolina; was soloist for the Brahms Requiem Beethoven's 9th with Symphony of Northwest Arkansas; sang the Fauré Requiem with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra; and did the entire Bolcom Cabaret Songs. In addition to performing with New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) as part of its Next series, she also appeared in the Market Square Concerts in Pennsylvania where she sang the world premieres of song cycles by Jeremy Gill, Jake Heggie, and Paul Moravec. In addition, she has performed the opera premiere of Jetzt by Mathis Nitchke, and has sung Rose in Elliott Carter's What Next at Opéra de Montpellier. Ms. Wolfson was hailed by ResMusica: [As Rose] the American soprano Sarah Wolfson prevails by far, her performance possessing the exuberance, the color, and the sensuality required for the part. In past seasons, Ms. Wolfson presented a recital series that featured American composers Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, and Charles Ives. She also performed an all Kurt Weill cabaret program titled Foolish Heart: Kurt Weill's Search for Love and Home from Berlin to Broadway in New York City at the Neue Galerie's Cafe Sabarsky. In addition she has sung solo recitals in Florida, Virginia, and, Arkansas. She performed Schumann at Symphony Space as part of Simply Schumann, and was invited to sing Der Hirt auf dem Felsen with Antares Ensemble as part of The Newtown, CT Chamber Music Series and was hailed by The Connecticut News-Times for her powerful [and] evocative voice…total control of her lyric soprano voice…[and] vibrant vocals. In addition to her busy performance career, Ms. Wolfson is also Associate Professor of Voice at Columbia University. She first performed at ACMF in the 2015 season.

Founder and Artistic Director of The Sound of Manhattan International Music Festival and Competition in New York City(SOM), Pianist DIYI TANG has established himself as one of the leading artists in his generation. Mr. Tang is recipient of prize and awards from the prestigious William Kapell International Piano Competition in Maryland, Virginia Waring International Competition in Palm Springs, Chopin International Piano Competition in Moscow, and recipient of a fellowship of  the Anna and John J Sie Foundation. Mr. Tang made his Lincoln Center debut with Mannes Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, He has also performed as a guest soloist with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, South Carolina Symphony, Shanghai Symphony and Beijing Symphony. Mr. Tang has frequently invited to performed at noted venues, such as The Union Club, Javits Center, Asia Society and China Institute Chinese New Year Gala. Mr. Tang has over a dozen concerti in his repertoire,has appeared in chamber music concerts and has most recently collaborated with principle players of the NY Philharmonic in Vail Colorado. Mr. Tang has been appointed as chief adjudicator to judge Sinovision “ Teen’s Talent show”, a live broadcasted program providing individualized commenting and professional support to deserved young musicians. He counts among his great musical influences and mentors Jerome Lowenthal, Wang Jian Zhong and You Da Chun. He has studied with numerous distinguished pianists including Dr. Min Kwon, Pavlina Dokovska and Richard Goode. Mr. Tang is making his first appearance at ACMF in the NM premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Piano Trio.

 American Conductor JEFFREY MILARSKY is highly acclaimed worldwide for his impeccable musicianship, exhilarating presence and innovative programming.  Mr. Milarsky returns this season to conduct the ACMF Ensemble for the Berio performance. He has been hailed for his interpretation of a wide range of repertoire, which spans Bach to Xenakis.  In recent seasons he has worked with the San Francisco Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, MET Chamber Ensemble, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, New York City Opera, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New World Symphony, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic chamber music series. In the U.S. and abroad, he has premiered and recorded works by numerous contemporary composers in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and at IRCAM in Paris. In June of 2015 Mr. Milarsky made his New York Philharmonic debut conducting the CONTACT series, a Japanese based program including music of Takemitsu, Messiaen, Fujikura, and Mochizuki.  He was invited again in November of 2015 to conduct works by Marion Davidovsky.  In 2017, Mr Milarsky will lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Walt Disney Concert Hall, a program devoted to Steve Reich, celebrating his 80th birthday. Mr. Milarsky has a long history of premiering, recording and performing American composers and has frequently conducted the works of Philip Glass, working in close collaboration with the composer. A dedicated teacher, Mr. Milarsky is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University, where he is the Music Director and Conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra. In addition to conducting the Juilliard Orchestra, he is the Music Director of AXIOM, The Juilliard School’s critically acclaimed contemporary music ensemble, and serves on the conducting faculty at Juilliard. Also much-in-demand as timpanist and percussionist, Mr. Milarsky has been the Principal Timpanist for the Santa Fe Opera since 2005.  In addition, he has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.  He has recorded extensively for the labels of Angel, Bridge, Teldec, Telarc, New World, CRI, Music Masters, EMI, Koch, and London. 

This concert is entirely underwritten through the great generosity of ISABEL and SAM JEWELL of Abiquiu, NM.

ACMF is delighted to unite--and showcase--two outstanding artists of the youngest generation of prominent artists in the NM Premiere of Matthew Aucoin's "Merrill Songs," book-ended by works by two of the most iconic composers of English-language song, Henry Purcell and the incomparable Benjamin Britten. In addition, selections from the rarely performed Clairieres dans le ciel by Lili Boulanger will conclude the program. These featured composers represent the perfect unity of words-and-music, from the 17th, 20th, and 21st centuries. 

 JAMES ONSTAD, a native of Santa Fe, NM, holds a degree from Harvard in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and a master’s degree in vocal performance from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of  Cincinnati. At CCM, James performed the roles of Silvio in Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle, and Sam in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. James performed widely in the Boston area, singing Rev. Parris in Robert Ward’s The Crucible with Boston Opera Collaborative and the title character in Bernstein’s Candide with Lowell House Opera—New England’s oldest opera company. In the spring of 2015, he sang in the world premiere of Matt Aucoin’s Crossing with the American Repertory Theater, directed by Diane Paulus, and went on to premiere the role of Jake in Matt Aucoin's Second Nature with Chicago Lyric Unlimited. Recently, James premiered the role of Orfeo in Hopscotch—a multi-composer, immersive opera—with The Industry in Los Angeles. He will premiere the role of Ted in Andrew McIntosh's Bonnie and Clyde with The Industry in February, 2017. As recitalist, James appeared on St. John's University concert series.As a passionate devotee of Art Song—a form that is often overshadowed by opera and oratorio—James has coached with such champions of this genre as Graham Johnson, Margo Garrett and Martin Katz, and Kenneth Griffiths. James and MATTHEW AUCOIN met while working on a school production of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress at Harvard University. James, a senior, played Tom Rakewell while Matt, a freshman, led rehearsals, prepared the chorus and sang in the show, which was presented in a dining hall. Since that time, James has helped breath life into a number of Matt's works, and is thrilled and delighted to do so again at ACMF. James currently makes his home in Los Angeles.

MATTHEW AUCOIN is an American composer, conductor, writer, and pianist. He is the newly-appointed Artist-in-Residence at Los Angeles Opera. This position, created for Aucoin, fuses his work as composer and conductor. Matt just conducted the Los Angeles premiere in November of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten. He is composing a new full-length work for LA Opera which will premiere in a future season. In October 2016, pianist Conor Hanick--ACMF's pianist in resident ensemble Trio Arriba--and the Alabama Symphony gave the first performances of Matthew's first piano concerto, commissioned by The Gilmore Foundation. Earlier, Matthew conducted the premiere of his new orchestral work, Evidence, commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Last season, his song cycle Merrill Songs (set to texts by James Merrill) was premiered by tenor Paul Appleby at Carnegie Hall, which co-commissioned the work along with Wigmore Hall, London. Matthew is a 2012 graduate of Harvard College, where he studied with the poet Jorie Graham; and a 2013 recipient of a graduate diploma in composition from The Juilliard School, where he studied with composer Robert Beaser. Shortly before he graduated from Harvard, Matthew was hired as the youngest Assistant Conductor in the history of the Metropolitan Opera, where he worked with Thomas Adès, James Levine, and Valery Gergiev. From 2013 to 2015, he was the Solti Conducting Apprentice at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he studied with Riccardo Muti and, in 2014, made his CSO debut substituting for an indisposed Pierre Boulez. Matthew manages to remain an active pianist: With his regular collaborator, violinist Keir GoGwilt, he has recently given recitals in New York, Boston, Edinburgh, Spoleto (Italy) and Toronto. He also regularly performs with many of the world’s leading opera singers, including Renée Fleming, Paulo Szot, Rod Gilfry, and Anthony Roth Costanzo. He has also performed as a pianist in several Chicago Symphony Orchestra chamber concerts. Matthew has been the subject of major profiles in The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune. His music has been featured on radio programs including This American Life, From the Top, and Studio 360. Although his career is global, Matthew resides in Cambridge, MA as his home base. ACMF is honored to have Matt as the season's Featured Composer on each concert as well as performer in this collaborative concert. 

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

This concert is significantly underwritten through the great generosity of SUSAN and CHARLES MIZE of Tesuque, NM; and SALLY PATTON and RICK GRENZEBACK of Abiquiu, NM. 

ACMF's opening concert unites two of Brazil's truly outstanding musical artists in an exciting program that showcases each performer's virtuosity, their impeccable ensemble, as well as the duo's warmth and poetic communication. The two centerpieces are the rarely performed Schubert Fantasy, and Matthew Aucoin's Its Own Accord (NM Premiere) as well as including Paganini's solo violin Caprices, Guarnieri's Ponteos for solo piano, and the thrilling Road Movies by John Adams. 

 Violinist CÁRMELO DE LOS SANTOS began his violin studies at the age of nine in his native Brazil and first came to prominence in 1993 after winning the country's most prestigious music prize, the Eldorado Prize, and São Paulo Prize. Subsequently, he was the first prizewinner of the Júlio Cardona International Competition, held in Covilhã, Portugal, a decade later. The artist has performed at the prestigious Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, both as a soloist and conductor, and in numerous other prestigious competitions, including the Paganini Moscow International Violin Competition. In 1997 he came to the U.S. in order to study with Sylvia Rosenberg at the Manhattan School of Music and then completed his doctorate at the University of Georgia with Russian violinist Levon Ambartsumian. Cármelo performs regularly as soloist with major orchestras in Brazil and South America, at prominent music festivals in the U.S. and abroad, as a recital player, as well as being a member of REVEL and the Taos Chamber Music Group. He has also recorded many programs for radio and television in Brazil. Cármelo's CD on the Eldorado Radio label features Brazilian and other 20th century composers. His recently released 24 Caprices of Paganini will be available at the concert. Many of his concerto performances are easily found on YouTube. Cármelo is  Associate Professor of Violin at the University of New Mexico and has performed as soloist at ACMF during the second season in 2009 and the 2013 and 2015 seasons when the Duo Brazil Brilliance collaboration was formed. We are therefore delighted to have him returning to celebrate ACMF's 10th season. Cármelo is also an accomplished, semi-professional magician. Whereas he may not be pulling rabbits out of a hat, he will most certainly be performing his unparalled musical magic on the audience.  Although frequently touring, Cármelo makes his home in Albuquerque with his wife Eugenia and eight year old son Arthur. 

RÚBIA SANTOS is among the most sought-after collaborative pianists from Brazil. She has performed as soloist and collaborative pianist in the Americas, Europe, and China. Praised by the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung as a performer “who leaves the audience stunned by her provocative pianism as well as her enthusiastic temperament,” She has collaborated with members of the Berliner Philharmonic, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Los Angles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to cite a few. For many years she has specialized in instrumental chamber music repertoire, joining as a soloist with various ensembles and has been a yearly guest artist with the Quarteto de Cordas da Cidade de São Paulo, Brazil. Her love for poetry and knowledge of languages has taken her into various collaborations with singers, among them Christiane Oelze, Deborah Domanski, Sarah Wolfson, David Dillard, Javier Gonzales, and Laura de Souza. Rúbia has received numerous awards for her many collaborative CDs, which include the complete works for violin and piano of Camargo Guarnieri and of Lena Pieres de Campos, both with violinist Betina Stegman. She has also recently recorded two chamber works by American composer and Pulitzer Prize Winner, Jennifer Higdon. Originally trained in her native Brazil, then Germany and the U.S., Rúbia has taught at universities in those three countries and presents master classes, workshops, and lectures world-wide, as well as adjudicating competitions in Brazil, Costa Rica, and the U.S. Dr. Santos holds the Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Arizona State University in Tempe and the Artist Diploma from the Hochschüle für Musik in Cologne, Germany. Most recently, she became a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®. Following her solo program of Brazilian music for ACMF Valentine's Donor Thank You Concert, she will be performing at the University of Costa Rica in San José and at the Museum Regional de San Ramón. We are pleased to welcome Rúbia back following stellar collaborative performances at ACMF in 2012, 2013, and 2015 seasons. Rúbia makes her home in Costa Rica with her husband Jeffrey and cat Buddha. 

 Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

Emanuele Arciuli has established himself as one of the most original and interesting performers on today's classical music scene. His repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary music, with a strong affinity for composers from the United States.  Emanuele Arciuli continuously develops new projects and is in constant pursuit of new ideas and innovative programmes. 'Round Midnight Variations, a group of 16 compositions that were written expressively for Arciuli by composers such as Babbitt, Rzewski, Torke, Daugherty, Bolcom, and Harbison, has recently sparked the interest of international critics and is considered by some to be one of the most significant contemporary American piano collections. The variations, which were released by Stradivarius on CD under the title 'Round Midnight - Hommage to Thelonious Monk in May 2011, have been celebrated by the international press. 

His special interest in Native American cultures has impacted Emanuele Arciuli's career, and resulted in him commissioning works from a number of native American composers. His most recent project Indian Gallery was premiered at Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and features new works inspired by Native American visual art by composers such as John Luther Adams, Michael Daugherty, and Huang Ruo. 

His numerous recordings include Gates to Everywhere, with music by Carla Bley, Fred Hersch, and Chick Corea, the complete piano works of Berg and Webern, and the world premiere of Bruno Maderna's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. His CD dedicated to George Crumb (Bridge) was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his CD with works by Adams and Rzewski (Stradivarius) received the Italian critics' award for Best Record in 2006. 

Emanuele Arciuli regularly performs at major concert halls and festivals, such as the Berliner Festwochen, Wien Modern at Musikverein, La Scala for Milano Musica, Miller Theater New York, Miami Piano Festival, , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Fenice Venice, and the Brescia and Bergamo International Festival. He has collaborated with internationally renowned orchestras such as the Indianapolis Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira and the RAI National Symphony. Conductors with whom he has worked include Roberto Abbado, Andrei Boreico, Yoel Levi, James MacMillan, Wayne Marshall, Kazushi Ono, Zoltan Pesko, Arturo Tamayo and Mario Venzago.  His newest comprehensive book on American piano music, Musica per pianoforte negli Stati Uniti, was recently published in Italy and presented at the MiTo Settembre Musica Festival in Torino by Enzo Restagno. 

In May 2011, Emanuele Arciuli was awarded with the most important Italian critic's prize, the Premio Franco Abbiati. In winning this prize, Emanuele Arciuli follows in the footsteps of Maurizio Pollini, Radu Lupu, and Zubin Metha. 

He is a professor at the Conservatory in Bari, Italy, and a frequent guest professor at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and other American universities. Mr. Arciuli returns to ACMF now for his fifth appearance, having presented a solo concerts here in 2013, 2014, appearing with R. Carlos Nakai here in 2012, and also concluding last season's festival with his two concerto performances of Haydn and the Beethoven Fourth concerto. 

American Conductor JEFFREY MILARSKY is highly acclaimed worldwide for his impeccable musicianship, exhilarating presence and innovative programming.  He has been hailed for his interpretation of a wide range of repertoire, which spans Bach to Xenakis.  In recent seasons he has worked with the San Francisco Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, MET Chamber Ensemble, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, New York City Opera, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New World Symphony, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic chamber music series. In the U.S. and abroad, he has premiered and recorded works by numerous contemporary composers in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and at IRCAM in Paris. In June of 2015 Mr. Milarsky made his New York Philharmonic debut conducting the CONTACT series, a Japanese based program including music of Takemitsu, Messiaen, Fujikura, and Mochizuki.  He was invited again in November of 2015 to conduct works by Marion Davidovsky.  In 2017, Mr Milarsky will lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Walt Disney Concert Hall, a program devoted to Steve Reich, celebrating his 80th birthday. Mr. Milarsky has a long history of premiering, recording and performing American composers and has frequently conducted the works of Philip Glass, working in close collaboration with the composer. A dedicated teacher, Mr. Milarsky is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University, where he is the Music Director and Conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra. In addition to conducting the Juilliard Orchestra, he is the Music Director of AXIOM, The Juilliard School’s critically acclaimed contemporary music ensemble, and serves on the conducting faculty at Juilliard. Also much-in-demand as timpanist and percussionist, Mr. Milarsky has been the Principal Timpanist for the Santa Fe Opera since 2005.  In addition, he has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.  He has recorded extensively for the labels of Angel, Bridge, Teldec, Telarc, New World, CRI, Music Masters, EMI, Koch, and London. 

JAMES SHIELDS, Clarinet,  is principal with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, Ontario and the New Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque. In the fall of 2016, he will also join the Oregon Symphony Orchestra as newly appointed Principal Clarinet. James is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Ricardo Morales, the principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.  He has appeared as soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, and the Chatter Chamber Ensemble, and has performed as principal clarinet with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, the Astoria Music Festival (Astoria, OR), and Santa Fe Pro Musica. He is also Co-Director of the CHATTER concert series in Albuquerque. 

Lauded for her "lustrous and expressive voice" by the Seattle Times after her performances as Adalgisa in Norma, mezzo-soprano PHYLLIS PANCELLA receives continuous critical acclaim for her artistic versatility, superlative musicianship, and powerful stage presence. A truly accomplished artist, she has appeared on many of the finest international opera, concert, and recital stages in repertoire ranging from the Baroque era to that of the present century. In the summer of 2015 Phyllis sang the role of the Marquise in La fille du régiment with the Santa Fe Opera. Her most recent engagement includes soloist in Kindertotenlieder with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. In 2014-15 she made her Virginia Opera debut as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, returned to Alabama Symphony as Mother/Witch in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and was soloist in “Alexander Nevsky” with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra. Other recent engagements include soloist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Hong Kong Bach Choir under Jerome Haberman; a series of chamber recitals with violist Paul Neubauer; singing in the New Music Showcase at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague; her return to Boston Lyric Opera as Despina in Così fan tutte; to Central City Opera as Mrs. Gibbs in Rorem’s Our Town; and soloist in Messiah with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, under Jane Glover. Phyllis was also soloist in an evening of Bach cantatas (curated by John Harbison) in a return to Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; in Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra, under Jane Glover; her return to Music of the Baroque Orchestra and Chorus to sing Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas; to Handel and Haydn Society to sing Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Mozart’s Requiem (released on the Coro label); to Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra as soloist in Handel’s Messiah (Part One) and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio; to the Berkshire Choral Festival in works by Vaughn Williams, Elgar, and Brahms, Robert Page conducting; and singing as soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Alabama Symphony. She has performed countless roles with the other U.S. opera companies, including the San Francisco, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas, Florida Grand Opera, and Glimmerglass. Phyllis portrayed the the title role of Lizzie Borden (broadcast on PBS Great Performances series) at both Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera. ACMF is delighted to welcome her for her first appearance here.

Her collaborator, SHIELDS COLLINS BRAY has been principal keyboardist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1986 and has hosted the orchestra's pre-concert discussions since 1993. He has appeared many times as soloist with the orchestra, most recently in works by Liszt, Janacek, and Britten. He has appeared also as soloist with symphony orchestras of Dallas, Jacksonville, and New Orleans, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic. He was pianist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya's The Passion of Tango in 2003, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is also Artistic Director for Special Projects at the Van Cliburn Foundation, where he oversees the foundation's extensive education initiatives, and produces its Cliburn at the Modern series, which in recent seasons has hosted the composers Ned Rorem, John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Osvaldo Golijov, and Adam Guettel.  He can also be heard on Juan Diego Florez' Sentimiento Latino, a 2006 Decca release, and onGasparo's Dwell in Possibility, with the mezzo-soprano Virginia Dupuy. Mr. Bray studied with the late, great Van Cliburn International Gold Medalist Steven De Groote, and more recently with Yoheved Kaplinsky.  This performance is his seventh at ACMF, returning as an always-favorite artist.  

Composer INGRID STOLZEL's music has been described by the American Record Guide as “tender and beautiful,” and she has been hailed by NPR’s classical music critic “as a composer of considerable gifts” and “musically confident and bold.” Her emotionally charged music is performed worldwide. She has received commissions and performances from leading ensembles and performers, including the California E.A.R. Unit, Third Angle, Adaskin String Trio, ensemble s21, San Diego New Music, Khorikos, and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medalist, Stanislav Ioudenitch. She is the winner of the RED NOTE Composition Competition, Ortus International New Music Competition, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Composers Showcase Competition and Arizona Pro Arte Competition, among others. Stölzel is a frequent guest composer and her music has been heard at the Beijing Modern Music Festival, Festival of New Music at Florida State, Festival of New American Music, Aries Composers Festival, International Alliance of Women in Music Congress and IC[CM] International Conference on Contemporary Music. Stölzel earned her doctorate degree in composition from the University of Missouri, Conservatory of Music and Dance in Kansas City, where she studied with James Mobberley, Chen Yi and Zhou Long. She holds a Master of Music in Composition from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT where her primary composition teachers were Robert Carl and James Sellars. She is Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of Kansas and prior to this appointment served as Director of the International Center for Music at Park University. Stölzel is a native of Germany and has resided in the United States since 1991. For more information please visit: www.ingridstolzel.com

Cellist SALLY GUENTHER is both a familiar and favored artist of ACMF, performing as Duo Artist multiple times with Pianist Robert McDonald as well as with R. Carlos Nakai, Native Flutist, multiple times.   After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, and the Syracuse Orchestra (principal), she became solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years, where she was also active as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos her base for performing as well as her home, performing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Chatter.  Sally performs regularly throughout the year with the Taos Chamber Music Group, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway.  Sally studied with renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro. She performs regularly at ACMF, both in duo programs as swell as part of the regular ACMF Ensemble.

ACMF's resident chamber ensemble, TRIO ARRIBA first debuted at ACMF in 2009 with an All-Russian program of exhilarating magnitude.  After New York City-based Pianist CONOR HANICK began performing frequently in New Mexico as soloist with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Chatter, the Taos Chamber Music Group and in solo recitals throughout the state, he was invited to join the two original members of the trio. Conor Hanick’s diverse artistic interests have led to solo and chamber music performances across the world, a performance his March in Carnegie Hall, teaching roles at The Juilliard School and Smith College, and concert and festival collaborations with the country’s most accomplished conductors, ensembles, and composers. Widely praised in a huge variety of repertoire, Conor’s performances have been described by the New York Times and Gramaphone magazine as “excellent,” “brilliant,” “astounding,” and “colorful,” demonstrating “technical precision and musical conviction.” Particularly acclaimed have been his performances of contemporary repertoire, reminding the New York Times’s Anthony Tommasini of “a young Peter Serkin.” In between his prolific performing and teaching, Conor also manages to host his regular radio program Hammered! on the iconic station WQXR and completed the doctorate in piano performance at The Juilliard School. 

Violinist DAVID FELBERG is not only one of the most sought-after violinists in NM, virtually performing with every orchestra and chamber series in the state, but has appeared as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, Noisy Neighbors Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra, Palo Alto Orchestra, and the Balcones Orchestra of Austin, TX.  David is also Artistic Director of one of the most vibrant musical organizations in the state, Chatter. Formerly known as The Church of Beethoven, Chatter is an innovative Sunday morning series highlighting music and poetry, featured regularly on NPR and in the Los Angeles Times. David is Associate Concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic and Concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.  David has also performed solo recitals throughout the state, performs with Serenata of Santa Fe, Chatter, and the Taos Chamber Music Group.  In 2005, he made his New York recital debut in Merkin Hall. In addition to his graduate music degree from the University of New Mexico, David has also taken advanced string quartet studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and attended the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. There, he worked with maestros David Zinman and Murray Sidlin, and with renowned conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

Cellist SALLY GUENTHER is both a familiar and favored artist of ACMF, performing as Duo Artist multiple times with Pianist Robert McDonald as well as with R. Carlos Nakai, Native Flutist, multiple times.   After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, and the Syracuse Orchestra (principal), she became solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years, where she was also active as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos her base for performing as well as her home, performing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Chatter.  Sally performs regularly throughout the year with the Taos Chamber Music Group, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway.  Sally studied with renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro. She performs regularly at ACMF, both in duo programs as swell as part of the regular ACMF Ensemble.

SHANTI RANDALL, Viola, has played frequently with both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera, under such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Rostropovich and Michael Tilson Thomas. As a first call violist of the Hollywood Studio Orchestra, he is recorded in over 350 major motion picture scores. His orchestral film score collaborations include soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Hillary Hahn, under the batons of John Williams, Randy Newman, James Horner et al. with television appearances including those on PBS, Oprah, and Jay Leno. Shanti’s varied chamber performances include L.A.’s “Sundays Live” Series radio broadcasts at MOMA; The Ojai Chamber Music Festival, and nationally/internationally, as violist of  The Coolidge Quartet; recitals in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall; The Festival of Mecklenburg, Germany; and Guatemala’s country wide classical youth program through the funding of the European Mozart Academy. Shanti attended the New England Conservatory of Music and was admitted into the honorary Performance Diploma Program by Walter Trampler. He performs on a 1790 Johannes Cuypers viola, ‘accompanied’ by a Jean “Grand” Adam bow. Shanti recently accepted the position of Principal Viola with the New Mexico Philharmonic.

 Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

The New Mexico Winds Woodwind Quintet is the Artist Faculty Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of New Mexico.  In addition to on-campus concerts, the quintet is active throughout the United States presenting frequent recitals and clinics.  They have accepted invitations to perform at the College Music Society National Conference, National Flute Association Conference, International Double Reed Society Conference and the International Clarinet Association Conference.  The members of the quintet are active soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral musicians, having held positions throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and South America.  The ensemble is noted for its innovative programing, mixing classics of the repertoire with compositions that expand the boundaries of traditional chamber music. ACMF is excited and delighted to welcome the NM WINDS for their first performance during the Festival.

 Pianist DEBRA AYERS performs internationally as well as at the Breckenridge Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival Players, Serenata of Santa Fe, Taos Chamber Music, and with numerous instrumentalists and singers. Her teachers have included Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Jean Barr, Andre-Michel Schub, Brooks Smith, and Martin Katz, through her professional studies at USC and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Debra first performed with ACMF in 2015 with her Montage Music Society in an especially memorable performance of Messaien's Quatour pour la fins du temps.She is also Co-Founder of the Altazano Salon series in Santa Fe. 

Keith Lemmons serves as Associate Dean, Presidential Teaching Fellow, and Professor of Clarinet at The University of New Mexico.  He combines an international reputation as a sought after soloist, clinician, chamber musician with his love of teaching and administrative career.  Concerts in Italy, Sweden, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, as well as throughout the United States have received critical acclaim, “he had them in sheer ecstasy,” “true virtuosity,” “a consummate artist.”  He performs with the New Mexico Winds, Serenata of Santa Fe, Taos Chamber Music Group and Taos Trio.  His many graduates now teach at numerous colleges and universities and play in orchestras and military bands throughout the U.S. Professor Lemmons’ degrees are from Pittsburg State University under Robert Schott and Michigan State University with Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr.  He also has extensive additional study with Larry Combs (Principal, Chicago Symphony), Charlie Neidich (Julliard School), and Thea King (Principal, English Chamber Orchestra). His numerous recordings are on Centaur, Summit, Navona, AlbuZerkque, Taos Chamber Music Group, UNM and Katson recording labels. He is an artist for Buffet-Crampon and D’Addario.

 Valerie Potter is the Associate Professor of Flute at The University of New Mexico and Principal Flute of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and has held the piccolo position with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra since 1994.  A student of James Pellerite, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from IndianaUniversity with a performer’s certificate.  Ms. Potter also received a Master of Music degree from YaleUniversity where she studied with Tom Nyfenger.  She has performed with many orchestras across the country including the Cincinnati, Detroit, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Houston Symphonies.  She has been a faculty member in the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has been a featured performer at several National Flute Association conventions.  She has also been an invited artist and clinician at several flute fairs and is in demand as a chamber musician.  In 2007, she served as the local coordinator for the NFA Convention.  Professor Potter’s has recordings on the Centaur, Summit, AlbuZerkque, New Mexico Symphony, and Katson recording labels.

 Denise Reig Turner is the Lecturer of Bassoon at The University of New Mexico and Assistant Principal/2^nd Bassoon of the New Mexico Symphony.  She is also Principal Bassoon with the San Juan Symphony and performs regularly as a member of the Bosque Chamber Music Society and the Animas Music Festival in Colorado.  Ms. Turner has performed orchestral, opera and chamber music throughout the Southwest.  Italy, and Mexico, including the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Fe Festival Ballet, Musica de Camera Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica and was Principal with the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque for 18 years.  Originally from Chicago, Ms. Turner studied with Adelle Brown of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wilbur Simpson of the Chicago Symphony, Artemus Edwards at UNM and Betty Johnson at the University of Oklahoma.  Her recordings are on the Centaur AlbuZerkque, UNM, and New Mexico Symphony recording labels.

 Dr. Kevin Vigneau is the Professor of Oboe at The University of New Mexico and Principal Oboe of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra.  He is also oboist with the New Mexico Winds and Trio New Mexico.  He performs with Music from Angel Fire and for the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.  He earned his Master of Music, Master of Musical Arts and Doctor of Music Arts degrees from YaleUniversity, where he studied with Ronald Roseman and was awarded the Dean’s Prize for the Outstanding Student in the graduating class.  He is also a graduate of BostonUniversity where he studied with Ralph Gomberg and Laurence Thorstenberg.  Dr. Vigneau was Principal Oboe of the Cape Town Symphony (South Africa), the Orquesta Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal) and English Horn with the Opera Company of Boston Orchestra.  He has a recording of the Strauss Oboe Concerto on the EMI label and a recording of contemporary music title “Oboe on the Edge” will be released on the Centaur label in 2008.  Other recordings are on Centaur, Summit, AlbuZerkque, Katson, and New Mexico Symphony recording labels.  A dedicated teacher, recent oboe graduates have gone on to degree programs at Yale, Indiana, UT-Austin, Oberlin and teaching careers at The University of Nebraska, Luther College and Bowling Green University.

 Dr. Michael Walker is the Assistant Professor of Horn at The University of New Mexico and the hornist with the New Mexico Winds, Fiati Five Woodwind Quintet, and the University of New Mexico Woodwind Quintet.  Prior to his appointment at UNM, Dr. Walker served as second horn in the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the founder of the Bloomington-based, community centered organization Studio Forza.  Dr. Walker has performed with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, Performance Santa Fe, Utah Festival Orchestra, Bel Canto Institute, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, San Jose Wind Symphony, and as a featured soloist with Musica Nova at the Eastman School of Music.  Dr. Walker holds a BM from San Jose University, a MM from the University of Northern Colorado, and a DMA from Indiana University, where he studied with Jeff Nelsen and Dale Clevenger, and natural horn with Rick Seraphinoff.

 Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

 Mr. Arciuli's travel to the U.S. is underwritten through the great generosity of his Italian sponsor.

Mr. Arciuli's Concerto Concert--and the performance of Jennifer Higdon's Sky Quartet-- are made possible through the great generosity of ABIQUIU VALLEY FARMS with their underwriting of this concert.  

Emanuele Arciuli has established himself as one of the most original and interesting performers on today's classical music scene. His repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary music, with a strong affinity for composers from the United States.  Emanuele Arciuli continuously develops new projects and is in constant pursuit of new ideas and innovative programmes. 'Round Midnight Variations, a group of 16 compositions that were written expressively for Arciuli by composers such as Babbitt, Rzewski, Torke, Daugherty, Bolcom, and Harbison, has recently sparked the interest of international critics and is considered by some to be one of the most significant contemporary American piano collections. The variations, which were released by Stradivarius on CD under the title 'Round Midnight - Hommage to Thelonious Monk in May 2011, have been celebrated by the international press. 

His special interest in Native American cultures has impacted Emanuele Arciuli's career, and resulted in him commissioning works from a number of native American composers. His most recent project Indian Gallery was premiered at Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and features new works inspired by Native American visual art by composers such as John Luther Adams, Michael Daugherty, and Huang Ruo. 

His numerous recordings include Gates to Everywhere, with music by Carla Bley, Fred Hersch, and Chick Corea, the complete piano works of Berg and Webern, and the world premiere of Bruno Maderna's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. His CD dedicated to George Crumb (Bridge) was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his CD with works by Adams and Rzewski (Stradivarius) received the Italian critics' award for Best Record in 2006. 

Emanuele Arciuli regularly performs at major concert halls and festivals, such as the Berliner Festwochen, Wien Modern at Musikverein, La Scala for Milano Musica, Miller Theater New York, Miami Piano Festival, , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Fenice Venice, and the Brescia and Bergamo International Festival. He has collaborated with internationally renowned orchestras such as the Indianapolis Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira and the RAI National Symphony. Conductors with whom he has worked include Roberto Abbado, Andrei Boreico, Yoel Levi, James MacMillan, Wayne Marshall, Kazushi Ono, Zoltan Pesko, Arturo Tamayo and Mario Venzago.  His newest comprehensive book on American piano music, Musica per pianoforte negli Stati Uniti, was recently published in Italy and presented at the MiTo Settembre Musica Festival in Torino by Enzo Restagno. 

In May 2011, Emanuele Arciuli was awarded with the most important Italian critic's prize, the Premio Franco Abbiati. In winning this prize, Emanuele Arciuli follows in the footsteps of Maurizio Pollini, Radu Lupu, and Zubin Metha. 

He is a professor at the Conservatory in Bari, Italy, and a frequent guest professor at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and other American universities. Mr. Arciuli returns to ACMF for his third appearance, having presented a solo concert here in 2013, and appearing with R. Carlos Nakai here in 2012. Mr. Arciuli ALSO performs a Solo Recital for ACMF on August 2nd, and appears with additional contemporary pieces on the CHATTER series of Albuquerque on August 9th.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

 Mr. Arciuli's travel to the U.S. is underwritten through the great generosity of his Italian sponsor.

Mr. Arciuli's return to ACMF from Italy is made possible through the great generosity of SALLY PATTON and RICK GRENZEBACK, Abiquiu; and PIANOWERKES, Albuquerque, in the underwriting of this performance.

Emanuele Arciuli has established himself as one of the most original and interesting performers on today's classical music scene. His repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary music, with a strong affinity for composers from the United States.  Emanuele Arciuli continuously develops new projects and is in constant pursuit of new ideas and innovative programmes. 'Round Midnight Variations, a group of 16 compositions that were written expressively for Arciuli by composers such as Babbitt, Rzewski, Torke, Daugherty, Bolcom, and Harbison, has recently sparked the interest of international critics and is considered by some to be one of the most significant contemporary American piano collections. The variations, which were released by Stradivarius on CD under the title 'Round Midnight - Hommage to Thelonious Monk in May 2011, have been celebrated by the international press. 

His special interest in Native American cultures has impacted Emanuele Arciuli's career, and resulted in him commissioning works from a number of native American composers. His most recent project Indian Gallery was premiered at Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and features new works inspired by Native American visual art by composers such as John Luther Adams, Michael Daugherty, and Huang Ruo. 

His numerous recordings include Gates to Everywhere, with music by Carla Bley, Fred Hersch, and Chick Corea, the complete piano works of Berg and Webern, and the world premiere of Bruno Maderna's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. His CD dedicated to George Crumb (Bridge) was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his CD with works by Adams and Rzewski (Stradivarius) received the Italian critics' award for Best Record in 2006. 

Emanuele Arciuli regularly performs at major concert halls and festivals, such as the Berliner Festwochen, Wien Modern at Musikverein, La Scala for Milano Musica, Miller Theater New York, Miami Piano Festival, , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Fenice Venice, and the Brescia and Bergamo International Festival. He has collaborated with internationally renowned orchestras such as the Indianapolis Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira and the RAI National Symphony. Conductors with whom he has worked include Roberto Abbado, Andrei Boreico, Yoel Levi, James MacMillan, Wayne Marshall, Kazushi Ono, Zoltan Pesko, Arturo Tamayo and Mario Venzago.  His newest comprehensive book on American piano music, Musica per pianoforte negli Stati Uniti, was recently published in Italy and presented at the MiTo Settembre Musica Festival in Torino by Enzo Restagno. 

In May 2011, Emanuele Arciuli was awarded with the most important Italian critic's prize, the Premio Franco Abbiati. In winning this prize, Emanuele Arciuli follows in the footsteps of Maurizio Pollini, Radu Lupu, and Zubin Metha. 

He is a professor at the Conservatory in Bari, Italy, and a frequent guest professor at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and other American universities. Mr. Arciuli returns to ACMF for his third appearance, having presented a solo concert here in 2013, and appearing with R. Carlos Nakai here in 2012. Mr. Arciuliu also will return on August 16 to conclude the season with his performance of two piano concerti and will be presenting additional solo contemporary pieces on the CHATTER series (Albuquerque) on August 9th. 

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of ANNE BECKETT of Abiquiu, NM, and MELODIE and JON USHER, of Abiquiu, NM.

Lyric Soprano Sarah Wolfson continually demonstrates a remarkable ability to communicate with an audience, whether in recital or on the operatic stage. The New York Times called her a keenly intelligent artist…who sings with luminous sound and impressively focused high notes. In 2011 she was recognized by Symphony Magazine as an Emerging Artist. She was awarded the 1st Place Prize (Victor and Sono Elmaleh Award) in The Concert Artists Guild Competition and made her Weill Hall (Carnegie Hall) solo recital debut in January 2009. During 2014, Ms. Wolfson performed solo recitals in South Carolina; was soloist for the Brahms Requiem Beethoven's 9th with Symphony of Northwest Arkansas; sang the Fauré Requiem with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra; and did the entire Bolcom Cabaret Songs. In addition to performing with New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) as part of its Next series, she also appeared in the Market Square Concerts in Pennsylvania where she sang the world premieres of song cycles by Jeremy Gill, Jake Heggie, and Paul Moravec. In addition, she has performed the opera premiere of Jetzt by Mathis Nitchke, and has sung Rose in Elliott Carter's What Next at Opéra de Montpellier. Ms. Wolfson was hailed by ResMusica: [As Rose] the American soprano Sarah Wolfson prevails by far, her performance possessing the exuberance, the color, and the sensuality required for the part. In past seasons, Ms. Wolfson presented a recital series that featured American composers Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, and Charles Ives. She also performed an all Kurt Weill cabaret program titled Foolish Heart: Kurt Weill's Search for Love and Home from Berlin to Broadway in New York City at the Neue Galerie's Cafe Sabarsky. In addition she has sung solo recitals in Florida, Virginia, and, Arkansas. She performed Schumann at Symphony Space as part of Simply Schumann, and was invited to sing Der Hirt auf dem Felsen with Antares Ensemble as part of The Newtown, CT Chamber Music Series and was hailed by The Connecticut News-Times for her powerful [and] evocative voice…total control of her lyric soprano voice…[and] vibrant vocals. In addition to her busy performance career, Ms. Wolfson is also Associate Professor of Voice at Columbia University. This is her first appearance with the Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival. 

Pianist Rúbia Santos is among one of the most sought-after collaborative pianists today, praised by the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung as a performer “who leaves the audience stunned by her provocative pianism as well as her enthusiastic temperament.” She has performed and lectured on four continents in the U.S., South America, Europe, and China, collaborating with numerous distinguished artists in voice, strings, brass, and winds. Rúbia has received numerous awards for her many collaborative CDs, which include the complete works for violin and piano of Camargo Guarnieri and of Lena Pieres de Campos, both with violinist Betina Stegman. She has also recently recorded two chamber works by American composer and Pulitzer Prize Winner, Jennifer Higdon. Her annotated first edition of piano works of Villani-Côrtes was published in 2013 and a CD of his works for piano and voice is also forthcoming. Originally trained in her native Brazil, then Germany and the U.S., Rúbia has taught at universities in those three countries and regularly presents master classes, workshops, and lectures world-wide, as well as adjudicating competitions in Brazil and the U.S.  She is a frequent soloist with orchestra, in solo recitals, and as collaborative artist at international music festivals, including the Gilmore Keyboard Festival; the Latin American Art Song Alliance; the AIMS Summer Opera Program in Graz, Austria; the Plymouth Music Festival in MA; the National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions; and the Bach Music Festival of Peru.  Dr. Santos holds the Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Arizona State University in Tempe and the Artist Diploma from the Hochschüle für Musik in Cologne, Germany. We are pleased to welcome Rúbia back following her stellar collaborative performances at ACMF in 2012 and 2013 seasons. Additionally, Rubia is collaborating this summer at ACMF on the opening concert of June 7, 2015, with violinist Carmelo de los Santos and their Duo Brazil Brilliance program.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of sponsors RUTH R. and EARLE LOMON of Cambridge, MA, and SUSAN and CHARLES MIZE of Tesuque, NM. 

Montage Music Society's origins were in Boston, Co-Founded by pianist Debra Ayers and cellist Marc Moskovitz. Built on the ideals of the Society for Private Musical Performances, which originated in Vienna at the close of WWI with the intention of promoting new musical works for a diverse public, Montage Music Society launched themselves as an ensemble with the release of their much acclaimed CD, the Starry Night Project. The recording travels through time-and-sound by presenting original works commissioned around the musical inspiration found in the of visual masterpieces of Breughel, Degas, Seurat, Rivers, Monet, and Gauguin. The diverse works in the program seek to form a connection for the listener from "ear to the eye" and "eye to the ear," aiming to create "new insights into the musical and visual creative process." 

The five-member ensemble is headed by Debra Ayers, who performs internationally as well as at the Breckenridge Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival Players, Serenata of Santa Fe, Taos Chamber Music, and with numerous instrumentalists and singers. Her teachers have included Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Jean Barr, Andre-Michel Schub, Brooks Smith, and Martin Katz, through her professional studies at USC and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 

James Shields, Clarinet, is principal with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, Ontario and the New Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque. James is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Ricardo Morales, the principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.  He has appeared as soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, and the Chatter Chamber Ensemble, and has performed as principal clarinet with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, the Astoria Music Festival (Astoria, OR), and Santa Fe Pro Musica. He is also Co-Director of the CHATTER concert series in Albuquerque.

Marc Moskovitz, Cello, was a student of the renowned cellist Janos Starker, studying at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he earned the doctorate. He has held positions at the University of Virginia and University of Toledo, as well as performing nationally and internationally.  His CDs of the Zemlinsky Cello Sonata and the virtuosic works of Alfredo Piatti on VAI have received acclaim.  He has also recorded Jewish Refugee composers for the Quicksilver label.  Currently, he makes his home in North Carolina.

Shanti Randall, Viola, has played frequently with both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera, under such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Rostropovich and Michael Tilson Thomas. As a first call violist of the Hollywood Studio Orchestra, he is recorded in over 350 major motion picture scores. His orchestral film score collaborations include soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Hillary Hahn, under the batons of John Williams, Randy Newman, James Horner et al. with television appearances including those on PBS, Oprah, and Jay Leno. Shanti’s varied chamber performances include L.A.’s “Sundays Live” Series radio broadcasts at MOMA; The Ojai Chamber Music Festival, and nationally/internationally, as violist of  The Coolidge Quartet; recitals in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall; The Festival of Mecklenburg, Germany; and Guatemala’s country wide classical youth program through the funding of the European Mozart Academy. Shanti attended the New England Conservatory of Music and was admitted into the honorary Performance Diploma Program by Walter Trampler. He performs on a 1790 Johannes Cuypers viola, ‘accompanied’ by a Jean “Grand” Adam bow.

 Violinist David Felberg is not only one of the most sought-after violinists in NM, virtually performing with every orchestra and chamber series in the state, but has appeared as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, Noisy Neighbors Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra, Palo Alto Orchestra, and the Balcones Orchestra of Austin, TX.  David is also Artistic Co-Director of one of the most vibrant musical organizations in the state, Chatter, an innovative Albuquerque Sunday morning series highlighting music and poetry. David is Associate Concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic and Concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra. and also performed solo recitals throughout the state, performs with Serenata of Santa Fe, Chatter, and the Taos Chamber Music Group.  In 2005, he made his New York recital debut in Merkin Hall. In addition to his graduate music degree from the University of New Mexico, David has also taken advanced string quartet studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and attended the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. There, he worked with maestros David Zinman and Murray Sidlin, and with renowned conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula. David is the violinist in ACMF's resident ensemble, Trio Arriba (see June 21st) and was also soloist last season at ACMF with the LINKS Percussion Ensemble concert. 

 Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

This concert is underwritten through the great generosity of JANET HARRINGTON and ROBERT WHITE of Abiquiu. 

ACMF's resident chamber ensemble, Trio Arriba first debuted at ACMF in 2009 with an All-Russian program of exhilarating magnitude.  After New York City-based Pianist Conor Hanick began performing frequently in New Mexico as soloist with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Chatter, the Taos Chamber Music Group and in solo recitals throughout the state, he was invited to join the two original members of the trio. Conor Hanick’s diverse artistic interests have led to solo and chamber music performances across the world, a performance his March in Carnegie Hall, teaching roles at The Juilliard School and Smith College, and concert and festival collaborations with the country’s most accomplished conductors, ensembles, and composers. Widely praised in a huge variety of repertoire, Conor’s performances have been described by the New York Times and Gramaphone magazine as “excellent,” “brilliant,” “astounding,” and “colorful,” demonstrating “technical precision and musical conviction.” Particularly acclaimed have been his performances of contemporary repertoire, reminding the New York Times’s Anthony Tommasini of “a young Peter Serkin.” In between his prolific performing and teaching, Conor also manages to host his regular radio program Hammered! on the iconic station WQXR and completed the doctorate in piano performance at The Juilliard School. 

Violinist David Felberg is not only one of the most sought-after violinists in NM, virtually performing with every orchestra and chamber series in the state, but has appeared as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, Noisy Neighbors Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra, Palo Alto Orchestra, and the Balcones Orchestra of Austin, TX.  David is also Artistic Director of one of the most vibrant musical organizations in the state, Chatter. Formerly known as The Church of Beethoven, Chatter is an innovative Sunday morning series highlighting music and poetry, featured regularly on NPR and in the Los Angeles Times. David is Associate Concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic and Concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.  David has also performed solo recitals throughout the state, performs with Serenata of Santa Fe, Chatter, and the Taos Chamber Music Group.  In 2005, he made his New York recital debut in Merkin Hall. In addition to his graduate music degree from the University of New Mexico, David has also taken advanced string quartet studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and attended the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. There, he worked with maestros David Zinman and Murray Sidlin, and with renowned conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

Cellist Sally Guenther is both a familiar and favored artist of ACMF, performing as Duo Artist multiple times with Pianist Robert McDonald as well as with R. Carlos Nakai, Native Flutist, multiple times.   After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, and the Syracuse Orchestra (principal), she became solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years, where she was also active as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos her base for performing as well as her home, performing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Chatter.  Sally performs regularly throughout the year with the Taos Chamber Music Group, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway.  Sally studied with renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of ISABEL and SAM JEWELL of Abiquiu, N M.

ACMF's opening concert unites two of Brazil's truly outstanding musical artists in an exciting program that the artists refer to as their "personal dream" program:  The rarely performed Stravinsky Divertimento, Schubert Fantasy, as well as including Paganini's solo Caprices, Jennifer Higdon's String Poetic, and works by Brazilian Marlos Nobre.  Violinist Cármelo de los Santos began his violin studies at the age of nine in his native Brazil and first came to prominence in 1993 after winning the country's most prestigious music prize, the Eldorado Prize, and São Paulo Prize. Subsequently, he was the first prizewinner of the Júlio Cardona International Competition, held in Covilhã, Portugal, a decade later. The artist has performed at the prestigious Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, both as a soloist and conductor, and in numerous other prestigious competitions, including the Paganini Moscow International Violin Competition. In 1997 he came to the U.S. in order to study with Sylvia Rosenberg at the Manhattan School of Music and then completed his doctorate at the University of Georgia with Russian violinist Levon Ambartsumian. Cármelo performs regularly as soloist with major orchestras in Brazil and South America, at prominent music festivals in the U.S. and abroad, as a recital player, as well as being a member of REVEL and the Taos Chamber Music Group. He has also recorded many programs for radio and television in Brazil. Cármelo's CD on the Eldorado Radio label features Brazilian and other 20th century composers. He is  Associate Professor of Violin at the University of New Mexico and performed as soloist at ACMF during the second season in 2009 and 2013 seasons. Few know that Cármelo is also an accomplished, semi-professional magician. We are therefore delighted to have him returning for our sixth season, where he may not be pulling rabbits out of a hat, but he will certainly be performing his musical magic.  

Pianist Rúbia Santos is among one of the most sought-after collaborative pianists today, praised by the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung as a performer “who leaves the audience stunned by her provocative pianism as well as her enthusiastic temperament.” She has performed and lectured on four continents in the U.S., South America, Europe, and China, collaborating with numerous distinguished artists in voice, strings, brass, and winds. Rúbia has received numerous awards for her many collaborative CDs, which include the complete works for violin and piano of Camargo Guarnieri and of Lena Pieres de Campos, both with violinist Betina Stegman. She has also recently recorded two chamber works by American composer and Pulitzer Prize Winner, Jennifer Higdon. Her annotated first edition of piano works of Villani-Côrtes was published in 2013 and a CD of his works for piano and voice is also forthcoming. Originally trained in her native Brazil, then Germany and the U.S., Rúbia has taught at universities in those three countries and regularly presents master classes, workshops, and lectures world-wide, as well as adjudicating competitions in Brazil and the U.S.  She is a frequent soloist with orchestra, in solo recitals, and as collaborative artist at international music festivals, including the Gilmore Keyboard Festival; the Latin American Art Song Alliance; the AIMS Summer Opera Program in Graz, Austria; the Plymouth Music Festival in MA; the National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions; and the Bach Music Festival of Peru.  Dr. Santos holds the Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Arizona State University in Tempe and the Artist Diploma from the Hochschüle für Musik in Cologne, Germany. We are pleased to welcome Rúbia back following her stellar collaborative performances at ACMF in 2012 and 2013 seasons. Additionally, Rubia is collaborating this summer at ACMF on July 19 with Soprano, Sarah Wolfson.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST. HOWEVER, MR. NAKAI'S PROGRAM IS NOW SOLD OUT. We do, however, maintain a WAIT LIST for all concerts.

Experience the incomparable, iconic artist, R. CARLOS NAKAI, Native Flute, performing with artists of the ACMF Ensemble here at the usual concert venue on the Rio Chama. PLEASE NOTE: This program is NO longer in the off-site Echo Amphitheater. The program has now been augmented with additional Chamber Works for Native Flute and Ensemble, with additional artists:  Sally Guenther, cello; Keith Lemmons, clarinet/bass clarinet; Linda Marianello, flute; Scott Ney, percussion; and Madeline Williamson, piano. All originally planned compositions for Native Flute will of course, be performed in the program.

R. Carlos Nakai, Native Flute, is of Navajo-Ute heritage.  Now considered to be the world's premier performer of the Native American flute, his first studies were on trumpet, but a car accident ruined his embouchure. His musical interests then took a turn when he was given a traditional cedar flute as a gift---and challenged to master it.  Nakai's first album, Changes, was released by Canyon Records in 1983 and since then he has released over 37 recordings with Canyon, plus albums on other labels. Nakai brought the traditional flute into the concert hall, performing James DeMars’ Two World Concerto with over fifteen symphony orchestras. He was a featured soloist on the Philip Glass composition, Piano Concerto No. 2:  After Lewis & Clark. Nakai has received two Gold Records (500,000 albums sold) for Canyon Trilogy and Earth Spirit; has sold over 4 million albums and received nine Grammy® nominations.  His most recent Grammy nominations were Reconnections (2008) for Best Native American Album and the Dancing Into Silence (2010) for Best New Age Album. Nakai’s  music has also been featured in two major movies, Geronimo and The New World. A Navy veteran, Nakai received a Master's in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona. He was awarded the Arizona Governor's Arts Award, an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University and has been inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. With composer James DeMars, he has published The Art of the Native American Flute, a guide to performing on the traditional cedar flute.  R. Carlos Nakai is an iconoclastic traditionalist who views his cultural heritage not only as a source and inspiration, but also a dynamic continuum of natural change, growth, and adaptation subject to the artist’s expressive needs.  Mr. Nakai first performed at ACMF in the 2010 season, with this unique, natural setting providing the idyllic setting for his third appearance at ACMF.

R. Carlos Nakai will be performing his own compositions, including works for Native Flute and Western Flute and Native Flute and Cello.  He is joined by outstanding NM Artists, Linda Marianiello, Flute and Sally Guenther, Cello. 

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of Melodie and Jon Usher of Abiquiu, NM.

In 1988, a collective of sonic and movement artists formed LINKS to present the world premier of Stuart Saunders Smith’s Initiatives and Reactions. The realization process of that trans-media work and the ensemble’s subsequent collaboration with the composer was an epiphany that led ensemble members to reexamine the very nature of the artistic process. In the 25 years since that time LINKS, in its various personnel configurations, has devoted its energies to premiering new sonic, theater, dance, multi-media, and trans-media art. Additionally, the ensemble is committed to presentations that present essential performances illustrative of the historical progression of the experimental music tradition. In these capacities LINKS has received numerous grants and wide critical response and acclaim for their musical innovation and boldness of programming. The ensemble has been featured throughout the United States on concert series, composition symposia and musicology conferences. LINKS’ most recent endeavors have included retrospective concerts celebrating the 100th birthday of John Cage and retrospective concerts of music by Lou Harrison and Christopher Shultis. LINKS is delighted to be performing on the ACMF. As lifelong friends and practitioners of “art for art’s sake”, the ensemble looks forward to their next 25 years of work. Links Ensemble Members are: John Bartlit, Fred Bugbee, Alexis Corbin, Hovey Dean Corbin, David Felberg, Douglas Nottingham, David Toland, and Madeline Williamson. Doug Nottingham serves as Conductor.

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of Ruth and Earle Lomon, Cambridge, MA.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

This trio of saxophones and piano not only performs with “such passion and focus,” but “is a tremendous gift to living composers…an uncommon commitment,” writes composer William Whitley about this unique trio, Ascendo3. Comprised of Anna Marie Wytko (saxophones), Cameron Hofmann (piano), and Joseph Wytko (saxophones), Ascendo3 has been labeled as “extraordinary” by the Dean of the Arizona State University Emeritus College (Leonard Gordon), while the Wickenbug Sun (AZ) described their recent community series performance as “masterful programming – flawless performances – complete command of their instruments – a rare listening experience.” The trio's upcoming performances will take them to Los Angeles and tours in Spring/Summer of 2014 to both France and China. Their most recent concert appearances and master classes/community outreach include Paris, Oregon, Colorado, and throughout Arizona. Ascendo3's first ACMF appearance features the third World Premiere of our 2014 season: PAUL OSTERFIELD'S The Subconscious Imagery of Joan Miro, with the composer attending the premiere. 

Saxophonist ANNA MARIE WYTKO has performed as soloist throughout the U.S, and in France, Poland, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Canada and Mexico. Dr. Wytko, who has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, the Topeka Symphony, the Tempe Symphony Orchestra, and the West Valley Symphony (AZ), has also performed as orchestral saxophonist with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfonica UANL in Mexico, the Phoenix Symphony and Phoenix Symphony Pops Orchestra, and the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra. Recent guest performances include those at the National Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris and the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in Scotland, among numerous others. She has recorded on the Jeanné Digital Recording label and recently released a new solo CD titled When night came” on TimeGrabber Digital. She is on the faculty of Kansas State University and is a highly sought-after Yamaha Artist-Clinician. Pianist CAMERON HOFMANN is a collaborative pianist, organist, and vocal coach who has performed throughout the U.S. and in Italy, Spain, and Slovenia. Currently on the faculty at Baylor University, Dr. Hofmann has held previous positions at the University of Minnesota and Yuba College.  He has frequently collaborated with members of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera.  Dr. Hofmann has performed for numerous national and international conferences and competitions, including the World Saxophone Congress, conference. the Adolphe Sax Competition, the National Association for the Teachers of Singing, the Music Teachers National Association, and the WAMSO-Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition. Saxophonist JOSEPH WYTKO has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the World Saxophone Congress Orchestra, and orchestras in Europe and Mexico. He has served as orchestral saxophonist with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra since 1976, and has performed as saxophonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Grant Park Orchestra of Chicago, and the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra. A past recipient of the prestigious Solo Recitalist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Senior Scholar Grant from the International Research and Exchanges Board, he has performed in Carnegie Recital Hall, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, and in the East Room of the White House and throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and Canada. His CD recordings have been featured on “in flight” audio entertainment programs for United Airlines and U. S. Airways. The subject of an article in the 2nd edition of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music, Dr. Wytko recently contributed five articles to this publication (Oxford University Press). He is Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University and Artist-Clinician with Selmer Paris and Conn-Selmer USA.

Underwriting for this concert is through the great generosity of Sally Patton and Rick Grenzeback of Abiquiu, NM.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

VIRGINIA DUPUY, Mezzo-Soprano, has earned a reputation as one of the finest recital and concert singers in the United States.  She has championed American Music in recordings such as the Grammy nominated Voces Americanas and premiered the role of “Crone” in Conrad Susa’s opera Wise Women. Fanfare magazine hailed her recording of Dominick Argento’s Pulitzer Prize Winner From the Diary of Virginia Woolf as one of the top classical recordings of the Year.  Virginia made her Lincoln Center debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall and has appeared with the Orchestras of Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, Eugene, and Honolulu. Also a Professor of Music at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, she is the leading scholar and well-known interpreter of music set to Emily Dickinson’s texts.  Gasparo Records, Inc. released Dwell in Possibility, a CD featuring her collaboration with pianist Shields-Collins Bray, performing twenty-four Dickinson poems and one letter set to music by her esteemed friends including composers Jake Heggie, Lee Hoiby, Dan Welcher, Richard Hundley, Simon Sargon, and William Jordan.  Virginia continued her performances of contemporary composers in 2007-2009 with concerts of Golijov, Danielpour, Heggie, Higdon and Bolcom with the composers present.  Ms. Dupuy premiered Eudora Welty’s short story The Whistle set by Crafton Beck with the Mississippi Symphony and performed songs, duets and arias of Dvorak with the Georgetown Symphony Society’s 2009 Festival.  Also with Jake Heggie, she sang songs and duets  which included the texts of Sister Helen Prejean with the Cliburn’s Modern Concerts at the Modern in Ft. Worth with pianist and producer Shields Collins Bray.  Her students have recently also won the Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions and are apprentices at Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua, Des Moines, Opera North and Los Angeles Opera.  Virginia is also the liaison and founder of the Emerging Artist Program, a partnership for SMU graduate students and The Dallas Opera. This is Virginia's third concert with ACMF, following an All-American Songbook Concert and her stunning performance of Messiaen’s Harawi.

ACMF is delighted to have Soprano Angela Turner Wilson performing at the festival for her first time. The artist has garnered critical acclaim and international attention for her poignant and lyrical performances. She has performed numerous roles on opera stages, including the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and was immediately re-engaged by the company to return as Leila in Les Pecheurs des Perles. Angela has also performed to acclaim with the New York City Opera as Norina, as Lisette in La Rondine, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with The Washington Opera,, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the Infanta in Le Cid (as seen on PBS), Adina inL'Elisir d'Amore, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and Yvette in La Rondine, With She has appeared as the Sandman and Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel  with Dallas Opera and New York City Opera, and at The Dallas Opera and Boston Lyric Opera as Musetta in La Boheme; with New York City Opera and Eugene Opera as Yum-Yum in The Mikado, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Portland Opera and Connecticut Opera as Norina in Don Pasquale, Connecticut Opera and Eugene Opera as Rosina, Calgary Opera and Central City Opera as Adele, and Laurie in Oklahoma for the Treasure Coast Opera, Fort Worth Opera as Elvira in L'Italiana in Algeri, and Fresno Grand Opera as Musetta.  In addition, she has ben engaged by the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio. On the concert stage, Angela has appeared as featured soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Mississippi Symphony,  Ft. Worth Symphony, Colorado Symphony at the Vail Valley Music Festival, Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, and Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts. She has appeared at the Clinton White House as a featured soloist for a state dinner honoring the Prime Minister of Italy. Additionally, in film, Angela has performed Caroline Jefferson in Cosair Productions' Miss Firecracker which starred Holly Hunter, Mary Steenbergen, and Tim Robbins.

Shields-Collins Bray has been principal keyboardist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1986 and has hosted the orchestra's pre-concert discussions since 1993. He has appeared many times as soloist with the orchestra, most recently in works by Liszt, Janacek, and Britten. He has appeared also as soloist with symphony orchestras of Dallas, Jacksonville, and New Orleans, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic. He was pianist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya's The Passion of Tango in 2003, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is also Artistic Director for Special Projects at the Van Cliburn Foundation, where he oversees the foundation's extensive education initiatives, and produces its Cliburn at the Modern series, which in recent seasons has hosted the composers Ned Rorem, John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Osvaldo Golijov, and Adam Guettel.  He can also be heard on Juan Diego Florez' Sentimiento Latino, a 2006 Decca release, and onGasparo's Dwell in Possibility, with the mezzo-soprano Virginia Dupuy. Mr. Bray studied with the late, great Van Cliburn International Gold Medalist Steven De Groote, and more recently with Yoheved Kaplinsky.  This performance is his sixth at ACMF, returning as an always-favorite artist. 

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of Sam and Isabel Jewell, Abiquiu, NM.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

Alexander Starikov is Professor of Piano at Kazan Conservatory, Russia, where he is known throughout the country as a master of the great tradition of Russian piano literature, both in performance and teaching. He studied from an early age at the well-known Moscow Musical College and later, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he received his doctoral degree. He has always successfully combined his passion for teaching with early positions at Ashgabat Conservatory along with his concert performances as a solo and collaborative pianist. He has performed with major symphony orchestras throughout Russia and Turkmenistan. Dr. Starikov has been a professor at Kazan Conservatory since 2001, although continuing his career as a concert pianist. Although he holds a vast repertoire of musical styles and genres, his great passion is Russian piano music. ACMF is pleased to bring this artist to the U.S. for only his second solo appearance, and his debut here at Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival.

This concert is solely underwritten through the generous support of PIANOWERKES of Albuquerque, NM and Portland, OR, selling distinguished instruments by Bosendorfer, Schimmel, and Yamaha.

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

John Graham is considered to be a truly iconic performer of the Viola. His distinguished career has taken him throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Korea giving performances with the American, Ying, Guarneri, Mendelssohn, Juilliard, and Tokyo String Quartets, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. He has performerd at prestigious music festivals in the U.S., France, and Finland, making his first of three appearances at ACMF during the 2011 season. Mr. Graham was principal violist of the American Symphony with Leopold Stokowski and played in chamber orchestras with Pablo Casals. He has recorded a four volume CD Series, Music for the Viola, and many CDs of viola quintets and string quartets. Mr. Graham taught for nineteen years at the Eastman School of Music and spent summers as an artist at the Aspen Music Festival. Many young, exciting composers are writing works for the artist, and in addition to a new work by William Brittelle, new pieces are still being written for Mr. Graham for this program--and will later be announced.  Pianist Janet Guggenheim has given recitals throughout the world both as soloist and collaborative artist, performing with illustrious violinist Itzhak Perlman, including their duo tours throughout Europe and Asia, a recital at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and at the Istanbul International Festival. Ms. Guggenheim is also recorded on the Naxos label and is pianist in the Florestan Piano Trio, Portland, Oregon.

This concert is sponsored in part through the great generosity of Bob White and Jenny Harrington, Abiquiu, NM

Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary. 

Experience the iconic Violist JOHN GRAHAM performing in this incredible, off-site production in the incredible ECHO AMPHITHEATER, 17 miles NW of the Village of Abiquiu. Anywone attending need to be physically mobile and to bring her/his own folding chair. Ticketing is limited to 50. Those who are not Series Subscribers may ask to be added to a waiting list and will be contacted if/when tickets become available. John will also be joined by ACMF regular artist, Scott Ney, Percussion.

John Graham has performed as soloist and in chamber music ensembles in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Korea. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Radio Orchestra of Berlin and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in Germany, the Hilversun Radio Orchestra in Holland, the Orchestre Colonne in Paris, and the Central Philharmonic Orchestra -Beijing, China. Mr. Graham has performed as guest artist with the American, Ying, Mendelssohn, Juilliard, Tokyo, and Guarneri String Quartets, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.  In the United States, he has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Musicorda Festival and the Heifetz Institute. He has also performed for the Kuhmo Festival in Finland and Les Semaines Musicales in France and was a long-time member of the Artist Faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School. From 1962 until 1989 he was based in New York City where he was also active as a top free-lance musician in symphonic, chamber, opera, ballet and music theater orchestras, in many contemporary music concert series, and in recording for television and motion pictures. This is John's third program with ACMF.  He now makes his home in Abiquiu.

Tickets for these distinguished artists are now SOLD OUT (6.16.13)

Winners of a 2012 Latin Grammy Award and hailed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma as “wonderful ambassadors of music”, La Catrina Quartet is one of the most sought after young ensembles on tour today. Their unique blend of Latin-American and standard repertoire has proved enormously successful in attracting diverse audiences, catering to the more traditional concertgoers while also attracting the next generation of listeners. Their infectious personalities infuse their playing, creating truly compelling performances. The LA Times has written of their "youthful energy and mature artistry," while ColumbusArts calls La Catrina "...young, talented, and passionate, rapidly earning a reputation as a world-class ensemble. Violinist Daniel Vega-Albela was born in Mexico City.  At fifteen, he won the silver medal in the first National Violin Competition in Mexico City. At sixteen, he traveled to New York City, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Mannes College of Music.  Daniel has played with many ensembles in the United States, such as the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra and the Western New York Chamber Players. He has toured Japan and Mexico, and has had many appearances as soloist with different orchestras throughout Mexico. Daniel holds graduate degrees from Western Michigan and Kent State Universities. Violinist Roberta Arruda is the newest member of the quartet, having recently received her Master degree in Violin Performance from the University of New Mexico. She has played as soloist and chamber musician throughout New Mexico since 2007.  Roberta completed her undergraduate degree in Brazil and received an Artist Diploma from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Budapest, Hungary, under full scholarship from the prestigious Vitae Foundation. As chamber musician, she is a core player for Chatter of Albuquerque, with Las Placitas Series, Santa Fe Promusica, and has performed with Taos Chamber Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, in Duo concerts with cellists Joan Zucker, Joel Becktell, and Udi Bar-David (Philadelphia Orchestra). Born in Torreón, México, Violist Jorge Martínez Rios studied at the Conservatorio de las Rosas, where he graduated with honors under the tutelage of professor Gela Dubrova. He has performed across the US and Mexico in some of the most prestigious concert venues, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Meany Hall's World Series in Seattle, Chicago Center for the Arts, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Jorge has been principal and assistant principal viola for different orchestras in Mexico and the US, including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, the Camerata de Coahuila, the Orquesta de Cámara de Michoacán, the Western Piedmont Symphony and the Las Cruces Symphony. Most recently, he was invited by CONACULTA (the National Council for Culture and Art in Mexico) to record chamber works of José Pablo Moncayo, including a string trio and the sonata for viola and piano with acclaimed Mexican pianist Guadalupe Parrondo, in order to celebrate the composer's 100th anniversary. Cellist César Bourguet is a native of the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca, beginning his musical studies at the age of seven with his father, Arturo Martínez San Juan.  At 15, César moved to Mexico City to continue his training at the Ollin Yolitzli Cultural Center and later went on to the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, and the Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Among the awards and distinctions which César has won are First Prize in the "Schlern International Music Competition" of 2005, held in Völs am Schlern/Fiè allo Sciliar (Italy), as well as the top honors for sonata interpretation in the "Khachaturian International Cello Competition" (also in 2005), in Yerevan, Armenia.  In addition to their touring schedule, La Catrina is in residency at New Mexico State University, where each member is also Assistant Professor on the  faculty. In addition to their Sunday concert, La Catrina will also be performing ACMF’s Senior-and-Youth Outreach Concert, Saturday, August 17, 2 p.m. at Abiquiú’s Rising Moon Gallery. For their Outreach event, they will perform works from their native Mexico, based on traditional folk songs. The Outreach performance is free and open to Elders and Youth of the Abiquiú community. La Catrina first performed at ACMF during the 2011 season. 

Clarinetist Keith Lemmons is well-known to ACMF audiences for his stellar performances in the two commissioned works for ACMF by composers Ruth Lomon (2010) and Michael Mauldin (2012). However, as artist he combines an international reputation as soloist, clinician, judge, chamber and orchestral musician with a distinguished teaching career as Presidential Teaching Fellow and Professor of Clarinet at The University of New Mexico.  He also serves administratively as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Music critics acclaim his performances to be  “virtuosic and amazing”.  Keith has been featured as a sought after recitalist and clinician throughout Europe, Mexico, Canada, South America, Puerto Rico and the United States. Additionally, he has performed at the International Clarinet Fests in Oporto, Portugal; in Kansas City; Atlanta; Salt Lake City; Stockholm, Sweden; Norman; Lubbock; Quebec City, Canada; and Minneapolis. He is also a member of the Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra, Taos Trio, Serenata of Santa Fe, Taos Chamber Music Group and performs with the UNM artist faculty New Mexico Winds Woodwind Quintet and Trio ClariVoce. He also performs with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Roswell Symphony, Opera Southwest and Santa Fe Symphony. Dr. Lemmons' degrees are from Pittsburg State University and Michigan State University. Keith's numerous CD’s are on the Summit, Centaur, Narvano, TCMG, AlBuZerkQue, Strauss and Katson labels. He is also on the artist roster for Leblanc Clarinets and Rico Classic Reserve Reeds.

For the fourth consecutive year, ACMF sponsors this FREE event for our ELDERS and YOUTH.   This year, the Outreach is part of the  NORTHERN YOUTH PROJECT'S Salsa-making Contest and the RIO ARRIBA 4-H YOUTH will have their special Frito Pies for sale. While you come and enjoy the salsa and the food---you will hear this vibrant quartet performing arrangements of some of the most popular Spanish Folk Tunes of their native Mexico and from Latin America. 

VIRGINIA DUPUY, Mezzo-Soprano, has earned a reputation as one of the finest recital and concert singers in the United States.  She has championed American Music in recordings such as the Grammy nominated Voces Americanas and premiered the role of “Crone” in Conrad Susa’s opera Wise Women. Fanfare magazine hailed her recording of Dominick Argento’s Pulitzer Prize Winner From the Diary of Virginia Woolf as one of the top classical recordings of the Year.  Virginia made her Lincoln Center debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall and has appeared with the Orchestras of Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, Eugene, and Honolulu. Also a Professor of Music at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, she is the leading scholar and well-known interpreter of music set to Emily Dickinson’s texts.  Gasparo Records, Inc. released Dwell in Possibility, a CD featuring her collaboration with pianist Shields-Collins Bray, performing twenty-four Dickinson poems and one letter set to music by her esteemed friends including composers Jake Heggie, Lee Hoiby, Dan Welcher, Richard Hundley, Simon Sargon, and William Jordan.  Virginia continued her performances of contemporary composers in 2007-2009 with concerts of Golijov, Danielpour, Heggie, Higdon and Bolcom with the composers present.  Ms. Dupuy premiered Eudora Welty’s short story The Whistle set by Crafton Beck with the Mississippi Symphony and performed songs, duets and arias of Dvorak with the Georgetown Symphony Society’s 2009 Festival.  Also with Jake Heggie, she sang songs and duets  which included the texts of Sister Helen Prejean with the Cliburn’s Modern Concerts at the Modern in Ft. Worth with pianist and producer Shields Collins Bray.  Her students have recently also won the Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions and are apprentices at Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua, Des Moines, Opera North and Los Angeles Opera.  Virginia is also the liaison and founder of the Emerging Artist Program, a partnership for SMU graduate students and The Dallas Opera. This is Virginia's third concert with ACMF, following an All-American Songbook Concert and her stunning performance of Messiaen’s Harawi.

ACMF is delighted to have Soprano Angela Turner Wilson performing at the festival for her first time. The artist has garnered critical acclaim and international attention for her poignant and lyrical performances. She has performed numerous roles on opera stages, including the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and was immediately re-engaged by the company to return as Leila in Les Pecheurs des Perles. Angela has also performed to acclaim with the New York City Opera as Norina, as Lisette in La Rondine, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with The Washington Opera,, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the Infanta in Le Cid (as seen on PBS), Adina inL'Elisir d'Amore, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and Yvette in La Rondine, With She has appeared as the Sandman and Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel  with Dallas Opera and New York City Opera, and at The Dallas Opera and Boston Lyric Opera as Musetta in La Boheme; with New York City Opera and Eugene Opera as Yum-Yum in The Mikado, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Portland Opera and Connecticut Opera as Norina in Don Pasquale, Connecticut Opera and Eugene Opera as Rosina, Calgary Opera and Central City Opera as Adele, and Laurie in Oklahoma for the Treasure Coast Opera, Fort Worth Opera as Elvira in L'Italiana in Algeri, and Fresno Grand Opera as Musetta.  In addition, she has ben engaged by the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio. On the concert stage, Angela has appeared as featured soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Mississippi Symphony,  Ft. Worth Symphony, Colorado Symphony at the Vail Valley Music Festival, Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, and Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts. She has appeared at the Clinton White House as a featured soloist for a state dinner honoring the Prime Minister of Italy. Additionally, in film, Angela has performed Caroline Jefferson in Cosair Productions' Miss Firecracker which starred Holly Hunter, Mary Steenbergen, and Tim Robbins.

Shields-Collins Bray has been principal keyboardist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1986 and has hosted the orchestra's pre-concert discussions since 1993. He has appeared many times as soloist with the orchestra, most recently in works by Liszt, Janacek, and Britten. He has appeared also as soloist with symphony orchestras of Dallas, Jacksonville, and New Orleans, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic. He was pianist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya's The Passion of Tango in 2003, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is also Artistic Director for Special Projects at the Van Cliburn Foundation, where he oversees the foundation's extensive education initiatives, and produces its Cliburn at the Modern series, which in recent seasons has hosted the composers Ned Rorem, John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Osvaldo Golijov, and Adam Guettel.  He can also be heard on Juan Diego Florez' Sentimiento Latino, a 2006 Decca release, and onGasparo's Dwell in Possibility, with the mezzo-soprano Virginia Dupuy. Mr. Bray studied with the late, great Van Cliburn International Gold Medalist Steven De Groote, and more recently with Yoheved Kaplinsky.  This performance is his sixth at ACMF, returning as an always-favorite artist. 

Tickets for these two distinguished artists are now SOLD OUT (5.21.13)

Sally Guenther received Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees at Indiana University and The Juilliard School, as well as having attended the Taos School of Music, Music Academy of the West, and International Congress of Strings.  After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Syracuse (principal), and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Sally became alternating solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years.  She was active throughout Norway as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. She continues to tour with the ensemble. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos her base for performing as well as her home.  She has performed with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  Sally performs throughout the year with Taos Chamber Music, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway.  Sally studied with renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro. Perhaps now New Mexico’s most sought-after cellist, Sally reprises her ACMF 2011 duo appearance with Robert McDonald and has performed frequently with the ACMF Ensemble in premieres of its two commissioned works by composers Ruth Lomon and Michael Mauldin, as well as in performances with Native American Flutist, R. Carlos Nakai.

Pianist Robert McDonald has played extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has appeared with major orchestras in the United States and Latin America, and was the recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern, as well as other celebrated instrumentalists. Mr. McDonald has also performed with the Takács, Vermeer, Juilliard, Brentano, Borromeo, American, and Shanghai string quartets, and in tours with Music from Marlboro. His extensive discography includes recordings for Sony Classical, Bridge, Vox, Musical Heritage Society, ASV, and CRI, and Mr. McDonald's prizes include the Gold Medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition, the William Kapell International Competition, and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award. He has studied with Theodore Rehl, Seymour Lipkin, Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Beveridge Webster, and Gary Graffman, and holds degrees from Lawrence University, The Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and the Manhatten School of Music. A member of the piano faculty at the Juilliard School since 1999, Mr. McDonald joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007. In addition to coaching piano at Taos School of Music, he is also the school's artistic director. Along with his 31^st season in Taos, ACMF is delighted to have Robert returning to Abiquiu for his second appearance at the festival.

Trio Arribafirst debuted at ACMF in 2009 with an All-Russian program of exhilarating magnitude.  After New York City-based Pianist Conor Hanick began performing frequently in New Mexico as soloist with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Chatter, the Taos Chamber Music Group and in solo recitals, he was invited to join the two original members of the trio. Conor Hanick’s diverse artistic interests have led to solo and chamber music performances across the world, teaching roles at The Juilliard School and Smith College, and concert and festival collaborations with the country’s most accomplished conductors, ensembles, and composers. Widely praised in a huge variety of repertoire, Conor’s performances have been described by the New York Times and Gramaphone magazine as “excellent,” “brilliant,” “astounding,” and “colorful,” demonstrating “technical precision and musical conviction.” Particularly acclaimed have been his performances of contemporary repertoire, reminding the New York Times’s Anthony Tommasini of “a young Peter Serkin.” In between his prolific performing and teaching, Conor also manages to host his regular radio program Hammered! on the iconic station WQXR.

Violinist David Felberg is not only one of the most sought-after violinists in NM, virtually performing with every orchestra and chamber series in the state, but has appeared as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, Noisy Neighbors Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra, Palo Alto Orchestra, and the Balcones Orchestra of Austin, TX.  David is also Artistic Director of one of the most vibrant musical organizations in the state, Chatter. Formerly known as The Church of Beethoven, Chatter is an innovative Sunday morning series highlighting music and poetry, featured regularly on NPR and in the Los Angeles Times. David is Associate Concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic and Concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.  David has also performed solo recitals throughout the state, performs with Serenata of Santa Fe, Chatter, and the Taos Chamber Music Group.  In 2005, he made his New York recital debut in Merkin Hall. In addition to his graduate music degree from the University of New Mexico, David has also taken advanced string quartet studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and attended the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. There, he worked with maestros David Zinman and Murray Sidlin, and with renowned conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

Cellist Sally Guenther is both a familiar and favored artist of ACMF, performing as Duo Artist with Pianist Robert McDonald as well as with R. Carlos Nakai, Native Flutist.   After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, and the Syracuse Orchestra (principal), she became solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years, where she was also active as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos her base for performing as well as her home, performing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Chatter.  Sally performs regularly throughout the year with the Taos Chamber Music Group, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway.  Sally studied with renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro.

Bridging two worlds, R. Carlos Nakai of Navajo-Ute heritage is the world’s premiere performer of the Native American Flute. His appearance here features the second ACMF World Premiere written for Mr. Nakai and ACMF Ensemble Players by award-winning NM Composer, Michael Mauldin. As an artist, R. Carlos Nakai is an iconoclastic traditionalist who views his cultural heritage not only as a source and inspiration, but also as a dynamic continuum of natural change, growth and adaptation subject to unique interpretation of the individual. Since 1983 Nakai has released 38 albums with Canyon Records plus additional albums and guest appearances with other labels. Nakai has developed a career as a classical soloist performing over twenty-five times with symphony orchestras. He joined opera veterans Isola Jones and Robert Breault as a lead soloist in a concert-opera, Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Roses by James DeMars which was recently released by Canyon Records. Nakai has sold over four million albums in the course of his career, and earned two gold records (500,000 units sold) for Canyon Trilogy and Earth Spirit. He has received eight Grammy® nominations and won eight Native American Music Awards. Unique to this concert, R. Carlos Nakai is joined by pre-eminent Italian Pianist, Emanuele Arciuli, who has been referred to as at the forefront of "a new generation of master pianists." Critic Anthony Tommasini declares that "his playing is as compelling as his program is adventurous." The sheer vastness of Mr. Arciuli's repertoire is truly daunting: nearly everything from Dowland to Radiohead, with everyone "in between". Here is a pianist who is equally at home with Schoenberg/Ives/Feldman and he is with Haydn/Schumann/Liszt. Mr. Arciuli has commissioned a new collection of pieces inspiried by Native American Culture and Art by a variety of composers, including Santa Fe Chamber Music's Marc Neikrug. Mr. Arciuli will present a work from that collection as well as joining Mr. Nakai in free improvisation. The remainder of the program features composer James DeMars' most recent composition for R. Carlos Nakai, For Times to Come, and works for Cello and Native Flute by R. Carlos Nakai. Mr. Nakai will be joined by his colleagues of the ACMF Ensemble Players on cello, piano, clarinet,and percussion. R. Carlos Nakai first appeared in the ACMF season in 2010.  Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

Founded in 2008, Hall Ensemble made its very first appearance outside their Ft. Worth, TX, region with their debut performance at Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival, 2009. A unique chamber music group whose core members include musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra--bassoonist Kevin Hall, violinist Pei-Ju Wu, violist Daniel Sigale and cellist Karen Hall--Hall Ensemble is well known for its in-home concert subscription series,where chamber music is returned to its roots as “music among friends”. In addition to their own chamber music series, the group has performed as part of the Basically Beethoven Festival of the Fine Arts Chamber Players, the Blanco Performing Arts Chamber Music subscription series, The Spectrum Chamber Music Society, and to great acclaim in Santa Fe, 2011,as part of the Santa Fe Concert Association's roster of outstanding chamber artists. For ACMF's Fifth Anniversary Season, Hall Ensemble will also be the featured Youth Outreach Artists, presenting a FREE program for local area youth with their magical musical story for children, Leopoldo the Frog. The Youth Outreach Concert  (with attending artist Leopoldo Frog), will take place on Saturday, August 4th, 2 p.m. at Abiquiu's Rising Moon Gallery. Their educational outreach has received rave reviews. Likewise, their adult education concerts, The 60-Minute Music History: A Brief Romp through Classical Music, has delighted adults with its humorous take on chamber music throughout the ages. Hall Ensemble will be joined at the piano by ACMF Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Madeline Williamson, in a piano quartet (Shadowing) by renowned contemporary composer Ruth Loman, as well as a lyrical piano trio by Arvo Part, which is based on a Mozart Adagio. Bassoonist Kevin Hall's artistry is featured in both Francois Devienne's Quartet for Bassoon and Strings, Op. 73, No.3. and in Astor Piazzolla's  La merte del Angel. Hungarian composer Ernst Dohnyani's sprightly Serenade for String Trio,Op. 10, rounds out the programming. Hall Ensemble's acclaim has spread throughout the U.S. since their debut only four years ago, and Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival is not only proud to present them for their third appearance here, but to also have played a role in their formation and discovery for the world of chamber music lovers. Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

John Graham is considered a truly iconic performer of the Viola. His distinguished career has taken him throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Korea giving performances with the American, Ying, Guarneri, Mendelssohn, Juilliard, and Tokyo String Quartets, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. He has performerd at prestigious music festivals in the U.S., France, and Finland, making his first appearance at ACMF in the 2011 season. Mr. Graham was principal violist of the American Symphony with Leopold Stokowski and played in chamber orchestras with Pablo Casals. He has recorded a four volume CD Series, Music for the Viola, and many CDs of viola quintets and string quartets. Mr. Graham taught for nineteen years at the Eastman School of Music and spent summers as an artist at the Aspen Music Festival. Many young, exciting composers are writing works for the artist, and new pieces by John Libetore, Kevin Ernste, and Mikel Kuehen will be included on this program. Pianist Janet Guggenheim has given recitals throughout the world both as soloist and collaborative artist, performing with illustrious violinist Itzhak Perlman, including their duo tours throughout Europe and Asia, a recital at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and at the Istanbul International Festival. Ms. Guggenheim is also recorded on the Naxos label and is pianist in the Florestan Piano Trio, Portland, Oregon. Percussionist Scott Ney has been part of the ACMF Roster of Artists since 2010. After relocating to Albuquerque from Seattle, he has become prominent in the region’s musical life performing with the NM Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony,  Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Opera Southwest, and is a member of the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra in Nevada City, CA. Mr. Ney gives performances and clinics throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has been invited to music festivals in Poland, Germany, and the U.S. He is Artist/Teacher at the University of New Mexico. Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

Two of today’s brightest shining stars in the opera firmament are surely Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Domanski and Tenor Javier Gonzalez who have formed a touring Opera-Duo team, making their debut in this new capacity at the Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival.  “Magnificent!” is the word former Santa Fe Opera General Director Richard Gaddes used to describe Domanski’s performance in the role of Zenobia in the SFO’s 2008 production of Handel’s Radamisto. NY Times reviewer Anthony Tommasini added that “The lovely mezzo-soprano Deborah Domanski sings the courageous Zenobia with luscious sound and lyrical refinement.” In addition to other roles with the Santa Fe Opera, Ms. Domanski has sung roles with the Austin Lyric Opera; Opera Southwest; the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center; Opera Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Philharmonic; Opera Santa Barbara; Tulsa Opera; and the Pittsburgh Opera.  She made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut  under Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen in Mozart’s Requiem.  Ms. Domanski became the Marilyn Horne Foundation Awardee and was presented in recital, and on national radio and in World Wide Web broadcast in October 2002.  Tenor Javier Gonzales has been described in the Albuquerque Journal as both "...a young star on the rise" and "a bold, arresting tenor with a shining lyricism."  A native of Southern CA, Mr. Gonzalez has already performed widely in concert and opera productions playing the lead tenor roles in Luisa Fernanda, Zauberflote, L'elisir d'amour, I'Pagliacci, Madame Butterfly,and Edgar.Mr. Gonzales has also performed with tenor Placido Domingo at the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Composer-Conductor, John Rutter. In addition to the regular operatic repertoire, Mr. Gonzales is considered to be an expert in the medium of the Zarazuela, and the program will feature duets in this traditional Spanish genre.

Brazilian pianist Rúbia Santos is among the most sought-after collaborative pianists and has been praised by the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung as a performer “who leaves the audience stunned by her provocative pianism as well as her enthusiastic temperament.” Ms. Santos has performed and lectured in the Americas, Europe, and China.  She has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Christiane Oelze, Laura de Souza, David Dillard, members of the São Paulo String Quartet, Violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez (The Harlem Quartet), Violinist Miha Pogacnik, Oboist Alex Klein, Conductor and Hornist Roberto Minczuk, Trumpeter Cathy Leach, and many others. In addition to numerous  other recordings, Ms. Santos has just recorded two chamber works by American composer and Pulitzer Prize Winner, Jennifer Higdon. 

In addition to some of the best loved, most thrilling arias/duets of the standard opera repertoire, excerpts from NM Composer Daniel Steven Crafts' new-concept "Gonzo" operas (with Too Much Coffee Man Opera, librettist, Shannon Wheeler, as well as And the Winner is" librettist, Tom Woodward) will greatly enliven the second half of the concert. Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

Beginning her piano studies at age two, Canadian pianist Christine Yoshikawa has established herself as one of Canada’s most exciting young pianists of her generation. Her performances have garnered international acclaim and critics have praised her as a pianist of "pure power” (South Bend Tribune), "remarkable endurance, refinement, precision and authority", and "radiant lyricism, elegance and warmth" (The Observer). In recent seasons her wide ranging recital and concerto repertoire from Bach to Xenakis has been highly applauded, and her international career includes performances in major cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Prague, Sofia, and Tokyo. After making her concerto debut with the London Westminster Philharmonic at the age of 9, Dr. Yoshikawa has since appeared as soloist with major orchestras including the Orchestre Philharmonie d'Avignon, Pazardjik National Symphony of Bulgaria, Sydney Chamber Orchestra, Kammerorchester Dusseldorf, Olympia Symphony, Elkhart Symphony, Tokyo Youth Symphony, and Nagoya Gakuen Philharmonic among others.  She was First Prize Winner of many national and international competitions including the Canadian Music Competitions, Young Concert Artist Guild, Kromeriz Czech Republic International Piano Competition, Ehrhart International Chamber Music Competition, and Second-Prize Winner of the Yakov Flier International Piano Competition among others. Solo highlights of recent seasons include concerts in Spain, Olomouc Philharmonic Hall, Grand Théâtre de Québec, the Steinway Festival, and performances of concerti by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chausson, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff with orchestras in London, Chicago, Paris, and throughout Canada, Bulgaria, Indiana and Florida. The remainder of the artist’s program will include works of Haydn, Scriabin, Stephen Chatman, and the incomparable Jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este of Franz Liszt. The artist is on the roster of Recording Artists for Eroica Classical Recordings and performances are archived at the Canadian Music Centres across Canada and at Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw and then broadcast on national radio across North America and abroad. Her newest CD will be released in May and available at her June concert. Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

Trio Lux unites three highly acclaimed interrnational artists in an exciting program featuring the Romantic and Contemporary musical eras. Prolific and acclaimed American Composer Libby Larsen's Black Birds, Red Hills is significantly unique for ACMF as it is an homage to artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Referred to by Ms. Larsen simply as "BBRH", the trio is an evocative musical portrait of five of O’Keeffe’s most well-known paintings: Pedernal Hills; Black Rock; Red Hills and Sky; A Black Bird with Snow-Covered Red Hills;and Looking. Ms. Larsen's Dancing Solo showcases the dazzling virtuosity of Trio Lux's clarinetist, Caroline Hartig, who originally recorded this lively, jazz-oriented work. The other half of the program features two monumental chamber works by Johannes Brahms: his mellow---but austerely beautiful--Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 114 and the more youthful Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38. Clarinetist Caroline Hartig has premiered and recorded works of Pulitzer Prize Winners William Bolcom and Donald Martino and was also the artist in the original recording of BBRH (above). She has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in major concert venues, including Carnegie and Weill Recital Halls. Dr. Hartig is Artist/Teacher at Ohio State University. Cellist Bongshin Ko has appeared world wide as soloist and chamber artist. She was the first Korean artist to be permitted to tour throughout China. As a recipient of more than 30 international prizes and awards, she has been featured artist on numerous television and radio stations in Asia and Europe and New Zealand. Currently, she is serving on the faculty of California State at Fullerton. Israeli pianist Baruch Meir was solo artist at ACMF in 2010. He has performed extensively in Austria, China, England, France, Israel, Portugal, Serbia, and throughout the U.S. Currently an artist/teacher of piano at Arizona State University, he keeps a busy teaching schedule and is demand as an International Adjudicator and for his Master Classes as well as his international concert career. Dr. Meir is one of only 65 artists worldwide named Bösendorfer Concert Artist since the founding of the company in 1828. Although ACMF strives to present all artists and programming as advertised, we reserve the right to make comparable artist or program substitution as might become necessary.

John Graham has performed as soloist and in chamber music ensembles in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Korea, being considered one of the preiminent violists of the U.S. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Radio Orchestra of Berlin, the Bamberg Symphony  in Germany, the Hilversun Radio Orchestra in Holland, the Orchestre Colonne in Paris, and the Central Philharmonic Orchestra -Beijing, China. Mr. Graham has also performed as guest artist with the American, Ying, Mendelssohn, Juilliard, Tokyo, and Guarneri String Quartets, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.  He has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Musicorda Festival and the Heifetz Institute. He has also performed for the Kuhmo Festival in Finland and Les Semaines Musicales in France and was a long-time member of the Artist Faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School. From 1962 until 1989 he was based in NYC where he was also active as a top free-lance musician in symphonic, chamber, opera, ballet and music theater orchestras, in many contemporary music concert series, and in recording for television and motion pictures. He was principal violist of the American Symphony under legendary Leopold Stokowski and in chamber orchestras with Pablo Casals. Mr. Graham has recorded a four volume CD Series, Music for the Viola, as well as the complete viola quintets of Mozart with the Juilliard Quartet, the string quartets of Debussy, Ravel and Berg with the Galimir Quartet, the complete Divertimenti of Mozart with the New York Philomusica  and many works of 20th-century American composers with Speculum Musicae. Mr. Graham also taught for nineteen years at the Eastman School of Music and is now Professor Emeritus of Viola. He has been a guest-professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Shanghai Conservatory, Kunitachi College in Tokyo, the Eastman Seminar in Hamamatsu Japan and the Kumho Winter Festival in Korea. He has also been on the faculties of the Mannes College of Music in New York City and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas"with the artist immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance for $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com. This will be ACMF's gala closing event of the 2011 season.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT.  PLEASE CALL US AT (505) 685.0076 TO BE WAIT-LISTED FOR POSSIBLE TICKETS. (6/20/11)

The young Latino artists of La Catrina Quartet have been hailed by Yo Yo Ma as "wonderful ambassadors for music," and are rapidly becoming one ofthe most sought after ensembles today. Their unique blend of Latin-American and standard repertoire has proved enormously energizing for its diverse audiences, catering to more traditional concertgoers while still attracting new generation listeners. Their infectious personalities infuse their playing, creating truly compelling performances. The quartet's triple mission is: to perform  masterworks of the string quartet repertoire, to promote Mexican and Latin American art music worldwide, and to work closely with current generation composers. Currently Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at New Mexico State University, La Catrina Quartet tours regularly throughout the US and Mexico, having received important awards and recognitions, including their participation in the highly competitive Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ Young Performers Career Advancement program in New York City. They were featured in a showcase performance of “the next generation’s classical music star performers” in NYC's Carnegie Hall and had a two year residency with the Western Piedmont Symphony in North Carolina. La Catrina Quartet was also in residence at the Chamber Music Festival of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where they collaborated with the Cyprus, the Brentano, and the Miami Quartets. Last season they were featured in concerts throughout the US, including a concert at NYC's Merkin Hall. Their frequent piano collaborator Jacquelyn Helin is a Steinway Artist who has performed in recital and with orchestras in the major music capitals of Europe and the United States, including London, Paris, Nice, Zurich, New York, Washington, Chicago, and San Francisco. Winner of the Artists International Competition, Jacquelyn Helin played her New York debut to a sold-out audience in Carnegie Recital Hall and made her European debut in London’s Wigmore Hall.  Recent appearances have included concertos with the New Mexico, Richmond, Greenwich, Santa Fe, Mesa, and Redwood Symphonies, and solo recitals in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Maryland. Dr. Helin was a student of Victor Steinhardt, studied with Adolph Baller during her Master's degree at Stanford, and received her doctorate as a student of John Perry at the University of Texas at Austin. She recently joined the faculty of the New Mexico School for the Arts and maintains a large private studio in Santa Fe, with many of her students winning top prizes throughout the district and state.  She has recorded for New World and Musical Heritage and is recognized as the major interpreter of the piano music of American composer, Virgil Thompson. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas"with the artists immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance for $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com.

UNFORTUNATELY, ALL TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT FOR THIS PERFORMANCE. TO BE WAIT-LISTED CALL (505) 685.0076.  WE DO USUALLY RECEIVE TICKETS BACK FOR EACH PERFORMANCE. (6.21.11)

Virginia Dupuy has earned a reputation as one of the finest recital and concert singers in the U.S. by having championed American Music in recordings such as the Grammy nominated Voces Americanas and premiering the role of “Crone” in Conrad Susa’s opera Wise Women.  Fanfare magazine hailed Dupuy's recording of Pulitzer Prize Winner Dominick Argento’s From the Diary of Virginia Woolf as one of the top classical recordings of the year.  Ms. Dupuy made her Lincoln Center debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall and has appeared with the Orchestras of Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, Eugene, and Honolulu. Gasparo Records, Inc. released Dwell in Possibility, a CD featuring Ms. Dupuy with her frequent collaborator, Shields-Collins Bray, performing twenty-four Emily Dickinson poems and one letter set to music by her composers including Jake Heggie, Lee Hoiby, Dan Welcher, Richard Hundley, Simon Sargon, and William Jordan. Ms. Dupuy continued her performances of contemporary composers in 2007-2009 with concerts of Golijov, Danielpour, Heggie, Higdon and Bolcom with the composers present. Her frequent collaborator, Shields-Collins Bray, is principal keyboardist of the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, appearing numerous times as soloist with the orchestra, most recently in works by Liszt, Janacek, and Britten. He has appeared also as soloist with symphony orchestras of Dallas, Jacksonville, and New Orleans, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic. A student of International Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Stephen DeGroote, Mr. Bray was recently pianist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya's The Passion of Tango with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and also has recorded with premiere tenor, Juan Diego Florez. Performed among the natural setting of the Rio Chama, this will be a mesmerizing performance. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas"with the artists immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance for $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com.

UNFORTUNATELY:  THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT. CALL US AT (505) 685.0076 TO BE WAIT-LISTED FOR ANY POSSIBLE TICKETS. (6.21.11)

The refined artistry of David Leisner is recognized throughout the U.S. and abroad for his prolific recording, distinguished compositions, concertizing, and master teaching. Mr. Leisner's recent performing seasons have taken him around the U.S., including his solo debut with the Atlanta Symphony, a major tour of Australia and New Zealand, and debuts and reappearances in Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, the U.K., Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Considered one of the world's leading classical guitarists, his superb musicianship and provocative programming have been applauded by critics and audiences around the world. His artistry has been acclaimed by The New York Times and hailed as a "serious, exploratory and imaginative musician" by The Boston Globe. Mr. Leisner's career as a guitarist began auspiciously, winning top prizes in both the Toronto and Geneva International Guitar Competitions. Mr. Leisner brings an intriguing program for his second consecutive season with ACMF, including his own newest compositions and arrangements of four popular songs. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas" with the artist immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance for $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com .

Please Note:  Unfortunately, this concert is SOLD OUT. 6/07/11

Cellist Sally Guenther enjoys a flourishing career as soloist, chamber artist, and orchestral musician throughout the U.S. and abroad. After engagements with numerous U.S. orchestras, including the Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Syracuse (principal), and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Ms. Guenther became alternating solo cellist of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, a position she held for twenty years.  She was active throughout Norway as a pedagogue, teaching at the Grieg Academy of Music, and was a member of the chamber ensemble, BIT-20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. She continues to tour in Europe with the ensemble. Since returning to the U.S., Sally has made Taos, NM her performance base as well as her home.  Ms. Guenther has performed with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Santa Fe New Music, Serenata of Santa Fe, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, as well as twice during the 2010 ACMF season. She received Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees at Indiana University and The Juilliard School, as well as having attended the Taos School of Music, Music Academy of the West, and International Congress of Strings. Ms. Guenther was a student of the renowned cellists János Starker and Harvey Shapiro. Now one of New Mexico’s most sought-after cellists, she performs throughout the year with Taos Chamber Music, maintains a private cello studio, and continues her association with chamber music and musicians in Norway. American pianist Robert McDonald has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Far East both as solo recitalist and as recital partner to Isaac Stern, Midori, and many others. He has appeared with the San Francisco, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Omaha, and Curtis symphony orchestras, with the Orquesta Sinfonica, Nacional in Costa Rica, and with the Orchestra Sinfonica Haydn de Bolzano e Trento in Italy. As a chamber musician, he has also performed with the Juilliard, American, Takacs, Muir, Brentano, Fine Arts, Vermeer, and Borromeo string quartets, as well as with Musicians from Marlboro. In addition, he has given concerts for the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, NHK and BBC television Worldwide. Dr. McDonald is a member of the piano faculties at both the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. For the past twenty-six summers, he has directed the keyboard program at the Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico. Other summer teaching and festival activities include the Bergen, Besancon, Lucerne, Montreux, Salzburg, Aldeburgh, and Schleswig-Holstein festivals in Europe, as well as the Marlboro, Brevard and Caramoor festivals in the United States, and the International School of Musical and Arts in Canada. Among his many awards, prizes and grants, McDonald has won the Gold Metal at the Busoni international competition in Italy, and the top prize at both the William Kapell and the Washington International competitions. Ms. Guenther and Mr. McDonald bring the perfect beauty of the iconic Debussy and Chopin duo sonatas, culminating in a 100th anniversary celebration of Samuel Barber with his Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, Op. 6, composed in 1932 and premiered a year later by the composer himself and cellist Orlando Cole. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas"with the artists immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance for $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com.

Brazilian Pianist Hamilton Tescarollo has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist in the United States, Canada, Europe, and throughout South America. Venues where he has performed include the Museo dos Condes de Castro Guimarães in Portugal, the Orford Festival in Canada, the Phoenix Art Museum, Boston University, and the Teatro São Pedro in Brazil. His programs include both the mainstream and the avant-garde repertory, and frequently feature the music of Brazil and other South American countries. His CD with Venezuelan clarinetist Jorge Montilla, entitled La Revoltosa, was released in 2009 by London-based label Clarinet Classics. Among Dr. Tescarollo's many distinctions are sponsorships by the Secretary of Culture of São Paulo and the Vitae Foundation, two First Prizes at the Escola Municipal de Música of São Paulo’s piano competition, and Second Prize at the National Mozart Competition in São Paulo.  Also a dedicated teacher, he is a professor and Director of Keyboard Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. During the summer, he is also affiliated with the Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany. His main teachers include Gilberto Tinetti (a pupil of Magda Tagliaferro, Alfred Cortot, and Friedrich Wuehrer) and Caio Pagano.  Additionally, he has studied with Sandra Abrão and Paulo Bergamo, and has coached with Menahem Pressler, Paul Badura-Skoda, Lazar Berman, Barbara Hesse-Bukowska, Helena Sá e Costa, and Maria João Pires, among others. In addition to works of noted Brazilian composers, Dr. Tescarollo's opening festival concert will include performances of Bach-Busoni, Mozart, Chopin, and a tribute to Franz Liszt's 200th anniversary. The artist's concert is underwritten by PianoWerkes of Albuquerque. Join ACMF's post-concert "Meet the Artist Tapas" with the artist immediately following at the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba. Special additional reservation is required 24 hours in advance at $12 per person at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com .

Bridging two worlds, R. Carlos Nakai of Navajo-Ute heritage is the world’s premiere performer of the Native American flute. His appearance here features the World Premiere of ReWeaving(s) for Native Flute, Chant, Clarinet, Cello, Piano and Percussion by award-winning composer Ruth Lomon. Multi-Media Artist Mary Hamill has created a special installation Abiquiu Blanket based on Native American natural fibers for the performances. Sculptor Andrew Hamill has conceived of his Abiquiu Carpet as on "outstallation" which is site-specific. As an artist, R. Carlos Nakai is an iconoclastic traditionalist who views his cultural heritage not only as a source and inspiration, but also as a dynamic continuum of natural change, growth and adaptation subject to unique interpretation of the individual. Since 1983 Nakai has released 38 albums with Canyon Records plus additional albums and guest appearances with other labels. Nakai has developed a career as a classical soloist performing over twenty-five times with symphony orchestras. He joined opera veterans Isola Jones and Robert Breault as a lead soloist in a concert-opera, Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Roses by James DeMars which was recently released by Canyon Records. Nakai has sold over four million albums in the course of his career, and earned two gold records (500,000 units sold) for Canyon Trilogy and Earth Spirit.  He has received eight Grammy® nominations and won eight Native American Music Awards. Join the festival's closing "Meet the Artists" post-concert dinner with Mr. Nakai, Ms. Lomon, Ms. Hamill, and musicians on SUNDAY by special additional reservation of $18 in the intimacy of the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com .

Back by popular audience demand after their SOLD OUT Abiquiu Chamber Music Festival 2009 debut, the return of the Hall Ensemble with pianist Shields-Collins Bray will prove to be a program for the long-term musical memory. The centerpiece of their program features one of chamber music's most incomparable works: Schumann's Piano Quartet in Eb, a tribute to this great composer's 200th birthday. All five of the ensemble are members of the Ft. Worth Symphony and love the symphonic repertoire but cherish their opportunities to explore the more personal, intimate expression afforded through chamber music. The artists hail from throughout the U.S. prior to their professional relocations to Ft. Worth and have solo and recital accomplishments as well as their symphonic careers. Don't miss their exhilarating, vibrant interpretation of the Schumann masterpiece. The other half of the program perfectly balances the Schumann and includes Beethoven's String Trio in G, Op. 9, No 1; modernist Bernhard Heiden's Serenade for Bassoon, Violin, and Cello; the flair and passion of Pablo Sarasate's Habanera from his Danzas Espanolas for Violin and Piano; and an unforgettable work for Viola and Bassoon, Gernot Wolfgang's Uncle Bebop. Join the Festival's "Meet the Artists" post-concert dinner with the Hall Ensemble and Mr. Bray by special additional reservation of $18 in the intimacy of the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba at 505.685.4378 or abiquiuinn@zianet.com .

When one has the artistic opportunity to form both a "dream program" and mesh it with a "dream team" of musicians, the combination can be nothing short of musically combustible. Returning from two stunning performances in the ACMF 2009 season, pianist Natalya Shkoda has formed her "heart's desire" in the Trio Arriba with violinist David Felberg and cellist Sally Guenther, two other remarkable artists. Trio Arriba makes its formal concert debut here at the festival with a program of masterpieces from the Russian classical repertoire. In addition to solo piano works with Ms. Shkoda, the program includes Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94b, the Rachmaninoff Trio Elegiac No. 1 in G Minor, and concludes with the electrifying Shostakovich Trio in E Minor, Op. 67. Natalya Shkoda is one of the most dynamic and exciting young piano artists today. Natalya has performed widely in Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, France, and throughout the U.S. Natalya was both solo and chamber collaborator during the 2009 ACMF. Violinist David Felberg is Associate Concertmaster of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and has performed as concerto soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic, Noisy Neighbors Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, and Chautauqua Festival Orchestra. David made his New York City debut in Merkin Hall and was a member of the Helios String Quartet for four years. Sally Guenther, cellist, is a worldwide artist of extensive orchestral, chamber, and solo experience throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. After working in numerous U.S. orchestras--including the Met Opera Orchestra--Sally served as cellist with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway for twenty years and was also a member of the contemporary ensemble, BIT 20, an internationally recognized group which records and travels extensively in Europe and Asia. Sally was on tour for six weeks this spring throughout Europe with the ensemble. With these three dynamic collaborators performing the best of the Russian chamber repertoire, this is a "must hear" concert. Join the festival's "Meet the Artists" post-concert dinner with Trio Arriba in the intimacy of the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba by special additional reservation of $18 at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com .

This concert is underwritten through the generosity of PianoWerkes of Albuquerque and Portland, OR, dealers in fine pianos of Bosendorfer, Schimmel, and Yamaha. Baruch Meir is an International Bösendorfer Concert Artist of major stature, among only 65 artists worldwide holding that distinction since the founding of the company in 1828. Performing frequently in his native Israel, in Austria, England, France, Portugal, Korea, China, and most recently, Italy and Serbia, Baruch Meir is a new generation artist following in the line of the great Romantic tradition teachers. Those teachers include Pnina Salzman (Israel’s first lady of the piano and the only child prodigy taught by Alfred Cortot), Michael Bugoslavsky, Irina Zaritskaya (A winner of the Chopin competition in Warsaw), Rachel Gordon, and Valter Aufheuser. His many distinctions include the American-Israeli Cultural Foundation Awards and the British Council Fellowship. In demand as both artist and master teacher, Dr. Meir also teaches at summer music festivals in Europe including Musicfest Perugia in Italy and the Vianden International Festival in Luxembourg. Baruch Meir brings his dazzling virtuosity, romanticism, and abundant lyricism in a memorable festival tribute to this true poet of the piano. He will perform the great late works of Chopin, including the Barcarolle, Berceuse, Fourth Ballade, and Nocturnes and Mazurkas. Join the gala festival opening "Meet the Artist" post-concert dinner with Dr. Meir by special additional reservation of $18 in the intimacy of the Abiquiu Inn's Galeria Arriba at 505.685.4378 or at abiquiuinn@zianet.com .  

Catch the magic of this vibrant Trio of flute, cello, and piano as they return by special invitation as an "Audience Favorite" from the 2008 inaugural season. Following the 2009 release of a new CD, they will be bringing a totally fresh program of varied classical works as well as including new contemporary gems. The program includes trios by Haydn, Elisandra Fabregas, Weber, and Paradisa's commission of Gary Schocker's delightful "My Summer Vacation." In addition, Sidney Tretick's tribute to his cellist daughter of the ensemble and Debussy's intoxicating "Syrinx" for solo flute will round out the program. You'll find that Paradisa! is breathing new life into the standard piano trio repertoire for flute, cello and piano with their sassy, bold performances. What a way to end the festival's Second Season! JOIN THE CLOSING FESTIVAL "MEET THE ARTISTS" POST-CONCERT DINNER by ADDITIONAL RESERVATION/FEE the WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO THE CONCERT @ (505) 583.2545.

CARMELO de los SANTOS is one of the most respected and sought after young Brazilian violinists on today's concert stage. He delights audiences internationally with his passionate and refined performances and has been praised by numerous critics for his "brilliance and overwhelming virtuosity." He performs regularly as guest soloist with major orchestras in Brazil and in the Americas. Cármelo made his NY debut in 2002 at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, as both soloist and conductor. He will soon release two CDs, one with sonatas by Villa-Lobos, Guarnieri, and Santoro and the second with shorter Brazilian pieces for violin. After joining the Artist Faculty at the University of New Mexico in 2004, Carmelo began performing with renowned pianist, MICHAEL ZENGE (the festival's marvelous solo pianist for the inaugural season) and since then, they have given numerous invited performances to great acclaim as a celebrated collaborative duo. Carmelo and Michael bring both a poetic and dazzling program to the Festival: Schubert's Rondo, D. 438, the formidable third Sonata, Op. 25 by Rumanian George Enescu; the elegaic Brahms Sonata in D minor, Op. 108; and the delightful Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 of Saint-Saens. The combination of Carmelo and Michael for our second season should be nothing short of musically explosive! JOIN OUR "MEET THE ARTISTS" POST-CONCERT DINNER BY ADDITIONAL RESERVATION/FEE the WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO A CONCERT @ (505) 583.2545.

A native of Kharkiv, Ukraine, NATALYA SHKODA is one of the most dynamic and exciting young piano artists today. Natalya began her piano study at the age of 6 in the famed Conservatory that also produced the legendary Sviatislov Richter. Natalya has performed widely in Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, France, and throughout the U.S. Natalya brings a truly virtuosic program to the festival, performing solo works of Rachmaninoff, Scarlatti, Villa-Lobos, Scriabin, and Viktor Kosenko. Currently Dr. Shkoda is engaged in recording the complete works of Ukranian Viktor Kosenko and is a member of the Artist Faculty at California State at Chico. JOIN OUR "MEET THE ARTIST" POST-CONCERT DINNER BY ADDITIONAL RESERVATION/FEE by Wednesday prior to the concert @ (505) 583.2545.

Pianists EDWIN LIGHT and MADELINE WILLIAMSON perform the unique and engaging repertoire of this refined genre. Their program will captivate listeners with works of exceptional beauty by Schubert (Fm Variations, D. 813) and Mozart's four hand masterpiece, the Sonata in FM, K. 497. Additionally, Edwin and Madeline will perform two tours de force of the late 20th c. by Joseph Fennimore ("Crystal Stairs") and the virtuosic and daunting "Concerto for Piano Four Hands" by Vincent Persichetti. As a seasoned out-of-state concert goer wrote of their inaugural season performance, "You and Edwin made stunning music together! I have heard the Schubert [Fantasy] on a number of recordings and yours stirred me at least as much as any other version I have ever heard...what an auspicious beginning for the Festival." JOIN OUR "MEET THE ARTISTS" POST-CONCERT DINNER BY ADDITIONAL RESERVATION @ (505) 583.2545.

VALERIAN RUMINSKI has made debuts with the Metropolitan Opera, NYC Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Dallas Opera, Seattle Opera and numerous other renowned companies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Valerian has also sung at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of NY. A dedicated champion of new American song, Valerian has commissioned the work of PERSIS VEHAR to produce songs based on the poetry of Charles Bukowski, which they will premiere together at the festival. This exciting opening concert will also feature Lieder of the Romantic era with Valerian bringing his artistry to the Four Serious Songs, Op. 121 of Johannes Brahms as well as Gustav Mahler's revered Ruckert Songs. Collaborating will be pianist Madeline Williamson as well as Composer-Pianist Persis Vehar performing in the song cycles of her own works. A GALA FESTIVAL OPENING "MEET THE ARTISTS" DINNER FOLLOWS by ADDITIONAL RESERVATION @ (505) 583.2545.