ECMF 2024 Faculty
Michael Korn, Artistic Director
Born in Novosibirsk, Michael Korn started to play violin at the age of five and studied in Novosibirsk, Moscow, and Tel-Aviv. As a violinist and conductor, he concertized in the former Soviet Union, Israel, Europe, Africa, and the U.S. Among the highlights of his career, Michael performed at world-famous venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Boston, Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Small Hall of Moscow Conservatory,
St. Petersburg Small Philharmonic Hall, and on top of a Soviet Army armory vehicle in a small Siberian village. Since coming to the U.S., Michael performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Boston Classical Orchestra and Boston Lyric Opera as well as with the critically acclaimed Chagall Trio. Currently, Michael Korn serves as Music Director of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra and Sharon Community Chamber Orchestra, and performs as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles throughout New England.
St. Petersburg Small Philharmonic Hall, and on top of a Soviet Army armory vehicle in a small Siberian village. Since coming to the U.S., Michael performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Boston Classical Orchestra and Boston Lyric Opera as well as with the critically acclaimed Chagall Trio. Currently, Michael Korn serves as Music Director of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra and Sharon Community Chamber Orchestra, and performs as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles throughout New England.
Victor Cayres, Piano
Brazilian pianist Victor Cayres has earned praise for concerts with the Sine Nomine string quartet and as soloist with Boston Pops, Orchestre des Jeunes de Fribourg in Switzerland, and Brno Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. He has been a guest artist at Banff Center for the Arts in Canada, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Claflin University, Western Washington University, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory and State University for Arts and Culture. He has recorded for Albany, Centaur, Navona, and Parma Records, and frequently performs in Brazil, Europe, and in the United States, including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Preston Bradley Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall. His concerts have been broadcast live at Brazil’s TV Cultura channel, Boston’s WGBH 99.5 All Classical, and Chicago’s WFMT Fine Arts Radio. Victor currently serves as Associate Director for Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Piano Program, as Instructor of Piano and Keyboard Area Coordinator at Eastern Illinois University, and as piano faculty at New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Continuing Education.
Pascale Delache-Feldman, Double Bass
French double bassist Pascale Delache-Feldman has enjoyed a diverse career performing as a soloist, chamber and orchestra musician, recording artist, commissioner of new music, educator and founder and artistic director of the Boston Bass Bash. As a soloist, she has performed with the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic, the North Shore Philharmonic, Greensboro Festival Orchestra, Longy Chamber Orchestra and others. New Music Connoisseur described her playing from a recent concert as having “technical certainty and musical imagination” and by the Boston Phoenix as “ a gifted colorist ....who produced an entire range of orchestral effects”. An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with violinists Midori, Joel Smirnoff, pianists Virginia Eskin, Victor Rosenbaum, Randall Hodgkinson, the St. Petersburg String Quartet, the Borromeo String Quartet, members of the Lark String Quartet, Fidelio and with soprano Dawn Upshaw. She was a prizewinner at the Prague International Chamber Music Competition and won first prize with honors for double bass performance at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Pascale is the co-founder of Cello e Basso with cellist Emmanuel Feldman, and the founder and artistic director of the Boston Bass Bash, an international festival dedicated to the double bass. Pascale teaches double bass at the Longy School of Music, Tufts University, Brown University, Rivers School of Music and frequently is a guest for master classes. She has taught at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, Summit Music Festival and Wellesley Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center.
Rachael Elliott, Bassoon
Hailed as “one of the sharpest executors of new-music currently on the scene” (WQXR) and an “intrepid bassoonist” (Time Out New York), Rachael Elliott explores compelling new directions as a bassoon soloist and chamber artist. Elliott is a versatile performer who is active in classical, new music, improvised and rock/pop settings. She is a founding member of the genre-bending new music group, Clogs, with whom she has recorded five acclaimed albums and appeared throughout the United States, Europe and Australia, sharing the stage with such renowned musicians as Bang on a Can, Bell Orchestre, The Books, The National, Terry Riley, Sufjan Stevens and Shara Nova/My Brightest Diamond. She is also a founding member of Dark in the Song, Rushes Ensemble, Tuple bassoon duo, and Heliand Consort, a Vermont based classical group. She is principal bassoonist of the Burlington Chamber Orchestra and a substitute bassoonist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Elliott was previously principal bassoonist and bassoon soloist with the Collegium Musicum in Juelich, Germany. A proponent of new music, Elliott has premiered works by Amy Beth Kirsten, Bryce Dessner, Paul Lansky, Ingram Marshall, Padma Newsome, Thomas L. Read, and Beth Wiemann, among others. Her debut CD, “Polka the Elk,” contains world premiere recordings of bassoon music by David Lang, Padma Newsome and Tawnie Olson. The album was selected as WQXR’s Q2 Album of the Week following its release and has been described as “an engaging, eclectic mix of contemporary music” by Cleveland Classical and “a charismatic exploitation of a chamber group’s nimbleness” by PopMatters. Originally from Lyndon, Vermont, her earliest musical memories include hearing her father practice piano at night as she was falling asleep and later studying piano herself, before picking up the alto saxophone in middle school. “Saxophonists are a dime a dozen” was the refrain of her piano teacher who encouraged her to try the bassoon…and the rest is history. Her musical mentors have included Nancy Hartswick, John Padden, and bassoonists Janet Polk and Frank Morelli. She received bassoon performance degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Yale School of Music.
Emmanuel Feldman, Cello
Hailed by John Williams, Grammy award winning composer and conductor as “an outstanding cellist and truly dedicated artist,” Emmanuel Feldman enjoys an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, champion and commissioner of new music and educator. With a repertoire ranging from Bach to Ligeti to today's cutting edge composers, Feldman has concertized throughout Europe and North America. He has performed as soloist with the Boston Pops, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Greensboro Festival Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New England String Ensemble and many others. An avid chamber musician, he was invited to participate in the Marlboro Music Festival, Pablo Casals Festival, Schlesswig Holstein Musik Festival, and was a faculty member at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, the Killington Music Festival and the Summit Music Festival. Following his debut in 2006 on the Bank of America Marquee Celebrity Series, Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe wrote “Emmanuel Feldman was superb in the Bach Solo Suites.” His solo CD on Albany Records, Rider on The Plains, featuring Virgil Thomson's Cello Concerto, was part of producer Blanton Alspaugh's 2008 nomination for a Grammy award (Producer of the Year) and was hailed as an “excellent recording...the concerto sounds exhilarating in this bracing and confident performance” by Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times. He has also recorded chamber music on the Naxos, Arsis, Zimbel and other labels.
Neil Godwin, French Horn
Hailed as “stalwart” by the Boston Musical Intelligencer, Neil Godwin is a native of Louisiana and holds degrees in horn performance and conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2001, he began studies at Boston University with Eric Ruske. In Boston, Neil has had a busy career as performer and teacher. As a new music specialist, he performs frequently with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Callithumpian Consort. At the other extreme, he has explored natural horn performance with Grand Harmonie. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Neil performs with the Boston Woodwind Society Octet and the Epic Brass Quintet. He is a member of the Plymouth Philharmonic and has played with the Discovery Ensemble, the Hillyer Festival Orchestra, the Simon Sinfonietta and the Gardner Museum Chamber Orchestra. Neil has performed with many of the region’s orchestras, including the Boston Philharmonic, the New Bedford Symphony, the Cape Cod Symphony, the Orchestra of Indian Hill, Symphony by the Sea, and the Claflin Hill Symphony. Neil is a member of the brass and ensembles faculties at the Community Music Center of Boston. He is assistant director of CMCB’s Summer Music program, where he directs the wind ensemble and coaches chamber music.
Becca Kasdan, Violin
Becca Kasdan is currently a Resident Musician at Community MusicWorks and a Teaching Associate at
Brown University in Providence, RI. At CMW, Becca performs as a member of the MusicWorks Collective,
teaches violin lessons, and actively participates and coordinates community engagement projects and
initiatives. In addition, she is a violin faculty member at Luzerne Music Center’s Senior Session in New York. Becca received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she studied with Meg Freivogel of the Jupiter String Quartet and served as the Violin Teaching Assistant. Previously, Dr. Kasdan studied with Violaine Melancon at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where she received her MM and BM in Violin Performance. In 2023, Becca collaborated with the international exhibit Violins of Hope to present her Doctoral Lecture Recital, Imagining New Possibilities for 21st -Century Classical Music Performance: Drawing Inspiration from the Berlin Cabarets of the Weimar Republic. Joined by co-founder Avshalom Weinstein, Becca performed a recital on violins restored and recovered from the Holocaust. The concert featured dancers, musicians, visual artists, and puppeteers from seven countries and a performance of two world premieres. Extremely devoted to bringing music into the community, Becca is on the Board of Trustees for the Volunteer Musicians for the Arts in Boston where she received a Community Leadership Award in 2021. She is the 2018 recipient of the Johns Hopkins President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music, the String Achievement Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi’s prestigious music guilds. For more information please follow at www.beccakasdanviolin.com.
Brown University in Providence, RI. At CMW, Becca performs as a member of the MusicWorks Collective,
teaches violin lessons, and actively participates and coordinates community engagement projects and
initiatives. In addition, she is a violin faculty member at Luzerne Music Center’s Senior Session in New York. Becca received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she studied with Meg Freivogel of the Jupiter String Quartet and served as the Violin Teaching Assistant. Previously, Dr. Kasdan studied with Violaine Melancon at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where she received her MM and BM in Violin Performance. In 2023, Becca collaborated with the international exhibit Violins of Hope to present her Doctoral Lecture Recital, Imagining New Possibilities for 21st -Century Classical Music Performance: Drawing Inspiration from the Berlin Cabarets of the Weimar Republic. Joined by co-founder Avshalom Weinstein, Becca performed a recital on violins restored and recovered from the Holocaust. The concert featured dancers, musicians, visual artists, and puppeteers from seven countries and a performance of two world premieres. Extremely devoted to bringing music into the community, Becca is on the Board of Trustees for the Volunteer Musicians for the Arts in Boston where she received a Community Leadership Award in 2021. She is the 2018 recipient of the Johns Hopkins President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music, the String Achievement Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi’s prestigious music guilds. For more information please follow at www.beccakasdanviolin.com.
Don Krishnaswami, Viola
Violist, violinist and composer Donald Krishnaswami has toured domestically from coast to coast with the Boston Pops, including appearances at major nationwide music festivals. He has also performed with many ensembles, among them the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra, Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of other engagements have included the North American Tour of Star Wars in Concert, produced by Lucasfilm, Ltd., and appearances as back-up musician with such jazz and pop giants as Mel Torme, Cleo Lane, Natalie Cole, Sarah Brightman, The Moody Blues, Aerosmith, Barry Manilow, Joni Mitchell, The Irish Tenors, Donny Osmond, Smokey Robinson, K.D. Lang, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Cetera (Chicago), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Anne Murray, Deep Purple, and Earth, Wind and Fire. In chamber music, he has collaborated with current and former members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and is a founding member of the LiveARTS String Quartet and South Coast Chamber Music Society. Radio appearances have included Classical Performances with Richard Knisely on WGBH Radio, Boston; Paine Webber’s Traditions on WNCN Radio, New York; and Listening Room with Bob Sherman on WQXR Radio, New York. As a composer, Don has written chamber music and orchestral works. In 2015 his tone poem “The Swordfishers” was premiered to critical acclaim by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. His chamber music has been premiered by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and by Seattle-based Simple Measures, among others. His “Quintet for Reeds” was premiered in the summer of 2021 by Boston-based Kalliope Reed Quintet. In the last couple of years, Don has dedicated much of his time to the all-natural health and wellness sector, helping bring to market a significant all-natural scientific breakthrough technology. He is passionate about this work, and during these times has devoted much of his energy to it, as well as teaching many private violin, viola, and composition students. Don holds a Master of Music degree in viola and a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from The Juilliard School.
Alexis Lanz, Clarinet
Alexis Lanz has been principal clarinetist of the Boston Ballet Orchestra since 2011, and he is
a member of Collage New Music and Sound Icon. He has performed with the Boston Pops
Esplanade Orchestra, A Far Cry, Xanthos Ensemble, Walden Chamber Players and Symphony
New Hampshire, and has appeared with the Atlantic Music Festival, the Summer Institute of
Contemporary Performing Practice, and the New Hampshire Music Festival. He has also
appeared as principal clarinetist of the New York String Orchestra Seminar and as soloist with
the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble. Alexis has performed with conductors Stefan
Asbury, Andrew Davis, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Bernard Haitink and James Levine. He
earned his B.M. and M.M. degrees at the New England Conservatory, and his teachers have
included Edward Cabarga and Thomas Martin.
a member of Collage New Music and Sound Icon. He has performed with the Boston Pops
Esplanade Orchestra, A Far Cry, Xanthos Ensemble, Walden Chamber Players and Symphony
New Hampshire, and has appeared with the Atlantic Music Festival, the Summer Institute of
Contemporary Performing Practice, and the New Hampshire Music Festival. He has also
appeared as principal clarinetist of the New York String Orchestra Seminar and as soloist with
the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble. Alexis has performed with conductors Stefan
Asbury, Andrew Davis, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Bernard Haitink and James Levine. He
earned his B.M. and M.M. degrees at the New England Conservatory, and his teachers have
included Edward Cabarga and Thomas Martin.
Matthew Lee, Flute
Matthew Lee is a Boston based, New Zealand Flute player and educator. His playing has been called “astonishing” and “his technique astonishing” (Fanfare). Matthew has had the privilege of performing in venues such as Boston Symphony Hall, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. Matthew can be frequently heard performing with the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and the GRAMMY Award winning Albany Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to education, Matthew is currently a teacher with the Wellesley Public Schools while concurrently managing a thriving private studio catering to students of all ages and skill levels. His commitment to sharing his expertise extends to conducting, as he has conducted the Boston University Wind Ensemble, Boston University Concert Band, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, and briefly assumed the role of interim director for the Gisborne (NZ) Concert Band. Matthew has also led sectional rehearsals with the Boston University All Campus Orchestra. His teaching experience includes giving masterclasses and presentations at Boston University and the University of Rhode Island, University of Nebraska, Omaha, as well as serving as a teaching assistant at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. In the past, he held the position of Instructor of Flute and Chamber Music at Boston University, where he provided private lessons and coached chamber music for non-major students. Matthew earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and continued his studies at Boston University. His musical journey has been profoundly influenced by esteemed teachers such as Anthony Ferner, Linda Toote, Ann Bobo, Diana Morgan, Sharon Sparrow and Elizabeth Rowe. Matthew has further enriched his musical perspective through participation in masterclasses led by artists such as Lorna McGhee, Emily Beynon, Julien Beaudiment, Alberto Almarza, Leone Buyse, Cynthia Meyers, Jim Walker, and Mark Sparks. Since 2012, Matthew has been playing on Haynes flutes. In 2023, he acquired his 14k Custom Flute with a 14k headjoint and platinum riser from Flutistry Boston. He is honored to be recognized as a Haynes Young Artist.
Alexey Shabalin, Violin
Alexey Shabalin is a Professor of Music at Rhode Island College and a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. He has been Artist- Director of the Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic Orchestras Since 2003. He also founded and conducts the Rhode Island Youth Soloists, a chamber orchestra of the top string players. For several years, Shabalin has been the assistant conductor and strings coach of the MIT Symphony. He coaches chamber music at Brown University and conducts the symphony orchestra, coaches violin and chamber groups, and teaches music theory at Providence College. Alexey graduated from Moscow Conservatory in 1995. As a student he won third prize in the Soviet national string quartet competition in 1991. During the same year he was a semifinalist in the International Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition. In 1995 he won the "Best Violinist in a Duet" category in the International Bashmet Competition in Moscow. From 1992 to 1996, Shabalin toured with the world-renowned Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra. In 1995 the group gave the second performance ever held of Mozart's newly unearthed Triple Concerto, with Shabalin playing the solo violin part. In recognition of his talent, he was allowed to perform on a priceless Stradivarius violin owned by the Russian government. He moved to the United States in 1996, and has since played in many orchestras and chamber groups.
Catherine Weinfield-Zell, Oboe
Described as an "arresting" (Boston Globe) and "strikingly beautiful" (Miami Herald) musician, Catherine Weinfield-Zell is a busy performer and teacher in the New England area and beyond. Having held positions with the both the Hawaii Symphony and the Florida Grand Opera, she has also performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, the San Diego and Charleston Symphonies, the Portland Symphony, the Naples Philharmonic, the new-music ensembles Alarm Will Sound and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Orchestra at Indian Hill, the Boston Philharmonic, the Boston Lyric and Odyssey Opera Companies, the Boston Festival Orchestra, and Emmanuel Music. Additionally, she has also performed at the Strings, Opera North, Lake George, Opera in the Ozarks, Breckenridge, Spoleto FestivalUSA, Aspen, Sitka, Alaska, Kent/Blossom, and Britten-Pears Aldeburgh World Orchestra summer music festivals. As a dedicated teacher, Ms. Weinfield-Zell is currently on faculty at Phillips Exeter Academy, the University of New Hampshire, and Bridgewater State University, and formerly held positions at Williams College and Brookline Music School. She is also the also the co-founder with her husband, percussionist Michael Weinfield-Zell, of Music at the Substation, a chamber music series that performed regularly at the Turtle Swamp Brewery in Boston during the 2018-2020 seasons, as well as presented a full season of virtual concerts during the Corvid-19 pandemic. Ms. Weinfield-Zell's principal teachers include Elaine Douvas at Mannes College of Music in New York City, John Mack and Frank Rosenwein at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Ray Still at Northwestern University. She currently resides in North Easton.
Guest Artists
Sandra Piques Eddy, Mezzo-Soprano
Praised for her “dark sensuous mezzo and charming stage presence’ (Opera Magazine) Sandra Piques Eddy recently added the roles of Dido in Dido and Aeneas (Florentine Opera), Orfeo in Orfeo ed Eurydice (Portland Opera), Meg Page in Falstaff (Opera Colorado) Paula in Florencia en al Amazonas (Pittsburgh Opera) Suzuki in Madama Butterfly (Inland Pacific Northwest Opera ) and Mistress Revels in the recently Grammy nominated recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players. A celebrated Carmen, Sandra performed the role with various companies including; Portland Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Chicago Opera Theater, Austin Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera North (UK) tour, and twice with Maestro Seiji Ozawa touring Japan. Career highlights include: Charlotte in Werther with Boston Lyric Opera; Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri with Vancouver Opera, Arizona Opera, Austin Opera, Atlanta Opera; Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Nashville Opera, Vancouver Opera, Austin Opera, a tour with New Zealand Opera; Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Boston Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Hyogo Performing Arts Center- Japan, New York City Opera, Pittsburgh Opera; Angelina in La Cenerentola with Spoleto Festival USA, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Saratoga and Greensboro Opera, Poppea in The Coronation of Poppea tour at Opera North (UK); With over 100 performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Sandra’s roles include; Fiona in Nico Muhly’s Two Boys, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, La Badessa in Suor Angelica, Mercedes in Carmen, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, Zulma in L’Italiana in Algeri, among others. Sandra created the role of the Young Wife in Scott Wheeler’s opera Naga which premiered in Boston as a part of the Ouroboros Trilogy through the Beth Morrison’s Opera Project. On the concert platform, Sandra has performed with with Baltimore Symphony, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Phoenix Symphony, New Choral Society, Jacksonville Symphony, National Chorale, Landmarks Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Concert Series. Ms. Eddy’s love of teaching and encouraging young artists have made her sought after Master Class instructor. Sandra has led classes at Mannes School of Music, Boston University’s Opera Institute, Boston Conservatory, Tanglewood, Brown University, Ole Miss, Austin Opera, Onondaga Community College among others. In 2017, Ms. Eddy was honored as a recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston Conservatory and joined the Longy School of Music at Bard College Faculty as a visiting artist.
Angela Gooch, Soprano, Lecturer, Pianist, Coach
Angela Gooch joined the opera faculty in 2018 as pianist, coach, and music director of Opera Project at Boston University. She also serves on the faculty at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She has been honored by the NFAA and named in the Who’s Who Among American Teachers as one the arts most distinguished teachers. Ms. Gooch served on faculty at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts where she served ten years as the Head of the voice program. Ms. Gooch served as music director of the Opera Theatre of Weston in VT for 10 years where she most recently music directed the east coast premiere of Nolan Gasser’s The Secret Garden. Ms. Gooch has also spent a great deal of her career as an operatic soprano. A frequent performer with Opera Boston, she has performed many roles in newer or rarely performed works, from Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny to Weber’s Der Freischutz. Most recently she recorded Rorem’s Our Town and Barber’s Hand of Bridge with Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Other Credits include Voice of the Fountain in Golijov’s Grammy award winning Ainadamar, Ward’s opera The Crucible, and Sawyer’s Our American Cousin, in which she created the role of Mary Lincoln with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
Young Artist-in-residence
Lazar Kaminsky is an 18-year-old cellist based in the Boston area. His most notable accomplishments include winning First and Special Prize in the International New York Solo Competition, Grand Prize in the Fidelity Investments Young Artist Competition. As a winner of several Young Artist Competitions, he was featured as a soloist with the Concord Orchestra, Waltham Philharmonic, and Sharon Community Chamber Orchestra and also appeared as a soloist with the AIMS Festival Orchestra and the Boston Pops. In addition to his concerts in Boston Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall, Lazar has also performed in Italy, Spain, Israel, Mexico, France, and Russia. Lazar has played in masterclasses for esteemed cellists such as Ralph Kirshbaum, Santiago Canon Valencia, Natasha Brofsky, and Richard Aaron. Lazar has participated in many music festivals, including the Academia Internacional de Música de Solsona (AIMS) Festival, the International Cello Institute (ICI), and the Sitka International Cello Seminar (SICS). In his senior year of high school, Lazar served as a principal cellist of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the String Chamber Orchestra at the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School, where he studied with Nancy Hair and Lluis Claret. Lazar is studying for his undergraduate degree at the New England Conservatory of Music with Professor Julie Albers.
Edmund Hands, Pre-concert conversations
Edmund Hands was born in Braintree and attended school there until moving to Easton in 7th grade. His love of classical music developed through a supplemental program in Braintree where students were introduced to instruments and attended young people’s concerts at Symphony Hall. The pinnacle of Ed's musical career came, when, at age 5, he played the triangle with the West Point Concert Choir. Moving to Easton Ed graduated from Oliver Ames in 1966 and Bridgewater State College and UMass in 1970 and 1972 respectively. After teaching for many years in Randolph
and Holbrook, he succeeded Hazel Varella as History Department Chair in Easton in 1997 and
remained at Oliver Ames until retiring in 2015 as the school’s Media Production teacher. At the
end of Ed's teaching career one of his great joys was working with student musicians to create
and edit musical soundtracks. In the last decade Ed have focused on writing about local history
including a recent paper on Winthrop Ames, a Broadway producer of the 1920s.
and Holbrook, he succeeded Hazel Varella as History Department Chair in Easton in 1997 and
remained at Oliver Ames until retiring in 2015 as the school’s Media Production teacher. At the
end of Ed's teaching career one of his great joys was working with student musicians to create
and edit musical soundtracks. In the last decade Ed have focused on writing about local history
including a recent paper on Winthrop Ames, a Broadway producer of the 1920s.