[NEohioPAL]Kennedy Center Invites Oberlin Conservatory of Music Students to Perform Feb. 18

[Marci Janas]

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Media Contact Only:
Marci Janas, Director of Conservatory Media Relations
(440) 775-8328 (office); (440) 667-2724 (cell); marci.janas at oberlin.edu


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Students from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Invited to Perform at=20
the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 18

<Editors please note: biographies of the performers are included.>

OBERLIN, OHIO (Jan. 24, 2006) =97 For the second consecutive year,=20
students from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music will perform at the=20
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.,=20
under the auspices of its prestigious Conservatory Project Series.=20
Classical singers, early music performers, a horn instrumentalist, a=20
chamber trio, and the Oberlin Jazz Septet will take the stage of the=20
Terrace Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. for an hour of free=20
performances.
	The Conservatory Project is an initiative of Performing Arts for=20=

Everyone. The semi-annual event, which takes place in February and May,=20=

is designed to present Washington audiences with the best young musical=20=

artists in classical music, jazz, musical theater, and opera from the=20
leading undergraduate and graduate conservatories, colleges, and=20
universities in the United States.
	Live audio and video of the performances will be streamed (and =
later=20
archived) on the Kennedy Center=92s web site at www.kennedy-center.org.
	=93We are honored to be invited back to the Kennedy Center,=94 =
says Andrea=20
Kalyn, associate dean of the Conservatory. =93Last year our students=20
received accolades from the Washington Post for performances that=20
affirmed why, as the Post wrote, Oberlin is a =91national treasure.=92 =
This=20
is another wonderful opportunity to demonstrate Oberlin=92s pursuit of=20=

excellence on a national level.=94
	Oberlin=92s Saturday night performance is one of a series of =
seven=20
nights of concerts, each presented by a different school. Five sets of=20=

musicians, each selected by different departments in the Conservatory,=20=

will represent Oberlin:
	=95 Katherine Lerner =9206, mezzo-soprano, Zoe Weiss =9207, =
viola da gamba,=20
and Benjamin Katz =9208, harpsichord will perform two works by Henry=20
Purcell: Lord what is man? (one of the Divine Hymns), and Hark! how all=20=

things with one sound rejoice from his semi-opera The Fairy Queen.
	=95 Performance diploma candidate Jorge Mejia, horn, accompanied =
by=20
Megan Glover =9206 on piano, will perform the Adagio and Allegro, Op. =
70,=20
by Robert Schumann.
	=95 Soprano Megan Marie Hart BMus =9205, MM =9206, accompanied =
by pianist=20
Megan Glover, will sing two songs by Franz Liszt: his setting of=20
Heinrich Heine=92s famous poem Die Loreley, and of Friedrich von=20
Schiller=92s Der Fischerknabe.
	=95 The Prima Trio (Boris Allakhverdyan =9208, clarinet; Farhad =
Hudiyev=20
=9208, violin, and Anastasia Dedik AD =9206, piano) will perform Aram=20
Khachaturian=92s Trio in G minor.
	=95 The Oberlin Jazz Septet (OJS) will perform works announced =
from the=20
stage. The members of the OJS are: trombonist Allie Bosso =9206,=20
saxophonist Johnny Butler =9206, guitarist Andrew Conklin =9206, =
trumpeter=20
Theodore Croker =9207, drummer Charles Foldesh =9207, pianist Sullivan=20=

Fortner =9208, and double bassist Curtis Ostle =9206. Professor of Jazz=20=

Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez is director of the OJS.

About the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
	After Sir Simon Rattle conducted the Oberlin Conservatory of =
Music=92s=20
Chamber Orchestra in December 2004, Plain Dealer music critic Donald=20
Rosenberg wrote that the concert was =93stamped by magnificence,=94 and=20=

included the Oberlin-Rattle performance of Mahler=92s Symphony No. 4,=20
which he described as =93uncommonly rich in poetry and drama,=94 in his=20=

list of top 10 memorable events from the 2004 concert season.
	Magnificence has come to be synonymous with all aspects of the =
Oberlin=20
Conservatory of Music, from its exacting standards for incoming=20
students to the excellence in teaching and performance expected of its=20=

faculty and the notable careers of its alumni, who can be found=20
performing in every major orchestra and opera house and with many of=20
today=92s acclaimed chamber ensembles.
	Founded in 1865 and situated within the intellectual vitality of=20=

Oberlin College since 1867, Oberlin is the oldest continuously=20
operating conservatory in the United States. An undergraduate=20
institution, Oberlin is renowned internationally as a professional=20
music school of the highest caliber and has been called a =93national=20
treasure=94 by the Washington Post. For more information about Oberlin,=20=

please visit www.oberlin.edu.


Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Student Performers at the Kennedy Center

Katherine Lerner (mezzo-soprano) studies with Daune Mahy at the Oberlin=20=

Conservatory of Music, where she is a senior pursuing degrees in vocal=20=

performance and historical performance. Most recently, Ms. Lerner has=20
performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, singing the roles of Mater=20
Gloriosa, Maria Aegyptiaca, and Schuld in Schumann=92s Scenes from =
Faust.=20
On the Oberlin stage, she has sung the roles of Madame de Croissy=20
(Dialogues des Carmelites), Florence Pike (Albert Herring), and=20
Apollo/Mystery/Juno (The Fairy Queen). Additional performances include=20=

those of the Second Witch (Dido and Aeneas) at the Teatro Col=F3n, =
Buenos=20
Aires, and of Mother Goose (The Rake's Progress) with the Chautauqua=20
Opera. She has been a finalist in the Opera Columbus and Dayton=20
competitions, and recently received an Encouragement Award at the=20
Cleveland District Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Her=20
upcoming performances include Mozart=92s Coronation Mass (alto soloist)=20=

with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Chorus, the role of=20
Frau Reich in Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor with the Oberlin Opera=20
Theatre, and a summer apprenticeship with the Opera Theatre of St.=20
Louis, where she will cover the role of the Sandman (Hansel and=20
Gretel).

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Megan Glover (piano) studies with=20
Alvin Chow at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has won numerous=20
prizes from the Conservatory=92s piano department, including the Rudolf=20=

Serkin Piano Prize and the John Elvin Piano Prize. Ms. Glover took=20
first place in the Arthur Dann Senior Piano Competition last spring,=20
and won the Senior Concerto Competition this past fall. She has earned=20=

top prizes in national competitions, including the Fite Family Young=20
Artist National Competition and the Cincinnati World Piano Competition=20=

(Junior Division), and has received honors and awards from the National=20=

Society of Arts and Letters and the National Alliance for Excellence.=20
In 2002, Ms Glover was one of four pianists chosen nationwide to=20
participate in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts=20
annual ARTS Week in Miami, where she was awarded a scholarship. Most=20
recently, she won the Raymond & Goldie Morris Award at the 2005 Nena=20
Wideman Piano Competition in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ms. Glover will=20
graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano=20
performance and a minor in musicology.

Megan Hart (soprano), a native of Oregon, is currently pursuing her=20
Master=92s degree in opera theater at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.=20=

Ms. Hart studied with Richard Miller until his recent retirement; she=20
currently studies with Lorraine Manz. Her performances with the Oberlin=20=

Opera Theater include Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte (2006), Blanche in=20
Les dialogues des Carm=E9lites (2005), The Countess in Le Nozze di =
Figaro=20
(2005), Venus in Orpheus in the Underworld (2004), Lady Billows in=20
Albert Herring (2004), and The Witch and The Mother in H=E4nsel und=20
Gretel (2003). This past summer she was a Gerdine Young Artist with the=20=

Opera Theatre St. Louis and covered the role of Juliet in Romeo and=20
Juliet. She was also a Young Artist at Opera North and sang Gianetta in=20=

The Gondoliers and The Bat in L=92enfant et les Sortil=E8ges. Her =
upcoming=20
engagements include Elle in La voix humaine.

Zoe Weiss (viola da gamba) grew up in Ithaca, New York, and is=20
currently a senior at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, majoring in=20
historical performance. She studies baroque cello and viola da gamba=20
with Catharina Meints. Ms. Weiss has taught an introductory viola da=20
gamba class at Oberlin for the past three years. She is a member of the=20=

Oberlin Baroque Orchestra, led by Jeanette Sorrell, the Oberlin Viol=20
Consort, led by Catharina Meints, and sings in the Collegium Musicum,=20
led by Steven Plank. She also enjoys playing continuo for many student=20=

recitals.

Ben Katz (harpsichord) is a performer=A0of early and contemporary music=20=

for the harpsichord. Prior to coming to Oberlin, Katz studied with=20
harpsichordist Arthur Haas. At Oberlin he has studied with Lisa Goode=20
Crawford, and is currently a student of Webb Wiggins, the=20
Conservatory=92s newly appointed professor of harpsichord. Mr. Katz=92s=20=

recent concert activity has included a solo recital at the Church of=20
St. Francis of Assisi in New York City, an all-Bach program at a=20
fundraiser for Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, and An=20
Evening of=A0Young Composers at The Project Room in New York City, a =
show=20
which Mr. Katz curated, wrote, and performed.=A0As a continuo player=A0Mr.=
=20
Katz has collaborated frequently with baroque=A0violinist=A0Evan Few.


Jorge Mejia (horn) began his musical studies in Cost Rica at the age of=20=

10, first with his father, and soon thereafter with Luis Murillo at the=20=

National Institute of Music of Costa Rica, where he was awarded the=20
Gold Medal for Young Soloists. He won the Maddy Award in 2001 at the=20
Interlochen Arts Camp. Mr. Mejia has performed several times with the=20
Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Americas, and is in his first year as a=20=

performance diploma candidate, studying with Roland Pandolfi at the=20
Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Farhad Hudiyev (violin) is originally from Ashgabad, Turkmenistan,=20
where he studied violin and composition with Vera Abaeva at the Special=20=

Music School. He distinguished himself at the age of 10 as the youngest=20=

performer ever selected to play with the National Violin Ensemble of=20
Turkmenistan, and at 12 he won a scholarship to attend the New Names=20
Festival in Suzdahl Russia, which was sponsored by the Moscow=20
Conservatory. He was named the most promising young musician at the=20
festival, and earned the top award, the Golden Apple. Mr. Hudiyev has=20
performed in Ashgabad, Suzdah, Moscow, and Odessa (Ukraine) as both a=20
soloist and a member of the violin ensemble of Turkmenistan. He came to=20=

the United States in 2001 under a full scholarship with the Interlochen=20=

Arts Academy, where he studied with Paul Sonner and Michael Albaugh. He=20=

is currently in his second year of study with Milan Vitek at the=20
Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan began studying music at the age of nine=20=

with his father in Baku, Azerbaijan. Upon graduation from the Moscow=20
Conservatory Pre-College Division in 2001, he entered the Moscow State=20=

Conservatory. He is currently enrolled at the Oberlin Conservatory of=20
Music, where he studies clarinet with Richard Hawkins. Mr.=20
Allakhverdyan has won numerous competitions, including the Rozanov=20
International Clarinet Competition (Moscow, 2000) and the=20
Rimsky-Korsakov Clarinet Competition (St. Petersburg, 2000). He also=20
has taken part in such festivals as the Musical Kremlin Festival, and=20
has performed as a soloist and with orchestras in Russia, Germany, and=20=

the United States.

Anastasia Dedik (piano) was born into a family of musicians in St.=20
Petersburg, Russia, and began lessons with her mother at the age of=20
five. Upon her graduation from the pre-conservatory division of the St.=20=

Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied with Asya Rubina, Ms. Dedik=20=

entered the Conservatory division, where she earned both her Bachelor=20
of Music and Master of Music degrees under Elena Shishko and Valery=20
Vishnevsky. Ms. Dedik has won numerous competitions, including the 2004=20=

Oberlin Concerto Competition, and has performed in Russia, Germany,=20
Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Holland, and the=20
United States. She has participated in the master classes of Natalia=20
Trull, Andrey Diev, Lev Naumov, Vladimir Krainev, Edith Fisher, Howard=20=

Aibel, Russell Sherman, Vladimir Viardo, and Mario Delli Ponti. This=20
season, Ms. Dedik will perform with the Nova Vista Symphony Orchestra=20
in California, and present recitals in Germany, Italy, and Russia. She=20=

is enrolled in the Artist Diploma program at the Oberlin Conservatory=20
of Music, where she studies with Sedmara Z. Rutstein.

The Oberlin Jazz Septet

The Oberlin Jazz Septet, an ensemble representing the most outstanding=20=

student performers, arrangers, and composers from the Oberlin=20
Conservatory of Music, is formed annually, its players selected by=20
members of Oberlin=92s jazz studies faculty. Directed by Professor of=20
Jazz Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez, the OJS has been featured=20=

at the Detroit, Elmhurst, and Notre Dame jazz festivals, at performance=20=

venues in Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver, and=20
at Jazz Aspen Snowmass, as well as at many high schools and arts=20
programs throughout the United States.

Allie Bosso (trombone), of Simsbury, Connecticut, is a senior jazz=20
studies performance major, studying trombone with Robin Eubanks and=20
improvisation with Connie Crothers. Ms. Basso=92s main musical =
influences=20
include Billie Holiday, Slum Village, Lennie Tristano, and John=20
Coltrane. She has performed at numerous venues including Lincoln=20
Center, the Litchfield Jazz Festival, and the White House.

Johnny Butler (saxophone) is a senior majoring in jazz saxophone with=20
Gary Bartz; he also studies classical composition with Randolph=20
Coleman. Among his other noteworthy teachers are Mark Turner and Irv=20
Kallenberger. Growing up in Seattle, Mr. Butler played with Trination,=20=

Pistol Star, and Bijou. His most notable musical influences in both=20
playing and composition are John Coltrane, Mark Turner, and the now=20
defunct Soundgarden.

Andrew Conklin (guitar), of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, has been an active=20=

member of the Philadelphia music scene since 1996, when, at the age of=20=

12, he formed the band Stratuss with Taylor Brown, Nathan Rouse, and=20
Will Hayes. Mr. Conklin currently studies at the Oberlin Conservatory=20
of Music with Bobby Ferrazza.

Theodore Croker (trumpet) was born in Leesburg, Florida where he=20
started playing the trumpet at age 11. With the influence of his late=20
grandfather, legendary trumpeter Doc Cheatham, Theodore=92s talent was=20=

recognized early, and he was featured as a special guest with=20
trombonist Al Grey at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Mr. Croker has=20
performed at Dizzy=92s Club Coca Cola and Cleopatra=92s Needle in New =
York=20
City, at Snug Harbor, The Palm Court, and Cafe Brazil in New Orleans,=20
and Murphy=92s, Nighttown, The Bop Stop, and Flow Cafe in Cleveland. He=20=

has performed with musicians Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Wendell=20
Logan, Donald Byrd, Gary Bartz, Nicholas Payton, Louis Hayes, Ellis=20
Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Eric Lewis, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra,=20=

Clark Terry, Henry Butler, Marcus Belgrave, Wycleff Gordon, Roscoe=20
Mitchell, and others. He is pursuing his Bachelor Music degree in jazz=20=

trumpet performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he=20
studies with Marcus Belgrave.

  A native of Prescott, Arizona, Charles Foldesh (drums) began playing=20=

drums at the age of 10. Most recent among his long list of=20
accomplishments is the John Coltrane Scholarship. Mr. Foldesh has=20
shared the stage with Marcus Belgrave, Gary Bartz, George Benson, John=20=

Clayton, Bryan Lynch, and Roscoe Mitchell. He performs in Toledo, Ohio=20=

with Claude Black, Clifford Murphy, and Alex Han, and has performed at=20=

such festivals as the Texas International Jazz Festival, the Art Tatum=20=

Jazz Heritage Festival, and the Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival. Mr.=20=

Foldesh has recorded with Marcus Belgrave and the John-Davis Quartet,=20
and appears on Alex Han=92s debut album, Fourteen. He is pursuing his=20
Bachelor of Music degree in jazz percussion at the Oberlin Conservatory=20=

of Music under jazz legend Billy Hart.

Sullivan Joseph Fortner Jr. (piano) is a native of New Orleans, where=20
he graduated as class valedictorian from the New Orleans Center of=20
Creative Arts. He has been awarded scholarships to the Skidmore Jazz=20
Studies Summer Program and the Vail Jazz Institute. Mr. Sullivan has=20
performed as a jazz and gospel musician throughout Louisiana, and has=20
performed in Washington, D.C. with Clyde Kerr Jr., Kent Jordan, Donald=20=

Harrison, and Nicholas Payton. He is currently pursuing an=20
undergraduate degree in jazz piano performance as a student of Dan Wall=20=

at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Curtis Ostle (double bass) is a senior at the Oberlin Conservatory of=20
Music. His musical background includes classical training with George=20
Vance and coaching in jazz bass from his father, who is also a=20
professional jazz musician. While in high school, Mr. Ostle toured=20
South African townships and cities with the Saint Andrew's jazz=20
ensemble. At Oberlin, Mr. Ostle studies double bass with Peter=20
Dominguez, and performs throughout  Oberlin and Cleveland. When not in=20=

school, he resides in Washington D.C., where he regularly appears at=20
the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and various clubs.

# # #


Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH  44074
www.oberlin.edu/con
(P) 440-775-8328
(F) 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu=

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<x-tad-smaller>

</x-tad-smaller><flushright><underline><x-tad-smaller>Media Contact
Only:

</x-tad-smaller></underline><x-tad-smaller>Marci Janas, Director of
Conservatory Media Relations

(440) 775-8328 (office); (440) 667-2724 (cell);
=
</x-tad-smaller><underline><color><param>0000,0000,FFFD</param><x-tad-smal=
ler>marci.janas at oberlin.edu</x-tad-smaller></color></underline><x-tad-smal=
ler>



</x-tad-smaller></flushright><underline><x-tad-smaller>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:


</x-tad-smaller></underline><center><x-tad-smaller>

</x-tad-smaller></center><center><bold><bigger>Students from the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music Invited to Perform at the Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts Feb. 18</bigger>

<x-tad-smaller>

</x-tad-smaller><<Editors please note: biographies of the performers
are included.><smaller>

<x-tad-bigger>

</x-tad-bigger></smaller></bold></center>OBERLIN, OHIO (Jan. 24, 2006)
=97 For the second consecutive year, students from the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music will perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of its
prestigious Conservatory Project Series. Classical singers, early
music performers, a horn instrumentalist, a chamber trio, and the
Oberlin Jazz Septet will take the stage of the Terrace Theatre on
Saturday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. for an hour of free performances.

	The Conservatory Project is an initiative of <italic>Performing =
Arts
for Everyone.</italic> The semi-annual event, which takes place in
February and May, is designed to present Washington audiences with the
best young musical artists in classical music, jazz, musical theater,
and opera from the leading undergraduate and graduate conservatories,
colleges, and universities in the United States.

	Live audio and video of the performances will be streamed (and =
later
archived) on the Kennedy Center=92s web site at
=
<underline><color><param>0000,0000,FFFD</param>www.kennedy-center.org</col=
or></underline>.=20

	=93We are honored to be invited back to the Kennedy Center,=94 =
says
Andrea Kalyn, associate dean of the Conservatory. =93Last year our
students received accolades from the <italic>Washington Post
</italic>for performances that affirmed why, as the
<italic>Post</italic> wrote, Oberlin is a =91national treasure.=92 This =
is
another wonderful opportunity to demonstrate Oberlin=92s pursuit of
excellence on a national level.=94

	Oberlin=92s Saturday night performance is one of a series of =
seven
nights of concerts, each presented by a different school. Five sets of
musicians, each selected by different departments in the Conservatory,
will represent Oberlin:

	=95 <bold>Katherine Lerner =9206</bold>, mezzo-soprano, =
<bold>Zoe Weiss
=9207</bold>, viola da gamba, and <bold>Benjamin</bold> <bold>Katz
=9208</bold>, harpsichord will perform two works by Henry Purcell:
<italic>Lord what is man? </italic>(one of the <italic>Divine Hymns),
</italic>and <italic>Hark! how all things with one sound
rejoice</italic> from his semi-opera <italic>The Fairy Queen</italic>.

	=95 Performance diploma candidate <bold>Jorge Mejia</bold>, =
horn,
accompanied by <bold>Megan Glover =9206</bold> on piano, will perform
the <italic>Adagio </italic>and<italic> Allegro, Op. 70,</italic> by
Robert Schumann.

	=95 Soprano <bold>Megan Marie Hart</bold> BMus =9205, MM =9206, =
accompanied
by pianist <bold>Megan</bold> <bold>Glover</bold>, will sing two songs
by Franz Liszt:<italic> </italic>his setting of Heinrich Heine=92s
famous poem<italic> Die Loreley</italic>, and of Friedrich von
Schiller=92s <italic>Der Fischerknabe</italic>.

	=95 <bold>The Prima Trio (Boris Allakhverdyan =9208,
</bold>clarinet<bold>; Farhad Hudiyev =9208,</bold> violin,<bold>
</bold>and<bold> Anastasia Dedik AD =9206, </bold>piano<bold>)
</bold>will perform Aram Khachaturian=92s <italic>Trio in G
minor</italic>.

	=95 <bold>The Oberlin Jazz Septet</bold> <bold>(OJS)</bold> will
perform works announced from the stage. The members of the OJS are:
trombonist <bold>Allie Bosso =9206, </bold>saxophonist <bold>Johnny
Butler =9206, </bold>guitarist <bold>Andrew Conklin =9206,
</bold>trumpeter <bold>Theodore Croker =9207</bold>,<bold>
</bold>drummer <bold>Charles</bold> <bold>Foldesh =9207</bold>,<bold>
</bold>pianist <bold>Sullivan Fortner =9208, </bold>and<bold>
</bold>double bassist <bold>Curtis Ostle =9206. </bold>Professor of Jazz
Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez is director of the OJS.


<bold>About the Oberlin Conservatory of Music

</bold>	After Sir Simon Rattle conducted the Oberlin Conservatory of
Music=92s Chamber Orchestra in December 2004, <italic>Plain
Dealer</italic> music critic Donald Rosenberg wrote that the concert
was =93stamped by magnificence,=94 and included the Oberlin-Rattle
performance of Mahler=92s <italic>Symphony No. 4, </italic>which he
described as =93uncommonly rich in poetry and drama,=94 in his list of =
top
10 memorable events from the 2004 concert season.

	Magnificence has come to be synonymous with all aspects of the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, from its exacting standards for
incoming students to the excellence in teaching and performance
expected of its faculty and the notable careers of its alumni, who can
be found performing in every major orchestra and opera house and with
many of today=92s acclaimed chamber ensembles.

	Founded in 1865 and situated within the intellectual vitality of
Oberlin College since 1867, Oberlin is the oldest continuously
operating conservatory in the United States. An undergraduate
institution, Oberlin is renowned internationally as a professional
music school of the highest caliber and has been called a =93national
treasure=94 by the <italic>Washington Post</italic>. For more
information about Oberlin, please visit www.oberlin.edu.



<center><bold>Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Student Performers at the Kennedy Center

</bold>

</center><bold>Katherine Lerner</bold> (mezzo-soprano) studies with
Daune Mahy at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she is a senior
pursuing degrees in vocal performance and historical performance. Most
recently, Ms. Lerner has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra,
singing the roles of Mater Gloriosa, Maria Aegyptiaca, and Schuld in
Schumann=92s <italic>Scenes from Faust</italic>. On the Oberlin stage,
she has sung the roles of Madame de Croissy (<italic>Dialogues des
Carmelites</italic>), Florence Pike (<italic>Albert Herring</italic>),
and Apollo/Mystery/Juno (<italic>The Fairy Queen</italic>). Additional
performances include those of the Second Witch (<italic>Dido and
Aeneas</italic>) at the Teatro Col=F3n, Buenos Aires, and of Mother
Goose (<italic>The Rake's Progress</italic>) with the Chautauqua
Opera. She has been a finalist in the Opera Columbus and Dayton
competitions, and recently received an Encouragement Award at the
Cleveland District Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Her
upcoming performances include Mozart=92s <italic>Coronation
Mass</italic> (alto soloist) with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth
Orchestra and Chorus, the role of Frau Reich in <italic>Die Lustigen
Weiber von Windsor</italic> with the Oberlin Opera Theatre, and a
summer apprenticeship with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where she
will cover the role of the Sandman (<italic>Hansel and
Gretel</italic>).=20


A native of St. Louis, Missouri, <bold>Megan Glover</bold> (piano)
studies with Alvin Chow at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has
won numerous prizes from the Conservatory=92s piano department,
including the Rudolf Serkin Piano Prize and the John Elvin Piano
Prize. Ms. Glover took first place in the Arthur Dann Senior Piano
Competition last spring, and won the Senior Concerto Competition this
past fall. She has earned top prizes in national competitions,
including the Fite Family Young Artist National Competition and the
Cincinnati World Piano Competition (Junior Division), and has received
honors and awards from the National Society of Arts and Letters and
the National Alliance for Excellence. In 2002, Ms Glover was one of
four pianists chosen nationwide to participate in the National
Foundation for Advancement in the Arts annual ARTS Week in Miami,
where she was awarded a scholarship. Most recently, she won the
Raymond & Goldie Morris Award at the 2005 Nena Wideman Piano
Competition in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ms. Glover will graduate this
spring with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and a
minor in musicology.


<bold>Megan Hart</bold> (soprano), a native of Oregon, is currently
pursuing her Master=92s degree in opera theater at the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music. Ms. Hart studied with Richard Miller until his
recent retirement; she currently studies with Lorraine Manz. Her
performances with the Oberlin Opera Theater include Fiordiligi in
<italic>Cosi fan tutte </italic>(2006), Blanche in<italic> Les
dialogues des Carm=E9lites </italic>(2005), The Countess in <italic>Le
Nozze di Figaro </italic>(2005)<bold>,</bold> Venus in <italic>Orpheus
in the<bold> </bold>Underworld </italic>(2004), Lady Billows in
<italic>Albert Herring </italic>(2004), and The Witch and The Mother
in <italic>H=E4nsel und Gretel </italic>(2003). This past summer she was
a Gerdine Young Artist with the Opera Theatre St. Louis and covered
the role of Juliet in <italic>Romeo and<bold> </bold>Juliet.
</italic>She was also a Young<italic> </italic>Artist at Opera North
and sang Gianetta in <italic>The Gondoliers</italic> and The Bat in
<italic>L=92enfant et les Sortil=E8ges. </italic>Her upcoming =
engagements
include Elle in <italic>La voix humaine.

</italic><bold>

Zoe Weiss</bold> (viola da gamba) grew up in Ithaca, New York, and is
currently a senior at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, majoring in
historical performance. She studies baroque cello and viola da gamba
with Catharina Meints. Ms. Weiss has taught an introductory viola da
gamba class at Oberlin for the past three years. She is a member of
the Oberlin Baroque Orchestra, led by Jeanette Sorrell, the Oberlin
Viol Consort, led by Catharina Meints, and sings in the
<italic>Collegium Musicum, </italic>led by Steven Plank. She also
enjoys playing continuo for many student recitals.


<bold>Ben Katz</bold> (harpsichord) is a performer=A0of early and
contemporary music for the harpsichord. Prior to coming to Oberlin,
Katz studied with harpsichordist Arthur Haas. At Oberlin he has
studied with Lisa Goode Crawford, and is currently a student of Webb
Wiggins, the Conservatory=92s newly appointed professor of harpsichord.
Mr. Katz=92s recent concert activity has included a solo recital at the
Church of St. Francis of Assisi in New York City, an all-Bach program
at a fundraiser for Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS,
and An Evening of=A0Young Composers at The Project Room in New York
City, a show which Mr. Katz curated, wrote, and performed.=A0As a
continuo player=A0Mr. Katz has collaborated frequently with
baroque=A0violinist=A0Evan Few.



<bold>Jorge Mejia</bold> (horn) began his musical studies in Cost Rica
at the age of 10, first with his father, and soon thereafter with Luis
Murillo at the National Institute of Music of Costa Rica, where he was
awarded the Gold Medal for Young Soloists. He won the Maddy Award in
2001 at the Interlochen Arts Camp. Mr. Mejia has performed several
times with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Americas, and is in his
first year as a performance diploma candidate, studying with Roland
Pandolfi at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

<bold>

Farhad Hudiyev</bold> (violin) is originally from Ashgabad,
Turkmenistan, where he studied violin and composition with Vera Abaeva
at the Special Music School. He distinguished himself at the age of 10
as the youngest performer ever selected to play with the National
Violin Ensemble of Turkmenistan, and at 12 he won a scholarship to
attend the New Names Festival in Suzdahl Russia, which was sponsored
by the Moscow Conservatory. He was named the most promising young
musician at the festival, and earned the top award, the Golden Apple.
Mr. Hudiyev has performed in Ashgabad, Suzdah, Moscow, and Odessa
(Ukraine) as both a soloist and a member of the violin ensemble of
Turkmenistan. He came to the United States in 2001 under a full
scholarship with the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with
Paul Sonner and Michael Albaugh. He is currently in his second year of
study with Milan Vitek at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.=20


Clarinetist<bold> Boris Allakhverdyan</bold> began studying music at
the age of nine with his father in Baku, Azerbaijan. Upon graduation
from the Moscow Conservatory Pre-College Division in 2001, he entered
the Moscow State Conservatory. He is currently enrolled at the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music, where he studies clarinet with Richard Hawkins.
Mr. Allakhverdyan has won numerous competitions, including the Rozanov
International Clarinet Competition (Moscow, 2000) and the
Rimsky-Korsakov Clarinet Competition (St. Petersburg, 2000). He also
has taken part in such festivals as the Musical Kremlin Festival, and
has performed as a soloist and with orchestras in Russia, Germany, and
the United States.=20


<bold>Anastasia Dedik </bold>(piano) was born into a family of
musicians in St. Petersburg, Russia, and began lessons with her mother
at the age of five. Upon her graduation from the pre-conservatory
division of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied with
Asya Rubina, Ms. Dedik entered the Conservatory division, where she
earned both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees under
Elena Shishko and Valery Vishnevsky. Ms. Dedik has won numerous
competitions, including the 2004 Oberlin Concerto Competition, and has
performed in Russia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Poland,
Finland, Estonia, Holland, and the United States. She has participated
in the master classes of Natalia Trull, Andrey Diev, Lev Naumov,
Vladimir Krainev, Edith Fisher, Howard Aibel, Russell Sherman,
Vladimir Viardo, and Mario Delli Ponti. This season, Ms. Dedik will
perform with the Nova Vista Symphony Orchestra in California, and
present recitals in Germany, Italy, and Russia. She is enrolled in the
Artist Diploma program at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she
studies with Sedmara Z. Rutstein.

<bold>

</bold><center><bold>The Oberlin Jazz Septet

</bold></center>

The Oberlin Jazz Septet, an ensemble representing the most outstanding
student performers, arrangers, and composers from the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music, is formed annually, its players selected by
members of Oberlin=92s jazz studies faculty. Directed by Professor of
Jazz Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez, the OJS has been
featured at the Detroit, Elmhurst, and Notre Dame jazz festivals, at
performance venues in Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and
Denver, and at Jazz Aspen Snowmass, as well as at many high schools
and arts programs throughout the United States.=20

<bold>

Allie Bosso</bold> (trombone), of Simsbury, Connecticut, is a senior
jazz studies performance major, studying trombone with Robin Eubanks
and improvisation with Connie Crothers. Ms. Basso=92s main musical
influences include Billie Holiday, Slum Village, Lennie Tristano, and
John Coltrane. She has performed at numerous venues including Lincoln
Center, the Litchfield Jazz Festival, and the White House.


<bold>Johnny Butler</bold> (saxophone) is a senior majoring in jazz
saxophone with Gary Bartz; he also studies classical composition with
Randolph Coleman. Among his other noteworthy teachers are Mark Turner
and Irv Kallenberger. Growing up in Seattle, Mr. Butler played with
Trination, Pistol Star, and Bijou. His most notable musical influences
in both playing and composition are John Coltrane, Mark Turner, and
the now defunct Soundgarden.=20


<bold>Andrew Conklin</bold> (guitar), of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, has
been an active member of the Philadelphia music scene since 1996,
when, at the age of 12, he formed the band Stratuss with Taylor Brown,
Nathan Rouse, and Will Hayes. Mr. Conklin currently studies at the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Bobby Ferrazza.

=20

<bold>Theodore Croker</bold> (trumpet) was born in Leesburg, Florida
where he started playing the trumpet at age 11. With the influence of
his late grandfather, legendary trumpeter Doc Cheatham, Theodore=92s
talent was recognized early, and he was featured as a special guest
with trombonist Al Grey at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Mr. Croker
has performed at Dizzy=92s Club Coca Cola and Cleopatra=92s Needle in =
New
York City, at Snug Harbor, The Palm Court, and Cafe Brazil in New
Orleans, and Murphy=92s, Nighttown, The Bop Stop, and Flow Cafe in
Cleveland. He has performed with musicians Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy
Heath, Wendell Logan, Donald Byrd, Gary Bartz, Nicholas Payton, Louis
Hayes, Ellis Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Eric Lewis, The Lincoln Center
Jazz Orchestra, Clark Terry, Henry Butler, Marcus Belgrave, Wycleff
Gordon, Roscoe Mitchell, and others. He is pursuing his Bachelor Music
degree in jazz trumpet performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of
Music, where he studies with Marcus Belgrave.


 A native of Prescott, Arizona, <bold>Charles Foldesh</bold> (drums)
began playing drums at the age of 10. Most recent among his long list
of accomplishments is the John Coltrane Scholarship. Mr. Foldesh has
shared the stage with Marcus Belgrave, Gary Bartz, George Benson, John
Clayton, Bryan Lynch, and Roscoe Mitchell. He performs in Toledo, Ohio
with Claude Black, Clifford Murphy, and Alex Han, and has performed at
such festivals as the Texas International Jazz Festival, the Art Tatum
Jazz Heritage Festival, and the Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival. Mr.
Foldesh has recorded with Marcus Belgrave and the John-Davis Quartet,
and appears on Alex Han=92s debut album, <italic>Fourteen</italic>. He
is pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree in jazz percussion at the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music under jazz legend Billy Hart.

=20

<bold>Sullivan Joseph Fortner Jr.</bold> (piano) is a native of New
Orleans, where he graduated as class valedictorian from the New
Orleans Center of Creative Arts. He has been awarded scholarships to
the Skidmore Jazz Studies Summer Program and the Vail Jazz Institute.
Mr. Sullivan has performed as a jazz and gospel musician throughout
Louisiana, and has performed in Washington, D.C. with Clyde Kerr Jr.,
Kent Jordan, Donald Harrison, and Nicholas Payton. He is currently
pursuing an undergraduate degree in jazz piano performance as a
student of Dan Wall at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

=20

<bold>Curtis Ostle</bold> (double bass) is a senior at the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music. His musical background includes classical
training with George Vance and coaching in jazz bass from his father,
who is also a professional jazz musician. While in high school, Mr.
Ostle toured South African townships and cities with the Saint
Andrew's jazz ensemble. At Oberlin, Mr. Ostle studies double bass with
Peter Dominguez, and performs throughout  Oberlin and Cleveland. When
not in school, he resides in Washington D.C., where he regularly
appears at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and various clubs.


<center># # #

<x-tad-smaller>

</x-tad-smaller></center>

Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH  44074

www.oberlin.edu/con

(P) 440-775-8328

(F) 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu=

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