Vadim Mazo has pursued a career as conductor, soloist and chamber musician. He is professor of violin and viola at Illinois Wesleyan University as well as music director of the University Camerata Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Mazo studied at the Byelorussia State Conservatory in Minsk with Michal Goldstein (disciple of Pyotr Stoliasky) and in the USA with the Fine Arts Quartet. Before immigrating to the United States in 1980, he performed on radio, television, and concert tours in the former Soviet Union with such international artists as O. Kagan, M. Rostropovich, L. Kogan, and M. Shostakovich, among others.
Since coming to the USA, Mr. Mazo has held teaching and conducting positions in several music schools in the mid-west, and has continued his career as guest soloist and conductor in Europe and the USA. With the strong belief that music is an international language that crosses all borders, Mr. Mazo founded the AMEROPA Musical Arts Festival in 1993, an organization dedicated to the collaboration of American and European chamber musicians and ensembles. The fact that Mr. Mazo has selected Prague with its central location in Europe and rich musical heritage to be the venue for such projects, greatly enhances the harmony and understanding pervading this unique form of art experience. Vadim Mazo has collaborated with the Suk Chamber Orchestra in the Prague Spring Festival and Virtuosi di Praga.

David Ehrlich was raised in Israel, where he studied violin with the famous Ilona Feher. He started concretizing at the age of 8, and soon became the recipient of an annual scholarship awarded by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. While studying in Tel Aviv University he served as concertmaster and soloist with the Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra and toured as guest soloist with other Israeli chamber orchestras.
In 1972 he moved to the United States to study with Shmuel Ashkenasi at Northern Illinois University. In 1975 he became the first non-American to win first prize in the Young Artist Competition of the National Federation of Music Clubs. This resulted in appearances in concerts and recitals throughout the United States, as well as engagements on radio and television. Mr. Ehrlich served as concertmaster and soloist of the Colorado Festival Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, Filarmonica de Caracas, and for several seasons was acting concertmaster and associate concertmaster, as well as soloist, with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In 1984 he joined the Audubon String Quartet as first violinist, a position he held for 17 years. With the quartet, Mr. Ehrlich toured all over the world, performing on many of the most prestigious series and appearing regularly on radio and television, including WFMT, WQXR, BBC, CBC and NPR. Mr. Ehrlich conducted master classes/ lectures at New England Conservatory, Oberlin, Cleveland Institute of Music, Chautauqua-NY, USC, Arizona State University, Tel Aviv University, Ireland, Venezuela, and many others. He has recorded on RCA, Telarc and Centaur labels. In 1993, he and his wife, Teresa, founded the Renaissance Music Academy of Virginia, a non-profit community music school located in Blacksburg, Virginia. He is a member of the violin faculty and conducts the youth chamber orchestra.
Mr. Ehrlich plays on a rare violin by Carlo Bergonzi circa 1735 through the generosity of Virginia Tech University, where he is a Fellow of Fine Arts. Since 2001 David has been Artistic director as well as performer with Musica Viva! Chamber music concert series. He is a founding member of the Avanti Ensemble.

Ada Slivanská is a graduate of Prague’s Conservatoire where she studied violin and composition, and of the Charles University School of Liberal Arts where she read musicology. Even during her studies she established a chamber ensemble named Quartetto con flauto with which she has cut four compact discs and has appeared on many domestic and foreign stages (Spain, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Italy, USA, Japan). Following her graduation and a one year stint with the Central Bohemia Symphonic Orchestra at Poděbrady she joined the Czech Radio Symphonic Orchestra with which she remained until 1999 and several years she was member of Prague’s State Opera Orchestra.
Since 1989 she has also been pursuing managerial and production activities. This is why at present – apart from performing as solo and chamber orchestra player, she was associate pedagogue and adviser conductor of the International Madrid’s Boccherini Festival 2005, Moz-artissimo 2006 and 2007 “ChamberArt” and is also manager of several soloists and chamber ensembles.
Ada Slivanská is executive director of the Ameropa International Music Festival and Chamber Courses and the co-organizer of the The Prague Horn International Music Festival, Podblanický hudební podzim in which she also participates as performer. Since 2007 she is artistic director of "Terezin International Music Centre" (TIMUC) in Czech Republic. Thanks to her wide range organizational experience she distinctly contributed to the forming of the Camerata filarmonica Bohemia chamber orchestra and presently she works as orchestra manager since its founding in 2002.

Matvey Lapin enjoys his free-lance performing carrier, including both modern and Baroque violin engagements. Mr. Lapin graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory (Russia), where he completed his Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Courses in violin performance. He has been a recipient or several awards, including the 3rd prize at the Locatelli Concours international competition (Amsterdam, 1995), the stipend from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (2000), and the Gartow Scholarship in Germany, 1997.
Matvey had also been awarded a grant to participate at the Holland Music Sessions master class series (Netherlands, 1995). During 2002-03 he was a member of the world renowned St. Petersburg String Quartet (Quartet-in-residence at Oberlin College-Conservatory).

Karel Špelina is former principal viola with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra where he had been a member since 1970. Mr. Špelina has also been an active soloist and chamber instrumentalist. He is a member of chamber groups such as the Pilsen Radio Quartet (1962 - 1970), the Ars Rediviva Ensemble (since 1970) and the Martinů Piano Quartet (since 1978). In addition, he performs as guest violist with other chamber ensembles. Mr. Špelina has appeared as soloist with the Czech Philharmonic, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra and the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra.
His repertoire is extensive and he embraces the key works for viola from the 18th to 20th centuries, including a large number of contemporary works, many of which have been composed for him. He has made a number of recordings for radio broadcast and numerous other record companies. Mr. Špelina teaches viola and chamber music at the Prague Conservatory and the Sándor Végh International Chamber Music Academy.

Jiří Poslední (born in Prague) studied viola at the Prague Conservatory in the class of Professor J. Zíka (member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra) and graduated in 1987. During his studies he had already very strong affection for chamber music, which he studied under the guidance of Professors Viktor Moučka and Josef Vlach, members of the famous Vlach Quartet. In the years 1989-1997 he was a member of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra since 1997 has been a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Jiří Poslední has performed both in the Czech Republic and around the world as an orchestra player, as well as a chamber musician. For several years, he was a member of the Johannesberg Quartet and Joseph Trio. He is a member of the Czech Philharmonic Quartet, founded in 2000 under the name Philharmonic Quartet Prague; the latter, presented by the London agency Connaught Artists Management, performed with a great success in many European countries.

"Igor Fedotov gave a brilliant solo performance... one would call it a hit...one never guessed this work contained such difficulties because of the relaxed and almost playful performance." - Norrkopings Tidningar, Sweden
"lgor Fedotov plays with great warmth and feeling, much in the manner of Michael Kugel, and in keeping with his Russian ancestry and teaching!”-Journal of the American Viola Society
A native of Russia, he has performed solo recitals throughout the United States and Europe, including performances at the International Viola Congresses of 1996, 1997, and 2000, and the 2005 International Bass Convention on a duo recital with former principal bassist of the London Symphony, Thomas Martin. As a chamber musician, Igor Fedotov has performed with such internationally renowned musicians as cellists Anner Bylsma and Ivan Monighetti, violist Sally Chisholm of Pro Arte Quartet, principal violist Charles Pickler of the Chicago Symphony, and cellist Martin Lovett from the Amadeus Quartet, among others. He has appeared as performer and teacher on many international festivals, including the Academies Internacionales du Grand Nancy and Bordeaux, France; Musiques en Mer, Italy; Musikdagar , Sweden; Sewanee and Meadowmount Summer Schools in the United States. In addition, for eight (2000-08) years, he served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Stulberg International String Competition.
Professor Fedotov is the recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award. He was granted this support in 2006 for his research on music for viola by Russian composers of the 20th Century. It was recorded by NAXOS and released in February 2010.

He is one of the most eminent Czech cellist. He is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Prague and plays a Stredivarius cello. In 1972 he won First Prize at the Beethoven Cello Competition in Hradec u Opavy / Czech Republic/. He toured the world with the Talich Quartet / of which he was the co-founder /, with whom he performed more than three thousand concerts. Each year, the Talich Quartet performed concerts in leading French Festivals and was also highly appreciated in Great Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States. The Quartet recorded many musical masterpieces, including the complete Beethoven, Mozart and Bartok string quartets, for which they obtained the „Grand Prix du Disque“
In recent years Evžen Rattay has been devoting more time to his soloist career. He has performed throughout Europe / including at the Wigmore Hall in London / and in Japan / in the Santory Hall Tokyo / He recorded the complete Beethoven sonatas and variations for Calliope, the French record label, and also the complete Suites by J.S.Bach. He also recorded the complete Vivaldi Sonatas. Besides the common cello repertoire, Evžen has also been accompanied by non-traditional instrumants and arranged some famous pieces for such musicial ensembles. Some of these works are available on two CD’s, Best of Cello and Cello - Party. Evžen Rattay is also member of Trio of Antonín Dvořák.

Jitka Vlašánková began to play cello at the age of seven and, in 1975, won her first prize in the national competition of the Music Schools. Later, she attended the Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Prague under Professors R.Lojda, A.Večtomov and Miloš Sádlo. She took part in international courses under outstanding world-famous cellist (e.g. A.Navarra, E.Rautio or B.Greenhouse and R.Garbousova at the Piatigorski Seminar in Los Angeles) and was granted a British Council scholarship to study under W.Pleeth in London. During her studies she participated in several national and international competitions e.g.: 1981 – 1st prize in National Beethoven Cello Competition; 1983 – 3rd prize in the Prague Spring International Cello Competition; 1985 – a prize for the best performance of D.Popper’s composition in the Pablo Casals International Competition in Budapest.
Since 1986, she has been a member of the Martinů String Quartet, a world renown chamber ensemble. (They regularly appear with leading instrumentalists, among others with Colin Carr). Their discography includes a considerable number of recordings for the ArcoDiva, Naxos, Panton, Studio Matouš, Harmonia Mundi label. Jitka Vlasankova gives solo recitals in her country as well as abroad (Holland, England, Germany), records for the Czech Radio (eg. cellosonatas by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Franck, Chopin). She is a member of the Czech cello duo and the Czech cello trio with Petr Hejny and Jaroslav Kulhan (Panocha Quartet). Since 2000, she has been a professor at the Music gymnasium in Prague. She plays a French cello by Charles François Gand, 1830. Paris.

Veronica Mascaro, Flutist, began her solo career with the Reading Symphony (Pennsylvania, USA) at age 15 and has performed with other local symphonies in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. She is a member of the Kennett Symphony Orchestra and freelances in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, adjunct professor of flute and conductor of the Hill Flutes at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Veronica also performs and records for the National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA).
Her teachers include Kenneth Andrews, Robert Stallman, Jeanne Scheneman, Emily Newbold, MIchel Debost, Kathleen Chastain and Joshua Smith. She has participated in master classes in both the US and Europe. IN 2002, Veronica was awarded the Geoffrey Gilbert Performer's Scholarship and in the spring of 2003, along with pianist Kristin Ditlow, released her first solo recording titled "The Mouquet Collection".
Veronica performs with the Mascaro-Newman flute and guitar duo and is the founding member of the Flutes de Amore Quartet as well as The PA Flute Troop. She is past winner of the National Flute Associations Professional Flute Choir and beginning in the summer of 2003, began her relationship with the AMEROPA Chamber Music Festival. In addition to many years of private flute and piccolo instruction in The Flute Studio, Veronica has taught through the University of Penn Music 10 Scholarship Program. Through her studio she conducts and coaches chamber ensembles of all ages. These ensembles perform regularly at recitals, community events and master classes in the Philadelphia and Delaware area. In 2001, the Florida Flute Association honored her successful teaching with a teacher's scholarship. Veronica is a faculty member at Drexel University as well as The Hill School.

Václav Slivanský studied at the Prague Conservatory with Jan Hecl and at the Academy of Performing Arts with František Čech, where at the same time he also took part in the founding of the chamber ensemble Quartetto con flauto. Since completing his studies, he has been the first flutist of the orchestra of the Prague State Opera, and he has been active as a pedagogue for many years. He appears frequently as a soloist and a performer of chamber music.
In 1973 he founded Quartetto con flauto together with his future wife Ada Slivanská while they were studying at the Prague Conservatory. The ensemble, at 2008 year celebrating its 35th year of existence, was very successful right from the beginning, participating in several competitions and winning such honors as the Dušek Competition of the Mozart Foundation in Prague and the title of laureate at an international competition in Kroměříž. Over the years of its artistic activities, the ensemble has become highly regarded, giving concerts not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The ensemble has toured the USA twice and has represented the Czech Republic in Sakai, Japan, on the occasion of an Alfons Mucha exhibition. Quartetto con flauto has made several recordings for Czech Radio (this CD contains a selection of those recordings) and for Czech Television. Two of its radio recordings represented Czech Radio in Paris in 1993 and 1994 at an international festival of contemporary music. The ensemble has a very large repertoire. Although the ensemble’s instrumentation predetermines its choice of musical material from the baroque and classical periods, this is counterbalanced by 20th-century music. Many works have been composed for and dedicated to the ensemble. The ensemble’s interpretations have been recorded on three separate compact discs ("Czech Classical and Contemporary Music" - Bonton 1990, "Czech Sonata" - Bohemia Music 1993, "Czech Contemporary Music" - Bohemia Music 1995 and "Quartetto con flauto" - Radioservis 2008). Compositions by Jan Jirásek and Lukáš Hurník dedicated to the ensemble are also found on CDs profiling those composers.

Dr. Alison Robuck serves on the music faculty of Bradley University and performs as Principal oboe for the Heartland Festival Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, and her previous orchestral engagements include positions with Sinfonia da Camera, the Missouri Symphony, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Baroque Artists of Champaign. She has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. She has performed recitals and taught masterclasses at Oklahoma State University, Grand Valley State University, Millikin University, and Truman State University.
Dr. Alison Robuck received her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and her graduate degree and her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was the recipient of the Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship. As a graduate student at the University of Illinois she frequently performed in faculty and guest artist recitals, the New Music Ensemble and the graduate wind quintet for the School of Music and in performances for the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. She was selected to perform at the Sarasota Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, and the Bowdoin Music Festival where she studied and performed with the Principal oboists of the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Her primary teachers were Dan L. Willett, Nancy Ambrose King, and Robert Atherholt.

Polish clarinetist and conductor Jan Jakub Bokun has appeared in most European countries, USA, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, Chile and Argentina. He studied the clarinet at the Wrocław Academy of Music and with Guy Dangain in Paris. In May 2001, he received the Master of Music in Conducting degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. As a conductor, Jan Jakub Bokun has appeared with many Polish chamber and symphonic ensembles. In February 2010, Bokun made his debut with the Prague Philharmonia.
He has won prizes, as both soloist and chamber musician, at competitions in Wrocław, Włoszakowice, Enschede and Mt. Pleasant. He was a prizewinner at the Third Witold Lutoslawski Conducting Competition in Białystok, Poland, where he also received the Orchestra Award.
He has represented Poland in Clarinetfests held in Ostend, Stockholm and Tokyo. He has been invited to give master classes in Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Spain, China, France, Mexico, Serbia and Belgium. Mr. Bokun has recorded for Polish Radio and TV. He has released 10 solo albums with Koch Classics, JBRecords and DUX, all received with great critical acclaim.
Jan Jakub Bokun is on the faculty of the Wrocław Academy of Music where he teaches clarinet and chamber music.

Calvin Falwell, Professor of Clarinet & Bass Clarinet at the University of South Florida: School of Music, enjoys a varied career as an orchestral musician, soloist and educator. In the fall of 2010 Calvin was appointed as Bass Clarinetist of both the Miami City Ballet Orchestra and Florida Grand Opera Orchestra. Additionally, he serves as Second Clarinet with both the Opera Tampa and Opera Naples Orchestras.
Summer appointments include, Principal Clarinet with the Opera in the Ozarks Festival and Bass Clarinet with the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra and Band.
Prior to his current appointments, Calvin served as Second Clarinet & Bass Clarinet with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in Orlando, FL. Calvin has also appeared with The Florida Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Lexington Philharmonic, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Lancaster (PA) Symphony and Symphony in C (formerly Haddonfield Symphony). Calvin has also served on the faculties of Holy Family University, Wilmington University, and Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
In addition to his orchestral positions, Calvin has enjoyed performing as a soloist in both recital and orchestral settings. Hailed as "a performer of skill and virtuosity" (World Clarinet Alliance), Calvin has had the privilege of premiering bass clarinet concertos by Todd Goldman, Suzann Polak and Joseph Hallman. His other solo appearances have included performances with the Beaver Valley Philharmonic, Minart New Music Ensemble, Duquesne Contemporary Ensemble and both the University of South Florida Wind Ensemble and Orchestra.
His principal teachers and mentors include Paul Demers (Philadelphia Orchestra), Ron Samuels (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), Tim Zavadil (Minnesota Orchestra), and Dallas Tidwell (Louisville Orchestra). Both Calvin's BM and MM are in Clarinet Performance and are from the University of Louisville and Duquesne University respectively.
Calvin is both a Selmer Paris and Rico Performing Artist, performing on Selmer Clarinets and Rico Reeds exclusively.

Gregory Volobuev is one of the leading Russian clarinetists, brilliant soloist and an orchestra musician.
Mr. Volobuev has an active solo and chamber music career, having partnered with such conductors as Karl Eliasberg, Valery Gergiev, Maris Yansons, Yevgeny Kolobov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Eduard Serov, Arkady Shteinluht and others. In 1994 Gregory represented Russia and played a solo recital at an International Clarinet Festival held in Chicago. Gregory Volobuev is a graduate of Leningrad ( St.Petersburg ) Conservatory. After completing his post-graduate studies, he taught at the Special Music College under the Conservatory. In 1994 he was appointed Professor of Music at Athens Conservatory, where he taught till 2002. Many of his students became winners of multiple International and Russian competitions.
From 1973 to 1979 Gregory Volobuev worked as a Principal Clarinet at the famous Leningrad Early and Modern Music Orchestra, and in 1979 took a position of Clarinet Soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, which in 1989 - 1991 he combined with the Principal Clarinet position with the Full Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Radio and Television in Moscow under Vladimir Fedoseev.
From 1994 to 2000 Mr. Volobuev served as a Principal Clarinet at the chamber orchestra "Camerata" in Athens, Greece, and in 2002 Gregory returned to Mariinsly Theatre Orchestra led by Valery Gergiev, where he continues to serve as a Clarinet Soloist.

Franck Leblois began studying the bassoon at the age of seventeen at the Tours Music Conservatoire, France. After graduating from J-P Laroque’s class at The Superior National Music Conservatoire of Lyon, France, in 1993, he obtained his Certificate in Specialised Chamber Music Studies in the same year. In 1994 he attained the qualification of CA,” Professeur de Basson” (the highest French pedagogical qualification) and went on to win Second Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition of Illzach, France. A member of The Lyric Orchestra of the “Grand Theatre of Tours” from 1984 to 1998, he now devotes himself principally to chamber music in all its forms and collaborates with composers from all over the world in the creation and promotion of new repertoire for his instrument. In 1998, he founded the association «Fou de basson» (Crazy about Bassoon), of which he is still president and through which he organizes international conferences on Bassoon Pedagogy (1996, 1999, 2002, 2005).
A resident of the city of Angoulême, France, where he teaches bassoon and chamber music at the Conservatoire Gabriel Fauré (National school of music), Franck Leblois is also in demand as both concert artist and pedagogue in both Europe and the Americas.

Jordana Elliott is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and currently serves as principal bassoon of the Opera Naples Orchestra (USA). She has also performed with Naples Philharmonic, Newport Symphony, Northwest Mahler Festival, Vermont Mozart Festival, New York Chamber Soloists, Sarasota Symphony, and La Orquesta Sinfonica de UANL among others. Her teachers have included Patricia Rogers, Whitney Crockett, Jeff Keesecker and Seth Krimsky. She also holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington. She is an active chamber musician, orchestral preformer, and rock bassoonist with the band Pocket Panda in Seattle, WA (Big Owl Records). Being of Czechoslovak descent, one of her favorite hobbies is learning Czech language and culture.

Peter Hoefs studies horn with the professors Fritz Huth and Otto Schmitz in Munich, and Philipp Farkas in Bloomington/Indiana. Some years he also studied piano. He played prinzipal horn with the Staatstheater Darmstadt, Muenchner Rundfunkorchester and Staatsoper Stuttgart. Early successful teaching leaded him to teach horn at the Tuebingen Musikschule (where he still holds a regular position), the University Mainz and since more than one decade at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart, where he also teaches Brass Pedagogy.
He is also active in Chamber Music, plays regularly with several orchestras, gives courses in Germany and abroad. He is co-founder of the Sueddeutsche Horntage and has served five years in the Advisory Council of the International Horn Society IHS, where he also is European Coordinator.

In spite of his age, the hornplayer and conductor Ondřej Vrabec (1979) is one of the most seasoned Czech artists. He began his intensive concert career of soloist, chamber and orchestra player long before the threshold of adulthood; in mere 17 years, he sat down for the first time on the first chair of horn section of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and two years later, he was definitely appointed a solohornplayer of this orchestra. He is a graduate of Prague Conservatoire (horn – prof. B. Tylšar, conducting – prof. V. Válek, H. Farkač, M. Němcová, M. Košler) and of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (conducting - prof. R. Eliška, J. Bělohlávek, F. Vajnar and others). He supplemented his studies with frequent master courses (such as Hornclass, French Academy in Telč), the most precious impuls for forming of his artistic approach was the cooperation with the elite of world wind instrument school (S. Azzolini, M. Bourgue) within S. Végh / B. Martinů Academy and Maurice Bourgue Ensemble. He holds the title of the absolute winner of the competition of conservatories in Ostrava, he has gained several other laureaute titles as a chamber player (Concertino Praga, the competition of the Mozart Society etc.) He has performed in the role of a soloist with tenths of both Czech and foreign orchestras (among others Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Sólistes Européenes Luxembourg, Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra, State Philharmonic Košice, Rzeszow Philharmonic), he also often presents himself to audience with soloist recitals. A great part of his activity includes chamber music (especially Brahms Trio Prague, further e.g. PhilHarmonia octet, Juventus Quintet, Czech Philharmonic Horn Club etc.). He created an extensive sound recordings library for Czech Radio and several gramophone titles. The latest recording – the profile CD of Brahms Trio Prague, realized in a unique manner in their own music and sound directing has gained great responses of critics both at home and abroad. The reviewer of the prestigious American magazine Fanfare termed it the probably best recording of Trio Es Dur, op. 40 of J. Brahms realized so far and he placed in on the Want List – the selection of 5 best world classic CDs of 2008. Ondřej Vrabec stimulated, both in direct and indirect ways, the emergence of many contemporary compositions for various instrumental casts in combination with horn. Most of them are dedicated to him and were usually performed or recorded by him in a world premiere. Also his pedagogic activity has been gaining more and more respect – he leads master courses (Japan, Canada, Czech republic) and he regularly cooperates with the Japanese educational society And Vision Inc. Tokio. Students from various parts of the world have been coming to his private lessons to the Prague Rudolfinum.
The conducting career of Ondřej Vrabec is shorter, but of no less significance and extent. He has conducted many Czech and foreign ensembles (Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, State Philharmonic Košice - Slovakia, Galeria Wind Orchestra Tokio, Prague Philharmonia, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Southbohemian Chamber Philharmonic České Budějovice, Chamber Philharmonic Pardubice, Philharmonic Orchestra Hradec Králové, Carlsbad Symphony Orchestra, Pilsen Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Czech Philharmonic Collegium, Pavel Haas Chamber Orchestra etc.), he participated in international festivals (Prague Spring, Mitte Europa, Český Krumlov). His opera performances include complete preparation of Figaro's Wedding in the opera in Ústí nad Labem and in the Prague Theatre Komedie. In 2002 and 2004, he was a scholarship holder of London Masterclasses, where – under the guidance of the founder of Boston Philharmonic Maestro Benjamin Zander – worked with the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra. In 2007, he ranked the 4th in the international conducting competition of Prague Spring, he gained a honorary mention of the jury and other two awards for the most successful Czech candidate. Together with the Czech Philharmonic Collegium, he recorded two gramophone titles – the DVD „Transformations“ (project of the group Čechomor, published by Universal Music, elected as the disc of the year) and the CD of concertos for violin and viola (Gabriela Demeterová, Supraphon).
An inseparable part of activities of Ondřej Vrabec is a professional interest in the issue of viniculture. He has an active experience as a sommelier, he visits wineries all over the world and publishes articles about wine. Due to his merit, excellent wines of two most prestigious Uruguay wineries - Bodega Bouza and Bodega Pizzorno have been imported in the Czech Republic.

One of the most sought after harpists of her generation, Katerina Englichova performs all over Europe, North America, Japan, Hong Kong and New Zealand. She has collaborated with artists such as Mstislav Rostropovitch, Joseph Suk, Gerard Causee, Cynthia Phelps, Michel Lethiec, and Robert Stallman, and with many ensembles, including the Prazak Quartet, the Wihan Quartet and the Martinu Quartet. She has performed at numerous international festivals such as Tanglewood and the Tucson Music Festival in the USA, Music by the Red Sea in Israel, Pacific Music Festival in Japan, Rencontres Musicales d’Evian and Festival d’Ile de France, and in the Czech Republic at Prague Spring, Prague Autumn, and Festival B. Martinu.
Ms. Englichova made her American recital debut in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York in 1998. Other distinguished venues where she has played include the Beethoven Saal in Bonn, Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, Auditorio Nacional de Musica de Madrid, and the Rudolfinum in Prague. She has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Philharmonia, the Czech National Symphony, the Brno State Philharmonic, the Moravian Philharmonic of Olomouc, the Talich Chamber Orchestra, the Suk Chamber Orchestra and others. She has been heard as a soloist or chamber musician on more than 25 discs with labels such as Supraphon, Harmonia Mundi, Discover International, and New World Records, and most recently, for the Japanese label Exton (September 2003) and Arco Diva (October 2004).
Katerina Englichova won the Pro Musicis International Award in 1995, 1st prize in the Torneo International Competition in Italy in 2000, Prague Radio Broadcast Competition 1997,Concerto Soloists 1994, Vienna Music Competition 1998, E.Herbert-Hobin Harp Competition, 1992,1993 and the Laureate Prize of the Chamber Music Society of the Czech Philharmonic in 2001. She studied at the Prague Conservatoire and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia,(she is a Fulbright recipient), and has given masterclasses in the USA, Hong Kong and Italy..
Ms. Englichova’s website address is www.englichova.cz

Hana Mülerová-Jouzová ranks among leading Czech harpists. Her status is documented by the individuality of her performing style, her feeling for purity of style and sound, and above all, her immaculate playing technique. A graduate of the Prague Conservatory, where she studied in the class of Professor Libuše Váchalová, she furthered her education during a studying visit the Kiev Conservatory, with Professor N. Izmailova, and completed her schooling in 1984, at Prague´s Academy of Music, with a graduate course under the supervision of Professor K. Patras. She has scored victories in numerous naional competitions, and in 1986 became winner of the Ruth Lorraine Competition at the university of Eugene, Ore., U.S.A. She has combined her career as a soloist with work in tandem with other leading instrumenatlists. Hana Müllerová-Jouzová´s repertoire encompasses major works of the world music literature of all periods of styles, including music by contemporary composers, many of which she has premiered. She has also worked with many Czech and international symphony and chamber orchestras.
Besides appearing on the concert platform in her home country, Hana Müllerová-Jouzová has to her credit an immpressive list of succesful solo performances in many cities of Europe (in France, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Switzerland), as well as in Cuba, and the U.S.A., including appearances at international music festivals. She is a frequent guest of radio and television studios, and has produced recordings for various Czech international labels (Supraphon, Panton, Clarton, Edit, Naxos, Pony Canyon, etc.). She devotes part of her time to teaching harp at Prague´s Music Gymnasium, and is permanently engaged as Solo harpist of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

František Malý's artistic career began in the mid-1960s, when his exceptional talent led to his winning the Chopin, Smetana and Beethoven Piano Competitions, with a special prize for interpretation of Beethoven's works. After finishing his studies at the Brno and Prague Conservatories in 1969, he began his study at the Academy of Music, Drama and Fine Arts in Prague.
After graduation in 1976, Mr. Malý continued his musical education as a doctoral student in the arts. He is prize winner of the international piano competitions of Ferruccio Busoni in Bolzano, Italy (1967), Marguerite Long in Paris (1969 and 1973) and Ettore Pozzoli in Seregno, Italy (1974).
Apart from his concert activities as a soloist, he is intensively engaged in chamber music in cooperation with leading Czech musicians. Mr. Malý took part in founding the Antonín Dvořák Trio. He has toured many countries including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the former USSR, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Canada, and the United States as a solo and chamber musician. Currently, Mr. Malý is a pedagogue at Prague's Academy of Performing Arts.

Teresa Ehrlich began her musical training at the age of four. Born and raised in the Midwest, she received her master of music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University as a student of Donald Walker. She has also worked with teachers Gyorgy Sebok, Menachem Pressler , and Leon Fleisher. She has received critical acclaim throughout the United States, Israel and South America, where she has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestras including the Sinfoica de Maracaibo and the Filarmonica de Caracas in Venezuela.
In addition to her solo and orchestral engagements, she is active as a chamber musician and has performed as a guest artist with the Audubon, Vermeer, Cassatt, and Vanbrugh quartets. Teresa has been a participant in the Banff Festival in Canada, Yale Chamber Music Festival, Music at Gretna Festival, New Hampshire Music Festival, Chautauqua Festival in New York, and the Sanibel Island Festival. She has performed on live broadcasts for radio station WFMT in Chicago and has been heard on National Public Radio.
In 1993, she and her husband, David, co-founded a non-profit community music school in Blacksburg, Virginia, named the Renaissance Music Academy of Virginia. Teresa is Executive Director of the school and a member of the faculty, teaching piano and chamber music. Her students have won top prizes in national and international competitions. She is a member of the Avanti Ensemble, which performs thoughout Virginia, and performs annually in the Red Rocks Music Festival in Arizona.

Siegfried Mauser studied piano with Rosl Schmid and Alfons Kontarsky at the Munich Academy of Music which he then followed with studies in musicology, philosophy and the history of art at the universities of both Munich and Salzburg. In 1981 he published his dissertation, “The expressionistic musictheater of the Viennese School” (Bärenreiter/Bosse).
From 1981-83 he lectured in musicology and piano at the Munich Academy of Music and in 1984 he took a post as Ordinary Professor at the Würzburg Music Academy. From 1988 to 2002 he held an academic chair at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, where he founded a research institute for musical hermeneutics. Since 2002 he is Professor of Musicology at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts, and is Director since October 2003.
In 1981 he received an interpretation scholarship from the city of Munich. In 1984 he was conferred the Bavarian Culture Support Award, and in 2001 the “Neues Hören” prize which honours the promotion of Contemporary Music and is granted through the Summer Academy of the University Mozarteum in co-operation with the Salzburg Festival. Since 1990 he is an ordinary member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, and since 2002 he is Director of the Music Department.
Prof. Mauser has given numerous concerts as soloist and chamber musician in Germany and abroad, including many of the most important music metropolis such as Berlin, Vienna, London, Paris, New York, Washington and Los Angeles. He has been the guest of the most famous music festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein-Festival or the Salzburg Festival. He has worked in co-operation as a soloist with many famous orchestras, including the Symphony Orchestra of Bavarian Broadcasting, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Frankfurt and the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin.

An internationally accomplished, charismatic and inspiring pianist Katya Kramer-Lapin maintains her career as a solo pianist, chamber collaborator as well as an educator. Her concert venues include appearances at the UNESCO Headquarters (Paris, France), sponsored by John Paul Second as well as performances in major concert halls in Eastern Europe, international tour to Taiwan with violinist Kuan Cheng Lu, a member of New York Phillharmonic Orchestra, various chamber performances with the soloists of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, often broadcasted on the National Public Radio. Currently Katya is pursuing her Artist Diploma at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she received her Masters; she holds her Bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory and Hochschule fur Musik in Cologne (Germany). Currently Katya Kramer-Lapin is on faculty at DePauw Universty School of Music as a Part-Time Assistant Professor of Piano and Staff-Accompanist.
Kramer-Lapin is a winner of a number of competitions, including Elvin Prize, Rudolf Serkin (USA) and “The Forum of Young Pianists” (Athens, Greece). Native of Moscow City, Russia, Katya began her professional studies at the age of 5 by attending the Gnessin School of Music for gifted children. During the years of her studies there, she frequently performed in major concert halls, including the Tchaikovsky’s State Conservatory Concert Halls. Kramer-Lapin received support from the Russian Arts Help” Charity Foundation.

Robert Hugo got his first university degree at the Faculty of Science at the Charles University in Prague. He also is a graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, the Department of Music Theory. He studied organ with Milan Šlechta at the same institute. In the season 1992-93 he worked as a conductor in the National Theatre in Brno. In 1992 he founded an ensemble Capella Regia Praha, which performs mainly Czech Baroque music. He is a specialist on Czech and South German Baroque music. In 1998 he made the famous recording of Czech Christmas Mass by Jakub Jan Ryba for the Deutsche Gramophon staring Magdalena Kožená. Robert Hugo teaches at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Görlitz (Germany) and at the Academy of Early Music of the Masaryk University in Brno. He is currently an organist in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Prague. More information at www.capellaregia.com.

Václav Mácha was born in 1979 in Prague (Czech Republic). He learn to play piano from 6 years old. Since his young age he got many prizes in International Piano Competitions. When he was 15 years old, he had solo debut concert (recital) in Dvorak Hall in Prague. He graduated from the Musical School of the capital city Prague in 1994 as a pupil of Prof. Jan Tůma. He entered Academy of Perfoming Arts in Prague in class of Prof. Ivan Moravec as the youngest student in the history of academy(15 years old). After successful finishing his study he advanced on Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Hannover (Germany) by Prof. Karl-Heinz Kammerling, where he finished in 2001. Now he continues in Soloklasse. Although young, he participated in many international piano competitions. In 1991 he won first prize at the international competition „Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte“ in Ústí nad Labem. He became second prize in the Radio competition Concertino Praga 1994 in the national round and he received a Place of Honor in the international round. One year later he became a finalist of the International Platform of Young Artists UNESCO at Bratislava Music Festival, where he was sent by the Czech Radio. In 1996 he got the 3rd prize in international competition for the „European music for youth prize“ in Dublin. For the excelent interpretation of work of Leoš Janáček (On an Overgrown Path) he became in 1997 special prize of Leoš Janáček Foundation. In 1998, he won 1st prize in international competiton Viotti-Valsesia in Italy. On the same competition he became also special prize for the best interpretatiton of works by Beethoven. He received 2nd Prize in Karl-Bergemann Conpetiton in Hannover (Germany) in 2000. His life as professional pianist started from his young age, not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Europe, USA and Japan etc. He performed in the season series of Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. He played also with many orchestras (Prague Philharmonie, Czech National Symphonic Orchestra, Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra, Suk Chamber Orchestra, Hradec Kralove Philhamonie, Czech Chamber Orchestra, West Czech Symphony Orchestra, Pardubice Chamber Orchestra, Janacek Chamber Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonie, P.Costantinescu di Ploiesti Orchestra etc.). He made many recordings with Czech Radio, Slovakian Radio, Czech TV, Deutsche Welle (Germany), Japan NHK-FM and CD. In 2006, he recorded Mozart Piano Sonatas for EBU (European Broadcasting Union).

Prof. Tsutomu Masuko completed his Doctoral Course of Art (All but Dissertation) at Ball State University, Indiana. He has been active as a baritone throughout the world and, recently he is under great demand to conduct orchestras and choruses. Besides his artistic activities, Masuko is also a certified Music Therapist by JMTA and by Institute of Neurologic Music Therapy, Colorado State University. Masuko has been known as an outstanding baritone not only in Japan but also through out the United States and European Music Circles. Masuko appeared as a soloist in such International Music Festivals as Berlin Musik Tage, Dresden International Music Festival, Festival de Wallonie, Greco 85, Palau de Musica Festival, and Barcelona.
Tsutomu Masuko conducts orchestras such as “Camerata filarmonica Bohemia” (Czech), “Mozart Chamber Orchestra” and “Ensemble Sakai”. He is also known as a choral conductor and he regularly conducts “Mozart Choral Ensemble Japan”, “Osaka Symphonic Choire” and “Nishi-Kobe Choire”. Prof. Masuko has been teaching voice and Opera at Mukogawa Women’s University since 1977 and is the founder of the Music Therapy Department. He has been a guest professor at such universities as Eastern Washington State University, Ball State University (U.S.A), Pollenca International Music Academy (Spain), Osaka University, Osaka University of Arts, Osaka University of Education, Kobe University, Kyushu Hokenfukushi University, Kohnan University (Japan), Dresden Semper Oper Opernstudio, Weimar Musik Hochschule (Germany), Conservatory of Barcelona (Spain), and Novosibirsk National Conservatory-Glinka (Russia).
Prof. Masuko has published theses on Music Education, Music Therapy, Sociological Research and Aesthetic of Music. He has also published CDs for Medical Purpose and music Therapy. His Gospel-Musical has been performed more than 20 times, and he has completed a 4-act play, “Underground Railroad” with Ensemble in Orchestra Pit.

Baritone Matthew Markham enjoys an active career on the operatic, concert, and recital stages. He has appeared on the operatic stage with Ash Lawn Opera, Janiec Opera, Spoleto Festival, New Jersey Opera, Manhattan Opera Theater of the French Institute Alliance Française, Da Ponte Concert Opera, Westminster Opera Theater, and Florida State Opera. Roles span Mozart through lyric French and English/American opera. He is a frequent soloist in oratorio ranging Bach to Britten and has performed in prestigious concert venues including Suk Hall at the Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic.
An avid interpreter of art song, he has worked with musical luminaries Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Ricky Ian Gordon and the late Craig Smith in performances at Songfest in Malibu, California. Dr. Markham has participated in master classes with Elly Ameling, Wolfgang Holzmair, Helmut Deutsch, Rudolf Jansen, Edith Wiens, Robert Tear and Jorma Hynninen at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria where received a diploma in Poetry and Performance of the German Lied. He has twice been selected to participate in the Baldwin-Wallace Art Song Festival in Ohio where he has worked with Warren Jones, François Le Roux, Vladimir Chernov, and Stephanie Blythe.
He was named a Finalist in the Franco-American Vocal Academy French Art Song Competition in Tribute to Gérard Souzay. He has been a winner of various competitions including the Regional MacAllister Awards, Glenys Gallaher Memorial Award, State and Regional NATS, Westminster Choir College Graduate Voice Competition, and Rotary Club sponsored competitions.
Dr. Markham has been featured as a pedagogue on a NATS sponsored PBS Film Documentary. He is the baritone soloist on the world premier recording of Antonio Rosetti’s Requiem conducted by Johannes Moesus along with the Prague Singers and the Camerata Filarmonica Bohemia, released in 2011.
In the field of music research, Dr. Markham was a national recipient of the prestigious Theodore Presser Grant Award for Graduate Research in Music and a recipient of a Florida State University Dissertation Research Grant Award. These grants have enabled him to conduct research on the vocal compositions of Czech composer Petr Eben and have culminated in his doctoral treatise “A Study of Písně z Těšínska of Petr Eben”. He has collaborated with Timothy Cheek, author of Singing in Czech, in lecture recitals on this subject at the Fort Wayne Art Song Festival where he also served as guest artist/teacher, and for the International Czech Song and Aria Competition at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Dr. Markham was chosen to be a 2008 NATS Intern where he presented lectures on art song repertory and pedagogy for the college level voice student. Previously, he maintained a large private studio and taught voice at the Purnell School in New Jersey. He taught applied voice and assisted courses in song literature, diction, foreign language for singers, and vocal pedagogy at Florida State University, and served a one-year term position on the voice faculty of the DePauw University School of Music where he taught applied voice and song literature.
Dr. Markham holds the Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from The Florida State University College of Music, Master of Music degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and the Doctor of Music degree in Voice Performance from The Florida State University College of Music. He is an active member of NATS, NYSTA, College Music Society, and the Dvořák Society of London. He continues to teach at the Ameropa Solo and Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic during the summer. In January 2012, he will teach voice lessons for the Metropolitan International Music Festival. Dr. Markham joined the voice faculty of New York University in Fall 2010 and maintains a private studio in NYC.
For more information, please visit http://www.matthewmarkham.net/