The 34 Pianists

Here are brief biographies of the 34 pianists who are collaborating in the group performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations.
 
 

Theme:
 Joe Patrych  Joseph Patrych is a recording producer and the owner of Patrych Sound Studios in New York City. He has worked for many labels including BIS, BMG, Bridge, Centaur, Music & Arts, Nonesuch and New York Philharmonic Special Editions.  He has had 2 CD's nominated for Grammy Awards: Alkan Concerto with Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist on Music & Arts Records in 1994 & Glazunov Piano Music, Vol. 1 with Duane Hulbert, pianist on Bridge Records in 2002. 

Mr. Patrych was educated at the Aaron Copland School of Music where he studied music theory, history, analysis and performance. He has performed as a pianist, conductor and choral singer, and has adjudicated several music competitions, most recently the Degrado Memorial Competition for the past 3 years. From 1980 to 1993 he was Classical Music Director at WFUV-FM, and also the co-producer and co-host of Concert Grande, a radio program devoted to the piano that aired for 17 years. 

Mr. Patrych has designed and built studios for Harvard University, The University of Missouri at Kansas City, The Edison National Historical Site, and The International Piano Archives at Maryland, as well as many private studios. He is a member of The Association of Recorded Sound Collections, where he is on the Technical Committee. 

BTW, Mr. Patrych has made CD's with 8 other pianists that are playing this evening.
1.
 Jane Leslie Jane Leslie is a pianist, composer, and teacher.  Her compositions have been honored with six ASCAP Awards and Meet the Composer grants.  Her unique piano recitals include her own piano music, as well as classical piano solos.   She has recorded two albums of her original piano solos.  Her first album, "Dreamsongs" has been featured in radio broadcasts in the U.S. and abroad, and on the Internet.  Her upcoming album, "The Gentle Piano," is planned for release in the near future.  Her compositions include many piano solos and duets, as well as music for strings, woodwinds, and voice.  Jane Leslie is currently a member of the music faculty at Nassau Community College.  She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano from the Juilliard School, as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
2.
 Larry Schwartz Larry Schwartz began studying piano at age five.  He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Manhattan School of Music where he majored in both piano and music education.  He continued his graduate piano studies at the Paris Conservatory with Marcel Ciampi and at The Juilliard School with Edward Steuermann, where he met his wife, Isabel.  He taught music in New York City for 30 years, mostly at Jamaica High School.  For many years, he was the accompianist of the prestigious All City High School Chorus.
3.
 Kathryn Heuzey "I have lived with my family for the last fifteen years in Cold Spring Harbor where I work as an artist, primarily as a painter. I show locally and in museums and shows in the U.S.  I grew up in Glen Cove, New York and first studied music formally as a voice major at Skidmore College. Graduated  '71.  I continued my vocal studies up to the present. I now study with Ron Meixell of Northport.  I am a mezzo soprano.  I first studied piano in 1972 with Hugo Goldenzweig at Turtlebay School of Music.   I also teach art privately and adult education." 
4.
 Aglaia Messina  Aglaia Messina is well known as one of Long Island's busiest and most sought-after performers of chamber music.  In her career of more than twenty years, she has collaborated with many of the area's leading instrumentalists and singers in an extensive representation of the chamber music repertoire, from all historic periods. 

Ms. Messina studied at the Athens Conservatory in Greece and also at Hofstra University under Morton Estrin.  She has performed at the 92nd Street Y, the Bruno Walter Auditorium of Lincoln Center, the Weill Recital Hall, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Jacksonville Arts Auditorium in Florida. 

Ms. Messina also maintains a demanding schedule of private students at her home in Huntington.  She is currently studying harmony and receiving coaching from the renowned artist Lawrence Schubert. 
5.
 Bill Saperstein  Dr. Bill Saperstein studied music at the High School of Music & Art and at Juilliard.  He became a physician and continues to practice Pediatrics in Dix Hills.  His license plate says it all: "M.D. MUSIC".
6.
 Ken Koh  In 1957, Geun Koh came to America under the auspices of the American-Korean Foundation by an American pianist Seymour Bernstein. Studied with Samuel Chotzinoff, Jan Gorbaty, and Seymour Bernstein. Appeared frequently on radio and television and gave numerous solo and chamber concerts (Carnegie recital hall, Town Hall, etc.) before devoting to theory, musicology, and teaching. A resident of Huntington. Retired from teaching in 1991.
7.
 Iris Kaplan  Pianist Iris Kaplan began her studies at the age of eight at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division.  She earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Michigan and both Master and Doctoral Degrees from New York University's School of Education, where her research focused on the Alexander Technique and its relationship to piano performance.  Dr. Kaplan's teachers have included Edgar Roberts, Gregory Haimovsky, and the late Antonio Barbosa.  She has been a recipient of the Five Towns Music and Art Anniversary Scholarship, the Port Washington Music Advisory Council Award, and the Nell Stockwell Award.  She has performed as both a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Abroad.  Dr. Kaplan performs as a member of the Elysian II, a cello-piano collaboration, and with her sister as a four-hand piano team, the Kaplan Duo.  Both groups have performed at many libraries and have appeared on concert series at universities and music schools. Dr. Kaplan has taught at C.W. Post College, Pennsylvania State University, the Stecher and Horowitz School of music, and Poly Prep Country Day School.  Dr. Kaplan lives on Long Island with her husband and two daughters. 
8.
 Fiona McLennan  Fiona McLennan was born in Sydney, Australia, and began playing piano at age 9.  She studied under John Elliott, who fostered in her a love of music, and who encouraged performance through Sunday afternoon soirees. Fiona moved to New York in 1987, where her second piano teacher, Isabella Eredita Johnson, rekindled a love of piano performance.  In between practising, Fiona is a business executive, working in Manhattan.  She is married and has an 8 year old daughter.
9.
 Jeff Bennett  Jeff Bennett's lifelong love of music began at the age of five when his parents bought him a 12" 78 rpm Columbia Masterworks recording of Bidu Sayao singing "Un Bel Di" from Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly.' He started piano lessons at twelve, but has not performed publicly since 1955 (!) when he played "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" from Rodgers and Hart's 'On Your Toes' for the spring recital at Murray Singer's music studios in East Meadow. 

Jeff is the founder of Northport's 'Bare Bones Theatre Company,' a local troup of actors who work out every Monday and Tuesday evening at the Posey School of Dance.  "Secondary Stages," his book about revitalizing theatre in the high schools, was published by Heinemann this past October. 

Jeff lives in Northport with his wife Sherri and son Aron.
10.
 Dimitry Rachmanov        Russian-born pianist Dimitry Rachmanov has garnered much acclaim from international audiences and critcs alike for his powerful performances, often being praised for his impressive combination of virtuoso technique and colorful musicality.  Among his reivews, France's Nice-Matin called his performance "dazzling," while the American Record Guide reported that "magic truly took over," a recital that was "deeply moving." 
      He has appeared at international festivals including the St. Germain-en-Laye Juillet Musical, Moulin d'Ande, and Cannes in France, Banff in Canada, and Prussia Cove in England.  In the United States, he has been heard at the Bard Festival in New York State, at Spoleto USA, and was freatured at the San Francisco International Piano Festival, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. 
      Dimitry Rachmanov has been concerto soloist with orchestras in the United States as well as Great Britain, where he has been heard at the Barbican Centre with the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra.  His solo and chamber engagements have presented him at the Kennedy Center and the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, and in New York at Merkin Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, and Weill Recital Hall.  His concert tours have brought him to England, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, and Canada.  Rachmanov has participated in a concert presentation of all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas.  As a chamber musician he has regularly appeared in recital with members of the New York Philharmonic, with pianist Cullan Bryant in presenting the complete four-hand works of Beethoven, and has been heard live on WNYC-FM in New York.  This past season he appeared with clarinetist Igor Begelman at the Mozart Festival in Washington, DC sponsored by World Bank. 
      A devotee of the Russian repertoire, Rachmanov has been featured as soloist at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall performing Shostakovich's First Piano Concerto and gave the US premiere performance of Boris Pasternak's Sonata in 1989 which was broadcast nationwide by National Public Radio.  He has given a four-recital series featuring the music of Alexander Scriabin at the Roerich Museum in New York in commemoration of the composer's 120th anniversary, and has performed the complete sonatas of Scriabin at the Adamant Music Festival in Vermont.  His recital at New York's Merkin Hall entitled "The Art of the 19th -Century Russian Character Piece" was praised by the New York Times for the "considerable color and focus" he brought to the individual works, and he was hailed as a "suave and gifted pianist." In June of 1999, he participated in the 200th Anniversary Pushkin Gala at Carnegie Hall. 
      His numerous awards include high honors at the Senigallia and E. Pozolli piano competitions and the first prize of the F. Awerbuch International Piano Competition.  In addition, he took the I. Freundlich Prize in Maryland, the American Pianists Association's top Fellowship Award, and was a recipient of a grant from ArtsLink which enabled him to return to his native Russia for a series of performances that were highly successful. 
      Rachmanov began his studies at Moscow's Gnesins School of Music where he was pupil of Ada Traub.  Since moving to America in 1977, he has earned undergraduate and graduate diplomas from The Juilliard School and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music.  Among his teachers after Traub, were Nadia Reisenberg, Arkady Aronov and Alexander Eydelman, and he has played in the masterclasses and been coached by Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Claude Frank, John Browning, and Menahem Pressler, among others. 
      Dr. Rachmanov is a member of the faculties of Manhattan School of Music, the Special Music School of America, the Lucy Moses School in New York City, and the Adamant Music School in Vermont.  He is also a frequent lecturer on the music of Beethoven, Scriabin and other Russian composers, in addition to other topics as well as a master class clinician.  For more details, visit: http://www.circum.org/drachmanov.htm 
11.
 Matthew Cameron I am a piano teacher in Brooklyn, where I was born and raised.  I studied piano here privately with Efrim Briskin and Agustin Anievas. 
12.
 Artis Wodehouse  A noted pianist and music historian, Artis Wodehouse has established herself as a specialist in historic sound recordings and as a performer of new and neglected music. The New York Times has cited Artis Wodehouse as a "savior of the old and neglected." She received a DMA in piano performance practice from Stanford University where she used early sound recordings to study 19th century piano performance style. "Wodehouse is something of a pioneer in on early sound recordings," wrote The New York Times of her recital at Merkin Hall. "Her transcriptions of song improvisations recorded by [Gershwin] in the 1920s are delightful." She has recorded the electro-acoustic Invisible Cities by Michael McNabb on the Wergo Label, and music of Villa-Lobos with pianist Alfred Heller on Etcetera. 
    Since 1982 Wodehouse has been involved with the works of George Gershwin, studying and transcribing the composer's idiosyncratic performances of his own music captured on phonograph recordings and piano rolls. Wodehouse's 1987 transcriptions of George Gershwin's solo piano Improvisations, taken from the composer's phonograph recordings is published by Warner Publications. In 1990 Wodehouse received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study Gershwin's approximately 140 piano rolls. This lead to her 1993 recording of Gershwin's restored piano rolls, Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls on the Nonesuch label, which TIME Magazine called "A remarkable example of technology put to the service of art. What emerges from this complex collaboration is the illusion that Gershwin is right in one's living room.". A tremendous commercial success, the CD has sold over a quarter million copies worldwide and landed a spot on Billboard's Top 200 chart. Complementing Gershwin Plays Gershwin, a second volume of the Gershwin: The Piano Rolls Vol. 2 was released by Nonesuch in 1995. Her edited arrangements of six of Gershwin's piano rolls, entitled Gershwin Plays Gershwin, Duets and Solo Selections From The Piano Rolls is also published by Warner Bros. 
    More recently, Wodehouse completed her realizations of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls originally created in the 1920s. Jelly Roll Morton: The Piano Rolls, also on the Nonesuch label is an all new recording of Morton's piano roll material, edited to incorporate Morton's idiosyncratic performance style. Her accompanying transcriptions, Jelly Roll Morton Piano Rolls, is published by Hal Leonard. 
    In 1995, Wodehouse launched as producer a series of historic CD reissues called Keyboard Wizards of the Gershwin Era on the Pearl label. Currently available are Pauline Alpert, Dana Suesse, Arden and Ohman, Zez Confrey, Felix Arndt, Mike Bernard, Roy Bargy, Frank Banta, Rube Bloom, Vee Lawnhurst, Constance Mering, Muriel Pollock, and Raie da Costa. In addition to a doctorate from Stanford, Wodehouse holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.
13.
 Byran Reeder  Bryan Reeder is a 16-year-old sophomore at Northport High School.  He began his piano studies at the age of seven with Isabella Eredita.  When he was in middle school he became interested in jazz, and he began studies in jazz piano with Mike Capobianco.  Bryan is pianist in the high school jazz band, Suffolk All-County Jazz Ensemble, and the Nassau-Suffolk Jazz Ensemble.  He performs alternate Friday nights at Cooke's In, Huntington, and Elk Street Grille, Port Jefferson.  Bryan was recently awarded first place in the Peter Nero Piano Competition.  He will perform with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops next fall. 
14.
 Nevart Zeronian  Nevart Zeronian was born in Varma, Bulgaria. She received her High School Diploma at the Secondary Music School in Varma in 1976.  From 1976-1982 she attended the Conservatory for Music in Sofia, where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance. From 1982-1988, Miss. Zeronian taught piano at the Secondary High School in Varma. 

In 1988, she came to the United States. In 1994 she received her Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Central Arkansas.  Since then she resides in Long Island where she teaches piano at Yamaha and Alvanos Schools and gives solo and chamber music recitals.
15.
 Russell Stevenson  Russell Stevenson is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Columbia University, with graduate studies at the University of Michigan and New York University.  His teachers have been Wisdom St. Bishop of New York, Howard Goding of Boston, Edgar Schiffman of Vienna, Austria, and Eugene List of New York.  He has concertized extensively on the eastern seaboard and in the midwest as soloist, with chamber groups and as accompanist to many artists.  He has also appeared as soloist with Boston "Pops", Babylon Symphonette, Massapequa Chorale and Orchestra, New York Brass Choir, and Nassau-Suffolk Training Orchestra. He was a soloist with the Stony Brook University Orchestra and Suffolk  Community College Chamber Orchestra.  Mr. Stevenson is a Professor at Suffolk County Community College.
16.
 Walter Winterfeldt  Walter Winterfeldt, pianist, is a native New Yorker and graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. Among his teachers are Raymond Lewenthal, Donal Nold, and Dalton Baldwin. He is a recipient of the Chaminade Music Award, and the Gramma Fisher Award. As a collaborative pianist he has performed extensively in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and in Europe. He has accompanied the masterclasses of Gerard Souzay, Hermann Prey, Regina Resnik, Licia Albanese,and Hugues Cuenod. Mr. Winterfeldt is currently a vocal coach at the Manhattan School of Music, and on the music faculty at Five Towns College on Long Island. He has recorded a solo piano CD, and a disc of 20th century violin works with Christopher Lee. 
17.
 Russell Karpp From the time Russ began taking piano lessons in Oyster Bay, New York at age 7, the only one who would listen to him play was his dog, Kelly. When Kelly died, he decided to become a lawyer.  (Now no one will listen to him.) No less a factor in his choice of career was his discovery, soon after matriculating at the University of Rochester, that students at the Eastman School practice substantially more than 45 minutes a day.  Although he has not taken piano lessons since his last teacher at Eastman insisted on scheduling his lesson for 10 a.m. -- well before his fingers were awake for the day -- he still plays just often enough to annoy his wife, Sandy, his son, Sam, and his daughter, Mara.
18.
 Rosemary Caviglia  Rosemary Caviglia has performed solo and duo recitals in major cities throughout the United States and has appeared as soloist with the Palo Alto Symphony and the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra.  In March 2000 she made her solo recital debut at Weill Recital Hall in New York City. 

Ms. Caviglia received her doctorate from New York University and completed her Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music.  Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree at San Jose State University where she was a student of Aiko Onishi. 

While pursuing her doctoral studies at NYU, Ms. Caviglia was introduced to the music of Leo Kraft.  She began a lengthy study of Kraft's music that culminated in her dissertation, "The Solo Piano Music of Leo Kraft."  Since then she has performed his works extensively and premiered several piano works, including five Piano Preludes, which are dedicated to her. 

Committed to the performance of American Music by living composers, Ms. Caviglia has premiered during this past season new works by Lawrence Moss, Robert Gibson, Marc Consoli and others.  In October 2001 she will perform for the first time as a complete set the Fourteen Inventions of Ruth Schonthal. 

Ms. Caviglia is currently on the piano faculty at the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City where she serves as Piano Department Chairperson.  She has recorded with clarinetist Esther Lamneck works by Leo Kraft on two recordings recently issued on Capstone Records (CPS-8641 
and CPS 8649). 
19.
 Laura D'Alessio  Laura D'Alessio is a piano teacher in the Long Island area. She graduated from Hofstra University in 1998 where she studied with Morton Estrin. She is currently studying with Lawrence Schubert.
20.
 Pat Cestaro  Currently residing in Northport, Pat Cestaro comes to us from a family of four generations of musicians.  She speaks fondly of an uncle who attended Julliard in the forties, a grandmother who retired from teaching piano and organ at 82 and a mother who enjoyed playing the piano and trumpet over the course of her life. Inspired by this background, Pat began studying piano at age 5. Over the years she has studied with Howard Rovics and Anne Chamberlain both privately and at Long Island University. During her early teaching years Pat developed and taught a music program for the developmentally disabled in Nassau County for two years. Strongly aware of generational ties she has presented a series of recitals featuring duets, trio and quartets played by multigenerational family members. While maintaining her private practice she has worked in the Northport school district accompanying performing groups.  Her daughter Jennifer carries on the family tradition by teaching saxophone and piano while she attends Hofsta University.

    Pat has been instrumental in introducing innovative teaching techniques. She and her students participated in the Keyboard festival for its duration. She has organized a four hand piano concert series for children in Northport. She organizes and coordinates the Northport Ecumenical Council Sunrise Easter Services at the park, where local students are recruited to participate in an instrumental ensemble and chorus. She was one of the cofounders of Noteworthy, the Northport piano teachers group. She is active in the Suffolk Piano teachers Forum and Guild.

  Blessed with a strong work ethic, a love of children, and a gift for teaching Pat is one of the areas busiest teachers. Her passion for music and teaching serves as a model for a new generation of musicians and teachers. 
21.
 Peter Vinograde An outstanding interpreter of J.S. Bach and 20th century composers, Peter Vinograde's annual tours of  North America and Asia inevitably feature music of living composers.  A series of performances and lectures on the Copland Piano Fantasy throughout 1999 and 2000 to commemorate the Copland Centennial culminated in a new Phoenix CD featuring works by Copland, Creston, and Zuckerman.  A regular at the Oyster Bay Beethoven Festival since 1984, he has appeared as a chamber musician with the North Country Chamber Players, the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, and the St. Luke's Players at Caramoor.  Dr. Vinograde's numerous awards began with first prize in the 1971 J.S. Bach Int'l Competition, followed by his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall and an  N.E.A.-sponsored Tully Hall recital.  Earlier CDs are available on the Albany,  Catalina, and CBC labels.  A member of the Manhattan School of Music's piano faculty since 1981, he studied there with Zenon Fishbein. 

"It would be hard to imagine anyone nodding off during Vinograde's incendiary performances.  It's not simply that the clarity of the textures, the focus of his gestures, and the searing precision of his articulation give every measure a distinctive profile.  Beyond that, the punch of his rhythms (try the staggering toccata sections of the Zuckerman or the more extreme moments in the Copland Piano Fantasy) gives the music, even at its thickest, a rugged sense of linear progress, and his imposing left hand gives the climaxes a pulverizing sense of culmination.  The results can be almost harrowing in their concentrated intensity, but they inevitably sweep you along. In sum, this is astounding pianism." Rabinowitz, Fanfare, 10/01 

"Instantly impressed as a pianist with a big technique, a lively mind, and a passionate commitment to the music...an excellent recital."  N.Y. Times 

"Striking clarity (Bach)..Exquisitely sultry playing (Albeniz)..It was playing always musical, always intelligent, and panoramic in scope. There was no question of technique, really; the fire and fury consumed everything in sight.  For doing things in his own way, he has few peers."  L.A. Times 

"The highlight of the symphony's performance was the Rachmaninoff Concerto #3..Vinograde didn't falter..he attacked the frenzied presto passages with fiery passion and precision"..an "immense talent."   Dubuque Herald 
22.
 Steven Kaplan Steven Kaplan's early training began as a result of his obtaining a scholarship from The Ralph Brown (renamed Hazel Flax) Music  Foundation (Long Beach, NY).  Under the aegis of this scholarship, he studied piano with Bronislava Isdebsky and Jack Chaiken.   Mr. Kaplan also attended Mannes College of Music, Preparatory Division (New York, NY).  His attendance there, over a period of one year, was totally funded by a school scholarship.  He continued piano studies with Emily Harris (New York, NY), Maria Borisoff (Van Nuys, Ca), Joel Rosen (Ardsley, NY), and Robert Goldsand at Manhattan School of Music.  At this time, vocal study with Thomas LoMonaco at Theater/Opera/Music Institute (New York, NY) was also pursued.  Mr. Kaplan completed New Jersey and New York State Permanent Certifications as Teacher of Music, Grades K-12, a Master of Music Degree, and a Bachelor of Music Degree, both degrees with a major in Piano Performance.  The certifications and these degrees were all completed at Manhattan School of Music (New York, NY) and were totally funded by various scholarships. 

Mr. Kaplan gave solo piano recitals throughout the New York metropolitan area and performed on radio on WNYC FM and WBAI FM in 1976.  He also appeared in recitals at Febbraio School of Music (Mount Vernon, NY), Manhattan School of Music, Tremont Presbyterian Church (Bronx, NY), and in 1979, The Noonday Recital Series at Trinity Church (New York, NY).  During Summer, 1978, Mr. Kaplan was Music and Drama Counselor at Woodlane Country Day Camp (Irvington, NY).  He was a piano faculty member of The Academy of Music and Theater (Bronxville, NY), The Joel Rosen Association of Musical Instruction (Ardsley, NY), Mount Kisco School of Music (Mount Kisco, NY), Febbraio School of Music (Mount Vernon, NY), and Hammond Organ and Piano Center (Yonkers, NY).  Mr. Kaplan was Staff Dance Accompanist at Igor  Youskevitch School of Ballet (New York, NY), New York Academy of Ballet (New York, NY), YMCA (Huntington, NY), and Adelphi University (Garden City, NY).  Additionally, he has been Choral Accompanist for the Middle School and the High School (Hicksville, NY). 

Mr. Kaplan has continued to teach and perform since 1979.  He played a chamber music concert at The Mount Kisco Library (Mount Kisco, NY) in 1980, studied Jazz Piano with Michael Longo (Dizzy Gillespie's pianist/arranger, New York, NY), and then proceeded to play piano and sing in cabarets in many fine hotels, such as:  Hilton (Portchester, NY); Hilton (Parsippany, NJ); Marriott (Tarrytown, NY); and Grand Hyatt (New York, NY).  Mr. Kaplan arrived in Paris, France, in July, 1983, and performed at Hotel Nova-Park Elysees, Hotel La Perouse, Hotel Hilton-Orly, and Hotel de Crillon.  In addition, he performed in similar engagements in Germany and Switzerland.  Mr. Kaplan was instructor at Michel Sogny Center for Piano Instruction (Paris, France) from January, 1984, until October, 1986.  At this school he taught adults in groups, using a revolutionary and accelerated method of instruction developed by its director.  With his January, 1985, solo recital at The American Church, Mr. Kaplan made his first public appearance in Paris, France. 

Since 1985, Mr. Kaplan has obtained posts as Organist/Choir Director at Unity School of Christianity (Valley Stream, NY), Bellmore Presbyterian Church (Bellmore, NY), St. John's Lutheran Church (Long Beach, NY) and St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Bethpage, NY) where his prior experience as Chapel Pianist at The Salvation Army Men's Social Service Center (Mount Vernon, NY) has stood him in good stead.  He also has expanded his teaching activities to include classroom music in both private and public schools.  Additional performing activities have included an appearance in the Music Department at Barnes and Noble Book Store (Commack, NY).  Additionally, his hotel cabaret appearances recently included Holiday Inn (Westbury, NY), Windwatch Marriott (Hauppauge, NY), Huntington Hilton (Huntington, NY), and Sheraton (Smithtown, NY).  Mr. Kaplan has also been active as musical director and rehearsal/performance pianist for numerous regional and community musical theater productions.  Most notably, his position as Music Director for a U.S. Army Installation's theater program Zweibruecken, Germany) involved all of these responsibilities.  In conjunction with these musical theater-related activities, Mr. Kaplan, as Producer and Musical Director of a Rodgers and Hammerstein commemorative program in 1993 at Bald Hill Cultural Park (Farmingville, NY), honored the 50th anniversary of the opening night on Broadway of OKLAHOMA!.   This program featured Ms. Joan Roberts, the original soprano lead (Laurey) in the first two years of the show.  Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Roberts appeared together on the Joe Franklin Television Show (Channel 9, New York, NY), the Joel Martin Television Show (Long Island Cable One), and also made other radio and television appearances together in 1993.  Additionally, Mr. Kaplan appeared with Ms. Roberts in 1995 at The Garden City Library (Garden City, NY).  Mr. Kaplan also appeared at The Long Beach Library (Long Beach, NY) in 1990, accompanying soprano Anita Darian, a member of the original Broadway cast of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's FLOWER DRUM SONG.  Since 1993, Mr. Kaplan has accompanied numerous children's musical theater productions for The Open Stage and Plaza Productions (two  traveling musical theater companies based on Long Island, NY) and for Airport Playhouse (Bohemia, NY). 
23.
 Isabel Schwartz  Isabel Berg Schwarz was brought up in the Bronx, N.Y. She began her piano studies at the age of 4 1/2 with Belbina Brinina at the Greenwich House School.  At the age of 8, she was admitted to what is now known as the Juilliard Pre-College Division studying there with Ben Jones and later, Frances Mann.  She received her B.S. and M.S. Degrees from Juilliard as a scholarship student of Edward Steuermann and eventually performed in New York City's Town Hall as a Concert Artist Guild winner.  Isabel is about to retire from a career as a music teacher in New York City Schools.  She also teaches piano and performs both as a soloist and in duo-piano recitals with her husband, Lawrence.   Isabel has also been active for many years as an advocate for the developmentally disabled.  Her son, Lenny, resides in the group home on Franklin Ave. and also volunteers at the Northport Library. 
24.
 Isabella Eredita Johnson Isabella Eredita received both her Bachelors and Master's Degree from the Manhattan School of Music in piano performance, studying with Anna Shenderoff (a student of Isabel Vengerova), Robert Goldsand (student of Rosenthal) and Contance Keene. She currently teaches privately, at area colleges, and performs locally. 
       She began lessons at age 11. By 16, Isabella performed Beethoven's first piano concerto with the Suffolk Symphony, now known as The Long Island Philharmonic, and she was immediately spoiled into thinking that playing with fine orchestras would be a way of life. However, Isabella soon learned that, for her, a professional life in music had more to do with teaching Middle "C" than with playing to packed concert halls. Convinced that there is more to life, Isabella has branched out into other areas of the arts. Though her heartfelt love is always with the piano, she can be seen, at times, in costume, playing the zills and dancing to the beat of Middle Eastern music. 
       Isabella's biggest current challenge is juggling a professional career while raising a 12 year old whose sole interest in life is   skateboarding. Her second biggest current challenge is organizing the Diabelli concert. The idea of multiple pianists was stolen from Steinway and Son's. That venerable house assembled over 20 pianists in 1988 for a performance of the Schumann "Carnaval" at Carnegie Hall in celebration of the unveiling of their 500,000th piano. 
      Isabella is Co-Chair of the Northport Arts Coalition and a resident of Northport. 
25.
 Elizabeth Caserta  Elizabeth (Betty) Cella Caserta was a piano pupil of Clemence Strohl of Huntington, Jewel Bethany Hughs and Edwin Hughes of New York City prior to her studies with Leon Kushner at Manhattanville College (B.Mus.), Santos Ojeda, Robert Pace, and Martin Canin at Columbia University (M.A. in Music and Music Education). Mrs Caserta teaches piano, has taught school music, and has performed, mostly on Long Island, as piano soloist, duo-pianist, and accompanist.  She has sung (alto) in choruses and select groups in New York City and Long Island and is a member of her church choir.  She has worked as a volunteer in community arts, arts in education, church, and college alumni affairs.  For her efforts promoting the arts she has recieved a Distinguished Alumni in the Arts award from Manhattanville College and has been featured by the Huntington Township Branch of the American Association of University Women in the "Local Women in the Arts" series.  Mrs. Caserta and her husband, who reside in Lloyd Harbor, have a daughter and son and are creating a new business. 
26.
 Donna Gorelick  Donna was born into a musical family. Her dad (Harry Richman) was an instrumental music teacher for over 40 years. She began playing the piano before the age of three and was the accompanist for her elementary school choruses at the start of first grade. She was  a featured soloist for an All City Festival at the age of 10, accompanist for the Westchester County choral festival while in junior high school, and received a piano scholarship to the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati where she obtained  a degree in Piano Performance. She received a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University and was employed as a Music Therapist for over 10 years at Kings Park Psychiatric Center. She changed careers and decided to take over her dad's "business". For the past ten years she has been teaching music to students at Northport Middle School. She resides in Centerport with her husband Jerry, and children Jeremy and Sara. 
27.
 Richard Vallis Pianist Richard Vallis made his New York debut at the age of 16 at Carl Fisher Hall in 1956. Upon winning 1st Prize in piano competitions sponsored by the Queens Symphony Orchestra and the Queens College Orchestral Society at the ages of 19 and 20, he performed Beethoven's 4th and 5th Concertos respectively with these orchestras. After studying with Leopold Mittman, Dr. Vallis worked with Jeannette Haine andWolfgang Rose before attending Juilliard where he received a Masters degree while astudent of llona Kabos. After graduation from Juilliard, Richard Vallis began studies for his Ph.D. which hereceived from New York University in 1978. In addition to teaching music courses in the New School for Social Research, Post College and Nassau Community College and Five Towns College, he has performed extensively as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician in the Long Island and New York area and has appeared on Radio Station WQXR. His performance venues have included: Alice Tully Hall, Hunter College Auditorium, Lefrak Hall, Colden Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. 
28.
 Cullan Bryant  Cullan Bryant is among the most active chamber and collaorative pianists in New York City, maintaining a schedule of over 50 recitals a year.  He has performed with such artists as Emanuel Borok, David Geber, Olch Krysa, Midori, Sviatoslav Moroz, Peter Rejto, and Peter Winograd.  He has also appeared in recitals with members of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, New York City Ballet Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Boston Symphony and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in such venues as Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, and Detroit's Orchesta Hall.  Mr. Bryant made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1992 in recital with violinist Patmore Lewis. 

Mr. Bryant has performed throughout Michigan, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Tennessee and Wisconsin.  Festival appearances have included the Serenates de Platja d'Aro and the Porta Ferrada festivals in Spain, the Chateau de la Napoule in France, Lake Winnepesaukee Music Festival in New Hampshire, Palm Beach Invitational Series in Florida, and the Shandelee Piano Festival in New York, among many others.  Mr. Bryant was on the faculty of the Academy of Music Summer Festival in New Jersey for the past 3 years. 

Cullan began playing the piano at age two, giving his first public recital at age six.  At eleven he toured campuses in his native Arkansas and in Texas including several televised recitals.  His prizes and awards include the Leschetizky International Competition, the National Arts Club of New York, the Memphis Beethoven Competition, Miami Arts Competition, and a certificate of outstanding citizenship from Arkansas Governor Frank White.  His college studies were with Robert Goldsand and Artur Balsom at the Manhattan School of Music.  He is engaged to tour Japan in the summer 2002 with violinist Midori. 
29.
 Remy D'Esposito  Remy D'Esposito works in the Northport Schools, teaching General music and directing the choirs at Northport Middle Shool. He began teaching in the NYC school system, teaching band in LIC, Queens.  He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Queens College, where he studied composition with Hugo Weisgall and Henry Weinberg. He plays both the piano and the saxophone professionally, and especially loves playing jazz and classical music.  He and his wife, Rosanne, are the proud parents of three boys, Remy, Nicholas, and Joseph.
30.
 Erasmia Voukelatos  Erasmia Voukelatos, Canadian pianist of Greek descent, has been active as a pianist, teacher, music director, concert series presenter and most recently, as a sales and marketing director at a high-end piano showroom. In her role as Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the West-Park Chamber Society, she has attracted New York City audiences for her diverse and appealing programming and quality artistry. At Faust Harrison Pianos, she has formalized the Preferred Teacher Program, an interactive seminar and recital program for pianists and teachers, and she is Assistant Director of the Pianists for the New Millenium Recital Series. 

Her main passion continues to be the piano.  Erasmia has concertized throughout Canada and the United States as a soloist and chamber musician. Recent performances have included a performance of the Mozart Concerto in A Major (K. 488) with the Canadian ensemble Mercredi Musique, and a recital tour of southern States with violinist Laurin Smith. Locally, (in New York City), she has performed at Steinway Hall, the St. Bart's Chapel Series, Lincoln Center's Clarke Theater, and the Roerich Museum, and has premiered new works for Friends and Enemies of New Music. She loves to collaborate with her husband, violinist Ashley Horne. 

Erasmia holds a Master of Music degree from Brooklyn College, and her performance of Bach's D Minor Keyboard Concerto was released on the CD The Best of Brooklyn. Her mentors and coaches have included Rita Bouboulidi, Sonja Behrens, Josephine Parrott Mary Norris, Robert MacDonald, and Seymour Bernstein. In addition to being a scholarship student at the Aspen School of Music, Ms. Voukelatos holds an Honors Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario (Canada) and an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
31.
 Leopold Godowsky III  Pianist, teacher, and composer, Leopold Godowsky III has concertized, taught piano, and written music for many different media.  Heir to a great musical tradition, he is the nephew of George Gershwin and grandson of the legendary pianist/composer Leopold Godowsky.  Growing up in this musical environment he learned much about his grandfather's musical ideas and technical skills from his father, Leopold, Jr., also an accomplished musician and professionally trained concert violinist. 

A graduate of Columbia University where he received both his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in music, Leopold Godowsky III subsequently worked in the field of music publishing and concert management before he embarked on a career in music.  His musical training includes piano studies with David Saperton, Wolfgang Rose (student of Artur Schnabel and Walter Gieseking), composition with Charles Shackford (student of Paul Hindemith), and electronic-music composition with pioneer Vladimir Ussachevsky.  He has devoted many years to teaching piano privately and as a member of the faculty at Hartt College of Music.  He has also served as judge for various piano, vocal and composition competitions. 

Leopold Godowsky III's compositions have been noted for their masterful architecture, broad emotional spectrum, and beautifully shaped melodies with inner voices that create a three dimensional effect.  His compositions include string quartets, brass quintets, wind quintets, an oratorio, a piano concerto based on his Brass Quintet "The Garden of Earthly Delights", keyboard music, songs and music for interactive media. 

Having concertized in the United States and abroad, he has been praised for his beautiful tone, his flowing rhythmic vitality and his touching and powerful interpretations.  His CD of the Gershwin Concerto in F was chosen by Howard Reich (leading critic of The Chicago Tribune) as the best
available interpretation of this work and described it as "...one of the most romantic and heartfelt performances of the Concerto in F in the last three decades."
32.
 Lance La Bianca Mr. LaBianca is a virtuoso pianist and prolific composer. He began his piano studies in 1956, at the age of six, and continued formal studies in piano performance, music theory and composition  in a number of prestigious institutions, including: the Bella Shumiatcher School of Music, the Juilliard Prep Division, Oberlin, and the Manhattan School of Music where he completed his Bachelor of Music degree. 
   Some of Mr. LaBianca's piano teachers were: Solomon Mikowsky, Robert Armstrong, Wilber A. Price, John Owings, and Sonia Vargas. In the discipline of theory and composition, some of his teachers were: Saul Braverman, David Tcimpidis, Frances Goldstein, Noah Creshevsky, and Ludmilla Ulehla. 
   Mr. LaBianca has performed widely and in a variety of settings: as a choral pianist, with the Westchester Choral Society; as a ballet pianist with the Steffi Nossen School; as an operatic pianist with the Amadeo Opera Company; in a variety of chamber music settings and as a soloist in such venues as Lincoln Center and Trinity Church. 
   Mr. LaBianca's compositions include symphonies, concertos, and chamber pieces, and they range in style and influence from Vivaldi and Wagner to Stravinsky and Hindemith. His  compositions have been performed in many venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
33.
 Tatjana Rankovich Miss Rankovich has premiered and recorded a number of works for piano never before heard in public. Her premiere recording of Nicolas Flagello's Second Concerto and Third Concerto, with David Amos and the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, was released to unanimous praise in 1996 by Vox Classics and was selected for the Want List 1999 by Fanfare magazine critic Adrian Corleonis. Phoenix USA released Miss Rankovich's CD American Piano Works in 1999, which features the premiere recording of Vittorio Giannini's piano sonata, as well as compositions of Flagello and Paul Creston. She has also recorded Flagello's Symphonic Waltzes for Klavier/Citadel. Acclaimed by audiences and critics for her youthful appeal, musical poise and technical power, Tatjana Rankovich has appeared in recital in the United States, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Malta, Great Britain, Brazil and Guadeloupe. She has also been a featured artist on the WQXR Young Artist Showcase and WNYC Around New York. Many of her performances as guest soloist with the Belgrade Radio Symphony have been broadcast live on radio and television. 

Born in Belgrade, Miss Rankovich won three prizes in national competitions by the time she reached the age of 18. A year later, she arrived in the U.S. to attend Juilliard, where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees, as well as the Judelson Award and a Teaching Fellowship. She also captured First Prize at the 1989 Artists International auditions. Her other awards include top prizes at the Olga Koussevitsky and the Young Keyboard Artists International Competitions. Miss Rankovich studied with Benjamin Kaplan, Zelma Bodzin, Josef Raieff, Clifton Matthews, and Arbo Valdma. She is currently on the piano faculty of the Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division in New York City.


Web page by George W. Hart.