October 21, 2011
Friday at 8PM in the Meetinghouse
Chin Yun Chorus

Chin Yun Chorus, Inc,. is a non-profit, non-political, secular and tax-exempt organization. It was established in 1985 and  consists of a group of amateur singers residing in New Jersey. Over the years, Chin Yun Chorus has grown both in membership and audience.

Dr. Victor Shen - Artistic & Music Director
Dr. Shen has extensive teaching and performing experience with vocal groups in Taiwan and in the United States. He has taught in school, church and university settings, working with youth, children and adults for many years. He was on the music faculty at Tung Hai University and Kaoshiung Normal University, Music Director of the National Taiwan University Chorus, Chorus Master for Bel Canto Opera Company in New York as well as National Taiwan Symphonic Chorus in Taipei, and host of a weekly radio program in Taichung that showcased choral music.

He is the founding director and conductor of several community choirs in Taiwan including the New Era Choral Society, winner of a government grant for Excellence in Arts and Performance three years in a row. Dr. Shen holds advanced degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Maryland. He has served as guest conductor and lecturer for professional conferences in Asia as well as the United States.

Ms. SunHee Lim - Chorus Conductor
Ms Lim graduated from Westminster Choir College of Rider University where she achieved the Master of Music in Choral Conducting. She obtained the Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea. Before she came to the States, she performed extensively as a chorister and a soloist of Pueri Cantores in South Korea and Europe. She also was the assistant conductor of Pueri Cantores of Daegu from 2000 to 2005.

She participated in the Internationaal Gregorians Festival van Watou in 2000 and 2006. While she was studying at Westminster Choir College, she was a graduate assistant of Westminster Kantorei and honor conductor of the 2009 Spring Convocation. Currently, she is the conductor of Chin Yun Chorus and the assistant conductor and soloist at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Roman Catholic Church.

Photographs compliments of the Chin Yun Chorus Website    <<<< Click here to visit.

June 3rd, 2011
Friday at 8PM in the Meetinghouse
Violinist Betty Zhou and Accompanist Sean Y Chen

Final concert of the 2010-2011 series

Violinist Betty Zhou

Betty has played in concert series with the NJ Symphony in 2006 and 2009 under Neёme Jarvi and  Emil de Cou, and with the Ocean City Pops, the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra and the Bloomfield Symphony.  She is currently in her third year undergraduate at the Juilliard School, studyingwith Naoko Tanaka and Hyo Kang.

Accompanist Sean Y Chen

 

 

Sean Chen is a second prize winner at the 2011 Seoul International Music Competition and prizewinner at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition. 

He is a Masters student at the Juilliard School, where he also received his Bachelors Degree. 

His teachers include Jerome Lowenthal, Matti Raekallio and teacher-mentor Edward Francis..

Thomas Gallant, oboist: Award-winning artist Thomas Gallant is one of the world’s few virtuoso solo and chamber music performers on the oboe and he has been praised by the New Yorker magazine as “a player who unites technical mastery with intentness, charm and wit.”  Mr. Gallant is a First Prize Winner of the Concert Artists Guild International New York Competition.  His performances have taken him to Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, to Los Angeles, Chicago, Vienna, Paris, to the Spoleto Festival in Italy and to the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. He has appeared as guest soloist with the Kronos Quartet at the Ravinia Festival and has collaborated with flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and with the Colorado and Lark Quartets and the Adaskin String Trio.  Recent performances include a concert of solo and chamber music works for the oboe at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC and tours across the United States as soloist with the Martinu Chamber Orchestra from Prague.

Pedja Muzijevic made his New York recital debut in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall as a recipient of the Juilliard School’s coveted William Petschek Award. His many honors include top prize in the Busoni International Piano Competition and a finalist diploma in the Naumburg International Piano Competition, as well as special prizes of the Chopin Society, Warsaw, and the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon.

One of the most versatile of artists, Bosnian-born, Mr. Muzijevic has been widely praised for his interpretations of the standard literature and for his imaginative programming. He has toured extensively as soloist with orchestras and as a recitalist throughout eastern and western Europe, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, South America and Asia.  His artistic curiosity has led him to explore both the music of the 18th and 19th centuries on period instruments.

Our concert on Sunday, March 13th at 3:00 pm featured three familiar artists from Rossmoor and Greenbriar. 

Gloria Montlack, soprano ─ Toby delGiudice, clarinet ─ Lois Smida, piano

Gloria is the Greenbriar resident while Toby and Lois live in Rossmoor. These three performed here in 2007 at one of our “winter” concerts. They are three professional talents who gave us a very entertaining afternoon as they did four years ago.

November 12, 2010
Friday at 8PM
Evan Drachman, cellist

"Cellist Evan Drachman has combined artistic talent with great personal warmth and compassion to create a distinctive musical career. Mr. Drachman is increasingly sought-after both for his solo and chamber music performances, and as one of the most respected authorities on the presentation of live classical music for diverse audiences. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Piatigorsky Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to make live classical music a part of the fabric of everyday life, especially for communities who would otherwise not have the opportunity to hear it. The organization is named for Evan Drachman's grandfather, the cellist Gregor Piatigorsky.

In 1999, Mr. Drachman released his first solo CD, 'A Frog He Went a Courting', with pianist Richard Dowling. The Baltimore Sun's Steven Wigler wrote of the recording: 'Drachman possesses in abundance two qualities for which his grandfather was revered: the ability to make the cello imitate the human singing voice and, even more important, the ability to tell a story.'

Since graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music in 1988, Mr. Drachman has appeared regularly as soloist with orchestras, in recitals and chamber music performances across the United States. He has also played recitals in India, Great Britain, Sweden, Italy and Canada. He toured the Far East as soloist with the Chinese-American Symphony in Taipei and giving recitals in Hong Kong and Macau. In 1994, Mr. Drachman performed with the Odessa Philharmonic in Odessa and Kiev. In July 1997, at the invitation of Mstislav Rostropovich, he returned to Russia to perform as soloist with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under Maestro Rostropovich at the Second World Cello Congress.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Evan Drachman studied at the Peabody Conservatory, the New England Conservatory, and the Curtis Institute of Music. His principal teachers were Stephen Kates, Laurence Lesser, Luis Garcia-Renart, William Pleeth, and Orlando Cole. He has spent his summers performing at music festivals including Aspen, Yale at Norfolk, the Park City International Music Festival, the Banff Center for the Arts in Canada, Prussia Cove in Aldeburgh, England and at the Cennina Music Festival in Italy.

Mr. Drachman has a special love for Alaska and returns frequently to perform for the Sitka Summer Music Festival at the invitation of the Festival's founder, violinist Paul Rosenthal."

Courtesy of the The Piatigorsky Foundation Website

2010
Friday, October 15 at 8PM
Abe Minzer, pianist

"Pianist, Abe Minzer, is creator/director of 'Classically Alive'.  Under the sponsorship of the Pikes Peak Arts Council, Classically Alive hosts over 30 musicians and other artists, and features diverse monthly at-home music/arts salons, in addition to programs at venues across Colorado.  Highlights of the 2008 season included collaborations with American Cancer Society, and the Dos Americas guitar duo. The 2006 & 2007 salons featured the complete Schubert song cycles, Mostly Mozart, and 7 programs on Brahms and Schumann.  Beyond the great food and camaraderie, the salons host many styles of music, including contemporary, as well as provide a venue for painters, poets and discussion. 

Minzer earned a doctorate in music at West Virginia University, and taught piano and chamber music at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.  He plays concerts throughout Colorado and the US, and has appeared as piano soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major with the Pittsburgh Symphony.  Dr. Minzer performed the world premiere of the chamber version of “Suite Indiana” by Argentine composer, Jorge Cardoso with the Dos Americas guitar duo in 2008, including a performance at the Colorado College 2008 Summer Music Festival.  With its highly favorable reception, Minzer and Dos Americas in early 2009 gave 15 performances of Suite Indiana during their Colorado state-wide tour.

Dr. Minzer has performed and introduced compositions of Ofer Ben-Amots’ at many venues, including Classically Alive, Temple Beit Torah, and for the PILLAR Adult Education school.  Currently, Dr. Minzer is an instructor at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), most recently teaching a course in 20th Century Music.  Abe lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Dr. Carol Schreuder, and he enjoys the wilderness, travel, cooking and reading."

courtesy of Dr. Minzer's website. Click HERE to view.

2010
Friday, September 24 at 8PM
Donald Sheasley, baritone

This baritone has continued to amaze with his powerfully ringing Verdi voice in concert, recital and full-blown opera performances throughout Central NJ, especially with the young company — Opera Project of Lambertville – New Hope area.

Don is familiar to Rossmoor having been a soloist at the Community Church services several times annually since 1982.

A singer of non-opera music from his early church choir days at age 8 to community and academic venues through age 42, Don did not first fathom an opera score until he was 43. Having only private training with several singer teachers, Don has sung several scores of roles in the last 33 years – from Escamillo to Sarastro to Count Almavira to Horace Tabor – almost the whole standard Baritone repertoire at one time or another.  A resident of Princeton, Don finds time to teach poetry courses at OLLIRU—the Rutgers offering for Life Long learners—to read for the local studio of RFB&D and to serve on a number of community-service boards.

He takes great pleasure in actively singing to support the efforts of small opera companies trying to keep their artistic work alive and to glorify that most wonderful of cultural and artistic endeavors, opera!

2010
Friday, June 18/2010, 8PM in the Meetinghouse
      Afiara String Quartet  

2010
Friday, May 21/2010, 8PM in the Meetinghouse
     The Three Tenors with Jeffrey Uhlig, piano.

Cody Austin, Tenor

Cody Austin hails from Spring, Texas, and holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. While doing graduate work at Indiana University, he performed the role of George Gibbs in the world premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. He was seen last September in Concert Operetta Theater's production of Countess Maritza as Tassilo.

Mr. Austin's awards include Two Awards in The 2008 Giargiari Competition at The Academy of Vocal Arts, Second Prize in the Dallas Opera Guild Young Artist Competition (2006), the Ralph Appelman Award for Vocal Promise (2006), and, Second Prize in the Mario Lanza Institute Scholarship Competition in Philadelphia in 2007.  Mr. Austin is a graduate of The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he performed the role of Kudrjas in last season's production of Kat'a Kabanova, Obadiah in Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Gastone in La Traviata.

He has also performed concerts with the New Jersey Master Chorale, The Ambler Symphony, The Jupiter Symphony of New York, The Ocean City Pops, and Annapolis Opera.  In the summer of 2008 he performed the role of St. Brioche in Opera New Jersey's production of The Merry Widow.

Michael Gallant, Tenor

Michael Gallant was recently named the first place winner of the Washington DC Vocal Arts Society Discovery Series, through which he made his Kennedy Center recital debut.   An active opera singer, he has performed the roles of Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia  and Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, with Annapolis Opera.  He has also sung Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff, and Laurie in Mark Adamo’s Little Women.  He has sung with companies throughout the country, and was an apprentice artists with both Central City Opera and the  Ohio Light Opera Company.  He recently made his New York City debut in a concert of arias at the New York Public Library Donnell Center.

In addition, Mr. Gallant is a sought after oratorio soloist and recently was the tenor soloist for Saint-Saens’s Christmas Oratorio with the New Dominion Chorale.  He has performed the St. John and St. Matthew Passion Evangelist roles, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation, as well as numerous Bach cantatas with organizations such as the Detroit Chamber Players, the University Musical Society, Washington Summer Sings, and the Baltimore Master Chorale. 

Mr. Gallant holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Randall Reid-Smith, Martin Katz, and Theodore Morrison.  He also attended the Eastman School of Music.

Mr. Gallant’s future performances include an appearance as the tenor soloist for Berlioz’s Te Deum with the Cathedral Choral Society under the baton of Riley Lewis in the spring of 2009.

TAYLOR STAYTON, Tenor

Taylor Stayton, a native of Sidney, Ohio, received his BM degree at the Ohio State University. He is currently a third year resident artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.  During his residency there he has performed a number of roles including Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Percy in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, and Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti.  In the fall of 2009 he will add the role of Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff  to his repertoire.   In the summer of 2009 Mr. Stayton made his debut with Opera New Jersey singing the role of Arturo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lamermoor. 

Mr. Stayton also competed in the Loren Zachery competition in 2009 receiving 3rd place as well as competing in the Licia Albenese – Puccini competition and winning 1st place. 

He appeared as Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff in a recent production by Rome Opera directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

Jeffrey Uhlig has appeared as collaborative pianist in many concerts in America and also has performed in Russia.  Some of his notable performances have been at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York.  After a joint recital at Weill Recital Hall, Tim Page of  The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Uhlig...proved a Mozartean of poise and elegance." His longtime collaboration with Metropolitan Opera Mezzo Soprano Barbara Dever has earned him great praise, most recently from Robert Baxter of The Camden Courier Post who wrote; "Throughout the recital, pianist Jeffrey Uhlig enfolded Dever's voice with warm-toned accompaniments.  Uhlig played commandingly throughout the recital."  He plays regularly with David Kim, Concert Master, The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mr. Uhlig studied piano with William Masselos and Gaby Casadesus and studied art song literature with Dalton Baldwin.  He received a Master of Music Degree from West Chester University. 

Jeffrey Uhlig has performed with many outstanding singers and instrumentalists including many members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, The New York Philharmonic and The Metropolitan Opera.  He is in demand as a chamber music player, vocal coach and accompanist and is a faculty member at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where he holds The Lilian Kraus Felber Distinguished Faculty Chair in Piano.  In New Jersey, Mr. Uhlig is Principal Keyboard with Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Principal Keyboard and Vocal Coach with The Ocean City Pops Orchestra.

2010
Friday, April 16/2010, 8PM in the Meetinghouse
      Trio Fidele (flute, cello and piano)   

2010
Sunday, March 28/2010, 4PM at the Meetinghouse
           The Annual March Appreciation Concert      

Our featured soloist was Jonathan Sills, baritone, whose varied program we are sure will be a delight to Rossmoor music lovers. He was accompanied by Kevin O’Malia on piano. This free concert is given to show our appreciation for the support of our loyal subscribers, and is open to the public. While there is no charge for this concert, a small donation from non-subscribers will be most welcome. 

Jonathan Sills, a native of Dallas, has been acclaimed for his convincing performances on the concert stage, in opera, and in music theater. His abilities as an interpreter and performer were deeply influenced by his studies at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in voice and theater, and by his graduate studies in opera at the University of Illinois.

Mr. Sills has performed with the Greater Miami Opera, Central City Opera, Pennsylvania Opera theater, Eugene Opera and at many concerts, operas and recitals in the U.S. and abroad.  He has also been the recipient of many prestigious awards and prizes, and has studied with various famous teachers and coaches.

2009                 

Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Charles Salinger
Principal Clarinet, The Delaware Symphony Orchestra And The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra

Charles Salinger is Principal Clarinetist with The Delaware Symphony Orchestra and has been a member of the Orchestra since 1978.  He has appeared many times as soloist with The Delaware Symphony and is a member of The Delaware Symphony Woodwind Quintet.  He is also Principal Clarinet with The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra.
 
Mr. Salinger attended Temple University and then accepted a full scholarship to attend The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from which he graduated in 1977.  While at Curtis, he studied with Anthony Gigliotti, Principal Clarinetist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and worked with such notable musicians as Vladimir Sokoloff, Karen Tuttle, John deLancie, Isidore Cohen and Sol Schoenbach.  As a member of The Curtis Institute Symphony Orchestra he played under conductors James Levine, William Steinberg, Claudio Abbado, William Smith, Alexander Schneider, Rafael Frubeck deBurgos and Richard Woitech.

Charles Salinger has also played with the Houston Opera Company, The Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company, The Reading, Allentown and Lancaster Symphonies and The Philly Pops under Peter Nero.  As a substitute clarinetist with The Philadelphia Orchestra he has played under Eugene Ormandy, Ricardo Muti, Leonard Bernstein, Eric Leinsdorf, Zuben Mehta and Wolfgang Sawallisch.  

Jeffrey Uhlig, pianist

Jeffrey Uhlig has appeared as collaborative pianist in many concerts in America and also has performed in Russia.  Some of his notable performances have been at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York.  After a joint recital at Weill Recital Hall, Tim Page of  The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Uhlig...proved a Mozartean of poise and elegance." His longtime collaboration with Metropolitan Opera Mezzo Soprano Barbara Dever has earned him great praise, most recently from Robert Baxter of The Camden Courier Post who wrote; "Throughout the recital, pianist Jeffrey Uhlig enfolded Dever's voice with warm-toned accompaniments.  Uhlig played commandingly throughout the recital."  He plays regularly with David Kim, Concert Master, The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mr. Uhlig studied piano with William Masselos and Gaby Casadesus and studied art song literature with Dalton Baldwin.  He received a Master of Music Degree from West Chester University. 

Jeffrey Uhlig has performed with many outstanding singers and instrumentalists including many members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, The New York Philharmonic and The Metropolitan Opera.  He is in demand as a chamber music player, vocal coach and accompanist and is a faculty member at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where he holds The Lilian Kraus Felber Distinguished Faculty Chair in Piano.  In New Jersey, Mr. Uhlig is Principal Keyboard with Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Principal Keyboard and Vocal Coach with The Ocean City Pops Orchestra.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 @ 8PM in the Meetinghouse
   Avery Ensemble (violin, cello and piano)      

"Unique among American chamber ensembles, the Avery Ensemble performs a breadth of styles spanning the history of Western instrumental music.

For them the art music of the seventeenth century and that of the twenty-first belongs to one and the very same musical tradition – Purcell and Mozart become not merely ancestors to Brahms and Schnittke, but siblings.

The ensemble’s remarkable chemistry is revealed in performances that extract the utmost meaning from each work in its diverse repertoire. Unrivaled virtuosity, depth of understanding and passion distinguish their presentations of the standard chamber music repertoire, seventeenth-century music and post-modern masterpieces."

from the Avery Ensemble Website

Sept 4, 2009, Friday at 8PM in the Meetinghouse
   Frederick Moyer, pianist:

During over twenty years as a full-time concert pianist, he has established a vital and unique musical career that has taken him to forty-one countries and to such far-flung venues as Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Sydney Opera House, Windsor Castle, the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, Tanglewood, and the Kennedy Center.

He has appeared as piano soloist with world renowned orchestras including the Cleveland, Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, the St. Louis, Dallas, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Houston, Boston, Singapore, Netherlands Radio, Latvian, Iceland and London Symphony Orchestras, the Buffalo, Hong Kong and Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra of Brazil, and the major orchestras of Australia.

Mr. Moyer has over twenty recordings on the Biddulph, GM and JRI labels and these comprise works of over thirty composers reflecting his affinity for a wide variety of styles.

His enthusiam, exacting artistry, and adventurous programming have made him a favorite among audienes of all ages. In recital, his delightful commentary from the stage brings the audience into the heart of the musical experience.

Excepted from Gail McCarthy, Personal Representative, moyerconcerts@aol.com

Elizabeth Mann has served as principal flute of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble for the past seventeen seasons. She has toured the United States performing the Mozart Flute Concerto under the baton of Andrè Previn; traveled throughout Spain and Japan performing the Brandenburg Concerti with renowned violinist/conductor Jaime Laredo; and was guest artist at the Lochenhaus Festival in Austria under the direction of Gidon Kremer. In 1998 Ms. Mann and Mr. Kremer played the U.S. premiere of the Gubaidalina Concerto for Flute and Violin with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She began studying flute at age eight and won the Boston Young Artist Concerto Competition at age 12, performing as soloist with the Boston Symphony.  She is a graduate of Juilliard.  Miss Mann has played principal flute with the Minnesota Orchestra, the NJ Symphony and acting associate principal flute with the Boston Symphony.

Thomas Gallant, oboist: Award-winning artist Thomas Gallant is one of the world’s few virtuoso solo and chamber music performers on the oboe and he has been praised by the New Yorker magazine as “a player who unites technical mastery with intentness, charm and wit.”  Mr. Gallant is a First Prize Winner of the Concert Artists Guild International New York Competition.  His performances have taken him to Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, to Los Angeles, Chicago, Vienna, Paris, to the Spoleto Festival in Italy and to the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. He has appeared as guest soloist with the Kronos Quartet at the Ravinia Festival and has collaborated with flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and with the Colorado and Lark Quartets and the Adaskin String Trio.  Recent performances include a concert of solo and chamber music works for the oboe at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC and tours across the United States as soloist with the Martinu Chamber Orchestra from Prague.

Pedja Muzijevic made his New York recital debut in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall as a recipient of the Juilliard School’s coveted William Petschek Award. His many honors include top prize in the Busoni International Piano Competition and a finalist diploma in the Naumburg International Piano Competition, as well as special prizes of the Chopin Society, Warsaw, and the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon.

One of the most versatile of artists, Bosnian-born, Mr. Muzijevic has been widely praised for his interpretations of the standard literature and for his imaginative programming. He has toured extensively as soloist with orchestras and as a recitalist throughout eastern and western Europe, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, South America and Asia.  His artistic curiosity has led him to explore both the music of the 18th and 19th centuries on period instruments.

April 17, Friday at 8PM in the Meetinghouse: Shea Velloso, organ recital.

Mr. Velloso is the Organist and Choir Director at the United Methodist Church in Milltown, NJ. Their website offers a streaming audio organ recording of Mr. Velloso playing "Chant and Toccata - O filii et Filiae" by Lynnwood Farnam. Click HERE to go to their website and hear his recording of this piece.


Shea Velloso is in his final year of studies as an Organ Performance major at Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he studies with Dr. Antonius Bittmann. He has previously studied with Mark Trautman and Dr. Paul Hoffmann, and has taken numerous master-classes. In 2004, Shea was the recipient of the Elizabeth W. Durham Award for Performance. He has performed recitals in Jamesburg, Monroe Township, New Brunswick, Red Bank,
and South Amboy. Shea has performed on the radio show "Pipedreams" and for Metuchen Television.

As Director of Music at the United Methodist Church at Milltown, Shea is the organist, director of the church's three choirs and is responsible for planning and directing the concert series. He previously served as Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg. In addition to his job at the Methodist Church, Shea serves as the accompanist for
Philomusica Concert Choir, Spotswood High School Chorus, and the Ocean Grove Chamber singers.

March 8, Sunday at 3PM in the meetinghouse this was a free concert (no tickets required) for all Rossmoor Residents.

Violinist Betty Zhou

Born in 1990, Betty Zhou began her violin studies at the age of four at the Woodbridge Academy of Music. At the age of eight she gave her first public recital at the Marryott Music Hall at Rutgers University, and entered Juilliard’s Pre-College Division in 1999 as a student of Dorothy Delay and Naoko Tanaka.

Betty is the winner of numerous competitions, including the 2002 Philadelphia Orchestra Festival’s Concerto Competition, the 2003 Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competition, and the 2006 New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Auditions, as well as a recipient of the New Horizons Fellowship at Aspen Music Festival. Her solo performances include a concert series in 2007 with the NJSO under Neeme Jarvi, broadcast on WQXR, and a benefit concert in Avery Fisher Hall with the Herald Crusades Chamber Orchestra. Other performances include concertos with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, the Edison Symphony Orchestra, the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra, the Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Battleground Symphony. She has performed in both solo and chamber music recitals in international music festivals such as Aspen and Great Mountains in Korea, and frequently plays recitals and chamber music in Juilliard’s Paul Hall, Morse Hall, and the Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

Betty is also an accomplished pianist, achieving high honors in the Piano Teacher’s Society of America Auditions and subsequently performing both violin and piano in Carnegie’s Weill Hall.

A member of JP Stevens High School’s Class of 2008, she graduated Pre-College with honors in the same year and currently studies with Naoko Tanaka and Hyo Kang as a freshman at the Juilliard School.

Accompanist Sean Y Chen

Sean Y Chen, 20, is a junior at The Juilliard School. Throughout his career, Sean has had the opportunity to play with several orchestras - most recently the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the New West Symphony and the Ginastera Piano Concerto no. 1 with the Juilliard Orchestra.

His numerous awards include 1st place in the Juilliard Concerto Competition for the Ginastera Piano Concerto no. 1, 1st Place at the Glenn Miller Scholarship competition in Clarinda, Iowa, and many others.

He received a Level I scholarship in the 2006 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts ARTS Week and was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2006 Presidential Scholar.

Mr. Chen has been playing concerts throughout California and in New York. This past October he recorded a Stravinsky transcription with an orchestra under the baton of Robert Craft. Mr. Chen has also been performing regularly for the Young Artist Guild of the Music Teachers Association of California at various locations such as Chapman University, Thousand Oaks, Pasadena City College and the Fresno City College. Mr. Chen regularly plays in the Piano Forum Seminars and Piano Performance Classes at Juilliard.

Though solo repertoire is a big part of Mr. Chen's musical repertoire, he is also involved in chamber music in school. He has explored the repertoire of chamber music with violin, cello, and other ensembles. He has also collaborated with other pianists in two-piano repertoire. He also enjoys accompanying instrumentalists throughout the school year.

Philadelphia Brass is dedicated to educating the public to the pleasures and subtleties of brass chamber music through clinics and residencies at conservatories, universitities, and in communitities across America.

Its repertoire is chosed from an array of classical and popular music including exciting new works commissioned by Philadelphia Brass from compoasers such as Daniel Pinkham, David Diamond, JSCRedford, Larry Lipkis, and Dick Hyman.

Click HERE for a flyer about Philadelphia Brass.
Click HERE to go to their website.

Design by RCC