Eugene Friesen

A graduate of the Yale School of Music where he studied with Brazilian cellist Aldo Parisot, Eugene Friesen is active internationally as a concert artist, composer, conductor and teacher. In 1995, 2005 and 2006 Eugene won Grammy Awards for musical contributions to three Paul Winter Consort albums: “Spanish Angel,” “Silver Solstice,” and "Crestone." He has worked and recorded with such diverse artists as Dave Brubeck, Toots Thielemans, Betty Buckley, Will Ackerman, Joe Lovano and Dream Theater.

Eugene's passion for the responsive flow of improvisatory music has been featured in concerts all over the world with the Paul Winter Consort and with Trio Globo (Friesen, Howard Levy and Glen Velez). He has performed as a soloist at the International Cello Festival in Manchester, England; Rencontres d'Ensembles de Violoncelles in Beauvais, France; the World Cello Congress in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Rio International Cello Encounter in Rio de Janeiro.

A love for children and music education led Eugene to create his popular program for young audiences, CelloMan, and has fueled his work teaching new cello techniques and improvisation in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America.

Recording credits include five albums of original music: "New Friend," "Arms Around You," "The Song of Rivers," "In the Shade of Angels," and "Sono Miho."

Eugene is an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and is on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Wendy, and four children.

Celloman.com 

Tim Ray

Perhaps best known as pianist for Lyle Lovett and Jane Siberry, Tim Ray’s wide-ranging skills as a soloist and accompanist have afforded him the opportunity to perform with legendary performers from all walks of music. Appearing on over 60 recordings to date, Tim has performed in concert with an extensive list of pop music icons, notably Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, Rickie Lee Jones, Willie Nelson, kd lang and Soul Asylum. He regularly performs with leading figures in the jazz world, among them Gary Burton, Scott Hamilton, Eddie Daniels, Bucky Pizzarelli, Lewis Nash and Rufus Reid, and his classical credits include solo performances and concerts with Gunther Schuller, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Boston Classical Orchestra.

www.agitatedcatmusic.com 

Doc Gibbs is one of the most sought after percussionists in the music industry today. Whether he's recording, touring or kickin' it up a notch with Emeril Lagasse, Doc musically operates on an audience with funky rhythms and with his vast assortment of traditional and unusual percussion instruments.

Doc received his so-called "Doc"-torate from the late, legendary jazz saxophonist, Grover Washington, Jr.  Prescribing a herbal remedy to the saxophonist, he became Doc when Grover announced to his audience, "...There are two doctors in Philly ... Dr.J (of the 76ers) and Doctor Gibbs."

Doc's love of hand drums and percussion instruments began in the early seventies, when he left the Pennsylvania Academy of Fines Art to pursue his real dream - a career as a master percussionist. Early in his career, Doc immediately caught the attention of the music industry's top artists, including George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Bob James, Al Jarreau and Anita Baker, to name a few. Most recently, Doc's percussive reputation has placed him in the studio with Wyclef Jean, Erykah Badu, Eric Benet and hot R&B producer, James Poyser, among others.

In 1997, Doc became the musical director for Emeril Live! -- The hottest cooking show on the cable Food Network (TVFN). Doc has been beating it up to a Manhattan television studio to add his funky flavors of hand drums and signature percussion instruments for a little extra spice into the pots of cooking guru, Emeril Lagasse.

Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Ted has pursued a career which has taken him to many parts of the world with many different artists. He is leader and composer for his own Brazilian jazz group, Brasilia, which has released its first CD to national acclaim. Ted has toured the world with Paul Winter, Marian McPartland, Stan Getz, Joe Williams, Eric Gale, Jack Wilkins, Gene Bertonzini, Joey DeFrancesco, and many others.

On tour, Ted has performed throughout the US and Canada, as well as Japan, Spain, England and Holland.  For several years, he lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, performing timpani and percussion with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, as well as touring and recording with one of Brazil's leading saxophonists, Victor Assis Brasil.

He has played in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Cathedral of St. John in New York, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and Suntory Hall in Tokyo

The Towne Singers Choir Ensemble
Directed by Beth Richey

The 90+ member Towne Singers was founded by Phyllis Winnaman in 1987 in La Cañada, CA. This non-auditioned community chorus has grown to become a well loved member of the surrounding communities of the Southern California Area. Members of the Towne Singers come from as far away as Long Beach, and Anaheim.

The Towne Singers have a wide variety of repertoire that includes great Classical Literature as well as Patriotic, Spirituals, Gospel, Broadway, Folk and even Popular music from today's spectrum. The chorus prides itself on being able to sing any repertoire in any style.

The Towne Singers have appeared with the Pasadena Symphony, under the direction of John Rutter singing his "Requiem" at Carnegie Hall in January of 2004, and again singing Vavaldi's "Gloria" at Carnegie Hall in 2006. They have been invited to many select invitational festivals and toured internationally in 2005. The Towne Singers have also been honored with citations of artistic excellence by the State of California, and the City of La Cañada Flintridge.

www.townesingers.org