Harris Becker, Guitar - Director

Harris Becker,
solo guitar

Guitar x2

HARRIS BECKER has had a rich and varied career as a guitarist and lutenist. He has performed extensively both as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Mexico, and Canada. His interest in contemporary music has offered him the opportunity to premiere many new works by renowned composers including Carlo Domeniconi, Hayley Savage, Raoul Pleskow, Howard Rovics, and Johnny Reinhard. The Florida State Division of Cultural Affairs selected Mr. Becker to be part of Florida's Artist Residency Program, giving lecture/ demonstrations on the history of the guitar and performances on the lute and baroque guitar. Recent performances include: a concerto with the Ridgefield Symphony, chamber performances at the Long Island Guitar Festival and the University of Richmond, solo performances at the Islip Arts Council, Cos Cob Library, Long Island Classical Guitar Society and the Bristol Guitar Society. The director of the Bristol Guitar Society wrote: "…Harris Becker demonstrated considerable technical skill, musical knowledge and expertise…"

In addition to his career as a performer Harris Becker has been very involved in the musical world as an educator. He has given master classes in the United States, Europe, and Canada. He is director of guitar studies at Long Island University, and has been on the music faculties of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and the International Institute for Chamber Music at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. In 2007 Mr. Becker received a faculty recognition award for outstanding service from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Long Island University.

Mr. Becker is founder and director of the Long Island Guitar Festival, which is currently in its 18th season. His recordings include Catgut Flambo with guitarist Pasquale Bianculli. Fanfare Magazine wrote: "Becker and Bianculli have techniques that are beyond reproach. They eschew bright colors and a brash performance style, and they seem most comfortable with being mellow and quietly insinuating".

Website: www.harrisbecker.com

Laura Lessard, Guitar

LAURA LESSARD began studying the piano at an early age with her father, composer John Lessard. When she was thirteen she started taking guitar lessons with Stefano Michelucci. She continued her musical training at The Longy School of Music in Boston with Alfred Street and at The Manhattan School of Music with Sharon Isbin and Jerry Willard. She has performed on the guitar and lute throughout the Northeast, both as a soloist and chamber musician. In addition to her work as a performer she has been on the faculty of the Bronx House Music School, The Bay School of Music and The Usdan Center for the Performing Arts.

Barbara Fusco, Mezzo-Soprano

BARBARA FUSCO, mezzo-soprano, is a native of Long Island. She is a graduate of Long Island University, C. W. Post, where she is currently a member of the Voice Faculty. She enjoys an active freelance career as a soloist throughout the Tri-state area, and has also performed throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. She recently returned from a Concert tour of Zimbabwe, Africa and has been invited back for their 2007 season. In March, she will be performing in Germany and Prague. Ms. Fusco has sung roles with Center for Contemporary Opera, Opera on the Sound, and the West End Opera Company. Her orchestral appearances include the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Adirondak Festival Orchestra at Saranac Lake, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and at Alice Tully Hall under the direction of Robert Craft. She is a regular soloist of the acclaimed Musica Viva of New York and is a featured soloist on the Sunday Morning Broadcast of the All Souls Unitarian service on WQXR. Ms. Fusco appears on several recordings produced by Gregg Smith, including "Southern Harmony". She has also recorded Stravinsky's "Les Noces", " Persephone", and "The Rake´s Progress" under the baton of Robert Craft. She is a featured soloist on several recordings produced by Musica Viva under the direction of Walter Klauss. In addition to Long Island University, Ms Fusco has also taught private voice instruction and Theatre arts at the Allen-Stevenson School, the New York Entertainment Group, the Adirondack Festival at Saranac Lake, and maintains her own private studio as well.

Dale Stuckenbruck, Violin

DALE STUCKENBRUCK enjoys a diverse musical life in New York as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and teacher. His main studies were with his long-time mentor over three decades, the violinist, Erick Friedman, first at The North Carolina School of the Performing Arts and then at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received his D.M.A. in 1984. He has performed as soloist/concertmaster with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Philharmonia Virtuosi, New York Virtuosi, New York String Ensemble, Tchaikovsky Chamber Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony Orchestra, Dance Theater of Harlem, Queens Symphony, Dalton Choral, Masterworks, Music at St. Ignatius, Long Island Philharmonic and numerous Broadway shows, most recently "La Boheme". He has done extensive recording including the violin concerto by Lou Pelosi for CRI, and a Kultur Video with Erick Friedman.

Dale Stuckenbruck
on musical saw

He has recorded over 90 films and 60 commercial recordings. His Early Music interest have led him to perform concertmaster on Baroque violin for the "Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity," NYC, and for Music at St Ignatius, NYC. and as a guest lecturer on historically informed practices for the violin at the Juilliard School. As one of the leading players of the saw in the world he has premiered many new works as recitalist and soloist with orchestra. Recently he released the solo album "Sawing to New Heights" (www.classicalcds.net) which received rave reviews and features the pianist and composer Steve Margoshes. He has received international acclaim for his performance of the "Divination by Mirrors" by Michael Levine with the New Century Chamber Orchestra, the New York Virtuosi, and for "Ancient Voices of Children" by George Crumb, in performance for the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, and for the Grammy nominated recording of the same Crumb work for Bridge Records. Recently played for "MTV unplugged" with Korn. He has been featured in "Strings Magazine," "Korean Monthly Music Magazine," "Newsday," and was recently as a guest on "Emeril Live". On the LIU/C.W. Post faculty since 1986, he recently founded a Long Island based conductorless-string ensemble called "Kammermusik," for young talent. Many of his students perform in internationally renowned musical organizations. He is the assistant director of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival. Since 1975. He frequently appears in duo recitals with his wife, Heawon Kim, and with the Pierrot Consort, Leaf Peeper Concerts and L'Ensemble.

Valérie Bélanger, Soprano 

VALÉRIE BÉLANGER - In 2003, after completing College studies in Music and Languages, soprano Valérie Bélanger entered Quebec City's Conservatoire of Music and studied Voice with Hélène Fortin, then with Lyne Fortin. She completed her Masters last April.

On stage, she sang Mlle Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor, Mozart), Taumännchen (Hänsel und Gretel, Humperdinck), Carolina (Il Matrimonio Segreto, Cimarosa), among others. In November 2008, she was the solo soprano in Gilles Vigneault's Grand-Messe, broadcasted live across the country by Radio-Canada.

Valérie received the highest mark of any voice student in the music conservatories throughout Quebec for her final Bachelors recital in April 2007, has placed in the top four of her age group at the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition for the past three years and also won third place in 2008 Festival de Musique du Royaume. Last July, she was awarded the Hnatyshyn Foundation's 2008 Classical Voice Developing Artist Grant.

Alexander Dashnaw, Choral Conductor

ALEXANDER DASHNAW, Professor Emeritus of Music at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, has served as president of the Eastern Division of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and as president of the New York State Association of College Music Programs (NYSACMP). He has been the guest conductor of many regional, divisional and all-state choruses throughout the United States and has given many choral workshops for, among other, the American Guild of Organists (AGO) the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).

Professor Dashnaw has also been the artistic director of many festivals, including the Manhattan Choral festival, the Chicago Choral Festival, the Pacific Choral Festival in San Francisco, the Atlanta Choral Festival, the Jubilee Festival in Washington, D.C., the Strathclyde Festival in Glasgow, Scotland and the Tilles Invitational Choral Festival on Long Island.

His Long Island University choral groups have performed in every major concert hall in New York City with, among others, the National Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Queens Symphony, the Opera Orchestra of New York and the Sydney (Australia) Symphony Orchestra. His select groups have made 16 European concert tours, 2 tours of Mexico, and tours in both Canada and Korea. In addition, they have appeared, by invitation, at both National and Eastern Division Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) and the Music Educators National Conference (MENC).

Throughout his career, in addition to his contributions to music of, and research related to composers of the English Renaissance Madrigal, Alexander Dashnaw has also been a champion of new choral music. He has commissioned 38 new works for chorus, from over 30 recognized composers. Some of these works are "a cappella" and others are accompanied by piano, organ, instrumental ensemble or orchestra.

Professor Dashnaw will be directing the first Community Chorus for the summer festival.

Maureen Hynes, Cello

MAUREEN HYNES is Adjunct Professor of Cello and Director of Orchestral and String Studies at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. She is the conductor of the C.W. Post Orchestra, the conductor and creator of the C.W. Post String Ensemble, co-founder of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival, and Director of the Merriweather Consort which specializes in Renaissance music. Ms. Hynes enjoys an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. She performs regularly with the American Ballet Theater, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Orchestra of New York, American Composers Orchestra, the Bard Festival Orchestra, New York Virtuosi, the Westchester Philharmonic and the Queens Symphony. She has also appeared with the Royal Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, at the Spoleto and Aspen Festivals and at the Lake George Opera Festival. Her work in New York has also included substitute work in many Broadway shows and for the Radio City Christmas Show.

Her solo and chamber music appearances have included performances at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center, The New York Society for Ethical Culture and the Bayside Historical Society. A winner of the Concert Artist Guild Award with the Janus Ensemble, she is currently a member of the Pierrot Consort. She has performed in Europe, Canada, Korea and Hong Kong both as cellist and on the viola da gamba. She was also the creator and director of the C.W. Post Pre-College Music Program. She has been guest conductor for the Nassau All-County Festival at Tilles Center, the SCMEA Festival and the Long Island String Festivals in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

She is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music, where she received her B.M. and M.M. degrees. Ms. Hynes has given Cello Master Classes in Seoul, Korea and on Long Island and she has coached at the Mannes Pre-College Division. She has recorded for the Albany label. She is a member of Chamber Music America, Early Music America and the American String Teachers Association.

Heawon Kim, Piano

HEAWON KIM'S auspicious studies began in her native Korea where she appeared at the age of seven with the Korean Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic. Subsequently she won numerous competitions, appearing with these orchestras frequently on television and radio. After coming to this country in 1972 to the North Carolina School of the Performing Arts, she was under the guidance of Clifton Matthews. While studying with him, she won the Vittorio Giannini Award, the Southeastern Music Teachers Competition, and appeared with the Orchestra of the North Carolina School of the Performing Arts under the baton of Nicholas Harsanyi. Following rave reviews, she was brought to New York by Claude Frank, with whom she studied at the Mannes School of Music and subsequently she earned her Master of Music under Robert Goldsand at the Manhattan School of Music. She has performed for the classes of Erick Friedman, Josef Gingold, Janos Starker, Franco Gulli, and Andre Watts. Ms. Kim has been a soloist with regional orchestras in the United States and has appeared as chamber musician with such groups as the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Pierrot Consort, Rosewood Chamber Ensemble, Garrett Lakes Festival, Leonia Chamber Players, Leaf Peeper Concerts, and the Colonial Symphony. She has appeared with the KBS at the opening of the Sejong Arts Center in Korea. Much in demand as a partner in recitals, she has played as soloist and recital partner for Erick Friedman over many decades. She performs in recitals with such artist as Sanford Allen, Dennis Brott, Marion Davies, and her husband, Dale Stuckenbruck. She is on the faculty of LIU/C.W. Post as an instrumental accompanist and she is very active in the Korean musical community. She has worked with her husband, Dale Stuckenbruck to create the new chamber organization for young talent called "Kammermusik".

Veronica Salas, Viola

With her "fluidly lyrical" playing (New York Times), violist VERONICA SALAS is a versatile performer and teacher who has been featured as soloist, chamber musician and master class artist throughout the world. As soloist Salas has performed with Mostly Mozart, Aspen Music Festival, USC Symphony, C.W. Post Orchestra, Colonial and Westfield Symphonies. Under the auspices of the State Department, she has given recitals and master classes in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan as well as touring the Greek Isles as violist of the Elysium String Quartet. Additional international venues include Japan with Mostly Mozart and New York Pops, Italy as principal violist of the Spoleto Festival and Europe with Barbra Streisand.

Salas has performed chamber music with Yo-Yo Ma, Eric Friedman, Lawrence Dutton, Joseph Fuchs, Stanley Drucker and is a member of Pierrot Consort, Elysium Ensemble, Modern Works, Canta Libre, Bronx Arts Ensemble and Queens Chamber Band in which she plays concertos on viola and viola d'amore.

The release of the Modern Works recording of Ge Gan-Ru String Quartets on the Naxos label, was chosen by critics of The New York Times as a notable recording of 2009. Other recordings include a Virgil Thomson CD where Salas is a featured artist, an all Mozart CD with Stanley Drucker and the Bach Brandenburg concerti featuring Lukas Foss both on the Elysium label.

Salas has performed at the White House as acting principal of the Eos Orchestra and is presently principal violist of American Composers Orchestra, Opera Orchestra of New York, Manhattan Philharmonic, Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and Westfield Symphony. She is on the faculties of Long Island University and Bennington Chamber Music Conference.

Salas received her BMA, MMA and DMA from The Juilliard School where she studied with Lillian Fuchs.

James Erickson, Guitar

JAMES ERICKSON has been teaching classical and rock guitar for ten years throughout the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. James is an adjunct instructor of music at Nassau Community College, Long Island University, and Suffolk County Community College , where he teaches music history, theory, and fretboard harmony. James holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in music history and performance from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, where he was awarded "Outstanding Performance in Guitar Studies".

As a classical guitar soloist, James has performed on tour in the United States, Europe, and Canada. James has also participated in the Long Island Guitar Festival in both solo and chamber performances. Currently James is a member of Guitar Trilogy, a guitar trio that performs a variety of classical and contemporary repertoire. Recently the group recorded the soundtrack for a documantary film on the Italian city of Modena, performing a transcription of Bach’s Italian Concerto. "What audiences can expect from the three- man band known as Guitar Trilogy are flashes of virtuoso musicianship rendering quality classical or folk- inspired music from around the world." (Southampton Press)

As an electric guitarist James has extensive recording and performing experience, and is currently involved in many diverse musical projects.He is the guitarist for Tradewinds, an eleven-piece band that performs at corporate events and club dates throughout the tri-state area. In January of 2011, the group was voted "Best LI Cover Band" by the Long Island Press. James also performs with Walking The Line , a musical tribute to Johnny Cash, where he performs the electric guitar parts of Luther Perkins. James also performs with several local independent artists. He has also performed the guitar parts for many theatrical productions including "Hair", "Anything Goes" and "Seussical".

Currently, James teaches rock guitar at the Long Island Institute for Guitar Studies, a program of comprehensive guitar instruction sponsored by Long Island University. For the past four years, he has taught and performed at the "Songe d’été en Musique" an annual music festival in Quebec, Canada. He is also on the advisory board for the "Long Island Guitar Festival" and offers private and online guitar instruction.

For more information visit www.ericksonguitar.net

Thomas Goodheart, Voice/Opera

Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at Binghamton University BM, MM Manhattan School of Music. Past voice faculty Purchase College Conservatory of Music 1999-2010. Baritone Thomas Goodheart has performed over 40 leading roles in opera and oratorio with companies throughout the United States including The Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Chautauqua Opera, New York City Opera National Company, Connecticut Opera, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Des Moines Metro Opera, Artpark Opera and Tri-Cities Opera. Recent performances include the American stage premiere of the role of Bruno in James MacMillan's Opera Parthenogenesis. Leading roles include Marcello in La Boheme, Escamillo in Carmen, Germont in La Traviata, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, The Father in Hansel and Gretel and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. Mr. Goodheart has appeared as a guest soloist with symphony orchestras in the United States and South America. In New York City he has been a soloist at Avery Fischer Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Kaye Playhouse and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Concert credits include Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony & Missa Solemnis, Haydn's Creation and Mendolssohn's Elijah. He has received awards from The Metropolitan Opera National Council, The New York State Council on the Arts, The Joy in Singing Competition, Bel Canto Opera Foundation, The Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers, The Chautauqua Concerto Competition and The Tri-Cities Opera. He has been a performer/teaching artist with the education departments of The New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center Institute and The New York Festival of Song. Mr. Goodheart maintains a private voice studio in NYC and is on the voice faculty of The Westchester Summer Vocal Institute and the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. His students have gone on to Graduate study at The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Mannes College of Music, Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, Guild Hall (London, England) and The Opera Institute of Boston University among others. His students are currently singing professionally throughout the United States and Europe. Mr. Goodheart lives with his wife Soprano, Jean Miller Goodheart and their son Matthew.

LeAnn Overton, Vocal Coach/Accompanist

Performer and pedagogue LEANN OVERTON currently serves on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. Ms. Overton has also taught on the faculties of C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the Chautauqua Voice School, the New York Actor's Studio, and the Mannes School of Music. As music director/coach, Ms. Overton has worked for several opera companies and summer festivals including Oberlin in Italy, Vocal Arts Symposium of Colorado Springs, Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, Cincinnati Opera, Tulsa Opera, and in NYC, Opera Northeast, West Side Opera and Brandenburg Opera.

Ms. Overton enjoys writing and in addition to her poetry and copious “how to” handouts, has written several scripts for opera workshops and opera program synopses. She has received positive response from both professional musician and student for her humorous lecture on practicing entitled “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” In the spring of 2010 Ms. Overton produced and directed “Behind the Scenes Opera Scenes” at Montclair State University which built up basic skills required for the undergraduate opera major. In January 2010 Ms Overton collaborated with soprano Lisa Holsberg on the MOSA Free Concert Series in New York City “Songs of the Spirit.” In 2005 she and Ms. Holsberg recorded the CD Race for the Sky featuring the poetry found in the makeshift memorials after the disastrous events of 9/11/2001 with music by Richard Pearson Thomas (see www.raceforthesky.org). Ms. Overton collaborates frequently with Alexander Technique instructor Bill Connington on classes specifically for singers. Since 2000 Ms. Overton has worked as a supertitle caller at the Metropolitan Opera.

Ms. Overton earned her Masters of Music degree in “Vocal Coaching/Accompanying” at the University of Illinois under the tutelage of world renowned accompanist John Wustman.