Western New York rock/jam band Tsavo Highway has released their latest single, “Find a Way,” the first with a solidified lineup.
Formed just over a year ago and led by the soulful vocals of Emily Scripps alongside guitarists Christian Dobosiewicz and Peter Kern and rhythm section of bassist Brian Calisto and drummer Dan Keegan.
“Find a Way” was recorded by Producer Zach Tilton at his home studio. The nearly 6 minute long track is at first poppy with a mid-90s indie rock feel. Grooves build and flow into the next, while vocals from Scripps weave fluidly alongside the tempo.
When we brought the tune to the band it clicked immediately. Everyone had an idea of how to make the song come to life. Christian with his twang in the way he plays the guitar’s lead lick in the chorus, Peter with his added trills and guitarmony in his solo, Brian with the most epic leading bass line, and Dan with his perfectly timed drum fills. Once everyone brought their individual takes and magic to the song, it came together as this wonderful, authentic, catchy tune.
Emily Scripps, Tsavo Highway
Written by Scipps and Dobosiewicz, Emily shares that she wanted the song to have a feel of being at a train station – which explains the child’s train whistle making an appearance at the right times. The station here is symbolic to the middle ground in the journey of life.
“You’re waiting at this middle ground for a sign, a feeling, a glimpse (a train) of something telling you you’re on the right track,” said Scripps. “You can feel it, hear it, you know it’s near, you hope it’s near, you’re calling out for it because it’s just within your grasp. So with this in mind I wanted the overall tone/sound of the song to reflect happiness but not in a sense of comfortability, but more a sense of happiness in being hopeful.”
From playing intimate venues to larger stages, Tsavo Highway has a genuine passion for music that shines through every note they play, leaving audiences captivated by their raw talent and heartfelt performances.
Learn more about Tsavo Highway and stay up to date with showing in 2024 here.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra (CCOYO) will hold its opening concert of the 2023-24 season on Saturday, January 13, 2024, under the baton of Music Director, Kirsten Marshall.
This exciting concert opens with Chaminade’s Callirhoë Ballet Suite, Mascagni and Leoncavallo’s dramatic Intermezzos, and Grieg’s thrilling Concerto in A minor with pianist and concerto competition winner, Nathaniel Shuhan.
As a playful twist in this concert’s repertoire, winners from the Top Toy Tournament Fundraiser will also be featured in Haydn’s Toy Symphony. The afternoon will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s timeless Romeo & Juliet, promising a symphony of emotions.
Now in its seventh season, the CCO Youth Orchestra is embarking on its first overseas concert tour to Italy in April, 2024. Musicians will perform free concerts in major venues in Florence and Venice, including a side-by-side concert with an Italian youth orchestra. In addition to performing, students will visit museums and historic sites, study drawing, and attend an operatic performance.
To raise funds for the trip, the CCOYO have been hosting fundraisers throughout the fall semester, including a chamber concert, coffee fundraiser, leak raking fundraiser, and more. Among these efforts is the , where the most donated nominee winners will perform one of the seven, coveted solo parts in Haydn’s Toy Symphony.
The mission of the CCO Youth Orchestra is to offer a high-quality symphony orchestra experience for youth in Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Now in its seventh successful season, we are thrilled to have a robust student membership of 67 players from all around Tompkins County. Our season typically includes two full-length symphonic concerts plus two run-out concerts to rural schools.
We will also be touring Italy in the Spring for our first overseas trip! Part of our mission is to bring our music to surrounding communities that might not otherwise experience live classical music and to educate and engage our students in being ambassadors of music. CCOYO students have experienced a side-by-side performance with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra as well as individual sectional coaching with CCO members.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s Winter Concert be held on Saturday, January 13 at 4:00pm at Ford Hall, Ithaca College. This concert has free admission and donations are gratefully accepted.
Before signing off for the holidays, David Letterman would have on two regular guests for a Christmas show to end the season.
With Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra looking on, comedian Jay Thomas would regale the crowd with, as Letterman put it, “the best story I’ve ever heard,” about an encounter with Clayton Moore, the actor famous for playing The Lone Ranger. It became a holiday tradition for the 17 years until the Letterman retired in 2015.
After Thomas delivered the punchline, he and David Letterman would alternate throwing a football at the meatball on top of the Late Show Christmas tree. To wrap up the show, and the year for the Late Show, Darlene Love would put on a big production with her holiday show stopper, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
Jay Thomas passed away in 2017, but his humor lives on. Watch below to see the joke over the years.
To close out a tremendous year of touring, Billy Strings arrived in the Salt City of Syracuse on Saturday, December 16, for a performance at Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial.
Having just returned from a European tour in November, Billy Strings embarked on a brief, 10 day tour worked its way up the East Coast from Greensboro, NC, stopping in Maryland and Pennsylvania before arriving in Syracuse.
photo by Allison Marie
A usual preshow crowd was found throughout bars and restaurants in downtown Syracuse, with a small lot scene taking shape on this temperate late fall night in Syracuse. Only a trio of shows in New Orleans over New Years Eve remain, following a year touring that was began and ended with shows in minor-league hockey arenas.
One of the best things about a Billy Strings show happens before the music even begins – the band gives you a heads up that the show will be starting soon, something more bands could and should do (especially if ticket time is all but ignored). Flashing on the three screens that frame the stage, the audience is forewarned with bright and brief flashes of “15 Minutes until Fuzzy Rainbows”, then 10 minutes, and 5 minutes, giving an extra level of anticipation for the patient, sold out crowd.
Over the course of two sets, Billy Strings would play nearly 30 songs, more than half of them covers, mainly from relatively obscure bluegrass and early country artists, plus a choice Led Zepplin cover.
The night began with original “Home,” followed by “West Dakota Rose” by Chris Henry. After “Down Yonder,” Billy greeted the crowd, noting it had been a long time since the band had last played there – but this was indeed the first show, while also having played Rochester a year prior.
An excellent psychedelic trance formed in “Fire Line” and shifted into the traditional “Raleigh and Spencer,” full of vim and vigor with each repetition of “There ain’t no liquor in this town. No there ain’t no liquor in this town,” with Billy swirling his hair around as he broke the song down. Air Mail Special on the Fly, by Leon Rusk, was among the highlights of the numerous covers, all made unique and brought into a new generation of bluegrass lovers.
“Be Your Man” gave a reference to the Big Apple with the line “When I got to New York City I was looking for another side of life”, followed by only the fifth version of the new “Escanaba,” named for a city in Billy Strings’ home state of Michigan. The set would close with “Away From the Mire,” a fan favorite, highlighted by bassist Royal Masat and a sparkly background, capped by Strings stepping out to the front of stage and playing to each side of the audience, closing the set on a highest of notes.
Set 2 would open with “Know it All,” followed by another traditional song – one made popular by The Dillards, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, “Shady Grove.” Spotting Santa Claus in the audience, Billy Strings dedicated “Just Because” by Nelstone’s Hawaiians, referencing Santa a few times in this nearly 100 year old song.
From there, “Blue Mule” again put Royal Masat’s bass prowess on display, giving a smooth jazz club vibe in appearance, presence and sound as the band broke down “Doin’ Things Right,” which included a jam on Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick,” then giving way to an outright cover of “Four Sticks” off Led Zeppelin IV, a jaw-dropping version.
Two mellower songs would follow – “Libby Phillips Rag,” and Ralph Stanley’s “A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave.” The soft respite was no match for the finale of the set, a pairing of “Psycho” (Eddie Noack) and “Thunder,” which got very spacey and nearly found a backdoor into “St. Stephen” before calling it a night, huge applause cascading from the audience to the stage.
An appropriate encore of Bill Monroe’s “Christmas Time’s A-Coming” was a reminder of the season that awaited all in a week, and with Billy Strings getting ready to head back home to Nashville, Jimmy Martin’s “Tennessee” closed the night.
Billy Strings – Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial, Syracuse – December 16, 2023
Set 1: Home, West Dakota Rose, Cabin Song > Down Yonder, Fire Line > Raleigh and Spencer, Ernest T. Grass > Air Mail Special on the Fly, Be Your Man, Escanaba, Away From the Mire Set 2: Know It All, Shady Grove, Along the Road, I’ll Be Gone a Long Time, Just Because, Long Forgotten Dream, Blue Mule, Doin’ Things Right, Four Sticks, Libby Phillips Rag, A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave, Psycho > Thunder Encore: Christmas Time’s A-Coming, Tennessee
The oldest bar in Albany and a music venue for bands of all genres, Pauly’s Hotel, located at 337 Central Ave, has closed and is up for sale.
Established in 1862, Pauly’s Hotel has been a staple in Albany for multiple generations, located on the corner of Quail St. and Central Ave, where WAMC’s The Linda is located, and The Low Beat stood until 2020.
Hate to see this. Pauly’s has always been a big supporter of us, and were the first spot in Albany to ever take a chance on us. It’s safe to say without them, we may not have been able to break into the Capital Region as quickly as we did. Hopefully someone takes over this space and keeps it as a haven for independent, original music in the 518! Thanks so much to Shane and everyone else who made Pauly’s a great place to have an indie show.
According to the Times Union, owner Kip Finck noted that the 2020 shutdown was a major factor in closing the venue, as a lack of shows meant Pauly’s Hotel did not qualify for the federal Payroll Protection Program grants, which kept many venues afloat during this time.
Despite extensive renovations after purchasing Pauly’s in 2019, which included a state-of-the-art sound system, the bar sat largely dark for most of the next year and a half because of the pandemic. Adding in a capacity maxing out at 120, booking bands and keeping tickets reasonably priced posed a challenge for Finck.
Finck told the Times Union, “It was really hard financially, and I was handling everything to do with management and money myself.” Finck believes another, younger operator who is eager to reopen a storied music venue could make Pauly’s financially viable.
Finck also owned Northern Lights in Clifton Park for 18 years, and still owns the Village Tavern in Scotia, which itself is more than 80 years old.
The property listing notes that Pauly’s features a fully equipped bar area, an updated sound system, spacious seating areas, and a stage for live performances. The entire building is not for sale – only the business – with an asking price of $75,0000 to own Albany’s oldest bar.
“It would have to be the right person, the right fit,” Finck told the TU. “Once I find that, there would be a conversation about price.” He invites inquiries at kip.finck@gmail.com.
To close out 2023 and ring in 2024 in Saranac Lake, the annual New Year’s Eve Bash at the Waterhole Music Lounge will feature not one but two bands – both with sets of brothers who have a history of rowdy and raucous performances in the North Country music scene. This year, The Mallett Brothers Band will bring along special guests DiTrani Brothers, who will start the night off at The Waterhole on Sunday, December 31.
With a sound that comes from deep in Maine, The Mallett Brothers Band have a style that ranges from alt-country to Americana, country, jam and roots rock, a musical melting pot influenced equally by singer/songwriter tradition as harder rock, classic country and psychedelic sounds.
A busy tour schedule has helped Mallett Brothers Band build a dedicated fan base across the US – including The Waterhole – and beyond while still calling the state of Maine their home.
Formed in 2009 in Portland, Maine,The Mallet Brothers Bandis an independent, nationally touring country rock and roll band consisting of brothers Luke and Will Mallet (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar), Nick Leen (bass), Andrew Martelle (fiddle, mandolin, guitar), and Brian Higgins (drums).
Kicking off the New Year’s Bash will be The DiTrani Brothers. Hailing from Brattleboro, Vermont they are no strangers to the North Country music scene. Most recently they performed at the 2023 Northern Current Community Music Festival, Party on the Patio, and the 2022 Bloody Mary Sunday Party at the Waterhole.
The band bends melodies and driving rhythms, playing perilous tunes for the hopeful. Drawing influences from Western and Eastern-European folk music, Roa Swing, early American Jazz, Ragtime and Balkan music. The band delivers both wistful and raucous performances that allude to past traditions with a contemporary sentiment.
Doors for this performance will open at 7:30, music will begin at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $15 flat rate and can be purchased at the downstairs bar in person in Saranac Lake, or by visiting the Waterhole website.
For the 50th edition of Dave’s Picks, a special show has been chosen from one of the best Grateful Dead tours, with Palladium NYC from May 3, 1977 taking the honors.
Spring Tour 1977 had many incredible shows, not including this Palladium show, but also later that week in New Haven, CT, the historic Barton Hall show, and the arguably stronger night that followed in Buffalo.
5/3/77 was the penultimate show of a five-night run at the Palladium, just a few nights before the Cornell show, and features a seemingly endless run of the Grateful Dead at their best, including monumental renditions of “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat,” “Not Fade Away,” and “Uncle John’s Band.”
Additionally, there are some tracks from the final night of the Palladium run, 5/4/77, with tracks including “Scarlet>Fire,” “Terrapin Station,” “Playing In The Band,” and what has come to be widely considered one of the best versions of “Comes A Time” the Grateful Dead ever played.
This show is only available with a subscription to the Dave’s Picks series.
Grateful Dead – Palladium, Manhattan – May 3, 1977
Set 1: Promised Land, Bertha, Me and My Uncle, Peggy-O, Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, Lazy Lightnin’, Supplication, Deal, Good Lovin’, Ship of Fools, Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Might As Well, Estimated Prophet, Sugaree, Samson and Delilah, Friend of the Devil, Eyes of the World, Wharf Rat, Not Fade Away, Around and Around
The inaugural Extreme Music Awards will be held at Empire Live in Albany on Saturday, January 13. The awards show celebrates the most extreme music acts in the 518 Capital Region of Upstate New York.
The Extreme Music Awards is the conception of Mike Valente of Upstate Black N Blue Productions who then assembled the team of RadioRadioX, Capital Underground, That Fuzzing Rock Show and 518Scene.com. All five of these entertainment media forces joined together to bring the inaugural event to Albany.
Attendees will be able to enjoy a full concert experience by house band, Uncle SAMM, in addition to watching the awards ceremony. In between presenters, fans can also look forward to a raffle for a chance to win prizes like signed drum heads, guitars, gift certificates, and more.
Check out the nominees and categories below and get your tickets for the Extreme Music Awards here.
The Extreme Music Awards will be held on Saturday January 13 at Empire Live on N. Pearl St. in Albany, starting at 6:00pm.
Tickets to this event are limited and expected to sell out, with general on sale here:
CATEGORIES & PRESENTERS
Best Death Metal Band: Chris Pervelis/Kyle Eddy (Internal Bleeding)
Best Black Metal Band: Mike Score (All Out War)
Best Doom/Goth/Stoner Band: Matt Byrne (Hatebreed)
Best Power Metal Band: Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus)
Best Progressive/Math Metal Band: Marc Rizzo (Soulfly/Ill Nino)
Best Hair/Glam/Sleaze Metal Band: Nick Miller (Lethal Lipstick)
Best Thrash Metal Band: Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus)
Best Grindcore Band: Sal Lococo (Sworn Enemy)
Best Metalcore Band: Danny Schuler (Biohazard)
Best Punk Band: Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) (Video Presenter)
Best Hardcore Band: Mike Gallo/Vinnie Stigma (Agnostic Front)
Best Beatdown Hardcore Band: Ray Mazzola/Mike Valente (Brick by Brick)
Best Hardcore Punk Band: Jimmy Gestapo (Murphy’s Law)
Best Metal Video: Drew Stone (Stone Films/The NYHC Chronicles)
Best Live Performance: Art Fredette/Rob Smittix (RadioRadioX)
Most Brutal Mosh Pit: Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste)(Video Presenter)
Best Merch: Michael “Fuzz” Kebabjian (That Fuzzing Rock Show)
Album of the Year: Ralph Renna (Capital Underground)
Lifetime Achievement Award (25+ Years in the Scene): Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill)
Best New Band (Less Than 2 Years in the Scene): Mario & Kim Cangemi (Upstate Records)
Best Veteran Band (10+ Years in the Scene): Brendan Manley (518scene.com)
THE NOMINEES
Best Death Metal Band: Tyranize, Skinless, Invoke Thy Wrath, Intrusive
Best Black Metal Band: Malefic, Blackbraid, Morticide, Vile Tyrant
Best Doom/Goth/Stoner Band: Gozer, Ike’s Wasted World, Gunther Weezul, Carnwennan
Best Power Metal Band: Deveria, Alloy Reign, Frozen Sun, The Antarctican
Best Progressive/Math Metal Band: Deveria, Psychomanteum, The Phoenix and the Raven, MIRA
Best Hair/Glam/Sleaze Metal Band: The Erotics, Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band, Untaymed, Mystery Girl
Best Thrash Metal Band: Hate The Adversary, FACED, Concrete, Ice Queen
Best Grindcore Band: Escuela Grind, URINE, Horse Grave, Vaginal Fungus
Best Metalcore Band: Concrete, Oakheart, Faded Line, Downswing
Best Punk Band: The Hauntings, VinTri Hill, Nick Rossi, Lurking Class
Best Hardcore Band: Violent By Design, Confinement 413, Halo Bite, Cold Kiss
Best Beatdown Hardcore Band: Wrong Move, Torn Out, From Within, Adhara
Best Hardcore Punk Band: Halo Bite, Murderer’s Row, Gusto, Wet Specimens
Best Metal Video: Alloy Reign – “Blood Demon”, Downswing – “Bound to Misery”, The Antarctican – “I is the Lie”, Freya – “Nothingness or God”
Best Live Performance: Alloy Reign, Tyranize, Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band, Flatwounds
Most Brutal Mosh Pit: Invoke Thy Wrath, Concrete, Assault on the Living, Downswing
Best Merch: Alloy Reign, The Erotics, Malefic, Concrete
Album of the Year: Psychomanteum – Full Fathom Five, Blackbraid – Blackbraid II, Adhara – Abandoned Future, Urine – Excreta Lotium Miasma
Lifetime Achievement Award (25+ Years in the Scene): Paul Rukwid, Jeff Caro, John Glassbrenner, Bob Riley
Best New Band (Less Than 2 Years in the Scene): Alloy Reign, Flatwounds, Confinement 413, Outta My Head
Best Veteran Band (10+ Years in the Scene): Tyranize, The Erotics, Murderer’s Row, Concrete
Trancefusion pioneers the Disco Biscuits will embark on a lengthy winter/spring tour to start 2024, with shows at Empire Live in Albany and Town Ballroom in Buffalo, named the “Why We Dance Tour.”
photo by Brian Ferguson
With an impressive touring schedule in 2023 – more than 70 shows, with three more lined up for late December – and the return of a Disco Biscuits festival, BISCOLAND, the band is not slowing down in the coming new year.
The “Why We Dance Tour” includes 13 previously announced dates, and adds 20 more shows, with a few more still to be announced.
photo by Conor McMahon
Bassist Marc Brownstein shares the excitement for the band looking ahead to 2024:
We are so excited for these late winter and spring dates! 2024 starts off with a bang and is filled with amazing venues, some of which are new to us like Stage AE, College Street, and the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, while some are old faves like the Kirby, the HOBs in Boston and New Orleans, and ultimately the Tabernacle. We are looking forward to heating up the country from west to east this winter and spring!
Marc Brownstein
The Disco Biscuits last performed in Buffalo and Albany in January and February 2023, respectively.
VIP Packages will be available for all Why We Dance Tour dates as part of this week’s pre-sale and on-sale, and will include early entry to each venue and early access to merch, pre-show soundcheck, group photo with the band, limited edition show poster, and a commemorative laminate & lanyard.
Disco Biscuits “Why We Dance” 2023-2024 Tour Dates
12/28 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square (Late Show) 12/30 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall ! 12/31 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall 1/25 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Casino Ballroom 1/26 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Casino Ballroom 1/27 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore 1/28 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst 2/1 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre 2/2 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park 2/3 – Tucson, AZ – Gem & Jam Festival 2/5 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up 2/6 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up 2/7 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up 2/9 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater * 2/10 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater * 2/11 – TBA 3/7 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore 3/8 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore 3/9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE 3/10 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater 3/13 – Albany, NY – Empire Live 3/14 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall 3/15 – Portland, ME – State Theatre 3/16 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 3/28 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – F.M. Kirby Center 3/29 – TBA 3/30 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 3/31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 4/2 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom 4/4 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues 4/5 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater 4/6 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom 4/7 – Burnet, TX – Texas Eclipse Festival 4/11 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 4/12 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl 4/13 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle 4/14 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre 6/20-23 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra recently held auditions for section string positions and have announced seven winners, now members of the orchestra.
Distinguished by the designation of the “Official Orchestra of the City of Ithaca,” Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has been presenting exceptional live classical music to the region since 1976. The Orchestra was founded by Charles McCary when a group of local professional musicians debuted as the Finger Lakes Orchestra.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has a strong commitment to serving its community in a variety of ways. Through its professional excellence, vibrant performances, community education, and passion for transformation through music, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra is devoted to fostering artistic life in the Ithaca and Finger Lakes regions of New York State.
Wan-Chun Hu – violin – Bloomsfield, New Jersey
Originally from Taiwan, Wan-Chun Hu is a classically trained musician and music teacher. In 2020, Wan-Chun won the second prize at the American Protege International Competition and was chosen to perform in Carnegie Hall. Additionally, Wan-Chun has won several orchestra positions, including first violin with the Annapolis Symphony, second violin with the Binghamton Philharmonic, and substitute violin with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Allentown Symphony.
William Knuth – violin – Liverpool
William Knuth, violinist and Fulbright Scholar, has earned recognition for his artistry as a solo and chamber musician. He is Assistant Professor of Violin and string department coordinator at the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music with a private teaching studio in Syracuse, NY. As a member of Duo Sonidos with guitarist Adam Levin, Knuth has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, and South America.
Asher Wulfman – violin – Ithaca
Asher Wulfman, violinist, is a performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral works for violin currently based in Ithaca NY. He is a member of Symphoria and Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly with Opera Ithaca and Cornell University’s Ensemble X. He is also a guest lecturer at Cornell University, and is on the faculty of Opus Ithaca School of Music, where he also coordinates and coaches chamber music.
Bryce Bunner – viola – Penfield
Bryce Bunner, violist currently serves as principal violist of the Erie Philharmonic, and performs as an extra musician with the Rochester Philharmonic & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestras. He also performs in the DC area with the Post Classical Ensemble, Inscape Chamber Orchestra, and the Washington Concert Opera. He spent 21 years as a violist with the Air Force Strings/USAF Band in Washington, D.C., and taught and coached the DC Youth Orchestra program for many years.
Peter Dudek – viola – New York City
Peter Dudek, Violist, completed his Bachelor’s degree in The Juilliard School, where currently he is pursuing his Master’s degree under the tutelage of Molly Carr. He is an alumn of Itzhak Perlman’s Perlman Music Program as well as Pinchas Zukerman’s Young Artists Program. Peter is under agreement to perform for the final time as a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland this upcoming summer.
Grace Ho – cello – New York City
Taiwanese-American cellist Grace Ho, praised by South Florida Classical Review “…the warmth and flexibility of Grace Ho’s cello solos were standouts”, is an active soloist and chamber musician in the United States and Asia. Ms. Ho has appeared as soloist with the Vienna Ensemble, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Ho Chi Minh City Symphony Orchestra, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, and many more.
Zachary Sweet – cello – Ithaca
Zachary Sweet, Cellist, is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He is currently an instructor of cello at Nazareth College, Binghamton University, and on the faculties of Ithaca Talent Education and Music Together of Ithaca. Nationally, he is in demand as a clinician having lead workshops, masterclasses and institutes across the United States and Canada.
Auditions were held behind a screen and were evaluated by a panel of our musicians and Interim Music Director, Grant Cooper. Look for these new musicians onstage in the coming months.
