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Summerfest
Artists (click name for bio)
Summerfest Artists
Summerfest 2010 Guest Artists
Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer is Director of Music – Organist at the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia in Omaha, Nebraska and Director of the School of Music in the Archdiocese of Omaha’s Saint Cecilia Institute – an organization dedicated to the life-long formation in Faith, Liturgy and the Arts and Service. Her life-long work integrates teaching with the performance of modern and ancient liturgical music and improvisation in worship. As a recitalist she has performed on significant modern and historic instruments throughout the United States and in Europe. As harpsichordist she has performed as a regular member of numerous ensembles including Summerfest, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, the Early Music Consort of Kansas City, and recently with the Omaha Chamber Music Society and as organ soloist with the Omaha Symphony. She is founding artistic director of Omaha Baroque and the Omaha Bach Festival. She is married to and enjoys making music with husband, Michael Bauer, of Lawrence, Kansas, and professor of Organ and Church Music at the University of Kansas.
Music Annotator
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Susan Hicks Brashier earned a B.M. degree in Oboe Performance from Oberlin College-Conservatory and continued her musical studies at Yale University, earning an M.M. degree in Oboe Performance. Teaching experience includes the University of Missouri-Columbia, Appalachian State University, the University of Kansas, and Rutgers University. Ms. Brashier is an active solo and chamber music recitalist and has performed throughout the United States and in Europe. She has performed with the St. Louis, North Carolina, Roanoke and Kansas City symphonies and as principal oboist with the Kansas City Camerata and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Brashier also performs extensively as a baroque oboist and is currently playing with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. In the fall of 1998 she moved to Valdosta, Georgia, where her husband is Director of Bands at Valdosta State University. Ms. Brashier performs as principal oboist with the Albany (GA) Symphony and teaches band and music at St. John Catholic School in Valdosta. Susan is on leave from Summerfest this season. 
Jane Carl, Professor of Clarinet at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, received her degrees from the University of Michigan. She has been a member of the South Bend Symphony, the Flint Symphony, and the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra in Detroit, and performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. She has performed regularly with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, performing as acting assistant principal clarinet from 1999-2003. She can often be heard performing with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony. She was the artistic chair and host of ClarinetFest 2008, the annual conference of the International Clarinet Association, held in Kansas City. Dr. Carl performed at the 2007 China International Clarinet and Saxophone Festival in Beijing and the 2009 ClarinetFest in Porto, Portugal. In the fall of 2009, she became the Chair of UMKC’s Instrumental Studies
Alexander Eastis the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Kansas City Symphony. In addition to duties with the Symphony, which often include leading the section as principal for opera, ballet and chamber orchestra
Shannon Finney is the Associate Principal Flutist of the Kansas City Symphony. She was engaged as the flutist for Summerfest in 1996 and currently serves as an Artistic Advisor. In 2006 she began serving as Flute Faculty and Principal Flutist for Birch Creek Music Center. She was the winner of the first National Flute Association Piccolo Artist Competition in 1993 and a fellow at Tanglewood in 1994. Shannon has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, and the Chicago Sinfonietta. Her teachers include Walfrid Kujala, Mary Stolper, and Karla Flygare, and her degrees are from Northwestern University. Shannon enjoys cooking and baking, traveling, and many outdoor and sporting activities. 
Mary Grant received her undergraduate degree in violin performance from Rice University, where she studied with Raphael Fliegel. She received a master’s degree from Queens College-City University of New York, where she studied with Ruth Waterman and Ani Kavafian. While in New York City, she played with the National Orchestral Association, a training orchestra for young musicians. She also studied baroque violin with Nancy Wilson. She has played with the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra in Europe and the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado. Mary has been a violinist with the Kansas City Symphony since 1989 and is a founding member of Summerfest. She is currently one of Summerfest’s Artistic Advisors. She, her husband, and two cats live in Stilwell, Kansas. In their spare time they enjoy gardening, traveling, and doing mission work projects through their church, St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church and Maison de Naissance in Haiti. 
Joshua Hood, bassoonist, received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Lewis Hugh Cooper. He completed his Master’s degree at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with Benjamin Kamins, former Principal Bassoonist of the Houston Symphony. Mr. Hood has performed with a number of symphonies, including the Kansas City Symphony, Houston Symphony and the North Carolina Symphony. He joined the Charlotte Symphony in 1995 and has since been featured as a soloist with both the symphony and the Charlotte Repertory Symphony to outstanding reviews. He has also performed with several festivals, including the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, May Music Festival in Charlotte, NC, Gateways Music Festival in Rochester NY, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA and with Ritz Chamber Players on the Amelia Island Music Festival in Florida. He has performed with Summerfest since 1998. 
Jessica Nance has been a member of the Kansas City Symphony since 1995 and Assistant Principal Viola since 1997. She has performed locally with the Boulevard String Quartet, newEar, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and on a variety of chamber music, solo and educational projects. Before moving to Kansas City, Jessica was Principal Viola in the Michigan Opera Theatre and the Windsor (Ontario) Symphony, and performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She attended the University of Michigan, where she studied with Yizhak Schotten. Jessica is married to trumpeter Brian Rood and has two children. When not playing the viola, she enjoys running and triathlon training. Jessica has performed with Summerfest since 2000. 
Melissa Rose has performed as a collaborative pianist in Russia, Argentina, and throughout the United States. Performances in Middle Tennessee include the Alias Chamber Ensemble, Nashville Symphony, Nashville Ballet, and numerous chamber music and song recitals. She has been an official pianist for national and international music competitions and conferences. ViolaSound has recently published Tonadillas by Granados, her recording and transcription for viola/piano with Monisa Angell. An advocate of contemporary music, Melissa has premiered many new works, recorded Michael Slayton’s Le soir tombe and J. Mark Scearce’s Magritte Variations, and collaborated with BMI composers Joan Tower, Jake Heggie, and Robert Beaser. A western Pennsylvania native, she received piano performance degrees from the University of Michigan, Yale School of Music, and West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of Piano at Vanderbilt University where she teaches courses in collaborative piano. 
John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune writes, “Anything sung by soprano Tony Arnold is worth hearing.” In 2001, Ms. Arnold became the only vocalist ever to be awarded first prize in the Gaudeamus International Interpreters Competition. Later that year, sheclaimed first prize in the Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition. Hailed by the New York Times as “a bold and powerful interpreter,” she has received praise for her performances with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, New York New Music Ensemble, Ensemble 21, eighth blackbird, and many others. Ms. Arnold serves on the faculty of the University at Buffalo and her many recordings include a 2006 Grammy Nominated performance of George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children on Bridge Records. Ms. Arnold is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northwestern University. Her mentors include sopranos Carmen Mehta and Carol Webber, and conductors Robert Spano and Victor Yampolsky.
Anne-Marie Brown graduated from Northwestern University and Manhattan School of Music, where she received her master’s degree as a student of Glenn Dicterow. Ms. Brown then joined the New World Symphony, where she served as concertmaster under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. She represented New World on two tours, performing chamber music throughout Europe, as well as the United States, including the orchestra’s chamber music residency in the Hamptons, New York. She also appeared
Barbara Bishop plays Associate Principal Oboe with the Kansas City Symphony and is Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. She received a Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota. An active soloist, Barbara has performed concerti with the National Repertory Orchestra, the
Hornist Kelly Cornell joyfully returns to the Summerfest docket in weeks 3 and 4. Kelly plays third horn with the Kansas City Symphony where she just finished her 10th season. Kelly earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music at the University of Cincinnati and the New England Conservatory respectively. In her collegiate days, Kelly was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the National Repertory Orchestra. More recently, she has performed with the Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado, the Britt Festival in Oregon and the Sunflower Music Festival in Kansas. Kelly has had the opportunity to serve as guest principal with the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Kelly serves as principal horn of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and was a featured
Tony DeMarco has been a member of the Kansas City Symphony for fourteen seasons. His previous professional experience includes positions as Assistant Concertmaster of
John Eadie is currently a member of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra cello section. Before joining the KCSO John was a member of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and was a busy freelancer in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. During his three years with the opera he was 2nd chair and also acting principal cello for the 2007-08 season. Before moving to Minnesota, John was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Summer activities have included the Aspen Music Festival, Spoletto USA, and Quartet Fest West (Victoria, BC). His two principal teachers were William Grubb at Butler University, and Yehuda Hanani at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. John has also performed with Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Chamber Music Society, Des Moines Metro Opera, Aspen Chamber Symphony, and National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton, Ontario. This is John’s first appearance with Summerfest.
