PROGRAM HOSTS
Sheilds-Collins (Buddy) Bray
Colleen Mallette
PIANISTS
José Cubela
Aaron Kurz
Spencer Myer
Kyle Orth
Galen Dean Peiskee, Jr.
Laura Spector
Jonathan Tsay
FLUTISTS
Helen Blackburn
Jan Crisanti
PROGRAM HOST
Sheilds-Collins (Buddy) Bray
Shields-Collins (Buddy) Bray has been visiting schools with the Musical Awakenings series for ten years, and he says it is the most enjoyable work he does!
When he is not in the schools talking about music, Mr. Bray serves as principal keyboardist for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and he is artistic director of the Cliburn Foundation's Cliburn at the Modern series. In addition, Mr. Bray hosts the Orchestra's pre-concert discussion series, where he does much the same thing as in the schools-he tries to make his audience comfortable with the music they will hear, and he does it in a spirit of discovery and fun.
Mr. Bray comes from a family of teachers, and he is glad to be carrying on the family tradition!
Singer, actress, and comedienne, Colleen Mallette has charmed audiences across the United States and abroad with her one-woman spoof the Lamaze School of Singing Presents: How to Birth a Song! After years of serious study and numerous roles on the musical theatre and operatic stages, Ms. Mallette has combined her love for traditional singing with her love of having a good time into a career art form.
Ms. Mallette received her classical training at Hardin Simmons University and her master's in vocal performance from the University of North Texas. She is currently on the voice faculty at Texas Christian University. Ms. Mallette's creative enterprises range from the intimate cabaret venue in Manhattan to symphonic concert engagements. She is a touring artist for the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Mid America Arts Alliance. Her website, www.highcdiva.com, features her two recordings: Saints n Sinners, live with Buddy Bray, and Enchantment.
José Cubela was raised in Miami, Florida. He received an associate of arts with honors degree from Miami Dade Community College, then graduated cum laude with a bachelor of music degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. In 2004, he graduated with a master of music in piano performance from Texas Christian University.
Mr. Cubela teaches piano to students at Texas Christian University and through the Musical Awakenings program. He regularly performs in Fort Worth and in other Texas cities, as well as with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra in Tyler, Texas.
Mr. Cubela has received many honors and awards, including first place in the University of Central Florida Piano Concerto Competition; performer at the TCU/Cliburn Piano Institute (now known as PianoTexas); and placement in the Gray Perry Young Collegiate Piano Competition in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Cubela has been a juror for both the Sonata Club Piano Competition and the Fort Worth Music Teachers Association's Piano Competition.
Thirteen-year-old pianist Aaron Kurz is a ninth grade student at the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. At the age of three, Aaron began his piano studies. Shortly afterwards, he began composing minuets and other short pieces. In August 2002, just prior to his seventh birthday, he was named Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Kid of the Month.
Aaron has been a prizewinner in many county, regional, and international competitions. He is the current first-place winner of both the MTNA and TMTA Texas State Competitions for Junior Piano. He was named a prizewinner of the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, and the Viardo International Piano Competition. Aaron played at Carnegie Hall after being named first-place winner of the Bradshaw and Buono Competition in New York, and at Salle Cortot in Paris, France, as a result of his Viardo Piano Competition performance. He also played live on FOX TV's Good Day morning show.
Aaron currently lives in Dallas, Texas, and is a student of Dr. Carol Leone, chair of piano at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. He has one sibling, loves sports, and continues to compose music in his spare time.
PIANIST
Spencer Myer
A 2009 Cliburn Competition competitor, Spencer Myer was also gold medalist at the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition and winner of a 2006 Fellowship from the American Pianists Association. He has performed in major venues in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Mr. Myer has recently been a featured soloist with the Knoxville, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Richmond, Tucson, and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras. Since winning the 2000 Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition, he has enjoyed a growing reputation as a vocal collaborator. He has had three return tours to South Africa since winning the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, highlighted by a performance of the five Beethoven Concerti with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa in 2005. Mr. Myer's debut solo CD is available on harmonia mundi usa.
PIANIST
Kyle Orth
Kyle Orth was born in Fountain Valley, California. He began studying the piano at the age of eight, and made his orchestral debut at the age of fifteen. Since then, Mr. Orth has soloed with the Fort Worth, Plano, and Richardson Symphony Orchestras, among others. Upcoming performances include engagements with the Brazos Valley, Irving, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestras.
Mr. Orth has acquired over twenty first-place wins in local, national, and international music competitions. He was named National First-Place Winner in the 2008 Music Teachers National Association Senior Piano Competition and First-Place Winner at the 2009 Dallas Symphony Lynn Harrell Competition. Mr. Orth has performed for music groups such as the Fine Arts Chamber Players, PianoTexas International Academy and Festival, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, Pro Musica of Dallas, and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity.
Mr. Orth is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in piano performance at Texas Christian University. He has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship which includes the Nordan Young Artist Award. Apart from his classical studies, he enjoys reading, writing, music composition, and English country dancing.
PIANIST
Dean Peiskee, Jr.
Galen Dean Peiskee, Jr. was born in Tyler, Texas. Valedictorian of his high school class, he earned an associate of music degree from Kilgore College, and a bachelor of music degree from Texas Christian University. Mr. Peiskee is currently enrolled in the artist diploma program at Texas Christian University.
Mr. Peiskee has worked as a freelance pianist in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over four years. He has performed in more than forty recitals, mainly providing accompaniment for students at Texas Christian University. Mr. Peiskee has been the accompanist for the Singing Girls of Texas-sister choir to the Texas Boys Choir- for three years.
Mr. Peiskee won various prizes for regional solo piano competitions and has performed with the Kilgore College Concerto Orchestra. He has attended AIMS (American Institute of Musical Studies) in Graz, Austria, both as a student and as a staff pianist. In May 2008, he was part of one of ten pianist-singer teams selected to participate in the Baldwin-Wallace Art Song Festival.
At age eight, she performed her first solo recital at Steinway Hall in Dallas. The concert was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Steinway & Sons. In 2004, Ms. Spector received a diploma at the Russian International Piano Competition, and was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the International Horowitz Debut Piano Competition in Ukraine.
In 2007, Ms. Spector won first place in the Baylor University Concerto Competition and received a full scholarship to the Baylor Summer Piano Institute. At age thirteen, she performed with the Van Cliburn Foundation's Musical Awakenings education program. That same year, she won second prize in the Viardo International Piano Competition.
Ms. Spector volunteers at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, performs with young musicians in the Dallas area, and will play her second solo concert this fall. She is also editor of the Shepton High Yearbook, and president of the YDA club at her school.
Jonathan Tsay earned a bachelor of music degree with honors from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, and earned his doctorate at l'Université de Montréal in Canada.
Dr. Tsay's musical studies also include violin, percussion, composition, and conducting lessons. He served as pianist, violinist, violist, and percussionist for the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, where he also won the Young Artists' Award. He has composed scores for multiple documentaries.
Dr. Tsay has remained active as a chamber musician, and was the first pianist to participate in the Institute for Strings, an intensive chamber music program founded by Dallas Symphony Orchestra violinist Jan Sloman. Dr. Tsay has also been a featured soloist with the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, the Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts Orchestra, and the Meadows Symphony Orchestra at SMU.
Dr. Tsay has been a top prizewinner in several piano competitions, and presents concerts throughout the United States and Canada. He has performed as guest artist for several Musical Awakenings programs.
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Jan Crisanti performs as principal flutist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, she began flute studies with her mother, Shirley Justus, and received her bachelor and master of music degrees from the University of Texas in Austin. While a university student, she was the first-place winner of the 1977 National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition.
In 1980, Ms. Crisanti earned her present position with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Over the years, she has performed many solos with the orchestra and, in 2006, was featured on its CD release of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals. In 2006, as guest soloist on the Cliburn Concerts series, she had the opportunity to perform Lowell Liebermann's Sonata for Flute and Piano with Mr. Liebermann accompanying.
