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Australian violist Kathryn Lockwood leads an active and varied career as performer, teacher, and artistic director. Since moving to the United States in 1991 Kathryn has played with a virtual who’s-who in the chamber music world and captured sought-after awards in the country including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award.

Kathryn’s career launched straight out of graduate school at USC (CA) where she, along with three friends, formed the Pacifica Quartet. As a member of PQ she traveled the world concertizing and recording. After moving to New York in 2001 Kathryn soon claimed the viola chair of the internationally renowned Lark Quartet. Always evolving and thinking out of the box, Kathryn formed the innovative group duoJalal with percussionist and husband Yousif Sheronick.  

The accolades speak volumes to Kathryn’s virtuosic ability.  The Cleveland Plain Dealer proclaimed Kathryn as a “violist of exceptional talents,  “…Lockwood played the vociferous viola cadenza with mahogany beauty and vivid character” and the Toronto Star wrote: “Lockwood is all slow, sensuous allure with her bowing arm one moment, a tempest of notes the next”.

A violist in high demand, Kathryn has played with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Music from Copland House, members of the Emerson Quartet and jazz legend John Patitucci. 

Kathryn’s creative mind led her to be appointed Artistic Director, a position she still holds, of the innovative series Four Seasons in Music at the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy. This very special series presents four magical concerts annually in the stunning location of the former Guggenheim Estate with historic mansions and waterfront grounds. Each concert is a unique program of chamber music and poetry, inspired by themes throughout the year. The repertoire chosen for each concert ranges from Bach and Mozart to today’s culturally diverse composers. Each concert is roughly divided into equal thirds representing classical repertoire, new music including commissions, and world influenced music. 

Kathryn is also the Artistic Director for the “Music@MoMA” Series. This series which has been running since 2017 is an intimate salon style chamber music series.  It is hosted by a philanthropic couple in their gorgeous apartment at the Museum Tower at the MoMA on 53rd Street. Each concert is followed by a dinner party and takes the guests back to a time when chamber music was enjoyed in a chamber.

Kathryn is proud to announce a new position as co-artistic director where duoJalal is ensemble in residence, for the Telluride MusicFest.  A festival housed in a gorgeous mountain home situated at 10,000 feet!  

With duoJalal, Kathryn has recorded two albums. The first in 2010 “A different world” on Innova Records with music of Philip Glass (who extracted a viola solo from his opera “Madrigal” and adapted it for duoJalal), and commissions from Kenji Bunch, Derek Bermel and John Patitucci. In 2016, “Shadow & Light” on Bridge Records with commissions by Evan Ziporyn and Ljova. 

As a member of Lark Quartet, she concertized regularly including a tour of Sweden and with a focus on new music released three CD’s on Bridge records. An “All Jennifer Higdon” CD, “Composing America” featuring a commission by Paul Moravec; and “A Farewell Celebration” featuring all new commissions by John Harbison, Kenji Bunch, Andrew Waggoner and Anna Weesner. Kathryn also recorded with Lark, “Klap Ur Handz” on Endeavor Records with a new commission by Daniel Bernard Roumain “DBR”. 

In 2005 Kathryn released a solo recital CD of Viola Music by Inessa Zaretsky, “Fireoptics”, about which Strad declared “Lockwood is absolutely inside the music’s idiom finding appropriate tonal shadings”. 

As an original member of Pacifica Quartet, Kathryn performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, Corcoran Gallery, St. Lawrence Center, and University of Thessaloniki / Greece. She was heard live on NPR’s Performance Today during a two week residency of daily broadcasts and collaborated with violist Michael Tree on an all Dvorak CD released by Cedille Records. 

Kathryn is currently on faculty at the John Cali School of Music at �ǿ����޴�ý University, previously serving on the faculty at University of Massachusetts/Amherst, Rutgers University in NJ, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Music Institute of Chicago, and National Music Camp in Australia. Recently appointed Curator of the Immersive Residency Program at �ǿ����޴�ý University, she oversees weeklong residency visits of internationally renowned artists and groups.

She earned her Master’s Degree with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California, and her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music with Elizabeth Morgan. Kathryn plays on an unknown Italian viola from the 18th Century Brescian School and performs during the summer for the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble in NC, Elm City ChamberFest in CT and at the Telluride ChamberFest in CO.

Hailed as “first-rate” by The Boston Globe, cellist Tomoko Fujita enjoys an active musical life as a performer, educator and administrator. As a founding member and the cellist of the Bryant Park Quartet for ten years, she presented numerous concerts and interactive outreach performances nationally and internationally, and released a CD album entitled “BPQ”. She collaborates regularly with pianist Luba Poliak, and has performed with esteemed artists such as Itzhak Perlman, members of the Cleveland, Emerson, and Juilliard String Quartets, dancer Wendy Whelan, and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Having previously served on the music faculties of Princeton and Hofstra universities, she is currently Assistant Professor of Cello at �ǿ����޴�ý University and serves as coordinator of the Cali Pathways Project, an initiative aimed at creating dynamic and comprehensive pathways to higher education and careers in music for student musicians from under-resourced backgrounds. She also coaches at the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program. In the summers, Tomoko is in residence at the Kinhaven Music School in Weston, VT. For more information, visit .

Musician and educator Lizzie Burns is an experienced and sought after bassist and chamber musician who performs in chamber orchestras, continuo sections, rhythm sections, and new music ensembles.  She has performed with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, recorded for major record labels and motion picture soundtracks, given dozens of world premieres, is a member of The Knights and A Far Cry, and is on faculty at the Hartt School of Music and the Mannes Conservatory at The New School.

Drawing abundant inspiration from her colleagues, Lizzie works with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), The Orchestra of St Luke’s,  and The New York City Ballet Orchestra, in addition to her membership in The Knights and A Far Cry.   As an experienced historical bassist she has performed with the Handel and Haydn Society, Tafelmusik Baroque, and Teatro Neuovo.  She is energized by collaborations with composers and has premiered works by Julia Wolfe, Caroline Shaw, Pauline Oliveros, Andy Akihio, and Jörg Widmann among many others, has performed with Henry Thredgill and Zooid, and has played a soloist for contemporary double bass repertoire across the country including works by Jacob Druckman, John Cage, Mario Davidovsky and James Tenney.  She played on Broadway in Dave Malloy’s “Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812” alongside Josh Groban.  Burns has recorded with soloists Edgar Meyer, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Pekka Kuusisto, Avi Avital and Nicholas Phan as well as popular artists including Jon Batiste, Chris Thile, Phoebe Bridgers, Ingrid Michaelson, Emily King, Wye Oak, and Joe Jackson.  She has appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, recorded for the Sony Masterworks, Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, New Amsterdam, and Nonesuch record labels, and can be heard on popular film and television soundtracks including HBO’s hit series “Succession”.

As an alum of Ensemble Connect, a rigorous two-year fellowship program based at Carnegie Hall, Lizzie is an experienced Teaching Artist who equally enjoys engaging with audiences from the stage of Carnegie Hall as she does performing in homeless shelters, for incarcerated communities, and working with public school students in The Bronx.

Lizzie attended the New England Conservatory and Boston University.  Her primary teachers were Don Palma and Ed Barker, to whom she is eternally grateful.

“Gavilan has the touch of a poet” —Santa Monica Magazine

Cuban-American Violinist Ilmar Gavilan, a native of Havana, Cuba has had a remarkable performing career that has taken him all over the world. This fascinating journey ranges from performing for world leaders such as President Obama at the White House and Queen Sofia of Spain at The Royal Palace of Madrid to performing with top stature artists of diverse styles such as Itzhak Perlman and Chick Corea. As a soloist, Mr. Gavilan has performed violin concertos with the Atlanta, New Jersey, Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Hartford, Nashville, Ann Arbor, Santa Monica, Phoenix, Denver, Louisiana, Anchorage, Santa Fe, Havana, Mexico City, and Venezuela Symphonies and played recitals in England, Russia, Spain, and Portugal. Mr. Gavilan performed “Urban Legends” by Michael Ables for String Quartet and Orchestra with the New York Philharmonic as the first violinist of the Harlem Quartet. Mr. Gavilan won first prize at the Sphinx competition, as well as top honors at the Lipinsky-Wieniaswsky and the Henryk Szeryng International violin competitions. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Gavilan has performed with Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt, Ida Kavafian, Carter Brey, Paul Katz, Fred Sherry, Anthony McGill, and Misha Dicter. Mr. Gavilan has participated in numerous chamber music festivals including Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Angel Fire. Currently a violin faculty at Manhattan School of music and �ǿ����޴�ý University, Mr. Gavilan is engaged in a visiting residency at The Royal College of Music in London as the first violinist of the Harlem Quartet and a full-time residency position at �ǿ����޴�ý University. Mr. Gavilan is an experienced educator, having taught for six years at Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. Ilmar Gavilan studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Through the personal recommendation and royal scholarship of Queen Sofia of Spain, studies took him to the Reina Sofia School of Music in Spain where he studied with Zakhar Bron. In addition, Mr. Gavilan received private lessons from legendary Yehudi �ǿ����޴�ýhin, Isaac Stern and Ruggiero Ricci. Later studies brought Mr. Gavilan to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studied with Glenn Dicterow and received his Master’s Degree. Mr. Gavilan was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Quartet Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston. His mentors there included Donald Weilerstein and Miriam Fried. Mr. Gavilan completed his Doctor in Musical Arts Diploma from Rutgers University under the mentorship of Arnold Steinhardt. Alongside his accomplished classical music career, Mr. Gavilan also performed and commercially released albums with Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, and Dafnis Prieto. Other Jazz collaborations include performing with Stanley Clark, John Patitucci, Lee Konitz, Henry Threadgill, and Doc Severinsen. The collaboration with Jazz legends Chick Corea and Gary Burton rendered earned him a Grammy for the recording of the “Hot House” album as a member of the Harlem Quartet. Mr. Gavilan’s U.S. Solo recording debut “Aires y Leyendas”, and “Por el mar” featuring music composed by his father Guido Lopez-Gavilan including a violin concerto dedicated to him, are available on Amazon and iTunes. His latest solo album “Brothers” features his brother Aldo Lopez-Gavilan. Ilmar and his brother Aldo, a world-class pianist and composer, were presented by Carnegie Hall in the featured PBS documentary “Los Hermanos/The Bothers” http://www.patchworksfilms.net/the-brothers.

Lou Kosma received his degree in music education with applied double bass from Temple University. He studied with Roger M. Scott and Edward Arian; Principal bass and Assistant Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Henry Portnoi, Principal Bass of the Boston symphony. During the summers of 1967 and 1968, he was a fellowship student at Tanglewood. After teaching for the School District of Philadelphia, he moved to New Jersey and taught in Belleville. From 1976 to 1989, he served as the orchestra and musical show conductor at Holy Family Academy in Bayonne. Mr. Kosma performed with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bass section from 1978 – 2014, serving as Acting Assistant Principal in the 2009 – 2010 and 2011 – 2012 seasons. Lou teaches privately and was adjunct double bass instructor at New Jersey City University for 29 years. He is currently at NJCU as the Orchestra Director and �ǿ����޴�ý University as a bass instructor. Other adjunct positions included: Kean College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and SUNY at Purchase. While freelancing from 1976 to 1986, Lou assumed other affiliations for which he performed as Principal Bass for the American Ballet Theatre, Principal Bass of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Acting Principal for the New Jersey Symphony and recently playing with the New York Philharmonic and Vermont Symphony. He was also a member of the Chautauqua Symphony for 17 years. Currently, Lou is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. In March of 2002, the Virtu Foundation honored Lou by naming its first double bass scholarship in his name and in February of 2014, Lou received the New Jersey Music Educators Distinguished Service Award at the NJMEA Conference in New Brunswick, NJ.

Christine Lamprea is a dynamic artist with a reputation as a firebrand cellist with a “commitment to the highest standards” (Palm Beach Daily News). Recent performances include the Schumann concerto at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, the premiere of a concerto written for her by Jeffrey Mumford, as well as a last minute replacement for Lynn Harrell with Symphony Silicon Valley. As a recitalist, Christine recently performed premieres of her own arrangements of Colombian music for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the Colombian Ambassador to the United States. Other credits include Illinois’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Florida’s Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, and the Washington Performing Arts Society. Ms. Lamprea began her concert career in 2013 upon winning Astral Artists’ National Auditions, the Sphinx Competition, and the Schadt National String Competition. She has since performed with orchestras such as the Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the San Antonio Symphony. In 2018, she received the Sphinx Medal of Excellence for her contributions to the field as an artist of color.

Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes. He is a graduate of both Oberlin College and Conservatory and the University of Massachusetts where he was the recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. In addition, he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He has served as concertmaster of the Princeton Symphony, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years. As a chamber musician, Mr. Roth regularly participates in the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival, the Windham Chamber Music Festival, and plays frequently with the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Saratoga Chamber Players, and the Berkshire Bach Society.

Brooklyn-based violinist Rachel Kitagawa Shapiro enjoys a vibrant and diverse career as a chamber musician and educator. She is a founding member and second violinist of the critically acclaimed Aeolus Quartet, now in their thirteenth season together with performances at venues including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center. An active collaborator, Dr. Shapiro appears with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, and the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble. A dynamic educator, she served as Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University and Teaching Artist at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts, and on faculty at Bennington Chamber Music Conference and Kinhaven Music School. She has recorded for Naxos and Azica record labels and on a recent album by The National. Dr. Shapiro holds an Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland. Her work has been published in Strings magazine. She performs on a 1991 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin graciously on loan to her through the Five Partners Foundation.

Called “intense, precise, and full of personality,” Caeli Smith is a chamber musician and educator in high demand across New York City and beyond. She is a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Sybarite5, and has performed with them across the U.S., Europe, and Asia; as well as with the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, and the Verbier Chamber Orchestra.

Known among students and colleagues for her exuberance and curiosity, Caeli (pronounced “Chay-lee”) is on the faculty of the Heifetz International Music Institute and Kinhaven Music School. She works regularly with students at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music as a teaching assistant/adjunct professor. Caeli holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and a master’s degree in viola performance from Juilliard. Upon graduating, she received the William Schuman Prize for
Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music. Caeli also holds a master’s degree of education from Harvard, with a concentration in Arts and Learning.

Violinist Theresa Salomon has had her interpretations praised by The New York Times as “sizzling,” the Washington Post as “virtuosic,”and the Frankfurter Allgemeine as “on the highest level”. She has performed with many of the finest early music ensembles and orchestras, as well as on numerous festivals in North America. She has appeared with Ensemble Repast, Four Nations, Artek, Rebel, Trinity Wall Street, American Classical Orchestra, Opera Lafayette, Clarion, National Cathedral, Carmel Bach Festival, Connecticut Early Music Festival, Boston Early Music Festival, among others. Studying violin in The Netherlands in the early nineteen nineties, at the time a hot bed of early music and historic performance practice, Theresa was swayed by the earthy sound of gut strings. During and after studies in her native Germany, The Netherland and Austria she traveled extensively and performed concerts in Norway, Brazil, Japan, Togo, Malawi and South Africa. She is also an enthusiast of contemporary music and has premiered numerous works, including a violin concerto on live radio with the Janáček Philharmonic in Ostrava. She has performed at the Gulbenkian Festival in Lisbon, the Prague Spring Festival and the Ostrava Days for New Music in the Czech Republic. Theresa has recorded music from Rosenmueller to Xenakis, as well as sound tracks to movies. Theresa is a member of the Orchestra of St Luke’s, curates and programs for the chamber music series “Friends of Mozart”, and lives is New York City.

Kathryn Andrews enjoys an eclectic freelance career performing chamber music, orchestral music, Broadway, and commissioning new music for the harp. On Broadway, Kathryn was the principal harpist for Rogers + Hammerstein’s Carousel starring Renée Fleming and has performed on Hello, Dolly!, Wicked, Cinderella, The Fantasticks, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She performs with Queens Symphony, Bronx Opera, On Site Opera, and The West Point Band. Chamber music projects include: Duo Scorpio, Trio Kavak, Foundry, and Wavefield Ensemble. Kathryn has performed with Florence + The Machine, Warren Haynes, Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, Weird Al Yankovic, Il Divo, Hanson, The Irish Tenors, Frank Patterson, Jane Monheit, and Joe Lovano. Recording credits include: Scorpion Tales, Two Bridges, Heirlooms, Carousel (Grammy® nominated), Carols for a Cure, Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin Marvin Hamlisch/Wycliff Gordon, and jazz albums with Dan Weiss, Matt Mitchell, Steve Newcomb, and Glenn Crytzer. Kathryn holds master’s degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Mannes. Passionate about teaching, she maintains a private studio.

André Tarantiles adjunct faculty since 1999, has been referred to by The New York Times as “an expert harpist” and by the Newark Star Ledger as “clearly a virtuoso”. He received his BM and MM degrees in harp performance from Indiana University School of Music. Mr. Tarantiles has concertized throughout the United States and has performed as soloist in all the major concert halls in New York City. He has appeared on national television accompanying opera stars Aprile Millo, Benita Valente, Renée Fleming, Heidi Grant-Murphy, Jennifer Larmore, Marcello Giordani, Susan Graham, Ruth Ann Swenson, Ramon Vargas, Christine Goerke and Joyce DiDonato. Formerly Principal Harpist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild, New York City Opera National Company, Opera Orchestra of New York, New Jersey State Opera, Arizona Opera Wagner Festival and the Casals Festival, Mr. Tarantiles is currently Principal Harpist for the Philly Pops, Glimmerglass Festival, Center for Contemporary Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Riverside Symphonia, Princeton Symphony, and Festival Musical de Santo Domingo (2001-2017). He has also performed in orchestras backing up headliners as diverse as Placido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Andrea Bocelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Jones, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Roberta Flack, John Denver, Lucie Arnaz, Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Patti Lupone, Natalie Merchant, Josh Groban, Gloria Estefan, Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Hudson and Rufus Wainright. He has toured with both Il Divo and Il Volo. His multi-faceted career has included stints at The Fantasticks (the world’s longest running musical), Radio City Music Hall, in multiple Broadway pits playing both harp and synthesizer, as staff harpist at the Papermill Playhouse and as a substitute in the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony. Mr. Tarantiles is featured on recordings for several labels and he is also the official harpist of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He was honored to be invited to play several concerts as Principal Harpist with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico in San Juan and at the Kennedy Center. His performance of Mozart’s concerto for flute and harp was broadcast throughout Latin America on CER TV. Mr. Tarantiles is also currently a faculty member at The College of New Jersey, Rutgers University and Bryn Mawr College and maintains private studios in New York City and New Hope Pennsylvania.

Classical and electric guitarist Oren Fader () has performed in Asia, Europe, and throughout the United States. Concerto performances include the Villa-Lobos Guitar Concerto with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” with the New Jersey, Danbury, and Omaha Symphonies. In addition to performing as a soloist, Mr. Fader is much in demand as a New York City chamber musician. He has performed hundreds of concerts with a wide range of classical and new music groups, including the Met Chamber Ensemble, New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, Cygnus Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, ICE, Taconic Music, Argento Ensemble, New York Festival of Song, Mark Morris Dance Group, Music From Japan, Poetica Musica, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Festival performances include Aspen, Tanglewood, Mostly Modern, Bach Oregon, Istanbul, Yellow Barn, Deer Valley, Bard, Sebago Long Lake, and Morelia, Mexico. With the group Poetica Musica he has represented the United States on State Department tours including concerts and outreach in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Copenhagen, Iceland, Gayana, Israel, Jordan, and Tajikistan. He performs frequently with mezzo soprano Jessica Bowers as the Bowers Fader Duo. For each of the past 4 years, they have presented “New American Art Songs for Mezzo and Guitar”, a program of songs written for the duo. To date, the duo has presented the world premiere of over 25 pieces. Their first recording, “Between Us All” (New Focus Recordings) has gotten excellent press from Opera News and American Record Guide. Mr. Fader is well known for his performances of contemporary music. He has premiered over 200 solo and chamber works with guitar, and can be heard on 50 commercial recordings and film, including classical guitar parts for the films “Everything Is Illuminated,” (Schreiber) and “Little Women” (Gerwig). His solo recordings include “Another’s Fandango”, featuring 500 years of guitar music (produced by Grammy Award winner Adam Abeshouse), and “First Flight”, a disc of 10 premiere solos written for Mr. Fader by New York City composers. Mr. Fader received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Purchase and his Master of Music degree from Florida State University. His major teachers include David Starobin and Bruce Holzman. Since 1994 Mr. Fader has been on the guitar and chamber music faculty of the Manhattan School of Music. He is also on the guitar faculty of SUNY Purchase, �ǿ����޴�ý University, and Borough of Manhattan Community College.

David Graessle is a versatile guitarist that has been featured on WFDU-FM, was a soloist at WPU’s 50th anniversary alumni concert, and was selected to play a masterclass for Jason Vieaux. He also studied ensemble playing in Italy, performing concerts in Rome and Venice. He’s performed hundreds of engagements as a soloist, with the guitar/mandolin duo World View, and as a member of the NJ Guitar & Mandolin Society. Currently, he is recording his debut album for solo classical guitar with works by Bach, Barrios and Villa-Lobos. Graessle holds an MA in guitar performance from �ǿ����޴�ý University where he studied with Darren O’Neill, a BA with teaching certification from William Paterson University, and is a longtime student of GFA winner Kevin Gallagher. A teacher at the Community High School of Bergen County since 1997, Graessle also chairs the music department and is the theatre department’s musical director. Additionally, he has recorded two rock albums with his band The Other Half, continues to perform as a duo with his twin brother, and is the founding director of Rockin’ Summer Camp, a musical summer program for teens.

Mike Sanowitz is a professional bassist with over 15 years of experience playing in a variety of settings: concerts, recording sessions, touring bands, and musical theater. He is currently an active session player in the New York metropolitan area with credits on a number of songs and albums. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Mike has studied electric bass with notable players including Steve Bailey, John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, and more.
As a musician and educator, Mike has facilitated bass clinics at colleges, universities, and conferences across the US. In addition to his work as a player and recording artist, Mike has extensive experience in songwriting and composition.