MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 | 2:30 p.m.
Dudley Recital Hall
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Moores Opera House
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
FUNDED IN PART BY HOUSTON AR TS ALLIANCE THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON
THE KATHERINE G. MCGOVERN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS presents
CELLOFEST HOUSTON 2023
Eunghee Cho, Artistic Director Faculty Concert
CelloFest Houston is a project of the UH Community Arts Academy and is presented with generous funding and support from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and members of the Moores Society with special thanks to Ann Ayre, David Voll, and Darlene Clark.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Eunghee Cho, artistic director
PROGRAM
FACULTY CONCERT
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 | 2:30 p.m.
Dudley Recital Hall
Cello Concerto in C minor, I. Allegro molto ma maestoso J.C. Bach (1735-1782)
H. Casadesus (1879-1947)
Lamentatio (1998) Giovanni Sollima (b. 1962)
Courtenay Vandiver Pereira, cello and Fang Yu Tai, fortepiano
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, III. Largo
Am Springbrunnen (At the Fountain), Op. 20
Anthony Kitai, cello and Gwyyon Sin, piano
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Karl Davydov (1838-1889)
Seven (2020)
Eunghee Cho, cello
Tzigane (arranged for cello and piano by Laszlo Varga)
Andrea Casarrubios (b. 1988)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Brinton Averil Smith, cello and Evelyn Chen, piano
Lyric for Strings (arranged by Eunghee Cho)
Bohemian Rhapsody (arranged by Rohan de Korte)
CelloFest Houston Cello Quartet
George Walker (1922-2018)
Freddie Mercury/Queen (1946-1991)
Anthony Kitai, Courtenay Vandiver Pereira, Brinton Averil Smith, Eunghee Cho
CelloFest Houston 2023
Eunghee Cho, artistic director
PROGRAM
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Moores Opera House
“Feierliches Stück” from Lohengrin Richard Wagner (arranged by Friedrich Grützmacher) (1813-1883)
Piano Concerto in G Major, II. Adagio assai
Maurice Ravel (arranged by Eunghee Cho) (1875-1937)
Dedicated to the legacy of David Tomatz, MSM Director, 1984-1999
Por Una Cabeza (arranged by James Barralet)
Carlos Gardel (1890-1935)
CelloFest Houston Cello Quartet Brinton Averil Smith, Eunghee Cho, Anthony Kitai, Courtenay Vandiver Pereira Soloist: Timothy Hester, piano
Hymnus for 12 Cellos Julius Klengel (1859-1933)
Elegie “In Memory of Khachaturian”
Arno Babadjanyan (arranged by Eunghee Cho) (1921-1983)
Dedicated to the legacy of Vagram Saradjian, MSM Professor of Cello, 2000-2019
Fuga y Misterio (arranged by Pablo Zinger)
Moores Cello Ensemble
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012 J.S. Bach (arranged by Laszlo Varga) (1685-1750)
Dedicated to the legacy of Laszlo Varga, MSM Professor of Cello, 1990-2000
Introduction from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1
Houston Cello Orchestra Ringel Sat, conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Stephanie Aguilar
William Danheim
Hannah Deplazes
Samuel Linzan
Joshua Lopez
Gracie Martinez
Ringel Sat, conductor
Cello 1
CelloFest Houston 2023
PERFORMERS
Moores Cello Ensemble
Julian Montez
Amy Sanders
Benjamín Serur
Ashley Wang
Mitchell Wright
Alexa Zamarripa
Houston Cello Orchestra
Brinton Averil Smith # , concertmaster
Hannah Deplazes *
Mary Brook Hartmann
Riko Kasyan
Joy Lan
Evan Leslie #
James Liu
Joshua Lopez *
Amy Sanders *
Auden Smith
James Tabanao
James Whitney
Lucas Wong
Mitchell Wright *
Cello 2
Eunghee Cho # , principal
William Danheim *
Giovanni Del Toro-Perez
Patrick Guerrini
Madeleine Hearn
Marcus Lee
John Mangum
Gracie Martinez *
Emilee Rogers
Ashley Wang *
Rebecca Wylie
Emily Ye *
# CelloFest Houston Faculty and Staff
*Moores School Symphony Orchestra Cellist
Cello 3
Courtenay Vandiver Pereira # , principal
Agata Bochnak
Emilie Efendy
Brandon England *
Ricardo Flores *
Braylon Hughes
Ian Ko
Samuel Linzan *
Gianna McDonald
Aurelia Shaitelman
Elizabeth Spencer *
Andy Wu
Alexa Zamarripa *
Cello 4
Anthony Kitai # , principal
Mohit Addanki
Stephanie Aguilar *
Joshua Lee
Sean Mei
Matthew Mendoza
Julian Montez *
Kayla Nguyen *
Kenechukwe Obiekwe
Ryan Park
Nathan Russ
Seungheon Seok
Benjamín Serur *
Gideon Weaver *
CelloFest Houston 2023
BIOGRAPHIES
Eunghee Cho, artistic director and cellist
Born in Davis, California, Korean-American cellist Eunghee Cho was awarded Second Prize and the special award for Outstanding Chinese New Piece Performance at the Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition (China). He has also earned top prizes in the Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition (Czech Republic), AEMC International Chamber Music Competition (Italy), Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, USC Solo Bach Competition, the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, MTNA National Chamber Music String Competition, New England Conservatory’s Honors Ensemble Competition, and Sacramento Philharmonic League Concerto Competition.
A committed teacher, Eunghee currently serves on the cello and chamber music faculty of University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where he also directs the Moores Cello Ensemble. He has been invited to present masterclasses for Towson University, La Jolla Music Society, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Artis Naples, Royal Conservatory of Music, and Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, and is the Artistic Director of Mellon Music Festival in Davis, CA as well as the Houston Chapter of Music for Food and CelloFest Houston. Eunghee has also been invited to serve on the summer teaching faculties of Texas Music Festival, Montecito International Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Festival Internacional de Música Naolinco.
He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras around the country including the Sacramento Philharmonic, Cape Symphony, Atlantic Symphony, Symphony by the Sea, Davis Symphony, and Sacramento State Symphony Orchestras. He held the Joyce & Donald Steele Chair as Principal Cello of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as Principal Cello of Boston Festival Orchestra, and has performed as Principal Cello with Dallas Chamber Symphony, Cape Symphony, Unitas Ensemble, and Symphony by the Sea. Eunghee has actively participated in classes at the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival and Académie Musicale de Villecroze in France, and has worked closely with distinguished musicians such as Ralph Kirshbaum, Kim Kashkashian, Steven Doane, Colin Carr, Myung-Wha Chung, Jean-Guihen Queyras, and members of the Guarneri, Emerson, Tokyo, Orion, Brentano, Borromeo, and Shanghai Quartets.
As an avid chamber musician, Eunghee has collaborated in performances with artists such as Midori Goto, Inon Barnatan, David Shifrin, Maeve Gilchrist, Elton John, Keith Murphy, Alec Benjamin, François Salque, and with members of the Borromeo String Quartet, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Calder String Quartet, Silk Road Ensemble, A Far Cry, and Aaron Diehl Trio. He has also performed as a guest artist with A Far Cry, Da Camera Society, and the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento. Previous festival engagements include La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Taos School of Music, Keuka Lake Music Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Festival International d’Echternach, and Rencontres Franco Américaines de Musique Chambre in Missillac, France.
As a passionate adventurer of contemporary music, he has collaborated directly with composers in performances of their works including with Frank Ticheli, José Elizondo, Andrew Norman, David Froom, Michael Gandolfi, and Gabriela Lena Frank. Eunghee’s own arrangements have been commissioned and premiered by Sphinx Organization, New England Conservatory’s Cello Choir, Holes in the Floor, Rasa String Quartet, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Mellon Music Festival, Moores Cello Ensemble, and Music for Food.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Eunghee graduated magna cum laude and as a Steven & Kathryn Sample Renaissance Scholar from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Minor in Biology. He completed both Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at New England Conservatory under the tutelage of distinguished pedagogues Laurence Lesser and Paul Katz. His previous instructors include Andrew Shulman, Andrew Luchansky, Richard Andaya, and Julie Hochman. Away from the cello, Eunghee enjoys neighborhood pick-up soccer, everything about dogs, and dawdling in local coffee shops.
Anthony Kitai, cellist
Anthony Kitai joined the Houston Symphony in 2001, serving as Acting Associate Principal Cellist from 2003-2005. As a member of the orchestra, he has performed in the top concert halls across the world, including appearances in London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna, Warsaw, Moscow, and multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall. Anthony Kitai has appeared on numerous award-winning recordings, receiving both a Grammy Award and an ECHO Klassik Award for the Houston Symphony’s live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck. Previously, he was a member of the Memphis Symphony and the Iris Chamber Orchestra.
As a soloist, Anthony Kitai has appeared with many orchestras including the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, Galveston Symphony, Houston Civic Symphony, Texas Medical Center Orchestra, Delta Symphony, Fort Smith Symphony, Pine Bluff Symphony, Sewanee Symphony, and the University of Houston’s Moores School Symphony Orchestra.
Music festival appearances include Mainly Mozart, Zenith, Grand Teton, Schleswig-Holstein, Aspen, and New York String Orchestra Seminar. Anthony Kitai was on the faculty of the American Festival for the Arts in Houston and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and is now a member of the artist faculty at the Texas Music Festival as well as the principal cellist of the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria.
As a chamber musician, Anthony Kitai has performed with Mercury Baroque and on concert series such as Aperio, Cactus Pear Music Festival, Col Canto, Foundation for Modern Music, Third Space Music, Moores School of Music Faculty Recitals, and Woodlands Salon Series Concerts. He frequently collaborates with his wife, pianist Shannon Hesse, and has performed with her on the Galveston Island Arts Academy Concert Series, Greenbriar Consortium Concerts, Houston Community College Chamber Music Series, Imperial Performing Arts, Louisiana State University Manship Guest Series, and Westminster Summer Concerts.
Anthony Kitai currently serves as an affiliate artist of cello at the University of Houston, Moores School of Music, and maintains a thriving private cello studio. He has given masterclasses at various universities including Drake University, Utah State University, Sam Houston State University, Texas Tech University, University of North Texas, and the University of Louisville. Internationally, he has taught at the Allegra Music Festival in Xalapa, Mexico and at the Encuentro Annual de Cuerdas in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Anthony Kitai received his BM and performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music and his MM from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His major teachers have included Desmond Hoebig, Steven Doane, Paul Katz, and Peter Spurbeck.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Brinton Averil Smith, cellist
Critics have described American cellist Brinton Averil Smith as a “virtuoso cellist with few equals,” hailing him as “a proponent of old-school string playing such as that of Piatigorsky and Heifetz.” Gramophone praised Smith in his debut recording of Miklós Rózsa’s Cello Concerto as a “hugely eloquent, impassioned soloist,” writing “The sheer bravura of Smith’s reading is infectious.” BBC Music magazine wrote of Smith’s recent Naxos recording of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Cello Concerto an “his is a cast iron technique of verve and refinement put entirely at the service of the music... The artistry on display here is breathtaking” while David Hurwitz of Classics Today wrote “Smith plays the living daylights out of it. His full tone, impeccable intonation, and fleet passage work–never for a moment ungainly or stressed, -lets the music soar” Gramophone also wrote of Smith’s most recent Naxos recording, Exiles in Paradise, which explores the rich legacy of the émigré composers who gathered in Hollywood in the mid-20th century “Smith plays the bejesus out of it, making child’s play of the rapid-fire spiccatos and almost impossible-to-control harmonics. … and teems with old-school elegance and just the right dose of schmaltz.”
Mr. Smith’s North American engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and recital and concerto engagements throughout the country, while his broadcast performances include CBS’s Sunday Morning and regular appearances on NPR’s Performance Today and Symphonycast. Mr. Smith has appeared regularly as a soloist with the Houston Symphony since joining the orchestra as principal cellist in 2005. Prior to this, he was the first musician chosen by Lorin Maazel to join the New York Philharmonic and the principal cellist of the San Diego and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. His live concert performances on youtube have been viewed over one million times, including over two hundred and fifty thousand views of a live encore of Paganini’s 24th Caprice. Devoted to expanding the cello repertoire, Mr. Smith performs a wide variety of violin, piano and vocal transcriptions and gave the North American premiers of rediscovered cello works of Jean Sibelius and Alexander Zemlinsky as well as the world premiere of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata for violin and cello. Mr. Smith also gave the first professional performance of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s cello concerto since its 1935 premiere with Arturo Toscanini and Gregor Piatigorsky.
An active chamber musician, Smith has collaborated with violinist Gil Shaham on numerous occasions including Carnegie Hall’s Gil Shaham and Friends series. He has also collaborated with cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Lynn Harrell, pianists Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Jeffrey Kahane and Kirill Gerstein, violinists James Ehnes, Cho-Liang Lin and Sarah Chang, soprano Dawn Upshaw, and members of the Beaux Arts Trio and the Guarneri, Emerson, Juilliard, Cleveland, and Berg quartets. He has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Marlboro Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Sarasota Music Festival, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Brevard Music Festival and the Texas Music Festival. Mr. Smith is currently an Associate Professor at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and a faculty member of the Aspen and Sarasota Music Festivals.
The son of a mathematician and a pianist, Brinton Averil Smith was admitted to Arizona State University at age 10, where he took courses in mathematics and German and, at age 17, completed a B.A. in mathematics. He then became a student of Eleonore Schoenfeld at the University of Southern California, where he was also a teaching assistant in the mathematics department, and completed work for an M.A. in mathematics at age 19. He subsequently studied with the renowned cellist Zara Nelsova at The Juilliard School. While there he was a prize winner in several consecutive Juilliard concerto competitions and the Leonard Rose
CelloFest Houston 2023
International Cello Competition and received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, writing on the playing of Emanuel Feuermann. Mr. Smith resides in Houston with his wife, the pianist Evelyn Chen. Their daughter, Calista, is a soprano studying at Northwestern University.
Courtenay Vandiver Pereira, cellist
Cellist and native Houstonian Courtenay Vandiver Pereira has been acclaimed by the Boston Globe as “an expert player,” and by the New Jersey Star Ledger for her “wonderful technique and creamy sound”. Her music has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Musikverein (Vienna), and the Gewandhaus (Leipzig). In addition, she has concertized in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
She is former Principal cellist of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and member of both Mercury Chamber Orchestra and ROCO. A founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble A Far Cry, they enjoy residencies at New England Conservatory and Kneisel Hall. Locally, Courtenay is Artistic Director of House of Cello.
A passionate chamber musician, Ms. Vandiver Pereira has performed with the St. Petersburg, Borromeo, and Jupiter String Quartets. She has collaborated in concert with artists such as Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, Ronald Leonard, Steven Dann, and Natasha Brofsky. Festival appearances include Ravinia, Yellow Barn, Sarasota, Schleswig-Holstein, Leipzig BachFest, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.
Versatile as an artist, she has rocked for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban, Jethro Tull, Eurythmics’ frontman Dave Stewart, and Peter Gabriel. She was a member of the grunge cello quartet, Samurai String Squad which debuted at Ottawa Chamberfest. She also built a pedal board for her cello, Noah.
Televised before millions across the United States and Canada, she played for Billy Graham’s final My Hope Campaign. She also plays for Jesus Image, teaches at House of Bethany’s Worship Academy and writes worship songs. Her album, Journey to Light can be heard regularly on iTunes, Spotify, and radio stations round the world including refugee camps in the Middle East.
A winner of State Honor Orchestra her rookie year, she served as Assistant Director at both Sartartia Middle and Austin High Schools. She has conducted at Dallas Symphony’s Meyerson Hall and clinics orchestras in the Houston area. She is a former alum and coach for Houston Youth Symphony’s Philharmonia and Symphony orchestras. She previously taught cello, chamber music, and solfege for the Boston Symphony’s Project STEP, an educational program promoting racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. She pioneered and received Da Camera’s first-ever grant taking her music to girls coming out of sex trafficking. In addition, she has played in many hospitals, prisons, and state facilities for migrant children.
Ms. Vandiver Pereira earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at New England Conservatory with Academic and Artistic Distinction under the tutelage of Laurence Lesser and Paul Katz. She’s performed in masterclasses with cellists Heinrich Schiff, Frans Helmerson, Pieter Wispelwey and Christoph Henkel. Inspirational teachers in her youth include former Principal cellist of the Houston Symphony, Shirley Trepel and Myung-Wha Chung. She is a recipient of The Yellow Rose of Texas. Presented by former Governor Ann Richards, the award is given only through the Office of the Governor and recognizes women for their significant and outstanding contributions to the State of Texas.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Evelyn Chen, pianist
The New York Times hailed Evelyn Chen as “a pianist to watch,” praising her “brilliant technique, warm, clear tone, and exacting musical intelligence.” Ms. Chen’s recent engagements have included performances on five continents at venues including David Geffen Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Wolf Trap and the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, the Cultural Center of Hong Kong, and the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow.
A Steinway Artist, Ms. Chen has performed with numerous orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra (upon Mstislav Rostropovich’s recommendation), the Houston Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, as well as the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the New Zealand Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico among others. She has collaborated with renowned conductors including Riccardo Muti, Leonard Slatkin, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Zdenek Macal, Joseph Silverstein, JoAnn Falletta, and Keith Lockhart. Ms. Chen’s recordings have received international critical acclaim. Her recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Leonard Slatkin and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London on Sony/BMG was among the top ten best-selling classical recordings in England. Ms. Chen’s performance was praised by Fanfare Magazine as “eminently musical, particularly sensitive to Rachmaninov’s intimacies.” Fanfare also commended Ms. Chen’s recording of the Miklos Rozsa’s Piano Concerto with James Sedares and the New Zealand Symphony on Koch International, stating “it would be hard to imagine a performance more in tune with the music’s dynamism than the one turned in by Evelyn Chen, who wonderfully communicates a kind of virtuoso thrill while also capturing every one of the work’s Protean changes of mood.” Gramophone Magazine added that “Evelyn Chen is a dazzlingly secure, marvelously sympathetic exponent that Rozsa fans will rightly welcome with open arms.”
Ms. Chen has been featured on the CBS Evening News, and her performances have been broadcast by the National Public Radio, WGBH (Boston), WQXR (New York), WNYC (New York), WNCN (New York), WFMT (Chicago), and WGTS (Washington DC), as well as throughout Taiwan and Great Britain (Classic FM). She has collaborated in chamber music with artists including violinists Frank Huang, Cho-Liang Lin, and Yoonshin Song, violist James Dunham, cellists Leslie Parnas and Brinton Smith, as well as members of the New York Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony, and the Houston Symphony. Ms. Chen has also performed before prominent dignitaries including the Princess of Thailand and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
A winner of several international competitions, Ms. Chen was the recipient of the Petschek Award, which awarded her a fully sponsored New York debut recital at Alice Tully Hall. She was also the First Prize Winner of the Mieczyslaw Munz International Competition, and the Grand Prize Winner of the Piano Guild International Recording Competition. As the youngest competitor at the age of fourteen, Ms. Chen captured First Prize in the Bach International Competition in Washington DC.
Ms. Chen received a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Juilliard School, a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Arts in composition, Magna Cum Laude with highest honors, from Harvard University. Her teachers include pianists Russell Sherman and Jerome Lowenthal, and composers Leon Kirchner and David Lewin. She is currently Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Timothy Hester, pianist
Native Houstonian Timothy Hester is Professor of Piano at the Moores School of Music where he also enjoys instructing students in the skills of sight reading, collaborative techniques and also serves as Chair of the Keyboard Studies Division and Director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts. Named Outstanding Collegiate Teacher of the Year (2014) by the Texas Music Teachers Association, Mr. Hester has worked with internationally known vocalists and instrumentalists. He has worked with leading cellists as Laszlo Varga, Nathaniel Rosen, Steven Balderston, Desmond Hoebig, Vagram Saradjian, Zara Nelsova, Evan Drachman, Terry King, Anthony Elliott, Norman Fischer, Edward Arron, Brinton Averil Smith, Thomas Landschoot, Fred Edelen, Maureen McDermott, Maria Kitsopoulos, David Tomatz as well as his esteemed UH colleagues — Anthony Kitai and Eunghee Cho. He has also taught Opera Studies at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and served on the faculty of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Mr. Hester has appeared worldwide and has performed on major as well as performing with Da Camera, Musiqa and the KUHF chamber players. Mr. Hester graduated from The Juilliard School as a student of the renowned pedagogue Adele Marcus. He was previously a pupil of the late Professor Emeritus of the University of Houston, Albert Hirsh.
Gwyyon Sin, pianist
Praised as “not only a brilliant technician, who masters even the most difficult passages, every tempo seemingly effortlessly, but knows how to enliven the works emotionally… by German Critic Wolfgang Meyer, Pianist Gwyyon Sin has been recognized internationally as a Solo and Collaborative pianist.
Ms. Sin has performed extensively throughout Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Korea and the United States and has worked with Musicians from Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Hamburg, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera, and more. Ms. Sin was born in Seoul, South Korea and began her Piano Studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Soon after, she moved to Germany and completed Bachelor and Master’s of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig. Ms. Sin completed an Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under Full Scholarship with Awadagin Pratt and Dror Biran and worked as a Head Collaborative Piano Fellow at Bard College Conservatory Music in New York. Ms. Sin has received numerous prizes and awards, including German Scholarships such as Beate-Graefe-Stipendium, DAAD Freundeskreis and Graduate Incentive Award and won top prizes in International Competitions, including “Ischia” International Piano Competition and “Citta di Treviso” International Piano Competition in Italy. Ms. Sin is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano at University of Houston under guidance of Timothy Hester.
CelloFest Houston 2023
Fang Yu Tai, pianist
Born in Taiwan, Fang Yu Tai began piano and music lessons at age 6. A strong calling from music urged her to continue musical studies, later majoring in vocal performance at the Shih Chien University in Taipei, Taiwan with Professor Yen-Lin Chen. Following graduation, Fang Yu traveled to El Salvador as a music volunteer, where she founded and directed the first choir at the University of Don Bosco in San Salvador, and she also participated as a singer on private choirs touring throughout Central America. Fang Yu was chosen to serve as the pianist of the El Salvador National Choir. In this role, she collaborated actively with local and foreign musicians including Gracia Gonzalez (Soprano/El Salvador), Simon Gollo (Violin/Venezuela), and Hernando Jose Cobo (Flautist/ Colombia). In 2020, she joined the inaugural Music Bachelor Program in El Salvador as a piano teacher at the University José Matias Delgado.
She pursues professional and personal growth now at University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, cherishing every opportunity to collaborate with recognized professionals and gifted musicians from the music program. Guided by Timothy Hester as part of the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano program, Fang Yu is now in her first year bringing her best efforts to strive and succeed in this academic journey.
Ringel Sat, conductor
Ringel Sat hails from Hong Kong. As a pianist and vocalist, she attended the Law Ting Pong Secondary School. She completed her BA degree in Music Studies (2020) at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Ms. Sat studied conducting with Choi Ho-Man, Music Director of the Pro Arte Orchestra of Hong Kong. Ringel Sat is currently completing her Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting, at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, with Franz Anton Krager. In Houston, she has made serval public performances with the music of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Wagner. Ms. Sat participated in the prestigious international conducting masterclasses with Charles Olivieri-Munroe and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, in the Czech Republic (2019), and was a participant in the “Wiener Schule” Conducting Competition (2022), Lake Como Conducting Competition (2022), and received honorable mention in Vienna New Year International Music Competition (2022).
2022-2023 Moores Society
As of January 20, 2023
The Moores Society is the philanthropic volunteer organization for the Moores School of Music. Moores Society members and donors promote community awareness and provide funding for scholarships and special projects. Moores Society members receive invitations to concerts and special events held throughout the year.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Darlene Clark, President
Jackie & Malcolm Mazow, Immediate Past Presidents
Donna Shen, Vice President Membership
Nancy Willerson, Corresponding Secretary
Ann Tornyos, Recording Secretary
Meg Boulware, Opera Production Council Chair
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rita Aron
Ann Ayre
Meg Boulware
Terry Ann Brown
Carla Burns
Cheryl Byington
Julie Cogan
Timothy Doyle
Warren Ellsworth
Sheila Aron
Christopher Bacon
Philamena Baird
Chris Becker
Tom Becker
Susan Binney
Ann Boss
Nancy Bowden
Zarine Boyce
Robert Chanon
Anna Dean
Vicky Dominguez
Ann Faget
Kelli Fein
Debbie Feuer
Cathy Coers Frank
Joyce Frassanito
Mary Fusillo
Elia Gabbanelli
Frank Geider, MS DDS
Marita Glodt
Sean Gorman
Maureen Higdon
Gary Hollingsworth & Ken Hyde
Mady Kades
Linda Katz
Michelle & Jack Matzer
Gary Patterson
Shirley Rose
BOARD OF ADVISORS
2022-2023
Diane & Harry Gendel
Mariglyn & Stephen Glenn
Beatrice & Gregory Graham
Deb Happ
Ellen & Alan Holzberg
Gladys Hooker
Janis Landry
Cora Sue & Harry Mach
Karinne McCullough
Mary Ann McKeithan
Cathy McNamara
Jennifer Meyer
Celia Morgan
Jo & Joseph Nogee
Kitten & Ron Page
Kusum Patel
Fran Fawcett Peterson
Carroll R. Ray
Jan Rhodes
Carol Lee Robertson
Richard Schmitt
Donna Shen
Rhonda Sweeney
Ann Tornyos
Betty Tutor
Bob & Mary Ann Wilkins
Beth Wolff
Lillie Robertson
Minette Robinson
Heidi Rockecharlie
Kathi Rovere
Donna Scott & Mitch Glassman
Helen Shaffer
Donna Shen
Satoko & Anthony Shou
Nancy Strohmer
Susan Thompson
Virginia & Gage Van Horn
Barbara Van Postman
Carol & Carl Vartian
Nancy Willerson
Phyllis Williams
Cyvia Wolff
Jo Dee Wright
Gay Yellen
2022-2023 Moores Society
As of January 20, 2023
OPERA PRODUCTION COUNCIL
Robin Angly
Christopher Bacon
Meg Boulware, Chair
Gwyneth Campbell
Anna Dean
Tim Doyle
Warren Ellsworth
Jose Alvarado
Robin Angly & Miles Smith
Rita & Jeffrey Aron
Alan Austin & David A. White
Ann & Jonathan Ayre
Christopher Bacon & Craig Miller
Pamela & Stephen Bertone
Olga & Gerardo Balboa
Susan & Michael Bloome
Meg Boulware & Hartley Hampton
Carla Burns
Keith Butcher
Cheryl & Carl Carlucci
Robert Chanon
Lydia & James Chao
Darlene Clark & Edwin Friedrichs
Cynthia & Geroge Mitchell Foundation
Victoria Dominguez
Timothy Doyle & Robert Royall, II
Richard Drapeau
Ursula & Saul Balagura
Matthew Dirst
Kelli Fein
Geraldine Gill
Kathryn & Brendan Godfrey
Ellen Gritz & Milton Rosenau Jr.
Lucila & Bill Haase
Deborah Happ & Richard Rost
Ann Faget
Gerri Gill
Ellen and Alan Holzberg
Lee Huber
Shannon Langman
Helen Mann
Jackie and Malcolm Mazow
1000+
Ann Faget
Sylvia Farb
Debbie Feuer
Elaine & Marvy Finger
Toni & Walter Finger
Linda Fulton
Elia Gabbanelli
Mariglyn & Stephen Glenn
Manuel Gonzales
Aaron Gonzales
Susan & Sean Gorman
Gary
Konnie Gregg
Hollingsworth & Ken Hyde
Ellen & Alan Holzberg
Monzer Hourani
Lee Huber
Sharon & Robert Lietzow
Jack & Michelle Matzer
Jackie & Malcolm Mazow
Paula & Robert Mendoza
Annie Pati
Luis Ramirez
Charles Riesen
Lillie Roberrtson
500+
Maureen Higdon
Linda Katz
Connie Kwan-Wong
Vanessa Lopez
Kathleen Moore & Steven Homer
Gary Patterson
Janet & Charles Rinehart
David Rowan
Rhonda Sweeney
Irena Witt
Johanna Wolfe
Jo Dee Wright
Floyd Robinson
Shirley E. Rose
Rosamund & David Rowan
Victoria Scelba
Jane & Richard Schmitt
Helen & James Shaffer
Donna & Tim Shen
Melanie Sonnenberg
Rhonda & Donald Sweeney
Vita Taksa
Ann Tomatz
Ann Tornyos
Betty & Jesse Tutor, Jr.
David Voll
Betsy Cook Weber & Fredric Weber
Nancy Willerson
Andrea & Carl Wilson
Irena Witt
Johanna & Richard Wolfe
Beth Wolff
Jo Dee & Cliff Wright
Allyn & Jill Risley
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
Joseph Thayer
Susan Thompson
Ann Tomatz
Virginia & Gage Van Horn
Robert Zinn
2022-2023 Moores Society
As of January 20, 2023
Thomas Blocher
Terry Ann Brown
Carla Burns
Mathilda Cochran
Dru & Richard Davis
Kenneth Euler
Cathy Coers Frank
Joyce & John Frassanito
Mary & Robert Fusillo
Beatrice & Gregory Graham
Elad Ben-Menashe
Fredy Bonilla
Cynthia Clayton-Vasquez & Hector Vasquez
Julie Fischer
Sandra Harris
250+
Claire Liu Greenberg & Joseph Greenberg
Michelle Greenberg
Deborah Happ
Deborah Hirsch
Gladys Hooker
Russell Kneupper
Therese Kosten
Helen Mann
Karinne & William McCullough
120+
Clara Kukes
Richard Kummins
Lynn Lamkin
Michael Taksa
Katherine Turner
Jenny Meyer
Joel Oppenheim
Susan Osterberg
Dalia Pineda
Lisa Powell & Philip Berquist
Nancy & Hans Strohmer
Andrea Turner
Carol Vartian
Cyvia & Melvyn Wolff
Gay Yellen & Don Reiser
Yone & Shelton Vaughan
Debra Witter & Scott Chase
Lorraine Wulfe
MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC
ABOUT THE MOORES SCHOOL
Moores School of Music
The University of Houston’s Moores School of Music (MSM) is one of the leading comprehensive music schools in the nation. Its remarkable faculty — of internationally recognized performers, composers, and scholars — outstanding student body, modern facilities, and broad range of programs make MSM the natural choice for nearly 600 students annually. The school’s commitment to academic excellence and the highest performance standards has ensured its role as a vital resource in the educational and cultural life of Houston and beyond.
Moores Society
The Moores Society is the philanthropic volunteer organization for the Moores School of Music. Moores Society members and donors promote community awareness and provide funding for scholarships and special projects. Moores Society members receive invitations to concerts and special events held throughout the year. Please visit uh.edu/kgmca/music/moores-society.
For more information, please contact Emily Wolfe, Patrons Relations and Communications Coordinator, at mooressociety@uh.edu or 713.743.8036.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts at the University of Houston is a dynamic home of creativity and collaboration in one of America’s most artistically vibrant and culturally diverse cities. Bringing together the performing and visual arts entities at the University of Houston, the college has the ability to harness the power of the arts to ultimately impact our world. Our award-winning, internationally distinguished faculty provides top-quality instruction to the talented, emerging student artists from more than 30 programs of study. The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts seeks to positively impact the community and to empower our students to use their talents to change the world.
Giving to the Arts
Please support emerging artists at the University of Houston's Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. Your gift enables KGMCA students and educators to create, collaborate, and transform Houston’s cultural landscape. Your gift makes a difference.
• Please visit https://giving.uh.edu/gift. To give directly to the Moores School of Music, please visit uh.edu/ kgmca/music/giving
• For more information contact Emily Wolfe, Patron Relations and Communications Coordinator, at ewolfe@uh.edu or 713.743.7732
uh.edu/kgmca/about/news
THE KATHRINE G. MCGOVERN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
Box Office at 713.743.3388
