UNIS Teaching Artists

Adele Mori is a cellist involved in a wide variety of projects throughout the New York City area. An enthusiastic collaborator, Adele has worked closely with a diverse range of composers and premiered numerous works composed for solo cello as well as ensemble. She has performed with various groups including American Ballet Theater, ensemble mise-en, American Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra of Brooklyn, and various shows on Broadway. Adele holds an MM in cello performance from Mannes College at The New School, a BA from Bennington College, and received Suzuki pedagogical training at the School for Strings in NYC under the tutelage of Pam Devenport. She currently teaches cello at United Nations International School and Saint David's School.

New York-based clarinetist Christa Van Alstine is dedicated to performing new music and collaborating closely with composers. Recognized by the New York Times as “animated...careful and diligent,” Christa is the clarinetist with Ipse, bass clarinetist with Hotel Elefant, and performs frequently in NYC and abroad with several other contemporary ensembles including Mantra Percussion, Wet Ink, A Far Cry, Talea, ICE, Either/Or, Red Light New Music, Iktus Percussion, Ascolta, and Toca Loca. She has performed and premiered works at festivals including Next Wave (NYC), MATA (NYC), Ecstatic (NYC), Liederabend (NYC), Darmstadt (Germany), Impuls (Austria), soundXis (Canada), avantX (Canada), Moving Sounds (New York City), and the 12 Nights (Miami). Christa received an Artist's Diploma from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and her master's degree from Stony Brook University in New York and is currently on faculty at the United Nations International School.

CHRISTINE MACDONNELL: a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, Christine received her Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School. She is a busy multi-instrumentalist in the New York area, performances include PaperMill Playhouse, Radio City Music Hall, Albany Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Northeast Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. National performances include the Walnut Theatre and The Philly Pops in Philadelphia, John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Georgia State University, and Atlanta's Fox Theatre. Christine has performed and lectured locally and performed abroad as principal clarinet in the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira in Brazil and the Nova Philharmonia Portuguesa in Portugal. Just recently she was a featured clarinet artist in the V Festival International de Sopros in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has served two US Presidents in the "President's Own" Marine Band. Christine has toured nationally with productions such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Falsettos. A popular freelance musician in NYC, and Broadway regular on shows such as Aladdin, Anastasia, Phantom of the Opera, and The Lion King , she also plays with numerous chamber ensembles, accompanying artists such as Bernadette Peters, Florence Henderson, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra, Jr. Currently she serves as a woodwind instructor at the United Nations International School, as well conducting master classes at various universities within the United States. She has been interviewed and featured on WPFW, Jazz and Justice Radio in Washington, DC, and on Clarinet Corner, Troy University Public Radio. Her two classical CDs, "Enchanted Saint Saens" and "Clarinet Rhapsody" have been hailed as "beautifully played and well-deserved of its title". Her latest recording, "Chris' Journey, A Whimsical Collage of Music", is a piece specifically written for her. It is very unique in that one artist, Christine MacDonnell, is performing all 11 woodwinds depicting various styles. All three recordings are available online at cdbaby.com or at her website www.winds4you.com.

Christine is also a Yamaha and DAddario performing artist.

Dan Urness has been in demand as a free-lance musician since he moved to New York City in 2004 from his home state of Wisconsin to attend the Manhattan School of Music. Being comfortable in classical, jazz, and commercial settings, Dan has found a home in the orchestras of many broadway shows including Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.
While staying busy as a performer, he has been a private trumpet instructor at the United Nations International School since 2006.

www.jeffdavisdrums.org

Canadian born violinist Jennifer Ahn leads an active career teaching and performing in the New York City area. She received a Masters of Music and the prestigious Artist Diploma as a full scholarship student at Yale University. An avid orchestral musician, , She has served as concertmaster with the New England Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Summer Music Festival, New York Asian Symphony, Pacific Music Festival in Japan as well as holding the concertmaster position with the Orchestra at Shelter Rock since 2011. She is a former member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra and an alumnus of Spoleto, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany, Cassalmaggiore in Italy and Scotiafest in Canada. Jennifer has been featured soloist three times with the Chelsea Symphony, which she has played in since 2008. In addition to playing in prestigious concert halls in Europe and Asia, Jennifer performs regularly at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Jennifer has recorded on the NAXOS and SONY Classical labels with various orchestras. Notable collaborations include instrumental work with Guy Berryman from Coldplay as well as performances with M83, The Roots, Frank Ocean and Nick Jonas, and most recently played a chamber music concert with members of the New York Philharmonic.

Jennifer received her Suzuki teacher training at the School for Strings and is a certified and registered teacher in both the Suzuki and O’Connor Methods. She teaches mostly classical but likes to mix it up with some fiddling, improv and pop music.

Jessie Snoke, violinist, is a performer and teacher based in New York City. She holds a M.M. in Violin Performance from the Hartt School of the University of Hartford where she studied with Katie Lansdale and completed her long-term Suzuki Pedagogy training with Teri Einfeldt. She received her B.M. in Violin Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a student of Kevin Lawrence. Jessie is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas and has her teacher certification in Suzuki Books 1-8. Jessie is currently on the faculty of the United Nations International School, Brooklyn Conservatory, and the Lucy Moses School.

​As an active performer, Jessie participated in the Aspen Music Festival and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival as well as chamber music masterclasses with members of the Emerson, Juilliard and JACK String Quartets. She served as concertmaster of the UNCSA Symphony and the Hartt orchestra, and has appeared regularly with the Handel Festival Orchestra, Litha Symphony, New Britain Symphony, and Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra. As a winner of the Winston-Salem Symphony competition, Jessie performed Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins with renowned soloist Midori.

Laura Thompson (violin, viola, traditional Irish fiddle) is a musical omnivore hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She holds a Masters of Music in violin performance from the Royal College of Music in London, UK, where she studied with Berent Korfker and was a member of contemporary music group ExplorEnsemble. She also received a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Northwestern University, where she studied with Gerardo Ribeiro and performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She represented Britain as a solo fiddler at the 2011 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, the world championships of Irish music. In recent years, she has performed as a violinist with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, the Florentine Opera (Milwaukee), Ensemble Dal Niente (Chicago), Ensemble Evolution at the Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada), and the Next Festival for Emerging Artists (NYC). As a violist, she is a substitute with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, performed at the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Schwaz, Austria, and performed at the Tribeca Festival with the NYC-based Rhythm Method String Quartet. Passionate about teaching students from all backgrounds, Laura led the violin program for three years at Tamarack Waldorf School (Milwaukee), maintained a private studio of students ranging from ages 4-75 in Milwaukee, and taught in two different El Sistema-based free music programs in Chicago and Milwaukee. She has also taught Norwegian hardanger fiddle at the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's annual workshop, and several Irish fiddle workshops at Lawrence University. While living in London, she worked on a project to help older adults with dementia create a song cycle as part of the English Touring Opera's Turtle Song initiative.

Malena Dayen teaches singing at UNIS since 2012. As a private voice teacher at UNIS she has worked with hundreds of singers and produced over 30 solo recitals at school and in several locations around New York City.
Malena is an Argentinian singer and stage director. In 2020 Malena won the 1st Prize in Catapult Opera’s competition for innovation in opera and directed Teatro Grattacielo’s Fedora and Mefistofele video productions, that were selected to the Munich Music Video Awards, the 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival in Bali and the London International Music Video Awards. Ms. Dayen directed The Late Walk, a new opera in collaboration with Bare Opera and the Decameron Opera Coalition, that was inducted into The Library of Congress's “Performing Arts COVID-19 Response Collection.” Previously she directed a production of Don Giovanni and starred and directed Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires with Bare Opera in New York City.

As a classical singer Malena was praised by the New York Times as “Outstanding” for her March 2013 performance at Carnegie Hall in Moravec's The Blizzard Voices with the Oratorio Society of New York. Her operatic roles include Carmen, Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte) and she has performed at the Teatro Municipal de Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the Natchez Opera Festival, Festival d’Art Vocal de Montreal among others.

Born and raised in Argentina, Ms. Dayen is a Spanish music and tango specialist, performing this repertoire in venues such as Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute and the Centro Cultural Kirchner in Buenos Aires. Malena is the lead singer with New Aires Tango, an ensemble that performs contemporary arrangements of tangos and boleros since 2010.
Malena has concertized extensively with the Oratorio Society of New York, with whom she has toured Hungary, Italy, Uruguay and Brazil. Other international appearances include concerts with the Teatro Colón Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico.

Since 2015 she is a collaborative artist for the Lullaby Project at the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Malena was also a member of the voice faculty of the Bard College Conservatory Preparatory Division.
Malena holds an MFA from CUNY Brooklyn College in the Performance and Interactive Media Arts program (PIMA) and a MM and a PSD from the Mannes College of Music The New School.

NYC native Marina Kifferstein enjoys an active career as a violinist, composer, and educator. She has performed extensively across North America and internationally in the world's finest concert halls, including Carnegie Hall (NYC), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), the Kölner Philharmonie (Cologne, Germany), La Salle Pleyel (Paris, France), the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern (Lucerne, Switzerland), Harpa Concert Hall (Reykjavik, Iceland), the Beijing Concert Hall (China), the Esplanade (Singapore), and many others.
Marina holds an M.M. in violin contemporary performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a B.M. in violin performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and a B.A. in English from Oberlin College. She is currently a D.M.A. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center. She has over a decade of teaching experience with students of all ages and levels.

Martha Siegel has taught cello at UNIS-Queens since 1973! She also teaches at her home studio: Marthasmusicstudio.com. She is principal cellist of The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra in Park Slope, and has her own ensemble called Brooklyn Brandenburgers. In the past she toured and recorded with Argentine singer Suni Paz.

Mike Fahie is a jazz trombonist, composer and educator living in Brooklyn. His current projects include a collaboration with legendary trumpet player John McNeil (represented on the Destiny Records release, Plainsong), the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra, and the Mike Fahie Quintet (heard on Mike’s debut album, Anima, released on the Brooklyn Jazz Underground label).

​He is also an in-demand sideman in New York City, playing with many highly recognized groups. He is the lead trombonist of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, a three-time Grammy nominated ensemble. He is the principal trombonist of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York, and a member of the Gramercy Brass Quintet. He is also a regular member of the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra and the Dan Pugach Nonet. He also is a first-call sub with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

As a commercial musician, Mike has played several Broadway shows including the Lion King, Porgy and Bess, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Ragtime, In The Heights, and Elf. He has appeared on a number of recordings and movies, and performs with various rock & pop bands.

He is an also a dedicated educator, and has recently been hired as the jazz trombone instructor at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston. Mike has extensive teaching experience, and has been on the faculty of the United Nations International School for over 15 years. He has also worked across the US as a trombone and composition clinician.

Mike was a finalist for the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Trombone Competition, and was the first ever Canadian Fulbright Scholar in jazz.

Born in New York City to a family of musicians, Mikhail Kofman started his piano studies at the age of four and began teaching at the age of 15, assisting his mother, Yelena Kofman, a noted pianist and teacher.
His wide range of musical experiences also came from his engagement at the Metropolitan Opera House as a boy soprano in principal roles such as the First Boy in The Magic Flute, and the Shepard boy in Tosca, and many others. He appeared with his father, renowned classical guitarist and teacher Yasha Kofman, in many concerts at the United Nations, and other venues in NYC.
Mr. Kofman holds a B.M and M.A in piano performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where he studied with Prof. Morey Ritt and was the winner of the 2008 Concerto Competition, along with numerous special achievement awards, including the Getty Foundation Award.
Mr. Kofman is a member of the Piano Faculty at the United Nations International School (UNIS), the Piano Faculty at the Lawrence Eisman School of Preparatory Studies at Queens College, and is a Steinway Educational Partner. He remains a multifaceted and unique artist, in demand for both his solo performance and collaborative skills.

Saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius has cultivated a substantial body of work as a composer and bandleader, and performed his original music in some of the world’s top jazz venues. Hailed as “self-assured” and “resourceful” by The New York Times, “Elegant” and “Extraordinary” by DownBeat Magazine, he has released 8 albums as a leader to worldwide critical acclaim.

As a composer, Cornelius has earned an array of awards and commissions, including four consecutive ASCAP “Young Composer Awards,” (now Herb Alpert Award) and Chamber Music America’s “New Jazz Works” in 2012, and has been commissioned to compose and arrange original music for ensembles across the globe.

An active educator, Patrick attended Berklee College of Music (Bachelor of Music Performance), Manhattan School of Music (Masters of Music in Jazz Studies), and The Juilliard School (Artist Diploma) on full scholarships, and graduated from each with highest honors. He has appeared as visiting artist or guest lecturer at international institutions such as Berklee College of Music, The Royal Academy of London, the Birmingham Conservatoire, St. Mary’s University in Texas, The University of North Carolina, Hunter College in NYC, and University of Texas. He serves on the music faculty of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah and The United Nations International School in New York City, and currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two children, and seven neon tetras.

Peter Lewy has been on the faculty at UNIS for more then 20 years. His credits include serving as principal cellist and concerto soloist with several NYC metropolitan area orchestras including the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, the Westchester Philharmonic, the Bronx Symphony, the Greenwich Village Orchestra, the Bergen Symphony and the Regina Opera Orchestra. In addition he has made numerous recital and chamber music appearances in all the major venues in NYC including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Recent performances include two performances of the Elgar Cello Concerto with orchestra. Peter released his solo debut on Classical Jazz Records. The CD titled "Now and Then" features 7 of his own works for solo cello, ranging from meditative to thrilling and virtuostic, as well as the full Bach suite #1 in G Major for unaccompanied cello. It is available along with his other recordings at CDbaby and Amazon.com. His music is also available on i-tunes. In 2006 his highly personal interpretations of the Bach Suites for Unaccompanied Cello were praised by pianist Maurizio Pollini. His music has been heard on radio stations around the world. In addition to his classical work, Peter has worked on stage and in the recording studio with hundreds of recording artists, from folkies like The Roches and David Massengill to rockers like Nada Surf, Neon Leon and Mark Johnson to name two extremes. He also collaborated extensively with Jazz legends Jaco Pastorius and Bucky Pizzarelli. He has performed for thousands from Linoln Center to the Clearwater festival to such diverse clubs as The Bottom Line, The Blue Note and CBGB's. Peter was head of the string department at Camp Encore/Coda in Sweden, Maine for 9 years and founded the cello workshop at SummerKeys in Lubec Maine where he still teaches. He is now co-director of the Maplewood Chamber Music Workshop. An avid and dedicated teacher he maintains a large teaching studio of students of all ages and levels.

Richard Goldsmith, clarinetist, has premiered and recorded the music of many contemporary composers spanning a wide range of style and technique. His recordings of solo and chamber works may be heard on the CRI, Opus 1, Grenadilla, Classic Masters, North-South, and Albany labels His most recent solo album is Clarinet Fantasy, a collection of works from North and South America for North South Recordings. In the performance of contemporary works, Mr. Goldsmith has been acclaimed for his "technical mastery, breathtaking playing and virtuosic flair" (N.Y. Times).

He is clarinetist and an artistic director of the Carnegie Chamber Players and Thurnauer Chamber Music Society, ensembles that maintain residencies at the JCC/Thurnauer School of Music. An active performer on the New York scene, he has performed with Brooklyn Philharmonic, Queens Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Greenwich Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi, North-South Consonance, Erich Hawkins Dance Theatre Orchestra, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Sylvan Winds, Virtuosi Quintet, and New York Philomusica, among others. He has performed with Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows, on commercial recordings, and in all New York’s major concert halls. He has also toured throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared at the Waterville Valley Festival of the Arts, Vermont Mozart Festival, Arcady Music Festival and Waterloo Festival. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America for chamber music residencies and composer commissions.

In addition to his faculty position at the United Nations International School, he has served on the faculties of New York University, the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Hunter College Elementary School, the Third Street Music School, and JCC/Thurnauer School of Music, as well as maintaining a private studio. Mr. Goldsmith received a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. His major teachers were Joseph Rabbai, Charles Russo, and David Glazer.

Sue Panny has had a distinguished career as a French horn player and teacher. An enthusiastic teacher, Sue enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of the Horn and Trumpet with her students and helping them to achieve their fullest potential. She has taught at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-college division, was the Brass coach at Newark Arts High School and in the summer enjoys teaching at Gramercy Brass Band Camp. She was recently named as a Teaching Artist for the New York Pops Education Program and began teaching Horn at UNIS in the Fall of 2017. Sue is pleased to include teaching Trumpet in the Fall of 2019. She maintains an active teaching studio at her home in New Jersey.
She begins her 15th season with the New Jersey Symphony and continues performances with the New York Pops, Little Orchestra Society and the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. She previously performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Brooklyn Philharmonic and has appeared in dozens of Broadway musicals. Internationally she performed with the Filarmonica de Caracas, the Spoleto Festival in Italy and as soloist with the Bermuda Philharmonic.

Flutist, Suzanne Gilchrest has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. She has been noted for her “highly artistic standards” (Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Bregenz, Austria), her “beautiful sound” (Anzeiger der Stadt Kloten, Switzerland) and her “polished and brilliant playing” (Dolomiten Zeitung, Bolzano, Italy). She is a member of the award winning flute, viola and cello trio, Eight Strings & a Whistle. Last season, the Trio performed and gave workshops at the Festival de la Habana, a festival for contemporary music held annually in Havana, Cuba. This coming season includes performances in California and New York. Eight Strings & a Whistle released its debut recording, Albert's Window on Ravello Records in November, 2015. Since then, Ravello Records has released two additional recordings featuring the Trio: 96 Strings and 2 Whistles, a recording of the music of Scott Brickman, and Chamber Symphonies 2, 3 & 4, a recording of the music of Douglas Anderson. Ms. Gilchrest is also a member of the Browning-Gilchrest Duo. The Duo is a winner of the Artists International Chamber Music Award and its recordings, Serenade for flute and guitar, and Duo Chant (Prospect Classics label) have received wide critical acclaim. Live radio performances include several appearances on “Around New York” on WNYC-FM, “Morning Pro Musica” on WGBH-FM in Boston, and “Live at 11” on Maine Public Radio. In addition to being a Teaching Artist at UNIS, Ms. Gilchrest is also on the flute and chamber music faculty of the Department of Music and Performing Arts at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University. and SummerKeys, in Lubec, Maine.

Guitarist Winslow Browning has performed to critical acclaim from New York to Berlin and Lubec, ME to Key West, FL. He has appeared as a recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra in the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. In New York, Mr. Browning's appearances have included concerts at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater and Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space, Florence Gould Hall, Brooklyn Playhouse and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His radio and television appearances have included Morning pro musica on WGBH-FM in Boston, Live at 11 on Maine Public Broadcasting, and he has been a frequent guest on Around New York on WNYC-FM. In 1996 Mr. Browning won the Artists International Award and has been featured at a number of music festivals around the world including: FogFest (Canada), the Long Island Guitar Festival (US), Kühlungsborn Guitar Festival (Germany), Schloss Prössels Music Festival (Italy), and Winterfest Guitar Festival (US).

A member of the UNIS faculty since 2002, Mr. Browning’s teaching philosophy is based on an “Anyone Can” attitude. He is known for his step by step method – an approach in which there are no short cuts but direct paths to go from 0 – 10. His students have included beginner to advanced levels and range from those with a casual interest in guitar to competition winners. Mr. Browning has previously taught at the University of Miami, Hunter College – CUNY, Central Piedmont Community College, the Stecher-Horowitz Music School, the Brooklyn Music School and the Turtle Bay Music School. Since 1999 he has coached chamber ensembles and led workshops for adult amateur guitarists at Summerkeys in Lubec, ME.

Since 1985 Mr. Browning and flutist Suzanne Gilchrest have performed together to critical acclaim in the United States and in Europe. The Browning-Gilchrest Duo can be heard on their CD recordings Serenade for Flute and Guitar and Duo Chant, available on the Prospect Classics label, and in the film score for The Holocaust Project; From Darkness to Light .

Mr. Browning is Founder and Artistic Director of Guitar Among Others, Inc.; a not-for-profit corporation; started in 1989 to promote music for guitar with other instruments. Initially begun as a concert series in Manhattan, the organization's activities have grown to include its annual series; concert tours in Germany; and Arts-in-Education programs in Maine, New York, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Attracting and developing new audiences for the guitar and for chamber music are at the forefront of the Guitar Among Others mission.

Yuliya Basis, a New York-based pianist and educator, has been teaching private piano at the United Nations International School since 2008, and at the British International School, since 2010. Born in Orel, Russia, to a family of professional musicians, Ms Basis went to Moscow at the age of 15 to study music and earned her Master's Degree at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where her mentors were Victor Merzhanov (piano performance) and Tatiana Gaidamovich (chamber ensemble).

Ms Basis taught piano in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 2002-2003, worked for American Language Center in Moscow in 2005-2006, and served on the faculty of The Piano School of NYC from 2006 to 2010. Besides teaching, she also loves collaborative piano: she has worked as an accompanist at Kaufman Music Center for over 15 years and appeared in recitals at numerous New York City venues, as well as abroad. An avid chamber musician, she is featured on two CDs with her husband, violinist and composer Andrii Didorenko. They also play progressive rock in the Lost World Band.

During her free time, Yuliya loves to travel, read, cook, and explore the city where some of her favorite places to be are the Metropolitan Museum, the Metropolitan Opera, New York Botanical Garden, and Fire Island.

Violin Teacher at United Nation International School.
Master of Music, Syracuse University, New York.
Bachelor of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, P.R.C. China.
lives in New York, New York
From Great Neck, New York

John Henry Lambert has enjoyed a long career as a trumpet performer and educator, and had gained wide respected in many facets of the arts community. Mr. Lambert founded the award winning Gramercy Brass Orchestra in 1982. In 2005, his ensemble launched the acclaimed Gramercy Brass Band Camp, a brilliant music education step up program for young brass and percussion students held at Montclair State University - John J. Cali School of Music, during the summer season. Mr. Lambert joined the music faculty of UNIS in 1988 and retired from student ensemble leadership after 33 years, in spring of 2022. During these years, Mr. Lambert served as director of the UNIS Tutorial House Wind Ensemble for 20 years, and conducted many performances at UNIS, UN General Assembly Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Lambert also participated as director of various UNIS middle school ensembles, including the MS Honors Band which performed at many music festival locations in the metropolitan area. John Lambert continues his work with Gramercy Brass Orchestra as a professional concert touring, recording and music education non profit organization, playing the trumpet/cornet and conducting the full 27 member all brass orchestra. Additionally, Mr. Lambert continues coaching young aspiring students of the trumpet, and together, discovering the joys of instrumental music performance and collaborations with their peers.

Sun Young Chang, soprano, has worked extensively both teaching voice and performing for over two decades. She received her Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College of Music, The New School for Music.

Sun Young was named a Finalist in the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition and the Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition, Riverside Opera Competition and a Semi-Finalist in Rochester Oratorio Vocal Competition and Joy In Singing Competition. She has featured as a frequent soloist in Hoch Chamber Music Series, Noonday Concert Series at Interchurch, More Than Music Series in Bronxville, Afternoon Music Series in Summit, Hot Springs Music Festival, Rangeley Friends of the Art Summer Concert Series and other numerous concert series. She has performed opera roles such as Mimi, Lauretta, Giulietta, Micaela, Donna Elvira, Pamina, Nella, Gilda, Anne Truelove, and Zerlina, with Empire Opera, the Delaware Valley Symphony Orchestra, Kaye Playhouse, and the Actors Studio.

Sun Young is also an advocate of contemporary music. She recently premiered Helen Rasquier’s Aspera Tempora with the Classical Saxophone Project and created the role of Anna in The Fairy Tale by JP Redmond.

As an active educator, Sun Young has been on the faculty at United Nations International School,College of Mount Saint Vincent, Concordia Conservatory at Concordia College, Berkshire Choral International, Kean University, and Westerhoff School of Music and Art after she completed the internship program with Metropolitan Opera Guild Education Department.