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Music On Mondays
Music on Mondays
MBU is hosting a series of Monday concerts to benefit the community by bringing classical music to Watertown.
These Monday concerts will be held at Maranatha Baptist University, Old Main, Burckart Hall.
2024-2025 CONCERTS
- Five’s Company Wind Quintet
- Featuring Tatiana Pearson, Kimberly Hawkinson, Ali Frana, Andrea Clark, and Andrew Slembarski
- Monday, September 29, 2025, 6:00 PM – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
- Monday, September 29, 2025, 7:00 PM for general public
- Please RSVP below
- Trio Arabesque II
- Featuring Roberta Carpenter, Wendy Enters, and Lannette Calhoun
- Monday, March 9, 2026, 6:00 PM – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
- Monday, March 9, 2026, 7:00 PM for general public
- Please RSVP below
COST
- Free admission. Donation accepted.
- Sponsorship opportunities – Benefits of sponsoring include:
- Listing in printed materials featuring Music on Mondays
- Social Media and Email listing on invitations and event pages
Monday, September 29, 2025
6:00 PM shorter concert – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
7:00 PM concert “Music from Latin America” for college musicians and music enthusiasts
Five’s Company Wind Quintet
Five’s Company Quintet was founded in 2013 by then undergraduate student Tatiana Pearson at UW-Milwaukee, along with 4 other fellow students Jared Miller, Sabrina Pedersen, Megan Braunschweig and Josee Palamar. For a few years during their college years together (some into grad school), the group performed with the East Side Chamber Players and for recitals and events. Even through several different members, Five’s Company continued to perform whenever any opportunity arose, performing notable repertoire such as Barber Summer Music, the Ibert Quintet, Muczynski, Hindemith and many more. Five’s Company Quintet was excited to be given the opportunity to perform at MBU after a little hiatus!
Tatiana Pearson, Flute
Tatiana Pearson (MM, BFA UW-Milwaukee) has been the flute instructor at MBU since 2017. She also serves as flute instructor at Falls Baptist Academy and Adjunct Flute Professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College and UW Parkside in Kenosha. She also runs a private studio out of her home in Muskego. Tatiana also enjoys freelancing with several orchestras and ensembles in Wisconsin and northern Illinois including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Rockford Symphony, Festival City Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, etc. In addition to teaching and performing, Tatiana has her own art business specializing in colored pencil realism since 2020. www.tatianaflutist.com
Kimberly Hawkinson, Oboe
Kimberly Hawkinson currently holds the position of principal oboe of the Kettle Moraine Symphony Orchestra and Second Oboe/English Horn of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. An active freelance musician, she frequently performs with the Wisconsin Philharmonic and the LaCrosse Symphony. Kimberly is a founding member of the Fifth Avenue Trio, established in 2022 with the goal of promoting music for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano. Kimberly received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Oboe Performance and Chamber Music Performance Certificate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has studied with Paul Kramer, Martin Woltman, Andrea Gross Hixon and Katie Young Steele.
Ali Frana, Clarinet
Ali Frana is a clarinetist from West Allis, Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor’s in Clarinet Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston, and her Master’s in Clarinet Performance from DePaul School of Music in Chicago. Ali has performed throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, as well as Canada. She is an active freelancer in Milwaukee and has performed with Fives Company Quintet, Tabula Nova Ensemble, Milwaukee Alpenblasser, Kettle Moraine Symphony, Racine Symphony, and Wisconsin Philharmonic.
Andrea Clark, Bassoon
Andrea Clark earned her Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from UW-Madison in 2007, studying under Marc Vallon. During her time there, she won the inaugural UW-Madison Shane Woodwind and Piano Duet Competition and served as principal bassoonist in both the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Currently, Andrea is an active freelance musician and performs throughout the greater Milwaukee area including several regional orchestras and chamber groups. Additionally, she has performed with the Bel Canto Chorus and was honored to play principal bassoon in Italy with the group last summer.
Andrew Slembarski, Horn
Andrew Slembarski is based out of Stevens Point, WI and is the Horn Instructor at the Wausau Conservatory. In addition to his teaching, Andrew serves as the Administrative Specialist for the UW-Stevens Point Music Department. He holds a Bachelors of Music Education from UW-Stevens Point, and a Masters in French Horn Performance from UW-Milwaukee. Formerly, Andrew was the Coordinator of Music Programs and Director of Bands at MSOE in Milwaukee, and the Horn Instructor at Maranatha Baptist University, in Watertown, WI. He maintains an active teaching and performing schedule throughout much of the state.
Monday, March 9, 2026
Trio Arabesque II
6:00 PM shorter concert – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
Roberta Carpenter, Violin
An accomplished violinist, Roberta Carpenter enjoys a successful career as a recitalist, soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. She served as Concertmaster for the Waukesha Choral Union Orchestra for over 26 years, performing large-scale orchestral/choral works, also with the Beloit/Janesville Symphony. She has performed with the Waukesha Symphony, the Fox Valley Symphony, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and has collaborated as a chamber musician with the Jubilate Chorale, the Waukesha Choral Union, Mendelssohn Piano Trio, the Medici Quartet, Trio Arabesque, and with the former Karl Ratzsch Piano Trio. As a Soloist, Ms. Carpenter has performed with orchestras, in civic venues and as a faculty recitalist.
On the recording front, Ms. Carpenter has a number of recordings released on digital formats: ‘Light: Classic Favorites for Violin & Piano’ with pianist Sharon Goodrum, Crawford Gates ‘Romance’ Op. 18 #1 for Violin & Piano with pianist Lannette Calhoun and his Fanfare for Lake Country Op. 120B for Violin & Piano with pianist Aaron Matthews, J.S. Bach Unaccompanied Sonata in g minor mvmts I & IV, performances with Trio Arabesque (the late cellist Janet Marshall and Sharon Goodrum). These include the trio’s live recordings of Haydn Piano Trios, Dvorak Slavonic Dance, the Beethoven ‘Ghost’ Trio, and the Peter Martin ‘Rhumba’. She has been a 3 rd Place winner and Finalist for violin and orchestral recordings in the American Prize Awards.
Multi-talented, Ms. Carpenter is also a respected conductor, and is Music Director and Founder of the Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra (OCO) since 2009. Nationally, she has guested with such orchestras as the Beloit / Janesville, Harper and Whitewater symphonies, the Concord and Appleton chamber orchestras and the Waukesha Choral Union. International guesting includes the Martinu, Hradec Kralove and Janacek Philharmonics in the Czech Republic; the Sudecka Philharmonic in Poland; and the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria. Her video about musical concepts “ZMI – Metric Balance in Music,” was released in May 2021, and speaks to the dynamic nature of weight and motion in music and features her recordings (as conductor) with the OCO, Hradec Kralove & Janacek Philharmonics, as well as her recording of the J.S. Bach Sonata in g minor performed on the Thunis Stradivarius. She created and directed the Oconomowoc Chamber Music Clinic from 1986 to 1997. There are an additional 88 videos with the OCO that include Ms. Carpenter. (OCO Organization on YouTube).
A recipient of numerous grants and awards, Ms. Carpenter was awarded the OCO 2021 Chatfield Award, which honors ‘Bright Spirit, Vision & a lifetime of Community Service’ in the Arts.
As a musician, Ms. Carpenter is invested in the technological aspect of personal and environmental health and wellness as relates to performance excellence. She has a long history of outreach and prevention in this area. Ms. Carpenter has also edited and published 3 works for violin: Gates – Fanfare for Lake Country Op. 120B, Beranek – Prelude, Beranek – ‘Fanfare’ Theme.
A Wisconsin native, Ms. Carpenter is a respected educator, and is Founder and Music Director of Zenith Music International, which includes a private teaching studio, as well as being a member of the faculty of the Lake Country Conservatory of Music. Prior posts include serving on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Carroll College, where she directed the college symphonies, chamber orchestra, string ensembles and taught violin, viola, music history and theory. Ms. Carpenter completed coursework for a Doctoral Degree in Violin Performance and Orchestral Conducting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds both Master of Music and Bachelor of the Fine Arts degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, graduating with honors. She also studied with Leonard Sorkin of the Fine Arts Quartet; J. Patrick Rafferty, former Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony; Vartan Manoogian, former Concertmaster of the Orchestra de la Suisse Romand/Faculty UW-Madison; and Frederick Schwarz.
Wendy Enters, Cello
Wendy Enters, cellist, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance from the University of Iowa School of Music, where she studied with Anthony Arnone. She is also a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied under Crispin Campbell during her final two years.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Wendy joined the Des Moines Symphony cello section in her junior year, performing with the orchestra for thirteen seasons. In addition to her work with the Des Moines Symphony, she appeared with several professional ensembles throughout Iowa, including Orchestra Iowa, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and as a substitute with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra.
In 2018, Wendy returned to her hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where she continues to be an active performer. She has played with the Beloit Janesville Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, and Kettle Moraine Symphony, and currently performs with the Wisconsin Philharmonic and the Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra.
Among her most memorable musical experiences are performing with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2004 and playing Carmina Burana with the Des Moines Symphony in 2013. More recently, she has expanded into crossover performances, appearing with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2023.
Lannette Calhoun, Piano
Lannette Calhoun is a graduate of Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa (BME) and the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater (MME) She became a professor in the University of Wisconsin system after a career as a music teacher in public and private schools. In addition to accompanying and teaching, she has directed over 75 musicals, many church productions, and taught private piano lessons.
Lannette created and performed an original composition, for the Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra’s robot: OCO-bot, which can be seen on YouTube. She was also instrumental in the filming of the OCO 2021 Digital Concert. Lannette performed with violinist Roberta Carpenter in a recording of the ZMI Crawford Gates: Romance for Violin & Piano, which can be found on YouTube.
Lannette sees music as a lifelong sport! Time spent with her husband, children and grandchildren rounds out her days. Lannette and husband George recently moved to TN from WI, and returns to Wisconsin for music and family.
Previous Concerts
Monday, April 7, 2025
Chamber Music for Violin and Cello: Viruosity and Lyricism, a Celebration of Duo Masterpieces
6:00 PM shorter concert – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
Soh-Hyun Park Altino, violin
Violinist Soh-Hyun Park Altino is highly regarded as a gifted teacher and a versatile performer of solo and chamber music. Lauded for her “poise and precision,” her engagements have taken her to Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Korea, Venezuela, and throughout the United States, and to festivals such as Festival de Campos do Jordão in Brazil, Academy y Festival Nuevo Mundo in Venezuela, Brevard Music Center, and Masterworks Festival.
Prior to her appointment to Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Altino taught for twenty years at public institutions – the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at the University of Memphis. A recipient of the Phillip R. Certain-Gary D. Sandefur Distinguished Faculty Award at UW-Madison, Altino loves mentoring her students through the all-encompassing processes of learning to communicate via the sound of the violin. In addition, the experiences and insights from her playing-related injuries have continually fueled her passion and inquisitiveness for teaching. Deeply committed to teacher training and continuing education, she presents professional development sessions and clinics for string teachers and their students.
A native of Korea, Altino grew up in a musical family. At age sixteen, she came to the U.S. and studied at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where she developed a strong affinity for chamber music and music theory. She completed her bachelor’s, master’s and the doctor of musical arts degrees in violin performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she was a student and teaching assistant to Donald Weilerstein. She studied chamber music with Anne Epperson and the members of the Peabody Trio and the Juilliard, Concord, Cavani, and Cleveland Quartets.
In 2019 Altino began a new line of research of interpreting traditional Korean music on the Western violin, supported by several grants such as the Faculty Global Research Grant from Wheaton College, Vilas Associates grant from UW-Madison, a research travel grant from the Association for Asian Studies, and the Korean Studies Grant from the Academy of Korean Studies. In the fall of 2023, she presented a series of lectures and world premiere performances of the traditional Korean sanjo across the United States. Studying the traditional Korean music has awakened a new appreciation for her cultural heritage and identity, and Altino aspires to promote better understanding of the unique musical language to the Western-trained musicians and composers. Visit sohhyunparkaltino.com for more information.
Leonardo Altino
Born to musician parents in Pernambuco, American-Brazilian cellist Leonardo Altino began his musical studies at the age of five and gave his first performance at age eight. At eleven he gave his first performance with orchestra performing the Saint-Saens Concerto No. 1. His national breakthrough came at fourteen when Leonardo was the youngest winner at the Jovens Concertistas Brasileiros, a prestigious competition in Rio de Janeiro, which led to performances with every major orchestra and hall in his home country. At nineteen Leonardo was the first prize winner at the International Cello Competition Dr. Luis Segal in Viña Del Mar, Chile, and has since appeared in concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay, Venezuela and the United States.
Praised by the Strad Magazine for his “exceptional musical intelligence and an exceptionally cultivated sound,” Leonardo has performed with orchestras such as the Boston Symphony, Odense Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber, Filarmonica de Minas Gerais, Carmel Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Montgomery Symphony, Symphony Pro Musica, Sinfonica Brasileira, Sinfônica Nacional do Brasil, Sinfonica Nacional de Chile, Sinfônica de São Paulo, and the Virtuosi Festival orchestras among many others, under the direction of conductors such as Elezar de Carvalho, Isaac Karabtchevisky, Carl Saint-Clair, Andrew Sewell, David Bowden and Fabio Mechetti. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Monique Duphil, Victor Asuncion, Ilya Gringolts, Oleh Krysa, Giora Schmidt, Antonio Meneses, Fanz Helmerson, the Ceruti and Miró string quartets. Highlights of the upcoming season include return performances with the Filarmonica de Minas Gerais in Brazil and the Odense Symphony in Denmark performing Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, and with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra performing Brahms’ Double Concerto with his wife, violinist Soh-Hyun Park Altino.
A dedicated teacher and mentor, Leonardo has taught in many festivals around the world, including the Brevard Music Center, Masterworks Festival, Academia y Festival Nuevo Mundo in Venezuela, Festival de Inverno Campos do Jordão and Festival Virtuosi in Brazil. Leonardo studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and the Detmold Musihöchschule in Germany, and his main teachers include Francisco Pino, Aldo Parisot, Laurence Lesser, Marcio Carneiro and Suren Bagratuni. He was a recipient of the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra Fellowship where he served as artist-in-residence, and he was on the faculty at the University of Memphis for thirteen years. Currently he is an Associate Lecturer in Music at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music where he teaches cello and chamber music.
Soh-Hyun and Leonardo Altino frequently perform together, have recorded an album, En Voyage, of chamber music for violin and cello, and enjoy traveling with their son David.
October 21, 2024
6:00 PM shorter concert – all are welcome to attend this short, child-friendly concert
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
John Bragle, tenor
Dr. John Bragle is the Senior Director of Education at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, where he leads a team of teaching artists providing private lessons to more than 1,000 students and music education in schools and community centers serving more than 10,000 students who would otherwise have no access to music education.
A passionate music educator and arts advocate with more than 20 years of teaching experience in public and private school music programs, higher education, and community-based music settings, Bragle served from 2005-2022 as the Director of Choirs and Instructor of Voice at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp. While at Interlochen, choirs under his direction have performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, and Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra in venues such as Lincoln Center, DAR Constitution Hall, and Detroit’s Orchestra Hall.
An active soloist in concert and recital, he has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, and the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, and has a passion for the treatment of text in art song recitals.
Bragle attended Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and master’s degree in Choral Conducting. In 2021, he earned his doctoral degree in Music Education from Boston University. His research and writing has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, and Teaching Music.
Ya-Ju Chuang, piano
A native of Taiwan, Ya-Ju Chuang is an active performer, appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, collaborative pianist, and music educator.
As a performer, Chuang has been awarded numerous prizes and scholarships in Taiwan and the United States. She was a National Finalist at The American Prize in Piano Performance (concerto)- The Lorin Hollander Award, first prize winner at the Golden Classical Music Awards, Brussels Grand Prize Virtuoso International Competition, American Protégé International Competition, Concerto Competition at Michigan State University, and Tuesday Musical Association scholarship competition. She was also a top prize winner in the National Taiwan Piano Competition.
As a collaborative pianist, she has performed with many artists such as Martin Chalifour, Elaine Douvas, Leelanee Sterrett, Bing Wang, Yevgeny Kutik, Scott Dixon, Patrick Williams, Richard Sherman, Jane Bunnell, Marc Embree, and Robert Spring.
Chuang’s performances have been featured on Traverse Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Series, Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra’s Sunday Series, Alluvion Concert Series, Absolute Music Chamber Series, WKAR Public Media, and Interlochen Public Radio. As a pedagogue, Chuang presented in the MMTA State Conference, the MTNA Collegiate Chapter Piano Pedagogy Symposium, and MTNA Conference.
Chuang received her D.M.A. in Piano Performance and M.M. in Piano Pedagogy from Michigan State University, M.M. in Piano Performance from Kent State University, and B.M. in Piano Performance from University of Taipei. Her primary teachers include Panayis Lyras, Derek Polischuk, Jerry Wong, Lin-Ju Ou, Juanelva Rose, and Ming-Jen Chuang. Chuang is a Collaborative Pianist at Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp.
Monday, February 26, 2024
6:00 PM concert geared for families with young children
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
In 1864 eighteen men from the Brodhead Brass Band enlisted in the Union Army as the band of the 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 15th Army Corps. They left their rural Wisconsin homes to participate, under the command of General William T. Sherman, in the campaigns of Northern Georgia and the Carolina’s. The “Tradition of Excellence” that these men established, more than 130 years ago lives on today with the members of the 1st Brigade Band.
The band MAKES HISTORY LIVE by presenting period brass band music, performed on antique instruments. Attired in uniforms and gowns, the Band’s musicians, color guard, and costumed ladies take you back to the 1860’s; to that turbulent era known as the Civil War. A nostalgic portrayal of the atmosphere of days gone by is generated by a unique form of showmanship that blends the sights and sounds of the period with historical anecdotes.
More than eighty volunteers, men and women, make up the 1st Brigade Band. Widely varied in age and occupation, they come from many communities, bringing with them a common interest in their musical heritage. During a typical year, they will meet their audience more than forty times, in concerts, parades, military balls, and worship services, presenting their educational and entertaining programs. While the abundant written and pictorial materials remain, the mellow sounds of the brass bands of the 1860’s were lost until the 1st Brigade Band, starting in 1964, began to locate and restore the dented and broken instruments and to retrieve and reconstruct the yellowed and torn music. Through their work you can now hear what Presidents Lincoln and Davis, Generals Lee and Grant, and their contemporaries heard.
The 1st Brigade Band has recorded in the MAKING HISTORY LIVE series, the most complete anthology of Civil War Music ever attempted. High fidelity recordings of Union and Confederate band and vocal music are available at performances of the 1st Brigade Band, historic site gift shops, and on our website.
The 1st Brigade Band is an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society and is supported and sponsored by Heritage Military Music Foundation, Inc.; a non-profit, educational, historical, and patriotic organization. In 2009, HMMF was awarded the Rueben Gold Thwaites Trophy for Local History; demonstrating the excellence of its achievements in both collecting and preserving history and sharing that history with the public.
October 23, 2023
6:00 PM concert for families with young children
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo
“A piano duo that can charm even the most versed music lovers” (Gazeta Krakowska, Poland), the Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo is comprised of pianists Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro, who began playing together in 1998. Since then, they have gone on to capture the top prizes at numerous competitions. Both Ms. Varshavski and Ms. Shapiro hold Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where they studied with a legendary Israeli duo Alexander Tamir–Bracha Eden. They continued their education under renowned American pianist Victor Rosenbaum, and in 2011 both pianists completed Doctoral degree studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Monday, September 19, 2022
6:00 PM concert geared for families with young children
7:00 PM concert for college musicians and music enthusiasts
The Fulton Chamber Players is a classical music ensemble uniting world-class artists to present exceptional programs. Our members are passionate about bringing the highest quality performances to audiences as well as inspiring the next generation of musicians. The Fulton Chamber Players operates under the aegis of the Fulton Music Society, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming what a musical education means in the 21st century by nurturing thoughtful, well-rounded students through dedicated music study. They are working to connect the dots between student life and the professional world by emphasizing skills and experiences that translate beyond their instruments. Through Fulton’s programs, young musicians will be ready to lead their generation in any field they chose.
Learn more about Fulton at www.FultonMusicSociety.org
For individual musician bios, visit www.FultonMusicSociety,org/fsmafaculty
@fultonmusicsociety
April 4, 2022
A potpourri concert! Featuring Italian Arias, German Lieder, Spanish Canciones, and modern American works.
Laura Basse, soprano
The Washington Post has celebrated Laura’s voice as “fresh and agile” while “powerfully” portraying Micaëla in Carmen; and in a production of Don Giovanni wrote “she lit up the stage” as Donna Elvira. Her career has taken her to cities across the globe: Paris, London, Rome, Vienna, Moscow, Prague, New York City, and more. Locally, she has sung in Milwaukee with both Florentine Opera and Skylight Opera Theatre. Basse has had the privilege of working with famed opera veterans throughout her operatic study and career —
including Sherrill Milnes, Evelyn Lear, Carol Vaness, Sylvia McNair, Timothy Noble, and François Loup. She has also worked with Ubaldo Fabbri, a coach that trained Pavarotti himself. Laura holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College Conservatory and a Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, both in Vocal Performance. She is also a graduate of Maranatha Baptist Academy and grew up in Watertown. She now resides in Helenville, Wisconsin with her husband, Ryan.
Janna Ernst, piano
Janna Ernst has worked continuously as a vocal coach and répétiteur for over 20 years. She currently serves as the Principal Coach and Pianist for the Florentine Opera. She has served as Music Director at Skylight Opera Theater and has also played for New Orleans Opera, Virginia Opera, and Cincinnati Opera. A dedicated educator, Janna has held teaching, coaching and accompanying positions at Southern Methodist University, the University of Oklahoma and, most recently, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She and her husband, Matthew–Principal Trumpet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra–perform and tour extensively as a duo, giving performances and masterclasses throughout the country. Janna has a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from San Diego State University, a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Vocal Specialist degree from the University of Michigan where she studied with renowned
collaborative pianist and teacher, Martin Katz. Janna and Matthew reside in Shorewood, Wisconsin with their two daughters, Madeleine and Margaret.
January 31, 2022
Daniel Birnschein, trumpet
Grace Betry, piano
Mr. Birnschein performed works for trumpet and piano by Russian composers Dimitri Shostakovich and Alexander Goedicke as well as works for trumpet and additional instruments by contemporary American composers Joseph Turrin and James Stephenson.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Daniel Birnschein began taking piano lessons at age 8 and received his first trumpet for his 10th birthday. He began his professional orchestral career his sophomore year of college. Birnschein holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education as well as a Master of Music in Church Music with an emphasis in composition from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. Since graduation, he has studied trumpet performance with Kevin Hartman at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and with former Canadian Brass member Ronald Romm at the University of Illinois. Birnschein is the former principal trumpet of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra (2005-2015) where he appeared as a soloist three times. He is also the former principal trumpet of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony (2008-2009). In 2009 Birnschein returned to Wisconsin to join the faculty at Maranatha Baptist University as an Assistant Professor of music. He is currently the principal trumpet of the Wisconsin Philharmonic and the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and second trumpet of the Milwaukee Ballet orchestra. During his professional career Birnschein has performed with Il Divo, “Weird Al” Yankovic, The Who, and Dennis DeYoung. In June 2021, he performed a world premiere of Amy Mills concerto for trumpet and string orchestra “Journey One: Hints of the Middle East” with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. He currently resides in Watertown, Wisconsin, with his wife and five boys. He maintains an active teaching studio and is a lesson provider in trumpet at MBU.
Music began as a time to bond with family. At an early age, Grace Betry started piano lessons with her dad every week in order to one day just be able to play in her church. But her time spent with her dad gave her a love of music that sparked a desire to pursue music for life.
Grace Betry received her undergrad (’20) in Piano Pedagogy and Piano Performance from Maranatha Baptist University under the instruction of June Brus. While at MBU, Grace was a member of the MTNA collegiate chapter and had the opportunity to teach in the Maranatha Music Prep School, where she currently still resides. Under the tutelage of Janet Tschida, Grace went on to receive her MTNA certification after graduating. During her time at MBU, she had the opportunity to travel around the United States as the pianist for the Heritage Singers and the Chamber Singers. She also had the privilege of performing with the MBU symphony as the winner of the MBU Concerto Competition (’18).
Grace discovered a love for collaborating during her undergrad studies and decided to pursue that area further. Currently, she is studying with Elena Abend at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she will receive a masters in Collaborative Piano: Instrumental (’22). Grace collaborates with many of the studios at the Peck School of the Arts and is currently the pianist for the symphony at UWM.
Throughout her career, Grace has been blessed to receive professional instruction under Martin Katz, Timothy Warren, Rita Sloan, Anne Epperson, Kathleen Kelly, Johnathan Feldman, June Brus, Roy Imperio, Svetlana Belsky, and Stanislava Varshavski.
Besides her degrees in piano, she also minored in TESOL and went on to receive her CELTA certification which has opened doors for her to teach English around the United States and also in Indonesia.
November 1, 2021
Prometheus Trio
ABOUT THE GROUP
The Prometheus Trio has been the resident chamber ensemble at Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Conservatory since its founding in 2000 by Stefanie, Scott, and violinist Samantha George. Margot Schwartz became the Trio’s violinist in 2017. Each season (pandemic-limited seasons excepted), the Trio performs 4 sets of programs in the Conservatory’s jewel-box sized recital hall, as well as giving performances throughout the Midwest.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
MARGOT SCHWARTZ is a member of the First Violin section in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and violinist in Milwaukee’s esteemed Prometheus Trio. A native of Oakland, California, she has appeared as soloist with the Milwaukee, Berkeley, and Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestras.
Now the Milwaukee Symphony’s Associate Principal Emeritus (but a continuing proud member of the Orchestra) SCOTT TISDEL served as associate principal cellist of the MSO and principal cellist of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra from his 1987 arrival in Milwaukee until recently. He has appeared as soloist with both ensembles, as well as with the Waukesha and Manitowoc Symphonies and the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra. Prior to his arrival in Milwaukee, Mr. Tisdel served as principal cello of the Florida Orchestra in Tampa and was a member of both the Oakland and San Jose Symphony orchestras in California.
STEFANIE JACOB made her solo piano debut with the Boston Pops at age 17 and her Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1984. An avid chamber musician, she was twice awarded Secondsprize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and received Indiana University’s Leo Weiner Prize for Chamber Music. Ms. Jacob has soloed with both the Milwaukee Symphony and the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Waukesha and Manitowoc Symphonies; she has recorded for the Arundax, CRI, Fleur de Son, Equilibrium, and the Wisconsin Conservatory labels.
April 5, 2021
414 String Quartet
The 414 String Quartet last came to Maranatha in September 2019. They held the audience captive with amazing performances of Beethoven and Schubert. In particular, Peter Holloway, a senior music major, was blown away by the chemistry of the quartet. “It was a pleasure to watch the conversation they carried on with each other through the music,” he said. “I was inspired by both the hard work they obviously put into preparing the recital repertoire and by the passion with which they performed.” Caelyn Meier, a freshman music major, agreed, saying, “The enthusiasm of the players made it so much fun to watch.”
For their next concert, the 414 String Quartet is excited to play Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade and Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 1 in addition to other chamber works.
More about this group: The Milwaukee-based 414 Quartet strives to raise awareness of classical music through performance, education, and community outreach. Formed in 2017, the quartet comprises Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra violinists Alex Ayers and Paul Hauer, violist Alejandro Duque, and cellist Peter Thomas. Deeply committed to education and outreach, the quartet’s individual musicians have decades of experience as teachers, coaches, and music advocates. They have worked with students at public and private schools across the Midwest by giving masterclasses, conducting school orchestras, and coaching student ensembles. The quartet aims to attract new audiences by performing a wide range of repertoire in non-traditional venues often collaborating with guest artists. Whether an avid classical music lover or a first time listener, you won’t want to miss the experience of hearing this accessible and innovative performance by the 414 Quartet.
February 1, 2021
Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo
“A piano duo that can charm even the most versed music lovers” (Gazeta Krakowska, Poland), the Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo is comprised of pianists Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro, who began playing together in 1998. Since then, they have gone on to capture the top prizes at numerous competitions. Both Ms. Varshavski and Ms. Shapiro hold Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where they studied with a legendary Israeli duo Alexander Tamir–Bracha Eden. They continued their education under renowned American pianist Victor Rosenbaum, and in 2011 both pianists completed Doctoral degree studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.