Artists

MinTze Wu founder and director of Sounds of Lyons in 2009, is a violinist of many passions. She has been heard on stages from the pubs in Poland, opera houses in Italy, concert halls in Australia, US, Taiwan, and the remote villages in Newfoundland. She has been active in presenting, performing, and creating music projects inspired by different genres, cultures, and traditions. A graduate from Cleveland Institute of Music, she has pursued an interesting career exploring possibilities of expression in classical music, with notable projects such as Peer Gynt, Death of the Pugilist, Metamorphosis, and the Passage series. She is now the co-director of an arts foundation in Taiwan called Arts Evolution. On her bucket list are hike Colorado Trail, dance Tango, and make pottery. Her motto is “Life is too short for bad beer!”

Intrigue by sounds of Do Re Mi, pianist Dr Yu-Chi Hsu began her music journey at age five in her native city Tainan, Taiwan. Along her voyage, she discovered an outlet to an otherwise quiet personality by passionately serving in churches with her love of piano and collaborative performance.In 2009, Hsu received her Doctoral degree on Collaborative Piano at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studied under Professor Anne Epperson. She also holds two Master of Music degrees in Collaborative & Piano Performance from New England Conservatory in Boston. In 2008, Dr. Hsu served as a staff pianist at the Butler School of Music in UT Austin. Since 2010, Dr. Hsu has been an active performer and a part-time Assistant Professor in the Graduate Institute of Collaborative Piano of Tainan National University of the Arts. In her spare time, Hsu is huge fan of TV Series Grey’s Anatomy and Suits. She loves baking and making healthy juice drinks. Her most memorable musical moment and career highlight is meeting and learning from the late legendary Bernie Greenhouse (cellist from Beaux Arts Trio).

 

Michael Graham has been hailed by the San Francisco Classical Voice for his “almost painfully pretty…expressive richness”, and by the San Jose Mercury News as “super-good”.  He studied at the Eastman School of Music and Yale University, where he was a founding member of that institution’s secret chamber music society, Skull and Bows.  Mr. Graham is a former member of the Chagall String Quartet, winner of a rural residency grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the San Francisco-based new music group Adorno Ensemble.  He is currently a member of the Oakland Symphony, and appears regularly with the Grammy-nominated New Century Chamber Orchestra and other ensembles throughout the Bay Area.  Mr. Graham is committed to exploring music within and beyond the classical genre, and has performed and recorded with artists ranging from Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg to John Densmore of the Doors.   He can be heard on New Century’s recently released albums “Live” and Together”, and on Van Morrison’s latest recording, “Astral Weeks Live from Hollywood Bowl.”

Julie Adair thinks that smiling children, shiny happy people, and roller skates make the world go ’round. At age 6, Julie dreamed of auditioning for the role of Annie in NYC. The role was granted to an older girl by the name of Sarah Jessica (you know the one) who according to Julie back then, “didn’t have the right hair” for the part. In 8th grade, Julie got her first job recording children’s albums. After that, she enjoyed performing in various choirs and attended the Westminster Choir College in Princeton over the summer in high school. She has performed in musicals, with a jazz band, and as vocalist/songwriter for folk bands in Austin and Denver.  Her favorite musical project has been performing with the Songbirds, a local band that hosts a yearly children’s performance. Julie is excited to be joining the Sounds of Lyons again this year!

Jem Moore has been a professional musician for over twenty years, has toured around the world performing at folk festivals and concert venues, and has recorded 15 albums. He started as a film maker in 2008, and has worked with classical, jazz, and traditional musicians to create compelling videos in support of their music. After a several month stint flying a Macau billionaire around the world, he has left aviation to become a film maker full time, and is also co-Director of Arts Evolution: Tainan. His feature documentary; “The Keymaster: Patrick Olwell’s Story” premiered in the US to rave reviews this winter, and is an official selection of the DocuWest Film Festival. His short documentary for Heartland Chamber Music Festival in 2010 won the Music Educators of America conference award for “Best Documentary”. He is also a composer, airline pilot, published writer, chef, and all around late-Renaissance to Baroque kinda guy.

 

Matthew Dane serves as Principal Violist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston and Associate Principal for Arizona MusicFest. Dane has appeared as soloist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, ROCO, and the St. Martin’s Chamber Choir among others; his chamber performances have been broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today and BBC’s Channel 3. A committed teacher, Dane has served on the faculties of the University of Colorado, Metro State College of Denver, and was tenured at the University of Oklahoma; he now actively maintains a private studio in Boulder. His 4-year old twin boys Will and Nate will hopefully come to the Sunday morning concert by the river. Matt’s favorite beer is from Lyons- Oskar Blues G’Knight. http://www.daneviola.com.

Emma Shubin has been teaching flutists and Dalcroze students of all ages throughout the Front Range since 2006.  Originally from Upstate NY, Emma comes from a quirky musical family and has been joyfully making music since the age of six.  A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, her avid love of the music, ecology, and integrative education has led to degrees in Flute Performance and Biology, as well as certificates in Jazz Studies and Dalcroze Eurhythmics.  She is the Chair of the Eurhythmics Department at Dana V. Music and is the Suzuki Flute Instructor at the Rocky Mountain Center for Music Arts.
Strange fact:  Emma and her family are members of an Art Guild in Upstate New York, where her mom is a weaver and father used to be a glass worker.

Shannon Pennell Johnson’s singing spans the whole gamut of musical styles as will be clearly evident in “Carmen Fantasy”.  Shannon has sung with the Ars Nova Singers in Boulder , CO  for the past eight years and also sings with the trio “The Songbirds” in her hometown of Lyons, CO. Teaching music with is something close to her heart. She teaches wee little ones in a program she designed called “Little Bird” at Mayama Movement Studio. Her formal education includes a degree in vocal performance from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and extensive work in the Estill Voice Training System. She loves music that pulls on the heart strings. Rachmaninoff’s vocalise never fails to bring a tear to her eye. Shannon couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the heart rendering “Carmen Fantasy”!

Alfredo Muro’s virtuosity spans many eras and musical traditions but he is especially noted for his sophisticated interpretations of the modern Latin guitar repertoire. Born in Peru, Muro began teaching himself guitar at the age of 10 and won a national prize three years later. In the years since he has performed throughout Latin America and in the United States as well as in Europe. He was the featured artist at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for the Millennium Center Series in 2007, and he performed at a special audience for the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. Muro is a gifted arranger and composer and has released several CD recordings of his own and others’ works. His wildest dream is to play in the Moon, and the song that makes him cry every time is The Last Tremolo by Barrios.

Bonnie Richards has lived in Lyons since 1988.  After retiring from teaching writing and working with the McNeill program and Norlin Scholars at CU, she spends a lot of time singing in various choral groups, including Rocky Mountain Chorale, The Renaissance Project, Colorado Music Festival and Boulder Bach Festival.  She also sang with the Quarry Gals, here in Lyons.  Her latest mantra is “Be here now and be free!”  That sounds like something Carmen would say!

Luke Wachter is a percussionist and teacher from Denver, Colorado. After completing bachelor’s degrees with honors in percussion performance and music education from the Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2009, he began performing as a drummer and percussionist in the Denver area. With a special passion for contemporary music, Luke has become a versatile musician playing everything from noise music to punk to the traditional symphonic cannon.  He has had the opportunity to perform with many of the great orchestras throughout Colorado including the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, as well contemporary music groups such as The Playground Ensemble. He is also an avid performer with various rock, jazz, hip-hop, avant garde, and musical theater groups.  In 2010 Luke joined the faculty of Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, a new arts magnet school in the Denver Public Schools where he teaches general and instrumental music to students from Kindergarten through Eighth grade.

Whether singing classical Italian arias, impersonating Dolly Parton, or creating tight  vocal harmonies, Emilyn Inglis loves to perform! As a soloist, Ms. Inglis has sung at venues including the Planet Bluegrass stage, the Wildflower Pavilion, the High Street Concert Series, the Backbeat Concert Series, and eTown Hall, in styles ranging from Baroque and Classical to traditional folk and country.  Her voice has been described as “mesmerizing,” and “angelic.” Vocal harmonies are one of Ms. Inglis passions; she has performed with numerous ensembles.  Locally, she sang with the critically acclaimed Ars Nova Singers, frequently appearing as a soloist.  She has also performed in numerous country and bluegrass bands, and now sings harmony with the Ginger Roots trio. As a recording artist, she has two solo albums and one as a duo; she also recorded with Paul Winter. In May 2013, a choral piece she composed from the music of flowers was premiered in Boulder and Denver.  One critic said, “This was a very attractive piece of music that allowed the audience to become lost in the intricate sounds that the Ars Nova Singers produce.” Ms. Inglis attended Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio with a talent scholarship, where she studied voice and earned a BA in Music.  Born into a musical family in Philadelphia, she now resides in Lyons, Colorado, where she teaches voice, piano, and guitar in addition to playing fiddle, clarinet, alto and soprano recorder, and mountain dulcimer. Beyond her musical activities, Ms. Inglis is a flower photographer, dancer, and poet.

Jacob Beeman, clarinetist, is active as an orchestral performer, chamber musician, and private teacher.  Mr. Beeman has performed with various orchestras along the Front Range including the Colorado Pro Musica, Fort Collins Symphony, Longmont Symphony and Mahler Fest Orchestras, as well as the Fort Collins Opera, Loveland Opera, Colorado Light Opera Orchestras, as well as Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. Beeman is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, where he serves as a teaching assistant and studies with Daniel Silver and as the clarinetist of the graduate wind quintet in residence at the University of Colorado. He was the semi-finalist in the Fischoff, Plowman and MTNA Chamber music competitions. A native of Texas, Mr. Beeman earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Clarinet Performance at Texas Tech University where he studied with David Shea. He has taught privately in the Houston, Lubbock and Boulder areas.  Mr. Beeman currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.

Isaac White started studying music at the age of eight.   In 2000 he earned a Bachelors degree in music performance from the University of Northern Colorado, and in 2002 he earned a Masters degree in music performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has studied from such teachers as Mark Jackobs, Dr. Juliet White-Smith, Peter Salaff, Dr. Russell Guyver, Fred Hamilton, and Dr. Greg Carroll.  He has performed in such groups as the Colorado Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Opera Colorado, and Central City Opera.  Isaac has also performed in many different jazz and rock ensembles throughout Cleveland and Denver areas including performances with the Trans Siberian Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli and Richard Marx.  In his free time Isaac enjoys spending time with his wife, three young children and dog.