Musicians

Jo Boatright, Artistic Director and pianist, co-founded the Walden Chamber Music Society in 1981 and Voices of Change, modern music ensemble, in 1974.  She is Artistic Director and pianist for the Walden Chamber Music Society now based in Colorado, formerly in Dallas.  She is Artistic Director Emerita of Voices of Change and Music Director Emerita of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas.  With voices of Change, she has won four Adventuresome Programming Awards given by American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and a Grammy Nomination in 1999 for the CD Voces Americanas Ms. Boatright has performed in the major cities of Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central and South America and has served music professorships at Texas Christian University, The University of Texas (Arlington and Dallas), and Southern Methodist University.  She has soloed with many orchestras including an appearance with the Boston Pops Orchestra. She may be heard on CRI, Redwood, Crystal, Odyssey, Albany, Centaur and Music & Arts labels. A Colorado native, she is an avid mountain climber and enjoys cooking.  She and her husband, flutist Harvey Boatright, live in Buena Vista, Colorado in their home on the Arkansas River where they present concerts.

Maria Schleuning, violinist, joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1994. She has been a concerto soloist with the Dallas Symphony and the Symphony Orchestra of Oregon, Seattle, and Long Bay (SC), among others, as well as the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and Portland Youth Philarmonic (OR). She studied with Josef Gingold and Yfrah Neaman, as well as with Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School of Music where she earned her master's degree. Maria performs regularly with the 1999 Grammy-nominated Voices of Change, with whom she has recorded for CRI. Since 1993, she has been a faculty member and performing artist at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. As a chamber musician she has also performed in Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, for Summergarden at the Museum of Modern Art, Merkin Hall, with Villa Musica in Germany, at Music in the Mountains in Colorado and the Skaneateles Festival in New York. Maria joined Walden in 2000.

Jason Erwin, violinist, grew up in Fort Worth, Texas.  After beginning his violin studies at the age of 5 at the Fort Worth Suzuki School, Jason went on to receive regional and state honors in High School.  Upon completion of studies in violin performance at University of North Texas, Jason began an orchestral career that included full time appointments in the Tulsa Philharmonic, Shreveport Symphony, Brevard (Florida )Symphony,  and the Walt Disney World Orchestra in Orlando, Florida. He performs regularly with the Dallas Opera and the Walden Chamber Music Society. His major teachers were Dr. Kurt Sprenger, Dr. Susan Dubois, Kenneth Pitts and Dr. Curt Thompson.   Some of his special interests include gourmet cooking, opera, and early childhood musical development.

Camilla Bonzo, cellist, is originally from Dallas, Texas, where she developed an active chamber and orchestral career spanning two decades. In Dallas she worked with several area orchestras including the Dallas Opera Orchestra, served as Principal Cello of the Texas Chamber Orchestra, and performed with the Grammy-nominated contemporary chamber music ensemble Voices of Change. In 2003 she served as Principal Cello of the Utah Festival of Opera Orchestra. She is a member of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra and has joined the cello sections of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and Boulder Philharmonic Orchestras, and is also the core cellist for the Walden Chamber Music Society of Colorado. Camilla is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, and with the SMU Conservatory Orchestra toured Russia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and performed at the White House. With Voices of Change she appears on the Albany recording label. Camilla and her husband, double-bassist Joel Bonzo, are co-founders of ANIMAS chamber music, which performed the U.S. Premiere of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Piano Quintet in C minor in 2006.

Harvey Boatright, flutist, played with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 2000. With the DSO he toured Europe, Central and South America, and the Far East. Mr. Boatright holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and has played in the Colorado Springs Symphony, the Denver Symphony, and the Seventh Army Orchestra in Stuttgart, Germany. He has toured Germany, France, Luxembourg, Holland, and Greece as flutist in chamber ensembles. Mr. Boatright has also performed with Voices of Change, the Dallas Bach Society, the Walden Chamber Music Society, and the Fort Worth Chamber Music Society. With the Dallas Symphony Orchestra he appears on the Delos, Pro Arte and Dorian recording labels and with Voices of Change on Crystal and CRI. Mr. Boatright performs chamber music with his family and teaches flute and Alexander Technique. Other interests include reflexology and blowing the Japaneese Shakuhachi flute.

Paul Garner, clarinetist, is Associate Principal and E-flat clarinetist of the Dallas Symphony. Prior to his Dallas appointment he held positions in the orchestras of New Orleans and Denver and was a member of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. Mr. Garner is Principal Clarinetist of Music in the Mountains in Durango, Colorado, and has performed with the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra of Wyoming. He has also served on the faculty of Brevard Music Center, North Carolina. He is a member of the contemporary music ensemble Voices of Change and is active in several Dallas area chamber music series, including those of the Nasher Sculpture Center, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Walden Chamber Music Society, Crowley Chamber Music Series at the University of Dallas and the Hubbard Chamber Music Society. He has been a contributing writer for The Clarinet, and has presented master classes at universities and music festivals throughout the country. A dedicated teacher, Mr. Garner is presently on the faculty of Southern Methodist University where he teaches clarinet and chamber music. He holds degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Kansas.

Barbara Sudweeks, violist, is Associate Principal Viola of the Dallas Symphony and has been a member of that orchestra since 1976. Over her long and successful music career, Ms. Sudweeks has performed with and been featured soloist with numerous orchestras around the world, performed and toured internationally with several chamber ensembles including Voices of Change, and An Die Musik, has appeared in concert with Pinchas Zuckerman, Yefim Bronfman and Schlomo Mintz, and has recorded and concertized extensively throughout the US and Europe. She has participated in summer festivals such as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, San Diego's Mainly Mozart Festival, and Music in the Mountains in Durango, Colorado. She teaches viola and coaches chamber music and orchestral repertoire at Southern Methodist University. Ms. Sudweeks also plays the Chinese erhu and has been an erhu soloist with the Kaohsiung City Chinese Orchestra in Taiwan, the Shanghai Radio Symphony Orchestra in Nanjing, China, the Jiangsu Province Orchestra in Nanjing, China, and the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irwing, Texas.

Dramatic baritone Donnie Ray Albert has performed with major opera companies and orchestras in North American and Europe, among them are: La Scala, Covent Garden, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and San Francisco. Recent engagements included Los Angeles Opera's productions of HANSEL AND GRETEL (Peter) and THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY (Trinity Moses); LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST (Jack Rance) with Prague National Theater, CARMINA BURANA (Soloist) with Madison Symphony Orchestra, IL TROVATORE (Count di Luna) with Cincinnati May Festival, and Mendelssohn's ELIJAH with the Plano Civic Chorus and Austin Conspirare. Summer of 2006, saw him make his Metropolitan Opera Parks' debut as Germont in LA TRAVIATA.

In 2008, Mr. Albert will create the role of Frederick Douglas in Lyric Opera of Kansas City's world premiere of John Brown; he will appear in recitals and concerts in Dallas as well as Cincinnati May Festival [Fauré Requiem & Berlioz Romeo & Juliette (Laurent)].

Mr. Albert can be heard on RCA's PORGY and BESS (Grammy Award 1977 – Best Opera Recording and the Grand Pris du Disc) and EMI's EINE FLORENTINISCHE TRAGÖDIE conducted by James Conlon. Also, with Maestro Conlon conducting, Mr. Albert can be heard as Trinity Moses on the 2007 DVD of Los Angles Opera's THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY. More information on Mr. Albert's career can be found on his website: www.donnierayalbert.com

Bing Wang joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1997. Born in Shanghai, China, he began his violin studies with this father, professor De-Wen Wang, at age 4. He is the recipient of the 1991 Davidorff Young Musician of the Year award in Germany. Wang has played solo and chamber music performances in the U.S., China, Japan, Portugal, England, Greece, Germany and Mexico. He earned his bachelor's degree in music from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, with Dorothy DeLay and Kurt Sassmannshaus, and his master's degree from the University of Southern California with Alice Schoenfeld. Wang also studied at Indiana University with Henryk Kowalski. He and his wife, violinist Xiaohua Sheng, have one son and one daughter, David and Catherine.

Matt Diekman, violist, known simply as « Diek », began playing violin at a very young age to compete with his musical siblings. After entering college he met the legendary Wayne Crouse – former principal violist of the Houston Symphony – and was convinced to make the switch to viola. Since doing so Diek has played with the Oklahoma city Philharmonic, Tulsa Philharmonic, Dallas Oipera, San Antonio Symphony ahd has served as Principal Violist for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He was a founding member of the Crouse Quartet, a string quartet named after his former teacher, and has participated in many summer festivals across the country including the Utah Festival Opera (principal viola), Aspen Music Festival, Round Top Music Festival, Brevard Advanced Chamber Music Program, Sunflowetr Music Festival, Music from Greer and others. Diek has studied witht the principal violists of many of our nation's top orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has a Masters of Music Performance from the University of Oklahoma and an Artist Certificate in Viola from Southern Methodist University. He is an active and enthusiastic music teacher to all ages, and enjoys a healthy freelance career as well. Perhaps his greatest honor is to own and perform on the very instrument with which his former teacher Wayne Crouse built his long playing career.

Joel Bonzo, double-bassist, earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Southern Methodist University. He has studied with Thomas Lederer and Roger Fratena, both of whom serve as Principal Bass with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and James Carroll, Principal Bass of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. An active musician, Joel serves as Acting Principal Bass with the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and performs with the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, Greeley Philharmonic, and Fort Collins Symphony Orchestras, as well as The Playground Ensemble, resident contemporary chamber group at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. In Dallas Joel worked with the Texas Chamber Orchestra and the SMU Summer Conservatory and Meadows Symphony Orchestras, among others. He also participated in chamber and orchestral ensembles at the Arkansas Music Festival, the Galveston Island Summer Musicals, and served as Principal Bass in the Utah Festival of Opera Orchestra. Joel is also an accomplished jazz musician. He and his wife, cellist Camilla Bonzo, are co-founders of ANIMAS chamber music, which performed the U.S. Premiere of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Piano Quintet in C minor in 2006.

Laurie Shulman, program annotator, holds degrees from Syracuse (B.A. in history) and Cornell (M.A. and Ph.D. in musicology). Currently she is program annotator for the Dallas, New Jersey, Virginia, Richardson, and Charlottesville/University Symphony Orchestras; as well as the new music ensemble Voices of Change, Walden Chamber Music Colorado, Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City, Chamber Music at the Nasher, and Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth. Laurie is a popular public speaker on classical music in North Texas and is an active chamber music pianist. Her articles have appeared in The New Grove, The New Grove II, Opera Grove, Chamber Music Magazine, and on various internet sites. She has written CD liner notes for more than 20 record companies. She is also the author of The Meyerson Symphony Center: Building a Dream (University of North Texas Press: 2000).

Visiting Musicians

Eric Barr recently retired from the Principal Oboe chair of the Dallas Symphony which he held for the past thirty three years.  Before that, Mr. Barr was a member of the Atlanta Symphony and the United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. Mr. Barr holds degrees from  the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Catholic University and was professor of oboe at Southern Methodist University from 1985 to 2005. Mr. Barr was principal oboe of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra for twenty years and performed with the Boston Symphony as acting associate principal oboe in 1985, 1987 and 1990. His wife Catherine is the director of Texas Winds Musical Outreach, a Dallas based non-profit organization that provides music to those citizens unable to attend live concerts.

Carrie Beeder began playing violin at the age of 8 in public school, and started a professional career in music at the age of 18. Over the next 22 years as a resident of Denver she would increase her knowledge of chamber music and orchestral repertoire, performing with over 20 regional orchestras and chamber groups and holding various concertmaster and principal positions. In 1994 she received her B.A. in Music Performance and Music Education from Metropolitan State College of Denver, graduating Suma cum laude and at top of her class in the Music Department. Current classical ensembles include Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra (assistant concertmaster), Ribbons and Strings Ensembles and Musical Moments String Quartet (for weddings and private events), and string quartets and quintets for fun with friends. She currently maintains a private studio in Denver teaching violin, viola, and cello.
Brent Buemi, clarinetist is currently completing his Master of Music degree in clarinet performance at Southern Methodist University. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance at Southern Methodist University in 2008. He has studied with Paul Garner, Associate Principal Clarinet of the Dallas Symphony for the past six years. His earlier studies were with Texas clarinetist, Jeff Garcia. Mr. Buemi maintains a private clarinet teaching studio and freelances in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He performs with Voices of Change, modern music ensemble and regularly for The Wagner Society and Pro Musica.

Mary Jungerman, clarinetist, holds bachelor's and master's degrees in clarinet performance from the University of Houston and a doctorate in clarinet performance, music history, and modern German literature and culture from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been a member of the music faculties of the University of Houston, University of Colorado/Boulder, Northern Michigan University, the Orpheus School of Music in Houston, the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY, and is currently on the faculty of the Rocky Mountain School of Musical Arts. During the year 1969-70 she studied music in Hannover, Germany, on a Fulbright fellowship, where she was awarded the “Auszeichnen”, or highest rating, on her qualifying recitals for the master's degree equivalent. In 1972 she received the Charles Ives Award for the Performance of Contemporary Music from the University of Houston. She has recorded for the Swedish Radio, Stockholm, Sweden, and for the Owl record label with the Columbine Chamber Players, which she founded in 1977. Dr. Jungerman has toured with Denver sculptor Charles Parson doing concerts of performance works for clarinet and sculpture. Her teachers include Jeffrey Lerner, Daniell Bonade, Mitchell Lurie, Hans Deinzer, and Pasquale Cardillo. Currently she maintains a large private studio in addition to her free- lance orchestral work, and is a poet and painter. Jungerman is a founding member of the Performance Art trio, "3 of 3", which presents interdisciplinary contemporary artwork in galleries, theatres, art centers, museums and schools throughout the West.

Soprano Tina Lovejoy has appeared in opera, musical theater, and concert. She has recently performed with Utah Festival Opera, Loveland Opera Theatre, Denver Opera Company, and Timberline Orchestra among others. For her solo performance in Verdi's Requiem at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Rocky Mountain News stated: "…Soprano Tina Lovejoy took top honors-– a good thing considering her many crucial moments. She came through with a powerful, clearly focused, expressive voice that soared whenever the composer demanded it-– which was often.". Summer festivals include Operafestival di Roma, Tanglewood Institute, American Singers' Opera Project, and Vocal Arts Symposium. Lovejoy is a recipient of the Adele Adler Grant for Vocal Excellence and District Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2006. In addition, Lovejoy has made a foray into the world of composing and recorded a self-produced full-length CD of her own works. Lovejoy was a vocal scholarship student at Boston University and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Violinist Lynda O'Connor is one of Ireland's most outstanding young artists who has attracted widespread critical acclaim for her technical and musical accomplishments and who has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes.As a solo artist, Lynda showed particularly early promise, making her début appearance at the National Concert Hall, Dublin when she was just four years old. Since then she has been much in demand as an orchestral artist and leader and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, Lyric Opera, the Dublin Symphony Orchestra, the Dublin Orchestral Players, the Wexford Sinfonia and the Greystones Orchestra. She completed her masters degree in performance (first class honours) at the DIT Conservatory of Music where she was a Bank of Ireland Millennium scholar. In January 2008 Lynda began her studies in Dallas with world reknowned violinist Chee Yun. She made her national broadcasting debut here in March on Boston radio with pianist Barry Douglas. Lynda plays on a French Gand and Bernadel violin sponsored by Mercury Engineering, which she has had for the last six years.
Christine Schadeberg, soprano, is one of the leading voices championing music of the 20th century. She has sung in Voices of Change (Dallas, TX) since its inception in 1974. In New York she sang with Speculum Musicae, Musician's Accord, the Jubal Trio and many other ensembles. She appears in over fifteen commercial recordings and eight albums of works including those of Luciano Berio, George Crumb, Eric Chasalow, Mario Davidovsky, and Arnold Schoenberg. She has given concerts in all majors halls of the United States, and has appeared in London, Paris, Berlin, Edinburg, Riga, Caracas, Mexico City and the Hague.

Darren Sagawa, violonist, is an active freelance violinist in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as Northern California and Oregon.  His musical pursuits have led to performances with ensembles including the Oregon Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Fresno Philharmonic, the Sarasota Opera Festival and the Monterey Symphony Orchestra.  He has spent the past two summers as principal second violinist of the Utah Festival Opera and will return to that post once again in June 2010.  He has also had the opportunity to perform abroad in productions of Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' and Johann Strauss' 'Die Fledermaus' in Salzburg, Austria as well as chamber music performances in Dozza, Italy.

Mr. Sagawa holds a BM in violin performance from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA as well as a MM in violin performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music where his principal instructor was Bettina Mussumeli.

Keith Williamson baritone, is a Colorado native, a nineteen-year member of the Colorado Symphony Chorus and an thirteen-year veteran of the Opera Colorado Chorus, where he has performed solo roles in Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Sweeney Todd, The Barber of Seville, Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Abduction from the Seraglio, Verdi's Macbeth, and as Maestro Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicci. Keith has been a part of the Opera Madrigals for eleven years, the last four years as Lord of the Castle. In addition, he has performed at Augustana Lutheran Church with Augustana Arts in programs including Copeland's The Tender Land, Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Telephone, Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde, Mozart's Requiem, and Bach's St. John and St. Matthew Passions. Keith recently performed in the regional premiere of Tan Dun's Water Passion, conducted by the composer. Keith is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in Nursery and Landscape Management.

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