presents

Robert Lehmann was born and raised in Mexico City.
He is a graduate of the University of the Pacific and the Eastman School of Music, and a 2008 recipient of a doctorate in violin performance from Boston University.

He is Director of String Studies, Associate Professor of Music and Artist Faculty in violin and viola at the University of Southern Maine School of Music.
He Conducts the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra, the North Shore Philharmonic, the Portland Chamber Orchestra, and the White Mountain Bach Festival.

He has been a frequent guest conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra as well as other professional orchestras around the world, and is in great demand as a violinist, teacher, adjudicator and conductor.

Ray Cornils is the Municipal Organist for the City of Portland and is also Minister of Music at Parish Church, UCC in Brunswick, Maine. A member of the music faculties of Bowdoin College and the University of Southern Maine, he also teaches organ, harpsichord and related classes. Mr. Cornils graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. Ray has concertized throughout the United States and in Germany, France, Spain, Russia, Ecuador and New Zealand. He has performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia’s famed Wanamaker Organ. He has been a featured recitalist for conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. He performs regularly with the Portland Symphony and Musica Tricinia, a group of two trumpets and organ.

The 21st Bach Festival Opening Concert will take place at Christ Church, Episcopal, Main Street, North Conway on the Casavant free-standing, two manual tracker organ.

Concert ~ Sunday afternoon, August 23 at 4 PM

Christ Church, Episcopal, North Conway
Organist, Ray Cornils
Casavant Tracker Organ

YOUNG ARTIST, NASH RYDER

Nash Ryder studies with Anait Arutunian and Donald Weilerstein at the New England Conservatory and has been playing violin for over six years. He currently is a member of NEC’s Youth Symphony orchestra conducted by Steven Karidoyanes and is participating in the school's chamber music program as well. Nash was a top prize winner in the New England String Ensemble 2009 concerto competition and was a featured performer at the Portland Chamber Music Festival in 2007. In the summer of 2008 Nash became a prize winner at the Connecticut International Young Artist Competition. Nash is 13 years old and lives with his parents and brother in Danvers, MA. In addition to his music endeavors, he is an avid reader of history, library volunteer, and fundraiser for animal rescue organizations.

Critically acclaimed classical guitarist Nathan Kolosko has performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Nathan's recordings and performances have received praise from many critics. "A high-octane agenda from a guitarist with the skill, imagination, and confidence to bring it alive."- Classical Guitar, London.

As a musician, Nathan is compelled to expand the voice of the guitar through collaborations with both musicians and visual artists. He is currently collaborating with visual artist Ling-Wen Tsai on several inter-disciplinary video and performance projects, and performs regularly with flute player Carl Dimow.

Nathan has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including grants from the Allied Arts Foundation and D'Addario Strings, and in 2001 he was a prizewinner in the MTNA national guitar competition.

Nathan’s compositions are currently published by the company Doberman-Yippan. In addition to being a performer and composer Nathan is a teacher dedicated to furthering the pedagogue of the guitar.

 

JOHN ADAMS , BASS-BARITONE

John David Adams, bass-baritone, has performed in opera, concert, and recital on both coasts of the U.S. and throughout New England. Recent concert engagements include Haydn’s The Seasons with the Oratorio Chorale and Maine Chamber Ensemble, Bach Cantata BWV 140 with St. Cecilia Choir, Lord Nelson Mass with Maine Music Society, and featured soloist with the Longfellow Chorus premiering winning entries from its composers’ competition. He has appeared in concerts with the San Francisco Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra, North Shore Philharmonic, New England Wind Symphony, Arlington Philharmonic, Marin Chamber Orchestra, Maine Music Society, Androscoggin Chorale, Chorus Pro Musica, Masterworks Chorale, and Aurora Vocal Ensemble as well as concert programs for Longwood Opera, Maine Grand Opera, and Opera Down East. Opera and stage credits include Carmen (Granite State Opera), Lucrezia Borgia (Opera Boston), Tosca (San Francisco Lyric Opera), Romeo et Juliette (PORTopera), Cosi fan tutte (Apollo Opera), The New Moon (New England Light Opera), The Desert Song (Maine State Music Theater), Susannah and Sweeney Todd (Heartwood Regional Theater), and the U.S. premier of Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus (San Francisco City Summer Opera). He attended Hartt School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; his teachers have included Leopold Simoneau, William Metcalf, and Malcolm Smith.

Ethan received his master degree in voice at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has performed with UW opera as Dr. Caius in "Falstaff", Testo in "Il commbattimento di Tancredi et Clorinda", Alfred in "Die Fledermaus", Don Curzio in "Le Nozze die Figaro" and Kaspar in "Amahl and the Night Visitors". He has also performed with the Madison Savoyards playing Luiz in "The Gondoliers", Richard in "Ruddigore", and Fredrick in "The Pirates of Penzeance"
He originally hails from Athol, Massachusetts and got his bachelors degree in music at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY where he performed as Tamino in "The Magic Flute", Jack Madden in Scott Gendel's "A Song That's True" and The Sailor in "Dido and Aeneas" and where he performed with the American Symphony Orchestra.
Since moving to Boston, Ethan performed the role of Achilles in Gluck's "Iphigenie en Aulide" and Rodolfo in "La Boheme" with the Boston Opera Collaborative, and Giorgio and Poliziano in the premier of "Michelangelo" with Opera Providence.

PATRICE TIEDEMANN , SOPRANO

Miss Tiedemann's 2008-2009 season began with the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah with the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, followed by Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Andover Choral Society. Additional performances include a return to Jordan Hall with the Shakespeare Concerts in chamber works by Schumann, Amram, and Joseph Summer, Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the Dedham Choral Society, Wagoner's Song of Solomon and Bach Cantata 196 with Mastersingers by the Sea, and the Saint Saens Requiem with the New Bedford Choral Society. She will return to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with Charleston Chamber Opera in a program of operatic scenes highlighting the relationships of women, and make her debut with the White Mountain Bach Festival in Bach's Magnificat, Coffee Cantata, and Cantata 147. Upcoming seasons include engagements with the New Bedford Symphony in Mahler's Fourth Symphony and the Verdi Requiem with the Boston Civic Symphony.

Performance highlights include engagements with the Boston Pops for their Holiday Concerts, her debut with Boston Lyric Opera as The Water in the East Coast premiere of The Little Prince; the Foreign Woman in The Consul with Opera Boston; the title role in Madama Butterfly and Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah with Central City Opera; and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with Opera Providence and Cape Cod Opera. Other notable engagements include Mozart's Requiem with the New Bedford Symphony, Schubert's Mass in G and the Vivaldi Magnificat with Mastersingers by the Sea, the Verdi Requiem with the Worcester Consortium, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the North Shore Philharmonic, Knoxville, Summer of 1915 with the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra, excerpts from Tosca and Madama Butterfly with Symphony by the Sea, and Hansel & Gretel with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. She is a graduate of Indiana University, and received further training as a young artist with Central City Opera and Indianapolis Opera.

EMILY MARVOSH , SOPRANO

Emily Marvosh, mezzo soprano, is happy to return to the White Mountain Bach Festival in 2009 after singing in the 2007 festival. This summer she has performed at the Oregon Bach Festival under Helmut Rilling and also at the Berkshire Choral Festival. Active in opera and oratorio in the Boston area, Miss Marvosh regularly performing with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, and Boston Baroque, in addition to being a member of the Handel and Haydn Society outreach quartet. She is a regular soloist in the Marsh Chapel Choir Bach Cantata Series. In 2005 Miss Marvosh sang the role of Meg in the New England premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and also recently premiered the song cycle In the Sky She Floats. Additional recent performances include Der Rosenkavalier (Octavian) and The Barber of Seville (Rosina). She holds degrees from Central Michigan University and Boston University.

 

Described as “…a rare artist; one who is a consummate musician and brilliant virtuso.” Has appeared as a guest artist of the Philadelphia area’s top musical organizations; performed the premiere of several solo compositions for trumpet and has been a featured soloist at International Brass Conferences. Honors: Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Delaware; Master of Music degree (majoring in music performance & literature) from the Eastman School of Music; released a solo
CD: Barbara Prugh, Trumpet Artisty.

MARY BASTONI-REBMANN, SOPRANO

Mary studied voice at the University of Lowell. Now, a resident of Fryeburg, Maine, she is enrolled in the Bachelor of Music degree program at the University of Southern Maine pursuing a major in voice with Ellen Chickering. As a USM freshman she was chosen to play the Queen of the Night role in the University's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Mary is equally comfortable with a wide variety of musical genres from the serious classics to musical theatre. She has been heard in many leading roles in Mt. Washington Valley Theater Company & Resort Players.

FREDERIC BEDNARZ, VIOLIN

Canadian violinist Frédéric Bednarz regularly gives recitals throughout North Amercia, Central Amercia and Europe. He has played in New York's Weill Hall and Merkin Hall, in Boston, in Kansas City and also in Montréal, Québec, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

A prize winner in many competitions including the Prix d'Europe, the Marseille International Competition and the Val Tidone International Competition, Mr. Bednarz was heard as soloist with the Ottawa and Montreal Chamber Orchestras, the Montreal Civic Orchestra, Ensemble America in New York, OSSIA, the Atlantic Symphony and the Longy Chamber Orchestra.

Chamber music performances include appearences with Anthony Marwood, Richard Lester, Julius Baker, Oleh Krysa, Malcolm Lowe, and the Ying Quartet. He was a founding member of the Yanvar Trio. Bednarz was featured on radio broadcasts with CBC and NPR, and recorded works by Tchaikovski for the XXI Canadian Label.

Frederic Bednarz holds a B.M. from the Harid Conservatory where he worked with Sergiu Schwartz and a M.M. from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied under Oleh Krysa. He also worked with Victor Tretiakov in France. In addition to solo and chamber music performances, Frederic was concertmaster of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra for 6 years. He recently joined the Molinari String Quartet, based in Montreal, Canada.

Margaret Helfer-Herlehy (oboe) received her training at the University of Michigan and Sarah Lawrence College where she remained as Artist-in-Residence for five-year tenure. Her principal teachers include Lois Wann and Arno Mariotti. As a chamber musician, she performs with Sospiri Ensemble and in 2003 premiered works for oboe, bassoon and piano at the International Double Reed Conference in Greensboro, NC. She also performs with Infinities Chamber Ensemble as a member of Massachusetts Young Audiences presenting Young People’s Concerts throughout New England. Currently, Margaret is Principal Oboist with the Hanover Chamber Orchestra and the Granite State Symphony. In addition, she has performed with the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra, as soloist with the New England String Ensemble and the Berkshire Opera among other orchestras throughout the northeast. Margaret maintains an active teaching schedule. She is lecturer of oboe at the University of New Hampshire, Director of Winds of the Wellesley Composers Conference and founder and Artistic Director of Music da Camera Chamber Music Workshops since 1992. performed with the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra, as soloist with the New England String Ensemble and the Berkshire Opera among other orchestras throughout the northeast. Margaret maintains an active teaching schedule. She is lecturer of oboe at the University of New Hampshire, Director of Winds of the Wellesley Composers Conference and founder and Artistic Director of Music da Camera Chamber Music Workshops since 1992.

Charles Dimmick

Charles Dimmick joined the Portland Symphony Orchestra as a member of the violin section in 1999, and became Concertmaster of the orchestra in 2002. Charles began playing the violin at age 5, and his professional career began at age 16 with the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra. He went on to become Associate Concertmaster of the Dayton Philharmonic while still pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. In addition to his position with the PSO, Charles can be heard as Concertmaster of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and as a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. Charles has performed as a soloist with the Portland Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, University of Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, Maine Mid-Coast Orchestra, and the Miami Valley Symphony. This season includes performances as a featured soloist with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra. Charles is an active recitalist, soloist and teacher in the New England region and can be heard in recording on the Naxos, New World, Artisie 4 and Arsis labels.

One of my biggest dreams is to help other people be as excited about "classical" music as I am. -Charles Dimmick

Debby Dabczynski

Debby Dabczynski (cello) a graduate of Eastman School of Music is in her 30th season as cellist in the Portland Symphony Orchestra. She also plays with various other performing groups such as the Portland Opera and Portland Ballet orchestras. Until recently, Debby was the host and program developer for the Portland Symphony Kinderkonzert programs. She has held teaching positions in SAD #17 and Old Orchard Beach, Maine where she was involved in the string instrumental programs. She is the conductor for the University of Southern Maine/Fleet Portland Youth String Consort Orchestra. Debby also has a full schedule of private students whom she teaches in her home studio in Harrison, Maine. As a contrast to her involvement in music and music education, she works part-time cutting exclusive wooden jigsaw puzzles at Elms Puzzles, Inc. also in Harrison.