MUSICIANS
Edoardo Carpenedo, Founder and Artistic Director
Italian pianist Edoardo Carpenedo impressed audiences in his American debut with “technical strength, sweet and singing tone, and deep sensitivity.” (Charleston City Paper.) Edoardo has received numerous awards in national and international competitions, including the prestigious “Trofeo Febo Villani.” He has performed extensively in recital and as a soloist with orchestras around Europe, most notably in Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. Edoardo’s latest engagements include performances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Allen Room, and The Greene Space at WNYC & WQXR. He has been a guest artist for UNICEF Italia and Spoleto Festival USA. Edoardo graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Trieste National Conservatory (Italy) at age eighteen. At a young age, he had the privilege of studying with Bruno Mezzena, a pupil of Arturo Benedetto Michelangeli, and Riccardo Risaliti, professor at the Imola International Piano Academy. In the last six years, Edoardo’s main inspiration has come from working with concert pianist Jeffrey Swann, and, under his mentorship, Edoardo completed his Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance at NYU Steinhardt in 2013. Edoardo is currently a doctoral student at Boston University studying with Pavel Nersessian. Edoardo is an avid chamber musician. Edoardo is also a passionate teacher and has served as an Adjunct Piano Faculty member at NYU Steinhardt. Edoardo is currently a Teaching Assistant for the Piano and Theory departments at Boston University - College of Fine Arts.
Inês Andrade, piano
Portuguese pianist Inês Andrade is an active performer as a soloist and chamber musician, having presented recitals throughout Europe and in the United States. Recent engagements include performances at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Boston Conservatory Theater, Centre Le Phénix (Switzerland), Centro Cultural de Belém (Portugal) and Alexander Girardi Hall (Italy). She has been praised for her “excellent technique and elaborated touch” (Diário de Notícias), after her performance of Grieg Piano Concerto with the Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra. She has also appeared as a soloist with the NYU Symphony Orchestra, the ArtQuest Orchestra, the ESML Symphony Orchestra, and the Lisbon National Conservatory Orchestra.
A passionate chamber musician, Inês is a prizewinner of the Portuguese Young Musicians Prize, in duo with violinist Tamila Kharambura. She is the co-founder of the Virtuoso Soloists of New York, and the Duo Pianíssimo. Inês holds a Bachelor of Music with honors from the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, and a Master’s degree from New York University. She currently studies with Pavel Nersessian at Boston University, where she is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, and was recently distinguished by the Boston University Women’s Council for her academic and professional achievements. Former Adjunct Faculty at NYU Steinhardt, Inês is a Teaching Assistant at BU College of Fine Arts. She is the founder and artistic director of the Bendada Music Festival, a youth music festival in Portugal.
Micah Brightwell, violin
Micah Brightwell, a native of Hamilton, NZ who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, has performed extensively across Canada and the United States. Micah graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in 2006, with an award for Musical Excellence in Violin Performance. She holds a bachelors degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a masters degree from Rice University, where she studied with Kenneth Goldsmith. Ms Brightwell is currently working towards a masters of science in arts administration from the Metropolitan College at Boston University. As a specialist in contemporary music, she has appeared in concert with the Callithumpian Consort, Ludovico Ensemble, Acoustic Uproar, Collage New Music, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Sound Energy Trio, ensemblenewSRQ, and the Rice University based New Music Ensemble, as well as with members of the Bang on a Can All- Stars, eighth blackbird, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Mark Morris Dance Group, Frame Dance Company in Houston, TX, and Ensemble Modern. Ms Brightwell is equally at home in a classical chamber setting, having collaborated with artists such as Norman Fischer, Ivo-Jan van der Werff, Thomas Jaber, Brian Connelly, and Kenneth Goldsmith. Other chamber music studies include members of the Cavani, Juilliard, Concord, and Cleveland String Quartets. Ms Brightwell attended the Tanglewood Music Center as an orchestral fellow and a member of the Fromm String Quartet, the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at the New England Conservatory, and the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, in residence at MassMOCA.
Aleksandra Labinska, violin
Polish-born concert violinist Aleksandra Labinska holds Doctorate in Violin Performance from Boston University, College of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Prof. Yuri Mazurkevich. She has performed concerts in Canada, France, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Austria and the States. Dr. Labinska has received numerous awards including Ronald P. Matheson Award (Banff Centre for the Arts), David and Marcia Beach Summer Study Award, Felix Galimir Chamber Music Excellence Award (University of Toronto), Nick Gelmych Violin Award (University of Toronto), and Honorable Mention at Boston University Bach Competition. Dr.Labinska appeared as a soloist with the Mooredale Concerto Players in Toronto, and Ostinato Chamber Orchestra in Poland. She participated in numerous festivals including Banff Center Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music Academy and Festival, International Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling at University of Toronto, Lancut International Music Courses In Poland, InCite Boston University Festival in New York City, St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar at Stanford University, Castleton Music Festival in Virginia under the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel and AIMS festival in Graz, Austria. Dr. Labinska served as an adjudicator in the Duxbury Music Festival Concerto and Solo Competition and her students have won prizes at the South Shore Conservatory Concerto and Solo Competitions, Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, American String Teachers Association Competition, Russian Music Competition as well as Roman Totenberg Competition for Strings in Newton MA. Dr. Labinska’s concert activities had taken her to Boston’s Symphony Hall, Kennedy Center (Washington DC), New York Town Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Stefaniensaal in Austria, and Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto).
Yoni Avi Battat, viola
Yoni Avi Battat is an adventurous and collaborative violist living in Boston, MA. An active chamber musician, Yoni has performed in a variety of ensembles, bringing his explorative and inventive approach to audiences across the U.S. and Europe.
His groups have received guidance from many acclaimed musicians, including members of the Emerson, Lydian, Pacifica, Muir, JACK, Chiara and Borromeo string quartets. Yoni has served as principal violist for the Cape Ann, B.U., and Brandeis symphonies as well as engagements with New Haven Symphony, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others. An advocate of contemporary music, Yoni works regularly with living composers of all ages to workshop, premiere and record new works for solo viola and for small ensembles.
Outside of classical music, Yoni is an accomplished improviser, fluent in several non-western musical traditions including Jazz, Klezmer and Middle-Eastern. He has performed and recorded with many such bands including, Two Shekel Swing, Cataklezm and the Nu Haven Kapelye.
A dedicated music teacher, Yoni has a large studio of over twenty private viola and violin students. He also is the Deputy Director of the Elm City ChamberFest, where he coaches high schoolers through their first encounters with chamber music.
Yoni received his B.A. from Brandeis University and his M.M. from Boston University, studying viola with Karen Ritscher, Mary Ruth Ray and Mark Berger.
Gracie Keith, cello
Gracie Keith began playing the cello at the age of five and since that time has performed world-wide. While completing her Bachelor Degree in music performance at Baylor University, she was a member of the Waco Symphony and taught at the Central Texas String Academy.
Since moving to Boston, she has completed a Master’s degree from Boston University where she currently still resides pursuing a Doctorate of Music Arts.
Recent performance engagements include guest artist performances at the Garth Newel Music Center, as a soloist with the New England Repertory Orchestra, Artist-in-Residency at the Dedham School of Music and a highlighted performance in the Keyword Initiative concert series hosted by Boston University.
Gracie was able to develop her passion for music because of her inspiring music teachers in the public school system of Houston, TX.
Music accessibility and education is an important focus for Gracie so in addition to performing, she has become an avid teacher and currently teaches music in the public school system of Brookline, MA.
Samuel Marques, clarinet
Mr. Marques has studied in Portugal with Nelson Aguiar and António Saiote, and in the USA with Stanley Drucker and Pascual Martínez-Forteza.
At New York University he obtained a Masters degree, an Advanced Certificate, and was an Adjunct Instructor.
Mr. Marques has been selected to the National Repertory Orchestra, the Castleton Festival Orchestra, the New York Youth Symphony and the Atlantic Music Festival, just to name a few.
He had the opportunity to play with the internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and has been the winner of several competitions, such as the II Iberoamerican Young Artists Competition.
Recently, Mr. Marques was selected to the Remix Ensemble Summer Academy and gave a clarinet masterclass at the 1st Bendada Music Fest, in Portugal.
Mr. Marques regularly collaborates with Portugal’s Gulbenkian Orchestra as 2nd Soloist, and is on the Clarinet faculty at Jobra’s Music Conservatory.
Courtney Miller, oboe
Since her solo debut with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at age 17, Dr. Courtney Miller has been a devoted performer traveling throughout the United States and abroad as a solo and chamber musician.
She recently released her debut solo album Modern Fairy Tales on Centaur Records.
Dr. Courtney Miller is Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Iowa where she teaches private oboe lessons, master classes and reed classes.
Also an experienced orchestral musician, Dr. Miller is currently performing with the Quad City Symphony and has performed with numerous orchestras across the country.
Dr. Miller has a Bachelor of Music from Florida State University, a Master of Music from Cleveland Institute of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University.
Her primary teachers are renowned oboists and pedagogues John Ferrillo, John Mack, Eric Ohlsson and Eric Olson.
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