biographies - George Mason University School of Music

meet tHe Performers
Dominick izzo, hailing from upstate New York, has come to the greater
Washington area to pursue his bachelor of music education degree at
George Mason University. Dominick is augmenting his degree with
concentrations in voice, studying with Dr. Kathryn Hearden, and piano,
studying with Dr. Linda Monson, along with conducting technique with
Dr. Stan Engebretson. Since his arrival in the greater Washington area,
Dominick has become a member of the National Philharmonic Chorale,
the assistant choir director at the historic New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, the undergraduate conducting assistant for the George Mason
University Chamber Singers, and also teaches a studio of thirteen private
piano students. Locally, Dominick has performed at Strathmore and
the Kennedy Center sharing the stage with Harolyn Blackwell, Yo-Yo
Ma, Kenny Rogers, Christoph Eschenbach, and Nolan Williams. On
the world stage, Dominick has performed in Austria, Italy, Iceland and
Germany.
He is honored to be making his National Philharmonic Conducting
debut today!
Gina mirenDa was born in Costa Rica. She attended Catholic University
of America for two years where she performed as Pallade (Pallas
Athena) and Damigella in Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea” and
participated in the chorus of Die Fledermaus by Strauss. She is very happy
to be at Mason and participated in last Fall’s production of GMU opera.
She was the soloist for John Rutter’s Gloria last Fall with the University
Singers and recently performed as a soloist with the University Singers
for the first movement of Haydn’s Mass in C.
Sarah hauGhton is a sophomore at GMU pursuing her Bachelor of
Music degree in cello performance. Sarah currently serves as principal
cellist of both George Mason University Symphony Orchestra and the
George Mason University Chamber Orchestra. She is a full-time cellist
with the McLean Orchestra based out of McLean, Virginia and currently
studies with Professor Marcio Botelho.
criStian Perez is a graduate student at GMU, currently studying with
Larry Snitzler, Rick Whitehead, and Glenn Smith. He obtained his
Bachelor’s degree from Mason with a double concentration in Classical
Guitar Performance and Jazz Studies, and a minor in Spanish. He is an
active free-lance guitarist performing solo guitar and in multiple instru-
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mental combinations such as his Dâle Project, which will perform at the
2011 Argentine Festival on May 28 th in Arlington, VA.
ryan aShley nobleS is pursuing a Masters in Cello Performance at
George Mason University. She received a Bachelor’s degree in music
from the University of Mary Washington. While attending the University
of Mary Washington (UMW) she was principal cellist in the University-Community
Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra and
also performed with then Mary Washington Symphony as a high school
student for their Carnegie Hall performance in 2002. After graduating
from UMW Ryan worked as the Executive Director of the Rappahannock
Youth Symphony, private instructor, and performed with the Piedmont
Symphony, Rappahannock POPS Orchestra and other ensembles
in the greater Fredericksburg area before relocating to Fairfax to pursue
an advanced degree in performance. Ryan currently studies cello with
Marcio Botelho.
kyra WaGStaff is currently a junior voice performance major at George
Mason University studying under Dr. Kathryn Hearden. Originally from
Baytown, TX, she was a part of the Humphrey School of Musical Theatre
with Theatre Under the Stars in Houston from 2001-2007, having performed
in the Mainstage productions of The Wizard of Oz and Singin’
in the Rain as well as been a featured cast member in the premier of The
Stephen Schwartz Project. In addition to this, she also participated in
Baytown Little Theatre’s production of Chicago, where she played Roxie
Hart. While at GMU, Kyra has been involved in such opera productions
as Gallantry (Poof Girl), Amahl and the Night Visitors, Suor Angelica (Suor
Infermiera), and A Tribute to the Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein and
Andrew Lloyd Webber (soloist). Over the past 3 years, she has been actively
involved with summer voice programs, including New York Opera Studio
with Nico Castel where she portrayed Frasquita in “The Card Scene”
from Bizet’s Carmen, Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposia with Enza Ferrari,
and, most recently, the V.O.I.C.Experience in Tampa, Florida with Sherrill
Milnes, David Friedman, and Susan Yankee.
aliSa hirScher is freshman studying under Dr. Linda Monson and is
pursing a piano performance degree. She has played piano since about
second grade and was home schooled. This winter she was able to play
with the GMU Chamber Orchestra and Opera in Amahl and the Night
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Visitors. She recently started as an accompanist for a children’s choir,
and has taught piano lessons in the past. Alisa also just performed in the
Fairfax Mayor’s Ball in April, as a grateful Spotlight on the Arts scholarship
recipient.
PulSe is George Mason University’s resident flute choir. It is comprised
of music performance and education majors, bachelor of arts students,
and non-music majors. Formerly known as Champagne Flutes, Pulse was
established in September of 2009 under the direction of Judith Lapple.
The group continues today under the direction of Jennifer Lapple. Their
mission is musical outreach through performance and education.
Pulse Flute Choir
Carly Alba
Sarah Angel
Conor Cafferty
Kate Freeburn
Sara van der Horst
Courtney Kerby
Grace Lane
Yvonne LeFrancois
Kim Miller
Paul chinen is a freshman undergraduate student at George Mason
University. He currently studies oboe under Dr. Lorrie Berkshire-Brown.
In the Fall of 2010 he was selected as a Howarth Young Artist to participate
in a master-class at Pepperdine University in California. Paul has
also played with the American Festival concert and is Principal Oboe of
the George Mason University Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra.
Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Paul has performed with the
Honolulu Civic Orchestra as well as the Honolulu Stake Pops Orchestra.
He attended the Interlochen Summer Music institute in the year 2009
and has studied Oboe under Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, and Linda Strommen.
Paul is also an avid Saxophonist and currently studies with Mr. Rick
Parrell.
Jonathan rayniDo chamP is a 19-year-old sophomore at George Mason
University. Jonathan went to high school at the Governor’s School
for the Performing Arts where he developed his passion for opera/classical
music. While at the Governor’s School, he was a Virginia Opera
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Andrea Murano
Caitlin Oliver
Sally O’Neill
Katie Rehm
Agnes Rhee
Jessica Salas
Sarah Shapiro
Amy Tanna
Meghan Walsh

S.T.A.R. (Student Training Artistic Residency) Intern where he performed
as a member of the chorus in their 100 th production of Verdi’s Il
Trovatore. Since his enrollment at GMU, he has been a two time winner
at the Virginia NATS (National Association of Teacher’s of Singing)
competition as well as an active member of GMU Opera performing
roles like The Page (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Alcindoro (La Boheme),
and most recently Marco and Ser Amantio di Nicolao (Gianni Schicchi).
This past summer, Jonathan made his international debut in Vietri sul
Mare, Italy performing the role of Monostatos (Die Zauberflote) in the
Amalfi Music Festival, under the baton of Maestro Joseph Walsh. Jonathan
is a student of Patricia Miller and Samuel Bonds.
miJail tumanov was born in Ukraine in 1988. In 1994, he moved to
Costa Rica, where he started his musical education at the age of 8, with
Alexandr Sklioutovsky. In 1998, he was accepted into the Intensive Precollege
Piano Training program at the National University of Costa Rica,
as well as its sister school, the Instituto Superior de Artes, where he also
studied with Ludmila Melzer.
Tumanov achieved his first major success in 1999, when he won
the Young Soloists competition of the National Symphony Orchestra of
Costa Rica, with which he performed as a result. Mijail has performed, as
well, with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the Youth Symphony
Orchestra of Costa Rica and the Ball State Symphony Orchestra
and worked with noted conductors such as Vladimir Sirenko, Chosei
Komatsu and Irwin Hoffman. In 2001, he won the 5 th Pinault International
Competition in New York, which granted him the opportunity to
play at the Carnegie Hall, where he was subsequently invited to perform
two more times.
In 2005, at the age of 17, Tumanov finished the B.M. in piano
performance and pedagogy at the National University of Costa Rica and
the following year, began working towards his M.M. in piano performance
at Ball State University in Indiana, under Ray Kilburn. After finishing
his M.M. degree, he remained at Ball State, in the Artist Diploma
program.
In 2009, Tumanov advanced to the Division Round of the Music
Teachers National Association Competition where he represented Indiana
and was chosen as the Alternate Winner.
Tumanov has received masterclasses from such recognized teachers
as Gyorgy Sandor, Alexandr Bonduryansky, Emanuel Krasovsky,
Alexandr Braginsky, Alexandr Kobrin, Nina Lelchuk and Mykola Suk.
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In 2006, Tumanov released a CD of solo repertoire, including works by
Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninov.
Currently, Tumanov is working on his D.M.A. at George Mason
University, studying with Dr. Anna Balakerskaia.
StePhanie renée eDeWaarD, Mezzo-Soprano, is a senior in the Vocal
Studio of University Professor Patricia Miller, Director of Vocal Studies.
Ms. Edewaard has performed the roles of “Cherubino” in Le Nozze di Figaro
and “Second Lady” in Die Zauberflöte at the 2009 and 2010 Amalfi
Coast Music Festivals in Vietri sul Mare, Italy. Recently with the George
Mason Opera, she appeared as “La Ciesca” in Gianni Schicchi and “Hansel”
in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Ms. Edewaard has also sung
supporting and leading roles in GMU productions of Street Scene (Nursemaid),
Gallantry (The Announcer), Suor Angelica (The Monitor), and La
Boheme (Mother). She has performed in various opera scenes including
those from Così fan Tutte, The Mikado, Candide, Lakme, Die Fledermaus,
Carmen, and Le Nozze di Figaro for galas at George Mason and at the
Amalfi Coast Music Festival.
In March 2011, Ms. Edewaard won First Place at the Virginia
State NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Vocal Competition,
continuing on to win Third Place in the Mid-Atlantic Regional
NATS Competition. Ms. Edewaard was a winner in both the 2009 and
2010 Virginia State NATS, advancing both times to the Regional NATS.
More recently, Ms. Edewaard received Third Place in the 2011 Friday
Morning Music Club Sue Goetz Ross Memorial Student Voice Competition.
yoonJi kim, a student of Dr. Linda Apple Monson, is currently a doctoral
student in music at George Mason University. She graduated from
Mason in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and
again in 2007 with a Master of Music in Piano Performance. Yoonji has
been chosen to perform in GMU’s annual Jean Carrington Cook Piano
Scholarship Concerts, and was featured in the All-Steinway School
Piano Dedication Concert at GMU. She was also chosen to perform
in the 2009, 2007, and 2004 GMU Honors Recitals. Additionally, she
performed the Grieg Piano Concerto and Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 in E
minor several years ago with the GMU Symphony Orchestra as a result
of winning the annual concerto competitions. She has performed in
Fairfax Old Town Hall for Spotlight on the Arts Scholarship Concerts
and the 2009 and 2010 ARTS by George! gala. Yoonji has performed in
piano master classes with Awadagin Pratt, Lise Keiter-Brotzman, and
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Jeffrey Siegel. She is a previous and current Friends of Music Scholarship
Recipient. Yoonji teaches keyboard skills at Mason to freshmen and
sophomore students. She serves as accompanist for Kwon-Sa Ensemble
of Korean Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA.
ina mirtcheva started playing the piano when she was five years old
and attended L. Pipkov Music School in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1998 she
moved with her family to the United States and continued her studies
with Dr. Anna Balakerskaia first at Levine School of Music and then at
George Mason University where she earned her Bachelors and Masters
of Music in Piano Performance. She earned a second Masters in Instrumental
Collaborative Piano at the University of Cincinnati College-
Conservatory of Music, where she had a full graduate scholarship and assistantship
and studied piano and chamber music with James Tocco and
Sandra Rivers. Currently, Ina Mirtcheva is back at George Mason in the
D.M.A. program and teaches Keyboard Skills classes. Ms. Mirtcheva has
performed in numerous recitals around the USA and abroad as a soloist
and with chamber music ensembles including at venues such as the Kennedy
Center, Smithsonian Institute and in recital halls in Italy, Holland,
Poland, Bulgaria and Canada. She is a winner of Schlern International
Competition, VMTA and GMU Concerto Competition. She is also a
recipient of a Strathmore Hall Award, J. C. Cook Scholarship, Peterson
Award.
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