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Gateway
Classical Music Society |
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Ida Angland, Artistic Director
and Conductor, is dedicated to providing opportunities for artists
on the rise and reconnecting audiences to great masterworks through
Gateway's performances designed to achieve impact and intimacy.
Gateway's Great Works of Art performances with the Gateway Orchestra
have received enthusiastic response by audiences in Connecticut and
New York and have been described in reviews as ''thrilling,''
''compelling'' ''a revelation'' ''unforgettable,'' and ''amazing.'' Ida Angland has been characterized as having
''inner genius,'' ''flair,'' ''idealism,'' and ''grit.'' Ms Angland became an apprentice conductor
with the New York Grand Opera in 2001. In 2002, she became the
Director of The New York Grand Opera Chorus and assistant-conducted
numerous operas as well as symphonic works, including such works as
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In her capacity as Director of
the chorus, she organized regional choristers to participate with
the New York Grand Opera Chorus in several concerts in Carnegie
Hall. Ms Angland began her music training as a pianist. When she was
12 years old, she was the youngest of four contestants chosen by the
National Federation of Music Clubs and the University of North
Carolina as the state's ''most promising'' musical talents. She
continued her music training at the North Carolina School of the
Arts, Peabody Conservatory and Indiana University studying with,
among others, Konrad Wolff, Elaine Bonazzi and Margaret Harshaw. Ms
Angland sang professionally as a soprano with regional opera
companies. Other featured guest appearances have included the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and WQXR. |
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Hu
Shenghua (Simon Hu), Violin, has shown outstanding talent since
beginning violin at the age of four. Winning his first contest at
age seven in China's Anhui Province, he has gone on to win numerous
contests, scholarships and awards. He was chosen as one of ten
internationally selected artists to perform at the Starling-DeLay
Symposium at the Juilliard School in New York and won a full
scholarship to study at the University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music in 2006. Mr. Hu performed the Bruch
Violin Concerto for Chinese television at age 10, the Tchaikovsky
concerto with the Nan Jing Symphony Orchestra at age 15 and with the
Orchestra of the Shanghai Conservatory. At age 18 he attended the
Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing where he performed
the Sibelius Concerto with the China Broadcasting Orchestra. As the
winner of the Sibelius Concerto Competition in Cincinnati, he
performed with the Cincinnati Philharmonia in 2007. Mr. Hu currently
studies at the Long Island Conservatory with Albert Markov, having
won a full scholarship in 2008. He has received numerous other
awards, has performed for special events concerts with Gateway and
will debut with the Gateway Orchestra this season with the Sibelius
Violin Concerto in D Minor, op.47. |
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Alina
Kiryayeva, Pianist, has concertized internationally performing
as a soloist with the Kharkov State Philharmonic and State Opera
Theatre Orchestras, The Imperial Valley Symphony orchestra and New
York Symphonic Ensemble Orchestra as well as in chamber ensembles in
Weill Hall, Morse Recital Hall, Maiden Lane Concert Series, the
Concerto Takes Manhattan Series at Yamaha Hall, Young Artist Concert
Series in Bergenfield, NJ and the Concert Series at Jefferson'a
Ferry, NY. Ms Kiryayeva has been the recipient of numerous awards
that include the First Prize in the Senigallia International
Competition, Italy, the Grace Welsh International Competition and
the California Young Artist International Competition. She was
honored by the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kravchuk, with the State
Award for Achievements in Arts. She has also been awarded the Fannie
Gottlieb-Harkavi Scholarship and Susan Rose Piano Scholarship. She
has been a featured soloist on several of Gateway's special event
concerts and works as a rehearsal pianist for Gateway. |
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Ming
Kwong, Pianist, apprenticed with Florida Grand Opera for their
2008-2009 season. He held a fellowship coach position at the Aspen
Summer Music Festival and was a vocal coach and pianist at the Music
Academy of the West. Mr. Kwong recently made his Kennedy Center
debut with Metropolitan Opera Grand Winner Lori Guilbeau. He was
chosen to participate in the Cleveland Art Songs Festival in 2010.
Other credits include performing on the Stephanie Blythe master
class at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Joey
Reynolds show - WOR news talk radio 710HD in October 2009. Mr. Kwong
has acted as the Music Director of the Undergraduate Opera Theater
at Manhattan School of Music. Other engagements as opera coach and
rehearsal pianist include the Tanglewood Music Center and the
Glimmerglass Opera. Mr. Kwong has been a prizewinner of numerous
competitions including First Prize in the Advanced Improvisation and
Second Prize in the Advanced Bach Session in the Twelfth Hong Kong
Piano Open Competition. He holds a Masters degree in Piano
Accompanying from Manhattan School of Music and a Masters degree in
Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory. He is a rehearsal
pianist for Gateway Classical Music Society. |
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Michael
Pilafian, Pianist, has played for voice-studio of Carolina
Segrera and performed concerts internationally with the Ambassadors
of Opera. He was music-director of the After Dinner Opera Company
with which he premiered several chamber-operas by Seymour Barab.
Currently he plays for the New York Grand Opera, the Center for
Contemporary Opera, Opera on the Hudson, Taconic Opera, and the
Juilliard School of Music. Mr. Pilafian plays as a rehearsal pianist
for Gateway. |
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