Collaborators

Manuel Figuero-Bolvarán

Double Bassist, Composer

Beginning his musical studies in his hometown of La Serena, Chile, Manuel Figueroa is a distinguished musician and educator with a diverse background in double bass performance, orchestral conducting, and composition. He received his Bachelor's in Music from the University of La Serena and furthered his studies at the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and various other institutions globally, including a Master of Arts in Cultural Diplomacy from the University of the West of Scotland and an Artist Diploma from the Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellowship at the OAcademy. As an accomplished double bassist, he has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Orchestra of the Ameicas (YOA), and contributed to award-winning recordings such as the Grammy Latino 2015-winning album for Best Classical Music. In addition to his role as a professor of Double Bass at the University of La Serena, Manuel is a prolific composer with works ranging from radio theatre to opera and has premiered several pieces internationally. He also leads the University Orchestra of the University of La Serena and the International Chamber Music Festival of Elqui and has represented Chile at the Classical Next fair in Rotterdam.

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Monica Lima

Dancer

Monica Lima is from Lisbon, Portugal, and graduated from the National Ballet School of Portugal, where she had the opportunity to perform ballets such as La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Les Sylphides and Bournoville´s Napoli. Monica has participated in several summer intensives around Europe, and worked directly with Victor Ullate, Yannick Boquin, Frank Anderson and Nina Ananiashvili. In 2014 Monica joined the Junior Company of Ballet Jorgen Du Canada in Toronto, and soon after was awarded a joint grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Luso-American Development Foundation to attend the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. In January 2015, Monica was invited to join the Joffrey Concert Group under the artistic direction of Davis Robertson and toured around the US and Canada. There she was featured in ballets by Gerald Arpino, Robert Battle, George Balanchine, Gabrielle Lamb, Dwight Rhoden and Africa Guzman. Monica joined New York Theatre Ballet in November 2016, where she has been featured in works by Richard Alston, Donald Mahler, Antony Tudor, Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Keith Michael, Pam Tanowitz, Melissa Toogood, José Limon, Antonia Franceschi, Amanda Treiber, James Whiteside and Merce Cunningham. Monica is currently on the faculty of the New York Theatre Ballet School. .

Aileen Razey

Clarinetist, Movement Artist

Clarinetist and educator, Aileen Razey, aims to bridge diverse musical genres and artistic expressions. Her artistry is deeply intertwined with her commitment to education, aiming to help audiences and students better connect with themselves and the world around them through music.  

She often performs with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and previously performed with the Aspen Music Festival and School, Lucerne Festival Academy, Klangspuren Schwaz International Ensemble Modern Academy, Syracuse Orchestra, Allentown Symphony, and Szavaria Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Razey is currently Assistant Professor at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, is a D’Addario Woodwind Clinician, serves as Chapter President for the College Music Society Northeast, and previously served on the ICA’s Health and Wellness Committee.  

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Michael Scales

Pianist

Michael Scales is a musician for dance in New York City, where heserves as pianist at New York City Ballet, the School of AmericanBallet, and formerly at American Ballet Theatre and New YorkTheatre Ballet. Michael is pianist for Vail Dance Festival, and hascollaborated with Martha Graham Dance Company and LimónDance Company. Michael has performed at numerous venuesaround New York City including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, NYCity Center, the 92nd Street Y, Rockefeller Center, and in hallsacross the country and internationally. Michael holds a Bachelor ofArts degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where hestudied with Dr. Maria Asteriadou, and a Masters of Music degreefrom James Madison University, where he studied with Dr. LoriPiitz.

Kornel Thomas

Composer

Kornel Thomas is an award-winning conductor and composer. He won the 4th Lawson-May Award for composition at the Solent Music Festival, the 2024 International Clarinet Association New Music Composition Competition Solo Category award, 2nd Prize in composition at the 2023 5th Zodiac International Music Competition, 2nd Prize at the 2022 Bartok World Competition in Composition, 2020 MUPA Composers Competition, 2nd Prize and two special prizes at the 2018 Opera Nice Conducting Competition and 3rd Prize at the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conductors Competition. His compositions have been premiered at institutions such as Palace of the Arts Budapest, Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest Music Center, Ithaca College, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Kutztown University, International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest. He has conducted professional ensembles such as Hungarian State Opera and Ballet, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Argovia Philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Teplice, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

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Amanda Treiber

Choreographer, Dancer

Amanda Treiber is a choreographer, teacher and freelance dancer in NYC. Her choreographic work has been presented by New York Theatre Ballet, The Little Orchestra Society, Kutztown University, The International Collective, CounterPointe and Battery Dance Festival. She has been awarded grants from the NY City Artist Corp, choreographic residencies at Sky Hill Farm Studio, and was a semi-finalist in the Goodmesh Concours 2023 international competition. Amanda’s work celebrates collaboration across all art forms. She has collaborated with composers Phyllis Chen, Lauren Vandervelden, Kornel Thomas, Chilean bassist Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán and visual artist Marcy Rosenblat. Dance Enthusiast said “Witnessing the blending and melding of people and art was an unforgettable experience, one that left a lasting impression on the audience.”

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