VIOLIN - PATRICIO DIAZ

Patricio Diaz, Viola, is from Madrid, Spain, where he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, he then moved to Moscow where he studied at the “Tchaikovsky” Conservatory with F. Druzhinin and A. Babrovsky, and string quartet with M. Kopelman. With a scholarship from the Spanish government, he studied at the Manhattan School of Music and at the University of Massachusetts with Karen Ritscher where he received a Master’s in music performance.

After being a member of the Radio and Television Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Spain, he moved to NY where he now lives and has an active career both as a performer playing with (among others) the Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Ballet Orchestra, American Symphony, Met Opera Orchestra and he teaches Strings and IB music at the United Nations International School.

Mr. Diaz dedicates significant attention to the study and performance of contemporary music. He has toured Japan, the USA, and Europe with the “Cervantes” ensemble playing contemporary Spanish music and he appears in several recordings of Spanish contemporary music.

Mr. Diaz also specializes in the performance of early music and regularly plays with New York Collegium, Concert Royal, and the American Classical Symphony, American Classical Symphony. He has been principal violist with the Amadeus Ensemble and Camerata Ama Deus since 1998.

VIOLIN- LAURA THOMPSON

Laura Thompson (violin, viola, traditional Irish fiddle) is a musical omnivore hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Music in violin performance from the Royal College of Music in London, UK, where she studied with Berent Korfker and was a member of the contemporary music group ExplorEnsemble. She also received a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Northwestern University, where she studied with Gerardo Ribeiro and performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She represented Britain as a solo fiddler at the 2011 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, the world championships of Irish music. In recent years, she has performed as a violinist with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, the Florentine Opera (Milwaukee), Ensemble Dal Niente (Chicago), Ensemble Evolution at the Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada), and the Next Festival for Emerging Artists (NYC). As a violist, she is a substitute with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, performed at the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Schwaz, Austria, and performed at the Tribeca Festival with the NYC-based Rhythm Method String Quartet. Passionate about teaching students from all backgrounds, Laura led the violin program for three years at Tamarack Waldorf School (Milwaukee), maintained a private studio of students ranging from ages 4-75 in Milwaukee, and taught in two different El Sistema-based free music programs in Chicago and Milwaukee. She has also taught Norwegian hardanger fiddle at the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's annual workshop, and several Irish fiddle workshops at Lawrence University. While living in London, she worked on a project to help older adults with dementia create a song cycle as part of the English Touring Opera's Turtle Song initiative.

CELLO- LIAM VEUVE

Mr. Veuve holds a BA from New York University and received his MM in cello performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying under the tutelage of Richard Weiss and Merry Peckham. Most recently, he completed a postgraduate Artist Diploma at SUNY Purchase, studying with Julia Lichten.  He has performed in solo and chamber music master classes with renowned artists such as Timothy Eddy, Ani Kavafian, Yehuda Hanani, Vivian Weilerstein, and Peter Salaff, as well as with members of the Emerson and Juilliard String Quartets.  His other principal teachers have been Astrid Schween and Katharine Brainard.

Mr. Veuve has performed in a wide array of settings, including orchestral and chamber music in Carnegie Hall, a solo performance in Avery Fisher Hall, and tours across North and South America and Europe.  Mr. Veuve was selected as a fellow of the Louis Moreau Institute, which held its first two seasons in New Orleans in 2015 and 2016.  He recently performed as a guest artist in the Manchester Music Festival Ensemble, Rhinebeck Chamber Music Society, the Canyonlands New Music Ensemble, and the North Jersey Chamber Music Society, among others, and serves as cello faculty at the United Nations International School.

Mr. Veuve is a founding member of the Puck Quartet, which performed the world premiere of a new work for string quartet entitled "Ascension" by Jason Eckardt.  Recently, the Puck Quartet performed the NY premiere of Stephen Prutsman's score to the film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary."


FLUTE - SUZANNE GILCHREST

Flutist, Suzanne Gilchrest has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. She has been noted for her “highly artistic standards” (Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Bregenz, Austria), her “beautiful sound” (Anzeiger der Stadt Kloten, Switzerland), and her “polished and brilliant playing” (Dolomiten Zeitung, Bolzano, Italy). She is a member of the award-winning flute, viola and cello trio, Eight Strings & a Whistle. Last season, the Trio performed and gave workshops at the Festival de la Habana, a festival for contemporary music held annually in Havana, Cuba. This coming season includes performances in California and New York. Eight Strings & a Whistle released its debut recording, Albert's Window on Ravello Records in November 2015. Since then, Ravello Records has released two additional recordings featuring the Trio: 96 Strings and 2 Whistles, a recording of the music of Scott Brickman, and Chamber Symphonies 2, 3 & 4, a recording of the music of Douglas Anderson. Ms. Gilchrest is also a member of the Browning-Gilchrest Duo. The Duo is a winner of the Artists International Chamber Music Award and its recordings, Serenade for flute and guitar, and Duo Chant (Prospect Classics label) have received wide critical acclaim. Live radio performances include several appearances on “Around New York” on WNYC-FM, “Morning Pro Musica” on WGBH-FM in Boston, and “Live at 11” on Maine Public Radio. In addition to being a Teaching Artist at UNIS, Ms. Gilchrest is also on the flute and chamber music faculty of the Department of Music and Performing Arts at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University. and SummerKeys, in Lubec, Maine.


CLARINET - RICHARD GOLDSMITH

Richard Goldsmith, clarinetist, has premiered and recorded the music of many contemporary composers spanning a wide range of style and technique. His recordings of solo and chamber works may be heard on the CRI, Opus 1, Grenadilla, Classic Masters, North-South, and Albany labels His most recent solo album is Clarinet Fantasy, a collection of works from North and South America for North-South Recordings. In the performance of contemporary works, Mr. Goldsmith has been acclaimed for his "technical mastery, breathtaking playing, and virtuosic flair" (N.Y. Times).

He is clarinetist and an artistic director of the Carnegie Chamber Players and Thurnauer Chamber Music Society, ensembles that maintain residencies at the JCC/Thurnauer School of Music. An active performer on the New York scene, he has performed with Brooklyn Philharmonic, Queens Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Greenwich Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi, North-South Consonance, Erich Hawkins Dance Theatre Orchestra, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Sylvan Winds, Virtuosi Quintet, and New York Philomusica, among others. He has performed with Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows, on commercial recordings, and in all of New York’s major concert halls. He has also toured throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared at the Waterville Valley Festival of the Arts, Vermont Mozart Festival, Arcady Music Festival, and Waterloo Festival. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America for chamber music residencies and composer commissions.

In addition to his faculty position at the United Nations International School, he has served on the faculties of New York University, the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Hunter College Elementary School, the Third Street Music School, and JCC/Thurnauer School of Music, as well as maintaining a private studio. Mr. Goldsmith received a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. His major teachers were Joseph Rabbai, Charles Russo, and David Glazer.


TRUMPET - DANIEL URNESS

Dan Urness has been in demand as a freelance musician since moving to New York City in 2004. Being comfortable in classical, jazz, and commercial settings, Dan has found a home in the orchestras of Broadway shows as a member of the orchestras for Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and many others. He appears on five Broadway cast albums and also has recorded with many active New York-based jazz ensembles.

Dan is a regular member of The BMI Composers’ Workshop Jazz Orchestra, Kyle Saulnier’s The Awakening Orchestra, and the Migiwa Miyajima’s Miggy Augmented Jazz Orchestra who, after releasing her debut album entitled Colorful, performed to packed houses at Birdland and Jazz and Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club.

While staying busy as a performer and recording artist, he has been a music instructor at the United Nations International School since 2006.

FRENCH HORN - SUE PANNY

Sue Panny has had a distinguished career as a French horn player and teacher. An enthusiastic teacher, Sue enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of the Horn with her students and helping them to achieve their fullest potential. She has taught at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-college division, was the Brass coach at Newark Arts High School and in the summer enjoys teaching at Gramercy Brass Band Camp. She was recently named as a Teaching Artist for the New York Pops Education Program and began teaching Horn at UNIS in the Fall of 2017. She maintains an active teaching studio at her home in New Jersey.
She begins her 15th season with the New Jersey Symphony and continues performances with the New York Pops, Little Orchestra Society and the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. She previously performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Brooklyn Philharmonic and has appeared in dozens of Broadway musicals. Internationally she performed with the Filarmonica de Caracas, the Spoleto Festival in Italy, and as soloist with the Bermuda Philharmonic.


TROMBONE - GARY CAPETANDES

Gary Capetandes attended the Manhattan School of Music and is a graduate of the Juilliard School. His teachers in trombone performance were Edward Herman Jr., former Principal Trombone - NY Philharmonic, Vincent Penzarella, former 2nd trumpet - NY Philharmonic, Stephen Norrell, Bass Trombone - Metropolitan Opera, among others, including Carmine Caruso and John Swallow.

In the classical field, he has performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Little Orchestra Society, American Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, NY Choral Society, Mostly Mozart, Center for Contemporary Opera, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, North Eastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Stamford Symphony, among others.

In addition, he has performed in the orchestras of many Broadway shows, including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Showboat, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, Titanic, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music, among others.

Also, he has performed in the orchestras for artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Audra McDonald, Julie Andrews, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Natalie Cole, among many others.
He has also recorded for movies and television, including the Disney animation, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

In addition to teaching at the United Nations International School, Gary has taught brass methods at Adelphi University, Hunter College, Montclair State University, and trombone and brass chamber music at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ.



EUPHONIUM - MICHAEL FAHIE

Mike Fahie is a jazz trombonist, composer and educator living in Brooklyn. His current projects include a collaboration with legendary trumpet player John McNeil (represented on the Destiny Records release, Plainsong), the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra, and the Mike Fahie Quintet (heard on Mike’s debut album, Anima, released on the Brooklyn Jazz Underground label).

​He is also an in-demand sideman in New York City, playing with many highly recognized groups. He is the lead trombonist of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, a three-time Grammy nominated ensemble. He is the principal trombonist of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York, and a member of the Gramercy Brass Quintet. He is also a regular member of the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra and the Dan Pugach Nonet. He also is a first-call sub with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

As a commercial musician, Mike has played several Broadway shows including The Lion King, Porgy and Bess, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Ragtime, In The Heights, and Elf. He has appeared on a number of recordings and movies and performs with various rock & pop bands.

He is also a dedicated educator and has recently been hired as the jazz trombone instructor at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston. Mike has extensive teaching experience, and has been on the faculty of the United Nations International School for over 15 years. He has also worked across the US as a trombone and composition clinician.

Mike was a finalist for the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Trombone Competition, and was the first ever Canadian Fulbright Scholar in jazz.