Thomas the Rhymer Performers

Raymond Blackwell, Baritone, is singing the role of the elder Thomas the Rhymer. Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Mr. Blackwell came to Pittsburgh to work for the Pittsburgh Opera in 1996 as a voice coach. After seven seasons there, he was appointed to several teaching positions; Slippery Rock, Mercyhurst, Grove City University, and Carnegie Mellon University. As a resident artist with Tri Cities Opera in NY, he sang several roles; Schaunard in La Boheme, John Proctor in The Crucible, as well as Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore. Pittsburgh audiences have seen him in recitals at Rodef Shalom, Chatham University, and Carnegie Mellon University. On the opera stage, he has recently appeared as Rigoletto for Resonance works production of Rigoletto, past performances include Pittsburgh Opera's production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking (Cop), Opera Theater of Pittsburgh's production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, (Melchior), Simone in Gianni Schicchi , and Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow. He has also sung Britton's Christmas Cantata and Handel's Messiah with the Butler Symphony, Mozart Requiem with the Lincoln Park Philharmonic and Washington and Jefferson University Orchestra. He can be heard on recordings of Seymour Barrab's The Light, and Naxos Records La Meurte di Colon by Leonardo Ballada.

Anthony J. Massetto is an operatic baritone from Latrobe, PA who graduated from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA with a Master of Music degree in vocal performance and opera studies. He is also a graduate of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA as of 2019. In 2021, Anthony played the title role in Gianni Schicchi at Shenandoah Conservatory in April and played the roles of Germont in La traviata and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with La Musica Lirica and the Saluzzo Opera Academy, respectively, the following summer. He was fortunate enough to return to Saluzzo, Italy in 2022 to perform the title role in Don Giovanni with the Saluzzo Opera Academy before returning to the United States to perform the roles of Billy Crocker in Anything Goes and Enoch Snow in Carousel, both with Stage Right!. He has performed several oratorio works as well, including the Bass role in Handel's Messiah at the Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA and the Baritone role in William Payn’s LOVE and Robert Cohen’s Alzheimer Stories. both with the Westmoreland Choral Society in Greensburg, PA. In the summer of 2023, Anthony was an resident artist with Opera North in Lebanon, NH where he performed in a variety of different productions. Most recently, he played the role of Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys with Stage Right!. Anthony has also received several awards over the past few years, including the Gold Prize in the World Classical Music Awards in 2022, First Place in the Shenandoah Conservatory Student Soloist Competition in 2021, Third Place in the London Classical Music Competition, and an Honorable Mention in the Bologna International Vocal Competition in 2018. He would like to dedicate his performance to his wife, Caroline, and his new twin babies, John and Susanna.

Tanying has performed with Aria412 since 2018. She studied vocal performance in Vienna, Austria and New York City. She is an alum of the Martina Arroyo Prelude to Performance young artist program as well as a winner of the Vive Voix Festival in Vivonne, France. More recently, she was a winner in the Pittsburgh Concert Society Competition. She is thrilled and honored to perform new music with this ensemble of vibrant talent.

Katie Manukyan is a soprano based in Pittsburgh who has joyfully performed with Aria412 for several years. She is more than excited to breathe life into the character of CRONE on stage in Thomas the Rhymer. In 2016, Katie was selected as a "Major Artist" by the Pittsburgh Concert Society. In the summer of 2022, Katie produced and performed in a Concert of Ukrainian Words and Music with the University of Pittsburgh's Summer Language Institute and Department of Music. High quality downloads of the full program of songs and poetry are available for any size donation to the ongoing fundraiser for Ukraine TrustChain https://www.ukrainetrustchain.org/donate-sli. Katie received musical training at Northwestern University, Tchaikovsky Musical College-Conservatory in Moscow, and The Ohio State University. Roles that Katie has performed in Pittsburgh and beyond include: Butterfly (Madama Butterfly); Tatiana (Eugene Onegin); Zdenka (Arabella); Micaela (Carmen); Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi); Angelica (Suor Angelica); Pamina (The Magic Flute); Sacerdotessa (Aida); Winnie Blocker (world premiere of Gilda Lyons's A New Kind of Fallout with Pittsburgh Festival Opera); Volkhova (Sadko); Gorislava (Ruslan and Ludmila); Monica (The Medium); Mabel (Pirates of Penzance); Phyllis (Iolanthe); and Gloria Thorpe (Damn Yankees). In addition to opera, Katie treasures the art song repertoire and has enjoyed presenting art songs by many composers and in multiple languages over the years. In recent years she has given recital performances dedicated to Clause Debussy, Enrique Granados, Komitas Vardapet, Déodat de Séverac, Vasily Kalinnikov, and Sergey Rachmaninoff. www.katiemanukyan.com

Eugene Perry has captured critical and popular acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Most recently, he sung in Matthew Barney’s KHU, the second act of Ancient Evenings, in Detroit, Michigan. Other recent engagements include the title role in Hans Werner Henze’s El Cimarron at the Greenwich Music Festival, the world premiere of Anthony Davis’ Waconda’s Dream at Opera Omaha, Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and Long Beach Opera, and the world premiere of Philip Glass’ Waiting for the Barbarians, a production for Erfurt Opera in Erfurt, Germany. The opera was also performed with Amsterdam Opera, the Barbican in London, and the Austin Lyric Opera. Mr. Perry has toured throughout Europe as Porgy in Barkhymer’s production of Porgy and Bess, and also performed the role with the Capetown Opera, in Capetown, South Africa. Other engagements include: a world premiere of Davis’ Amistad with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; a world premiere of Glass’ Galileo Galilee in Chicago and London, world premieres of Glass’ Sound of a Voice and Orphee at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the world premiere of Glass’ The Penal Colony in Seattle, Washington. Mr. Perry also performed Don Giovanni with Atlanta Opera and the Peter Sellars production, Seraphin by composer Wolfgang Rihm with Stuttgart Opera, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen with Dayton, Durham, and Mobile Operas, and Il Trovatore with Opera Memphis. He performed in a new work by Amy Beach, Cabildo, part of the Great Performers Series at Alice Tully Hall. Other activities include Don Giovanni at Chautauqua Opera, Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha in Linz, Austria, Adam’s The Death of Klinghoffer in Brussels, Belgium and the world premiere of Noa Ain’s The Outcasts at the Houston Grand Opera. Mr. Perry also performed numerous productions at the New York City Opera including Weisgall’s Esther, the American premiere of Janacek’s From the House of the Dead, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, Streetscene, La Boheme and I Pagliacci, telecast on PBS.

Soprano Desirée Soteres enjoys singing in concert, musical theater, and opera and is known for her powerful voice and strong characterization. She comes to Pittsburgh via Chattanooga, Memphis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Portland, New York City, San Jose, and ports around the globe through Cunard Cruise Lines. Recently, she filmed and performed in Aria412’s stage version of I Hear America Singing directed by composer Daron Hagen. Desirée co-founded and performs monthly with Aria412 and has premiered works with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Alia Musica, and the New Dischord Festival. Highlights include originating the title role in Eve Apart as well as Rosella in The Mother of Fishes and Flora Dart in A New Kind of Fallout. She has had the pleasure of singing her favorite operatic role, Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera, Stockton Opera, Pocket Opera, Undercroft Opera and as a Resident Artist at Portland Opera. Other theatrical performances include Roselinda in Die Fledermaus with Undercroft Opera, Despina in Cosi fan tutte with Mission City Opera, Blonde in Abduction from the Seraglio with Pocket Opera, Cunegonde in Candide with Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood with Chattanooga Theater Center. Desirée has appeared as Abigail in The Crucible, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Lucy in Threepenny Opera and Celeste #1 in Sunday in the Park with George. She was a featured performer in a series of concerts in Europe, South America, and Australia aboard Cunard’s Vistafjord and Royal Viking Sun. Desirée received her MM in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, her BA in music from Rhodes College in Memphis and studied in Austria.

Jenna Ziccardi (Lady) is based in Pittsburgh and is delighted to perform with Aria412 in the world premiere of Thomas the Rhymer. Jenna has had the pleasure of performing with various companies such as Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Resonance Works, Marble City Opera, Knoxville Opera, Steel City Opera, and Pittsburgh Savoyards. A few of Jenna’s most notable roles include Jennie in the world premiere of The Doctor & The Devils, Annie in the world premiere of Royal Flush, Hildegard Hummingbird/Purple Twirling Kitty in the world premiere of Mister Rogers’ Operas, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore, Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro and First Spirit in The Magic Flute. Jenna earned her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from West Virginia University and her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Tennessee. She pursued further studies at the CoOPERAtive program at Westminster Choir College and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she received the audience favorite award in the Meistersinger Competition.

Tenor William Andrews has become the “go-to” tenor in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and beyond. Mr. Andrews’ impeccable musicianship has earned him the privilege of being asked to sing the leading tenor role in a number of World Premieres – Pygmalion by Kudich, The Honeymoon Suite by Demestres, Penthouse Suite by Zahab and Katharina von Bora by Valcu – as well as in contemporary operas – The Monkey’s Paw by Kupper, Susannah by Floyd and Little Women by Adamo. Mr. Andrews is equally at home singing leading tenor roles in comedies – Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Rinuccioin Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Eisenstein in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and the fiendishly difficult role of Henry in Richard Strauss’ Die Schweigsame Frau (“Tenor William Andrews was excellent as Henry, with just the right amount of sweetness to his voice, which was especially fitting for his love scene with his wife.” Mark Kanny, music critic for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review) – or in romantic tenor roles such as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata, Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflőte, Pinkerton in Puccini’s Mme. Butterfly, Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème - or in the more dramatic roles of Sam in Floyd’s Susannah and Don Jose in Bizet’s Carmen. Mr. Andrews has sung with many local and regional opera companies: Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Opera Per Tutti in Cleveland, Ohio, Opera Western Reserve in Youngstown, Ohio, Undercroft Opera, Microscopic Opera, Pittsburgh Savoyards, Duquesne University Opera Center and New Castle Lyric Opera. In 2017, Mr. Andrews sang performances of Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (in the original Russian) and Ruggero in Puccini’s La Rondine. Mr. Andrews is the tenor soloist at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church and is an accomplished performer of oratorio and sacred music.

Benjamin Zaksek is excited to join Aria 412 for the world premiere of Thomas the Rhymer. He has performed with many Pittsburgh organizations including the Pittsburgh Savoyards, Undercroft Opera, the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Past roles include Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore. Benjamin has also covered the roles of Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Giorgio Germont in La Traviata.

Tessa Morris, a native of Savannah, Georgia, is a soprano recognized for her rich, warm tone. Ms. Morris discovered her passion for classical music as a young singer with Sherrill Milnes Savannah Voice Festival. As an active performer of operatic and concert repertoire, her performance highlights include roles such as Hannah After in As One by Laura Kaminsky and Mark Campbell, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Mary Warren in The Crucible and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Fanny in Mansfield Park, and the title role in Lucrezia by William Bolcom. Ms. Morris resides in Pittsburgh, PA where she is a member of the Pittsburgh Opera Chorus, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and Aria412. She also teaches private voice and piano lessons. Ms. Morris holds a Master of Music degree from University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Music from Georgia Southern University.

Kaitlyn Salmon Breen, MT-BC is a soprano from Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Chatham University, where she studied vocally as a Ruud Scholar under the tutelage of Dr. Kelly Lynch. While there, Kaitlyn participated in the choir and drama programs. She continued her education at Slippery Rock University, where she completed the post baccalaureate music therapy certification program. Kaitlyn has performed with Distinguished Concerts International New York, Voces Solis, the Marvin Hamlisch Student Choir, and participates in Voces Solis’ Summer Singers program.

Sheena Chopra is a mezzo-soprano from Pittsburgh, PA. She has been teaching private voice and piano in the area for the past ten years. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance with honors from Duquesne University. She has studied with the Ezio Pinza Council of American Singers of Opera, the Miami Music Festival, Emerald City Opera, and has performed leading roles with the Bel Cantanti Summer Music Festival and Undercroft Opera. Her students have participated in the Dorothy Sutton Festival, the piano guild, and have performed in local community plays and on Broadway. She has performed the national anthem for Pittsburgh’s India Independence Day Festival for the past 18 years. She has performed with the River City Brass and has sung the National Anthem for a Pirates game. She won the Pittsburgh International Voice Competition in 2019 and had the opportunity to perform in the winner’s recital at Carnegie Hall.

Savannah Rose Simeone is a Mezzo-Soprano based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Performance at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. While at Seton Hill, Savannah performed staged arias and scenes from Le Nozze di Figaro, The Ghosts of Versailles, La Canterina, Giulio Cesare, L’Incoronazione di Poppea, and The Medium. Additionally, she performed with the commercial music ensemble, singing songs from many popular artists including Carole King, Christine McVie and Gladys Knight. Since obtaining her degree, she continues to perform with the Pittsburgh Savoyards, appearing in their productions of Princess Ida, The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer, and most recently as Iolanthe in Iolanthe. Savannah also performs with Aria412 frequently. She has also been in productions of Sweeney Todd (Featured Soloist and Understudy for Beggar Woman) with the Greensburg Civic Theater and Enchanted Sleeping Beauty (Evilina) with The Theatre Factory in Trafford. She has performed with the Steel City Cabaret and also cantors at three different churches within the Diocese of Greensburg. Savannah is honored to be a part of Aria412’s world premiere opera Thomas the Rhymer!

Vinay Thomas is a singer who is passionate about helping others find their voice through transformative artistic experiences. He is a native of Dallas, TX, and his artistic journey has taken him around the country where he has discovered how to facilitate using his voice in many different ways. Vinay is a classically trained singer who believes that all healthy singing has the same foundational techniques. He has used his classical techniques to perform in several other styles including classical art song, operatic, jazz, pop, and musical theater. Currently, he serves at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust as the Manager of Volunteer Services and Front of House Guest Experience and performs around the Pittsburgh City at various locations. Vinay holds a Masters in Choral Conducting from the University of Minnesota.

Pianist and conductor FABIO GENTILI is often praised for his highly sensitive musicality, both in performance and as an instructor. As a collaborative pianist, Mr. Gentili performs numerous concerts and recitals every year. Recent engagements include conductor/pianist in Mozart/Coronation Mass in C major, director/maestro al cembalo in Pergolesi/Stabat Mater, in recitals at Carlow University and Westminster College alongside soprano Sydney Kaczorowski, and in countless student recitals at Duquesne University where he serves as a staff pianist and vocal coach. He additionally serves as a faculty member of the Bologna International Opera Academy and the Carnegie Mellon Music Preparatory School. Before moving to the United States, Mr. Gentili served as a collaborative pianist at conservatory G.B. Martini in his native Bologna, Italy. He gave an innumerable amount of recitals and concerts with students, faculty, and alumni every year. Notable engagements include conductor for Mozart Clarinet Concerto, Weber Bassoon Concerto, conductor/soloist for Mozart D minor Piano Concerto, and conductor/vocal coach for Il signor Bruschino at conservatory G.B. Martini. Outside of his work for the conservatory, Mr. Gentili has collaborated with myriad ensembles including FontanaMix Ensemble in their production of Europera 3, and he served as music consultant alongside M° Riccardo Muti for his TV documentary Italian Opera Academy. Mr. Gentili holds a Master’s Degree in piano from conservatory G.B. Martini and a Bachelor’s Degree in orchestral conducting. His teachers include Luciano Acocella, Valeria Cantoni, Nicoletta Conti, Stefano Bezziccheri and Mauro Valli.

He began his studies in piano in 1997 at the Corporación Sinfónica de Concepción, in Chile, and later in the Cultural Artistic Center of Concepción under the tutelage of Rebeca Sepúlveda. In 2002 he started his violin studies with maestro Jorge Inzunza Vera at the Centro Cultural de Concepción. In 2007, he continued his violin studies with Alejandra Urrutia at the Conservatory of the Universidad del Bio-Bio, and the following year at the Pontifical University Catholic of Chile (PUC). It is in this institution where he pursued his Bachelor’s degree, studying with Alejandra Urrutia, Frida Ansaldi, and Gonzalo Beltran. Héctor has participated in numerous masterclasses with renowned teachers like Álvaro Parra (Chile-Germany), Bryan Lewis (USA), Raúl Orellana (Chile), S. Khoshafian (France), Manfredo Kraemer), Laura Klugherz (USA), the VIKTORIA QUARTET (Germany), Trio Image (Germany), Leon Spierer (Argentina-Germany), Federico Agostini (Italy-USA), Otto Derolez (Belgium), Richard Roberts (Canada), Ole Bohn (Australia), Charles Stegeman (USA), Rachel Stegeman (USA) among others. In one of these opportunities, he was selected to play with Brian Lewis performing the violin quartet of Andreas Makris, within the PUC Visiting Professors program. Furthermore, he has participated in violin and piano competitions (Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition, FOJI National Violin Competition, Kutztown University Music Festival Competition, among others), and different groups, such as the PUC Chamber Music Competition winners, the “Alúmine” quartet, playing in the “43 Musical Weeks of Frutillar ”in 2011. Also, he was a member of the project " Tour in Germany of the Camerata of Young Musicians of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile" playing in scenarios of cities like Berlin and Detmold in 2009. Within the International Festivals where he has participated, we can name the Kutztown University Music Festival in the United States and the Santa Catarina Music Festival in Brazil. It was in these instances where he shared stage with musicians from different parts of the world, many of them with great international careers such as Clara Takarabe and Per Nyström. He has a long teaching experience, as a private instructor and teaching artist, taking part in important programs in Pennsylvania, the Hope Academy and Hip-Hop Orchestra in Pittsburgh, City Music Center from Duquesne University, and the Young Artist Debut Orchestra (YADO), in Erie with the music director Frank Collura. Besides this, he is violin instructor and teaching artist at the Violin and Viola Boot Camp, with Rachel and Charles Stegeman and in the Summer Music Academy in Erie, with maestro Frank Collura, where he once again took part this 2024. In addition, he is constantly invited to play with different orchestras in Chile, like the Classical Orchestra of the University of Santiago de Chile, the University of Concepción Symphony Orchestra, the Solistico de Santiago, the Antofagasta Symphony Orchestra, and the Chilean Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2019 Hector moved to the US to continue his violin studies. He obtained his Master in Music and Artist Diploma in Performance at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he studied with Professors Charles Stegeman and Rachel Stegeman. Currently, he is invited to participate in different orchestras from the US, like the Duquesne University Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Westmoreland Symphony, Erie Philarmonic, Butler Symphony, Washington Symphony, YADO Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, Canton Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Pittsburgh Opera, among others.

William is a Venezuelan cello performer. He started his music career in “El Sistema” Venezuela in 1998. In 2004, he received an Outstanding Career in Music Award from Trujillo State, Venezuela. He successfully auditioned to join the cello section of the Regional Mérida State Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Merida State Symphony Orchestra, where he performed from 2007 to 2014. Most recently, he was awarded an Artist Diploma in Cello Performance from Duquesne University, where he studied with Adam Liu. He began studying voice performance at Universidad de Los Andes in 2011 and that same year he won an audition to join the university’s choir. He participated in productions as a baritone (opera and musical theater). As a teacher, he has worked in “El Sistema” Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, and several international festivals. As a performer, he has played with world-renowned conductors, including Benjamin Zander, Gustavo Dudamel, Joshua Dos Santos, and Cesar Ivan Lara. He has also performed in several international festivals with musicians from institutions such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, and Gothenburg Symphony. Currently he is a candidate for the M.M. in Performance at Duquesne University, while he teaches at Brighton Music Center, Young Artists Debut Orchestra, and Kathy’s Music. He also performs with orchestras in the area, such as Butler County Symphony Orchestra, Young Artists Debut Orchestra (YADO), Altoona Symphony Orchestra, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, and Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.

Jeff Harley has a rich and diverse career as a professional flutist. He has performed with the Pittsburgh Opera, Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Venice Symphony Orchestra, and Black Diamond Philharmonic. Jeff has had the privilege of playing for esteemed flutists such as Denis Bouriakov, Catherine Ransom Karoly, Jim Walker, Lorna McGhee, Alberto Almarza, Dr. John Barcellona, David Shostac, Robert Dick in masterclasses. He's earned recognition, including a 2nd prize at the San Francisco Flute Society Solo Competition in 2019 and has the honor of earning a spot among the Haynes Young Artists roster in 2023. Jeff's academic journey led him to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music where he earned his Master of Music in Flute Performance under the guidance of Alberto Almarza. Prior to that, he completed his Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from California State University, Long Beach, studying with Dr. John Barcellona. Throughout his university years, Jeff was an active participant in ensembles like the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Contemporary Ensemble. Additional influential figures in his musical journey are his previous mentors Tom Candlish, Diana Morgan, and Laurel Zucker. Jeff plays on a Custom 14k gold Haynes flute with a 14k white gold Haynes headjoint, and a Burkart Elite piccolo featuring a Keefe Traditional headjoint.

Zackary Neville has had an enjoyable career as a performing musician. Hailing from the rural coalfields of Clay County, West Virginia, Zackary earned his Bachelors of Music in Clarinet Performance from Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia in 2016, where he won the School of Music’s Biannual Honors Recital competition that same year. He earned his Masters of Music in Clarinet Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2019, and three years old post graduate work there. While at Carnegie Mellon, he has performed with the CMU Philharmonic, the Wind Ensemble, and numerous chamber groups; he would compete in the school’s annual Silberman Chamber Music Competition, and was a featured soloist on numerous occasions. A passionate advocate of contemporary music, Zackary has performed with the CMU Contemporary Ensemble under the direction Daniel Curtis, also serving as his assistant, and was a featured soloist with that ensemble. He was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society in 2019. Recently, Zackary has performed with the West Virginia, Johnstown, Westmoreland, and Youngstown symphonies, and performs regularly with the Black Diamond Philharmonic in Fairmont, West Virginia. He attended the Monteux School and Music Festival in Hancock, Maine for three summers in 2019, 2021, and 2022. His musical adventures have taken him all over the eastern United States, Canada, and Central Europe. Zackary lives in Pittsburgh with his polydactyl Norwegian Forest Cat, Brady, and is currently active as a freelance musician. He is an avid outdoorsman, always walking, hiking, and biking in the city’s parks and nearby wilderness. He also is a dedicated fan of Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams and the West Virginia University Mountaineers.

A musician with widely ranging interests, Grace Burns enjoys an active and varied career split between collaborative work, solo engagements, and teaching. As a chamber musician, Ms. Burns has performed in countless recitals over the years throughout the Pittsburgh area. Her specializations are in repertoire for violin, flute, and saxophone, and she has played for these studios at Duquesne University's Mary Pappert School of Music since 2017. Other recent collaborations include concerts with students and faculty at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Pittsburgh Concert Society, Westmoreland Symphony, and Pittsburgh Opera’s new opera development (Co-Opera) project. As a soloist, Ms. Burns has performed in a wide variety of concerts and venues, ranging everywhere from informal house concerts to New York’s Carnegie Hall. She has also performed as part of the Meraki Trio, an ensemble devoted to commissioning and performing new works for the piano-flute-viola ensemble. As a teacher, Ms. Burns has a thriving home studio and is a frequent competition and festival adjudicator across the northeast. Ms. Burns did her undergraduate work at Rice University studying with Jeanne Kierman Fischer, and her graduate work at the University of Colorado - Boulder with David Korevaar.