2011 Performers

These were the performers for the 2011 festival. 2012 performers will be announced soon!

Athenia Chamber Ensemble

Athenia Chamber Ensemble is a faculty ensemble-in-residence at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Founding members Alison Brown Sincoff (flute), Michele Fiala (oboe) and Matthew Morris (bassoon) have collectively performed in the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, England, France, Russia, Panama and Argentina.

Athenia was established in 2009 to promote chamber music involving flute, oboe and bassoon. The group frequently collaborates with guest artists in various instrumental combinations. The ensemble dedicates itself to discovering additional works for the instrumentation and to promoting the addition of new works to the repertoire.

Michele Fiala

Michele Fiala has performed throughout the United States, Italy, England, Germany, France and Canada. Her CD of contemporary oboe music entitled The Light Wraps You (MSR Classics) has received international critical acclaim. Carla Rees in MusicWeb International spoke of “Fiala’s expressive oboe playing,” and wrote that “The oboe sound is rich and warm…the playing is excellent, and the musical ideas are communicated well.”

Jeanne Belfy, in The Double Reed, called the CD “a classy affair from start to finish” and said, “…the interpretations are elegant…Fiala’s tone is light, mellow and flexible.” Michele also appears on Naxos, Centaur Records and Equilibrium. She has performed in the Saarberger Serenaden Festival (Germany), the St-Martin-in-the-Fields Concert Series (England), the Banff Summer Music Festival, Lancaster Festival Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and Phoenix Symphony, and with Lee Ann Rimes, Roberta Flack, Trey Anastasio, and Barry Williams. She has given guest recitals at the Conservatories of Novara and Udine, Italy, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Memphis, Arizona State University, Miami University, University of South Florida and Utah State University.

Fiala is Assistant Professor of Oboe and Music Theory at Ohio University and previously held a similar position at Western Kentucky University. She holds DMA and MM degrees from Arizona State University, where she studied with Martin Schuring. She has studied additionally with Robert Atherholt, Mark Ostoich, Alex Klein, and Richard Killmer. When not performing or teaching, she runs marathons, with a personal record of 3:20.

 

Colin Maier

Born and raised in Calgary (Go Flames Go!), Colin graduated from the University of Calgary in 1997 with a degree in oboe performance studying with David Sussman. While preparing repertoire for his senior recital, Colin discovered Quartetto Gelato’s first CD. “I have never heard anything like this before!” – remarked Colin. Since then QG has remained a constant inspiration and musical measuring stick. “It is the greatest honor to follow in Cynthia’s footsteps and to share a stage (and while on tour, a carpool and hotel room) with these world class musicians”.

As an oboist he has played with groups such as; The Calgary Philharmonic, National Ballet, Symphony of the Kootenays, Scarborough Philharmonic, Contact Contemporary Music Ensemble, Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, The Jive Mommas, High Strung, The Fabulous Doo-Wop Boys, The Plaid Tongued Devils and “The Jersey Boys” Orchestra . In 2002, he was a featured Jazz oboist at the International Double Reed Festival where he performed and conducted a jazz master class with legendary jazz bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz.

In addition to oboe, Colin also plays clarinet, english horn, violin, 5-string banjo, acoustic/electric bass, piano, saxophone, flute, guitar and harmonica. He has yet to master the kitchen sink despite years of training…. much respect to the members of STOMP.

Outside of music, Colin also works as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. Most recently, Colin had the honour of playing the devil fiddler in the flying blue canoe for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies.” Other shows include; “Lord of the Rings” (Mirvish), Fire (CanStage), “Forbidden Phoenix” (LKTYP), “KA” (Cirque du Soleil), “Amadeus” (Alberta Theatre Projects), “That Dance Show” (Saltance Productions), “Cats” (Neptune Theatre), Joseph’s Dreamcoat (StageWest/Drayton), “A Chorus Line” (StageWest), Sarah Brightman’s World Tour, and TV’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids!”.

Colin currently lives in Toronto with his wife Sonya and 6 year old son Xavier.

Matthew Morris

Currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Bassoon at Ohio University, Matthew Morris holds Degrees from Florida State University, Baylor University and East Carolina University respectively and has held teaching positions at The University of Virginia, Valdosta State University and Baylor University.

His Principle teachers are Jon Pederson; Principle Bassoon, The North Carolina Symphony, Brian Kershner; Baylor University, and William Winstead; Florida State University.

Dr. Morris has appeared in numerous festivals, concert series, radio and television broadcasts, studio and commercial recordings, Chamber music series and orchestral performances in the United States and abroad, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Bolshoi Theater, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and three IDRS world premieres.

He has presented Master Classes, conducted workshops, and served as an adjudicator on the junior high, senior high and college levels.

OBOHIO

OBOHIO, The Double Reed Consort, was founded in January 1990 by Robert Sorton.  The basic quartet of oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn and bassoon performs a wide variety of repertoire from the Renaissance to modern times, from solo pieces to works incorporating additional musicians.  The ensemble frequently performs compositions using bass (baryton) oboe, musette oboe or contra-bassoon.  In addition to recitals, OBOHIO presents clinics and master classes at universities, public schools and conferences.  OBOHIO has performed at several International Double Reed Society conventions (1990 Baton Rouge, LA; 1991 Towson, MA; 1992 Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany; 1995 Rotterdam, the Netherlands); for the Music in the Museum Series of the Canadian Museum of Nature in cooperation with the Embassy of the United States of American in Ottawa, Canada; for the NOW Festival at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio;  the Short North Chamber Series; the OctOBOEfest at the University of Iowa; the 1992 Midwest International Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago; the 1996 North American Sartre Society; and 1998 National College Wind and Percussion Instructors national conference. In 2003, OBOHIO performed for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Holiday Party in Washington, DC. In 2010, OBOHIO taught and performed at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska.  OBOHIO has recorded Seasons Reedings, a collection of Christmas music on the Coronet Label.

Robert Sorton

Area: Brass, Woodwinds & Percussion (Oboe)

Robert Sorton is Professor of Oboe at The Ohio State University, where he founded OBOHIO, The Double Reed Consort. He teaches applied oboe, coaches small/chamber ensembles and teaches a graduate woodwind literature course.

After graduating from the North Carolina School of the Arts, he earned both his Bachelor and Master’s degrees, summa cum laude, from the Cleveland Institute of Music. For fourteen years, he was Assistant Principal Oboe of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra following his position with the Miami Philharmonic. He has also performed with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Columbus Symphony and Charlotte Symphony. He was Principal Oboe of the Eastern Music Festival for seven years and the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra for nine years.

With OBOHIO and the Winds of Wintergreen, he has taught and performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and, most recently, at the Fairbanks (Alaska) Summer Arts Festival. He is internationally acclaimed for his reed making. Mr. Sorton was awarded the OSU School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor Sorton has been listed in Who’s Who in the Midwest and Who’s Who in Entertainment. He is a member of the International Double Reed Society and Pi Kappa Lambda, the music honor society. He has recorded with London Decca Records, Delos, Artisie 4 (Grammy winner) and Coronet Records.