Olanna Goudeau, sopranoAshley Renée Watkins, soprano The unique opera duo ACTE II was suddenly launched into national prominence after delivering a captivating performance on NBC’s #1 summer show “America’s Got Talent.” The duo received a standing ovation by the celebrity judges who then selected it as one of 10 acts to perform live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The duo has quickly become known for pushing the boundaries of classical music with exciting and original concerts. ACTE II’s programming, which has been described as “something close to perfection,” runs the gamut of vocal music ranging from art songs, opera and musical theater, to jazz, spirituals, gospel and popular music. In the 2017-18 season, ACTE II will travel abroad for performances at Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and performs in the Midwest for the Bethany Arts Series in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  

Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and brilliant coloratura, American-Canadian tenor Lawrence Wiliford is in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire. His performances during the 2017-18 Season include Mozart’s Requiem with Hamilton Philharmonic and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with Phoenix Symphony, and Bach’s St. John Passion with Grand Philharmonic Choir. Recent appearances include Messiah with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; the Evangelist in St. Matthew Passion with the Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre Métropolitain, and Toronto Bach Consort; Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the National Arts Center Orchestra; and Beethoven’s Mass in C-Major and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the Houston Symphony.

American tenor Daniel Weeks is enjoying a varied career that encompasses opera and orchestral performances, recitals and recordings. His 2017-18 season currently includes soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and the leading role in Luigi’s Nono’s one-act opera, Intolleranza, with the American Symphony Orchestra. Recent season engagements include Belmonte in a concert version of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Princeton University Orchestra, the world-premiere concert staging of Gregory Vajda’s opera Georgia Bottoms: A Modern Opera of the South with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Bozeman and Chattanooga symphonies, Handel’s Messiah with the Orquesta Sinfónica Naciónal de Mexico; concert performances and a new recording of Mozart’s Requiem with the Winter Park Bach Festival, and Elijah with the South Dakota Symphony.

Japanese violinist Mayuko Kamio*, the gold medalist of the 2007 International Tchaikovsky Competition, is widely praised for her luxurious silken tone, long expressive phrasing and virtuoso techniques. The New York Times has called Ms. Kamio an "exciting young musician" and "a radiant talent." Ms. Kamio made her concerto debut in Tokyo at the age of ten under the baton of Charles Dutoit, in a concert broadcast on NHK television. Since then, she has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart, the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich with Mstislav Rostropovich, and the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. Engagements for the 2017-18 season feature a return to Symphony Silicon Valley, performances with the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and at the Brevard Music Festival. *[pronounced My-YOU-ko KA-me-o]

“A piano trio bursting with far more than promise.” -- TIMES (London) Omri Epstein, pianoMathieu van Bellen, violinOri Epstein, cello Named after the legendary violinist Adolf Busch, this young London-based ensemble has emerged as one of the leading piano trios among the new generation. Winners of the 2012 Royal Overseas League Competition, the trio has garnered several prizes at international competitions including the Salieri-Zinetti Competition and the Pinerolo Competition in Italy and the International Schumann Chamber Music Award in Frankfurt. Pianist Omri Epstein, violinist Mathieu van Bellen, and cellist Ori Epstein have all won prizes in solo international competitions. The trio has received guidance from distinguished artists such as Gary Hoffman and Andras Schiff and are currently mentored by members of the Artemis Quartet at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels, where they are trio in residence.