Uwe Steinmetz works as a free-lance composer, saxophonist and lecturer up to and beyond the borders of Europe, including: India, Ethiopia, Korea and the USA. He has so far released fifteen CDs in Germany and the USA as a leader and toured with his own music on four continents in over thirty countries.
Soprano Joanna Marie Skillett was recently awarded a Distinction from The Royal Academy of Music for her Masters Degree. She has appeared as Soprano soloist for The Royal Opera House’s Production Park Grand Opening; the lead role in the premiere of Random for English Touring Opera and at the Lytham Proms with gold status soprano Lesley Garrett.
Pianist Ben Schwendener sustains a unique voice in contemporary creative music, natural pedagogy and dialogue-based arts education. He is a leading authority on George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. As a critically acclaimed pianist/composer, he has created music for small and large ensembles, dance companies, film, video and art installations, and has written volumes of children’s piano music. He performs frequently with his ensembles and on solo piano throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Daniel Schroeteler performed his first concerts with his father from the age of five and studied classical drum set and later Jazz with Joop van Erven and Rene Creemers in Arnheim (NL).
He taught at the music conservatories of Arnheim, Mainz and Cologne and gave workshops as a soloist or with bands in Usbekistan, Tadjikistan, Kasachstan, Kirgistan, India, Algeria, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia and studies intensively the traditional music of different cultures. As a musician he travelled extensively in Africa, Europe, the Near East and Russia.
Award winning British baritone Samuel Oram has been acclaimed for singing “with fire and gusto” and for his "...masterful breadth of line”. He recently appeared as Belcore (L’Elisir d’Amore/Westminster Opera Company), Thoas (Iphigénie en Tauride/Euphonia Opera), Nardo (Finta Giardinera/RCMIOS), Marquis de la Force (Dialogues des Carmelites/BCO), Oberon (P.U.C.K./RCMIOS) and John in John Joubert’s new commission of Jane Eyre with the English Symphony Orchestra.
odie Marshall set up A Mind Apart Theatre Company Limited in 2008 after finishing her degree in Drama at Lincoln University. Having found her love from the Brazilian social and political theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, Jodie’s directing often leans towards bringing unheard voices out for the audience to hear whilst encouraging them to look deep into themselves. Jodie encourages her actors to stay true to their characters, whilst bringing historical themes and texts into the present, questioning current political and social themes in our society.
Dida Guigan is a graduate of the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, Switzerland. She continued her learning in Lebanon and Egypt with the support of the Swiss promoter Pro Helvetia, and over the course of four years immersed herself in many different singing techniques, languages and musical systems. For the last seven years she has accompanied and assisted choirs and individuals with personalized designed programs and workshops in Switzerland, Beirut (Collectif Kahraba, 3a 7abl el Hawa and the music hub) and the Emirates (Emirates Foundation Youth Mentoring Platform).
Kathryn Gardner received her music degree from Emory and Henry College and a Master’s of Music Education at James Madison University. She studied with Sharon Christman who was instrumental in helping her perfect the lyric coloratura repertoire. She was delighted to be able to work with Randolph Mauldin, a vocal coach from the Washington Opera Company. Ms Gardner has earned accolades from her performances with numbers opera companies, symphonies and choral societies. She has toured throughout the east coast of America and France performing with the Virginia Ensemble.
John Burrows has been acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic. He was born in England, and is now a US resident. In 1983 he founded The Lyric Opera of Dallas and served as Artistic Director for ten seasons. He appeared as guest conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra, Shreveport Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Theatre of San Antonio, OperaDelaware, Nevada Opera, Opera Northeast, the American Music Theatre Festival, and Cleveland Lyric Opera.