Renée Siebert has been a member of the New York Philharmonic flute section for over 25 years. On several occasions she was a concerto soloist with the Orchestra, under the direction of Zubin Mehta.

Ms. Siebert has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Barge Chamber Music Series, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. During the 1999-2000 season, she performed with André Previn and Renée Fleming in the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. In addition, Ms. Siebert has played recitals and taught master classes in both Japan and Germany and performed at many summer festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Newport Chamber Music Festival, and the Banhoff Rolendsek in Bonn, Germany.

Each year Ms. Siebert travels the country, giving master classes and recitals at various universities. She also teaches orchestral repertory classes at the Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Siebert’s recording history includes the complete works of Mozart on the Vox/Pantheon label; “Ruah,” a concerto written for her by Judith Shatin on CRI Records; and a recording of the complete Haydn Trios, along with two volumes of flute duets by Friedrich Kuhlau, all on Cantilena Records. Her most recent recording was with André Previn and Renée Fleming on Deutsche Grammophon.

Andrea Oliva was born in Modena, Italy in 1977. He got a diploma in flute in five years with full marks at the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato “O. Vecchi” in Modena with the guidance of G. Betti and he attended the specialization courses held by M. Marasco and C. Montafia and J. Galway. He won several national and international contests both in duet with piano and as soloist, such as the International Flute Competition “A. Ponchielli” CR-2000, in 2004 the 3rd prize at the ARD competition in Munich and in 2005 the 1st prize in the prestigious competition in Kobe-Japan, the first italian that won this competition.

 In 1999 he became member of the GMJO under direction of C. Abbado and, in the festival of Tanglewood, of S. Ozawa. He collaborated with various lyrical and symphonic Orchestras such as the Teatro alla Scala in Miland, the ORT in Florence, the “Arturo Toscanini” in Parma, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra Mozart in Bologna (with C. Abbado) and the Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich.

 He continued his musical studies in the flute class of J.C. Gerard in Stuttgart before entering in 2000/2001, the Academy “H. von Karajan” of the Orchestra of the Berliner Philarmoniker (with the guidance of the flautists A. Blau and M. Hasel) At the age of 23 he plaied as first flute in the Berliner Philharmonik orchestra under the direction of C. Abbado and M. Jansons (for TDK, DVD: Night’s Encore).

Rebecca Powell Garfield is Principal Flutist of the Austin Symphony. She was previously Second Flute of the Austin Symphony, and has also played with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Houston Ballet Orchestra, Napa Valley Symphony, and California Symphony.  During the summer, she travels to Iowa to perform as a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra. Her performances have been heard on NPR’s Performance Today, the soundtrack for Spy Kids 2, and Houston Grand Opera’s world premiere recording of Of Mice and Men.  She has won First Prize in the National Flute Association Orchestral Audition Competition, Mid-South Flute Society Young Artist Competition, and the San Francisco Conservatory Concerto Competition.  Rebecca holds degrees from Indiana University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has participated in summer music festivals at Music Academy of the West, Brevard Music Center, and the International Festival-Institute at Round Top. Her teachers have included Jacques Zoon, Thomas Robertello, Timothy Day, and Ruth Ann McClain.  Rebecca also teaches in Houston and Austin and is a faculty member of the Austin Chamber Music Center.

Greg Pattillo and PROJECT

PROJECT is a dynamic young group that is exciting audiences with their energy and innovative style. Their sound can only be described as a fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and world music - balanced out by a sincere allegiance to their classical roots. By combining the classical repertoire with original compositions, PROJECT reaches out to new audiences. Through performance and outreach/education concerts, we can provide access for the next generation of music lovers.

 Greg Pattillo (Flute) – Recognized throughout the world for his redefinition of flute sound, Greg was lauded by The New York Times as "the best person in the world at what he does." His groundbreaking performance videos on YouTube, showcasing "beatbox flute," have been viewed more than 20 million times. As an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and clinician, Greg can be found both on the concert stage and on the streets, subways and parks, sharing and preaching his sound. After earning his masters degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Greg found work as the acting principal flute of Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, became a founding member of the Collaborative Arts Insurgency and the 16th and Mission Thursday night gathering for performers in San Francisco, and champions his style of music with PROJECT, an ensemble of genre bending performers emerging from classical music roots. Greg performs exclusively on BRIO! flutes.

Eric Stephenson (Cello) - An exceptionally versatile cellist, Eric Stephenson’s style ranges from classical to jazz to rock and folk. He is currently a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee and the Colorado Music Festival. Eric served as Principal Cellist of the Canton Symphony Orchestra from 2002-2006 and was a regular substitute for the Cleveland Orchestra. As a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, he served as Assistant Principal Cello of the Aspen Festival Orchestra from 1999-2004. He has appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. Eric earned his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees with Honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a recipient of the Ellis A. Feiman Award in Cello while a student of Stephen Geber. 

Peter Seymour (Bass) - Dallas native, Peter Seymour, has performed with a multitude of highly acclaimed artists and ensembles. As a member of the Cleveland Orchestra he performed under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst and in the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He was the recipient of the Downbeat Magazine Award for Best Jazz Soloist in 1996 and has appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, and Bobby McFerrin. The son of an educator, Peter has been very active in planning and performing community outreach activities throughout the country and served as events coordinator for the New World Symphony Orchestra from 2001-2004. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Master’s Degree in Bass Performance from Rice University where he was a student of Paul Ellison. Peter is active composing and performing with PROJECT, the ensemble he co-founded with cellist Eric Stephenson. He presently resides in New York City.