PCCO Press Kit  2016

       

Michele Roger is a harpist living in Commerce, Michigan.  She is the owner of the Michigan Conservatory, a music studio that teaches harp, piano and strings to all ages and all abilities.  She has been a performing soloist since the year 2000, but has also played in several groups including Celtic trio, "Brigit's Fire" and Italian Classical duet, "Bellissima Musica."  She was a finalist at the 2015 Detroit Music Awards for Best Classical Composer for her harp and piano arrangement, "Separation of Body and Soul", inspired by the great, Irish harpist O' Carolan.  Michele has recorded and produced two harp CD's, "Reinvention" (2009) and "Languid Sunday" (2013).  She is presently working on completing her Certified Clinical Musician certification in Music Therapy.  When she isn't teaching or performing, she enjoys travel writing for SEARCH magazine as well as writing horror novels.

                                     

Jo McKean  (Solo Violin I) is the newest member of the PCCO. She grew up in Geelong, Australia, and began violin lessons at the age of 6. She was part of the Bay City String group for several years which toured Zimbabwe when she was 13. Toward the end of high school Jo joined the Melbourne Youth Music School where she performed at many concert venues around Melbourne and Sydney.

Jo studied Engineering at the University of Melbourne. During her time at university, Jo was the concertmistress of the Engineering Music Society Orchestra and played first violin in their string quartet. 

After completion of her studies, Jo began working as an engineering consultant in Melbourne and became concertmistress of the Monash University Philharmonic for several seasons. During this time she continued with the members of the string quartet (a bunch of music loving engineers) and performed at weddings, funerals, conferences, university graduations and wine tasting events as well as teaching the violin  from home.

Jo relocated to Michigan one year ago with her husband and 3 children.

                                  

Melissa Hirn (Solo Violin II) holds a B.S., magna cum laude, in music and political science from Western Michigan University and a J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law.  Melissa's playing experience includes performing as a section violinist and/or violist with the Kalamazoo Symphony, South Bend Symphony, and Southwest Michigan Symphony, as well as performing with various chamber ensembles including the Renaissance String Quartet and the PCCO X, now Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra.  In addition to performing, Melissa enjoys teaching and has taught violin and viola for over 20 years.  Melissa formerly directed the Battle Creek Youth Orchestra's Intermediate and Junior Strings and is a former artist in residence in the St. Joseph, Michigan, South Bend, Indiana and Portage, Michigan schools.  Currently, Melissa directs the Northville String Students, an ensemble founded by Melissa and Lynda Fulgenzi to help supplement the lack of an orchestra program in the Northville, Michigan public schools.  In addition to her teaching and performing, Melissa is a licensed attorney and property and casualty insurance producer, specializing in employment law, specifically employment practices liability risk management, contractual risk transfer and family law.

                                        

Lynda Fulgenzi joined Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra after nineteen years in engineering at Ford Motor Company. She studied violin with Derek Francis at Oakland University in Rochester, MI while earning her BSE and played in the Oakland-Pontiac Symphony under the direction of Dr. David Daniels. While at Ford, Lynda earned an MSE and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Lynda is the Assistant Director of Northville Strings Students, a children's orchestra she founded with Director Melissa Hirn. Lynda is married to PCCO's accordion player and electric bass player, Craig Wojtalewicz.

                                       

 Claire Haglund (violin, viola), is a classically trained violinist who has studied at Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan, and most recently completed graduate school at Wayne State University.  She is a licensed social worker who enjoys practicing music therapy as well.  Ms. Haglund has vast experience in chamber music competitions, improv seminars, and fiddling.  Claire is making her viola debut at Bay View on August 22, 2015!

 

                         

                                             

Donna Swoboda (cello), is a trained violinist who is making her debut on cello at Bay View! Donna holds a BA in Music from Olivet College.  She received her Suzuki Certification from the University of Dayton Ohio.  She is a retired Orchestra Teacher from the West Bloomfield School District,  With over 30 years as a private string instructor she presently teaches over 25 private students.  She is Principal Second Violinist on the CD,  "Richard Smallwood in Detroit." Currently she is concert mistress for the Orchard Lake Philharmonic Orchestra.  

Bassist Preston Smart

 

Preston started playing the Double Bass at 12 years old and progressed rapidly under the teachings of Ann Dodge. When he entered high school, he quickly became Principle Bassist for the high school orchestra.  As a sophomore, he auditioned and joined the Detroit Youth Symphony. This resulted in him being taught privately by the Principle Bassist of the Detroit Symphony, Robert Gladstone. When he was a senior in high school, he became the Principle Bassist for the Detroit Youth Symphony and joined the Detroit Symphony on special musical occasions.

After high school he was accepted into the Performance Majors program at the University of Michigan and studied under Professor Robert Hurst. While at Michigan he studied in the classical and jazz programs. This lead to side work in pit orchestras for stage plays, operas and a stint with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.

He continued his education in Engineering and is an Audio Acoustic Systems Engineer for Harman International.

A resident of West Bloomfield, Preston performs locally with the Orchard Lake Philharmonic, the gospel folk group Shiloh, his own jazz trio Iridescence (where he sings and plays bass), and of course The Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra.

 

                                                         

Don Marriott (alto and tenor saxophone) 

Inspired by his late, older brother Phil, Don started on clarinet and saxophone in the early 60's in high school, and has carried on the tradition with his daughter Emily, and grandson Charlie. Don has performed with military bands, Midland Symphony Orchestra, Chemical City Band, Warren Community Band, and others. He is currently performing with the Royal Oak Concert Band and in his second season with the Orchard Lake Philharmonic Society on bass and soprano clarinet. He is a product of "if you want to learn an instrument, teach". While his three daughters were progressing through school in Rochester, Don had a clarinet and saxophone private lesson studio.

 

He is also a cross-over artist between classical and jazz, leading an 18-piece Big Band, Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra, as well as performing with other local jazz bands, to include Downbeat on baritone saxophone and The Southfield Jazz Orchestra.

 

Scaramouche is a "tour de force" alto saxophone solo written coming out of Paris in the 30's by a somewhat avant garde composer, Darius Milhaud. Milhaud blends classic overtones with jazz rhythms of Brazilian Samba. Dave Brubeck studied with Darius in California. This piece is quite lyrical and flowing, distilling Don's personal approach to classical and jazz in a rather emotional, French joie de vivre.

Katie Cassell made her debut with the OLPS  PCCO X in 2013 at Bay View in August, 2013, premiering Matt Raetzel's newest piece: Let It Go. 

 

Katie studied at Eastern Michigan University, where she performed the role of Gherardino in their production of Gianni Schicci.  Katie has performed at Carnegie Hall, singing the Beethoven Mass in C Major with the EMU Chorus. She has also worked in many musical theatre productions, and has been on tour in Europe performing in places such as Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague.

 

Katie currently studies with Frances Brockington from Michigan Opera Theatre and Wayne State University.  Katie was also a stunt woman for MOT's production of Bellini's La Sonnambula, and she also sang the role of Mrs. Ford in the Merry Wives of Windsor with their summer program. 

  

She has worked as soloist in various churches, sings at weddings and special events and currently leads the soprano section at a synagogue in West Bloomfield, MI.  

Re'Monda Palmer Sheffield

   Jazz/Pop Vocals   

Elegant, smooth, rich and soulful are words often used to describe vocalist Re’Monda Palmer-Sheffield. At a young age, the Detroit native began her journey with music under the tutelage of Motown’s legend; Earl Van Dyke and gospel great Rudolph Hawkins. By the age of 12, she was directing both the adult and youth choirs of her church and had made her professional stage debut with local theatre group, “The Petty Players.” Re’Monda is a product of rich musical heritage gained by studying and working with some of the best musical talents around the country. She has performed with various well- known local artists including: Marcus Belgrave, John E. Lawrence, Randy Scott, and Penny Wells. Her vocals are reminiscent of great ladies of jazz, classical, R&B, blues and gospel; making her one of the most sought-after vocalist in Michigan and around the country.

                         Craig Wojtalewicz

                       accordion, electric bass

                                   

                                    

Dave Dodge is President and co-founder of Focus Software, a small engineering and programming services company located in Ypsilanti, MI.  Dave received his Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State University in 1994.  

Dave is an avid horn player and plays regularly with Farmington Community Band, Orchard LakePhilharmonic, Horns of the Hills, a brass quintet and any other opportunities that arise.  He is excited to further broaden his music horizons by serving on the Board of the Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra. as it's Treasurer.  Dave lives in Wixom, MI with his wife Lisa.

                                 

Jack Levoska  holds a Bachelor's in Music Performance from Western Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Music Performance from the University of Oklahoma. He began studying music in Walled Lake at the age of 12. His formative teachers include Ian Zook (James Madison University) Dr. Lin Foulk (WMU) Haley Hoops of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dr. Eldon Matlick (OU). He has performed with professional ensembles such as the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Main Street Theater Company, and the Norman Philharmonic. His chamber experience casts a wide net, including brass groups of all sizes, wind quintet, New Music ensembles exploring repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as musical settings for period instruments and the liturgy alike. Jack joined the Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra in 2015. He has recently has enjoyed appearances with the Orchard Lake Philharmonic, the Farmington Community Band, and the Detroit Medical Orchestra. 

                   

     

Edmund Price, guest artist (via video tape of his playing the famous organs in Poland and Germany during a 2007 organ tour in Europe) at the November 3, 2007 OLPS Saturday Soiree, is the organist at the Congregational Church of Birmingham in Bloomfield Hills, a position he has held for almost 50 years. 

Ed, who holds an MBA degree from the University of Michigan, retired from the Detroit Computing Center where he worked as a Unix security administrator. 

Previous to that, after two years as a music major at Rollins College, studying organ with Catherine Crozier, Ed went on to study organ with Marilyn Mason at the University of Michigan. He has attended seven of her international organ tours where he played the most famous organs in Europe. The last tour was in July, 2007, when she asked him to be her assistant on the tour, playing excerpts on the historical instruments as she lectured the group. 

Other recent performances include: 

    - performed with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, playing the organ in Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3 in c minor, No. 78 (the "Organ Symphony").

    -performing (annually) on the organ at Meadowbrook Hall, Rochester, MI, during the Christmas season,

    -traveling to Rome, Italy to accompany the Father Cunningham Memorial Choir and perform a solo organ concert in Italy in February, 2007.

   -performing eight-hand piano quartet music in A GRAND Extravaganza! and at Bay View in 2012.

   -performed an organ concert in John M. Hall Auditorium, Bay View, on September 2, 2012. and organ solos in 2013, 2014, 2015 and booked for 2016.

   -accompanied on piano, the Midland Chorus, on their tour to Latvia, Prague and other cities in eastern Europe in summer, 2014.

       Photo: below     Judy Moslak playing Kas Kasravi's harpsichord several years ago at a Saturday Soiree.              

2016 marks Judith Moslak's sixth appearance at Bay View's John M. Hall Auditorium. She is the Founder of Orchard Lake Philharmonic Society (OLPS) in 2005 and the OLPS PCCO X in 2010. After serving as OLPS' first President for ten years, she decided it was time to move on. Judy is continuing her original projects (listed at the beginning of this PCCO NEWSLetter) with her original chamber group: the Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra (formerly called the PCCO X), which was founded in her living room January 17, 2004, a year before it was absorbed into OLPS. 

Judy was a church organist for 25 years, earned a BA in Music Education at Marygrove College in Detroit and an MA in Guidance and Counseling at University of Detroit. She also holds Orff-Schulwerk Certification on Levels 1, 2 and 3 from Oakland University. 

Judy taught vocal music in Detroit and Farmington, MI Public Schools for 34 years. She is an Adjunct, Assistant Professor at Madonna University, training new vocal music teachers and future classroom teachers, as well as teaching Applied Piano. Since her retirement, she teaches private and ensemble piano lessons in her home studio and enjoys playing her harpsichords with her chamber groups. 

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Elaine Vermiglio performs regularly with the Farmington Musicale and other venues. She enjoys playing piano in ensembles of two, three or more. She studied with Flavio Varani at Oakland University. Elaine has been accompanying the DTE singers for five years. Also, she has a thriving piano studio and occasionally adjudicates piano audition events throughout the metro area. We are happy Elaine could perform at Bay View with us in 2015. She will be performing again in the GRAND X II on June 4, 2016 at Steinway Gallery.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

    

               

             Andrew Perez, trumpet

                    PCCO Brass

                

                   

    

Tracy Kash, flute, composer, jazz vocals

Tracy Kash began her musical life as a classical musician. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree from University of North Texas – a veritable jazz factory producing musicians such as Lou Marini, Nora Jones, and Stefan Karlsson – and a Master’s degree from the venerable Boston Conservatory, Tracy is an accomplished flutist. Add her impeccable songwriting, arranging and production talents to the mix and it is easy to see why she is an established musician’s musician in her native Detroit, where she currently lives, as well as in her previous hometown, New York City. Her unique brand of jazz and jazz-influenced rock/pop, thrills live audiences as well as her growing radio following.  

                                                                       

Ian Anderson, of Jethro Tull fame, enamored of her classical bent and rock sensibility, invited her on stage as a guest flutist at his 2003 State Theater concert. In 2009 Tracy received a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Jazz vocalist and has been nominated for numerous others in recent years, including Outstanding Jazz Composer, Modern Jazz Band, R&B Composer, and R&B artist. Her two most recent CDs, There and Back Again and Sound Truth were both nominated for Detroit Music Awards.    Sound Truth was also distinguished as one of the “Top 10 of 2010” by the Detroit Metrotimes’ Brett Callwood. Her music can be heard on the CD ROM, which accompanies The Complete Idiot’s Guide to MP3. Her extensive media exposure in New York and Detroit, includes the nationally broadcast Mitch Albom Show, and she has done considerable radio and television jingle work nationwide.

Tracy can be heard on the 1999 release of gravelly popular NYC great, Alan Andrews, entitled Cleaned and Pressed.  She plays sings, plays flute, and writes/arranges for the Nighthawks Jazz Orchestra, a dectet featuring music by Michigan composers and arrangers. She writes for a wide variety of television and film projects.