Deborah Moriarty is professor of piano and chair of the piano area at the Michigan State University College of Music. A Massachusetts native, she made her debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at age 11. She has also served on the piano faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Lowell. Moriarty attended the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, and the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received her Master of Music degree with honors. She has studied with Russell Sherman, Theodore Lettvin, and Beveridge Webster. An active recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout the United States, she has also performed in China, Japan, Colombia, Mexico, and the Soviet Union.

James Forger is professor of saxophone and dean of the College of Music at Michigan State University. He has maintained an active role as a saxophone performer appearing regularly with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. He has performed as soloist and collaborative musician with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Grand Rapids Symphony. He has toured widely as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, Russia, South America and the United States. A leader in the commissioning, performance, and recording of new works for the saxophone, he has commissioned or premiered works including those by Milton Babbitt, George Crumb, Donald Martino, Maureen Reyes Lavastida, John Anthony Lennon, David Liptak, Donald Martino, Charles Ruggiero, Morton Subotnick, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

Kathryn Brown has appeared in recital at the Library of Congress , Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Series, Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts Series, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Pianist and co-founder of the Myriad Chamber Players, Ms. Brown has also performed at the Marlboro Music Festival with members of the Guarneri String Quartet and Beaux Arts Trio. She performed at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC with the Verdehr Trio, and has participated in Ravinia’s Rising Stars series and the USIA Artistic Ambassadours Program. She has been featured on the British Broadcasting Network, the PBS Artistry of… series, Chicago’s WFMT- Radio, and NPR’s Performance Today. An accomplished singer, Ms. Brown was featured in a title role at the Aspen Music Festival and performed in the Phyllis Curtin Seminar at Tanglewood. She currently Heads the Piano Department and Keyboard Division at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Jennifer Heemstra, professional pianist and entrepreneur, received the College of Music Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University this May. In December 2014, she founded the Kolkata Classics trust which provides free health services for trafficked women, educates children from the slums to the elite and exposes the citizens of Kolkata to high quality classical music. She has put on 62 concerts and performed for and worked with over 60,000 adults/children. For her work, she was presented with the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad from John Kerry in 2016.

Recently Heemstra founded an American NGO/501(c)(3), the Pitch Pipe Foundation, which sends musicians abroad and within the United States to work with underserved communities; such as, veterans, trafficked women and children, handicapped and elderly. Initially focused on Anti-Trafficking in Persons in South Asia and Veterans in Michigan, Heemstra plans for the foundation to expand to every corner of the globe.

Before moving to India Heemstra was a lecturer and staff accompanist in the music department at Case Western Reserve University and performed with the Cleveland Opera and Lyric Opera. Heemstra earned her Master of Music from The Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music with honors from Michigan State University. In addition she is a Rotarian and member of the MTNA and College Music Society.

A dedicated teacher as well as performer, Wendy Case has been actively involved in training the next generation of violinists for over fourteen years. Her current teaching projects include two seminars, the first involving a series of short masterclasses on Physics and Advanced Violin Technique, a modern violin technique for professionals and advanced violinists informed by the principles of acoustical physics, and the second, a brief course on Teaching from the Right Side of the Brain, a guide to supervising the training of exceptionally talented students without compromising their individual musical voice. In November 2016 Ms. Case released the premiere recording of Joshua Rodriguez’s Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano in addition to Schubert’s beloved three Sonatinas for Violin and Piano.

Wendy Case is the violinist of the Brahms’ Ghost Piano Trio. She performs frequently with various chamber ensembles, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Erie Philharmonic, where she holds a tenured post as Assistant Principal Second Violin. Her studies include degrees from the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Stony Brook University.

Chelsea Coyne (soprano), praised for her dramatic temperament and unique ability to charm any audience, is quickly leaving her mark on the modern classical music world. Chelsea proves her superlative vocal versatility time and time again by being equally successful in solo concerts and recitals, full opera and musical theatre productions, as well as vocal competitions.

Shortly after receiving her Master of Music Degree and Artist Diploma Certificate from The Cleveland Institute of Music, Chelsea proudly took first prize at “The Sparkling City Light Opera Emerging Artist Vocal Competition,” which launched her professional singing career.

Chelsea has been performing almost exclusively at sea for the past three years, yet she still finds the time to sing in various opera and musical theatre productions when she is on land. Chelsea’s most notable operatic roles include Angelina (Cinderella) [LA CENERENTOLA], Jo [LITTLE WOMEN], Carmen [LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN] and Dorabella [COSÌ FAN TUTTE]; musical theatre roles include Mrs. Squires [THE MUSIC MAN], Cinderella’s Mother [INTO THE WOODS] and Dorothy [THE WIZ].
Chelsea is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, USA, and enjoys working with various music schools, including her alma mater Texas Christian University where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree.

Chelsea is represented by Barry Ball Artists. For further information about Chelsea (“The Siren of the Seas”) visit her website: www.ChelseaCoyne.com.

Dr. Carrie Pierce joined the faculty of Texas A & M – Corpus Christi in the Fall of 2011 as assistant professor of cello and chamber music. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, and two degrees from Michigan State University; a Master of Music in Cello Performance and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. In addition she studied performance at the Meadowmount Music Festival (USA) & the Deia International Music Festival (Bonefro, IT).

Active as an orchestral musician, Dr. Pierce holds positions with the Corpus Christi Symphony and the Victoria Symphony. Prior to these appointments she was principal cellist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.

Highly active as a chamber musician, Carrie was a member of Trio La Vita, a piano trio that won numerous prizes such as the Rutenburg Chamber Competition and the Plowman Chamber Competition. She is a founding member of Drumpetello, an innovative new trio featuring cello, trumpet, and percussion. Drumpetello has performed at the Lochabar Arts Festival in Scotland in November 2015 performing newly commissioned works for the ensemble.

As a commercial musician, Dr. Pierce has performed for numerous pop and solo artists, such as Kanye West and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Carrie was a member of Trio La Vita, a piano trio that won numerous prizes such as the Rutenburg Chamber Competition and the Plowman Chamber Competition. She is a founding member of Drumpetello, an innovative new trio featuring cello, trumpet, and percussion. Drumpetello has performed at the Lochabar Arts Festival in Scotland in November 2015 performing newly commissioned works for the ensemble. As a commercial musician, Dr. Pierce has performed for numerous pop and solo artists, such as Kanye West and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.