Download Artist Biographies Melissa Ngan Snoza, flute A passionate advocate

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Chicago IL 60645
Artist Biographies
Melissa Ngan Snoza, flute
A passionate advocate for chamber music, Melissa Snoza currently performs with the Peninsula Music
Festival and freelances throughout the Chicago area. Also an active educator, Melissa currently serves as
Adjunct Professor of Flute at Carthage College, teaches a music entrepreneurship course at DePaul
University, and maintains a private studio. As a member of 5HE, Melissa has presented workshops at
Northwestern University, Yale, NEIU, UW Milwaukee, and the Colburn Conservatory on arts entrepreneurship
and creative programming, and contributes to the Entrepreneur the Arts blog.
Previous award credits include First Prize at the National Flute Association’s Orchestral Audition Competition,
as well as being selected as a winner of Northwestern University’s Concerto Competition. She has been a
member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, has performed with the New World Symphony, the National
Repertory Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival, and was the only American flutist invited to the first Music
Master’s Course in Kazusa, Japan. Melissa is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Northwestern
University, with principal teachers including Bonita Boyd and Walfrid Kujala. Melissa is not only a well-known
flutist and teacher in Chicago – she also makes a mean spread of Brazilian food and a mouth-watering
chocolate pecan bourbon pie.
Merideth Hite, oboe
Oboist Merideth Hite has performed and taught throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Before joining
Fifth House Ensemble, she resided in New York City where she appeared with the Metropolitan Opera,
American Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s as an active freelancer. She graduated with her
Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School and also studied at the Yale School of Music and
the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As a Fulbright Scholar at the Trossingen
Musikhochschule in Germany, she explored how studying baroque and modern oboe together informs and
benefits the player. Her teachers include Elaine Douvas, Steve Taylor, Nicholas Daniel, and Mark Ostoich.
Merideth is deeply committed to community engagement through music education and performance. She
maintains a private studio and taught oboe, chamber music, and ear training at Nyack College (NYC
Campus). She has served as a volunteer coach and mentor at numerous inner-city school programs and
recently concluded a yearlong recital residency within health care facilities in NYC through the Gluck
Community Service Fellowship at Juilliard. Working with Fifth House Ensemble, Merideth combines her two
biggest loves—community outreach and cutting-edge chamber music.
When she's not playing oboe or making reeds, Merideth enjoys marathon running and cooking, especially
recipes that take all day.
Jennifer Woodrum, clarinet
A founding member of Chicago’s Fifth House Ensemble, Jennifer Woodrum’s commitment to engaging
audiences through the performance of chamber music both old and new sends her to world renowned
venues all over the country. Jennifer performs solo recitals regularly as a sponsored artist of several Chicago
music clubs including the Chicago Musicians’ Club of Women, the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation,
and the American Opera Society. She is on faculty at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI and is on the
teaching artist roster for the Ravinia Festival. Jennifer holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music
Performance from Northwestern University where she studied with Russ Dagon. Jennifer has been a member
of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Rockford Symphony. She has performed with the Elgin
Symphony, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the South Bend Symphony, and the Grant Park Symphony. A
devoted mother to two beautiful children and two highly energetic dogs, Jennifer sees life as a constant
challenge to achieve balance. A self-proclaimed health nut, in terms of bacon and butter being health
foods, Jennifer loves spending time in her kitchen cooking delicious traditional foods.
phone: 224.715.6455
email: [email protected]
website: www.fifth-house.com
Eric Heidbreder, bassoon
Originally from Merrillville, IN, Eric holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Ball State University, and is presently
working toward his Masters in Music Degree from DePaul University. Eric has previously held positions in the
Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, and the Laporte County Symphony Orchestra.
Eric has performed as a substitute musician with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and MusicNOW.
Outside of performing, Eric is a casual arranger of 1990s power ballads and an even more casual
skateboarding enthusiast. Over past summers, Eric has attended the Aspen Music Festival and the Pacific
Music Festival. Eric’s primary teachers are Steve Ingle, Keith Sweger, and Bill Buchman.
Valerie Whitney, horn
She is an active freelance artist in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. Valerie is an alumna of the Civic
Orchestra of Chicago, is currently the assistant horn of the South Bend Symphony, and performs frequently
with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Whitney has appeared with several local ensembles,
including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ars Viva Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the
Peninsula Music Festival in Door County in Wisconsin. She has played principle horn with The Florida
Orchestra by guest invitation, and received honorable mention at the 2011 International Horn Competition
of America. Ms. Whitney is also an enthusiastic teacher, and she currently maintains a full private studio of
horn students. Ms. Whitney’s education includes degrees from Wheaton College under the instruction of
Melanie Cottle, and Northwestern University as a student of Gail Williams and William Barnewitz. She is
currently pursuing her doctorate at Northwestern and is the first candidate in horn to be admitted to the
program.
Andrew Williams, violin
Violinist Andrew Williams has established himself as a dedicated chamber musician, soloist, and teacher
throughout America. As a member of the critically acclaimed Fifth House Ensemble, he has performed at
Columbia University’s Miller Theatre on their Composer Portrait series, on Rush Hour’s yearly summer music
series, and participated in many master classes at institutions such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison
and New Music on the Point. As a soloist, he specializes in performing great contemporary solo violin pieces.
At Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall (summer of 2012) he performed David Rakowski’s When the Bow Breaks, a
sonata for solo violin, for which the composer praised ‘Now I like the whole pieces, for the very first time!’ In
November of 2011 he performed Kevin Puts’ epic solo piece, Arches, on a Rush Hour Encore which was
broadcast live on Chicago’s WFMT. Of Andrew’s playing of the piece, Mr. Puts commented, ‘Sounds
wonderful!! Thanks so much for your hard work and for memorizing it!’ As a teacher, Andrew teaches at the
nationally renowned Merit School of Music, where he has been on faculty for 5 years. He has over 20 private
students, ranging in age from 3 to 17. Mr. Williams is a dedicated Suzuki teacher and takes the time to
receive Suzuki teacher training in the summers. He supplements the Suzuki repertoire with modern pieces as
he believes in exposing and training students in contemporary styles.
Outside of music, Andrew has many interests. He has completed the Chicago Marathon 3 times and also
enjoys swimming and doing yoga. For his wedding dance, he successfully danced a tango with his
beautiful wife Karmen without stepping on her toes once! He and his wife also love to travel and have been
to many awesome places such as Mozambique, Kolkata, and Iceland.
Clark Carruth, viola
A graduate of the University of Georgia (BM) and Northwestern University (MM), Clark Carruth currently
performs with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the New Philharmonic and the DuPage Opera
Theatre. A former member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and South Bend Symphony, previous
performance credits also include appearances on WFMT, the International Harp Festival in Viroqua, WI, and
the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Between racquetball games and mountain biking
adventures, Clark also finds time to educate young musicians as a sectional coach for the Northwest
Indiana Symphony Youth Orchestra.
phone: 224.715.6455
email: [email protected]
website: www.fifth-house.com
Herine Coetzee Koschak, cello
Cellist Herine Coetzee, originally from South Africa, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Indiana
University School of Music, where she was a student of Janos Starker and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. Ms. Coetzee has
appeared as a features soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Nittany Valley Symphony and the
National Repertory Orchestra, as well as in recital as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the East
Coast and the Midwest. Her master class performances include those for Yo-Yo Ma, Anner Byslma, Truls
Mork and Orlando Cole. In 2002 she was a prizewinner fin the Indiana University Cello Concerto
Competition, playing Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo-Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra. Herine has held
titled positions in such groups as the National Repertory Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As a
teacher, she serves on the faculty of the Merit School of Music. She resides in Evanston and enjoys taking on
the Viking Breakfast at Svea’s in Andersonville.
Eric Snoza, double bass
Eric Snoza received his Bachelors and continuing Masters degrees from the Eastman School of Music in
Rochester, NY. At Eastman, Eric studied solo performance with one of the world’s leading double bass
performers, James VanDemark. He has performed with many leading new music ensembles including
OSSIA, Musica Nova, and Ensemble X. Eric’s solo accomplishments include the Rochester debut of the
Eduard Tubin Double Bass Concerto and his own world premier transcription of the Elgar Cello Concerto for
Double Bass led by Rochester Philharmonic Pops Conductor, Jeff Tyzik. He currently teaches bass and Suzuki
bass at the Merit School of Music and the Music Institute of Chicago. As well as performing with Fifth House
he also owns and operates SnoStudios Photography and provides much of the marketing and promotional
material for the group.
Jani Parsons, piano
Award-winning Canadian pianist Jani Parsons is making fresh waves on the new-music scene, as pianist with
the Chicago based Fifth House Ensemble and Latitude 49, a new music ensemble she co-founded at the
University of Michigan. She holds a bachelors degree from the Vancouver Academy of Music and both
Masters and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in performance and pedagogy from the University of
Michigan, along with a performer’s certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music. An advocate of new
music with “rich, colorful playing of the highest caliber”, her dissertation-recital featured the works of only
living composers, and included three commissions by up-and-coming composers. She has been featured
on CBC Radio 2 and radio broadcasts throughout the midwest, performing throughout Canada and the
United States, at the Chan Centre for the Arts, Banff Centre for the Arts, Chicago’s Museum of
Contemporary Art, and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. A passionate teacher, Jani has taught at Interlochen
Summer Arts Camp, and maintains an active private studio.
Dan Visconti, composer
Dan Visconti composes concert music infused with the directness of expression and maverick spirit of the
American vernacular. His compositions often explore the rough timbres, propulsive rhythms, and
improvisational energy characteristic of jazz, bluegrass, and rock—elements that tend to collide in
unexpected ways with his experience as a classically-trained violinist, resulting in a growing body of music
the Plain Dealer describes as “both mature and youthful, bristling with exhilarating musical ideas and a
powerfully crafted lyricism.”
In addition to collaborating closely with his fellow Fifth House Ensemble artists, Dan’s commission credits
include works written for the Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin
Philharmonic, Silk Road Ensemble percussionist Shane Shanahan, soprano Tony Arnold, and many others.
New music supergroups such as eighth blackbird and orchestras including the Albany Symphony and
Minnesota Orchestra have also performed Dan’s works around the world at venues including Carnegie Hall,
the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, London’s Barbican Theatre, and Sydney Opera House.
Dan’s music has been recognized with the Rome Prize, Berlin Prize, and awards from the Fromm Foundation,
Naumburg Foundation, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. When he’s not composing music
into the wee hours or cooking up mischief with other 5HE artists, Dan loves to lay down some blues licks on
his ’57 Stratocaster or indulge in his passion for baking traditional Italian biscotti.
phone: 224.715.6455
email: [email protected]
website: www.fifth-house.com