Gregory Wolynec, Music Director/Conductor
Lisa Vanarsdel, Flute
Jeanette Zyko, Oboe
Mingzhe Wang, Clarinet/Co-Artistic Director
Dawn Hartley, Bassoon
Francis Massinon, Horn
Emily Hanna Crane, Violin
Shuzheng Yang, Viola
Keith Nicholas, Cello
Michael Samis, Cello
Tim Pearson, Double Bass
Jeffrey Wood, Piano
David Steinquest, Percussion
Gregory Wolynec
Music Director/Conductor
Gregory Wolynec is the music director, conductor and a cofounder of the Gateway Chamber Ensemble, an ensemble specializing in the performance of masterworks of the past and present for fewer than twenty players, the championing of American composers and an advocate for educational outreach. The ensemble’s debut CD, including Strauss’ Serenade in Eb and Mozart’s landmark ‘Gran Partita’ Serenade, was released to critical acclaim in March 2010 by Summit Records in SACD format. He was recently featured in the July/August 2010 issue of Fanfare Magazine in an article entitled “Gateway to the Big Leagues: A Conversation with Gregory Wolynec.” Wolynec is an associate professor of conducting at Austin Peay State University where he oversees the graduate program in Instrumental Conducting as well as directs the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Composers such as Libby Larsen, Lee Hoiby, Anthony Plog and Jeffrey Wood have praised performances under his direction.
Wolynec received his MM and DMA degrees in Instrumental Conducting from Michigan State University and a BM in Music Education and Clarinet Performance from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. He has taken additional studies in conducting at the Prague Conservatory, Czech Republic. His primary conducting teachers have included John Whitwell and Timothy Topolewski. Wolynec completed his doctoral dissertation on classical era harmoniemusik as the recipient of both a Fulbright Grant to Prague, Czech Republic and a Michigan State University Graduate Merit Fellowship. His research was carried out throughout the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and France.
back to top
Lisa Vanarsdel
Flute
Lisa Read Vanarsdel received the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music degrees in Flute Performance from the University of Illinois and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Flute Performance from Louisiana State University. She has had additional flute study in Manchester, England at the Royal College of Music with Trevor Wye and in masterclasses with William Bennett.
Vanarsdel performs regularly at regional and national conferences. She has presented a lecture/recital about flutist Robert Cavally at the National Flute Association convention and was conductor of the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir. As an orchestral player, she has performed with the Baton Rouge, Knoxville, and Owensboro symphonies and is currently principal flute of the Paducah Symphony. As guest soloist, she had appeared with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra and the Paducah Symphony. She has been a winner in various competitions including the Texas Flute Society Concerto Competition, the National Flute Association Orchestral Competition, and the Convention Performers Competition. She was also a semi-finalist in the NFA Young Artist Competition. Vanarsdel is active in the Mid-South Flute Society having served on the Board of Director, as Competition Coordinator, Program Chair, and President.
Lisa Vanarsdel is currently Professor of Flute at Austin Peay State University.
back to top
Jeanette Zyko
Oboe
Jeanette Zyko, an active chamber musician and recitalist, currently resides in Clarksville, Tennessee, where she is the Assistant Professor of Double Reeds at Austin Peay State University and oboist with the Gateway Chamber Ensemble.
Ms. Zyko's musical interests are varied and she has performed music ranging from that of twentieth-century composer Louis Andriessen to Baroque composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. Before relocating to Tennessee from New York City in 2008, Ms. Zyko was the principal oboist of TACTUS Contemporary Ensemble with whom she performed Ursula Mamlok's Oboe Concerto. She has worked with the internationally renowned composer/conductor Pierre Boulez and has performed with the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Equally at home as an orchestral musician, Ms. Zyko has played with ensembles such as Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Zyko received her training at the Hartt School of Music and Butler University and her private teachers have included Humbert Lucarelli, Malcolm Smith, Georg Meerwein, and Stephen Taylor. In May 2006, she was the first oboist to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music. She can be heard on Summit Records with the Gateway Chamber Ensemble in a performance of Mozart’s “Gran Partita” and recent engagements include recitals of oboe and organ music in New Mexico with Maxine Thévenot and the world premiere of the triple concerto, Prayer and Procession by American composer Lee Hoiby.
back to top
Mingzhe Wang
Clarinet/Co-Artistic Director
Clarinetist Mingzhe Wang, native of Wuhan, China, first studied clarinet at the age of 9. His first public performance was at the age of 10 and by age 11 he was admitted to the Wuhan Conservatory and subsequently the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 1997, Wang came to the US to study at the Harid Conservatory of Music at Lynn University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2001. He is currently completing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale University, where he also obtained his Masters degree and Artist Diploma.
A prizewinner in the National Society of Arts and Letters Woodwind Competition (1999), the Orchestral Instrument Competition (2001), and the Yale Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition, Wang is committed to promote both the music of our time and the classics. He performed the Chinese Premiere of Elliott Carter’s Hiyoku and has worked closely with composers such as Ezra Laderman, Martin Bresnick, Krzystof Penderecki, and Aaron Jay Kernis. In addition, he has performed on period clarinets with prominent groups such as The American Classical Orchestra and the Clarion Music Society Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Mr. Wang has collaborated and continues to work with some of the most prominent young artists such as pianists Ilya Poletaev, Nathan Carterette and Ryo Yanagitani, violinist/violist Owen Dalby, cellists Mihai Marica and Dmitri Atapine. Wang's performances have been broadcast on both China’s Central Television and New York’s WQXR.
Apart from being an active performer and educator on the clarinet, Wang is a seasoned singer. He has performed in choruses throughout New England, as well as internationally in the United Kingdom and Hungary. As a founding member of the Yale Schola Cantorum, he has worked with renowned conductors such as Simon Carrington, Helmuth Rilling, Sir David Willcocks, James MacMillan, Sir Neville Marriner, and Kathy Saltzman Romey.
Wang is currently an assistant professor of clarinet at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Previously, Mr. Wang taught clarinet to Yale undergraduate students and served on the faculty at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a member of the Clarion Music Society Orchestra in New York City, clarinetist of the Gateway Chamber Ensemble, an active performing group he co-founded in 2008 based in Clarksville, Tennessee, and a sublist member of the Nashville Symphony. As a choral singer, he is a member of the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers.
back to top
Dawn Hartley
Bassoon
Dawn Hartley began playing the bassoon at the age of twelve while living in Columbus, Georgia. During her high school years, she enjoyed studying both bassoon and piano and performing in the Columbus Symphony alongside her teacher, Dr. Ronald Wirt. This experience, and the opportunity to play in the orchestra at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina during the summer, were what led to her decision to pursue a career in music.
She received the degree of Bachelor of Music from Florida State University and the degree of Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Her teachers during these years were Bill Winstead, John Hunt, Bruce Hammel and Tina Carpenter.
She performed with the Albany (GA) Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony, the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute Orchestra.
In 1991 she joined the Nashville Symphony, where she holds the position of Assistant Principal Bassoon. She is an adjunct faculty member at David Lipscomb University and a volunteer for the Music in the Clinic program at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. She enjoys playing music with her three children, who are learning trumpet, violin and cello. She is very pleased to be a member of the Gateway Chamber Ensemble.
back to top
Francis Massinon
Horn
A frequent guest recitalist, clinician and adjudicator at universities, International Horn Society seminars, high schools and regional Honors Ensemble festivals, Francis Massinon has performed with orchestras in the Midwest and Mid-South, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and the Chamber Orchestra of Iowa. He also has been a member of the Evansville Philharmonic and symphonies in Terre Haute, Ind., Bloomington, Ind., and Owensboro, Ky.
Most recently, Massinon served as principal hornist with the Paducah and Jackson symphonies. He is a frequent soloist with APSU Woodwind and Brass ensembles, and is an active member of faculty and student chamber groups. Massinon’s Horn Ensemble has been invited to perform at several International Horn Society workshops.
Massinon has performed works commissioned by or dedicated to him and premiered several of his own compositions in the critically acclaimed "Dimensions New Music Series.” He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Academic Honor Society, ASCAP, MENC, Kentucky and Tennessee music educators associations and the International Horn Society.
Francis Massinon teaches Horn, Horn Ensemble and Music Theory at Austin Peay State University, and also participates in many humanities-based courses.
Previously, Massinon taught at Eastern Illinois University, Vincennes University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to teaching college courses, he taught in public and parochial schools in Indiana and Iowa.
back to top
Emily Hanna Crane
Violin
Emily Hanna Crane has performed several solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts across North America, Taiwan, and Europe. Her guest artist appearances include the Valley Symphony Orchestra, the University of Texas-Pan American Chamber Orchestra, the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra Benefit Concert, Fiddle Fest (Converse Pre-College Program), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An avid chamber musician, Crane has performed in several traditional and contemporary music ensembles including the Hanna-Yang Duo, Tango Sur, and Quartet alla Turca. The Hanna-Yang Duo, with pianist Dr. Hui-Ting Yang, specializes in premieres and performances of contemporary works. The Duo recently premiered Metamorphoses II by Clifton Callender (commissioned by the Florida MTNA and the Hanna-Yang Duo). The Duo also premiered and recorded Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (2004) by Korean composer Ju-hwan Yu which appears on a CD featuring contemporary Korean composers (Kum-Sum records) released in 2008.
Crane’s orchestral experience includes playing in the Paducah (KY), Valley (TX), Tallahassee (FL), Jacksonville (FL), and Columbus (GA) Symphony Orchestras. A devoted pedagogue of students of all ages, Crane is currently on faculty at Austin Peay State University, and the Clarksville Community School of the Arts. She has also taught at the University of Texas- Pan American and has maintained a private Suzuki violin studio.
Crane earned Doctor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Florida State University and the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has studied violin with Eliot Chapo, Gary Kosloski, Karen Clarke, Richard Luby, Kenneth Goldsmith, Kevin Lawrence, Ernest Pereira, and Mary Jane Kirkendol.
back to top
Shuzheng Yang
Viola
Shu-Zheng Yang holds a BM in viola performance from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Professor Xi Di Shen and a graduate diploma from the University of Arts in Philadelphia under Mr. Joseph de Pasquale.
In additiona to playing with Gateway Chamber Ensemble, Shu-Zheng Yang is currently a member of Nashville Symphony Orchestra where he has served as Assistant Principal Viola for the past 20 years. Prior his arrival to the united States, he taught in Shanghai Conservatory of Music as an assistant professor. Mr. Yang has been invited to perform with the Worldwide Chinese Festival Orchestra on numerous occasions in recent years, performing concerts in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.
back to top
Keith Nicholas
Cello
Cellist Keith Nicholas is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Master of Music degree from Florida State University. He has studied cello with Brent Wissick, Jeroen Reuling, Lubomir Georgiev and Jerry Grossman.
An active studio and chamber musician, Nicholas performs regularly with the Nashville String Machine, Belmont Camerata Musicale, Music City Baroque, and the Gateway Chamber Ensemble. He has participated in the summer music festivals of Morges Switzerland and Kneisel Hall. Previously, Keith was the principal cellist in the Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale, where he was also a member of the resident string quartet.
Keith joined the Nashville Symphony in 1999 and currently teaches cello as adjunct faculty member of Belmont University. From 2001 2005, he taught cello at Austin Peay State where he participated in numerous solo and chamber performances.
back to top
Michael Samis
Cello
Michael Samis is an active solo, chamber and orchestral musician. He has participated in numerous music festivals around the world, including the Pacific Music Festival, where he sat Principal Cello under the baton of Michael Tilson-Thomas. Other highlights include Carnegie Hall performances with the New York String Orchestra and the chamber music festivals of Sarasota and Kent/Blossom. Samis appeared as soloist with the Cincinnati Orchestra at age 17. He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1999 with the Ellis A. Feiman Award in Cello. There, Samis studied with the Cleveland Orchestra's longtime principal cellist, Stephen Geber. As recipient of the Nashville Symphony's Kelingos Scholarship, Samis has subsequently studied with Desmond Hoebig.
In addition to performing with the Gateway Chamber Ensemble, Michael Samis appears frequently as a solo recitalist. He also performs regularly with Alias, the Eclectic Chamber Players, and has been a member of the Nashville Symphony since 1999.
back to top
Tim Pearson
Double Bass
Tim Pearson has been a member of the Gateway Chamber Ensemble since 2009. He has served as assistant principal bass for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Evansville Philharmonic and Owensboro Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber and orchestral musician, Pearson has performed with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Stones River Chamber Players. He has also been a member of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra both as a substitute and full time player since 2005. Pearson has participated in the Pacific, Spoleto USA, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, Aspen, and Domaine Forget music festivals. He holds degrees from the University of Memphis and Indiana University and has done additional studies with Bruce Bransby and Paul Ellison.
back to top
Jeffrey Wood
Piano
Jeffrey Wood, originally from Winnetka, Illinois, began piano lessons at the age of seven. After attending the Interlochen Arts Academy, he attended the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music where he studied composition under Richard Hoffmann. He pursued his graduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York, where he studied piano under Gilbert Kalish and composition under David Lewin, earning Master’s degrees in both piano performance and composition and a Ph.D. in composition.
Wood’s compositions have been performed throughout the country and have received numerous awards including Broadcast Music, Inc., Awards in 1975, 1978 and 1979, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award in 1981, and the 1982 David S. Bates Memorial Prize. He was the highest prizewinner in the 1984 Stroud Festival International Composition Competition in Great Britain, the only American so cited, for his brass quintet In Memoriam Magistri. Wood was named a winner in the 1995 Young American’s Art Song Competition sponsored by G. Schirmer/Associated Music Publishers, which resulted in the inclusion of his song “The Rear-Guard” from the cycle MCMXIV in “The Art Song Collection” published in 1996. Most recently, Wood’s Four Deadly Serious Songs (1991) and Night (2004) have been performed by baritone Andrew Garland and pianist Donna Loewy in a series of concerts throughout the country during the 2005-2008 and concert seasons. Many of Wood’s vocal works are published through Classical Vocal Reprints, www.classicalvocalrep.com.
Wood is deeply committed to the performance of contemporary music, and has been involved in the world premières of Alan Hovhaness’ Concerto No. 10 for Piano, String Quartet and Trumpet, op. 413 (1988) and Elizabeth Vercoe’s A Dangerous Man (1992), a monodrama based on the life of John Brown for baritone and piano and Frederic Goossen’s Reliquary (1996) for voice and piano. He has worked with such notable composers as Roger Sessions, Ernst Křenek, Thea Musgrave and Mario Davidovsky in performances of their keyboard music.
back to top
David Steinquest
Percussion
David Steinquest is an active freelance percussionist in the Nashville area, performing frequently with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra including their Carnegie Hall debut and the gala concerts at the opening of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He served as Acting Assistant Principal Percussionist in the 2005-2006 season. Steinquest is also a studio musician, recording often for Row-Loff Productions, Arrangers’ Publishing Company, and the Nashville String Machine. He is an educational endorser of Ross Mallet Instruments and Vic Firth Sticks and appears frequently as a soloist and clinician. Steinquest has numerous compositions and arrangements published by Row-Loff Productions, Studio 4 Music, and Pioneer Percussion. His works have been performed by the Nashville Symphony percussion section and have bee heard on the PBS children’s series “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
Steinquest is a Professor of Percussion at APSU. He is also coordinator of the Mid-South Jazz Festival. Steinquest was a member of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Northeast Louisiana University and a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan.
back to top