Non-profit organization in Milford, PA
Allison Kiger, flute, Megan Marolf, oboe, Christopher Grymes, clarinet, Shotaro Mori, bassoon, Jacquelin Adams, horn
ALLISON KIGER, Flutist and Director of the Ensemble Tremblay, has studied music and flute performance around the world, receiving scholarships and earning diplomas and degrees from the Royal Academy of Music in London, McGill University in Montreal, and Indiana University, as well as several seasons at the Pierre Monteux School. While studying with Damian Bursill-Hall and Claude Monteux, she was the First Prize Winner of the San Diego Flute Guild Young Artist Competition and the Grossmont Symphony Competition in California. She has given performances in the US, Canada, and England in recital with pianist Christopher Johnson, and with the Ensemble Tremblay and the Acadian Chamber Players. Some of Ms. Kiger's notable NY performances include being a member of the Jupiter Symphony, conducted by the late Jens Nygaard, as well as performing with the Alliance Players and the Lumieres Ensemble, and appearing with jazz great Dave Brubeck in the Dave Brubeck Mariachi Orchestra. She is also a member of the Allentown Symphony, and has also performed with the New Jersey Symphony, the renowned Canadian orchestra, L'Orchestre de la Francophonie canadienne, and the Springfield Symphony in Massachusetts. Ms. Kiger has performed concerti with the Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey, the New Sussex Symphony, the Cantus Firmus Society, and the Morristown Wind Ensemble. This is her fourth appearance on the Kindred Spirits Concert Series, having performed with the Oxbow String Quartet, the Damocles Trio, and guitarist John Curtin. Allison is the daughter of lifelong Milford resident and local celebrity, Bill Kiger.
Oboist and English Hornist MEGAN MAROLF is an active orchestral, chamber, and solo musician throughout the New York City area and beyond. She has performed with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Allentown (PA) Symphony Orchestra, DiCapo Opera Theater, Chelsea Opera, Lyrica Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (with whom she has toured in Mexico), among many others. She has been a featured soloist with Camarata New York, Ensemble du Monde, and Montclair Chamber Ensemble, and has performed at many of New York City's top concert halls. A dedicated chamber musician, she has a particular interest in contemporary music, and has performed with new music groups such as Alarm Will Sound and Tactus, and at the Bang on a Can Marathon and the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2003 she performed the US premiere of Netherlands composer Jacob ter Veldhuis' "The Garden of Love" for solo oboe and ghetto blaster; she repeated the performance at the composer's request for a showcase of his work. Throughout 2007-2009 Megan toured with the Philip Glass Ensemble performing "Book of Longing," a collection of pieces for four vocalists and eight instrumentalists based on the poetry and drawings of Leonard Cohen. The recording of the piece was named by the New York Times as one of the best classical recordings of 2007. The tour took her to Wales, England, Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, and Taiwan. Megan earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Mark Weiger. She then attended the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City, where she earned a Master of Music studying with Stephen Taylor.
An eclectic and versatile performer, clarinetist CHRISTOPHER GRYMES’ playing has been described as "brilliant" (The Clarinet), "stunningly beautiful" (Classical Voice of North Carolina), and “eloquent...animated and free of any interpretive self indulgence” (The Strad). An active performer of orchestral, chamber, and new music, Mr. Grymes is a member of the New York-based chamber ensemble Concertante and the Sapphire Wind Trio; and from 2002-2005 was principal clarinetist of the Winston-Salem Symphony. He also served as bass clarinetist with the North Carolina Symphony from 2005-2011, and has performed with the Boston Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony and the Utah Symphony. A strong proponent of the process, creation, and performance of new music, Mr. Grymes has commissioned and premiered many new works ranging from pieces for solo clarinet to concertos with orchestra. From 1999-2001 he was a member of Tales & Scales, a quartet of young musicians/actors dedicated to bringing quality new music, movement, and storytelling to young audiences across the country. Mr. Grymes' first clarinet teacher was F. Edward Knakal in Virginia Beach, VA. He has also been a student of Avrahm Galper, Eli Eban, Nathan Williams, and Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr. Mr. Grymes served on the faculty at the East Carolina University School of Music from 2001-2011 and currently lives and works in New York, NY. Mr. Grymes has recorded for Gothic Records and AURecords, and a new solo recording, featuring works by Joan Tower and Olivier Messiaen as well as two world premiere recordings, will be released Fall 2011.
Bassoonist SHOTARO MORI is originally from Fukuoka, Japan. He completed his studies at Mannes College of Music in New York City, where he received full scholarship and won the first prize in the Concerto Competition for woodwinds, brass and percussion. He has performed with such groups as New York Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, Jupiter Symphony, New York Philomusica, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Eroica Ensemble (Memphis). As a soloist he has performed with Lyric Theatre Orchestra in NJ, One World Symphony, Camerata Virtuosi of New Jersey, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Mannes Orchestra and Philharmonia Fukuoka (Japan). He has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, the Virgin Atlantic Holders Festival in Barbados and the Asian Youth Orchestra in Hong-Kong. Shotaro is bassoonist for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and is currently a faculty member at the Summertrios Chamber Music Festival.
Hornist JACQUELIN ADAMS resides in New York City while pursuing a unique and multi-faceted career. Jacquelyn has earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music (2003), a Master of Music Degree from Yale University (2005) and a Doctorate of Musical Arts at SUNY Stony Brook (2011). Jacquelyn has performed with a variety of artists and ensembles such as the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Fort Worth Symphony, Albany Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Metropolitan Ballet Orchestra, the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic, Gary Morgan Pan-Americana Big Band, Jones Factor Big Band, Kanye West, Luciano Pavarotti, Il Divo, Genghis Barbie, multiple Broadway pit orchestras and various NYC based jazz orchestras; she also records regularly for NFL Films. Her television appearances include CBS’s “The Early Show,” Disney’s “Step Up 3D,” and BET’s 2007 Music Awards. She has participated in numerous music festivals including the Bard Summerscape Opera Festival, Opera Festival of New Jersey, the American Institute of Musical Studies Festival in Graz, Austria, and the Colorado College Summer Festival. In 2010, Jacquelyn collaborated with Moody Mammoth Productions to release her first two music videos: “Comes Around” and “Perfect Day, Elise.” Ms. Adams also devoted much of 2009-2011 teaching a Music Appreciation course at Lehman College and performing with the Lehman Faculty Woodwind Quintet. Ms. Adams will be performing as the guest artist at Canada's Sixth International Horn Day 2012 at York University in Toronto on February 10th.