in a 25-show production of Always…Patsy Cline. Outside of music, Esther loves farm animals, tree
propagation, and designing violin chinrests. The violin she plays is generously on loan from the Maestro
Foundation.
Trumpet player LUIS PULIDO he began his musical studies in 2005 in the wind symphony of Choachi,
Cundinamarca when he was 14 years old. After studying his secondary education, he entered the music
program at the University of Cundinamarca, receiving trumpet lessons with Remberto Rodríguez.
Unfortunately, he took only two semesters at that university. Then, he moved to Bogota and initiated
musical studies in the preparatory cycle of the District University Francisco José de Caldas School of Arts
ASAB. In 2007, he began his bachelor in music at ASAB in Bogota, receiving trumpet lessons with
Fernando Rodríguez. He has participated as a trumpeter in different musical groups such as Symphonic
Band District University, Latin American Octet of Trumpets, Jazz Ensemble District College, Jazz
Orchestra of the Blue Zebra, Concert Band Bogota Union, Big Band District University, ASAB Symphony
Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra of the Corpas University; In 2009 he was accepted as a trumpet player
to form the Latin American Wind Orchestra. In 2012 he was a finalist in the IV competition, and national
inter-university trumpet festival and Luis won second place in that contest. In February 2016 was selected
to participate in the International Music Festival of Santa Catarina, playing as the first trumpet in these
orchestras. He has received masterclasses with renowned trumpet players such as Wiff Rud, Gullame
Columy, Eric Aubier, Francisco Flores, Luis Gonzales, Eduardo Manzanilla, Juan Fernando Avendaño,
Luis Miguel Ayara, German Paniagua, Fernando Ciancio, Bobie Shew, Daniel Crespo, Yturvides Vilchez,
Martin Angerer and Fernando Disnha. He worked as a trumpet player in the Cundinamarca Symphonic
Band and in the FOSBO Bogota Symphony Orchestra Foundation. In July in 2020, Luis Pulido got his
Artis Diploma at Texas Christian University, where he studied trumpet with the great trumpet player and
professor, Dc. Dr. Jon Burgess. Nowadays, he is studying at LYNN University for his Master's.
MICHAEL PURYEAR grew up in Glen Allen, Va and began studying the cello in 2006. His first major
teacher was Neal Cary, the principal cellist of the Richmond Symphony. He performed in the Richmond
Symphony Youth Orchestra until going on to study undergraduate degree at
Shenandoah Conservatory under Clyde Thomas Shaw, former cellist of the Audubon Quartet. There,
Michael performed actively, winning first prize at the 2012 and 2015 Bach/Handel competition, 2016
Shenandoah Conservatory Concerto Competition and the 2016 VMTA Concerto Competition. Michael
began studying his Master’s degree in 2017 at Lynn Conservatory under David Cole and won the
concerto competition there that same year. His quartet won the first prize in Lynn’s chamber music
competition the following. Michael has performed in master classes with Joel Krosnick, Andrés Díaz, Lynn
Harrell, the Emerson quartet, and many others.
Born in Tehran, Iran, pianist KIMIA RAFIEIAN began her music studies at the age of 5. She graduated
from the Tehran Music School in 2016 where she worked with Dilbar Hakimova and Rebecca
Ashoughian. She has won prizes such as the Barbad International Piano Competition, Clara’s Annual
Piano Competition, Gray Perry Competition, International Music Competition (Best Shostakovich
Performance) and the NSAL Scholarship Awards. Ms. Rafieian began her bachelor studies majoring in
piano performance at Lynn Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Roberta Rust. She has also
participated in masterclasses with Peter Serkin, Alessandro Deljavan and Cordelia Hofer-Teutsch.
MARIO RIVERA is a vivid chamber musician that has done collaborations with renown musicians such as
Alexander Kobrin, William Preucil, Wendy Warner, Klauss Stoll, among others, and has work with the
Jupiter String Quartet, Escher String Quartet, American String Quartet, and the Pacifica Quartet. Mr.
Rivera was a founding member of the Ajax Quartet from 2016 to 2019. During these years the quartet
served as the Graduate Quartet-in-residence at the University of Colorado Boulder where they received
exclusive attention and mentorship from the renown Takacs Quartet. The quartet did extensive touring
nationally and internationally, performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Sibelius Academy. Mr.
Rivera has also collaborated with many orchestras and renown conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Jun
Märkl, Keith Lockhart, Matthias Bamert, Helmuth Rilling, and JoAnn Falletta. Mr. Rivera has degrees from
Columbus State University, GA. University of Colorado Boulder, and is currently a student at Lynn
University pursuing a Professional Performance Certificate under the tutelage of Ralph Fielding.
SARAH RODNICK is a Canadian horn player currently pursuing her Master of Music degree at Lynn
University Conservatory of Music where she studies under Gregory Miller. Born in Penetanguishene,
Ontario, Sarah started her studies with principal horn of the Canadian Opera Company, Joan Watson, in
2012. In 2019 she completed her Bachelor of Music at the University of Western Ontario, where she
studied under Derek Conrod of the National Ballet of Canada. Sarah has participated in several
international music festivals, such as the Domaine Forget International Music Academy and the Pacific
Region International Summer Music Academy.
ROSIE ROGERS is an American bassoonist from the Pacific Northwest. She graduated from the
University of Puget Sound in 2020 and currently studies with Whitney Crockett at Lynn Conservatory. Her