Beyond Sonic Boundaries: Exploring the Chamber Works of Keith Kramer is a special event that features recent music by Keith Kramer. The performance will be presented at Merkin Hall in New York on Saturday, March 25th, 2006 at 8:00 P.M. A wonderfully diverse program featuring some of the best musicians in the region, this engaging concert provides a vehicle for the performers to display their versatility and virtuosity. A very special performance will be of the intriguing work Duality, written specifically for the incredible talents of David Taylor and Gottfried Stoger, revealing an ethereal polyphonic intertwining of the bass trombone and soprano saxophone, as they naturally blend with the accompanying string quartet. Other compositions range from the introspective Compact Disparity for flute, soprano saxophone, bass trombone and string quartet, to the highly dynamic and energetic Uncertainty Principle for tenor saxophone and piano. Other features of the program include the intricately virtuosic flute cadenzas performed by flautist David Lavorgna in the piece Inexplicable, and the rhapsodic solo piano works Inside and Spatial Extremes performed by Joseph Satava. Internationally renown performers include David Taylor, bass trombone; Gottfried Stoger, soprano and tenor saxophones; David Lavorgna, flute; Joseph Satava, piano; Jade Strings, featuring Lisa Lee, violin, Wei Tan, violin, Ching Chen Juhl, viola, Clara Lee, violoncello. Information about the venue's location can be found here. $25/$20 students. The box office number is (212) 501-3330. Please order tickets in advance. Credit cards are not accepted one hour before the event. Below are directions to the Merkin Concert Hall:

• From the south, take I-95 N and merge onto I-295 N toward NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE / DEL MEM BR / NJ-NY. I-295 N becomes NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE N (Portions toll). Take the exit toward LINCOLN TUNNEL / NEW YORK CITY. Merge onto NJ-495 E (Portions toll). Merge onto LINCOLN TUNNEL / I-495 E. Take the exit on the LEFT toward I-495 E / 42 ST / RT-9A / ALL POINTS. Stay STRAIGHT to go onto DYER AVE. Turn LEFT onto W 42ND ST. Turn RIGHT onto 10TH AVE. 10TH AVE becomes AMSTERDAM AVE. Turn RIGHT onto W 68TH ST. Turn RIGHT onto BROADWAY. Turn RIGHT onto W 67TH ST.
• Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Goodman House. 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023. Box Office (212) 501-3330.

Biographies of Performers:


• David LaVorgna, flutist began his study of the flute at the age of eleven. By age thirteen, he was accepted into the Interlochen Arts Academy, a high school for gifted and talented students specializing in the arts. During his four years at interlochen, David studied with Jacqueline Hofto. It was at Interlochen that David was inspired to pursue a career in music. After graduating from Interlochen David entered the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he continued his studies with Bonnie Lake. It was at Peabody that he received the Britten Johnson Award for the most outstanding and promising flutist. After receiving his Bachelor of Music degree, David moved to California to study with Timothy Day at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and completed his Master of Music degree. Over the years, David has performed in Master Classes with Trevor Wye, Eugenia Zukerman, Julius Baker, and Karl Kraber. He has also coached with Trudy Kane (Principal Flute of the Metropolitan Opera Company) and Mark Sparks (Principal Flute of the St. Louis Symphony). He has performed in the full array of ensemble configurations and has worked with such varied artists as Leon Fleisher, Samuel Sanders, Judy Collins, Bobby McFerrin, Dudley Moore, and Liza Minnelli. David has won multiple awards and competitions for both his solo work and ensemble playing. He has collaborated with many contemporary composers throughout the development, revision, and premiering of many works and has performed in a multitude of concert settings to promote music and the understanding of music. He currently resides in Baltimore with his wife Monica and daughter Cecilia. He is a faculty member at Goucher College, Loyola College, and at the Ward Center for the Arts at the St. Paul’s Schools.


• Joseph Satava, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is currently a doctoral candidate at the Peabody Conservatory of Music as a student of Julian Martin. Joseph received his Master’s degree at the Juilliard School and his Bachelor’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory where he was a recipient of the Pauline Favin award in piano. His primary teachers include Marc Durand, Jerome Lowenthal, Ann Shein, and Olga Radosavljevich. He has performed in master classes with renowned artists such as Paul Schenly, Phillipe Bianconi, Philippe Entremont, Gaby Casadesus, Blanca Uribe, and John O’Conner. Joseph has taken prizes in several piano competitions; among them: The Young Keyboard Artist’s Association International Piano Competition, The Miecyslaw Munz Piano Competition held at the Peabody Conservatory, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, second prize in the National Society of Arts and Letters Career Awards Competition in Washington, DC, and second prize in the Peggy and Yale Gordon competition held at the Peabody Conservatory. Notable appearances with orchestra have included: the Suburban Symphony Orchestra in Cleveland, OH, the Cleveland Heights Chamber Orchestra, the Millennium Orchestra in Gijon, Spain, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra in Denver, CO., and most recently, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra as a result of being chosen as a Toradze fellow. Joseph has appeared in Alice Tully Hall as part of the Focus! Festival for contemporary music. He has performed at the French Consulate in New York City and the French Embassy in Washington D.C. as a part of the ‘Rising Star’ series. Satava has been invited twice to perform for the Texas Conservatory for Young Artists in Plano, Texas, and most recently he was in recital at the Steinway Gallery in Tucson, Arizona.




• Gottfried Stoger, saxophonist and composer, was born in 1964 in Salzburg, Austria. At an early age he received classical training on the violin at the Mozarteum Salzburg. He studied classical saxophone at the Hochschule for Musik in Vienna. Mr. Stoger was contracted as woodwind specialist as part of the Orchestra of the United Stages in Vienna from 1987-91. Attained between 1992 through 1996, his degrees in jazz performance and composition include a B.A. from the Manhattan School of Music and a M.A. from the University of Miami, and also has been a member of Miami’s faculty. Since 1996 he resided as a freelance saxophonist and woodwind player in New York City. Additionally, he was the Musical Director of the annual International Jazz Seminar Salzburg, Austria from 1997 through 2002. Mr. Stoger has toured throughout Europe, Asia, Brazil and the U.S., and has recorded and performed with jazz greats as Joe Zawinul, Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner, Marc Copland, Joe Henderson, Billy Hart and many more.





• David Taylor, bass trombone, holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the Julliard School of Music and began his career with Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra. He records solo albums, presents numerous recitals throughout the world and has performed on numerous Grammy Award-winning CD’s. Taylor has won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Most Valuable Player award for five consecutive years, as the NARAS Most Valuable Player Virtuoso Award. He currently teaches at Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College and is an artist clinician for Edwards Trombones.




Gottfried Stoger and David Taylor in Rehearsal for Duality on March 19, 2006.



• Jade Strings:


• 'Brilliant young violinist' (Bostonphoenix) Lisa Lee has won numerous honors and awards including 1st prize in the 1998 International Sheffield Violin Competition, 2nd prize in the 1997 International Tadeusz Wronski Solo Violin Competition in Poland, 1st prize in the Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Concerto Competition, and 3rd prize in the 1992 Irving Klein International String Competition. Ms. Lee began violin lessons at age five. She debuted with the San Francisco Symphony at age 16. She has toured as soloist and chamber musician throughout China, Japan, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and the United States, and has performed at numerous prestigious chamber festivals including Ravinia, Evian, International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, Caramoor, and Marlboro. Ms. Lee toured the US and England with the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group as first violinist. She has performed with Gary Graffman, Nobuko Imai, Andras Schiff, David Soyer, Arnold Steinhardt, Yo-Yo Ma, Donald Weilerstein and Andres Diaz. Her teachers have included Zaven Melikian at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Arnold Steinhardt at the Curtis Institute of Music, David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music under the auspices of the Fulbright Foundation, Donald Weilerstein, and Denes Zsigmondy. Ms. Lee currently performs and tours with the Swedish chamber orchestra, Camerata Nordica.


• Wei Tan, violinist is a Special Award Winner of the 2001-2002 Artists International Presentation Series and is a laureate in the Fifth National Violin Competition of China in 1993. She gave her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall in 2002 and has toured Austria, America, China, Hong Kong and Norway as soloist and chamber musician. She holds a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music studying with Stanley Bednar. Tan’s recent solo appearances include performances at the Alexander Kasser Theater, the Nicholas Music Center and the Shanghai Concert Hall. As an active chamber musician, she has performed at the Symphony Space, Shanghai Grand Opera House, and the Krannert Center for the Arts. She is a regular member of the Pantoum Trio and the SCN Chamber Players. Recently, she was guest artist with the North Country Chamber Players. Tan currently teaches at the Amati Conservatory of Music.


• Ching Chen Juhl, violist, has performed throughout North and South America, Europe, Hong Kong and China. A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she came to the United States in 1985 and earned a M.M. from Indiana University. A Silver Prize winner at the Giuranna International Viola Competition, Ching has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in New York, Arizona, Indiana and Colorado. In 1991 Ching won the Associate Principal Viola position with the Phoenix Symphony, with whom she performed for seven years. Ching has also expanded her repertoire by backing up Rod Stewart, touring with Perry Como, and performing in the Broadway Touring Production of My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain. She has recorded improv-violin with songwriter/producer Jon Pousette-Dart. Her passion for chamber music led to the founding of the Ching Ching Ensemble in 1993. She produces, directs and performs multimedia concerts in the US and China in collaboration with artists from other disciplines. Currently, she teaches at St. Joseph’s College and performs with and manages the Jade String Trio.




• Clara Lee, cellist, is versatile as a recitalist, chamber musician, and Baroque performer. She is a founding member of the Rothko String Quartet (prizewinner of the 2004 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition), and of the Baroque ensemble XTempo. Ms. Lee is also a member of the Boston-based Arcturus Ensemble, has performed with ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), and has collaborated with such artists as Itzhak Perlman, James Dunham, Bonnie Hampton, Lucy Stoltzman, and Maria Lambros. She has appeared recently at Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Kneisel Hall and Symphony Space. A native of New Zealand, 25 year-old Clara Lee moved to the United States at age five, setting roots in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Lee received her Bachelor of Music, cum laude, from Rice University in 2002. She then moved to New York City, where she currently resides, and earned her Master of Music from The Juilliard School in 2004. She is presently pursuing an Artist Diploma from Juilliard, where she studies with Joel Krosnick and Darrett Adkins. In her spare time, Ms. Lee, a connoisseur of fine teas, enjoys seeking out tea shops around New York City. Her current addiction is sencha steeped with rosebuds, a highly recommended pleasant surprise.

Keith Allan Kramer, composer, currently resides in Maryland and is a music professor in Bel Air, Maryland. His compositions are performed frequently in America and abroad. Keith is also the recipient of several composition prizes. He has studied with Thomas DeLio, John Van der Slice, Ladislav Kubik and Stuart Saunders Smith. Keith received his D.M.A. in composition from the University of Miami and his M.Mus. in composition from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Please click on a date below to view information about recent concerts.
Baltimore, Maryland: December 1, 2006
Towson, Maryland: October 25, 2006
New York, New York: March 25, 2006