Antonio Meneses | cello
Born in Recife, Brazil, into a family of musicians, Antonio Meneses (1957–2024) began his cello studies at the age of ten. At the age of 16 he met the famous Italian cellist Antonio Janigro and was asked to join Janigro’s classes in Düsseldorf and later in Stuttgart. In 1977 Antonio …
Errollyn Wallen | composer, piano, vocals
When Errolllyn heard from a South African friend the rumour that Nelson Mandela was to be released from Robben Island she sat down and composed In our Lifetime. It was performed at the Commonwealth Institute in March 1990 and was made into the ballet WAITING by Christopher Bruce in 1993. …
Isabel Bayrakdarian | soprano
It’s not every prima donna who can boast a degree in Biomedical Engineering, but then, Isabel Bayrakdarian isn’t your average prima donna. As a highly sought-after soprano at opera houses and concert halls across the world, the Lebanese-born Canadian-Armenian-American soprano has become as celebrated for her beauty, presence, and style …
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
The American mezzo-soprano, Lorraine Hunt, was born to musical parents: Randolph Hunt, a music teacher and a conductor of community ensembles and operas, and Marcia Hunt, a contralto and a voice teacher. Her father arranged for her to study the piano and then the violin. At 12 she switched to …
Jeffrey Khaner | flute
Acknowledged by The New York Times for his “extraordinary virtuosity,” and by BBC Music Magazine for his “first-rate flute playing,” Jeffrey Khaner is one of today’s most distinguished orchestral musicians. Principal Flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1990, a post he held previously with the Cleveland Orchestra, he has won …
