Samuel Burt was born in Alabama in 1980. He grew up with the sounds of out-of-tune pianos, undisciplined congregational singing, and an Atria XE computer. After organizing a resistance movement in his high school marching band, he went to the University of Georgia and studied music composition with Lewis Nielson. He moved to Baltimore for the Peabody Conservatory with its music composition and computer audio training. He stayed in Baltimore for the mature experimental music scene. He is currently a concert/festival organizer with the Red Room Collective and co-founder of the Illusory Correlations concert experience.
Details here.
C.R. Kasprzyk: Saxophonist, presented many world premieres. Guest artist; New World Symphony Orchestra, Spark Festival, and CCRMA (Stanford University).
Composer, 2003, only undergraduate recipient of the Midwest Graduate Music Consortium Composition Contest. Selected for MusicX' Festival. Commissions/performances; School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Coalescence Percussion Duo, Wiggle Pictures/Ghetto Film School Productions, Grand Valley State University, many saxophonists including Jennifer Grantham and James McCain. Encore grant recipient from American Composers Forum: work for Intrada Winds. Co-founder, Illusory Correlations.
Informal training; Kaija Saariaho, Tristan Murail, many other prominent figures. Bachelors degree, Grand Valley State University. Two masters degrees in two years from the Peabody Conservatory.
Faculty throughout Maryland including Morgan State University. Site coordinator, Creative Access. Details at www.crkasprzyk.com.
Elise Blake (violin): is currently completing her Masters degree in violin
at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. Ms. Blake has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Cape Cod Symphony,
Virginia Symphony, and the Richmond Symphony. Ms. Blake has also participated in many
collaborative chamber projects, including Alea III (Boston, MA) and Illusory Correlations
(Baltimore, MD). Ms. Blake's primary teachers include Bayla Keyes and Shirley Givens,
with additional instruction from Pamela Frank, Peter Zazofsky, Gilbert Kalish, and
members of the Jupiter String Quartet.
Rose Hammer (alto saxophone) likes music quite a bit. Also, she is very fond of
computers, trees, and a good challenge. Musical collaborations are perhaps her favorite
thing of all. Recently released from Downtown Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory, lately
she's been playing with the Baltimore-based group Death in the Maze and the
also-Baltimore-based Baltimore Afrobeat Society. Rose is very fond indeed of the local
experimental improvised scene in Baltimore, and doesn't know what she'd do without it.
It keeps things interesting. For as Hacksaw Jim Dougan once said, "Unfold pans." She is
currently a member of the Red Room collective and High Zero Foundation.
More information here.
Martha Morrison (violin): is currently a second year masters student at
the Peabody Insitute of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studies with Herbert
Greenberg. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor
University in Waco, Texas. She has performed as concertmaster and principle with
the Baylor Symphony Orchestra and performed in the Peabody Symphony Orchestra,
Waco Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Philharmonic,
and Temple Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in many summer festivals including
the National Orchestral Institute, the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz,
Austria, the National Symphony Summer Music Institute, and Ohio Light Opera. Martha
is a native of Wiggins, Mississippi.
Bonnie Obel ('cello): bio/photo coming soon.
Cameron Raecke (viola): bio coming soon.
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The Peabody Conservatory - Career Development Grants
Members of the Allegan United Methodist Church and members of the Allegan Community.
We truly appreciate the support of these organizations. All other funding for this project comes directly from the pockets of the two composers involved.
We would also like to thank the following groups/people, who have been of great assistance in some manner...
Phil Siegler and Bartz Rumery Agency, Inc.
Rod Rambadt and The Allegan Group
The Red Room Collective
The Baltimore School for the Arts
Bowerbird
Saint Peter's Church
If you are interested assisting with our financial needs, please contact us. Your generosity would be duly noted on all of our materials and complimentary recordings would be made available to you. Thank you for your consideration.