White Mountain Musical Arts ~ North Conway, NH
 Held annually since 1989 on the weekend before Labor Day     August 23-26, 2007
Floyd Whittier Corson, President, Nancy DuCette Farris, Vice President  more>>
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 Artists:  White Mountain Musical Arts is pleased to announce a partial list of musicians who will appear at the WMMA: Bach Festival 2006. Other performing artists will be added to the list throughout the spring and summer. Complete biographies of all the performing musicians will be available at the Festival.
Brief Biographies of WMMA: Bach Festival 2006 Musicians:
Mary Bastoni-Rebman (soprano) Originally from Massachusetts, Mary Bastoni-Rebmann’s early musical studies included voice with Barbara McCloskey and music classes at the University of Lowell (MA). Mary is equally comfortable with a wide variety of musical genres from the serious classics to musical theatre. Currently a resident of Fryeburg, ME, she often is heard locally in leading roles in the musical and dramatic productions of the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company and the Resort Players. The WMMA: 2007 Bach Festival will mark her fifth appearance at this annual event.
Paul Cienniwa (harpsichord) Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, awarded BAEF and Fulbright grants, his musicological articles have appeared in American and European journals. Founding Artistic Director of Newport Baroque Orchestra (http://www.newportbaroque.org), and he serves as Director of Music at First Church in Boston, where he leads the professional 12-voice choir and can be heard every Sunday on WERS (88.9 FM) in Boston. In 2006, he was appointed director of the a cappella choral ensemble Sine Nomine (Fall River, MA).
Audrey Cienniwa studied baroque violoncello with Hidemi Suzuki at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels and received diplomas from the conservatories at Nîmes and Lyon, France. She teaches at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island, and The Pennfield School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Cienniwa has performed in France, Holland, Belgium, and Tunisia.
Emily Faxon (violin) is a founding performer of the Bach Festival. Her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees were earned from the Julliard School of Music where she studied with Joseph Fuchs and Dorothy Delay. Presently Emily is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, a member of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Quartet, Artist-in-Residence at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a performer for the Pone Ensemble for New Music. She and pianist Ruthanne Schempf perform together as the group Citylights which was formed to explore the beautiful melodies of the American popular genre. Ms. Faxon lives in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Nancy Farris (harpsichord/organ) currently is the Director of Music at Christ Church, Episcopal in North Conway, New Hampshire. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Master of Arts degree from Boston University, College of Fine Arts. While in eastern Massachusetts, Nancy spent many years as a church musician including a tenure at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston. She, also, taught music theory and directed choral activities at private schools in the greater Boston area. Nancy is the Co-Director of the WMMA: Bach Festival and together with Floyd Corson performs two-piano recitals. more
Nancy Goldenhar (bassoon): BA from Connecticut College and BM from University of Southern Maine; taught instrumental music in NH & ME (currently instrumental teacher in M. S, A. D. # 72); bassoon instructor at Plymouth State University: principal bassoon in the Maine State Ballet Orchestra; founding member of the lakes Region Woodwind Quintet.
Doris Henney (flute): BM Oberlin Conservatory of Music, MM University of Colorado at Boulder; member of the Lakes Regional Woodwind Quintet; private teacher of flute: faculty member at the Mountain Top Music School; pianist at the First Church of Christ Scientist in Fryeburg, ME.
Floyd Corson (organ/harpsichord), Associate Professor Emeritus of Music, Massachusetts State College at Westfield. In addition to spending twenty-five years as Director of Music Education and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music at Westfield State College, Floyd has held several positions as Organist/Choir Master at Massachusetts churches in Boston, Springfield, Southbridge and Westfield. He was the Founder and Director of the Greater Westfield Choral Association prior to his retirement. Currently Floyd is the Organist at the First Church of Christ, Congregational in North Conway, NH, and together with Nancy Farris is the Co-Director of the WMMA: Bach Festival. Floyd & Nancy recently appeared in a Two-Piano Recital in North Conway. more
Scott Allen Jarrett (conductor) returns to the White Mountain Musical Arts: Bach Festival this August to conduct five works at the 16th Annual Festival. Mr. Jarrett received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in Greenville, SC and his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University. Currently he is a DMA candidate at Boston University with a major in Choral Conducting. From 1997-2001 he was Associate Organist and Choirmaster at Boston University's Marsh Chapel, and in 2001 he was appointed University Choirmaster and Director of Music. Mr. Jarrett has an impressive list of major works he has conducted including performances this spring of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and J. S. Bach's St. John Passion.
Emily Marvosh, (mezzo soprano), recently received a Master of Music degree from Boston University and also holds a Bachelor of Music from Central Michigan University. She is active in oratorio and opera in the Boston area, and has performed with the Boston Orpheus Ensemble, Masterworks Chorale, and Cantata Singers, as well as Opera Boston, Opera Providence, Melopoeia Musica, Vox Chamber Consort, Boston Lyric Opera, and Boston University Opera Institute.

Miss Marvosh was recently seen as Meg in the New England premiere of Mark Adamo's Little Women, and also recently premiered the song cycle In the Sky She Floats. She currently is a Choral Scholar at Marsh Chapel, and has performed under the batons of Scott Allen Jarrett, David Hoose, Edward Elwyn Jones, Michelle Alexander and Craig Smith, among others. Recent engagements have included Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Volpino in Haydn's Lo Speziale, and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier.

Ray Nagem (organ) lives in Medford, Mass. and is an undergraduate student at Yale with a double major in Music and Psychology. Mr. Nagen has studied with Thomas Murray at Yale, Alastair Sampson, Organist, Eton College, Michael Kleinschmidt, Music Director, Trinity Church Boston, and John Dunn, Headmaster, Boston Archdiocesan Choir School. Recent performances include Faure Requiem with Yale Symphony Orchestra.
Timothy Neill Johnson (tenor) was born and raised in southern California. After earning a Bachelor of Music degree from California State College at Los Angeles, he continued his studies at the Conservatory of Music in Antwerpen, Belgium. The works of J. S. Bach, the oratorios of Handel, the masses of Mozart and the songs of Schumann, Fauré, Vaughan Williams and Britten highlight his repertoire. Presently Timothy is a member of the faculties at Bowdoin College and the University of Maine in Augusta.
Bradley Ottesen (viola) - Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and his Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Studied chamber music with members of the Cleveland, Julliard and Muir String Quartets. Recently moved to Canada accepting an appointment to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as assistant principal viola. Has performed throughout New England with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, International Musical Arts Institute, WMMA Bach Festival, Vermont Symphony and the Rhode Island Philharmonic."
Barbara Prugh (trumpet) trumpet, described as "…a rare artist; one who is a consummate musician and brilliant virtuso." Has appeared as a guest artist of the Philadelphia area’s top musical organizations; performed the premiere of several solo compositions for trumpet and has been a featured soloist at International Brass Conferences. Honors: Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Delaware; Master of Music degree (majoring in music performance & literature) from the Eastman School of Music; released a solo CD: Barbara Prugh, Trumpet Artisty."
Margaret Helfer-Herlehy (oboe) received her training at the University of Michigan and Sarah Lawrence College where she remained as Artist-in-Residence for five-year tenure. Her principal teachers include Lois Wann and Arno Mariotti. As a chamber musician, she performs with Sospiri Ensemble and in 2003 premiered works for oboe, bassoon and piano at the International Double Reed Conference in Greensboro, NC. She also performs with Infinities Chamber Ensemble as a member of Massachusetts Young Audiences presenting Young People’s Concerts throughout New England. Currently, Margaret is Principal Oboist with the Hanover Chamber Orchestra and the Granite State Symphony. In addition, she has performed with the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra, as soloist with the New England String Ensemble and the Berkshire Opera among other orchestras throughout the northeast. Margaret maintains an active teaching schedule. She is lecturer of oboe at the University of New Hampshire, Director of Winds of the Wellesley Composers Conference and founder and Artistic Director of Music da Camera Chamber Music Workshops since 1992.
Kristen Watson (soprano) hailed for her ‘blithe and silvery’ tone and ‘winning stage presence’, has performed on numerous occasions with Boston Baroque, including Handel’s Messiah, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, and Monteverdi’s Vespers which toured at Ravinia, Tanglewood and Disney Hall. She has made several appearances with the Handel and Haydn Society and Emmanuel Music, as well as performances with Boston Lyric Opera/Opera New England, Opera Boston, the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, the Columbus Bach Ensemble, the Cactus Pear Music Festival in San Antonio, the Pittsburgh Camerata, and the Boston University Opera Institute. She also made her solo debut with the Boston Pops in 2005 as a headlining artist for their Holiday Pops concert season. Ms. Watson is originally form Topeka, Kansas.
Paul Max Tipton, lyric baritone, is a concert artist engaged regularly with acclaimed ensembles in Austin, Miami, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit, and New York City. Mr. Tipton made his Boston debut in March 2007 with the Back Bay Chorale as bass soloist in the St. Matthew Passion, conducted by Scott Jarrett. He has sung Schaunard with the New York Opera Society on tour in Toulouse, and has worked closely with composer Ricky Ian Gordon, joining him twice in concert in Ann Arbor and Florence, Italy. Mr. Tipton trained at the University of Michigan School of Music in Ann Arbor, being mentored by mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee and bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, also having studied with visiting artists Grace Bumbry and the late Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson. Further training included study of the music of Kurt Weill with Angelina Réaux, protégée of Leonard Bernstein. Engagements in 2007-2008 include performances of Schubert Masses with Seraphic Fire and the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, studio recordings with Conspirare in Troy, NY, and recitals in Philadelphia and Austin.
Erin White (violin) began to study the violin at age three under the late Ms. Anastasia Jempelis at the Eastman School of Music. She has studied at the Colburn School in Los Angeles under Mrs. Lorraine Fink and is currently a student of Mrs. Marylou Speaker Churchill at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School in Boston. Erin is a prizewinner of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School Concerto Competition. She also performed as a soloist as well as with chamber groups in various summer music camps. At age eleven, Erin soloed with the Symphony Pro Musica under the direction of Mr. Mark Churchill. Erin, now age thirteen, also enjoys dancing, listening to music, shopping, going to the movies and playing volleyball.