Going Boldly Performers

John F. Paul, violin, is Chair of the Department of Music and Associate Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University, where he teaches Applied Composition Lessons, Analyzing Music, and 20th-Century Music.  Before joining the music faculty at PLU, Dr. Paul served for 13 years as Chair of the Department of Music at Marylhurst University, where he strengthened the quality and enrollment of the school’s music programs, re-established its composition degree, and held the Joseph Naumes Chair in Music   He is active in the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), serving a three-year term on its Board of Directors as chair of the Northwest Region and participating on a taskforce to update accreditation standards for Sacred Music programs. 

LeeAnn McKenna's orchestral and chamber work includes the New Bedford Symphony (MA), the Augusta Symphony and Augusta Opera orchestras, and Musica Antiqua (GA); the Eugene Symphony and opera orchestras and the Oregon Mozart Players. LeeAnn currently performs with the Oregon Chamber Players and Thousand Waves, an ensemble that includes flute, classical guitar, Japanese koto and percussion.

Brian Gardiner is a versatile percussionist in Portland, Oregon. He holds a section percussion position with the Portland Opera, is principal percussionist with the Vancouver (WA) Symphony Orchestra, and plays drum set with the spaghetti western band Federale and rock band Pellet Gun. Brian's freelance classical work includes performances with the Oregon Symphony and Third Angle New Music Ensemble. 

Peter Zisa lives in Portland, Oregon and teaches at Portland Community College. He earned a Master of Music degree in performance at California State University and and is presently completing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. He has published three general music books, and numerous guitar books. Peter performs with Thousand Waves, an ensemble that includes flute, classical guitar, Japanese koto and percussion.

Sally Harmon was born in Washington, D.C. and began playing piano by ear at the age of three. A pupil of concert pianist Dr. Stewart Gordon, she earned a master's degree in music from the University of Maryland. Ms. Harmon is an active performer nationally, a recording artist and a producer for Soulo Productions, for whom she has completed 24 recording projects. She is on the piano faculty of Marylhurst University and teaches classical, jazz and pop styles and arranging.

Shelley Matthewson, viola, is a member of the Portland Opera Orchestra, Principal Viola with the Oregon Coast Music Festival, performs with the Siletz Bay Music Festival, is the founding member of the Delphinium String Quartet (performing at McMenamin's Pubs) , and performs frequently with the Madrona Viola Duo. Ms. Matthewson received her BM and MM in viola performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she studied with Donald McInnes. Before moving to Portland in 1987 she was Principal Violist with the Omaha Symphony.

Dr. Tamara Still is Music Associate at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR. She holds degreesfrom the University of Washington, UCLA, and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. Dr. Still is active as a recitalist, conductor and composer.

The Marylhurst Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Justin Smith, is Marylhurst University's student choral ensemble, intended primarily for music majors and experienced singers from the university community The Chorale performs at the university and in the wider community, most recently at the Oregon Music Educator's Association conference in Eugene, OR and on a concert tour of the East Coast, highlighted by singing Randal Thompson's Testament of Freedom at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Pollyanna Hancock-Moody, soprano, is a member of the Marylhurst University music faculty. She also sings with Vivace Voices and Fireside Carolers and is a former member of the Oregon Repertory Singers. She has performed in solo recitals in the western United States and Canada, and is a former director of several church choirs. She is also a member of the faculty at Portland Community College-Rock Creek, where she teaches voice and directs the choir.

Kate Petak, harp, a native of Houston, Texas, has been playing harp since age 6. She is currently a freelance musician in Portland, Oregon and performs regularly with the Vancouver Symphony, Portland Columbia Symphony, Opera Theater Oregon, Filmusik, and Classical Revollution PDX. After graduating from Houston's High School for the Performing Arts, she continued her studies at Boston University, the Royal College of Music in London, and Ball State University, where she earned her master's degree.

Fumino Ando was born in Aichi, Japan. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Performance from Toho Gakuen University of Music in Tokyo, an Artist Diploma from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a Master's degree from Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma. She has played with the New World Symphony in Miami, and sesrved as the assistant concertmaster for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. In 2002, she joined the Oregon Symphony in Portland. Shin-young Kwon has been a member of the Oregon Symphony since 2004. She has been a member of the Arnica String Quartet in Portland since 2005 and is a founding member of the string quartet Mousai Remix based in Portland since 2011. In 1996 Shin young transferred from the Seoul National University to the Manhattan School of Music where she received her BM and MM. She completed her DM at Indiana University as a student of Miriam Fried. Charles Noble holds degrees from the University of Puget Sound, the University of Maryland and the Peabody Conservatory of Music. He joined the Oregton Symphony as Acting Prinicipal/Assistant Prinicipal violist in 1995. In 1993 he was first prize winner of the Seattle Ladies Musical Club Competition.  He received the C.D. Jackson Award by a vote of  the faculty at the Tanglewood Music Center and the 1995 Israel Dorman String Prize at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Mr. Noble is a founding member of the acclaimed Ethos Quartet and the Arnica Quartet.Heather Blackburn is a native of New York and holds degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and Washington State University. She was a member of the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra for six years, and served as acting cello in the Oregon Symphony. She has also participated in numerous summer festivals including the Cascade Music Festival, the oregon Bach Festival and the Sunriver Music Festival. Ms. Blackburn has appeared on many Northwest series including Second City in Tacoma, Mostly Nordic in Seattle, Chamber Music on Tap in Portland and the Ragland Classical Series in Klamath Falls. As a founding member of Portland's Ethos Quartet, Ms. Blackburn performed live radio shows on KING FM in Seattle and KBPS FM in Portland.

Signe  Lusk studied piano accompanying at the San Francisco Conservatory of music and then continued her studies in Stuttgart, Germany. Ms. Lusk has performed in concerts with Metropolitan Opera stars Jerome Hines, Nico Castel and John Del Carlo. In addition Ms. Lusk has worked for Seattle, Portland and Eugene opera companies Currently Ms. Lusk is staff pianist at the First Unitarian Church in Portland where she conducts the Nova Choir.

The 12-member Lake Carillon Handbell Choir, directed by Linda Woods, has been rehearsing at Lake Oswego United Methodist Church since 1982. They perform monthly in the church sanctuary and have also entertained audiences at many other venues. They perform on a five-octave set of Schulmerich handbells and handchimes.