John Mcdonald
A "fresh, inventive, urbane, and keen-witted young composer" (Boston Globe) and "a splendid pianist" "with a born pianist's command of colors, textures, dynamics"(Boston Globe), John McDonald has earned international acclaim as a musician. His compositions have been performed on four continents, and his work is frequently featured in the U.S.A. by such ensembles as Alea III, Arden Quartet, Boston Composers String Quartet, Hartt Contemporary Players, Marimolin, Rivers Trio, and Duo 101. Recently, McDonald served as Cultural Specialist in Mongolia, where he premiered his "Music for Piano and String Orchestra" and worked with students on his pedagogical works. In his performing capacity, recent honors include a Duo Recitalists' Grant from the NEA, an Artistic Ambassadorship to Asia, and an Artists' Residency at M.I.T. with soprano Karol Bennett (1995, 1993, 1990-91), as well as invitations to perform his works at conferences in Amsterdam, Budapest, Havana, Montreal, and St. Petersburg. McDonald’s solo piano recital of "Common Injustices" by twenty-five living composers given in September of 2001 prompted Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe to write "one can hardly imagine anyone else undertaking such a program, or playing it with such modest and unobtrusive but total musical and pianistic mastery."

Currently Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Tufts University, McDonald’s recent accomplishments have included Composer Residencies with the METYSO Youth Orchestra, the Southern Illinois University Music Department, and Duke University, commissions from American Composers Forum and the Harvard Musical Association, and First Prize in the Leo M. Traynor Composition Competition for music for viol consort.

Brave New works
was founded by Chris Froh, Chris Younghoon Kim, and Eli Shapiro in 1997.
It was founded by our desire to promote, perform and Present contemporary classical music at the highest level to the broadest audience without sacrificing artistic integrity.  Brave New Works exists to promote New Music. Dedicated to the work of composers across the entire aesthetic spectrum, our mission is to foster New Music, its creation, performance and by working with and on behalf of Composers. BNW also seeks to expand the audience for new music through performances, workshops and collaborations with the arts.

BNW membership individual bios
Winston Choi, piano
Winston Choi was recently the winner of the Orleans International Piano Competition (for 20th century music) in France.  Included in his prize are solo recitals and concertos  in France, Spain and Argentina, as well as recording contracts with Emreinte Digitale France (the complete piano music of elliott carter) and Quadro Frame Italy ("1980" in the  yearbooks of the 20th century piano series).  Currently a doctoral student of Ursula Oppens at Northwestern University, his previous studies have been with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University.

Tim Christie, violin/viola
Tim Christie began his violin study in his home town of Washington d.c. a the age of ten.  Earning degrees in violin performance and english a the university of michigan, tim's interest in contemporary music was fueled by his participation in the university's contemporary directions ensemble as its violist for four years.  after a season with the new world symphony in miami beach, fl, tim now resides in tacoma, wa, where he is a freelance musician, enjoying a full performing schedule with the many orchestras of the pacific northwest.

Celia Eidix, clarinet
a native alabamian and visiting clarinetist with brave new works, celia eidix received her bachelor's degree from the university of michigan and her master's degree from wayne state university where she was a thomas c. rumble fellow.  an active freelance orchestral, chamber and solo clarinetist in greater detroit metropolitan area, she currently performs with the flint symphony orchestra adn the michigan sinfonietta.  among many other orchestras, celia has performed with the spoleto music festival(italy), the detroit symphony orchestra,the toledo symphony orchestra and the ann arbor symphony orchestra.

Katri Ervamaa, cello
Katri Ervamaa, DMA, is an alumnus of the university of michigan and the northern illinois university.  she teaches cello and chamber music at the bowling green state university, Flint institute and the school for the performing arts - Ann Arbor, and has performed all over the world including the us, her native finland, europe and taiwan.

Jennifer Goltz, soprano
soprano Jennifer Goltz specializes in the performance of new music.  she has premiered works written for her by composers such as Evan Chambers, Carter Pann, Kristy Kuster, John Berners and Manly Romero.  She performed Luciano Berio's Circles with Klangforum wien in 1999 at the Salzburg music festival, at the invitation of the composer.  she is a doctoral fellow  in music theory at the university of michigan, from which she also holds a master's degree in vocal performance.

Amy Ley, harp
Amy Ley has both bachelor and master degrees from the university of michigan.  she currently performs as the principal harpist for Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, and Windsor symphonies.  she has enjoyed being part of Brave New Works since its inceptions in 1997.

Chris Younghoon Kim, conductor
has served as the Assistant conductor of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, for two seasons, working in a player owned, operated environment.  In January of 2003, he took part in an intense three day world premiere recording session of Kristine Kuster's new choral work The Wind Will Gather for 16 mixed voices and Orchestra.  The same month brought a New York City debut with the Boston based new music ensemble; Firebird Ensemble.  This summer Chris will be at the St. Magnus Festival in Orkney Scotland, to work with the BBC Philharmonic, BT ensemble and Peter Maxwell Davies in a conducting masterclass.

Stephen Miahky, violin
Steve Miahky is currently a master's  student studying with Paul Kantor a the university of michigan school of music.  he received his BM from university of michigan and is the associate concert master of the ann arbor symphony.  he has won several competitions including the U of M concerto competition, the ohio federation of music clubs competition, and the louis lane competition.  stephen frequently performs with the michigan chamber players and was a virtu foundation scholar.

Emily Perryman, flute [will be on maternity leave]  Sarah Brady will be substituting for her for the residency since receiving her master's degree from the university of michigan, flutist Emily perryman has established an active free-lance career in the ann arbor area, performing with the flint symphony, plymouth smphony, brave new works, phoenix ensemble, michigan opera works and the comic opera guild.  Ms. Perryman also holds degrees from the Ohio state university, where she graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the theodore presser foundation scholarship.

Sarah Brady, flute
Sarah Brady performs with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and the Indian Hill Symphony. She is on the sublist of the New World Symphony and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. An advocate of new music, she has premiered numerous solo and chamber works for the flute. She has performed with contemporary music ensembles such as; the Firebird Ensemble, Longitude and Just in Time Composers. In 2000, Ms. Brady was invited to premiere and record new music with the Silkroad Project at Tanglewood, a workshop created and in run by Yo Yo Ma. She has place second in Bostons’s prestigious Pappoutsakis Competition in 1999 and 2001. She has also been a finalist in the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Young Artist Competition and a semi-finalist in the Heida Hermann Woodwind Competition and the 2003 Myrna Brown Competition. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and the Longy School of Music where she studied with Robert Willoughby.

Maria Sampen, violin
Maria Sampen holds bachelor and doctoral degrees from the university of michigan and a master degree from  Rice university.  she has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras throughout the united states and has appeared as a chamber musician in europe, asia and north america.  she has spent her summers performing as a fellow at aspen music festival and the tanglewood music festival as well at the mozarteum sommerakademie in salzburg, austria and the banff centre for the arts in canada.  Ms. Sampen is currently the assistant professor of violin a the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.