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| Roslyn Huang, Artistic Director |
Born in New York to Chinese parents, Ms. Huang began to study the violin at the age of three and within a year performed at the Botanical Gardens in Flushing, New York and the Queensborough Community College. Admitted to the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School in 1994 where she studied with Ms. Margaret Pardee, Ms. Huang made her recital debut performing at C. Michael Paul Hall and orchestral debut with the Brooklyn Philharmonic a year and a half later. She has also been featured as a soloist with the South Shore Symphony and the Great Neck Philharmonic. As a soloist, Ms. Huang has appeared in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Merkin Hall, Tilles Center, the Polish Embassy in Washington D.C., and many more. She has collaborated with many great artists such as Aaron Rosand, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pamela Frank. She has been the recipient of many awards such as the George E. Bryant Award for Creativity and the N.S.C.A.P. for Excellence in Music, the First prizewinner of the South Shore Symphony Young Artist Competition, a Finalist in the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation Audition, and appeared as a guest artist on WQXR’s Robert Sherman’s Young Artist Showcase. Alongside her solo work, Ms. Huang has long been interested in chamber music. Nearly every summer she has appeared as a chamber musician and soloist with the festivals’ orchestras at Summit Music Festival, Killington Music Festival, and most recently Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy. In May of 2006 Ms. Huang graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a Master’s of Music degree as a student of Ms. Lucie Robert. Recently she was the winner and awarded the New York Debut Award from the 34th Annual Artists International Auditions. She gave her New York Recital Debut at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall to critical acclaim. She was re-invited by Artists International to perform at Merkin Concert Hall in Spring 2008 as the recipient of the “Outstanding Alumni Award in Violin Performance” and the “Distinguished Artist Award”. Roslyn has been a long-time student of legendary violinist Aaron Rosand.
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| Michael Dadap, Guitar |
Michael Dadap has been the artistic/music director and conductor of The Children's Orchestra Society since 1984. Greatly influenced by church, jazz, big bands, and folk music, Mr. Dadap first received his early training in solfège, theory, and composition from his older brother Jerry. After graduating from the University of the Philippines majoring in philosophy, he pursued music studies at Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School. In collaboration with the COS faculty and staff, Mr. Dadap has initiated and developed teaching and orchestral training
programs, including solfège and ear-training for the young, chamber music for all levels, and an emphasis on reading music, which all have become permanent signatures of COS. As a conductor, Mr. Dadap has collaborated with some of the world's most renowned artists. In reviewing the Young Symphonic Ensemble (YSE) at New York's Town Hall on May 3, 1993, music critic Bert Wechsler dubbed Michael Dadap a "fine, sensitive musician: who is obviously also a mighty orchestra builder....a teacher. What drive Mr. Dadap's work is his faith in the children's capacity to learn and his energy, patience, and special talent in communicating his love for music to the children." You are invited to visit Michael on Facebook or LinkedIn, or most Saturdays at Christ Church Parish in Manhasset (please call office in advance). As an accomplished classical guitarist, he made his Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1974 and has since performed internationally. As part of the Dadap-Ma duo, he has toured the U.S., Europe and Asia. Mr. Dadap's published solo guitar recordings include Lambingan, (Tenderness) Songs of the Visayans for Voice and Guitar, Himig Ng Puso (Songs from the Heart), Harana (Serenades for Solo Guitar), and Intimate Guitar Classics, which was featured as "album of the month" on WQXR in February 1990. As a composer and passionate folklorist and advocate of music from his native Phillippines, his composition Handurawan Dance Suite won the Asian-American Alliance for the Arts Award and was premiered by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble in 1988. His Sinulog Suite for Orchestra, commemorating the Philippine centennial, was premiered by the YSE in the 1998 Discovery Concert and given its UK premiere in August of 2005. In March 1999, a collection of his works - including Four Visayan Serenades for Guitar and Song Cycle for Tenor, Cello, and Piano - were presented by the Felipe De Leon Foundation at Weill Recital Hall. Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Dadap continues to involve himself in his homeland. In 2002, he opened the first International Guitar Festival in the province of Bohol and guest conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. He gives workshops on the Bandurria (a 14-string folk instrument), and continues to serve as a music arranger and consultant with the Iskwelahang Pilipino Rondalla (Philippine School Rondalla) of Boston, a folkloric ensemble he co-founded in 1984. In 2004, he was invited to speak on his new book, The Virtuoso Bandurria at the First International Rondalla Festival in Naga City. He has served as an artistic consultant for the Asia Society and was a featured presenter at Body and Power "The Politics of Culture in Nineteenth-Century Philippines," a symposium cosponsored by Asia Society and NYU. Currently he serves as a visiting professor of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Mr. Dadap was named the 2000 "Artist of the Year" by Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts. Mr. Dadap received from Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the 2006 "Pamana Ng Lahi" Presidential Award, in recognition of his remarkable achievements as a virtuoso musician, composer, educator, and proponent of Philippine traditional music, culture and causes through his work. Mr. Dadap resides in Queens with his wife, Yeou-Cheng Ma, and they have two children, Daniel and Laura.
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| David Gale, Violin |
David Gale was born in December 1986. He began studying the violin at the age of nine under the tutelage of Bonnie Aher. From 2001-2005 David was enrolled at the Prestigious Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, where he was a recipient of the Hansoree Scholarship. In 2004, David was the Grand Prize Winner of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra’s Fifth Annual Music Performance Competition, which resulted in a performance with the orchestra, and also took 2nd in the Danbury Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition in November that same year. In June 2006, David was a finalist and received the audience prize in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Young Artists Competition held in Houston, Texas. In September 2006, David was a participant in the 10th International Violin Competition in honor of Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wieniawski held in Lublin, Poland. In June 2008 David was declared, unanimously, the winner of the 2008 Deming Family Scholarship hosted by the Danbury Music Centre. David has given solo performances/recitals in Lucca, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Marcaria, and Casalmaggiore, Italy, Lublin, Poland and most recently in the West Indies on the Caribbean Island of St.Maarten-St. Martin. He has appeared as guest soloist with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Cheshire Symphony Orchestra, Danbury Community Orchestra, Casalmaggiore Festival Orchestra (Italy) and Summit Festival Orchestra. David has been featured by Culin Arts presents Classic Kids Concert Series in Bryant Park, New York City. David has appeared numerous times in recital throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Houston, Texas. His recent recital at the Richter House in Danbury, Connecticut was recorded and aired on Connecticut Television. He has received great praise from reporters and the press for his “dazzling virtuosity” “electrifying stage presence” akin to a “Young Mozart.” In May 2009, David graduated from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music with a degree in violin performance, while studying under Professor Lucie Robert. David is currently a student of the world famous violinist and renowned pedagogue Maestro Aaron Rosand.
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| Matt Hofstadt, Viola |
Violist, Matt Hofstadt, has had the privilege of performing in many of the finest concert halls and venues in America and abroad, from Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and the Yamaha Arts Center in New York to the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta and Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as many other cities around the country. He has also performed in Korea's Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai's Grand Theater, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and in China's National Center for the Performing Arts where concerts helped raise relief money the after the Sichuan earthquake disaster. Matt began studying viola at the age of 10 with the principal violist of the Atlanta Opera, Elizabeth Wood. During his highschool days, he was a member of the prestigious Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra where he was fortunate to have weekly coachings with members of the Atlanta Symphony. By the time Matt was about to finish highschool, he had already performed in many of the major concert venues of Atlanta, Chicago, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, appeared as a soloist in Disney World and recorded for a Disney commercial and a documentary on Cumberland Island. Matt went on to study with Robert Rinehart at the Manhattan School of Music where he then earned his Bachelars of Music in 2007. Afterwards, he studied with Jessie Levine at Yale University as a full scholarship student and recieved his Masters in Music in 2009. During his time at Yale, Matt was able to study in Yale's CSMT - Center for Studies in Music Technology and in the world-class Fred Plaut Recording Studio. Currently, Matt is the owner and head recording engineer of Hofstadt Recordings where he often . Website: www.hofstadtrecordings.com. Matt has a diverse array of interests and has always been passionate about technology. Besides performing as a violist and running Hofstadt Recordings, he also design and programs interactive websites and is an experienced HTML/CSS, Javascript and PHP developer. Matt runs a web development business called Unum Designs, www.unumdesigns.com, and has also spent the last year developing a new technology for the web that he calls WebGearz, which aims to dramatically change the way people can interact with their website's content and make it as easy as editing a word document. WebGearz will launch publicly within the next 4 months. Matt's hobbies include dslr photography with his new Canon 550D and 24-105mm L lens, video editing and effects, ping pong, and watching his favorite TV show Stargate.
Jackie Hyun was borin in Seoul, Korea and began to play the cello at the age of nine. Her mother was a pianist and her father was a businessman who had a tremendous enthusiasm for classical music. After winning the most prestigious young artists competitions, I-Wha and Ye-Won competition back to back her family moved to New YOrk when she was thirteen years old. Upon arriving in New York, Ms. Hyun attended The Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School and continued to earn her bachelor's of music degree from Juilliard in 1988. She went on to earn her Master's of Music degree from The Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student. After graduation, Ms. Hyun was appointed as an associate principal cellist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra in Seoul Korea. She returned to New York in 1996 and began performing chamber music and teaching regularly throughout the tri-state area. Ms. Hyun was a faculty member of Long Island University's Suzuki Cello Program until 2000. She had a private cello studio in Syosset, NY from 2000 to 2010. Currently, Ms. Hyun is the President of Tower and Bridge Music School and Tutti Music Corporation based in New York.
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| Yeou-Cheng Ma, Violin |
Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma is a Developmental Pediatrician and a musician. A graduate of Radcliffe College and Harvard Medical School, she works with children with developmental disorders in the Bronx and Queens, performs as a chamber musician, and teaches violin, viola, and chamber music with The CHildren’s Orchestra Society. Informally known as the “Music Doctor,” her recent interests include optimizing communication in all children, exploring the relationship of music to young children’s temperament, and using music as a means to find the “inner language” of children who have difficulties in verbal communication. Yeou-Cheng’s work as Executive Director of the Children’s Orchestra Society has been recognized by: St. Joseph's College in West Hartford, which awarded her a doctorate in humanities honoris causa in 1994; the New York Public Advocate Award for leadership and advocacy for Asian American Youth in 1996; and the Francis Riker Davis Award from the Brearley School for outstanding community service in 1999. As part of the Dadap-Ma Duo, Yeou-Cheng has toured in Europe, Asia and the United States. She also performs in chamber music groups with COS faculty and friends.
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| Evan Solomon, Piano |
Pianist Evan Solomon has performed in Japan, Korea, China, France, Germany and throughout the United States in chamber music and vocal recitals. He recently served as official pianist at the 2006 Hannover International Violin Competition and his yearly performances as faculty artist of the Great Mountains International Music Festival have been heard on the Korean Broadcasting System and NPR's "Performance Today." Other television credits for Mr. Solomon include appearances on A&E Network's "Breakfast with the Arts" with violinist Sarah Chang and cellist Han-Na Chang, and PBS "Live from Lincoln Center: Perlman at the Penthouse." His 1984 recording of music of Benjamin Britten with tenor Michael Sells was released to wide critical acclaim. Evan Solomon began his piano studies with Olga Radosavljevich at the Cleveland Institute of Music. A graduate of Grinnell College with a major in mathematics, he received the Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California as a student of Brooks Smith. Mr. Solomon has been on staff at The Juilliard School since 1985.
