Nicholas Capozzoli with ORGANIX FESTIVAL BRASS ENSEMBLE

Nicholas Capozzoli with ORGANIX FESTIVAL BRASS ENSEMBLE

Nicholas Capozzolli, with Michael Barth – Trumpet, Scott Harrison – Trumpet, Paul Otway – Trumpet, Cathy Stone – Trombone, Jan Owens – Trombone, Rob Tilley – Trombone

Nicholas Capozzoli

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Nicholas Capozzoli has established himself as a solo organist, harpsichordist, and chamber musician with great distinction and versatility. His artistic accomplishments have been recognized throughout North America, receiving Third Prize in the 2017 Canadian International Organ Competition, First Prize in the2015 Taylor Organ Competition, as well as First Prize in the 2013 Mid-Atlantic AGO/Quimby Competition for Young Organists and Carol Teti Memorial Organ Competition. He was also a finalist in the 2016 AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. Capozzoli was nominated as a member of The Diapason’s“20 under 30 Class of 2015,” which recognizes individuals under the age of 30 who have made significant contributions to the fields of organ performance, harpsichord, and church music. His playing can be heard on the nationally-syndicated “Pipedreams” radio broadcast.

Capozzoli has presented recitals at national festivals and conferences, including appearances at the 2017 AGO/RCCO Montreal Organ Festival, 2014 AGO National Convention in Boston, MA, and 2013 National Association of Pastoral Musicians Convention in Washington, DC. He was also a performer at the 2016 Historical Keyboard Society of North America (HKSNA) conference (Oberlin, OH) and 2014 Piccolo Spoleto Festival “L’Organo Series” (Charleston, SC). Capozzoli has been privileged to perform in several esteemed venues including Saint Joseph’s Oratory (Montreal, QC); Maison Symphonique (Montreal, QC); Washington National Cathedral (Washington, DC); St. Paul Cathedral (Pittsburgh, PA); Severance Hall (Cleveland, OH); All Saints’ Episcopal Church (Atlanta, GA); Old South Church (Boston, MA); and the Musée des Augustins (Toulouse, France).

An avid collaborator with vocalists and instrumentalists, Capozzoli has accompanied Oberlin College’s Musical Union and Baroque Orchestra. In the spring of 2016, he was the musical director and harpsichordist for a student production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. He has played continuo for Opera McGill’s production of Handel’s Alcina and will appear with Montreal’s MusicaOrbium in a concert of music for two organs and choir.

Capozzoli holds a Master of Music in historical performance and Bachelor of Music in organ performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied organ with James David Christie and harpsichord with Webb Wiggins. While at Oberlin, he taught secondary organ and harpsichord students and served as an instructor at the 2015 and 2016 Oberlin Summer Academy for High School Organists. He is the recipient of Oberlin College’s Selby Harlan Houston Prize (excellence in organ and music theory), Friends of the Library Excellence in Research Award, James H. Hall Prize in Musicology, Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship, and Earl L. Russell Award in Historical Performance.

Currently based in Montreal, QC, Capozzoli is a Doctor of Music candidate at McGill University in the studio of Hans-Ola Ericsson and Interim Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral. He is represented exclusively by Seven Eight Artists.

Michael Barth – Trumpet

Trumpeter Michael Barth enjoys a diverse career as a performer, educator, and scholar. Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Michael moved to Toronto in 2004 to pursue graduate studies in trumpet performance at the University of Toronto, receiving his Master’s degree in 2006 and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2011. A versatile and engaging performer, Michael frequently performs on a freelance basis on modern and baroque instruments with several organizations in the Toronto area and beyond, such as the Talisker Players Choral Orchestra, Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Sinfonietta, Nota Bene Baroque Orchestra, Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra, Durham Philharmonic Orchestra, Mosaic Chorale, and Bach Elgar Choir. Outside the classical world he performs and records with several rock bands, and has toured North America, Europe and Asia with the instrumental rock group Do Make Say Think, Ohad Benchetrit’s Years, and Charles Spearin’s Juno-award winning The Happiness Project.

Scott Harrison – Trumpet

Scott Harrison is a freelance musician who has performed with a number of ensembles, including the London Symphonia, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, and The Phantom of the Opera. Scott has also conducted The Brampton Symphony Orchestra and is a founder of the Trillium Brass Quintet. www.trilliumbrass.com

Paul Otway – Trumpet

Paul Otway is a freelance trumpet player in Southern Ontario. He works with several orchestras including the Windsor Symphony, Ontario Philharmonic, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Talisker Players, Niagara Symphony, and the Peterborough Symphony. Paul has also performed with other groups, including the Canadian Opera Company, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Hamilton Philarmonic, and Orchestra London. Paul has played in numerous Mirvish productions including Annie, Strictly Ballroom, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, and Dancap Productions including My Fair Lady, Anne of Green Gables, South Pacific, and West Side Story.He has also performed in several productions at the Shaw Festival. Paul has been a part of over 40 professional productions, including ballets, operas and musicals, and the World Premiere Engagement of “Sousatzka”. Freelance work has allowed him to play with many well-known artists including Diana Krall, Boy George, Josh Groban, Marvin Hamlisch and IdinaMenzel. Paul’s playing has been recorded on several CDs, and broadcast on CBC Radio with a variety of ensembles. Paul can be seen in the movie, “Fever Pitch” (look for the trumpet player!). He has performed for live audiences in 36 states, and 7 provinces.

www.paulotwaymusic.com

Cathy Stone – Trombone

Cathy Stone is a freelance trombonist and teacher in Toronto. She received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master of Music from the University of Toronto. She has performed with every major orchestra and ensemble in southwestern Ontario, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra, Hannaford St. Silver Band, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. She was previously a tenured member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra in New York State. She is a founding member of the dynamic chamber music group, the Trillium Brass Quintet (www.trilliumbrass.com), which performs recitals, engagements and school shows around southern Ontario. Cathy is the visiting artist on low brass at Etobicoke School of the Arts, and is in demand as a private low brass teacher and clinician.

Jan Owens – Trombone

Freelance artist and trombonist Janice Owens has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, Hamilton Philharmonic, and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. As a member of the Stratford Festival Orchestra for her sixth season, she is playing in the 2018 production The Music Man. She can be heard on cast recordings of both the 2015 Stratford production of Carousel, and the 2015 release of Evangeline from the Charlottetown Festival. Other musical theatre productions include the North American premier of The Wizard of Oz, Hairspray, Lion King in Toronto, and many others. She is a founding member of Quartico Trombone Quartet.

Prior to settling in Toronto, Janice was a member of the Monumental Brass Quintet, performing for the Columbia Artists’ Community Concert Series throughout the United States, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She performed on and edited the quintet’s CDs, Christmas Presence and Monumental Goes to the Movies. She has also performed solo recitals at the Washington (DC) National Cathedral, throughout the northeastern U.S., and in Toronto.

Janice served as Chair of the Wind and Brass Department at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC, where she and members of the Monumental Brass Quintet built a thriving brass chamber music program. She has taught low brass and coached brass chamber groups at Levine, at Peabody Conservatory, Preparatory Division in Baltimore, at St. Mary’s College in Maryland and has taught numerous trombone masterclasses at schools in the U.S and Canada.

After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Janice earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in trombone performance from Michigan State University.

Rob Tilley – Trombone

Rob has played trombone with Talisker Players, Toronto Sinfonietta and the Windsor Symphony. He was for many years the second trombonist in the Oshawa-Durham S.O. and is currently a member of the George Lake Big Band. Rob studied at the University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto.