Ania Bard-Schwarz, DMA, has performed in recital and in ensemble on four continents across Asia, Europe, Middle East, North and South Americas. As concertmaster, second violin principal and a member of chamber and symphony orchestras, she has worked under such conductors as: John Axelrod, Niksa Bareza, Sergio Comissiona, Christoph Eschenbach, Hector Guzman, Graeme Jenkins, Krzysztof Penderecki, Helmuth Rilling, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Antoni Wit.

Maria Schleuning has been violinist for the Dallas-based contemporary music ensemble Voices of Change since 1996, and was appointed Artistic Director in 2009. An advocate of new music, she has worked with many of the leading composers of our day, and has premiered many new works, the most recent being "Dream Catcher," a solo violin work written especially for her as a gift by Augusta Read Thomas. The world premiere performance was on May 3, 2009 in Dallas, TX.

Raquel Samayoa is Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of North Texas. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Tennessee Tech University. Dr. Samayoa maintains a versatile career as a performing artist, clinician, educator, and scholar. She has performed throughout China, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Raquel is a member of Seraph Brass, a quintet comprised of top female brass players in North America. The group performs frequently around the country and abroad.

Caleb Hudson is an Assistant Professor of Trumpet at University of North Texas. He is the newest member of the Canadian Brass, having graduated from the Juilliard School with both a bachelor and master of music degree. Acclaimed by the New York Times as 'brilliantly stylish," Caleb made his solo debut with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2.

The grandson and son of well-respected euphonium players from the Welsh Valleys, and himself described by The Observer as ‘a great ambassador for the euphonium, possessing an astonishing technique and an engaging stage presence’, David Childs is regarded as one of the finest brass musicians of his generation, touring extensively throughout Asia, continental Europe, and North America, and recording actively for radio, television, and CD.

Stacie Mickens joined the UNT College of Music faculty as an associate professor of horn in August 2018. Prior to her appointment, she was associate professor at the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University, and also previously served on the faculties of Luther College (Decorah, IA) and Winona State University (Winona, MN). She completed her doctorate of musical arts at the University of Michigan as a recipient of the Rackham Fellowship Award. There she studied with former Philadelphia Orchestra member and jazz musician Adam Unsworth and with Detroit Symphony member Bryan Kennedy.

“a phenomenal musician… our next prodigious clarinet performer and pedagogue”
The Clarinet • December 2015