New York Rising

Joseph Trapanese

Joseph Trapanese (b. 1984) is best known for his score work for blockbuster films like Tron: Legacy, Straight Outta Compton, The Greatest Showman, Oblivion and the Raid series. As a composer, arranger, and producer for movie, television, cheater, and video game music, he has collaborated with a number of mainstream musical acts such as Daft Punk, M83, Mike Shinoda, and Dr. Dre. Solo work includes films such as Stuber, Arctic, Robin Hood, Only The Brave, Earth to Echo, and two installments of the Divergent series.

Robert Sirota

Over four decades, composer Robert Sirota (b. 1949) has developed a distinctive voice, clearly discernible in all of his work — whether symphonic, choral, stage, or chamber music. Writing in the Portland Press Herald, Allan Kozinn asserts: “Sirota’s musical language is personal and undogmatic, in the sense that instead of aligning himself with any of the competing contemporary styles, he follows his own internal musical compass.”

David Noon

David Noon was born of Pennsylvania Dutch, Welsh, and American Indian heritage in Johnstown PA on July 23, 1946. His formal musical education began at the age of 8 when he learned to play clarinet. Subsequently, he took bassoon, flute, piccolo, and piano lessons. Throughout his childhood, he frequently performed in choirs, bands, orchestras, and chamber music ensembles. During his collegiate years at Pomona College, he continued to sing and play bassoon and piano. He also began the systematic study of composition. His composition teachers have included Karl Kohn, Darius Milhaud, Charles Jones, Yehudi Wyner, Mario Davidovsky, and Wlodzimierz Kotonski.

David Demsey

David Demsey is Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University. He has performed with the New York Philharmonic since 1995, including three world tours as well as the Metropolitan Opera conducted by James Levine, and with the Kirov Orchestra led by Valery Gergiev. As a jazz performer, he has been a member of the Water Gap Jazz Orchestra directed by Phil Woods since 2014, and has appeared with such diverse artists as trumpeters Clark Terry and Randy Brecker, bassists Milt Hinton and Rufus Reid, pianists Mulgrew Miller, James Williams, and Jim McNeely. His article Improvisation and Concepts of Virtuosity is the final essay in the Oxford Companion to Jazz. He published the transcription book John Coltrane Plays “Giant Steps” (Hal Leonard), and has written two books on composer Alec Wilder. He was a Contributing Editor for Saxophone Journal and Jazz Player magazines, and is a Selmer Saxophone Clinician.

Avi Goldrosen

Avi Goldrosen performs with several orchestras in the NYC region, including the Plainfield Symphony, Long Island Philhar­monic, Livingston, Charleston Symphony, New Jersey Pops, Rutgers, and Juilliard Orchestras, and has performed under the conductors Lawrence Leighton Smith, Richard Auldon Clark, Sabin Pautza, Mark Gould, David Briskin, and Randell Behr. Goldrosen’s chamber music playing includes performances with the New Juilliard Ensemble, New Jersey Saxophone En­semble, and recent tours with the New York Theater Ballet. Goldrosen performs regularly with the Saxophone Sinfonia, and is a member of the Garden State Symphonic Band.

Tim Ruedeman

Saxophonist Tim Ruedeman, praised for his “elegant and pure sound” (Saxophone Journal) and noted as “versatile and vir­tuosic” (Philadelphia Inquirer), has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Bridgeport Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, International Contemporary Ensemble (I.C.E.), Absolute Ensemble, and is a founding member of Flexible Music and the New Hudson Saxophone Quartet. He has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic CONTACT!, Greenwich Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, S.E.M. Ensemble, soundScape festival (Italy), and Hanover Winds. An active jazz and commercial player, he has toured and recorded with Tony Bennett, David Foster, Diana Krall, Rostam of Vampire Weekend, the Walkmen, Paul Shaffer, Christopher Cross and appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Michael and Kelly, and Good Morning America. Ruedeman serves on the faculty of NYU, C.U.N.Y. Queens, and William Paterson University, and holds a B.M. from Oberlin and an M.M. and Ph.D. from NYU.

Christopher Brellochs

Christopher Brellochs has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall in New York City to Saint Merri in Paris, France. He performs with orchestras, wind groups, chamber ensembles and in solo recitals across the nation. His current project, “Music of the Gilded Age in the Hudson Valley,” includes the research, performance and presentation of music performances in historic mansions, and the creation of documentary films.

Ulrich Krieger

Ulrich Krieger is a versatile saxophonist in contemporary composed and free improvised music as well as a composer of chamber and electronic music. He studied saxophone, composition, and electronic music at the UdK Berlin (University of the Arts) and the Manhattan School of Music New York and performed with orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester, Rundfunk-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ensemble Modern, Musikfabrik, and many more.