Bassist Joseph Conyers and Flutist Demarre McGill at Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival Sept. 9-23, 2012

[Joseph H. Conyers (Top); Demarre McGill]

Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival
Sept. 9-23, 2012

Demarre McGill is a flutist who will perform at the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3:00 PM.  Joseph H. Conyers is a bassist who will perform on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3:00 PM. 

THURSDAY, September 20, 2012 – 8:00 PM

SUNDAY, September 23, 2012 - 3:00 PM

Joseph H. Conyers

Profiled in Ebony magazine as one of 30 Leaders 30 and Younger, Joseph H. Conyers joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in September 2010 as assistant principal bass. He came to Philadelphia after a one-and-a-half year tenure with the Atlanta Symphony, three-and-a half years as principal bass of the Grand Rapids Symphony, and four summers as a member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.

Described by the Grand Rapids Press as “a lyrical musician who plays with authenticity that transcends mere technique,” Mr. Conyers performed as soloist with the Grand Rapids Symphony in a concerto commissioned by the GRS and written for him entitled Prayers of Rain and Wind by John B Hedges. Mr. Conyers has also soloed with the Alabama Symphony, the Flagstaff Symphony, the Savannah Symphony, and the Sphinx Symphony, having won second prize at the 2004 Sphinx Competition in Detroit. In June 2010, he made a solo appearance with the Dekalb (GA) Symphony performing the Koussevitzky Bass Concerto.

Mr. Conyers has performed throughout the United States and Europe. He served as principal bass of the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, with which he traveled extensively and recorded on the Naxos label. He also served as assistant principal bass of Symphony in C (formerly the Haddonfield Symphony). He has been a fellowship student and held principal positions at numerous music festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center, the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland, the Brevard Music Center, and the Britten-Pears Music Festival in England. Mr. Conyers has performed in a number of orchestras, including the Boston and Detroit symphonies, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the City of Birmingham Symphony in a number of prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Vienna’s Musikverein.

Links

His non-profit organization: http://project440.org/2010/02/joseph-conyers/

Mutual of Omaha 2010 commercial he was featured in: http://www.ahamoment.com/moments/944

Demarre McGill

Currently principal flutist of the Seattle Symphony, Mr. McGill has held the same position with the San Diego Symphony, the Florida Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.

Winner of a 2003 Avery Fisher Career Grant, flutist Demarre McGill has performed concerti with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and Milwaukee Symphony, among others. An active chamber musician, Mr. McGill is a member of the Jacksonville, Florida based Ritz Chamber Players and has been a member of Chamber Music Society Two, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s program for emerging young artists. He has been featured on a PBS “Live From Lincoln Center” broadcast with the Chamber Music Society performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #2 as well as on an Angel Records CD playing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #5 with pianist Awadagin Pratt and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Mr. McGill has participated in the Music from Angel Fire, Santa Fe, Kingston, Cape Cod, Charlottesville, Music@Menlo, Bay Chamber Concerts, Mainly Mozart, La Jolla and Marlboro music festivals. He has also performed on the Ravinia Festival’s “Rising Star” series, the A&E Network Series “The Gifted Ones,” and was special guest on the Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood television program.

In addition to his performance schedule, Mr. McGill is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Art of Élan, a chamber music organization in San Diego that aims to expose new audiences to classical music.

Mr. McGill received his Bachelor’s Degree in Flute Performance from The Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. He continued his studies with Mr. Baker at the Juilliard School, where he received a Masters of Music degree.