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Rodolfo Betancourt is a versatile performing guitarist, recording artist, composer, writer and educator. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Rodolfo's musical range encompasses classical, rock, jazz, Latin, African, folk and avant-garde. As a classical guitarist, he has participated in prestigious musical events like the Festival Internacional de Agosto in Caracas and the Encuentro Guitarrístico Internacional in Panama.

Rodolfo earned his bachelor of arts from the Manhattan School of Music in New York and his master’s in performing arts from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, studying under the renowned classical guitarist, Ricardo Iznaola. He has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Marin Alsop, including the premiere recording of Michael Daugherty's Philadelphia Stories on Naxos.

Rodolfo's ground-breaking interview with Cuban composer Leo Brouwer was published by Guitar Review. He has taught master classes and has spoken at conferences about the process of transcription for classical guitar. His master thesis about the process of transcription for guitar of J. S. Bach's Chaconne has become a reference reading in colleges in the United States and abroad.

As a meticulous composer and arranger, Rodolfo organically blends jazz, Latin rhythms, minimalism and folk in his work. Some of his compositions and arrangements have been performed by the Playground Ensemble. His latest project is the world music fusion Betancourt Trio, blending music styles from West Africa, Venezuela and the Caribbean with Jazz, minimalism and American folk. The Betancourt Trio is currently working on their first recording, Roundabout Crash with producer Bob e Burnham.

Eric Bradler (Accordion) is not your typical accordion player. As the new head of the classical accordion program at Lamont, his vision is to promote the accordion as a chamber ensemble instrument, using its versatility as a substitute for the more traditional piano or organ. Mr. Bradler began his study of classical accordion at the age of seven with Kim Christian and completed a BA and MM at the University of Denver with Robert Davine. He has won many awards of distinction including ATG National champion, the Frank Toth memorial award, and 7-time RMAS Open Virtuoso Solo Champion. He has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Da Vinci String Quartet, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Opera, and Cabrillo Festival Orchestra under the direction of Marin Alsop. In addition to his work with the accordion, Mr. Bradler serves as a lecturer in the Music Theory and Aural Skills Department at Lamont, and as principal accompanist at St. Mary Catholic Church in Littleton.

Heidi Brende (Piano) has been performing publicly since she was fourteen, when she performed concertos with several orchestras in her home state of Iowa. At Oberlin Conservatory, where she received her B.Mus. degree she was awarded the John Elvin Piano Prize, the Rudolf Serkin Award, and the Liberace scholarship. She has also been a prize-winner in several national and international piano competitions, including the Stravinsky Awards International Piano Competition. She has performed concertos, recitals and chamber music concerts in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio, California, Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado. In Los Angeles, she founded the “Arts in the Parks” concert series, and also presented “Music and Movement” performances for children. Tracks from CDs released on her record label, “Solveig’s Song”, have been broadcast on National Public Radio and Public Radio International.

A National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition winner in high school, Megan Buness also was selected for All-State and All-Northwest choirs while studying voice with Fay Buness. She received the highest ratings in District and State Music Festivals in Montana.

Ms. Buness received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Vocal Music Education from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Denver, studying voice with Kenneth Cox and being cast as Dorabella in the University of Denver production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. In opera scenes, she sang Poppea in Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione de Poppea, Lizzie in Beeson's Lizzie Borden, and Nancy in Britten's Albert Herring.

Mercedes in Bizet's Carmen with the Helena Symphony Orchestra under Allen R. Scott, Ms. Buness also sang the roles of Lucretia in Britten's Rape of Lucretia and Carmen in Bizet's Carmen in opera scenes at the Carol and Nico Castel New York Opera Studio. Cast as Angela in the climax of the final act of Rossini's Cenerentola at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, Ms. Buness also sang in Mandarin Chinese dialect in the world premiere of Guo Wenjing's Poet Li Bai with Central City Opera.

Singing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with the St. Olaf Choir under Anton Armstrong, Ms. Buness also sang in the world premiere of James J. Pellerite's Lone Figures Floating with Pellerite and Sara Bardill at the Aspen's Composers' Conference.

Soloist at Carnegie Hall in the world premiere of Leavitt's Requiem under his direction, Ms. Buness was also the guest artist with the Helena Chamber Singers under Dr. Steven Michelson and soloist in Stalling's Cantata Laudes with The Colorado Chorale, composed for and performed with The Denver Brass.

Visit her at www.meganbuness.com

Mark Clifford (percussion) began his studies at the age of 8, and has since blossomed into a versatile performer who is a regular fixture in the Denver musical scene. He is currently a studying under John Kinzie and Eric Gunnison at the Lamont School of Music.

Alix Corboy (Piano) has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music History from Temple University in Philadelphia. She studied privately on the East Coast with Amelia Gigliotti and Yoheved Kaplinsky. Before moving to Denver, she served on the piano faculty at the Settlement Music School. She has a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, where she studied with Theodor Lichtmann and Alice Rybak. Ms. Corboy performs in a variety of venues in the Denver area and is an active collaborative pianist with a number of chamber groups.

Rebekah Durham, 22, began studying the violin at the age of four in her hometown of Midland, Texas. She received her Bachelors of Music degree Magna Cum Laude from the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. Currently pursuing an Artist Diploma and studying with Linda Wang, her former teachers include William Preucil and James Maurer. In 2007, Rebekah won first place in the Lamont Solo Honors Competition and received Lamont's Most Outstanding Junior Recital Award. Most recently, she was the recipient of Lamont's Outstanding Undergraduate Award, and was a participant in the 2008 National Repertory Orchestra. Rebekah is on the 2006-2008 roster of the Colorado Young Musician's Foundation and a graduate of the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

A native of Kankakee, Illinois, Brian Ebert studied music education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1987-1989. Brian earned performance degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder (B.M.) and the University of Denver (M.M.). He has been a music instructor at Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado, since 1997.

As a performer and composer, Brian has had much experience. He played clarinet with the MahlerFest Orchestra from 1998-2000. While at the University of Denver, he served as principal clarinet for the Lamont Symphony Orchestra from 2005-2007. A competent guitarist, singer and songwriter, Brian has played guitar and bass guitar in rock bands since the age of 15. He performed at the Winter Park Folk Festival (2004,2005,2006) and at the Blues from the Top Festival in Granby, Colorado (2005). He has given several recitals featuring original music for clarinet and he continues to compose orchestral, band, and chamber music.

Visit him at www.brianebert.com

Richard von Foerster (Cello) is an active performer in the Denver area, and is currently principal cellist with the Cheyenne (WY) Symphony. Before moving to Denver, he played as principal cellist with the Annapolis (MD) Symphony and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. He has also played with the Toledo (OH) Symphony and the Contemporary Music Forum (Washington DC).

In 2001 Richard finished graduate studies at the Lamont School of Music in cello performance and music theory where he was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Solo Honors Competition, the Chamber Music Competition, the Outstanding Student in Composition, the Outstanding Graduate Student in Academic Achievement, and three Graduate Recitals of Distinction. Richard teaches music theory at the Lamont School of Music while he pursues his Doctorate in Musicology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Conrad "Pan Chen" Kehn is a performer, composer, improviser, educator, writer and artist. He is the founding Director of The Playground; a chamber ensemble dedicated to modern performance.

An award winning composer, Conrad’s style spans all genres touching on electro-acoustic music, multimedia works, graphic scores, aleatory, and experimental rock, but still remains grounded in the western music tradition. His music has been performed across the US including Issue Project Room (NY), Audio Inversions (Austin, TX), Pendulum New Music Series (CU-Boulder), and the Summer New Music Symposium at Colorado College.

Conrad has been spotted on stage with a variety of acts including the sporadically performing improv ensembles Mystery Children & Rhythmic Void, the experimental multimedia ensemble Itchy-O, now defunct rock bands Kallisti and Skull Flux, and of course The Playground.

As a vocalist, Conrad specializes in improvisation, contemporary music, and the use of electronics. Improvisatory collaborations include performances with Wu Fei, Tatsuya Nakatani, James Ilgenfritz, Brandon Vaccaro, Nate Wooley and the ensemble Attack/ Adorn/ Decay. Recent concert hall performances include Bolcom’s Satires, Ligeti’s Nonsense Madrigals, Morton Feldman’s O’Hara Songs, Cowell’s songs for low voice, Rzewski’s Les Moutons de Parnuge and his own compositions.

Conrad holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Commercial Music and Recording Technology from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music (1996). He also has a Master’s Degree in Composition from Lamont (2000) where he was named the Outstanding Graduate Student in Composition and the Outstanding Graduate Student in Commercial Music. His composition instructors include Don Keats, M. Lynn Baker, and Bill Hill. He is currently pursuing an MBA at the Daniels College of Business focusing on Entrepreneurship and Non-profit Management.

Conrad is a lecturer of Music Theory, Composition and Music Technology at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, where he directs the Lamont Composers Concert Series.

Jonathan Leathwood (Classical Guitar/ 10 String Guitar) has come to Denver from his native England. Some of Jonathan's recent recitals include appearances at the Festival di Cervo in Italy, the International Festival of the Classical Guitar at West Dean in the UK, the Nürtingen Festival in Germany, London's Wigmore Hall (with flautist William Bennett), the Almeida Festival, the Cheltenham Festival (with cellist Steven Isserlis), and the Aldeburgh Festival (with the contemporary music group Jane's Minstrels).

He owes the academic and scholarly side of his background to King's College London, from where he graduated in 1991 with First Class Honours and the Purcell Prize for academic achievement. He was later invited back to King's to teach Music Analysis and Techniques of Musical Composition, before eventually moving to the United States in 1998. His principal teachers in guitar have been Gordon Crosskey, Richard Wright, Paul Galbraith, Ricardo Iznaola and the pianist and conductor George Hadjinikos.

Jason Rodon (Percussion/ Timpanist) from Green Bay, Wisconson, received a BFA in Percussion Performance at UW-Milwaukee under the direction of Pavel Burda. While at UWM Mr. Rodon was active in the performance and recording of many contemporary works. He was also the first timpanist to win the annual UWM concerto competition. In April of 2004, Mr. Rodon was invited to play as featured alumnus at UMW in honor of Yehuda Yannay’s academic retirement. Mr. Rodon received his MFA in Percussion Performance at the University of Denver. Currently Mr. Rodon performs and records with the Denver Brass. Mr. Rodon also has performed with the Breckinridge Music Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, and Colorado Wind Ensemble. Internationally he has performed with the Rome Festival Orchestra, and the Aims Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria.