Advisory
Board
Painting by Lory Williams Winford
JAMES CAMPBELL | Artistic Advisor
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JAMES CAMPBELL has been called “Canada’s pre-eminent clarinetist and wind soloist, by the Toronto Star, "Canada's premiere clarinetist" by the Ottawa Citizen and “a national treasure” by the CBC. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in over 35countries with over 60 orchestras including the Boston Pops, Montreal Symphony and the London Symphony.
He has collaborated with Glenn Gould and Aaron Copland and toured with over 35 string quartets, including the Guarneri, Amadeus (when he replaced an ailing Benny Goodman on a tour of California) and Vermeer. Of his over 40 recordings, the BBC and The Times of London rated his recording of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet as the best available and his CD “Stolen Gems” (Marquis Records) won a Juno.
He has been named Canada’s Artist of the Year, awarded the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medal, an Honorary Doctor of Laws, the Order of Canada and has recently been inducted into the CBC’s Classical Music Hall of Fame.
James Campbell has been Artistic Director of the Festival of the Sound since 1985and was Professor of Music at the famed Jacobs School of Music, of Indiana University from 1988-2019.He regularly gives masterclasses throughout the world and is a Conn-Selmer Artist
James Campbell · Artistic Advisor
Robert Chase · Artistic Advisor
ROGER CHASE | Artistic Advisor
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Born in London, ROGER CHASE studied at the Royal College of Music with Bernard Shore and in Canada with Steven Staryk, also working for a short time with the legendary Lionel Tertis.
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He made his debut with the English Chamber Orchestra in 1979, and has since played as a soloist or chamber musician in major cities throughout the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Middle East, India, most of Eastern and all of Western Europe, Scandinavia and South Africa.
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He was a member of many ensembles including the Nash Ensemble for more than 20 years, the London Sinfonietta , the Esterhazy Baryton Trio, the Quartet of London, Hausmusik of London, and the London Chamber Orchestra, and has been invited to play as principal viola with many major British orchestras and others in North America and Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
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He has recorded for EMI, CRD, Hyperion, Cala, Virgin, Dutton, Centaur, Naxos and Floating Earth Records, demonstrating his diverse interests by playing with a folk group on an amplified viola, as a soloist on an authentic instrument and as an exponent of the avant-garde.
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Mr. Chase has taught in the UK at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School and the Royal Northern College of Music. He has been a professor at Oberlin College, and currently teaches at Roosevelt University in Chicago and at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.
SETH DAGER | Marketing Advisor
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Born in Fort Wayne, SETH DAGER graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Communications & Culture, French and Western European Cultural Studies. Having made his career in advertising as a creative and content director, he has worked for a number of iconic brands across fashion, film and consumer goods in Paris, London and New York.
Seth is currently a Creative Director at HelloFresh in New York City where he resides with his husband Eric.
Seth Dager · Marketing Advisor
LAWRENCE NEUMAN | Artistic Advisor
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LAWRENCE NEUMAN has been a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1991. Before coming to Chicago he was violist with the Miami String Quartet. As a chamber musician he frequently is heard throughout the Chicago area and has performed across the United States and in Europe. He has appeared at festivals and chamber music series in Boston, Marlboro, La Jolla, Madison, Napa, Portland and Davenport. Chamber music collaborators have included such artists as Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Lydia Artymiw, Gil Shaham and Aaron Rosand.
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During the 1998-99 season Neuman took a leave of absence from the CSO to serve as principal viola of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. For several years he has taught viola and chamber music at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
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A native of Saint Louis, Missouri, Neuman attended the Eastman School of Music, the University of Southern California and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and he was a student of Heidi Castleman, Donald McInnes and Robert Vernon.
Lawrence Neuman · Artistic Advisor
FUTABA NIEKAWA | Artistic Advisor
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Known for her verve and sensitivity, Japanese pianist FUTABA NIEKAWA pushes the boundaries of her artistry as a soloist and collaborative pianist across genres and disciplines. She has performed throughout the United States, Canada, England, Spain, Taiwan, and Japan and to date has released five recordings (PARMA Recordings, Petrichor Records) and her live performances have been recorded for radio broadcast.
In demand as a collaborative pianist, Niekawa has performed with Atar Arad, James Campbell, Charles Castleman, Gabriele Ragghianti, and the members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra among others. She has been engaged as a collaborative pianist at the Banff Centre, New England Conservatory, Meadowmount School of Music, and the IU Summer String Academy. Praised as “a beautifully balanced duo” by Gramophone Magazine, Niekawa’s long-term duo partnership with violinist Kerry DuWors, duo526, has led to numerous performances, recordings, and artist residencies at the Banff Centre and Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Niekawa’s passion for multi-disciplinary collaboration and performing music of her generation have developed into artistic partnerships with composers, dancers, poets, and visual artists. In her leisure-time she plays free-improvisation.
Niekawa is currently a Lecturer in Music (Chamber and Collaborative Music) at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. She earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music. Her dedication to pedagogy, mentoring, and performance practice is shown through workshops at duo526’s annual Sonata Seminar, and invitations as a guest teacher at universities across North America.
Futaba Niekawa · Artistic Advisor