Known for her skillful musicianship and engaging character work, New York and Boston-based soprano Sophie Berman has captivated audiences all over the country. Throughout her musical career, Berman has studied and performed pieces from a variety of musical eras, allowing her to explore the versatility of her voice within the classical realm. She earned her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the DePauw School of Music in Greencastle, IN, studying under Caroline Smith and André Campelo. Berman is currently completing her M.M. in Vocal Studies at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, studying under Carol Mastrodomenico.
Brian Bartling is a lutenist and guitarist based in Providence, RI. Initially drawn to music through the string bass and the guitar, Brian later gravitated to the sonic possibilities of historical plucked instruments. He initially studied the classical guitar with Douglas Niedt, went on to study the Renaissance and Baroque lute with Doug Freundlich, and received further instruction on the lute from Nigel North and Anton Birula. In addition, Brian holds a graduate degree in Music Theory from the New England Conservatory of Music. Brian performs regularly with ensembles and as a soloist, with a special concentration on the extant literature for the Baroque lute and 19th century music written for the romantic guitar.
Noriko Yasuda began her career in Osaka Japan as an accompanist with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and Osaka College of Music Opera House. In that capacity she worked with Seiji Ozawa, Toru Takemitsu, Henri Dutilleux, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa and Alfred Kraus, among others. An active vocal coach and accompanist in the Boston area, she has worked with Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Baroque, Handel and Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, Chorus Pro Musica, New England String Ensemble, La Donna Musicale, Landmarks Orchestra and Tapestry Vocal Ensemble. Currently, she is a member of the faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College. She is the principal coach at Opera North, NH, and staff accompanist/coach at Brandeis University. In 2009 she received the George Seaman Excellence in Teaching Awards from Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Guinevere Conner, viola da gamba, is currently working towards completing her dual Masters of Music degrees in Historical Performance at the Longy School of Music studying with Anne Trout on baroque bass and Jane Hershey on viola da gamba. She performs in numerous ensembles at Longy, Berklee, and Harvard. This past season she also performed with the Arcadia Players, Eudaimonia, Masterworks Chorale, and Emmanuel Music. This coming summer she is excited to attend the Oregon Bach Festival Berwick Academy and the American Bach Soloists Academy in San Francisco.
Collaborative pianist Noah Stone prioritizes emotional expression and interpersonal connection in their chamber music, coaching, and solo performance. From the rehearsal room to the stage, Noah aims to work with their collaborators to bring joy and catharsis to audiences. Noah holds a Bachelors in Piano Performance from Florida State University and a Masters in Piano Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where they studied with Spencer Myer. Currently, they are studying with Eri Nakamura and pursuing their Graduate Performance Diploma in Collaborative Piano at Longy, where they are the Jane and Neil Pappalardo Longy Fund Scholar. In their spare time, Noah enjoys running, 70s rock music, and spending time at the beach (with plenty of sunscreen).
