Notes at 9,000: Emerging Artist Series - Music Festival, Music Competition

Welcome to Notes at 9,000

Download 2008 Application/guidelines

Download 2008 poster

MISSION

The mission of Notes at 9,000: Emerging Artist Series is to establish a program where selected musicians with exceptional talent, charisma and motivation can compete. Winners receive mentorship, professional development skills, and opportunities to launch and sustain their musical careers.

CALENDAR -Emerging Artist Series 2008
(please do not apply if you are not available for ALL events)

Application Deadline	Fri, April 4, 2008
Six Finalists Selected	Sat, May 31, 2008
Semi-Finalists Competition (3 winners selected)	Thurs., Aug. 7, 2008 (Open to public and press)
Workshop for Finalists	Fri, Aug. 8, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Winter Park
Recording (Open to 3 winners only)	TBA

NOTES AT 9000: EMERGING ARTIST SERIES
2006 Semi-Finalists

ROB DRABKIN, Acoustic Rock Singer/Songwriter
Rob Drabkin taught himself to play the electric guitar at the age of 11 and later earned a jazz ensemble scholarship to Trinity University in Texas. Rob declined the offer, to pursue a double major in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Spanish, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. His academic sojourn was temporary, for he returned to music with a vengeance, spending six to eight hours a day developing his voice and writing original songs. With a voice reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Damien Rice, his unique guitar stylings and original tunes, he became a sensation in the Denver music scene appearing on stage at Fox Theatre, Swallow Hill, D-Note, Cherry Creek Arts Festival and sharing the stage with local celebrities, Wendy Woo and Nina Storey.

Semifinal Repertoire: Drabkin original songs titled Rise at Sea, Sweet Things, She Comes and Goes, and Off to You.

LIZARY RODRIGUEZ RIOS, Harpist
Chamber performer and soloist, Lizary Rodriguez Rios, has the distinction of being the first Puerto Rican harpist to earn a doctoral degree in music, subsequent to which she earned two postgraduate degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid, Spain. She has performed at numerous venues and festivals in Puerto Rico including the prestigious Casals Festival. An active performer, she toured with Grammy nominated international harp ensemble, HarpFusion, performing in the Czech Republic, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy and Russia. Music is a vehicle through which she shares her own cultural treasures and vision with people all over the world.

Semifinal Repertoire: works by Calvo-Manzano, Glinka and Paganini/Mchedelov

AKIKO SASAKI, Pianist
Kyoto born pianist, Akiko Sasaki, made her Carnegie Debut in April 2006 as Artists International’s Special Presentation Winner. She is a graduate of the University of Denver-Lamont School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Jeffery Cohen. Currently, she studies privately with Julian Martin of the Juilliard School, Miyoko Lotto of NYU and Jose Mendez of University of Texas in Austin. While Ms. Sasaki currently spends most of her time studying and teaching in New York City, she plans on traveling to Japan this summer, where she will be performing.

Semifinal Repertoire: works by De Falla, Prokofiev, and Beethoven.

ALICIA FALL, Singer/Songwriter
Alicia Fall, a songwriter, lyricist, singer and musician, draws from her rich cultural background (Eastern Band Cherokee, Danish, Cuban and Spanish) to weave a rich tapestry of music. Her unique style combines soft rock, Latin, jazz and blues and reflects the embraceable universal truths. Her performances have been heard at Swallow Hill, Denver Performing Arts Complex, Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, Naturally Native Film Release, Independent Film Festival, Denver PowWows, KUVO and KGNU among others. She has also performed benefit concerts on behalf of World Pulse Magazine and the Native Youth Artist for Peace organizations.

Semifinal Repertoire: Fall original songs titled Not to Blame, Headed for Amsterdam, No Unanswered Prayers, Hard to Hold, Watcha Gonna Do? and Many Blessings.

ELIANA MARIA MURPHY, Pianist
Eliana Maria Murphy is currently a scholarship student pursuing a doctoral degree in Piano Performance at the Cincinnati Conservatory. An award-winning pianist, she won the Colorado Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Piano Competition. Eliana Maria has been a serious student of piano pedagogy since the age of five. She attributes her love of music to her mother, a native of El Salvador. In addition to composing original works, Eliana’s mother would sing native songs and even dance the flamenco for her. She counts among her most influential teachers Doris Lehnert, Eugene Pridonoff and Elizabeth Pridonoff.

Semifinal Repertoire: works by J.S. Bach, Chopin and Debussy.

BONNIE DRAINA, Soprano
Bonnie Draina has consistently earned accolades for her excellent vocal technique and musicianship, clear diction and inspired stage presence on both the concert and opera stages. She has appeared in seven productions with the CU Opera including The Rape of Lucretia, L’Elisir d’Amore, Cosi fan Tutte, and The Magic Flute. She recently premiered a song cycle for soprano and string quartet by Lee Hoiby on the Pendulum New Music Series and on Colorado Public Radio’s “Colorado Spotlight.” In 2004, Bonnie received the Todd Duncan Award in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Artist Award Competition.

Semifinal Repertoire: works by Hoiby, Marx and Bernstein.

STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

Amy J. Clark, Executive Director Colorado native, Amy J. Clark, is a graduate of the University of Denver College of Law (J.D.1981) and University of Colorado (B.A. Literature, With Distinction, 1970). Her legal practice has encompassed a broad spectrum of areas from complex commercial and securities litigation to a wide array of pro bono and non-profit representation. Her education and experience have proven invaluable in her work on many executive boards of directors including Winter Park Village Company Master Association, The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, and Notes at 9,000: Emerging Artist Series.

SoYoung Lee, Artistic Director SoYoung Lee received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has held Preparatory Director positions at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory, Millikin University and the Boulder Arts Academy. SoYoung served on the music faculty at Millikin, State University of New York, Fredonia and most recently, served as visiting Piano Pedagogy faculty at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She attended the University of Birmingham and the Birmingham School of Music in England, the University of Southern California and the University of California at Santa Barbara on a full music fellowship. SoYoung is equally at home as performing artist, teacher, and arts administrator.

Kevin Haupt, Administrative Director Wisconsin transplant and outdoor enthusiast, Kevin Haupt, currently resides in Winter Park, Colorado. He says he went there for the winter but he moved there for the summers. Kevin has a varied background in commercial construction management, in addition to his current position as the Property Management Director for Intrawest Hospitality Management Company. He is also the chairperson for both the Winter Park Village Company Master Association Architectural Review Board and the Winter Park Fraser Valley Arts Week Committee. In his free time, he enjoys dabbling in graphic art.

NOTES' WORTHY

Notes at 9,000: Emerging Artist Series premiered its regional program in Grand County, Colorado on August 2004 to serve the arts and culture of this vibrant community. Founding members Amy Clark, SoYoung Lee, and Kyle Harris envisioned a unique competition designed to assist and support gifted musicians, age 18 or older, to effectively launch and sustain their professional careers. Grand County's history of pioneering set a refreshing and appropriate background for the ground-breaking spirit on which EAS was founded. We were proud to have Parade of Homes, the Winter Park-Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce, Intrawest, The Grand Foundation, The Rendezvous Foundation, and Chase Manhattan Mortgage as partnering sponsors for our inaugural year.