BIOS: About
Palisades Virtuosi
Margaret Swinchoski,
flutist, began her musical studies at the age of nine in Vermont. She
graduated with degrees and high honors both in Performing Arts and Music
Education from Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont. She
received her Master of Arts degree from Aaron Copland School of Music at
Queens College. Ms. Swinchoski was a featured soloist at the National
Flute Association Convention in the World Premiere of Leo Kraft’s “From
The Hudson Valley”, recently premiered Richard Lane’s Flute Concerto with
the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra and has appeared as a concerto soloist with many
other orchestras. She was presented in her debut recital by Artists
International at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. She has served as
principal flutist with the Westchester and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestras, and
travels to Ohio each summer to play principal flute with the Lancaster
Festival Orchestra. She was recently honored with an
Outstanding Alumni Award from her alma mater in Vermont. Her solo debut
CD “From The Hudson Valley” was released by Albany Records in 2000 and
garnered rave reviews from “Fanfare” magazine and “American Record
Guide”. Ms. Swinchoski can also be heard on the Newport Classics, CRI
and High Point labels. She is a founding member of the Palisades
Virtuosi.
Donald Mokrynski, clarinetist,
is a native to metropolitan New York and has played with many of the area’s
finest ensembles. Most recently Don was principal clarinetist with
the national tour of “Phantom of the Opera” and with “The Music of
Andrew Lloyd Webber” starring Michael Crawford. Mr. Mokrynski has also
performed with the New Jersey Symphony, the New Haven Symphony, Solisti New
York, and Orchestra New England, as well as the Jersey Lyric, New Haven and
Connecticut Grand Opera Companies. An avid chamber musician, Don has
performed with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and is a founding
member of the Palisades Virtuosi. Graduating with honors from the
Eastman School of Music and completing a master’s degree from the Juilliard
School, Don has also attended the music festivals of Aspen, Waterloo and
Heidelberg and has recorded for Koch International, Soundstream, Elektra and
High Point records.
Ron Levy,
internationally acclaimed pianist, has been called "first-class" by
the New York Times. He regularly appears as a soloist, and in
partnership with many of the world's leading singers and instrumentalists.
A graduate of Oberlin, Mr. Levy is a founding member of the Hudson Trio,
Kaleidoscope, the New World Trio, the Manchester Chamber Players, the
Breucklen Trio and the Award-winning Palisades Virtuosi; he has been pianist
and harpsichordist of the Oberlin Orchestra, the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra,
the New Jersey and North Jersey Philharmonics, the Westchester Symphony, and
the Albany Symphony. Presently he is Associate Artist with the All Seasons
Chamber Players, and is the pianist of the Orpheus Men's Chorus. For
over 20 years, Mr. Levy was associated with the Manchester (VT) Music
Festival, of which he was a faculty and Board member. While living in
Vermont, he was Music Director & Conductor of the Opera Theatre in Weston,
and impresario of the "Third Saturday" chamber music series at the
historic Equinox Hotel, as well as the "Music on the Hill" series at
the Southern Vermont Art Center. A champion of new music, he has been
the recipient of a considerable number of works written for him by prominent
composers. Mr. Levy has taught at numerous colleges, and is currently an
instructor at Montclair State University, Kean University and the Ridgewood
Conservatory; he maintains an active and on-going affiliation with the
Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and NJ PAC. Recently, Mr. Levy
conceived two "mini-festivals," one based on music inspired by the
"Ondine" myth, the other on works by "Les Six," which were
presented by the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center in 2006 & 2007.
In 2008 Mr. Levy played in St. Petersburg, Russia, and at the venerable
Stratford (CA) Summer Music Festival (with Palisades Virtuosi). A
two-term President of the Professional Music Teachers Guild of NJ, he is a
contributing editor to BIM Music Publications, Switzerland. Recordings
by Mr. Levy are available on the Albany, Centaur, Eroica, Koch International,
MMF and High Point labels.
http://www.palisadesvirtuosi.org/
