Joseph Horowitz is an author, concert producer, and teacher. He is one of the most prominent and widely published writers on topics in American music. As an orchestral administrator and advisor, he has been a pioneering force in the development of thematic programming and new concert formats. Horowitz was a New York Times music critic (1976–80) before becoming executive director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. During his 1990s tenure, the BPO was reconceived as a “humanities institution,” producing thematic, cross-disciplinary festivals in collaboration with schools and museums. In 2003, Horowitz cofounded PostClassical Ensemble, an experimental chamber orchestra based in Washington, D.C.; he serves as executive producer. Horowitz is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, New York University, and Columbia University, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation from the Czech Parliament. Learn more by clicking the link icon below!

Hailed as "killer" by the New York Times, David Taylor started his playing career as a member of Leopold Stowkowski's American Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded with Duke Ellington (The New Orleans Suite), The Rolling Stones, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Mr. Taylor has recorded four solo albums (Koch, New World, and DMP) and has presented numerous recitals throughout the world. He has appeared as a soloist with the St. Lukes Chamber Orchestra , The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Caramoor Festival Orchestra, The NY Chamber Symphony, The Basil Sinfonietta, The Adelaide Philharmonic, and The Group for Contemporary Music among others. Mr. Taylor has won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Most Valuable Player Award for five consecutive years, the most it could be awarded and has been awarded the NARAS Most Valuable Player Virtuoso Award, an honor accorded no other bass trombonist. He has appeared and recorded chamber music with Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Wynton Marsalis. Throughout his career, David Taylor has appeared and recorded with many major jazz and popular artists including Barbara Streisand, Miles Davis, Quincey Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin. Learn more about David by clicking the link icon below.

Cellist Nan-Cheng Chen’s performance was described as “personable and smile-inducing” and “fine playing” by Washington Post and “Beautiful Tone” by New York Concert Reviews. A chamber music enthusiast, Nan-Cheng is the executive director and co-founder of the New Asia Chamber Music Society and was a member of Sonic Escape trio. As a soloist, Nan-Cheng has collaborated with Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Metro-West Symphony, Quincy Symphony and Symphony Pro Musica, and has toured North American, South America, Europe and Asia. His recent highlight include debuts with National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan and Taipei Symphony Orchestra. Nan-Cheng’s festival participations includes Banff Centre Residency, Sarasota Music Festival, Heifetz Institute, Encore School for Strings, and Kneisel Hall. He was a guest-performing artist at Chautauqua Summer Music Festival, a Kaplan Fellow at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and served as a teaching artist at the Annual Music Festival of Walnut Hill. As a music educator, Nan-Cheng has given cello masterclasses at Penn State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Calgary as well as universities in Panama, Colombia and Taiwan. Nan-Cheng holds a B.M. and M.M. from The Juilliard School, and is enrolled as a doctoral candidate at CUNY Graduate Center. He taught at CUNY Queens College and now serves as a full-time college music faculty in New York.