Harker Concert Series

A professional musician from the age of 16, Kirsten Edkins is a performer, bandleader, teacher, studio musician and accomplished recording artist. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Edkins has been a glowing fixture of the Los Angeles music scene for the past decade and a half. She has been a member of several Grammy Award-winning bands including the Bill Holman Big Band, John Daversa Band, John Beasley’s MONK’estra and the late composer Johnny Mandel’s band. Her television appearances include American Idol, The Late, Late Show, The Tonight Show and The Voice. As a performer in her own right, she has toured the U.S., Canada, South America and the Caribbean. Her first album, “Art & Soul,” featuring original compositions and collaboration with noted artists (Bob Sheppard, Larry Goldings), reached the top 15 on Jazz Week’s radio play charts. Her current release, Shapes and Sound (CoHearent Records) continues her exploration of her original voice and exquisite craft. As an educator, Edkins has taught at institutions like the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, the Bill Green Mentorship Program of the Los Angeles Jazz Society, the Monterey Jazz Camp and traveled the country to do guest artist appearances at several colleges such as Eastman and Butler University. In all of this, Edkins draws on her musical heroes, Eddie Harris, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, among others, and combines that inspiration with a desire to use music to empower, enrich and encourage players and lovers of music.

Hailed as “superb” and “imaginative, skillful creators” by the New York Times, the Calder Quartet explores a broad spectrum of repertoire, striving to fulfill the composer’s vision in their performances. Winners of the prestigious 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant, they are widely known for the discovery, commissioning, recording and mentoring of some of today’s best emerging composers. Recent highlights include Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Disney Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Salzburg Festival, and the Sydney Opera House. The quartet has appeared on the late night talks shows of David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, and Craig Ferguson and had radio appearances on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Performance Today, WQXR New York, KUSC Los Angeles, Colorado Public Radio and NPR. In 2011 the Calder Quartet launched a non-profit dedicated to furthering its efforts in commissioning, presenting, recording, and education, collaborating with the Getty Museum, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the Barbican Centre in London. The quartet formed at USC’s Thornton School of Music and continued studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music with Ronald Leonard, and at The Juilliard School, receiving the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music Studies as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet. The quartet regularly conducts master classes and has taught at the Colburn School, Oberlin, The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Cincinnati College Conservatory and USC's Thornton School of Music.

The Tropicales bring a 1950s Caribbean hotel party to life with torrid horns, tropical rhythms and infectious grooves. With a nod to New Orleans’ history as the northernmost port of the Caribbean, The Tropicales perform music from Trinidad and Venezuela, Martinique and Guadeloupe, and other destinations along the archipelago.

A fixture of the Crescent City's traditional jazz and Frenchmen Street scene, The Tropicales entertain regularly at festivals and clubs around the city. Frontman Charlie Halloran has released five albums under his own name, and made countless records alongside U2, Rickie Lee Jones, Trombone Shorty, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, John Boutte, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Pokey Lafarge and Luke Winslow King. Additionally, Charlie’s horn is in the background on plenty of episodes of NCIS New Orleans, Treme, and other films and television programs produced in New Orleans. Charlie is a familiar face to everyone at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where he often performs more than 10 times a year alongside traditional jazz legends, plus Jon Cleary, Allen Toussaint, Calexico, the O'Jays, Irma Thomas, and many more.

Violinist Nancy Zhou’s reputation for “virtuosity matched by tonal flexibility” (Broadway World) has been forged through collaborations with many of the world’s top orchestras. As a soloist, she has performed Zhao Jiping’s first violin concerto at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and premiered Unsuk Chin’s “Gran Cadenza” alongside violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. Zhou attended the New England Conservatory of Music, concurrently studying literature at Harvard University. Her many accomplishments include winning first prize at the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition.

Pianist Serena Wang (Wang Yalun) appeared with the New York Philharmonic as part of their 2024 Lunar New Year celebration concert. She has played Shostakovich’s Concerto No.1 with the Shanghai Symphony, and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. In 2020 the China Philharmonic toured Eastern Europe with Wang as soloist. Wang began her undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School with Robert McDonald. In fall 2024 she entered the Curtis Institute of Music to continue her studies with McDonald.

The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.

Chanticleer’s repertoire is rooted in the Renaissance, and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, popular music, and a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements.

Julia Rowe trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School. After school she joined Oregon Ballet Theatre and was promoted to the soloist rank shortly thereafter. In 2013, she joined San Francisco Ballet, and was promoted to soloist in 2016. Rowe has performed a wide variety of classical and contemporary repertory, include many principal roles, throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia and has originated featured roles in many works.

Born in South Korea, Jonah Kim was awarded full scholarship to The Juilliard School’s pre-college division at age 7 and enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music at 11. Kim defines a truly American school of cello by reconciling the Italian, German, Russian, Franco-Spanish and Hungarian lineages. He has soloed with the National Symphony, Atlantic Classical Orchestra, Festival Mozaic Orchestra, Palm Beach Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Stanford Philharmonia, Spokane Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, and many more.

Rowe and Kim have created a series of dance music videos; their work is featured on many popular online forums including the string magazine Violinist. com and the UK-based arts station ClassicFM.

For more than 30 years, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra (SJCO) has developed a reputation for presenting exciting music that reflects the diversity and eclecticism of the South Bay. Founded in 1991 by music director Barbara Day Turner, the ensemble has established itself as both world-class performers of works by noted composers (including Hyo-shin Na, Clarice Assad and Joel Friedman) and a place where young up-and-coming artists are given the opportunity to collaborate with established performers and composers. Under Turner’s direction, SJCO has premiered more than 200 works, including six American operas. It is also a frequent collaborator with local organizations such as sjDANCEco and The Choral Project, and more recently the group commissioned 11 new works for RESPONSEWORKS, a project featuring composers’ musical interpretations of the many turbulent events of 2020.

Known to the wider music world for his performance on art-pop icon David Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar,” saxophonist Donny McCaslin is a Grammy-nominated composer and bandleader who has released more than a dozen albums of original music. Born in Santa Cruz, McCaslin first found music at age 12 and performed with this father, a vibraphonist, in his teens, making multiple appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival by the time he had reached high school. He moved to New York City after attending Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. While performing as a soloist for the Mara Schneider Orchestra, he was noticed by Bowie, who hired McCaslin’s quartet to help realize Bowie’s vision for “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s subsequent album, “Blow,” showcased the influence of his collaboration with Bowie, bringing together elements of jazz and alternative rock.

Grammy-Award winning drummer, composer and bandleader Jared Schonig has toured and/or recorded internationally with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Donny McCaslin, Darcy James Argue and Secret Society, The 8-Bit Big Band, Miho Hazama and m_Unit and Ernie Watts, among others. A favorite among vocalists, Schonig has toured with Grammy Award-winners Kurt Elling, The New York Voices, Kristen Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo and singer/songwriter Donna Lewis. He has performed around the world from Carnegie Hall to festivals in Zimbabwe. Schonig co-led The Wee Trio, which released five albums, garnering praise from respected publications such as Downbeat and All About Jazz. He recorded two solo albums of original music to be released in fall 2021. He recently held the drum chair for the critically acclaimed Tony, Grammy and Emmy-award winning Broadway revival of “The Color Purple” and is currently playing drums and percussion for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

Since forming in 2006, the Emerald Brass Quintet (EBQ) has gained recognition as a dynamic and virtuosic collection of performers and educators. They recently released their debut album, “Danzón,” on Albany Records. Established by graduate student colleagues at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, EBQ has performed with the world-renowned Canadian Brass and Eastman Wind Ensemble and presented clinics across the country. EBQ was a featured guest on the Gualala Arts Center Concert Series and WXXI 91.5’s "Backstage Pass" and was featured at the 2009 Brass in Frankenwald festival in Hof, Germany. Members of the EBQ are current faculty members at Utah State University, Ball State University, University of Hawaii, Santa Clara University and East Tennessee State University. As individuals, they have performed from the concert halls of Thailand and southeast Asia to Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room, and with orchestras in Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Madison, Honolulu, Rochester, Syracuse and San Jose.

Since their formation in 2013, New York’s Bohemian Trio has made a career of weaving far-flung sounds into a fascinating tapestry that the “Wall Street Journal” hailed as “the sweet spot sought by many contemporary composers, especially in New York, grounded more in creativity than genre.” The members of this unique piano-sax-cello combo each have many awards and recognitions to their name, including a Grammy nomination and honors from several international competitions.

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Over a career spanning nearly 20 years, Vancouver-born Laila Biali has established herself as one of jazz’s brightest vocal talents, confirmed earlier this year when her 2018 self-titled album received the JUNO award for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” Her work has also been praised by DownBeat magazine, who named her 2011 album “Live in Concert” one of that year’s best albums. As a vocalist, she has toured with Chris Botti, Suzanne Vega, Paula Cole and Sting, and in 2017 was invited to host CBC Music’s “Saturday Night Jazz” radio show.

Laila participated in our special virtual 20-21 season, chatting live with attendees before rebroadcasting her previous HCS appearance.

Taylor Eigsti has appeared four times at the HCS, as well as in a live chat during our 20-21 virtual season. The Menlo Park native and New York-based Eigsti started playing the piano when he was four and was quickly labeled a prodigy. He has since released seven albums as a bandleader and appeared on over 50 albums as a sideman. Eigsti has garnered multiple individual Grammy Award nominations for his work as a recording artist and composer, including Best Instrumental Composition and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. He co-wrote a featured composition with Don Cheadle for the 2017 Grammy-winning soundtrack to the motion picture “Miles Ahead,” and composed the theme music to the motion picture "Detachment" (2011) starring Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, collaborating on the score with The Newton Brothers. Eigsti has been featured numerous times in various television specials, NPR appearances and commercials, and this was featured on a television special with Chris Botti for PBS’s “Great Performances.”

Taylor Eigsti participated in our special virtual 20-21 season, chatting live with attendees before rebroadcasting his previous HCS appearance.

The Miró Quartet is one of the world’s most celebrated and dedicated string quartets, having been labeled by The New Yorker as “furiously committed” and noted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer for their “exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity.” They have appeared twice at the HCS. Based in Austin, Texas, and thriving on the area’s storied music scene, the Miró takes pride in finding new ways to communicate with audiences of all backgrounds while honoring the longstanding tradition of chamber music. Formed in 1995, the Miró Quartet was awarded first prize at several national and international competitions, including the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Naumburg Chamber Music Competition. Since 2003 the Miró has served as the Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Texas at Austin’s Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music.

Coming together for a rare West Coast appearance, the Eastman Jazz Quartet featured four experienced and respected instructors from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music: pianist Harold Danko, trumpeter Clay Jenkins, bassist Jeff Campbell and drummer Rich Thompson. The members’ performance backgrounds include stints with legends such as Chet Baker, Tito Puente, James Williams, Buddy Rich and the Count Basie Orchestra. In addition to their work as performers and educators, quartet members have appeared on acclaimed recordings such as “Chet Baker in Tokyo,” “CrossWeave” by the Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins Ensemble and “Stop-Start” by Trio East, a group featuring three of the quartet’s members.

Violinist Jessica Lee, who picked up the instrument at just 3 years old, garnered national attention in her youth after being featured in LIFE magazine. Since then, she has become far more than a one-off sensation, performing extensively worldwide and developing a reputation as a top-flight soloist, chamber musician and orchestra member. Among her many career highlights are her European solo debut at the Rudolfinum in Prague and her solo performance with the Malaysia Festival Orchestra at the Sultan of Malaysia’s birthday gala. In 2006, she performed as a member of the Johannes String Quartet, who joined the Guarneri Quartet on their farewell tour. Her many orchestral performances include appearances with the Minot Symphony Orchestra, Long Bay Symphony, Stamford Symphony and Modesto Symphony.

Jessica participated in our special virtual 20-21 season, chatting live with attendees before rebroadcasting her previous HCS appearance.

With their recent residency at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Afiara has enjoyed a career as one of classical music's most revered young quartets, winning the Young Canadian Musicians Award, the Concert Artist Guild International Competition, top honors at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and more. Their pedigree as musicians has led to performances at top venues including Carnegie Hall, London's Wigmore Hall and the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This concert featured an octet with Harker's own string quartet joining Afiara on stage, the culmination of Afiara's three-day residency with the school.

The Respect Sextet formed in 2001 and has since garnered much critical acclaim for its improvisational, freeform stylings that are an amalgam of many different genres. The New York Times described the group thus: “The Respect Sextet stamps ambitious music with a smart-alecky affect, ranging broadly from the antic to the deadpan." Playing traditional instruments as well as toys, the group is one in which, as they describe it, "the serious, heady, and intellectual mingle with the light, comic, and absurd."