Mr. Castagner made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2002-2003 season as the First Prisoner in FIDELIO and returned to the stage during the 2003-2004 season as the Second Watchman in DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN.

Formed in 2005, the Escher String Quartet has attracted the attention of numerous artists who immediately admired the young ensemble for their individual sound, bold artistic decisions and unique cohesiveness.

With her naturally rich, distinctive sound and luminous stage presence characterized by poise and integrity, Finnish mezzo-soprano Monica Groop enjoys a multi-faceted career combining operatic, recital, symphonic and chamber music engagements with a discography of critically acclaimed recordings.

Since making her international debut at age 12, violinist Viviane Hagner has won exceptional praise for her substantial and beautiful sound, highly intelligent musicality and passionate artistry. As well as bringing insight and virtuosity to the core concerto repertoire, she is an ardent advocate of new, neglected and undiscovered music.

Pianist Benjamin Hochman has achieved widespread acclaim for his performances as orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. An imaginatively mature artist, Mr. Hochman's innate ability to combine beauty of line within the overall shape of a piece sets him apart from other young pianists.

One of the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from Finland today, Juho Pohjonen has attracted great attention as one of the Nordic country's most intriguing and talented pianists.

Mr. Kirshbaum enjoys exploring the riches of chamber music and has collaborated with numerous musicians including Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson and the Juilliard and Tokyo String Quartets.

These three distinguished artists met and performed together for the first time at the Aspen Music Festival. After an evening of string trios to a sold out audience, they were greeted with an immediate and prolonged standing ovation. At that time the three artists made the decision to tour together in North America as their schedule allowed.

A shimmering soprano with enchanting stage presence, Heidi Grant Murphy is one of the outstanding vocal talents of her generation. She has established a reputation not only for her radiant musicianship and impeccable vocal technique, but also for her warm personality and generosity of spirit.

Since its inception, the Orion String Quartet has been consistently praised for the fresh perspective and individuality it brings to performances, offering diverse programs that juxtapose classic works of the standard quartet literature with masterworks by living composers.

Formed in 1985, the Quatuor Mosaïques is the most prominent period-instrument quartet performing today. The ensemble has been praised for their atypical decision to use gut-stringed instruments which, combined with their celebrated musicianship, has cultivated a unique sound for the group.

During the next few seasons, the focus of Mr. Schiff's orchestral activities will be conducting programs of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart from the keyboard.

Named one of the "10 Brightest New Stars for 2007" by BBC Music Magazine, Scottish conductor Garry Walker is widely recognized for the intense rapport he creates with musicians and audiences as well as his thoughtful and wide ranging programs.

The elegant artistry of Nathaniel Webster has earned the baritone a distinguished international reputation on operatic, concert and recital stages. In addition, Mr. Webster remains committed to the study of art song and chamber music repertoire.

In the summer of 2003, the ensemble, formerly known as the NAC Chamber Players, performed at the Ravinia, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Tivoli (Denmark) and Musica Mundi (Belgium) Festivals, as well as the Festival of the Sound and Domaine Forget in its native Canada, all to great critical acclaim.

Equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, pedagogue and chamber musician, Pinchas Zukerman is indeed a master of our time.

Founded in 1874 by a group of visionary Jewish leaders, the 92nd Street Y has grown into a wide-ranging cultural, educational and community center serving people of all races, faiths and backgrounds. The 92nd Street Y's mission is to enrich the lives of the over 300,000 people who visit each year--both in person and through Live from NY's 92nd Street YTM, the Y's satellite broadcast program. The organization's East Side headquarters (1395 Lexington Avenue) and West Side outpost, the Steinhardt Building (35 West 67th Street), home of the Makor® and Daytime@(TM) programs, offer comprehensive performing arts, film and spoken word events; courses in the humanities, the arts, personal development and Jewish culture; activities and workshops for children, teenagers and parents; and health and fitness programs for people of every age. Committed to making its programs available to everyone, the 92nd Street Y awards over $1 million in scholarships annually and reaches out to 7,000 public school children through fully-subsidized arts education programs. For more information, please visit http://www.92Y.org/. 92nd Street Y Arts Center | Public Relations TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VISIT www.92Y.org/classical or call 212-415-5500

The Dublin International Piano Competition was inaugurated in 1988. A triennial event, the Competition has grown in stature, and now ranks with the most important such international events, not least for its generous first prize monies, but more importantly for the prestigious list of engagements. These include debut recitals in London, New York, appearances at international festivals and concerts with leading orchestras.

Founded in Cleveland in 1975, the Cleveland International Piano Competition has supported some of the world's most promising young pianists for 30 years and presents the largest cash prize of any contest of its kind worldwide, known as the Mixon First Prize in honor of its sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. A. Malachi Mixon III. The finalists are given the unique opportunity to perform piano concertos with the renowned Cleveland Orchestra. The Competition is sponsored by the Piano International Association of Northern Ohio (PIANO), and strives to help preserve music for future generations.

Throughout its 27-year history, the Emerson String Quartet has garnered an international reputation for groundbreaking chamber music projects and correlated recordings for Deutsche Grammophon.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Israel's oldest and most influential cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1936, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has dedicated itself to presenting the world's greatest music to audiences in Israel and around the world. Founded by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra represents the fulfillment of his dream "to unite the desire of the country for an orchestra with the desire of the Jewish musicians for a country." Huberman spent countless hours persuading first-chair musicians of Eastern European and German orchestras, who had lost their jobs as a result of Nazism, to immigrate to Palestine. In doing so, Huberman created an "orchestra of soloists" which, under the esteemed leadership of Zubin Mehta, continues to absorb new immigrants and serve as a gathering point for musicians from all over the world.

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A proponent of contemporary works, Mr. Spano has reinstated regular performances of 20th and 21st century repertoire including Jennifer Higdon's City Scape, which is the ASO's first commission in six years, as well as world premieres of ASO-commissioned works.

Thierry Lancino has been awarded the prestigious commission from the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress (2007) for which he writes a Requiem including an original text by Pascal Quignard, (Goncourt Prize 2002). The world premiere of this evening long work is with the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in Paris, salle Pleyel (January 2010).

Founded in 1972 from a desire to assist young pianists, The Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition has become a major competition worldwide and provides a stepping stone for musicians during their formative years. The Paloma O'Shea functions not just as a piano competition but also as a piano festival featuring over 50 performances opened to the city. 2009 marked the 16th competition, drawing contestants from around the globe.

Twenty-four Chopin etudes reflected in concert & cuisine, created and performed by pianist Evelyne Brancart.

Hailed by the Seattle Times as "the best thing to come out of Macedonia since Alexander the Great," Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski has established himself as one of the most remarkable young musicians to have emerged in recent years, performing with many of the world's greatest orchestras and delighting audiences worldwide.