Bio Category: 2425 brandy chicago

ALAN CHOO

Violinist Alan Choo, whose performances have been described by The Straits Times Singapore as “an intoxicating brew of poetry and dare-devilry,” appears on the global stage as a leading soloist, chamber musician and historical specialist. He made his solo debut with Apollo’s Fire at the Tanglewood and Ravinia Music Festivals in 2017, and currently serves as Concertmaster and Assistant Artistic Director for the ensemble. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Red Dot Baroque, Singapore’s first professional period ensemble and Ensemble-in-Residence at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. In May 2019, he was invited as guest concertmaster and soloist with the Shanghai-based baroque ensemble, Shanghai Camerata. He has also appeared as a soloist with the FVG Orchestra (Italy), St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers and more.

Alan is the recipient of the Early Music Award 2016 from Peabody Conservatory, the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence 2015, the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award 2014, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music 2014 and 1st prize in the National Piano and Violin Competition 2011, Artist Category. He has also given masterclasses and lectures in violin performance, performance practice and stage presence to college students at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Michigan State University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bowling Green State University, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Alan holds a Doctorate in Historical Performance from Case Western Reserve University, as well as degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. His teachers include Julie Andrijeski, Risa Browder, Victor Danchenko and Alexander Souptel. His solo debut album with Apollo’s Fire, the complete Mystery Sonatas of Heinrich Biber, was released on AVIE Records in 2024 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Classical chart.

WEBSITE

NICOLE DIVALL

Nicole Divall is one of the most versatile musicians of her generation, performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader on both modern and period instruments. A prizewinner in the 1997 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, she has performed at numerous festivals in the Americas and with various ensembles, including Apollo’s Fire. In 2005 she returned to her home country to join the Australian Chamber Orchestra, a position which she held for 16 years. Nicole is a graduate of the Canberra School of Music and the University of Michigan, and completed the Emerson Quartet Graduate String Quartet Program at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut.

CALEB HUDSON

Uniting virtuosity and musical sensitivity, Caleb Hudson has carved out a unique space in the world of classical trumpet. A long-standing member of the esteemed Canadian Brass for over a decade, he has captivated international audiences. Caleb, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, earned both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. The New York Times has praised his artistry as “brilliantly stylish.”

In March 2024 Hudson releases his debut solo album “Nothing Less,” a testament to the art of ensemble-driven dialogue. Featuring a distinct blend of solo trumpet, violin, cello, flute, and clarinet, the music allows virtuosity and collaboration to intermingle seamlessly. The album introduces fresh compositions by Remy Le Boeuf, Kyle Athayde, and Caleb Hudson himself, while also offering innovative takes on classics by Corelli and Philip Glass.

Caleb is acclaimed for his renditions of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, which he performs on both the modern piccolo trumpet and the historical baroque trumpet. This expertise has enabled solo engagements with renowned ensembles such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, and Philharmonia Baroque.

Caleb co-founded “Triple Cortado,” an innovative trio featuring Canadian Brass trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos and virtuosic pianist Ahmed Alom. This reimagined piano trio explores a diverse range of new compositions and arrangements, pushing the boundaries of brass chamber music.

Beyond performance, Caleb is deeply committed to expanding the brass repertoire. A prolific arranger and composer, his works are often performed by Canadian Brass. His original composition, “White Rose Elegy,” debuted at Lincoln Center, performed by the New York Philharmonic Principal Brass.

Caleb’s contributions also extend to educational literature; he was the recording artist for the groundbreaking Suzuki Trumpet School, Volume I. He credits his artistic growth to mentors such as Richard Byrd, Vincent DiMartino, Ken Larson, Raymond Mase, Mark Gould, and John Thiessen.

Currently, Caleb serves as the Associate Professor of Trumpet at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. He has previously taught at the University of North Texas and Colorado State University, where his students have achieved professional success in both academic and performance realms. Deeply grateful for the opportunities and insights his musical journey has provided, Caleb is committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians.

Rooted in a deep faith in Christ, Caleb resides in Texas with his wife, Amanda, and their three children.

WEBSITE

MIN-YOUNG KIM

Violinist Min-Young Kim is a founding member of the Daedalus Quartet. She has toured extensively with Musicians from Marlboro, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and has also collaborated in festivals and performances with members of the Juilliard, Guarneri, Cleveland, Takács and Vermeer Quartets. An advocate for music of our time, Ms. Kim enjoys working closely with composers and has premiered and performed many new works. In early music, she has performed and recorded on the baroque violin with Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra and New York Collegium. A graduate of Harvard University and the Juilliard School, Ms. Kim teaches violin and chamber music at the University of Pennsylvania, and was formerly on the faculty of Columbia University and the School for Strings in New York. Her major teachers include Donald Weilerstein, Robert Mann and Shirley Givens.

DEBRA NAGY

Praised for her “dazzling technique and soulful expressiveness,” (Rocky Mountain News), and a musical approach that’s “distinctly sensual…pliant, warm, and sweet,” (New York Times), Debra Nagy is one of North America’s leading performers on the baroque oboe. She is principal oboe with Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society and performs with ensembles around the country including the American Bach Soloists, Apollo’s Fire, Boston Early Music Festival, and others. Passionate about chamber music, Debra is the founder/director of Les Délices (whose debut recording was named “One of the Top Ten Early Music Discoveries of 2009”) and also performs late-medieval music as a regular guest with Boston’s acclaimed Blue Heron and Chicago’s Newberry Consort. Debra has received many awards for her creative and scholarly pursuits including first-prize in the American Bach Soloists Young Artists Competition, a 2009 Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a 2010 Creative Workforce Fellowship from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. She has recorded over 30 CDs with repertoire ranging from 1300-1800 and has had live performances featured on the radio across the U.S., Canada, and in Europe.

Debra’s passion for unearthing little-known masterpieces caused the New York Times to dub Les Délices “an early music group with an avant-garde appetite,” adding, “concerts and CDs by Les Délices are journeys of discovery.” Inspired by a creative process that brings together research, composition in historical styles, improvisation, and artistic collaboration, highlights of Debra’s recent projects have included critically-acclaimed multimedia productions of Machaut’s medieval masterpiece Remede de Fortune and music from the recently-discovered Leuven Songbook (c. 1470). Her Baroque-Jazz crossover program, Songs without Words (‘successful, risk-taking music!” – The Whole Note) has not only expanded the repertoire for her instrument but also challenged accepted notions about period instruments (CD released by Navona Recordings, 2018). She eagerly anticipates the premiere performances of The White Cat, a fairytale-based pastiche Baroque opera for singers and chamber ensemble with puppetry and projections that brings to life Aesop’s Fables and Marie-Catherine D’Aulnoy’s 1690s feminist fairytale in April 2022 (postponed from April 2020 due to the Covid crisis).

Recent social unrest and the restrictions of the COVID-19 Pandemic have inspired several new projects. Debra reimagined Les Délices’ traditional concert series for the virtual space and safely recorded 6 different programs for broadcast during their 2020-21 season. One reviewer described the first program as, “in a word: sensational!” and another recognized “[Les Délices] raises the bar for streaming events that have fairly taken over since the pandemic halted live performing arts. At a most challenging time Les Délices embarks on a creative adventure to extend its audience beyond their in-person performances rather than an alternative to them. The modest ticket price is a cultural gift.”

At the same time, Debra created a bi-weekly web series variety show for early music called SalonEra. A salon experience for the 21st century, SalonEra stays timely and relevant in introducing a wide range of artists and performing traditions. Produced remotely, SalonEra brings together regular contributors and special guests whose personalities, perspectives, and contributions set the stage for fascinating conversations and fulfilling artistic exchange. Unlimited by geography or program conventions, SalonEra has attracted a wide audience and enables her to dramatically expand the range of repertoire and artists that Les Délices presents. Importantly, the program also provides paid work for performing artists whose livelihoods have been deeply impacted by the pandemic.

A dedicated and inspiring teacher, Debra serves on the artist faculties of the American Bach Soloists’ Summer Academy and the Oregon Bach Festival’s Berwick Academy, and has given masterclasses at Juilliard, the Cleveland Institute of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory, and University of Washington. She is also committed to service and to fostering the next generation of leaders through her work as a mentor and as a former board member of Early Music America and liaison to its Youth Advisory Board.

When not rehearsing, performing, or dreaming up new projects, Debra cooks prodigiously (including much canning and pickling) and loves commuting by bicycle from her home in Cleveland’s historic Ohio City neighborhood.

WEBSITE

“The U.S.A.’s hottest baroque band.” –CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE (UK)