Paul Tobias, cellist

Originally from Washington, D.C., Paul Tobias has distinguished himself as a first-rank American cellist with critical accolades for his innovation and rich musical lineage. While the San Francisco Chronicle praises him as a "fired-up, brilliant cellist in the romantic tradition of Casals," and the Boston Globe welcomes "a superb exemplar of…the new virtuosity," the New York Times calls Mr. Tobias "master of the instrument and the music…inflected with the intensity and subtlety of a great singer." In addition to performances with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, Mr. Tobias has lectured at Harvard University and UC Berkeley. He currently serves on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Tobias also serves as Artistic Director of New Heritage Music, an organization which is dedicated to fostering new compositions that commemorate people, events and themes central to American history.

Jennifer Frautschi, violinist

One of the most refreshing and original young violinists on the musical scene today, Jennifer Frautschi made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 16. Among the major competitions in which Ms. Frautschi has won top prizes are the Naumberg (1998, U.S.), the Queen Elisabeth (1997, Belgium) and an Avery Fisher Career Grant (1999). Ms. Frautschi has given recitals and appeared with symphony orchestras throughout Europe and the U.S. A Pasadena native, Ms. Frautschi was a section violinist with the Pasadena Symphony as a teenager, a student at the Colburn School and USC and she later attended Harvard University and The Juilliard School.

Ana Maria Martinez, soprano

A national finalist in the 1993 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a graduate of The Juilliard School, Puerto Rico-born soprano Ana Maria Martinez has been conquering audiences in Europe and the United States. Ms. Martinez has performed duets from La Boheme with Placido Domingo on Puerto Rican television, and has sung roles at the Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera and New York City Opera. Ms. Martinez has also made her mark on international festivals, appearing at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico and the Spoleto USA Festival. As a recording artist, Ms. Martinez has made CDs on the Electra/Nonesuch and Decca labels.

Dmitri Ratser, pianist

A superb interpreter of Rachmaninoff, Moscow-born Dmitri Ratser won the top prize in Moscow's All-Union Rachmaninoff Competition (1983) and has performed that composer's complete works for piano and orchestra. Mr. Ratser has concertized in North America since his debut in 1990. "Ratser's performance took one's breath away with its mesmerizing single-mindedness, its inexorable force, its stunning virtuosity." - Los Angeles Times. In 1989, Mr. Ratser performed outside of the former Soviet Union for his first time, with a concert appearance in Vienna. No stranger to Pasadena, Mr. Ratser performed with The Pasadena Symphony in 1998 and received rave reviews for that concert as well as for Ambassador Auditorium recitals in 1992 and 1993.

Camellia Johnson, soprano

American soprano Camellia Johnson has distinguished herself in concert and oratorio repertoire in major symphony orchestra performances, including the flagship orchestras of London, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Cleveland. Ms. Johnson has sung in performances of the Verdi Requiem in Vancouver, Edinburgh, Tampa, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Kimball Wheeler, mezzo-soprano

Equally comfortable in recital, opera and concert stage, Los Angeles-born Kimball Wheeler has performed in Europe, the Far East, Israel, and North America. Ms. Wheeler made her

New York Philharmonic debut under the direction of Zubin Mehta in 1982. In addition to her busy performing schedule, Ms. Wheeler is on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts and has been singing and appearing in films (Italy and U.S.) since 1996.

Don Frazure, tenor

Tenor Don Frazure, a native of Mississippi, made his New York debut at Avery Fisher Hall in the New York premiere of Samuel Adler's oratorio, Choose Life. Under the direction of Christopher Hogwood, Mr. Frazure, recently made his Washington, D.C. debut. Mr. Frazure is at home in opera and oratorio and is currently a Young Artist with the Juilliard Opera Center.

Kyle Ketelsen, bass-baritone

A recipient of numerous first place prizes, Kyle Ketelsen hails from Clinton, Iowa and is pursuing a master's degree at Indiana University. In May, 2000, Mr. Ketelsen was a winner in the prestigious Zachary Vocal Competition in Los Angeles. Concentrating on opera, oratorio and concert performances in the Midwest, he was a featured soloist this season with the Chicago Lyric Opera (Tosca) and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (Messiah).

Martin Kasik, piano

Czech-born pianist Martin Kasik took First Prize in the 1999 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, shortly after winning the European division of that competition. Mr. Kasik is equally busy in European, Asian and American cities as a recitalist and in concerto performances.

Jonathan Haas, timpani

Hailed as "the Paganini of the timpani" and "the foremost solo timpanist in the world", Jonathan Haas will give the West Coast premiere of Philip Glass' "Concerto for Two Timpani" with The Pasadena Symphony's principal percussionist, Thomas Raney. Mr. Haas performs regularly with some 24 instrumental ensembles. He gave the only solo timpani recital ever presented at Carnegie Hall and has been soloist with all of the leading orchestras in Europe and the United States. Demonstrating amazing musical versatility, Mr. Haas, in addition to his classical music interests, has performed the music of Frank Zappa and has recorded with Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Black Sabbath and his own heavy metal rock group, Clozshave.

Thomas Raney, timpani