Artists

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  Henry Mancini

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  Monica Mancini

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  Monica Mancini, a double-Grammy nominated recording artist and concert performer, has carved out an impressive career, appearing with major symphony orchestras worldwide including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Pops, the Boston Pops, the Chicago Symphony, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Czech National Symphony and has been a featured performer at Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, Disney Hall, The Apollo Theater and Tanglewood.  

  Daughter of legendary film composer Henry Mancini and the notable studio singer Ginny O’Connor, Monica began her professional singing career at age 14 touring and recording with the “Henry Mancini Chorus,” that quickly led to a successful career in the Los Angeles studios where she recorded on countless film scores and recordings with giants Placido Domingo, Quincy Jones, Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson.

  Monica Mancini launched her solo career with her debut Warner Bros. album Monica Mancini, which was accompanied by her first PBS special, Monica Mancini: On Record.

  Mancini’s television appearances include among others, the PBS Great Performances special: We Love Ella, Evening at Pop's with John Williams and the Boston Pops, a performance of “Imagine” with Josh Groban and Joshua Bell and the PBS “White House / National Christmas Tree Lighting” Special.

  Mancini’s album Ultimate Mancini received two Grammy nominations and featured some very special guest artists including Stevie Wonder.

  On her latest release, I’ve Loved These Days, on the Concord label, Monica is once again joined by Stevie Wonder as well as Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, and others performing their iconic songs together; arranged and conducted by multi-Grammy winning and Oscar nominated Jorge Calandrelli. The iconic British music magazin “Mojo” reviewer said, “After hearing the first five tracks, I realized for the first time, I was hearing a perfect album…”.

  The New York Times has described Monica Mancini’s voice as “the glamorous vocal equivalent to diamonds flashing.” On her approach to interpreting a song, Monica says, “I always have the composer’s intention in mind. Melodies and lyrics are carefully crafted with a definite emotional purpose, and I strive to find the beauty of a writer’s word through music…”.

  On her performance at the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Monica Mancini comes from a noble lineage, to be sure, but her singing has now moved well beyond its roots to position her as one of contemporary music’s most engaging vocal artists...”.

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  Gregg Field

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  Eight-time Grammy and 2018 Emmy recipient, including Latin Grammy “Producer of the Year”, Gregg Field is one of the most musically diverse and highly sought-after producers, musicians, and educators in music.

  World-class musicians and singers alike, a veritable who’s who of music Including Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Placido Domingo, Pharrell Williams, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, Alejandro Sanz, Stevie Wonder, John Williams, Barbara Streisand, Alejandro Fernandez, Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguliera, and Quincy Jones are among his many noted musical collaborators.

  Field co-produced the 2022 Grammy-nominated recording “Ledisi Sings Nina”. In 2021, Field produced the #1 iTunes charted song “Io Si (Seen)” for the British tenor Jonathan Antoine. In 2018, Field received the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Music Direction” for the PBS special, “Library of Congress -Gershwin Prize”

  honoring Tony Bennett and in 2019, he produced and music-directed the “Library of Congress-Gershwin Prize” honoring Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Field also produced the Apollo Theater’s historic “Ella 100^: Live at the Apollo” centennial birthday celebration of Ella Fitzgerald and the Apollo’s 2018 Nina Simone tribute, “Nina & Me” featuring Ledisi.

  In 2017 Field received a Grammy for producing the “Bluegrass Album of the Year” and Billboard #1 album, “Coming Home” by the Mark O’Connor Band. He also produced the 2015 Grammy-winning recording “Life in the Bubble” for Gordon Goodwin’s “Big Phat Band” as well as 3 Grammy-recognized albums for Arturo Sandoval receiving a total of 5 Grammy wins.

  Among his recent recordings are British tenor Jonathan Antoine’s “ChristmasLand-Platinum Version”, “Ella-The Lost Berlin Tapes”, Seal’s “Standards”, “Ella 100^: Live at the Apollo!”, and Arturo Sandoval’s “Ultimate Duets” featuring Pharrell, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder and Placido Domingo among others.

  In 2013 Field received five Latin Grammy nominations including nods for “Album of the Year” and “Producer of the Year” (his 2^nd nomination), winning three Latin Grammys including “Best Engineered Album”. In 2010 Field was awarded the coveted “Producer of the Year” Latin Grammy.

  Beginning at age 21, Field toured with Ray Charles, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. and can be heard on Sinatra’s historic, multi-platinum Duets and Duets II recordings.

  Field has also performed with major symphonies worldwide including London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and the National Symphony in Washington D.C. and has been invited by Presidents Obama and Bush to perform at the White House.

  Field has been a regular music producer-director for the “In Performance at the White House” series for PBS and a regular producer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic-Hollywood Bowl summer series. Field, Norman Lear and Harold Gaba were co-owners of Concord Music Group from 1998-2013, turning the niche jazz label into the largest independent record label in the world.

  Field is an author and Vanity Fair magazine contributor and in 2019 delivered the commencement address for the USC-Thornton Music School.

  Currently he serves as Chairman of the Board of Councilors at the USC-Thornton School of Music as well as serving on the Library of Congress “Gershwin Prize” Advisory Board, board member of the University of Miami-Frost School of Music and recent Governor of the Recording Academy (Grammys).

  The Bay Area native lives in Los Angeles and is married to singer Monica Mancini.

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  John Pizzarelli

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  Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and the Beatles. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Van Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor’s American Standard in 2021. A radio personality who got his start in the medium in 1984, Pizzarelli is co-host, alongside wife Jessica Molaskey, of Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli. He has performed on America’s most popular national television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and Great Performances, as well as the talk shows of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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  Dawnn Lewis

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  Dr. Dawnn Lewis is the founder and CEO of the A New Day Foundation (ANDF), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides financial and programmatic support to underserved youth and community based nonprofit organizations. Lewis is also president and CEO of Morning Jewel Inc., a multi-platform production company in the areas of film, television, animation, music publishing and experiential events. Lewis is an inductee of the Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame in Washington, D.C., along with songwriting legends: Roberta Flack, Valerie Simpson and Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others. In 2019, she received an Honorary Doctorate in the Humanities for her more than 40 years of unwavering service and support to underserved youth and communities across the country and abroad. She is an NAACP Image Award-, Trumpet Award-, Grammy Award-winning singer, as well as, a multiple BMI and ASCAP Award-winning songwriter, film, television, stage actor and a series TV creator/producer. Projects include Star Trek Lower Decks (2021 and 2022 NAACP Image Award Nominee); Karma’s World; Apple & Onion; HouseBroken; Duncanville; The Simpsons; Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego; TINA – The Tina Turner Musical; The Tap Dance Kid; Young Rock; Grey’s Anatomy; 911; The Boys; A Different World; Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper; Blackjack Christmas; DreamGirls; Revival; Race To Freedom; Under Pressure; and I Mo Git U Sucka.

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  Kostia Lukyniuk

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  Ukrainian-born Kostia Lukyniuk is a world-renowned musician and a true rebel in the world of strings. Kostia revolutionizes the violin by blending genres, breaking stereotypes, and always wowing his audiences with unmatched energy and love for his craft. He made his solo debut at 9 with the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Orchestra after winning 1st Prize in the International Youth Music Competition. Since then, he has won prestigious awards at international music competitions and has given solo performances all around the world at various venues, festivals and events.

  At the age of 18, after a solo performance at the National Philharmonic Hall of Ukraine in Kyiv, Kostia came to the United States to pursue his dream and started his studies with Professor Oleh Krysa at the Eastman School of Music. He graduated in December 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and a Performer's Certificate. After finishing the degree he went home to Ukraine just as the war began. Stuck there Kostia kept playing
  concerts and raising money for the soldiers fighting for his country and to lift the spirits of those suffering from the war. He was recruited to the Ukrainian Army and was able to escape the frontlines after being accepted to a Master’s Program at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. He continued to perform in Berlin and France playing solo at festivals like Fete de la Musique and raising funds for Ukrainian people in need until he was able to return to the USA.

  Since August 2022 Kostia is pursuing a Master of Music degree in the studio of Professor Charles Castleman. He has since taken Miami by storm, performing all over the city and surrounding areas from private events, and luxury galas, to Art Basel and PBS benefits. Some of his notable appearances were at the Christmas concert with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, grand opening of Queen Miami Beach, a feature with Ukrainian rock legends Okean Elzy at the James L Knight Center, and others. Kostia is a winner of the Frost School of Music Concerto competition in 2023.

  Kostia maintains an active performing schedule, having played in cities throughout the world such as Kyiv, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Ternopil, Mariupol, Zaporizhia (Ukraine); Paris, Metz (France); Berlin, Kempten (Germany); Seoul (South Korea); New York City, Miami, Nashville, Washington, Charleston, Boise, Rochester, Buffalo (USA); Toronto,
  Waterloo (Canada); and San Jose (Costa Rica). In 2019 Kostia received the 2nd Prize and the Audience Prize at the 3rd Oleh Krysa International Violin Competition in Lviv, Ukraine. He has performed on stage with various well-known artists such as Oleh Krysa (classical), Arturo Sandoval, Judah Sealy, Jimmie Highsmith Jr, Todd East (jazz), Okean Elzy, Oleh Skrypka, Jerry Heil, Tina Karol, Alyosha, Vlad Yama (Ukrainian pop/rock
  stars) and Mike la Funk (DJ). All of them hold Kostia in high regard, describing him as an extremely professional, dedicated and energetic musician with a unique voice.

  In parallel with studying classical music, Kostia experiments with many kinds of contemporary genres on the violin and has developed his own unique musical voice and style. He has performed at various places around the world - from sightseeing places, bars, and restaurants to clubs, festivals, music halls and luxury event venues. Kostia finds that the diverse palette of sounds the violin is able to produce is perfect for playing all types of genres from rock to jazz to pop. He has been a member of a couple of Rochester-based bands like ZBTB (Zac Brown Tribute Band), Big City and Positive Vibez. He is currently the band leader of an instrumental fusion Lucky Band.

  Kostia is the ambassador for musical hardware companies Myers Pickups, 3Dvarius Violins and Fiddlershop.

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  Melvin Butler

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  Dr. Melvin L. Butler is Associate Professor of Musicology at the Frost School of Music. He also serves as Associate Dean of the Office of Academic Enhancement for Undergraduate Affairs. His research focuses on music and religion in Haitian, Jamaican, and African American communities, with emphasis on the cultural politics of performance, national identity, and extraordinary experience. He also examines the discourses of cultural authenticity and spiritual power that inflect congregational practice. At the heart of his scholarly work lies a critical reconsideration of how spiritually charged music-making is embedded in processes of boundary crossing, identity formation, and social positioning throughout the African diaspora. He is the author of Island Gospel: Pentecostal Music and Identity in Jamaica and the United States (2019, University of Illinois Press)

  An acclaimed saxophonist, Dr. Butler has performed with Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band for over twenty-five years. He is featured with this ensemble on several albums, including Brian Blade Fellowship (1998), Perceptual (2000), Season of Changes (2008), the Grammy-nominated Landmarks (2014), Body and Shadow (2017), and Kings Highway (2023). He has worked with several other jazz artists as well, including Betty Carter, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Essix, Christian McBride, Jimmy McGriff, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Reuben Wilson. Dr. Butler has also toured the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean with celebrated Haitian band Tabou Combo, with whom he recorded three albums—Why Not? (1997), 360 Degrees (1997) and Sans Limites (2000).

  In 2022, Dr. Butler was elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Ethnomusicology and to a two-year term as the SEM President (2023-2025). Prior to this, he served as Secretary of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (U.S. Branch) and on the executive board of the Haitian Studies Association. Before joining the University of Miami faculty, he taught at the University of Chicago, Yale University, and the University of Virginia.

  Dr. Butler earned his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from New York University, where he also received an M.A. in jazz studies. He also holds a bachelor's degree in performance from Berklee College of Music.