Album Notes

Ian Davidson is Associate Principal Oboe of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Oboe of the Austin Lyric Opera Orchestra and Solo English Horn of the Bear Valley Music Festival. Other engagements include stints as Principal Oboe of the Dallas Bach Orchestra and the Austin Sinfonietta as well as Assistant Principal Oboe of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and Co-Principal Oboe of the Dallas Chamber Orchestra. Concerto appearances include the Dallas Bach Orchestra, the Austin Chamber Orchestra, the Austin Sinfonietta, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, the Laredo Philharmonic, and Chamber Soloists of Austin. International recitals and residencies include the Moscow Conservatory of Music,
the University of Silesia, Trinity College of Music, and the Institute of Culture in St. Petersburg. Dr. Davidson holds degrees from DePauw University and the University of Texas and is Associate Professor of Music at Southwest Texas State University, where he teaches oboe and humanities and is the recent winner of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activities.


Tom Hale is principal horn of the Austin Symphony and Austin Lyric Opera and has performed with orchestras in Houston, San Antonio, Victoria and Laredo. Dr. Hale has been a member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina, and Spoleto, Italy, since 1987 as both performer and conductor. He has served on the faculties of the University of Texas, Southwest Texas State University and Southwestern University in Georgetown. He is a founding member of the Pinnacle Brass Quintet and the Wild Basin Winds and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, the Victoria Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, and A. Mozart Fest. Dr. Hale holds degrees from Texas Tech University (B.ME., M.M.) and the University of Texas (D.M.A.).


Melissa Marse: Pianist Melissa Marse has performed throughout the world in venues including Toronto's Ford Centre, Avery Fisher Hall, Merkin Hall, and in Carnegie Hall by invitation of the late Isaac Stern. Recent radio broadcasts include Boston's WGBH and NPR. She performs chamber music regularly with members of major orchestras worldwide while maintaining her solo career. She holds degrees from The University of Texas, Yale University, The Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory.