Biography
HUGH GONGLEWSKI
 Hugh Gonglewski is a pianist and instructor in the Miami area. He received his Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from the Philadelphia college of the Performing Arts where he studied with Susan Starr and his Masters in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University. He taught piano and jazz history at Lake Forest College where he also directed the jazz and blues ensembles. He played for ten years in the Chicago area with his own trio and septet before coming to the University of Miami for his Doctoral work. He is instructor of the University of Miami's Computer/Keyboards & Music courses and teaches jazz, theory, and piano ensembles for the university's Piano Preparatory programs as well as improvisation, jazz ensembles and advanced theory for the university's young Musician's Camp. He has played with such diverse artists as Sugar Blue, Sandra Bernhardt, Tom McCormick, Nicole Yarling and Mark Colby. He frequently performs in the Miami area as a solo pianist and with the eclectic group LEGM. His private piano students have received numerous prizes and awards from such groups as Ars Flores, Music Teachers National Association, and Florida Federation of Music Teachers.
FELIX GOMEZ
After graduating with an Associate in Arts degree, Felix Gomez pursued my studies at the University of Miami, where he graduated with honors acquiring the degree of Bachelor of Music and thereafter, a Masters of Music. While he was a student at the University of Miami, Felix won several awards including The National Dean’s List. He also participated in the North Texas Jazz Festival, 2005 as a member of the University of Miami Sextet, where he was acknowledged as a double award winner for Best Soloist and Best Composition, and as a member of the University of Miami Jazz Concert Band, College Band Outstanding Performance in the Down Beat Student Music Award, 2006.
Moreover, for the last decade Felix Gomez have been able to work with numerous and famous artists from different parts of North America, Latin America and Europe, among them are Gloria Gaynor, Julio Iglesias, Camilo Sesto, Angela Carrasco, Nelson Ned, Maggie Carles, Maria Marta Serralima, Basilio, Maria Rivas and Meme Solis. In the jazz market, he has had the opportunity and pleasure to work with artists of such high acclaim as saxophonist Ed Calle, flutist Nestor Torres, violinist Federico Britos, saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, drummer Duffy Jackson, saxophonist Paquito D’ Rivera, saxophonist Ira Sullivan, guitarist Simon Salz, percussionist Sammy Figueroa, flutist Dave Valentin, and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
Gomez has also taught at 3 major colleges and universities in South Florida. He taught jazz piano at Miami Dade Community College from 1994- 2004, Florida International University, from 1998-2004, and the University of Miami, from 2004- 2008.
YUEH-YIN LIAO
Yueh-Yin Liao studied piano and violin at Stella Martutina Girls High School in Taiwan, before graduating in 1999. She then went on to attain her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance majoring in both piano and violin. In 2003, she began teaching music at the high school level in the areas of music theory, appreciation and choral education. She performed with the Tokyo String Quartet at the Centrum Chamber Music Festival in 2008. In 2009, Yueh-Yin graduated from the San Francisco State University with her Master’s degree in Piano Performance. While at SFSU, she studied and performed with the Alexander String Quartet. Along with the quartet, Yueh-Yin participated in the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Festival and Chamber Music Festival in Florence, Italy. The South Florida Classical Review praised Liao’s musicianship in the University of Miami’s production of The Beggar’s Opera as displaying “splendid articulation and beautifully nuanced subtlety, always flexible to the needs of the singers.” Currently, Yueh-Yin is pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Chamber Music and Accompanying on full scholarship at University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
ANA LOURDES RODRIGUEZ
American Pianist, Ana Lourdes Rodriguez, whom has a unique repertoire that extends from standard literature to the music of Latin America, has performed extensively in concerts and recitals in Europe, Mexico, Honduras, Canada and the United States, in cities such as Boston, Miami, New York, Prague, and Rome. She has been presented in prestigious concert halls such as Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall and Carnegie’s Recital Hall in New York City. Because of her innovative and exciting programming, Miss Rodriguez has had much success with audiences, and is commonly invited to return for more performances. She has been described by El Nuevo Herald in Miami as “ A Young pianist for New Music” because of her commitment to the 20th century and beyond of Latin American composers. Her expansive repertoire covers from Padre Antonio Soler to the great works of Ernesto Lecuona, to Ginastera and to more avant gard composers such as Marlos Nobre from Brazil and Harold Gramatges from Cuba.
As a soloist with orchestra Miss Rodriguez has performed in Latin America and the United States as well. In 2009, Miss Rodriguez gave the world premiere of Martin Kutnowski’s Tango Rhapsody with the Queretaro Philharmonic Orchestra in México. In that same program Miss Rodriguez performed the Khachaturian piano concerto. This concert was broadcast live on the radio on Radio Queretaro. Because of the success of the concert, Miss Rodriguez was invited once again to return to Mexico to perform the Bartok Piano Concerto Number 3. In the summer of 2010, Miss Rodriguez was the first pianist to ever perform the Khachaturian piano concerto in Honduras with the National Symphony of the country. Miss Rodriguez has also enjoyed much success with orchestras in the United States, among them the Sy Sugar Pops Orchestra in Florida. Future engagements with orchestra include Spain and Argentina.
In addition, Miss Rodriguez’s expertise in Latin American music has made her a frequent performer for music organizations such as, “The Dominican Association of Classical Artist” “Amigos de la Zarzuela” and the “Cuban Cultural Center of New York”. She has performed for the Miami Dade College Hispanic Heritage Month Festival and was also invited by Yamaha Music Center in Miami to perform for their Brazilian Music Festival where Miss Rodriguez performed music by Ernest Nazareth and Marlos Nobre. She recently performed a program of all Latin American Composers in Canada as part of the prestigious concert series Music on the Hills Concert Series in Canada.
Miss Rodriguez’s talent has made her recipient of several awards. The Puerto Rican Cultural Association has honored Miss Rodriguez’s talent and commitment to Latin American music by awarding her the Emilia Conde Award, which is given to a young artist each year. Miss Rodriguez made her New York debut in Carnegie’s Recital Hall as Winner of Artist International Special Presentation Award. The following year Miss Rodriguez was once again honored by Artist International by receiving the Alumni Award and by giving a concert in Merkin Concert Hall. She has also given performances for the University of Miami Summer Music Camp in Gusmann Concert Hall. Miss Rodriguez can also be seen and heard in the movie “Fourhand” where she plays solo and chamber music.
On her free time Miss Rodriguez enjoys running and writing novels. Ana Rodriguez holds a Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of music where she studied with the legendary Jacob Lateiner.
BRIAN MURPHY
 is an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer and arranger who has recorded and performed extensively in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and the U.S.A. with many of the world’s most renowned Jazz artists including Wynton Marsalis, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Buddy DeFranco, Diana Krall, Paquito D’Rivera, Woody Shaw, Dave Liebman, Bob Berg, Wycliffe Gordon and Duffy Jackson and Blues greats Jimmy Witherspoon, Albert Collins and Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson.
Brian has collaborated with the great TITO PUENTE as arranger/keyboardist on a number of award winning Latin Jazz albums including Goza Mi Timbal a.k.a. Dig My Timbales (GRAMMY & AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE AWARDS 1990), Out of This World (AFIM AWARD 1991), Mambo of the Times (AFIM AWARD 1992) along with Master Timbalero, The Billy Strayhorn Songbook and Hot Timbales. Their arrangement of Straight No Chaser appears in Rebeca Mauleon’s ‘SALSA GUIDEBOOK’ as a reference for converting a non-clave melody. You can click here to read more about Brian's association with Tito Puente.
Brian Murphy has appeared in Europe and Canada with ROB MCCONNELL AND THE BOSS BRASS. He was featured with flugelhorn virtuoso GUIDO BASSO (1987 - 1994) and is currently recording and performing with IRA SULLIVAN, flute/saxophone/trumpet master. Ira and Brian were featured at the 2002 JVC Jazz Festival in Toronto where they gained enthusiastic response and excellent reviews.
As Artist in Residence at the DuMaurier Jazz Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Brian conducted workshops on improvisation and performed solo and with his trio and quartet. He has received arts grants from the Canada Council for studies in electronic music and for studies with noted composer DOUG RILEY.
Brian’s compositions and arrangements have been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, National Public Radio, Radio Finland, Radio Brandenburg (Germany) and numerous Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) programs including Jazz Beat, Jazz Radio Canada, Identities (GABRIEL AWARD), Morningside, The Entertainers, Music Maritimes and various Jazz specials (1978 - present). Click here to view a list of Brian's notable engagements.
Brian is a practitioner of the art of spontaneous composition and he embraces the true exploratory spirit of Jazz.
PAUL POSNAK
 is an internationally recognized concert pianist, recording artist, transcriber, and teacher. He has performed at the White House, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra (see performance reviews), and to great acclaim at Carnegie and Tully Halls and throughout Europe and Asia. Dr. Posnak is the recipient of the Loeb Prize (the highest award at the Juilliard School of Music), and First Prizes in the International J.S. Bach Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition. He has collaborated with world-renowned vocalists such as Luciano Pavarotti and Jennie Tourel and with many chamber ensembles such as the Emerson, Fine Arts, Vega, St. Petersburg, Bergonzi and Amernet String Quartets. His 14 recordings of solo and chamber works for labels such as EMI, Naxos, Vox, Yamaha Disklavier, Arabesque and Cambria have received highest praise. Posnak is renowned for his improvisations and transcriptions of the unpublished brilliant solo improvisations of George Gershwin and Thomas “Fats” Waller from the old recordings and radio broadcasts. His transcriptions of 16 of “Fats” Waller’s greatest solos have been published by Hal Leonard, and his Arrangements of Gershwin Songs for Two Pianos have just been published by Alfred Music. Dr. Posnak is Professor of Keyboard Performance and Director of the Accompanying/ Chamber Music Programs at the University of Miami School of Music. Recent engagements include solo recital tours, chamber music concerts, appearances as soloist with orchestras throughout the U.S. and Europe, and a special recital appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is Founding Artistic Director of the St. Martha-Yamaha Concert Series in Miami Shores, and is one of the national judges for the Grammy Awards.
|
