Our Musicians

Corey Shotwell is a tenor specializing in the performance of music spanning the 14th through 18th centuries, as both soloist and ensemble member. Recent concert engagements include the world premiere of David Lang’s the writings at Carnegie Hall in collaboration with Paul Hillier and Theatre of Voices as part of the Yale Voxtet, and Telemann’s Der Tag des Gerichts with Masaaki Suzuki at Lincoln Center. He has also sung with the San Diego Bach Collegium, Bach Akademie Charlotte, Oregon Bach Festival, Apollo’s Fire, Boston Early Music Festival, Carmel Bach Festival, and The Newberry Consort. He most recently received his M.M.A. in Early Music, Oratorio, and Chamber Ensemble from the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University. He has also earned degrees from Western Michigan University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Having grown up in West Michigan, he now resides in New Haven, CT.

Praised for her “inimitable, resonant contralto” (Phindie), “particularly moving singing” (Cleveland Classical), and “mysterious, dark hue and sauntering presence” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Robin Bier enjoys a varied career of solo and ensemble singing with an emphasis on the music of the Renaissance, Baroque, and the present day. Her solo appearances include the American Bach Soloists, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, the Cantata Collective, the English Symphony Orchestra, and the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, while as an ensemble member she has sung with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Everlasting Voices, Clarion, Musica Secreta, I Fagiolini, Apollo’s Fire, the Ebor Singers, and Ensemble VIII, to name a few. Robin is co-director of solo-voice early music ensemble Les Canards Chantants, which has garnered praise for ‘finely tuned vocals, robust singing, emotional flexibility, and sense of adventure’ (Broad Street Review), and ‘brilliant and moving programming’ (Early Music America). Originally from Alaska, Robin is now based in Philadelphia, where her daily activities include maintaining a private voice studio, coaching the Choristers at Bryn Athyn Cathedral, and prowling the trails of the Pennypack Nature Preserve with husband Graham and son Roland.

Soprano Madeline Apple Healey is known for her “gorgeous singing" (Washington Post) and “fetching combination of vocal radiance and dramatic awareness” (Cleveland Plain Dealer). Delighted by early and contemporary repertoire, Madeline is passionate about polyphony and loves working on music that challenges the construct of beautiful sound. This season brings a return to the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, a potpourri of polyphony and part-songs with collaborator Timothy Parsons in Vermont, and an international tour with Clarion and The English Concert. Highlights from the last several years include appearances at Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, the Kennedy Center, PROTOTYPE Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and LA Opera, as well as collaborations with the New Consort, New Chamber Ballet, TENET, and L’Academie du Roi Soleil. She is a member of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street and performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Beyond performing, Madeline is an outdoorswoman and environmental advocate. She is thrilled to be making her first Rainier summit attempt this spring. A native of Cleveland, OH, she now resides in New York where, whether in the city or the Adirondacks, she can often be found cooking, plotting her next climb, eating french fries, and spending time with her husband Teddy and their many houseplants.

Acclaimed cellist and gambist Caroline Nicolas enjoys an active and multifaceted career as one of the outstanding performers of music from the Renaissance to the Romantic eras. Noted for her “eloquent artistry and rich, vibrant sound” (Gainesville Times), she has been praised for her unique ability to combine emotionally rich interpretations with a historically inquisitive spirit. She regularly appears with leading ensembles as a soloist, chamber musician, and music director, and has collaborated with such eminent musicians as Andrea Marcon, Amandine Beyer, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Jordi Savall, William Christie, Rachel Podger, Harry Bicket and Stephen Stubbs. Awards include having been selected as a fellow of The English Concert in America, given to young musicians “who appear likely to make significant contributions to the field of early music.” As the winner of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance concerto competition, she made her solo debut in Alice Tully Hall, New York City. A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Caroline was first introduced to the cello by her mother, an elementary school music teacher. After falling in love with the expressive possibilities of gut strings, she studied with Phoebe Carrai at The Juilliard School and Christophe Coin and Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. When not performing, Caroline spends her time devouring books, Star Trek, and her husband’s (lutenist Kevin Payne) cooking.

Graham Bier has sung with ensembles including Stile Antico, I Fagiolini, The Crossing, the Choir of York Minster, The Thirteen and the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, and has featured as a soloist with Big Apple Baroque, the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, the Ebor Singers, Choral Arts Philadelphia and the American Bach Soloists Academy. He co-directs Les Canards Chantants and serves as Director of Music for the Bryn Athyn Church, Music Director of the Reading Choral Society, Choirmaster with the Stay At Home Choir, and has taught at Kutztown University, Albright College and Bryn Athyn College. Graham was brought up on a farm in Western Pennsylvania, studied music at Oberlin Conservatory, and earned his MA in vocal studies and PhD in musicology from the University of York (UK).

Praised for her “sweet” and “sparkling” sound (ClevelandClassical), violinist Chiara Fasani Stauffer is a member of the Cramer Quartet and the artistic director and co-founder of Time Canvas. This season she is performing with groups such as the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, the Washington Bach Consort, Teatro Nuovo, and the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York. Chiara holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Basel Hochschule für Musik, and she is an American Fellow of the English Concert.

Scottish-American soprano Claire Galloway’s theatricality covers the gamut of “palpable pain” and “splendid, funny moments” (B.I.T.R.). This season she is a featured artist with Baltimore Musicales, presents recitals around the East Coast, and will premiere two roles in Arnold Saltzman’s Geniza: Hidden Fragments with Chesapeake Symphony in October. A 2022 Brown Loranger Fellow at Songfest and 2021 Fellow at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Ms. Galloway is known for her innovative recital programing with a special interest in French and Nordic repertoire as well as commissioning new works for voice and chamber ensemble. Having performed with Lidal North in Oslo, Saltworks Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera, Savannah Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera, and Stillpointe Theatre, she has presented operatic roles by Mozart, Poulenc, Massenet, and Bernstein, as well as premiered roles in works by Steven Crino, Jonathan Dove, and Frances Pollock. She is currently based in Baltimore, Maryland USA and teaches diction and repertoire courses at the Peabody Conservatory.

Sian Ricketts enjoys a multi-faceted career as a singer and period woodwinds specialist. She performs medieval, Renaissance and baroque chamber music and orchestral repertoire with ensembles such as Trobár (OH), Apollo’s Fire (OH), Dallas Bach Society, Piffaro (PA), Forgotten Clefs (VA), and Labyrinth Baroque (NY). Sian is also a co-founding member and co-managing director of the medieval ensemble Alkemie. Sian recently started the experimental ensemble Freelance Nun, creating music that transcends boundaries of time, genre, and dimension. In addition to her interest in early music, Sian also regularly performs 21st-century repertoire as both an instrumentalist and singer, and has collaborated with composers such as Elliot Cole, Fiona Gillespie, Jonathan Dawe, and Gregory Spears. Sian was a Visiting Medieval Fellow at Fordham University from 2019-2020, and is co-director of Fordham University's Collegium ensemble. Sian holds a D.M.A. in historical performance practice from Case Western Reserve University with concentrations in voice and baroque oboe.

Equally comfortable on the stages of Carnegie Hall and the set of Saturday Night Live, Keats Dieffenbach has established themself as a unique artist with infinitely varied interests and abilities. Lauded by the New York Times as an "impressive performer," Keats' dual specialization in contemporary and historical performance on multiple instruments keeps them in demand with many leading ensembles. Keats is a member of Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble, Juilliard415, and The Serenade Quartet, and they have appeared frequently with The Knights, A Far Cry chamber orchestra, and Carnegie Hall's Ensemble Connect with whom they held a prestigious two-year fellowship position. An avid chamber musician, Keats' collaborators have ranged from Emanuel Ax and Christian Tetzlaff to indie rock sensation Vampire Weekend. They have served as concertmaster under many leading conductors and has worked closely with composers Steve Reich, Shulamit Ran, Nico Muhly, and others. Keats studied modern violin with Robert Mann at The Juilliard School and served as Donald Weilerstein’s teaching assistant at New England Conservatory. They recently graduated from Juilliard’s Historical Performance program as a baroque violin student of Cynthia Roberts and Elizabeth Blumenstock.

Doug Balliett is a composer, instrumentalist and poet based in New York City. The New York Times has described his compositions as "brainily bubble gum and lovable shaggy" (Rome is Falling), his poetry as “brilliant and witty” (Clytie and the Sun), and his bass playing as “elegant” (Shawn Jaeger’s In Old Virginny). The Los Angeles Times recently wrote "Bassist Doug Balliett, who teaches a course on the Beatles at the Juilliard School and writes cantatas for Sunday church services, as well as wacky pop operas, is in a class of his own." Doug has also been professor of baroque bass and violone at The Juilliard School since 2017, and leads the Theotokos ensemble every Sunday at St. Mary's church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He plays regularly with AMOC, Les Arts Florissants, Jupiter Ensemble, ACRONYM, Ruckus, BEMF, Alarm Will Sound, and other ensembles. In August 2021 five of his Ovid Cantatas were filmed for Qwest TV with William Christie, Lea Desandre, and Nick Scott. For three years he and his twin brother hosted a weekly show dedicated to living composers on WQXR's new music channel Q2. Upcoming performances of his work include Beast Fights at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony bass section, and the annual New Year's Eve performance of his opera Gawain and the Green Knight.

Elliot Figg is a keyboardist, conductor and composer who lives in New York. He is a graduate of the Historical Performance Program at The Juilliard School where he studied harpsichord with Kenneth Weiss. He also studied with Arthur Haas at the Yale School of Music. Elliot is an active member of ACRONYM, Ruckus, and House of Time. Previous engagements include: Five Boroughs Music Festival, in a concert featuring his own music; Conductor and harpsichordist for Monteverdi's Combattimento, Hasse's Piramo e Tisbe, and St.-Georges' L'Amant Anonyme, all with Little Opera Theatre of New York; Conductor and harpsichordist for Death of Classical's productions of Dido and Aeneas and Hot Dogs, Hooch, & Handel in and around the catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery; Deputy Music Director and harpsichordist for Farinelli and the King on Broadway; Assistant Conductor and harpsichordist for Il Farnace and Veremonda, both with Spoleto Festival USA; Assistant conductor and harpsichordist for Dido and Aeneas with L.A. Opera.

Bradley King has been praised by reviewers and audiences for his “profound” and “engaging” style (Zadar Festival Review). As a specialist in early music, he is a regular soloist with many of the nation’s premiere ensembles and orchestras such as Piffaro and Apollo’s Fire, and also frequently collaborates with composers such as Doug Balliett and Andrew Lovett on new works. Bradley’s unique blend of power and sweetness has earned him accolades all over the world. Holding degrees from DePauw University and the University of North Texas, Bradley studied conducting under Gabriel Crouch, Jan Harrington, Jerry McCoy and Richard Sparks who instilled in him a passion for seeking out the music “between the notes”. In 2023 Bradley founded Andersen’s Nightingale, dedicated to experimental performance practice and empowering artists to engage with music in a new way.

An imposing bass-baritone," as reviewed by Opera News, Joseph Beutel, is often praised for his "deep well-rounded tone," and overall richness of voice and versatility on stage. Making his career across 5 continents, Beutel enjoys performing traditional operas and originating roles in new and experimental works. He also has had the privilege of a concert career in oratorio and other concert works. Some roles of note include originating the role of the “British Major” in Silent Night, Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Pulitzer Prize winning opera, and in 2018 originating the role of “Sir” in Mila, an opera commissioned by Asia Society Hong Kong. Most recently he made his Figaro Debut in Marriage of Figaro with Intermountain Opera in Bozeman, MT. Beutel has performed with companies, which include Santa Fe Opera, NYCO, NY Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Company, English Concert, Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Sarasota Opera. He also enjoys performing musical theater with credits from Encores! at City Center and Live at Lincoln Center featured on PBS. Recordings include Grammy nominated Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem, Memory Eternal to the Fallen Heroes, performed live on the 100th anniversary of the Armistice to WWI in National Cathedral, Washington D.C. on the Naxos label.

From a youthful education which bounced between blues and Cuban classical guitar, Paul Holmes Morton culminated his schooling with a specialized focus in Baroque continuo performance practice, providing an improvised gamut of textures and harmonies applied to opera, orchestra, chamber music, and vocal accompaniment. Traveling throughout the world as a continuo lutenist, Paul performs regularly with Ruckus, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Mercury and more.

Tracy Cowart (mezzo-soprano) enjoys a wide range of interests, from twelfth-century polyphony to medieval math rock. She has sung with period ensembles including Apollo’s Fire, Musica Pacifica, the Newberry Consort, Publick Musick, Rose of the Compass, Severall Friends, the Shenandoah Bach Festival, and the Washington Bach Consort. As co-director of the 17th-century ensemble Labyrinth Baroque, she stages and performs in 17th-centuty pastiches that juxtapose florid virtuosity and ribald comedy. Tracy is also a co-director of the medieval ensemble Alkemie, with whom she has appeared on early music concert series including Arizona Early Music, Capitol Early Music, the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, Music Before 1800, and the San Francisco Early Music Society in performances called both “enchanting” and “indicating [the] future health of the field of early music.” Tracy received her D.M.A. in Historical Performance Practice from Case Western Reserve University. She serves as staff/faculty with the Amherst Early Music Festival, where she most recently taught classes on 17th-century drinking catches and how to accompany Hildegard. In NYC, she is a staff alto with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and teaches voice and co-directs the Collegium Musicum at Fordham University. When she is not performing, she is an enthusiastic forager and amateur herbalist.

Ben Matus developed a love for Early Music at a young age while growing up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As a boy soprano, Ben's favorite music to sing was from the Baroque and Renaissance eras. Now, Ben indulges his childhood dreams playing historical bassoons and dulcians in New York City and around the country with wonderful colleagues and friends. Ben studied modern bassoon at the Eastman School of Music and historical bassoons at the Juilliard School. In his spare time, he can be found making and drinking coffee, reading, playing lute poorly, or cannot be found as he is deep in the woods. Ben is thrilled to be playing this incredible music in this wonderfully beautiful part of the world.

New York native Manami Mizumoto started her lifelong relationship with music at age 3 on the violin. Early exposure to chamber music both at home and later in her studies, sparked in her a devoted love of collaboration. This led to a fascination with performing contemporary music and working with living composers, which recently led to a project to benefit women’s shelters in NYC. With Uhuru Quartet, a group she is a founding member of, Manami co-created and led a songwriting workshop as well as a benefit concert with composer Sato Matsui at the Women In Need shelter, and hopes to continue growing this project with more composer-collaborators and shelters in the future. Her driving curiosity is currently in exploring the dialogue between ancient and contemporary thoughts, as well as the dichotomy between nature and human development. Manami currently studies at the Juilliard School, where she is in the Historical Performance program for her Masters’ degree.