Argyle United Methodist Church

ANASTASIA MARKINA, PIANO

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Anastasia Markina started playing piano when she was almost four winning her first competition six years later. Her first teacher, Tatyana Shrago led her to win her first international piano competition in Marsala, Italy in 1992. After graduating from Music School, she took lessons with Alexander Mndoyants and Maria Mekler. In 1994, she entered the Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music where she studied for four years in the studio of Mary Guseva, student of Pavel Serebryakov. While there, she won several international piano competitions, including 1st prize at the 1st International Maria Yudina Piano Competition, 1st prize in solo and 1st prize in chamber music at the Beach of Hope International Music Festival and Competition in Dobrich-Albena, Bulgaria, and was one of the three prize winners at the Peter the Great Music Festival in Groningen, Holland in 1997.  After receiving her diploma with honors from the College of Music, she was invited to study in the United States by Victor Rosenbaum, well-known teacher and pianist, and director of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. In 1999, she moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to continue her education at the University of North Texas in the studio of Prof. Vladimir Viardo (Gold medalist of the 1973 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition). While studying at UNT, she continued winning competitions in the United States, including 1st prize at the San Angelo Sorantin International Music competition, 1st prize at the First Boesendorfer International Piano Competition, 1st and Grand prize at the Young Texas Artist Music Competition, and 2nd prize at the First Jose Iturbi Music Competition. In November 2005, she has performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the San Angelo Symphony under Hector Guzman. In January 2007, she has performed Ravel Piano Concerto in G with the Phoenix Symphony under Lawrence Golan. Her performances include solo and orchestra appearances in the United States, Mexico and Austria, including performance with Eugene Osadchy and Mark Peskanov on the Barge Music Series in NY, NY in 2009, performances at the Vetta Chamber music festival in 2010 with Eugene Osadchy and Joan Blackman. Other collaborations include recitals with James Gallway, Emmanuel Borok, and Joseph Alessi among others. CD recording with Eugene Osadchy has been released in 2010. 

EMILY COLE, VIOLIN AND VIOLA 

Emily Cole is graduate student of Emanuel Borok at the University of North Texas, where she serves as a Teaching Fellow in Violin Studies. Originally from Seattle, WA, Ms Cole was a longtime student of former Seattle Symphony concertmaster Ilkka Talvi. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin as a student of Brian Lewis. Ms Cole has held concertmaster and principal positions at the 2005 and 2007 National Orchestral Institute and at the 2006 International Festival-Institute at Round Top. She was the first place winner for violin in the 2003 Washington State Music Educators Competition. In 2004, Ms Cole performed Vivaldi's Violin Concerto no. 12 with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gerard Schwarz in a concert honoring longtime SSO patron Rebecca Benaroya. As a recitalist, she appeared on the 2008 Green Recital Series at the Carnegie Cultural Center in Ottawa, Kansas, a performance that was recorded for Kansas Public Television. She has performed in master classes for Glenn Dicterow, Sidney Harth, and Cho-Liang Lin.

SVETLANA GARITSELOVA, CELLO

Svetlana Garitselova was born in Moscow, Russia in 1983. She started playing cello when she was almost six, winning her first competition in Moscow Russia in 1995. In 1998, she entered the Gnessin College of Music, where she studied for four years in the studio of Alexander Bendicky. Upon entering Moscow Conservatory, Svetlana has formed the piano trio. They have won numerous chamber music competitions, including the 8^th International Maria Yudina Chamber Music Competition. Svetlana was also awarded music scholarship by I. K. Arkhipova. She performed at the Festival dedicated to the 140th anniversary of Moscow Conservatory, as well as memorial concert dedicated to the World War II at Elnia, and at the Shostakovich festival. From 2002 to 2005 she spent three summers in Germany, where she participated in chamber and solo concerts with her father, A. Vorobiev. In 2004, she toured Japan with the Gnessin Virtuoso Chamber orchestra , conducted by Maestro Khohlov, and took part in the numerous solo recitals. From 2006-2007 Svetlana was employed by the Big Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fedoseev, and performed recitals and concertos throughout Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. After graduating from Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, Svetlana moved to Rochester, NY where she continued her graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music in the studio of Professor A. Harris. Currently Mrs. Garitselova is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of North Texas in the studio of Professor Eugene Osadchy. Her upcoming performances include solo, chamber music and orchestra appearances in the United States and Europe.

SERGIO RODRIGUEZ, GUITAR

As a guitarist, Mr. Rodriguez has taken master classes with David Russell, Pavel Steidl, Eliot Fisk, Leo Brower, Ricardo Cobo, Thomas Patterson and Gerald Clickstein among others. As an active student of the third and fourth Encuentro Nacional de la Guitarra in Colombia, Sergio participated in master classes with Eduardo Fernandez, who focused on classical and baroque performance practices. He also participated in master classes with the guitarist Victor Pelegrini (Argentina) at the XII Concurso-Festival Internacional de Guitarra Leo Brouwer. In 1998, he performed works by Torroba, Rodrigo, Garcia-Lorca, Falla and Sor with the Colombian singer, Carol Gonzalez, at the Alianza Colombo-Francesa, the Museo Nacional and the small theaters, La Baranda and La Libélula Dorada. The duo received the “Joven Músico Javeriano” award from the Pontifícia Universidad Javeriana. During his bachelor, Mr. Rodriguez joined the Sociedad Coral Santa Cecilia (Saint Cecilia Choral Society) as tenor or the choir. He participated in performances of J. S. Bach's B minor Mass, Johannes and St. Matthew’s passion, and Brahms' German Requiem among others. He has taught music and art appreciation at the Colegio San Bartolomé, Catholic High School Colegio de la Enseñanza Cardenal Luque, Carrera de Estudios Musicales, Programa Infantil y Juvenil at the Potificia Universidad Javeriana, and elementary and middle schools at the Kirby Hall School. He founded and coordinated the guitar club within the extra-curricular activities. During his time in Austin, he volunteered for the Austin Classical Guitar Society with their administrative activities and guitar concerts. Sergio received an offer from the University of North Texas to be a Teacher Assistant while he works to pursue his doctoral degree. He is currently in his third year of Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of North Texas.

KARLA DUNNING, MUSIKGARTEN AND GROUP PIANO

Karla Dunning has been enjoying music since her days of dancing around the living room to music playing on her Fisher Price record player. Blessed to have parents who nurtured that love of music, Karla was in dance classes from the age of 4 and added piano lessons to the mix before she picked up the clarinet in 6th grade band. By 8th grade, she had decided this was life and began making plans to become a great band director someday. After years of marching and concert band seasons in Sherman, Karla came to Denton to follow her dreams at the University of North Texas.  It was during that first year that she learned about early childhood music education and the impact music can have on EVERY child.  By junior year, Karla's focus shifted to younger musicians.  While at UNT she assisted in the Early Childhood Music Program and graduated from UNT with a bachelors degree in Music Education.  She spent several summers earning all three levels of her Kodály certification and then completed teacher training and certification through Musikgarten. After a great 7 years teaching music at Zellars Elementary in Little Elm ISD, Karla left public school to teach music to preschoolers and has loved it!  In the last 2 years, she started Joyful Sounds Music Studio in Denton, where she teaches family music classes for young children and their grown-ups.  She also teaches in private preschools with Miss Jane’s MusicPlay in Bartonville, Westlake and Keller. Karla truly believes that all children are born musical, and to encourage and develop that natural ability as early as possible is important in each child’s lifelong path.  Through playing, moving and discovering, children can learn skills like singing and reading music the same way they learn language – in a natural sequence that develops as they grow.  Family music classes enable the parents to nurture that musical growth, and continue the activities and fun at home.