Loni White
Loni White was born in Manitoba, Canada and began studying piano at the age of nine enrolling in the Royal Conservatory of Music. She competed every year in the Manitoba Festival of the Arts, where she received many awards, many recognizing her talent in performing modern works. At the age of 13, Loni began studying piano, theory, and music history with pianist and composer Dr. Kenneth Nichols, and after graduating as valedictorian, she continued her studies in the prestigious Brandon University School of Music. This same year Loni completed the practical examination of the highest level in the Royal Conservatory obtaining her Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto in piano performance. In 2004, Loni was awarded first place in the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Artist Competition for the state of North Dakota. Two years later, Loni was a guest soloist with the Minot Symphony Orchestra, where she performed the first Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto.
In 2008, Loni graduated with a Master's degree in piano performance from Florida Atlantic University, where she studied with world renowned pianist Judith Burganger. Loni has had extensive teaching experience both as a private piano instructor and at the university level. She currently is adjunct piano faculty at Palm Beach State College and is on the board of directors for Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association. As a performing musician, Loni is active as a chamber musician in the South Florida area.
Lehins Aragon
Lehins Aragón was born in San Cristobal, Venezuela and entered into the world-renowned music program known as El Sistema, which gave him the opportunity to perform and teach throughout Venezuela. At the young age of 13, Lehins was already the concertmaster of the Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra of San Cristobal. Lehins was a violin instructor in the states of Tachira and Merida where he helped develop orchestral programs in the towns of Colon, Tovar, and in the private schools. In 1995, Lehins worked for a state orchestra that promoted Venezuelan folk music. This same year Lehins was a founding member of the San Cristobal Chamber Music Orchestra. Lehins was a member of the San Cristobal Orchestra, Merida Symphony Orchestra, and the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra.
In 1999, Lehins moved to Miami, Florida to continue his education in violin performance. He studied at the New World School of the Arts under the violin studio of Thomas Moore, obtaining a Bachelor of Music Degree in 2005. In Miami, Lehins had many solo performing opportunities as well as becoming involved in orchestral work. He has played for the Miami Symphony Orchestra and with this orchestra had the privilege of performing in the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City. Other orchestras that Lehins has performed with include Hollywood Symphony, Renaissance Classical Orchestra, Palm Beach Pops and he is currently playing for the Symphony of the Americas.
Lehins has experience performing popular music and has played with many famous musicians such as Frank Sinatra Jr., Anne Murray, Kenny Rodgers, Pedro Fernandez, Alberto Santarosa, Cristian Castro and Chayanne among others. Many famous people have also contracted Lehins to perform for private events including Donald Trump, Estee Lauder, Tommy Hilfiger, Scottie Pippen, and King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain.
Modesto Marcano
Modesto Marcano started his musical studies at the renown National Youth Orchestra Program of Venezuela El Sistema at the conservatory Simon Bolívar in Caracas Venezuela. He attended graduate school at Duquesne university and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He held the position of violist in the Niles string quartet, graduate quartet in residence at the University of Kentucky in 2001. His teachers included Atar Arad, Joen Vasquez, Jose Roman, Dorotea Hoffman, Humberto Armas. He has also taken Master classes on viola performance and chamber music with renown professors such as Andres Cardenes, Gerard Cause, Margaret Pardee, Michael Kugel, Lawrence Dutton, and Sidney Hart among others. Modesto has been Principal Violist of Symphony of the Americas and South Florida Symphony and is currently principal violist at the Kravis Pops in West Palm Beach Florida. Modesto is also artist director and co-founder of the chamber music series Music in Miami, inc in Miami, and is currently member of the STRATUS4 String Quartet.
Angela Gallagher Maleh
Angela Maleh is originally from Anchorage, Alaska. She was the winner of the Allied Arts Solo Competition in 1989 in Spokane Washington. A list of teachers include Ross Harbaugh, Laurien Laufman and the prestigious Aldo Parisot. Angela performed with the Yale Cellos at Carnegie Hall in 1998. She has performed with may symphonies including the Savannah Symphony, Hilton Head Orchestra, The Palm Beach Pops and most recently works for the Miami City Ballet as associate principal.
One of Angela's most recent performances was with the Opus One String Quartet performing with the Miami City Ballet in a piece by Britten's String Quartet No. 2. Angela performed chamber music for 11 years with Chamber Music Hilton Head and has worked in many influential chamber groups such as the Chagall Trio with pianist Daphne Spottiswoode. Angela is a founding member of the Stratus4 String Quartet and performs with this chamber group which performs regularly in South Florida and New York.
Ranses Colon
From Venezuela to Miami, Ranses Colon is one of the most sought-after bassists in the world, both for live performances and for recordings. He plays the electric basses, 4, 5, 6, and 7 string, including fretless, as well as the baby bass and upright acoustic bass.
He has recorded works with artists such as Ricky Martin, Placido Domingo, Juan Gabriel, Nestor Torres, Enrique Chia, Celia Cruz (band leader), Juan Luis Guerra and Oscar de Leon. The album “Tribute to Lecuona” with Enrique Chia was nominated for a Grammy in 2002.
He is the premier bassist for tango performers who come to the Miami area to entertain. Ranses performs chamber, Latin and Folk music and has recorded and performed in almost every style of contemporary music from Rap to Classical, Jazz to Latin, Danzon to Reggae. Ranses is co-principal of the Mr. Colon Productions where he produces and makes arrangements. The first album that he produced and arranged, “Rose”, was released in 2002 and was very popular.
Frank Derrick
Familiar to symphony audiences around the world, Frank Derrick has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, the New York Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, and the Buffalo Philharmonic. His precision and driving rhythmic styling has been featured on the cast album of Bubbling Brown Sugar, Big City Swing-Veronica Martell, Strong & Graceful Oaks-Rejoicensemble, The Cab Calloway Show Live in Freiburg Germany, and Something Old, Something New-The Bob Hoose Orchestra, to name a few. His “Straight Ahead” composition garnered the A.S.C.A.P. Special Award. As an educator, he served as Chairman of Percussion at Henry Street Settlement in New York, presents master classes, is the respected author of FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE For Drummers, (published by Hal Leonard) is a contributing author to various educational publications, and is the Drum set editor for the Percussive Arts Society.
Frank Derrick, has led a multifaceted national and international music career. He is a virtuoso performer, composer, and educator. His many theatrical credits include Bubbling Brown Sugar, The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sophisticated Ladies, Big River, and Catskills. He has performed with numerous legends and artists including Redd Foxx, Stephanie Mills, Della Reese, Freda Payne, Eubie Blake, The Platters, Eartha Kitt, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Woody Herman Ochestra, Dorothy Donegan, The Pointer Sisters, Ken Peplowski, Dakota Staton, Steve Allen, The Louis Armstrong Legacy Band, Donna Summer, Keely Smith, Maureen McGovern, Ann Hampton Callaway, Benny Carter, and has conducted on the concert stage for John Pizzarelli and Lanie Kazan. He toured worldwide with Cab Calloway for ten years and was drummer for “The David Letterman Show” on NBC.
