Percussion, Harp, Piano Mentors
Matthew McClung is an orchestral percussionist, chamber musician, and soloist. He has performed with the symphony orchestras of Arkansas, Corpus Christi, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Houston, Minnesota, Phoenix, San Antonio and Victoria, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra and Houston Grand Opera, among others. Most recently he has appeared as guest principal percussionist and timpanist with the Grammy-winning Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Matthew is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at Saint Olaf College, and the principal percussionist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and the Glimmerglass Opera Festival. Matthew proudly endorses Vic Firth sticks and mallets, and Zildjian cymbals.
Matthew McClung, Percussion
2022 Festival Musician
Nataliya Sukhina has numerous years of collaborative experience with vocalists and instrumentalists and maintains an extensive and diverse repertoire list. Besides piano, she enjoys performing on fortepiano, harpsichord, and organ, and finds herself equally at home with early, classical, and contemporary music repertoire.
Nataliya Sukhina can be heard on several CDs - Facets 3: New American Music for Trumpet with John Holt and Sophia Grech (2009), 7 Vignettes for 7 Choreographers by Claudia H. Queen (2011), and Shades of Light with Lisa Garner (2014). Critics have described her as “a sensitive musician” who “provides strong, capable support” (Fanfare), and noted that “her contribution is balanced perfectly” (American Record Guide).
A prize-winner of international piano competitions in Ukraine, Russia, France and the United States, including 3rd prize at the Fourth International Horowitz Competition, Nataliya Sukhina has performed as a soloist with Kiev State Philharmonic Orchestra and National Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and Nikolaev Philharmonic Orchestra.
She has appeared in chamber series in Lake City Arts, Lewisville Lake, Amarillo, Chautauqua Institute, and St. Andrew’s Church, and was invited as a guest artist by such festivals and competitions as MTNA, NATS, NASA conference, Kiev Summer Music Festival, International Trombone Festival, International Horn Symposium, Texas Flute Society Festival, International Society of Bassists Convention, Bradetich International Double Bass Solo Competition, Dallas Contemporary Music Festival, International Alliance of Woman in Music, etc.
Dr. Sukhina has been honored to participate in international cultural exchange programs with Aruba Department of Cultural Affairs (2010) and Chinese Music Institute of Peking University (2013).
Dr. Sukhina is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Practice and Coordinator of Collaborative Piano area at Texas Tech University. In addition to performing with students, faculty and guest-artists, she teaches applied piano and Collaborative Skills for Pianists and Chamber Literature courses. In spare time she loves to cook, hike, dabble in different styles of folk dancing, and chill at home with her cat.
Nataliya Sukhina, Piano
DEBORAH FLEISHER began harp studies with her grandmother, Nettie Druzinsky, at age seven. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Marilyn Costello and received an Artists Diploma from the Peabody Institute as a student of Ruth Inglefield. Deborah also worked with Alice Chalifoux and Gloria Agostini.
She was the harpist with the Baltimore Opera, Delaware Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and Florida Sunshine Pops. She has performed at the Marlboro and Aspen Music Festivals.
Deborah has been in the pit orchestras for such shows as Hello Dolly with Carol Channing, The King and I with Yul Brynner, Evita, Phantom, A Chorus Line, and The Fantastiks and performed with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carrerras, Andrea Boccelli, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. She has played with the Mineria Orquesta de Mexico, Sinfonica Nacionial de Santo Domingo, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Bolivia. Ms. Fleisher performs throughout South Florida from Key West to Naples to Palm Beach, and was recently appointed to the faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida.