Selected Student Bios

• Amanda Tabor
  Amanda Tabor specializes in contemporary and experimental horn playing andhas earned degrees from California Institute of the Arts (BFA, 2005) and the University of California, San Diego (MA, 2008) in that subject.  Her primary teachers have been Daniel Katzen and Warren Gref.
  
  She is currently studying with Ann Ellsworth at NYU Steinhardt.  Amanda has also been a member of Pierre Boulez's Lucerne Festival Academy and recently completed a residency at Dartington International Summer School (2007) with CalArts' New Century Players workingwith Sir Peter Maxwell Davies to perform many of his works including his opera Lighthouse and Sea Eagle, his piece for solo horn. 
  
  Amanda enjoys working with composers to create new works for the horn in hopes of finding new ways for it to be used, thought of and played.  Over the last few years she has commissioned many pieces from composers in a wide variety of styles.  In addition she is the principle horn of the contemporary chamber ensemble inauthentica and a member of the experimental music collective Wholesale Orchestra. 
  
• Stephanie Lynn Allison
  Stephanie Lynn Allison is a freelance trumpet player and instructor who lives and works in New York City.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida with a B.A. in music for performance in trumpet and voice.  While in Florida she was privileged to performwith Rollins faculty members and  other professional musicians such as the Bach Festival Society Orchestra, for events around Winter Park and the Orlando area. Stephanie worked as a musician and parade performer at Walt Disney World for three Holiday seasons.   She has played the trumpet for two concert tours in Europe: the Bach Festival Society's tour of Ireland and as a soloist with Northside Christian School's tour of Austria and Germany.
  
  Stephanie has performed in masterclasses for and studied with many excellent brass musicians including: NYU Steinhardt faculty members Laurie Frink, Vincent Penzarella, and Joseph Anderer as well as Kyle Resnick, Christopher Dolske, and the Royal Concertgebouw Brass.
  
  Stephanie is currently completing her Master's Degree from the New York University in Trumpet Performance and Music Education.  While at NYU, Stephanie has participated in the: Symphony Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, Brass Quintet, the Pit Orchestra for productions of King David, Candide and Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and various recording projects for composition students at NYU Steinhardt.
  
• Raymond Mason
  Raymond Mason is a sophomore trombonist pursuing his B.M. in Instrumental Performance at NYU Steinhardt.  He is presently studying with Steinhardt trombone faculty members Tom Hutchinson, who is Principal Trombonist of the New York City Opera, and Mark Patterson, trombonist for the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacfic".  Previous teachers include Brian Mahany, Marshall Gilkes, David Langlitz, Principal of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Raymond Munnecom, bass trombonist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
  
  Raymond began playing trombone in grade school and by high school was performing in such venues as The Tilles Center at C.W. Post, Eastman Theatre (with the NY All-State Symphony Orchestra), Alice Tully Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall, where he performed a premiere of Erik Satie's "Aubude" arranged for solo trombone and orchestra by Matthew Pierce.  By freshman year Raymond was performing with The Rockaway-Five Towns Symphony Orchestra, The Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island (H.M.S. Pinafore and Yeoman of The Guard), and The Queens Festival Band as a featured soloist.  This past summer, Raymond played alto trombone for the performances of William Brandt's "Orbits: A Spatial Symphonic Ritual for 80 trombones, organ, and soprano soloist", at the Guggenheim Museum.  In addition to these engagements, Raymond has been principal trombonist for the NYU Brass Choir, NYU Symphony Orchestra, and the NYU theatre productions of Alan Menken and Tim Rice's "King David", B
  ernstein's "Trouble in Tahiti", and Kander and Ebb's "Kiss of The Spiderwoman".
  
  Outside of the classical realm, Raymond has played lead trombone in the NYU Steinhardt Bebop Big Band under the direction of Grammy award-winning Steinhardt Jazz faculty member, trumpeter Brian Lynch, and with ensembles directed by (Steinhardt faculty member) Ralph Lalama and Billy Drewes, both members of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.  Raymond has recorded with Billy Drewes and his Classical Improvisation Ensemble and for a project featuring (Steinhardt faculty member) Kenny Werner, (Steinhardt faculty member) Joe Lovano, and Judi Silvano which will be released on Half Note Records this winter.  Lastly, Raymond has had the pleasure of performing at Madison Square Garden with the band Weezer and at numerous venues around the east coast and midwest with his reggae and soul band, Royal City Riot, which will be releasing a new CD this fall on Megalith Records.