AL JOSEPH DUBOUZET Pianist

AL JOSEPH DUBOUZET, age 13, began piano lessons at six years of age. His early studies began with Mabel Gerber. For the past two and a half years he has been under the tutelage of Renne Guerrero-Harris. Joseph is in the 8th grade at St. Brendan's School in the Bronx and is an active member of the music program there which is sponsored by Education Through Music. In 2006 he received a prestigious scholarship to attend the USDAN Center for Creative and Performing Arts. His piano achievements include 1st prize in the St. Brendan's Talent Show, finalist in the Westchester University Annual Piano Competition, and superior ratings for the past two years in the National Guild of Piano Teachers Annual Auditions. A talented singer as well, Joseph was selected to participate in the children's chorus of Opera Company of Brooklyn's 2006 production of La Boheme under the baton of former Metropolitan Opera conductor Steven Crawford. On his spare time, Joseph enjoys golf, tennis and basketball. In the fall of 2008 he will attend All Hallows Catholic School in the Bronx.

CONSTANDINA HOMAYUNI Mezzo-Soprano

CONSTANDINA HOMAYUNI, mezzo-soprano, is a 15-year old freshman at Long Island Lutheran Middle High School where she is part of the Youth group there. She has been singing for six years and attends lessons with her voice teacher Ms. Jin at the Manhasset School of Music. She has sung at various school concerts and last year she performed in her eighth grade musical, The Music Man. She also took place in this year's Division 4 All Country Chorus. In the upcoming months, she will be performing at Carnegie Hall. Constandina, enjoys going to church regularly, practices photography and participates in interscholastic sports, such as the Track team, Cheerleading team and the Lacross team. Her dream is that one day she will become a professional vocalist and would also try photography or writing as a career.

THEOFILOS KATECHIS Bouzouki

THEOFILOS KATECHIS, is a 12-year old currently attending the Einstein Academy 6th Grade at I.S. 141. He is the recipient of the United Federation of Teachers Certificate Award, Certificate of Outstanding Achievement in Drama and the Math, Science and Spanish Honor Roll Award. His teachers comment on the fact that he is always willing to help, please, and make others laugh. He has been studying the bouzouki since October 2006. His talent, dedication and love for the instrument was demonstrated when he performed at Platia Athenon on July 3rd, 2007 and Sept. 11, 2007 and at Mathrakian Society Annual Dance on December 3rd, 2007. His favorite sports are basketball and baseball and enjoys music, reading and fishing.

CONSTANTINE KENNY Piano / Vocalist

CONSTANTINE KENNY was born in Queens in May 1999 and began his piano instruction at the age of five. At the age of six he commenced voice instruction with Broadway songwriter Jerry Bragin of West Hempstead New York. In 2006, Constantine enrolled at the Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College; his curriculum under this rigorous weekly program encompasses piano instruction, voice training, musicianship and chorus training. Vocal studies are administered by the accomplished Mary Kay McGarvey, who has performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera. He has been awarded one partial merit-based scholarship for this program. He has performed twice at the Steinway Hall Piano Recital for Minors in New York, as well as performing both as soloist and as part of a voice ensemble at two semi-annual recitals given at the Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College. In February 2008, Constantine auditioned and has been cast for the part of "Messenger's Helper" in the theatrical production of "Chip and His Dog" which will be performed in June 2008 at Queens College. In October 2007, at the urging of his voice coach Mary Kay McGarvey, Constantine auditioned and was accepted into the Children's Chorus at The Metropolitan Opera of New York. This privileged program offers weekly voice instruction at the Metropolitan Opera, with the goal of placement into upcoming operatic performances at Lincoln Center. His instruction is administered by opera singer Elena Doria. Born to Greek parents, Constantine is fluent in Greek, and has traveled to Greece seven times already in his nine years. Since kindergarten he has been enrolled in the St. Markella afternoon Greek Studies Program in Astoria New York, where he receives daily instruction in the Greek language and culture. His instructors at St. Markella have recognized his musical talents, and thus he has repeatedly performed piano and voice solos at the Christmas, Greek and Independence and Year-End Festivals organized by the St. Markella Greek School. Since 2006, Constantine has also received weekly instruction in Greek Dance, offered by the Pan-Cyprian Organization of New York, where he is a member of the Children's Dance Group.

FLORA KIROU Sprano

FLORA KIROU, soprano, was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1991 and has been in the United States since 1992. At age 8, Flora started taking private lessons in piano and at age 10 she started participating for the first time in different choral ensembles including the St. Demetrios Choir and the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir. It was in these choral ensembles that Flora discovered her passion and inclination in singing. At the suggestion of one of her choral directors she began to take private vocal lessons at age 12 at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Manhattan and has continued her piano lessons there as well. Wishing to expand her musical horizons, Flora also took classes in music theory, harmony and ear training. At age 14, Flora was admitted to the La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts where she is currently a junior. La Guardia High School has given Flora the opportunity to get valuable experience as a performer and musician. Currently, Flora is a member of the prestigious Senior Chorus at the school as well as a member of the Opera Workshop in which she is preparing to star as Yum-Yum in May 2008 school production of the Mikado. Flora is also a finalist in the Classical Singer High School Competition, the final round of which will take place in New York in May 2008.

CASSANDRA MARIE LAMBROS Soprano / Violin

CASSANDRA MARIE LAMBROS, soprano graduated in May 2006 with highest honors from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, with a BM in violin performance. She was a member of the Rutgers University and Sinfonia Orchestras and has been soloist with the Westfield (NJ) Concerto Orchestra and at the National Arts Club, New York City. While at Rutgers, she was awarded the James Bryan and Edna Noris Noe Scholarship three years and also received the Plainfield (NJ) Music Club Scholarship (2002 and 2003) and the Hickory Tree Music Scholarship in 2002. She has been soprano soloist for the First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth (NJ), performed in recital for the Middlesex (NJ) Library and the South Plainfield (NJ) Cultural Arts Commission, and is currently soloist at the First Presbyterian Church of Hackensack, (NJ). In February 2008 she was a guest soprano soloist in the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra singing works by Handel and Puccini. She recently covered the role of Giannetta (twice) for the Opera for Humanity benefit performance of L'Elisir d'Amore and performed in the chorus with the State Repertory Opera in Don Pasquale. In April 2007 she was named winner in the voice category of the Irving Ludwig Young Artists Auditions. In high school and throughout her undergraduate years, she was able to present recitals featuring both her singing and violin playing. Cassandra studies voice with Amy Shoremount-Obra of the Metropolitan Opera and teaches violin and piano while continuing her orchestral activities. She teaches violin and piano and, in addition, she is a member of the New Jersey Ballet and the Serova Dance Company and will be appearing in recital the Spring of 2008. Because of her Greek heritage, Cassandra undertook a senior music class research project to set up a website devoted to the Turks' historical, social, religious and nationalistic influences on Greek music during the occupation. Cassandra writes poetry and has a Shitzu and Maine Coon cat, both of whom are in their middle teens. While pursuing her degree in violin performance, Cassandra was simultaneously studying voice. Upon graduation, she decided to devote most of her time to the latter. Her immediate goal is to enter a young Artist program, attend graduate school in the voice program, and gain more professional experience in the operatic field. Her long range goal is to sing opera and oratorio.

J'NAI MARIE LEWIS BRIDGES Mezzo-Soprano

Seattle native, J'NAI MARIE LEWIS BRIDGES, is a young mezzo-soprano currently in her third year at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She discovered her gift for singing while she was a junior in high school and immediately began vocal training. Along with taking voice lessons, J'nai continued her piano studies, which started at the ripe age of five. For the past two summers J'nai was chosen to participate in the highly acclaimed Centro Studi Lirica summer program in Novafltria, Italy where she performed scenes from various operas and spiritual concerts. In the Fall of 2007 J'nai was cast as Dorabella in Mosart's Cosi Fan Tutte for the annual opera scenes at Manhattan School of Music. She will alsobe performing scenes from Giulio Cesare and Martha for the upcoming Junior Opera Schenes in May. J'nai has an outstanding appreciation for all genres of music and an amazing work ethic. Every Sunday she section leads at Bethel African-Methodist-Episcopal Church in Harlem, New York where there is such positive reception to classical vocal music. Along with her love for opera, J'nai enjoys playing the piano, basketball, doing ceramics, and helping out in her community. She has been a tutor for different schools through America Read , a program to help the advancement of reading skills for children all over America. This spring J'nai will be featured as April Davis in Manhattan School of Music production of Street Scene by Kurt Weill. For this summer she was also accepted into Opera North, a highly acclaimed and prestigious young Artist program in New Hampshire. After receiving her undergraduate degree, J'nai plans to attend graduate school with a major in Vocal Performance.

ALEXIA E. SKIADAS Soprano / Piano / Organ / Violin

ALEXIA E. SKIADAS is fifteen years old and has been taking voice and piano lessons for six years. In addition, she plays the violin for her school orchestra and the organ for her church. She is involved with GOYA, plays soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She loves visiting her family in Greece in the summer and learning the latest Greek and American pop songs on the piano. Alexia is an "A" student, computer savvy, and loves to read. Her passion is music and hopes to pursue and continue in college in the music field.

NIKITAS TAMPAKIS Viola

NIKITAS TAMPAKIS was born in 1992 in New York. He's loved music ever since he was a child and began piano lessons at the age of 8. One year later Nikitas began viola lessons at his elementary school. At this time he also began singing in the church choir, where he still sings in today. At the age of 11, Nikitas began studying viola privately. Currently, he is a sophomore at Tappan Zee High School in Orangeburg, NY. Nikitas plays in his school concert and chamber orchestras. He is a member of his school concert choir and has performed at Carnegie Hall with this group in 2007. In late April 2008, Nikitas traveled with his choir to London, England to perform in various locations throughout the city. Also, Nikitas has played in the pit orchestra for the last two high school musical productions: Brigadoon (2007) and Iolanthe (2008). He has performed as a violist in the Rockland county symphony with movie composer David Shire and has been accepted into all county and area all state ensembles for viola and all county singing baritone. In the area of Greek music, Nikitas founded the instrumental group at the Greek school of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in West Nyack, NY. He arranges and orchestrates the music performed by the group during Christmas, March 25th and graduation celebrations. Nikitas has also performed with Grigoris Maninakis as part of the Mikrokosmos Ensemble in two concerts so far. Nikitas is very interested in composing instrumental music and is hoping to one day be able to record his compositions in a studio. One of his compositions won at the PTA 2007-2008 Reflections program for the musical composition category in the Central Hudson region. Nikitas also hopes to one day master the bouzouki and tzoura, both of which he is taking lessons for. Outside of music, Nikitas is on his school council, math team, and is a member of his school x-country and track teams.

ELENA TOUMARAS Vocalist

ELENA TOUMARAS was born in New York in 1989 and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. She is currently a freshman at the Macaulay Honors College at NYU and plans on majoring in Nutrition and Music Performance, and minoring in Greek Studies. Elena began singing at a young age at the Greek Afternoon School of Saint Nicholas and took part in all of the concerts of Ergastiri Ellinikis Mousikis at the Hellenic Cultural Center (2003-2005). In 2005, she performed in The Greek Cultural Center's concert "A Tribute to Manos Hadjidakis" at LaGuardia Community College. In addition, since the age of 15, she has had the opportunity to perform at numerous concerts with Grigoris Maninakis and his band "The Mikrokosmos Ensemble" at the Hellenic Cultural Center.

CONSTANDINOS TSOURAKIS Bass

CONSTANDINOS TSOURAKIS, bass, is a proud Greek-American. His parents are from Nisyros and Fourni, Ikaria. Constandinos has been an aspiring musician from a very young age. He began performing in elementary school in music festivals and drama works, and continued performing throughout his junior high school years, as part of the Intermediate School 10 Chorus. He successfully auditioned for Tony Bennett and the Exploring The Arts Foundation to be a part of the first four year graduating class of the Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts, where he graduated in 2005. He is currently a member of the Collegiate Chorale, a non-profit choral organization in New York City. Performances include concerts at the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, the Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, and various venues across the city. As a member of the chorale for the past four years, he has performed with artists such as Deborah Voigt, James Morris, Marcello Giordani, Barbara Frittoli, Barbara Boney, Aprile Millo, Dolora Zajick and Bryn Terfel, under the baton of Robert Bass. Constandinos has also performed with the chorale at the Verbier Music Festival in Verbier, Switzerland in 2006 and 2007, conducted by James Levine and Manfred Honeck. Constandinos attends the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, where he is in his 3rd year of studies toward a bachelor of music degree in Vocal Performance/Opera Studies. There he has appeared in performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors (Balthzaar) and Cosi Fan Tutte (Don Alfonso), as well as in opera scenes from The Abduction from the Seraglio (Osmin), Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale) and The Magic Flute (Sarastro). This season he is appearing in Purchase Opera's New York Premiere of Lee Hoiby's The Tempest, where he will be performing the roles of Stephano and Courtier. Constandinos is a member of the Board of the Nisyrian Youth Organization, promoting interaction between Nisyrians and other Dodecanese youth as well as learning Hellenic culture, history and music. He is fluent in Greek and English and can also speak Italian, German and French. His interests include sports and jazz, music theatre and opera, as well as Greek folk and popular music. His goal is to pursue music as a career and someday be able to showcase his talents on a professional level in Greece.