shades of American identity
Meet the Performers!
Jonathan Lawlor
baritone
Baritone Jonathan Lawlor is interested in expanding the canon for the classical voice in the belief that the more versatile the performer, the more informed and interesting is their performance. He has experience both in the Early music scene, having worked with well-known Baroque groups like Boston Baroque, Emmanuel Music, and Marsh Chapel, and experience in the opera community working with BSYO Opera Chorus and in the Opera Maine studio artist program.
In his first year in the Bard Conservatory Graduate Vocal Art Program, Jonathan has many performances that succeed in this pursuit of varied performances. His performances in early music include bass soloist in the Bard Early Music Ensemble’s performance of Bach’s Cantata 111. He performed in The Orchestra Now’s performance of Handel’s Messiah, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem as their bass soloist, and finally as the Forester in their production of Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. His upcoming performances include The Orchestra Now’s performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as the bass soloist and Concerts in the Village’s performance of Haydn’s Creation as Adam.
Jonathanlawlorbaritone.com
Katherine Lerner Lee
soprano
Brooklyn-based soprano, Katherine Lerner Lee, is currently pursuing her Master’s of Music at Bard Conservatory. Highlights of the 2021 season include performances as Gold Spurs in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, an appearance in Fauré's Requiem with the Broad Street Orchestra and a winning performance in Bard's Concerto Competition. A diverse artist, Katherine is at home in operatic, concert and contemporary repertoire. In 2019, she made her Carnegie Hall debut on the Perelman Stage as the soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Les Noces with Oberlin College Choir and has been heard at the Brooklyn Art Museum and the Cleveland Art Museum, performing works by Louis Andriessen, Michael Gordon and Harrison Birtwistle. Upcoming performances include Haydn's Creation with the Broad Street Orchestra and a performance of Kaaja Saariaho's The Tempest with Jonathan Lawlor and the Bard Sinfonietta Project. More at katherinelernerlee.com
Zihao Liu
tenor
Chinese tenor Zihao Liu is an artist of stunning vocal agility and exceptional musicianship. Mr.Liu’s recently solo appearances include the Schoolmaster in Janáček’s The Cuninng Little Vixen; tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with The Orchestra Now, conducted by Leon Botstein; and Songs From The Real World: The French Cabaret with world-renowned American mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe and pianist Kayo Iwama. Mr.Liu has performed several solo recitals in the States and China, as the Nurse in Monteverdi’s opera L’incoronazione di Poppea. Mr. Liu’s opera scene work includes Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.In 2022, he was the one of artists of the Art Song Festival. In 2020, he participated in Chautauqua Opera Conservatory, studying with Marlena Malas. Mr. Liu has performed at Carnegie Hall, Fisher Center, Symphony Space, Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, and Chongqing Grand Theatre. Mr. Liu holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Marlena Malas, and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at the Vocal Arts Program of Bard College Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Richard Cox.
Neilson Chen
pianist
Dr. Po Hsun (Neilson) Chen a native of Taiwan is a highly sought-after recitalist and collaborative pianist whose dazzling technique and thoughtful interpretations have been praised by the L.A. Times as “stunning.” A doctoral graduate of Arizona State University, Dr. Chen also holds two Master of Music degrees from Taipei University of the Arts and University of Texas at Austin. Over the course of his career, Neilson has been the recipient of many prestigious honors and awards, including winning the inaugural duo competition at Music Academy of the West in 2019. As an active recitalist, chamber music artist and collaborative pianist, Neilson has performed extensively throughout the United States and internationally, having given performance in Canada, Germany, Luxemburg, France, Ireland, Japan, South Korea. Highlights include performing at the National Concert Hall in Taiwan in conjunction with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op.50, “In Memory of a Great Artist” on the Tempe Center for the Arts’ concert series Performance with a View. Besides these accomplishments, Neilson is highly active in his community and passionate about promoting new works by a new generation of composers. Recent such performances include the premiere of Judith Shatin’s unter soreles vigele and The Stories We Tell, micro-operas by Native American composers at the Grand Canyon Music Festival. More info can be found at www.neilsonchenpianist.com.
Montana Smith
soprano
Montana Smith, soprano, is a young artist eager to cultivate community through song. Her repertoire within the classical genre is widespread, and her recent interests are in works by Black composers. Currently based in the Hudson Valley, Montana is in her second year of graduate studies at the Bard College Conservatory of Music in the Vocal Arts Program, where she studies with Ms. Edith Bers. Most recently, she performed the role of “Pepik” in Leoš Janaček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and she was also a featured soloist in G.F. Handel’s Messiah at Bard Conservatory.
Timothy Morrow
cello
Timothy Morrow is a pianist, cellist, composer, and conductor from New Jersey. Having started music from a young age, Timothy is such a serious musician, that he refuses to watch any sporting events except for the Olympics and the Super Bowl so that he does not seem like a complete recluse. That being said, he does have a strange fascination for curling. He is a self proclaimed optimist, and recently got addicted to Hi Chew (especially the strawberry flavor). His favorite bridge is the Tappan Zee Bridge because of its strong pylons, proximity to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s grave site, and clouded view of New York City. He currently studies conducting at Bard Conservatory and is an avid advocate for the existence of Central Jersey.
Jing Yi Sutherland
cello
Jing Yi Sutherland is a young aspiring cellist who is currently in her second year as undergraduate at the Bard College and Conservatory of Music. Beginning with piano at age 3, then transitioning to cello at age 9, Jing Yi has been innately drawn to the power of music because of its ability to transcend beyond humanities differences and alternatively brings us together in a celebration of joy and unity.
Recent performances include appearances with the Bard Conservatory Orchestra playing repertoire such as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, “Ode to Joy”, Brahms 2nd Symphony, and Strauss’ one act opera, “Salome” this past spring. And she recently participated in a string masterclass with the Cassatt Quartet as well as one of Bard Conservatory’s Noon Concerts.
At age 11, Jing Yi attended her first music summer intensive at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire. Since then, she has spent many of her summers attending other summer camps and intensives such as the Philadelphia International Music Festival, receiving an acceptance to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, which was unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic, New England Music Camp, and the Snow Pond Music Festival.
Nalin Myoung
violin
Nalin Myoung is a violinist from Seoul, South Korea and currently resides in New York. She studied violin at Ewha Womans University, the first female university in Korea, with renowned violinist Sungil Lee and transferred to Lynn University in Florida to study with Elmar Oliveira. She received full scholarship for. three years and was awarded a bachelors degree in violin performance. Nalin is currently completing her last year of certificate program at Bard conservatory with Yi-Wen Jiang who is a member of Shanghai quartet.
As an orchestral player, Nalin has appeared as a violinist with The Orchestra Now (TŌN), the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, and the Lynn Philharmonia at venues such as the Fisher Center at Bard, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. the Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Klára Zaykova
violin
Klára Zaykova is a Czech student of Bard College, currently double-majoring in philosophy and violin performance with Daniel Phillips. Throughout the years, she has won top prizes at international and regional competitions such as Kocian Violin Competition, Premio Clivis, Zlatý Oříšek, Nová Paka, and more. In 2021, she was chosen for a masterclass with Gil Shaham, one of the foremost violinists of our time and the same year, she also played under the baton of Semyon Bychkov with the Czech Student Philharmonic. Klára also attended music festivals such as Ševčík Academy, Setkání s Hudbou, Nové Hrady, and Academy of Václav Hudeček. Besides Czech Republic and USA, she has performed in countries like England, Italy, Austria, Germany and more, and apart from her violin career, she was also accepted to Oxford Summer Courses in 2022.
Samantha Rehorst
viola
Samantha Rehorst is an undergraduate viola performance major studying with Melissa Reardon. She started her musical journey on violin when she was five and decided to play viola for chamber music when she was fourteen. Ever since has decided to focus on viola instead of violin as her primary instrument. In order to fuel her love of chamber music she has gone to multiple chamber music festivals including the Manitou Chamber Music Festival (a Colorado Spring local chamber music intensive) for five years, and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, but she also enjoys filling her academic year with as much chamber music as she can! She is very happy to be playing in this program along with all of the other wonderfully talented musicians.