Christopher Confessore celebrates his fourteenth season as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and his fifth season as Resident Conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in 2008-09. During his tenure in Brevard, the orchestra has performed a broad repertoire – including the world premieres of seven compositions commissioned by the orchestra – and enjoyed a dramatic period of artistic growth, increased attendance at all performances, and financial stability. Mr. Confessore joined the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as its Associate Conductor in 2000. His appearances on the ASO’s Masterworks series have garnered rave reviews from the Birmingham News for his “special talent for drawing the broadly lyrical out of his orchestra.”

He also leads the orchestra in a wide variety of educational and outreach performances, and serves as Conductor of the Alabama Symphony POPS!

Mr. Confessore’s schedule as a guest conductor has included appearances with the Houston Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his international debut in June of 2004, conducting the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania.

During the 1999-2000 Season, Mr. Confessore served as Interim Education and Outreach Conductor of the Houston Symphony, conducting multiple performances on the orchestra’s Lollipops, Discovery, and First Concerts series, as well as other community outreach concerts. In June of 2007, he conducted eight performances on the Houston Symphony’s Sounds Like Fun Community Outreach series.

From 1992-2000 Mr. Confessore served as Associate Conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony in Sarasota. From 1990-1995 he served as Education Director of the Florida West Coast Symphony, administering one of the most intensive orchestral education programs in the country.

Hailed by the Birmingham News as a leader with “firm vision and confidence,” Christopher Confessore has accompanied a distinguished list of artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Glenn Dicterow and Carol Wincenc. As a Pops conductor, he has appeared with a diverse group of performers, including Grammy Award winners Art Garfunkel, Roberta Flack, Peabo Bryson, Larry Gatlin and Nanci Griffith, and Tony Award winners Debbie Gravitte and Michael Maguire. In April of 2005, music columnist Mary Colurso of The Birmingham News remarked “Anyone who regards the symphony as stuffy and elitist hasn’t been to a SuperPops show when Confessore’s in charge. He exudes nice-guy appeal on stage, along with real warmth, a sense of humor and smarts to spare.”

Mr. Confessore has studied with internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin and has attended workshops and seminars led by Gustav Meier, Harold Farberman, and Lawrence Leighton Smith. He holds a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Southern California and the Bachelor of Music degree in Bassoon Performance from Florida State University.

Lisa Ferrigno, Concertmaster
Lisa Ferrigno is Concertmaster of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne, Florida. A native of New England, she received her musical training at the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Eastman School of Music in New York.  Ms. Ferrigno is active as a soloist. This past summer she and her husband Aaron Hilbun performed the Bach Concerto for Oboe and Violin with the Chamber Orchestra of the Trujillo Bach Festival in Peru. Ms. Ferrigno has also appeared as soloist with the Florida Symphony and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestras.

In addition to her solo appearances, Ms. Ferrigno is an avid chamber musician and performs solo and chamber music recitals throughout Central Florida. She can frequently be heard on 90.7 FM WMFE’s “Central Florida in Concert.” Ms. Ferrigno is a regular performer at the Festival Internacional Bach in Trujillo, Perú.  She has soloist with both the Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Trujillo, and participated in chamber music concerts with the ensembles Opus Four and Solistas del Ecuador.  She has also served as guest concertmaster of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Trujillo.

Ms. Ferrigno served as Concertmaster of the Orlando Philharmonic from 1993-2003. She continues to serve as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra, a position she has held since 1996.

Ms. Ferrigno’s recording credits include Joyous Violin, a collection of romantic music performed with Keiko Andrews of Rollins University for the Madacy label. She can be heard as soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic in music from “Schindler’s List” on the Madacy albums John Williams: A Night at the Movies and John Williams:
The Dream Goes On.

Christina Burr, Principal Flute
Christina Burr is one of the most sought after flutists in Florida today. She currently holds the position of Principal Flute with both the Brevard Symphony and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, and has been a featured soloist with both orchestras many times. In addition to her regular positions, she is a frequent performer with the Naples and Orlando Philharmonics. Ms. Burr also recently had the honor of performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra on their Florida tour.

Born in New York City, Ms. Burr attended the Juilliard School while still in high school, and later earned a BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase, where

she was a student of Keith Underwood. While in New York, Ms.Burr was an active recitalist, giving solo performances at the Lincoln Center Library and Trinity Church. She is also seen as one of the area's most gifted teachers, with a large and active studio both privately and through the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University. In 2003 Ms. Burr was awarded the first ever "mARTi" award given by the Martin County Council for the Arts in which she was named "Outstanding Performing Artist of the Year". www.tinaburr.com

Nicole Scott
Nora Lee Garcia

Anita Juilianna
Aaron Hilbun

Erik Cole
Kevin Strang

A member of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra since 1993 and principal bassoonist since 1998, Julie Fox attended The University of Texas at Austin where she studied with composer Dan Welcher. She joined the Austin Symphony as contrabassoonist while still a college student. After receiving a Bachelor of Music degree, she was a member of several mid-Texas symphonies before moving to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory on full scholarship. While in Boston, she held the position of principal bassoon in the Portland Symphony and studying with Richard Svoboda of the Boston Symphony. She received her Master of Music degree from the University of South Florida in 2002.

Ms. Fox is concurrently Second/Assistant Principal Bassoon of the Orlando Philharmonic since 1994. She is Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at The University of Central Florida in Orlando since 1996 and is active in the faculty Pegasus Wind Quintet. She is also an active freelancer in the central Florida area. Ms. Fox currently resides in Kissimmee with her husband, son and numerous cats and fish. Her other interests include gardening, sewing/cross-stitch and reading.

Paul Basler 1993-94 Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Music at Kenyatta University (Nairobi, Kenya), 1995-96 University of Florida Teacher of the Year and the 2001-03 College of Fine Arts University of Florida Research Foundation Professor is currently Professor of Music at the University of Florida where he teaches horn and composition. Basler has been resident hornist for the annual Composers Conference in Boston and has performed as guest artist at numerous International Horn Society Workshops, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, the Winchester Festival in England and the St. Petersburg International Chamber Music Festival in Russia.

Basler has been a member of the Charleston, Greenville, Asheville, Tallahassee and Valdosta Symphonies, and continues to maintain a busy performing schedule throughout the United States and abroad, having premiered over 200 works written for him over the years. He also has received 2 American Cultural Affairs Specialist Grants from the U.S. Department of State and serves as a Visiting Artist in Residence with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture and the National Conservatory of Music. He received his B.M. degree magna cum laudefrom the Florida State University and M.M., M.A. and D.M.A. degrees from Stony Brook UniversitBasler's horn teachers have included William Purvis, William Capps and Barry Benjamin.

One of the most performed composers of his generation, his music has been performed throughout the world and recent compositions have received performances at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, the Spoleto Festival, Symphony Hall in Chicago, Kennedy Center, the National Theatres of the Dominican Republic and Kenya, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, the Aspen Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival and in Shanghai by the Shanghai Philharmonic. His music is published by Carl Fischer, Colla Voce Music, Walton Music, Southern Music, Hinshaw Music, R.M. Williams Publishing, and the IHS Press. Visit his website at http://www.arts.ufl.edu/Faculty/bio.asp?PID=159

Benjamin Leiser
Susan McGee
Cathy Caldwell

Thomas Macklin, Principal Trumpet

Chris Dolske
John Kuntz
James Ault

Brian Foote, Principal Trombone

Brian Foote grew up right here in Brevard County.  He first started performing with the BSO in 1979 while in high school (Titusville HS).  After graduation, Mr. Foote left the BSO and attended Florida State University where he received Bachelor's and Masters' degrees in music performance.  In 1988, Mr. Foote moved to Texas to perform in the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra for one season.  The following year, he returned to Florida and also to the BSO.  Currently, Mr. Foote also teaches music at Challenger 7 Elementary School in Port Saint John.

Joseph Vascik
Laurie Broadway

Since his scholarship studies at the Juilliard School, Grammy nominee Brian Slawson has appeared on the Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, The CBS Morning News and NPR’s All Things Considered. Mr. Slawson has six solo CDs to his credit, four on the Sony/CBS label. As percussionist, Brian has shared the stage with classical luminaries Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, recorded with pop icons from Marie Osmond to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and punctuated jokes for comedians Don Rickles, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld. Currently, Brian is the voice of "Gusto the Bulldog" in Warner Bros., "Music Expressions" series. His entertainment company, Slawsongs Inc., has created custom music for television, radio and feature films - clients ranging from

Northrop Grumman and NASA to IBM, all while maintaining his duties as Principal Timpanist of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra.

Kirk Gay, Principal Percussion
Mr. Gay obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Northern Illinois University.  He later went on to study with Paul Yancich and Richard Weiner at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he received his Master’s Degree in Timpani Performance.

Mr. Gay marched in Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps from 1986 – 1989 where he was 1989 DCI Timpani Individuals Champion and two time DCM Timpani Individuals Champion. He has taught and written for many drum and bugle corps including The Crossmen, Phantom Regiment, Magic of Orlando and The Yokohama Inspires

from Japan. Mr. Gay was head arranger and caption head with Phantom Regiment in 1996 when they were DCI Champions.  He has also written for many bands across the country including Cypress Creek H.S. (FL), Churchill H.S. (TX) and Northrop H.S. (IN).

In 1998 Mr. Gay toured Europe with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.  He has performed with the Walt Disney World Orchestra, The Fort Wayne Philharmonic, The Orlando Philharmonic and currently is the Principal Percussionist with The Brevard Symphony Orchestra. 

Recently Mr. Gay joined the faculty of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. There he teaches student lessons, directs “Black Steel”, the UCF steel drum ensemble and arranges for and instructs the Marching Knights Drumline. He is an endorser and clinician for Pro-Mark sticks and Sabian Cymbals.

Zack Frank
Robert Petta

Dawn Marie Edwards, Principal Harp
Dawn Marie Edwards, graduate of the Eastman School of Music, is an internationally known harpist.  She has toured Europe extensively with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon (where she was the Principal Harpist for four years) and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife of the Canary Islands.  While in Spain, Ms. Edwards recorded the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto available on the CineArt label.  She has also recorded with great artists such as Wynton Marsalis, James Galway, and Aurora Ginestera.  After recording with Wynton Marsalis, they toured most of the major halls of the eastern seaboard.  Dawn Marie has also recorded with fellow Eastman graduate, Jeff Tyzik on his recording of High Class Brass. 

Performing artists with whom Ms. Edwards has performed include Natalie Cole, Bobbie McFerrin, Johnny Mathis, Doc Severinson, the Smothers Brothers, and Bernadette Peters.  She has also played Principal Harp for an extensive list of Broadway Shows that have included Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

Since moving to Florida in 1995, Ms. Edwards has been the Principal Harpist of the Florida Orchestra, the Florida West Coast Symphony, and the Brevard Symphony Orchestra.  She is currently employed as the Harpist for the Victoria Albert Restaurant at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World Resorts.  She regularly performs recitals throughout Central Florida.  She also a member of the newly formed Orlando Chamber Soloists.

Musician photos by: Kathy Hagood