Deborah Rawson studied clarinet at Canterbury University, New Zealand, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She returned to New Zealand and became established as soloist, chamber and orchestral player, university tutor, and founding member/leader of several chamber ensembles [Zelanian Ensemble, Pro Musica,  Constanza Trio, Tango Virtuosi, The Café Klezmer Band, Saxcess,  and others].

Orchestral activities have included principal clarinet of Sinfonia of Wellington, and contract orchestral soloist with the NZSO, on soprano, alto, tenor saxophone and all members of the clarinet family. Featured soloist on many cds and sound tracks for the NZSO and New Zealand film and television industry,  she  currently holds the position of Head of Woodwind at the New Zealand School of music, Wellington.

Simon Graduated from the Artez Conservatorium, the Netherlands, in 2010 with a Master degree in classical saxophone under Johan van der Linden. Prior to this gained his Honours degree (1st class) from Massey University, New Zealand, under Debbie Rawson. He has been a contract player for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia and the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble. He has performed and toured NZ and abroad with Saxcess, the Hanumi Quartet, Tango Virtuosi and the Four Baritones ensemble.

Simon has performed with various ensembles in numerous festivals including the Asia Pacific Music Festival (NZ), BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall) (UK), Taranaki Arts Festival (NZ), Brandenburgischen Sommerkonzerte (Berlin), Middleburg Kamermuziek Festival (NL), Grachtenfestival (Amsterdam), Grenswerk Festival (NL), and the 2006 North American Saxophone Conference (USA). Awards include the 2010 winner of the prestigious Grachtenfestival Conservatorium Competition in Amsterdam as well as winning by public vote the Artez Kunstnacht Competition for best graduating student for 2010 (both with the Runeas Duo). He also won best saxophonist under 30 at the International Festival of Single Reeds in Melbourne (2005), and 3rd place in the New Zealand National Concerto Competition (2003). For the later competition Simon played the Glazunov Concerto with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, which was recorded and broadcast by Radio NZ. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Accordion Orchestra, Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, and with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a special reading and recording of a concerto written for him by Michael Vinten.

Born in Lille, his teachers have been : G.Voisin (a student of Louis Cahuzac), G.Dangain, H.Druart, G.Deplus, Philippe Cuper went to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and in 1980 he won the first price for chamber music. He also studied musicology at the Sorbonne and was advised by J.Lancelot and S.Drucker of the New York Philharmonic.

His success in international competitions is also impressive : Genève, Vercelli (1979), Munich (overall price in 1982), Prague (1986 unanimous first price), Slovak price , MRAVINSKY medal St Petersbourg. Philippe Cuper now sits on the jury in Munich and Prague. He was invited by J.E Gardiner to be soloist at the Opéra de Lyon and by Alain Lombard for the Orchestre de Bordeaux.

After having been soloist at the Orchestre des concerts Lamoureux and solo clarinet for the Orchestre Mondial des Jeunesse musicales, in 1984 he become principal soloist for the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris.

He has also developped his career with major international orchestras, such as the Czech Philharmonic and the Munich Bavardan radio orchestra. He has played under prestigious conductors : L.MAAZEL, W.SAWALLISH, S.OZAWA, P.BOULEZ, D.BARENBOÏM, Z.MEHTA, G.PRETRE, J.CONLON… In chamber music he has partnered M.W CHUNG, P.BADURA-SKODA, M.DALBERTO, D.LIVELY, L.CABASSO, PH.CASSARD, F.CHAPLIN, C.HUGONNARD-ROCHE, O.CHARLIER, L.KORCIA, J.P WALLEZ, A.BRUSSILOWSKI, A.MOGLIA, G.CAUSSE, B.PASQUIER, N.SANTOS, A.MEUNIER, C.HENKEL… and he has played in numerous quartets (Rosamonde, Parisii, Arpeggione, Alcan (Canada), Talich, Kocian and Venus (Prague), Takacs (Budapest), Wilanow (Warsaw), Trio Wanderer, strings Trio (Czech), Trio Tchaikowsky (Moscow)..

Philippe Cuper has played at the Montreux Festival, the St Petersbourg Philharmonic, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Purcell Room in London, the Prague Rudolfinum, the Brisbane Philharmonic hall, the Tokyo Metropolitan hall and the Seoul Art Center.

He teaches at the Conservatoire National de Versailles but has also tought in the States (Texas, Virginia), in Japan (Tokyo : Kunitachi University and the Osaka conservatory) in Easten Europe, in Brazil, in Australia (Brisbane and Camberra University) in Canada (Domaine Forget in Quebec) and in Korea (Szoul University), Tel Aviv (Musical Center).

Philippe Cuper has played as a soloist in nearly 50 orchestras, interpreting both the classic repertoire and debut performances of contemporary works (A.Girard, N.Bacri, T.Escaich, G.Conesson, J.F Zygel, Ph.Dulat ..). He has alaso recorded over 50 works on 20 compact discs.

Since 1997, Philippe Cuper has represented France at the European Clarinet and Saxophone society : he appears in the list of top players in Palema Weston : “Clarinet Virtuosy of today” published by Egon, London.
He has edited two collections devoted to the clarinet with Edition Robert Martin (for clarinet ensembles) and Editions IMD Arpèges, Paris.

He has collaborated with the Lys-Dante record company to re-record on compact disc the great masters of the clarinet, Louis Cahuzac, Auguste Perier and René Verney.

Philippe Cuper writes articles for “The Clarinet” (USA), “Clarinet and Saxophone” (London), “Clarinet and Saxophone” (Australia), “La Lettre du Musicien” (France) and “Haroniques” (France).

He plays the Buffet Crampon RC, RC Prestige and Tosca clarinets.

Noah Getz is a jazz and classical saxophonist based in Washington, DC.  He has performed at major venues throughout the United States, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, The Phillips Collection, The National Gallery of Art, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, the Music Center at Strathmore, World Saxophone Congress XIII, and as the guest soloist for the MOSA Concert Series Saxophone Summit in New York City.  Dr. Getz received a first-round Grammy nomination in 2002 for his contribution with the New Hudson Saxophone Quartet to America’s Millennium Tribute to Adolphe Sax, Vol. V, and he has been featured on albums including The American Muse and Leo Kraft: Chamber Symphony 2.  In 2007, his album Crosscurrents, which explores the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, was released by Albany Records. His next album, featuring works written for him, will be released in 2010.

Dr. Getz has commissioned and premiered several works for the saxophone, including recent collaborations with Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Aaron Jay Kernis and Lewis Spratlan.  He premiered Fernando Benadon’s Hidden Charges with the Empyrean Ensemble in 2007 and will release the premiere recording of David Amram’s Prologue and Scherzo in 2009.  In 2002, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Henry Brant selected Dr. Getz to perform his Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra for the first time in 50 years.

In addition to performing classical repertoire, Dr. Getz maintains an active schedule performing jazz.  He is the alto saxophonist and founding member of the Levine School Jazz Quintet, an Artist-In-Residence ensemble at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC, with recent performances at Blues Alley, the Swiss Embassy, the Washington Convention Center, and the Music Center at Strathmore.  Dedicated to education, the Quintet often recreates famous jazz concerts for new audiences, including the legendary Jazz at Massey Hall concert (originally featuring bebop greats Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie) and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet.

Dr. Getz has presented masterclasses, recitals and lectures at universities across the country, including at Mannes-The New School of Music, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Davis, Queens College, Johns Hopkins University, Aaron Copland School of Music, State University of New York-Fredonia, Florida State University, and the University of Puerto Rico.  He has been a guest lecturer at the International Saxophone Symposium, the Sigurd Rascher Centennial Celebration, the North American Saxophone Alliance National Convention, and on the Blue Note Lecture Series in Washington, DC.  Dr. Getz is the Saxophone Musician-In-Residence at American University, where he instructs private students, coaches saxophone ensembles and leads the American University Jazz Workshop, and at the Levine School of Music, where he instructs jazz saxophone students.

Clarinetist and conductor Charles West is a professor of music at VCU. He holds a B.A. in music education and a B.M. in performance from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.F.A. and D.M.A. from the University of Iowa. His teachers have included Himie Voxman, Robert Marcellus and Leon Russianoff. He has one of the largest clarinet discographies in American academia, with releases on the CRI, Wilson Audiophile, Klavier, Centaur and Crystal labels, and he is heard on a Grammy Award-winning 1993 Telarc release.

West has been a Fulbright scholar and both treasurer and president of the International Clarinet Association. His career has included 10 years as principal clarinet of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and 12 years as principal clarinet of the Flagstaff Festival Orchestra. He has held teaching positions at New Mexico State University and the University of Arizona, as well as guest professorships in South America, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. West has served as director of orchestral activities at VCU and conductor of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, and is currently coordinator of winds and percussion and professor of clarinet at VCU. Additionally, he is a first-call doubler in Richmond and artist-clinician for the Buffet Crampon Corporation. West also serves as Conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville/Albermarle.