Meet the Musicians--Seattle
The flute, clarinet, and piano trio for the Crescendo Chamber Music Project of Seattle, consisting of Lauren Asimakoupoulos, flute, Brian N. Schappals, clarinet, and Jamie Namkung, piano, will present Tarantelle, Op.6, by Camille Saint-Saëns. Here are the musicians:
LAUREN ASIMAKOUPOULOS is a professional flutist in the greater Seattle area. Lauren holds both a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Flute Performance from Wheaton College and The University of Tennessee, respectively. Lauren has participated in several festivals and competitions around the globe, including Interharmony music festival in Italy, Flute Days Hamburg Festival in Germany, and the Global Summer Institute of Music in Virginia, where she won the international concerto competition in 2018. Lauren has studied with Sandra Saathoff, Jennie Brown, Aleksandr Haskin, and many more. Currently, she teaches privately on Mercer Island, is a flute clinician for several Washington school districts, and performs with different ensembles in the area (including Winds5, a wind quintet for which she was a founding member).
BRIAN SCHAPPALS is a clarinetist, composer and educator based in Seattle, WA. He holds a Master’s in Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Washington and Bachelor’s of Arts degrees in Clarinet Performance and Music Composition from Whitworth Univer-sity, having studied with Ben Lulich, Dr. Del Hungerford, Brent Edstrom, Richard Strauch, and Thomas Shook. Brian is an active musician in the greater Seattle area, performing with Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, Emerald Ballet Theater Orchestra, Saratoga Orchestra, Inverted Space, The Sound Ensemble, and Bellingham Chamber Chorale. Most notably, Brian recently performed in the world premiere of Harry Partch’s original version of The Bewitched with the Harry Partch Ensemble. He is also an active composer of contemporary classical music. Most recently, Brian has been nominated as a finalist for the American Prize in Wind Ensemble Composition’s Professional Division for his concerto for clarinet and mixed ensemble titled light...pale and angered.
Pianist JAMIE NAMKUNG has achieved public recognition through concert appearances, including the Haller Lake Music Series, Aria International Summer Academy, and Banff International Piano Festival. An avid chamber musician in high demand, Jamie has appeared live on King FM 98.1 and American Public Media’s Performance Today, and frequently collaborated with members of the Chicago and Seattle Symphony Orchestras, Seattle Opera, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. In 2015-2016, as the recipient of the Pigott Family Endowment for the Arts, she served as Collaborative Artist in Residence at Seattle University. Jamie has also built a successful teaching career at such institutions as Peabody Preparatory, Harper College, and Northeastern Illinois University. Jamie received a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory, a Master of Music from Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Northwestern University. She currently serves as adjunct faculty and staff pianist at Seattle Pacific University.
(Crescendo Seattle Hub Leader, not playing) Maestro ANTHONY SPAIN is Music Director of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and West Side Presbyterian Church. Under his direction the NWSO’s commitment to local composers and the community has garnered eight National ASCAP awards for “Programming of Contemporary Music.” Dr. Spain and the NWSO have performed over 150 by local composers, recorded 5 highly praised CDs, and in 2017 were awarded The American Prize in Orchestral Programming.