Mikael has performed as a soloist throughout the Americas, Europe, Russia and the Caribbean. Recent festival appearances have included: The Weill Institute at Carnegie, Trinity Wall Street, Prototype, Bang on a Can Marathon, Close Encounters With Music, Berkshire High Peaks Festival, Cape Cod Symphony Nth Degree, Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Mozarteum, Mainly Mozart, and L’Academie d Musique de Sion, to name a few.
As a member of the Warp Trio, he performs throughout the world in genres ranging from Jazz to hip-hop, rock, fusion and electronic music. He DJs and teaches masterclasses and workshops to students of all levels kindergarten through university.
Since his debut as a conductor with the Carolina Chamber Symphony in 2008, he has performed throughout the US, conducting various piano concerti from the keyboard and symphonic works. Also a composer, Mikael’s works have been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is currently pursuing his DMA at SUNY Stony Brook under the guidance of Gilbert Kalish.
Josh Henderson, violin; Ju-Young Lee, cello; Mikael Darmaine, piano; Rick Martinez, drums
Described as a “talented group that exemplifies the genre-obliterating direction of contemporary classical music” (Columbia Free Times), W4RP is an internationally touring cross-genre chamber music experience. Reflecting the combination of Juilliard trained members juxtaposed with members steeped in rock and jazz styles, the one-of-a-kind ensemble can be seen performing classical works in prestigious halls on the same tour where they headline a standing room only show at a rock venue. In addition to their electrifying public performances, they have gained a reputation for their innovative educational workshops with students from grade school through university level. Their groundbreaking original compositions and collaborative works explore myriad musical traditions and styles, as well as important social issues.
Maintaining a busy performance schedule, W4RP has performed hundreds of concerts all across the United States, in addition to touring throughout the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Africa, and the Caribbean. Highlights of recent seasons include headlining at Barcelona’s LEM Festival for Experimental Music and the Omaha Under the Radar Festival; being featured artists at the MASA Jazz Festival in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Moab Music Festival’s Winterlude, and the Vancouver Island Music Festival; and launching the world premiere of their original work for the ensemble, narrator and full orchestra, “Brother Yasuke: The True Story of the Afro-Samurai”.
W4RP’s collaborative partners range from orchestras to hip hop to jazz and pop artists. They have performed mind-blowing original orchestral programs with the Des Moines and Louisville Orchestras, as well as the Chesapeake Orchestra, Palaver Strings, and New York City’s Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra. In popular music, W4RP has long standing collaborations with spoken-word artist LiKWUiD as well as vocalists including Mirah, Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez, Claire Wellin (of San Fermin), and Rich; W4RP recently opened for Icelandic jazz-pop sensation Laufey at the Caroga Lake Music Festival. w4rpmusic.com
A graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, Angela is a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship to study in London with William Pleeth, a grant from the Foundation for American Musicians in Europe, the Jury Prize in the Naumburg International Cello Competition, and a cello performance fellowship from the American-Scandinavian Foundation. She is a founding member of The Lee Trio, which has commissioned and premiered works of numerous living composers. In its third decade, the Trio continues to perform worldwide, has recordings on Delos and Innova, and will release a new album of Finnis, Pulkkis and Schumann in 2024. Using music to foster peace and goodwill, Angela has made humanitarian trips to the Republic of the Philippines and the former Yugoslavia. While on a U.N.-sanctioned tour of six war-torn cities throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina, she performed for NATO troops and displaced civilians In addition to coaching chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Angela serves on the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Alumni Association Leadership Council and on the Board of Directors of The Resonance Project, which promotes empathy through live music in mediation settings and international conflict resolution.
Leonard Bernstein described Paul as “a first-class performer who combines spirituality with intellect”. A busy New York-based purveyor of violin and fiddle music, his broad stylistic compass includes the dance fiddle traditions of America and the British Isles, ragtime and jazz, and the music of Charles Ives. Paul has presented recitals at the 92nd St. Y, Wesleyan University, Caramoor, Miller Theater, Yale University, and the New York Festival of Song at Carnegie Hall, and has appeared as soloist at festivals from Bard College to Moab, Utah.
A veteran of dozens of Broadway orchestras, Paul has recently completed runs as concertmaster of Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple and the revival of West Side Story. Previous shows include hits such as Ragtime, and the underappreciated masterwork Caroline, or Change.
A three-time New England Fiddle Contest champion in his hometown, Hartford, CT, he is a widely respected exponent of the fiddle traditions of New England. In this vein, he performs across the US and abroad with the Scottish dance band Local Hero.
Other engagements have included performances and recordings with Steve Reich, piano wizards Dick Hyman and Neely Bruce, Marin Alsop’s Concordia, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, American Composers Orchestra and the Grammy Awards Orchestra.
Paul’s proudest achievements to date are his son Carter and daughter Tennessee.
Austie is one of the most in-demand trumpet players in Utah, working as a freelance performer, studio musician, and educator throughout the state. He has toured as a lead trumpet player, soloist, and clinician on four continents, sharing stages with Journey, Train, Kelly Clarkson, Macey Grey, Collin Raye, and Leann Rimes; recorded with David Osmond, Joshua James, Dallon Weekes, and Neon Trees; been a featured performer at Preservation Hall and the Jazz National Historical Park in New Orleans; and is a first-call trumpet player for corporate entertainment and visiting acts throughout the Intermountain West. His music has been aired in television shows, feature films, documentaries, and radio programs throughout North America and Europe.
Tristan is a bassist and composer living in New York City whose work enlarges the minutiae of close tones and subtle gestures. As a bassist, he has been credited with providing his “low-end authority to vital New York institutions” (the New Yorker) like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Whitney Biennial, as well as LA’s Disney Hall and Hamburg’s state of the art Elbphilharmonie. He has been featured on Broadway in Gypsy (2025), Justin Peck’s Illinoise (2024) and Daniel Fish’s Oklahoma! (2019-2020), and on television in Netflix’s The Witcher, PBS’s Frontline and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle.
As a composer Tristan has been praised for his “heavenly” (the Guardian) original compositions, showcased at Issue Project Room, The Stone, The Hudson Basilica and the Grey Sound series at the University of Chicago. Most recently he has been the recipient of the 2024 Copland Fund and is a 2025 NYSCA grantee. In 2026, he and composer Sarah Hennies will premiere a new collaborative electroacoustic work at the Groupe de Reserche Musicale (GRM) in Paris and serve as composers in residence at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Their most recent album, The Quiet Sun, is out May 2nd on Dinzu Artefacts.
Praised by The Strad magazine as having “lyricism that stood out…a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines,” Milena has established herself as one of the most sought-after violists of her generation. In addition to appearances as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, she has performed in recitals and chamber-music concerts throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Milena was the founding violist of the Dover Quartet and played in the group from 2008-2022. During her tenure, the Dover Quartet was the First Prize-winner and recipient of every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition 2013 and winner of the Gold Medal and Grand Prize in the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Her numerous awards also include First Prize of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and top prizes at the Sphinx Competition and the Tokyo International Viola Competition. While in the Dover Quartet, Milena was on the faculty at The Curtis Institute of Music and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and a part of the Quartet in Residence of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the newly formed piano quartet “Espressivo!” along with acclaimed artists Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, and Anna Polonsky.
Upcoming Performances:
Sept 10 – Music Hike II: Free Voices of Eastern Europe
Chelsea is a Utah-based percussionist with a unique portfolio career as a freelance performer, arts administrator, and music educator.
She is the Artistic Administrator of the Moab Music Festival and Percussionist/Director of Operations of Khemia Ensemble, a chamber group dedicated to contemporary classical music. Khemia has performed at nationally recognized venues and festivals such as National Sawdust, New Music Gathering, and the Mizzou International Composers Festival, presented educational residencies at more than a dozen universities in North and South America, and commissioned and premiered over 60 works by professional and student composers. Chelsea plays regularly with Ballet West, Utah Symphony, and steelworks steelband. Notable freelance appearances include the White Christmas National Tour, Live at the Eccles with Johnny Mathis, Right on Cue (Broadway tracks), Video Game Awards, Paducah Symphony, AEPEX Contemporary Performance, Rochester Symphony, New Britain Symphony, Nutmeg Symphony, and Adrian Symphony.
Chelsea is an Instructor of Music at Utah Valley University and has maintained a private percussion studio since 2009. Her debut etude book, Level Up! 15 Sequential Duets for the Developing Snare Drummer, is published by Tapspace. She received her MM in Percussion Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan, a BM in Percussion Performance and Music Education from the Hartt School, and a Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Tired Hearts, the new album from rising indie-pop power trio, BAILEN, delivers a dazzling set of songs that navigates the space between the heart’s expectation and the head’s sober reality. New York based siblings, Daniel, David, and Julia’s second full-length album for Fantasy beats with empathy, vulnerability, and resolve.
At times intricate and playful, measured and elaborate, the 12 original songs on Tired Hearts wrestle with an uncertain future where ethics and morality—both communal and personal—seem to be constantly shifting. Locating one’s compass amidst the chaos—a world-wide pandemic, toxic social media culture, economic insecurity and political turbulence—is at the LP’s core.
Raised and rooted in New York City by classically trained musician parents and their wide-ranging, eclectic record collection, BAILEN has emerged as a favorite in indie circles by cultivating a passionate following via word of mouth, robust playlisting and a stream of steady touring and collaborating with artists such as Amos Lee, The Lone Bellow, Joseph, and Hozier to name a few.
On Tired Hearts, their exquisite and thought-provoking new album, BAILEN learns how to dream in the face of life’s uncertainty and in the process, moves forward aware, resilient, and hopeful. “This album is a breakthrough for us,” Daniel says. “It’s been a rocky road, but we’re really grateful that it’s led us here.”
Heralded for her “superb vocal and dramatic chops” by Opera News,Amanda’s 2023/2024 season includes performances with the Chautauqua Opera – Festival Artist, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Opera Grand Rapids, Opera Philadelphia, The Industry LA, Buffalo Philharmonic and the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s song cycle The Unhealed Wound alongside Eric Owens. Recently she debuted as Fatima in LA Opera’s premiere of Omar, IMG’s Our Song, Our Story recital series with Damien Sneed, Charlie Tyler (Finding Wright/Dayton Opera), Leocasta (Giustino/Long Beach Opera) and covered the titular role of Carmen at the Santa Fe Opera. Praised by the New York Times as “commanding with captivating texture”, in previous seasons, Amanda was a featured artist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago and New York Festival of Song including the release of their studio recording of Paul Bowles’ A Picnic Cantata featuring Michael Barrett. Amanda is a recipient of awards from prestigious competitions including George London Foundation, Loren L. Zachary Society, Operalia, GerdaLissner, Opera Index, and MONC Regionals. She is an alumna of the Cafritz Young Artist Program (WNO), Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School (MM, Kovner Fellow) and SUNY Fredonia (BM).
