Pianist Lauren Koszyk maintains a versatile career as an educator, opera coach, and collaborative pianist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A graduate of the University of North Texas, she earned her Master of Music in Collaborative Piano with a related field in Early Music; she also holds a degree in German Language. Ms. Koszyk has been presented with top honors by the Governor of Illinois and the President of Illinois State University.
Mexican actress Julia Landey has a wide-ranging career as a performer, educator, and entrepreneur. She earned a degree in acting at the University of Guadalajara and went on to win the 2015 Proyecta Production award, given by the state of Jalisco’s Ministry of Culture, for a monologue that she wrote and performed in. She also enjoyed a season in residence in one of Mexico City’s major theaters.
Pianist Igor Parshin graduated with the highest marks from the famous Gnessin State Musical College and Russian Academy of Music. In 2015, he received a scholarship to the TCU School of Music, where he completed his Artist Diploma. He also earned a Master of Music with Dr. Michael Bukhman, a fellow Cliburn in the Classroom artist.
Actor Georgia Fender is happy to be based back in her hometown of Fort Worth after spending several years in New York City. A graduate of the acting program at Oklahoma City University and the Professional Musical Theatre Workshop at Circle in the Square Theatre School, she is excited to be working with the Cliburn after watching her grandmother’s lifelong volunteer efforts on behalf of this incredible organization!
Pianist Dzmitry Ulasiuk was raised in an environment of classical music in Minsk, Belarus. He started professional piano studies at age 16 and performed a solo recital of all Chopin music one year later. While working on his doctorate in Belarus, he was recruited to study at TCU. He then continued his studies at SMU, and finally completed his doctorate degree in piano performance at the University of North Texas. A laureate of 17 international piano competitions, Dr. Ulasiuk has performed worldwide, in both solo recitals and with orchestras. In addition to concertizing, he loves to teach and has a thriving piano studio in Plano.
Pianist Daria Kiseleva debuted with orchestra at age 10. She has since won top prizes at some of the world’s most renowned music competitions and performed at famous concert halls such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Salle Cortot in Paris. She has brought her music to Europe, North, and South America and looks forward to visiting even more continents.
Violist Danny Jordan recently returned to the Dallas area after completing their Master of Music Degree in Viola Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Prior to that, Danny graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music from Southern Methodist University. Lauded by critics as “outstanding, with a sound that enraptures,” they have been a prizewinner and finalist at several solo and chamber music competitions, and performed as soloist and in ensembles across the United States.
Taiwanese pianist Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao is a dynamic performer who is in demand as a chamber musician. She has collaborated with several internationally known artists such as Lynn Harrell and Robert McDuffie, and members of the Tokyo, Emerson, and Juilliard String Quartets, among many others. She has performed at Carnegie Weill Hall and can be heard with cellist Bion Tsang on his album The Blue Rock Sessions.
Program host Caleb De La Torre recently graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in acting. A native of South Texas, Caleb is currently based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and is active in the local theater scene. He can be seen on stage at the Shakespeare Dallas, Amphibian Stage, and Theatre Arlington, and is a resident actor in the film production company Fluidity Films. The Mexican-American actor is dedicated to education and community engagement, and teaches bilingual theater workshops for students at Dallas Theater Center.
Shields-Collins “Buddy” Bray has been artistic consultant for the Cliburn since 2003. For the last 20 years he has shown his longstanding commitment to new music, hosting concerts spotlighting living American composers such as William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Ricky Ian Gordon, Jennifer Higdon, Jake Heggie, Kevin Puts, Ned Rorem, and Ben Moore. With music educator John Feierabend, Buddy created the Cliburn in the Classroom curriculum for second-, third-, and fourth-graders; now, after almost two decades of serving as writer, narrator, host, and sometimes-pianist at these uniquely interactive programs, he continues to be heavily involved in an advisory role.