About the Performers

Burt Mason currently serves as Principal Trombone of the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He was formerly solo trombone for the Miami Music Project as well as Principal Trombone and soloist of the New York Staff Band of The Salvation Army. He has performed as guest artist with the New York Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic Brass and the Metropolitan Opera Brass. He has also appeared as soloist with numerous ensembles, performing throughout North America, The United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. Mr. Mason has performed under the baton of such notable conductors as Mstislav Rostropovich, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Skitch Henderson, Alan Gilbert and Sidney Harth among others. As an advocate for Diversity in the Arts, Mr. Mason was invited to appear as a guest on WQXR’s Conducting Business with Naomi Lewin to discuss the history and future of classical music and American orchestras. In addition, he performs regularly with organizations and events that promote artistic diversity in classical music, including the Sphinx Competition and Symphony, Gateways Music Festival and the Colour of Music Festival. Mr. Mason holds an MM in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music studying with David Finlayson of the New York Philharmonic. He has had additional studies with Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, Weston Sprott of the Met Opera Orchestra and obtained his BA in Music as a student of Mark Hartman at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Mr. Mason also holds an MBA in Arts Administration from SUNY Binghamton University.

Eun Lee is an educator and musician based in Queens, New York. Eun attended Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. Eun specializes in teaching woodwinds as well as Early Childhood Music, and has a strong background in musicianship and public service. Currently Eun directs the Children’s Orchestra at the Corona Youth Music Project: an El-Sistema inspired orchestra program serving families in Corona, Queens; and teaches at the Diller-Quaile School of Music, and Sage Music. Eun is also active as a chamber musician, and directs the Gusto Chamber Players.

Members of The Gusto Chamber Players is a new ensemble which pairs fine dining with classical music. Each concert has a common theme that is reflected in both the menu and the musical repertoire. Gusto’s mission is to bring new audiences to classical and chamber music through interactive, informal and intimate settings.

Soprano Marti Newland has performed in operas, recitals and oratorios throughout the United States and Europe. A chorister in New York City Opera’s production of Anna Nicolethe Opera Orchestra of New York’s Roberto Devereux, she has also been a guest soloist with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Opera Noire of New York, and Harlem Opera Theater. In music theater, Marti has performed Glenda (The Wiz) and Mama Euralie (Once on This Island). She has worked with teachers and directors including W. Steven Smith, Lorraine Manz, Richard Jones, Caroline Jackson Smith and Edward Berkeley. Marti is a choral adjudicator for Worldstrides Heritage Festivals and has taught private voice lessons at Seton Hall University. She has sung in music festivals including three seasons with the Aspen Music Festival Opera Theater Center and Centro Studi Italiani in Urbania, Italy. She holds degrees from Oberlin College (BA) and Oberlin Conservatory of Music (BM) and Columbia University (MA, PhD). Marti specializes in African American art music and is currently a postdoctoral Core Lecturer for Music Humanities at Columbia University.

Jessica McJunkins
Known for her ‘dynamic playing’ and ‘fearless artistry’, Charlotte, NC native Jessica McJunkins performs and teaches in New York City, and throughout the North and Southeast. She is currently concertmaster of the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra and Festival Virtuosi. As a classical musician, she has had concert engagements with the Harlem Chamber Players, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Sheep Island Ensemble, Sherman Chamber Ensemble and more. She was a 2011 fellowship member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and is currently a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist, she has collaborated with noted artists Alicia Keys, Sufjan Stevens, Frankie Rose, Kanye West, the Four Tops and more. She is a frequent performer at such notable venues as Rockwood Music Hall, Gramercy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Central Park and The Palace Theatre. While in New York, she has made appearances on Saturday Night Live with UK pop sensation Bastille, served as solo violinist for the Off-Broadway production Stars of David, and recorded the original cast album in this capacity. Ms. McJunkins is concertmaster of the Trilogy Opera Orchestra, and newest member of the award-winning Sympho Contemporary Ensemble. Past credits include Broadway performances of South Pacific, Next to Normal, West Side Story, Shrek and White Christmas.

____________________________________________

Artist Services at the Queens Museum are made possible in part by a generous grant from The Scherman Foundation’s Katharine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund. Additional support provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.