A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small
town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie
became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying
classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the
jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz
trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.

He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by
millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards. Sandoval has been
awarded 10 Grammy Awards, and nominated 19 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards
and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO
movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” that starred Andy Garcia as Arturo.

In 2022 Arturo releases his new album “Rhythm & Soul” to rave reviews! What the pandemic of
2020 revealed to those who follow Arturo on social media was just how much this man, who at
age 72 has seen and done it all, continues to love music and court it with all the eagerness of a
love-struck teenager. During the imposed quarantine, when the music business all but stopped,
Arturo would share 1-3 new compositions or improvisations to his Facebook and Instagram
pages almost daily, revealing an insatiable need to keep creating and communicating. This album
is but a mere sampling of his creative output from that time, a collection of new songs written
during the shutdown and interpreted by his incredible band once they were able to get back in the
studio together.

Why “Rhythm & Soul”?

For more information, contact Melody Lisman 818-297-4124 or [email protected]
The “Rhythm” is represented by a collection of new originals that draw on Arturo’s wealth of
experience and encyclopedic knowledge in all forms of Latin music, from traditional Cuban Son
to Brazilian Bossa-Nova and Samba to Caribbean Soca. There are few, if any, musicians more
qualified to represent such a vast diversity of Latin rhythms.

The “Soul” is what comes from his horn. This album showcases Arturo as a player in many
forms – from fiery to sensitive. Musicians and fans alike rightly marvel at his technical ability on
the horn – the effortless high notes and the dizzying speed and execution of his improvised runs.
He truly is one of the most beautiful ballad players around, and both sides of his soul are well
represented here.

His 2018 feature is an incomparable who’s-who of the most talented artists today! This landmark
album also contains an unparalleled mix of collaborations with legends and new generation
voices from the worlds of Pop, Jazz, Classical & Latin music coming together for the Cuban
maestro’s first duets release. including: Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande,
Placido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Josh Grobin, Juan Luis Guerra, Al Jarreau, Alejandro Sanz, Prince
Royce and David Bisbal. “Ultimate Duets” marks the continuation of a distinguished fourdecade
catalogue of over 40 groundbreaking titles.

Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning group Irakere, whose
explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock and traditional Cuban music caused a sensation
throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, which
garnered enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences all over the world, and continues to do so.
Sandoval is also a renowned classical musician, performing regularly with the leading symphony
orchestras from around the world. Arturo has composed his own “Concerto for Trumpet &
Orchestra”, which can be heard on “Arturo Sandoval: “The Classical Album.” And later
composed his 2nd Trumpet Concerto which he has performed around the world. Arturo has
performed with the foremost orchestras in the country as well as abroad and recorded John
Williams’ Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra. His classical artistry has
earned him the respect and admiration from the most prestigious conductors, composers and
symphony orchestras worldwide.

Arturo Sandoval’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie,
Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Bill Conti, and Stan
Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys, Pharrell
Williams, Ariana Grande, and Megan Trainor amongst many others. He has performed with John
Williams with the Boston Pops, and in the Super bowl with Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle.
His underscore compositions can also be heard in movies including, Clint Eastwood’s most
recent films “The Mule” starring Clint Eastwood & Bradley Cooper, and Eastwood’s “Richard
Jewel”, “1001 to 1” starring Beau Bridges, “At Middleton” starring Andy Garcia and Vera
Farmiga, Dave Grusin’s soundtrack for “Havana” and “Random Heart”, in the “Mambo Kings”
soundtrack with his Grammy nominated composition “Mambo Caliente”, in the soundtrack of
“The Perez Family”, “61”, “Mr. Wrong”, the documentary “Oscar”, and “The Family Fuentes”
among of others. He also was commissioned by the Kennedy Center to compose the music for
For more information, contact Melody Lisman 818-297-4124 or [email protected]
the ballet “Pepito’s Story”, “Soul Possessed”, as well as “Oman O Men”, and “The Chocolate
Hot Nutcracker, choreographed by Debbie Allen. And as mentioned above, he was awarded an
Emmy for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life,
“For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia.

Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since
his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass
his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his
gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does. One frequently speaks
of Arturo Sandoval’s virtuoso technical ability or his specialty in high notes, but he who has seen
him on the piano, lyrically improvising a ballad, or has had the opportunity to enjoy the diversity
of his music, through his compositions from the most straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz or classical,
knows that Arturo Sandoval is a prominent musician, and one recognizes that Arturo is one of the
most brilliant, multifaceted and renowned musicians of our time.

Endless Summer, the #1 Beach Boys Tribute in the Surfin’ USA, has taken the tribute band industry to a new level. It’s not just a tribute but a Beach Boys experience! Allan Conner (who has performed many times with the Beach Boys) and Earl Lemons have put together a stellar group of singers and musicians that faithfully reproduce the sights and sounds of the surf music craze. Based in Dallas, (the surfing capital of Texas…) Endless Summer has played to sold out audiences across Texas. Having played Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and across America, they know what it takes to engage and entertain any audience. They have entertained at theaters, casinos, corporate events, festivals, wineries, and City Entertainment Series. From the first notes of California Girls to the last notes of Kokomo, you know the beach party is about to start! As Allan says “This music is timeless. These shows are always family friendly. I like to get the audience involved so the audience is just an extension of the stage!” Expect sing-a-longs, beach balls and Frisbees to be flying as Endless Summer sings about surfing, hot rods and Surfer Girls! Get ready to have “Fun Fun Fun” and “Good Vibrations” for a night to remember! “

Ho Chan plays every instrument of the pin peat ensemble, a form of percussive Cambodian classical music. He began to study at age 16 with his grandfather. In 1975, under the Khmer Rouge regime, Chan was forced into slave labor camps; he fled to Thailand in 1979 where he joined a pin peat ensemble headed by master musician Yinn Ponn. In 1986, he resettled in the U.S. and moved to California in 2000, where he joined the Arts of Apsara Ensemble, led by master dancer and singer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro. He has received awards from the California Arts Council, the Public Corporation for the Arts, and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

The Modern Apsara Company bridges the modern world to the sacred art of Cambodian classical dance. Through performance, training, and workshops, the Modern Apsara Company honors the legacies of past and current dance masters by showcasing their work in elevated spaces. The company was founded by first-generation Cambodian-American refugee, Reaksmey “Mea” Lath, with the purpose of preserving the integrity and quality of the traditions left by the ancestors.

Widely recognized as one of the most talented violinists of his generation, Mr. GAO Can enjoys an international career during which he has appeared with major orchestras and at prestigious venues and festivals throughout the world.

The orchestras he has collaborated with include the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Rostock Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro di San Carlo Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, China Central Oprea Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra among others.

He has also performed at notable music festivals such as the Verbier Festival, Beethoven Festival in Bonn, the Salzburg Festival, Attersee Festival, Korea Tongyeong International Festival, and the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Getxo. He has performed at such prestigious venues as Berliner Philharmonie, Hamberg Concert Hall, Salzburger Festspiele, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Hong Kong Cultural Center, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The musicians he performed with include Mischa Maisky, Yuri Bashmet, Charles Dutoit, just to name a few.

In recent years Mr. GAO has dedicated a great deal of his time and effort to mentoring thIn recent years Mr. GAO has dedicated a great deal of his time and effort to mentoring the next generation of violinists through teaching, lecturing and giving masterclasses. He was the youngest-ever Associate Professor at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music; from 2007 to 2012, he was also the youngest professor granted foreign-guest teaching status on Cincinnati University’s music faculty. He has held lectures, seminars and workshops at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the University of Northern Colorado, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Orchestra Academy, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, the University of Macau, The Xinghai Conservatory of Music Guangzhou, the University of Taipei and so on. At Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts alone, he has given more than 60 events including concerts, seminars and masterclasses.

Mr. GAO also serves as the Music Director of the Poly WeDo Music Education Programme established by the Poly Cultural Group, nurturing violinists of the next generation. Mr. GAO’s achievement in violin performance and pedagogy has been recognized by numerous institutions. He was appointed the ambassador of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and has become the only official ambassador of Chinese nationality. In 2015 he was elected the new committee member of the Violin Society of the Chinese Musicians Association. As one of the very symbols of Chinese young musicians, he was included in the “Impression China” series of the China Post Office, which published a set of personal stamp and postcards entitled “Chinese Cultural Artists”.

In March 2015, Mr. GAO was invited to the closing ceremony at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) to perform in front of 17 national leaders and thousands of political and business leaders from all over the world. He is also the committee member of the Violin Society of the Chinese Musicians Association. The China Recording Arts Association (CRA) has released a number of albums for him.

The latest ones released in 2017 include Beethoven’s and Brahms’s Violin Concertos and the Beethoven Sonata cycle. Mr. Gao’s teachers include the late Prof. LIN Yaoji, Prof. Kurt Sassmannshaus and Prof. Zakhar Bron. He plays the 1617 ‘Lobkowicz’ Amati sponsored by the Bein & Fushi-Stradivary Society.

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. In 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category, and she is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky.

Highlights of Lark’s 2023-24 season include the world premiere of Carlos Izcaray’s Violin Concerto – written for her – under the composer’s baton; and concerts with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker that mark her European orchestral debut. She reprises Michael Torke’s violin concerto, Sky – also written for her, and the 2020 recording of which earned her a Grammy nomination – with Oklahoma’s Signature Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra; returns to South Carolina’s Greenville Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic and England’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; and performs as a chamber musician in duos with double bassist Michael Thurber and jazz guitarist Frank Vignola.

Lark’s newest album, The Stradgrass Sessions, features a mix of original compositions by the violinist and her collaborators – double bassist Edgar Meyer, pianist Jon Batiste, mandolinist Sierra Hull and fiddler Michael Cleveland – with a sonata by Eugène Ysaÿe, Bartók violin duets arranged for violin and mandolin and the world premiere recording of John Corigliano’s STOMP. Her debut commercial recording was the Grammy-nominated SKY, and her discography also includes Fantasy on First Hand Records; Invention, marking the debut album for the violin-bass duo made up of Lark and her fiancé, Michael Thurber; and a live performance recording of Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires with the Buffalo Philharmonic.

The violinist has performed with orchestras, recital venues and festivals around the world. She is a recipient of the Hunt Family Award, one of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Emerging Artist Awards, as well as a 2018 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant.

In addition to her performance schedule, Lark champions young aspiring artists and supports the next generation of musicians through her work as Co-host/Creative of NPR’s From the Top. She also serves as Mentor and board member of the Irving M. Klein International Strings Competition.

Lark is a graduate of New England Conservatory and completed her Artist Diploma at The Juilliard School. She plays a ca. 1600 G.P. Maggini violin on loan from an anonymous donor through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power, and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and characterfully alive” (Gramophone), he is committed to making an impact on the world through his music-making.

Growing up in New York City, Clayton started piano lessons at age 7 and was accepted into the Juilliard Outreach Music Advancement Program for underprivileged children the next year, where he attended numerous student recitals and fell in love with music. At the age of 10 he advanced to Juilliard’s elite Pre-College program with the help of his teacher, Beth Nam. At Juilliard he studied with Matti Raekallio, Hung-Kuang Chen and Ernest Barretta. Clayton practiced on a synthesizer at home until he found an old upright piano on the street that an elementary school had thrown away; that would become his practice piano for the next six years, until the Lang Lang Foundation donated a new piano to him when he was 17.

He credits the generous support of community programs with providing him musical inspiration and resources along the way. As he describes it, the “3rd Street Music School jump-started my music education; the Young People’s Choir taught me phrasing and voicing; the Juilliard Outreach Music Advancement Program introduced me to formal and rigorous piano training, which enabled me to get into Juilliard Pre-College; the Morningside Music Bridge validated my talent and elevated my self-confidence; the Boy’s Club of New York exposed me to jazz; and the Lang Lang Foundation brought me to stages worldwide and transformed me from a piano student to a young artist.”

Recent and upcoming highlights of Clayton’s burgeoning career include appearances with the Calgary Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Fort Worth, Louisville, Lansing and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras; as well as recitals at the Phillips Collection Concert Series in Washington, DC, Foundation Louis Vuitton Auditorium in Paris, Bad Kissinger Sommer Festival and BeethovenFest in Germany, Colour of Music Festival, Ravinia Festival and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  He has been featured on NPR, WUOL, and WQXR, and appeared in the “GRAMMY® Salute to Classical Music” Concert at Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium.

He now studies in the Harvard-NEC Dual Degree Program, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Harvard and a master’s degree in piano performance at the New England Conservatory under Wha Kyung Byun. And his accolades along the way have been numerous – in addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he was named a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, as well as a 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. He also received a jury discretionary award at the 2015 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival.

Baritone Adam Richardson is a celebrated artist known for his captivating performances across opera, concert, and theatre stages. Praised by Opera News for his “gorgeous textured baritone,” Richardson’s career has been marked by a series of impressive achievements and notable debuts.
In the upcoming 2023-2024 season, Richardson is set to make his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X in the role of ‘Friend,’ Virginia Opera in Sanctuary Road, and Music Theatre Wichita. Additionally, he will return to Opera in the Heights as Schaunard in La Boheme.
The previous season, 2022-2023, showcased Richardson as he portrayed Yoshio in Hanjo with Catapult Opera, a role he reprised at Teatro Sociale di Trento, Italy. A significant highlight was his house debut with Opera Omaha, where he commanded the title role of Malcolm X in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. He was seen in the world premiere of Factotum at Lyric Opera of Chicago and his return to the role of John Mack at Pittsburgh Opera in We Shall Not Be Moved, a work he originated and premiered in 2017. Richardson’s versatility extended to the realm of film, marking his first appearance in the famed “Blue’s Clue’s” franchise with Blue’s Clue’s Big City Adventure.

We don’t get to repeat even one minute of our time here, but what if you could experience all of the youthful energy and sonic celebration that was 1980s New Wave & Radio Pop? Every sound. Every nuance. Every feeling. That’s Electric Avenue.

“If you close your eyes it’s 1985. This band is unbelievable.” Christine Murphy, Manchester, CT

What started out as a one-off party gig has turned into just over a decade-long run, totaling more than 1100 concerts across the US and abroad. An Electric Avenue show is a high energy space that reminds people of a time when they came home from school, put a record on, and listened with open ears and an open heart; conjuring first dates, first cars, prom nights, weekend movies, meeting friends at the mall, while finding a sense of fashion and an identity all their own. At an EA show, 80’s music is as alive and well today as it has ever been. If authenticity is your thing, Electric Avenue meticulously and painstakingly recreates every nuance and flavor of your favorite 80’s songs.

Delving into their personal stash of vintage synthesizers and rare signal processors, an Electric Avenue show is a true labor of love. In fact, Electric Avenue’s sound is so close to that of the original artists that in 2019 Warner Music issued a cease-and-desist for using original artists recordings on their social channels. After hearing the complete live recording of Electric Avenue’s performance, Warner Music issued an apology to the band. Electric Avenue has sailed the high seas with the The Walking Dead Cast, Kid Rock, The Impractical Jokers, Joey Fatone, and Pitbull. In 2019, EA was hand-picked and flown to Asbury Park, NJ to provide the soundtrack for the red carpet launch of the Bruce Springsteen, Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham), New Line Entertainment 80’s-centric film, Blinded By The Light. They have had the privilege of being direct support for 80’s legend Pat Benatar, and have been joined on stage by, among others, members of Toto, Player, Talk Talk, and Little River Band. ®

As artists, the musicians in Electric Avenue have had a hand in the sale of over 15 million albums worldwide. They choose to perform these songs because they love them as much as you do. If namedropping is your thing, you may have seen or heard these guys with: Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Idina Menzel, Daniel Lanois (producer for U2, Peter Gabriel), Brian Blade, Emmy Lou Harris, B-52s, Little River Band, Michael Malarkey (Vampire Diaries), Zac Brown Band, Player, RENT (our singer played Roger Davis from 2001-2004), Paula Cole, Tracy Chapman, Bobby Kimball (Toto) Kristian Bush (Sugarland), Shanice, Edwin McCain, Robbie Dupree, Rita Wilson, Lindsay Ell, Boston, Collective Soul, Mother’s Finest, Sister Hazel, Yanni, Boyz II Men, and more.

Every sound. Every nuance. Every time.

That’s Electric Avenue.

Clay Duke – Keys, Vocals

Eric Frampton – Keys, Vocals

Shannon Pengelly – Guitar, Vocals

Chris Pou – Sound, Production Mgmt

Kevin Spencer – Lead Vocals, Guitar

Tom Young – Bass, Vocals

Will Groth – Drums

ElectricAvenueMusic.com

Facebook.com/ElectricAvenue

Instagram.com/ElectricAve80s

Conductor, Music Director and Pianist Evan Roider maintains an active schedule performing across the United States and abroad.  Equally at home on the symphonic stage and in the pit, he is quickly becoming known as a conductor of great versatility. Currently, he serves as Music Director/Conductor for the National Tour of Wicked, having toured with Les Misérables and Cats. The 2022-2023 season included appearances with Pacific Symphony and The Manhattan Transfer, Tucson Symphony and Pink Martini, and a return engagement with the Greensboro Symphony and Michael Feinstein, celebrating the Judy Garland Centennial. He recently assisted on Pops concerts with the Dallas Symphony, and in 2023-2024, assists on programs with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap.  This season, he returns to Tucson Symphony, makes his debut with Sarasota Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, and Toledo Symphony, and continues to conduct Wicked across North America.

As a Music Director, Evan has led productions of Mack and Mabel, A Chorus Line, Company, Into the Woods, The Music Man, Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, and The Wizard of Oz, among others. He was the Assistant Conductor for Candide at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and in 2019, was awarded the Best Music Director award from Broadway World CT for his work on Evita (ACT of Connecticut).  Active in the development of new works, Evan spent two summers at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center as part of the National Musical Theater Conference as well as the Cabaret & Performance Conference.  In 2014, he served as music director and pianist for Broadway in Ravello (Italy), a production that was broadcast on Italian National Television, and in 2013, he premiered new arrangements of Leonard Bernstein works at Grand Performances Los Angeles.  At Barrington Stage, he was the Associate Music Director for the critically acclaimed production of The Pirates of Penzance, a production the New York Times called, “exhilarating”.

As a pianist, Evan is a strong advocate of new music, having worked with composers Jake Heggie, William Bolcom, Gwyneth Walker, and Ben Moore, among others.  In 2014, he made his debut in China with Cardiff Singer of the World Yang Guang and in 2015, he spearheaded a residency featuring Jake Heggie and Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking).  He has performed at SongFest, Liederfest, the Indiana University Summer Music Festival, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, and the New Orleans International Piano Competition Institute, having coached with Graham Johnson, Martin Katz, William Bolcom, Nelita True, John Perry, Margo Garrett, and Aldo Ciccolini, among others.

Evan is a graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Masters in Orchestral Conducting.  He received the Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School under the instruction of Anne Koscielny and David Westfall.

“Of all that abides here, it’s the consistency of the music direction that impresses the most.”      – Chicago Tribune

“Under the musical direction of Conductor Evan Roider, the orchestration is wonderful and well-balanced.” – MD Theatre Guide

“I am so proud when young musicians initiate a project that addresses the arts, politics and social justice. Evan is doing that.” – Jake Heggie