Since its initial performance in 1996, Classical Mystery Tour has become the #1 Symphony Pops attraction over the last decade. The group has performed consistently with more than 100 orchestras in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The group played to packed houses at the Sydney Opera House and has performed with America’s most prestigious orchestras: The Cleveland Orchestra, The Boston Pops, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The San Francisco Symphony, among many others.

The four musicians in Classical Mystery Tour look and sound just like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert. The show presents more than two dozen Beatles tunes transcribed note-for-note and performed exactly as they were originally recorded.

Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet, enjoy the classical/rock blend on “I Am the Walrus,” and relish the cascading orchestral crescendo on “A Day in the Life.”

The Los Angeles Times called Classical Mystery Tour “more than just an incredible simulation…the swelling strings and soaring French horn lines gave the live performance a high goose-bump quotient…the crowd stood and bellowed for more.”

Learn more at https://www.classicalmysterytour.com.

Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances in recitals and with symphony orchestras.

He was the first student in the Peabody Conservatory of Music’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas (piano, violin and conducting). He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins, was granted an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University, and won both the Naumburg International Piano Competition and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Pratt has played in performances across the US, including at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, the NJ Performing Arts Center, and the White House. His many orchestral performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic; Minnesota Orchestra; and the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Baltimore, St. Louis, National, Detroit, and New Jersey symphonies among many others. Summer festival engagements include appearances at Ravinia, Blossom, Wolftrap, Caramoor, and Aspen as well as the Hollywood Bowl. Internationally, Mr. Pratt has toured Japan four times and performed in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, Columbia, and South Africa.

Recent and upcoming appearances include recital engagements in Baltimore, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Ravinia, Lewes, Delaware, Duke University, and Carnegie Hall for the Naumburg Foundation as well as with the orchestras of Cincinnati, Indianapolis, North Carolina, Utah, Richmond, Grand Rapids, Memphis, Fresno, Winston-Salem, New Mexico, Rockford, IL and Springfield, OH. He also serves on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina where he coaches chamber music, teaches individual pianists, and performs chamber music and concertos with the festival orchestra.

An experienced conductor, Mr. Pratt has conducted programs with the Toledo, New Mexico, Vancouver WA, Winston-Salem, Santa Fe, and Prince George County symphonies; the Northwest Sinfonietta; the Concertante di Chicago; and several orchestras in Japan.

Mr. Pratt is frequently invited to participate on international competition juries, such as the Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel, the Cleveland International Piano Competition, Minnesota e-Competition, the Unisa International Piano Competition in International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz in the Ukraine.

Awadagin Pratt is currently a Professor of Piano at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He also served as the Artistic Director of the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and is currently the Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival at CCM.

Hailed by the critics as Monsieur 100,000 Volts, pianist Andreas Boyde’s performances have electrified audiences worldwide. His recitals in renowned concert venues and appearances as soloist with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Orchestra, the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, the Zürich Kammerorchester, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberger Symphoniker, the Hallé Orchestra Manchester, the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, the Dresdner Sinfoniker, the London Mozart Players, the Berliner Symphoniker and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra have secured Boyde’s reputation as an esteemed performing artist.

Boyde has concertised internationally in Austria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA and Vietnam. Venues where he has appeared to acclaim include Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall London, Cologne Philharmonic Hall, Zürich Tonhalle, Munich Herkulessaal, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Berlin Konzerthaus, Munich Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg Musikhalle, Teatro Municipal Santiago de Chile, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Prinzregenten Theatre and Pierpont Morgan Library New York.

For the season 2018/19, Andreas Boyde was Artist in Residence of the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt.

Boyde recorded the complete solo piano works by Johannes Brahms produced by OehmsClassics, the repertoire now being performed in a cycle. Boyde’s extensive CD recordings receive five star reviews from leading music magazines, praising his interpretations “a stroke of genius” (Fono Forum, Germany). He enjoys a close association with German radio established by frequent broadcasts and productions.

The sought-after pianist’s wide-ranging repertoire encompasses all major areas of the piano literature. Also committed to contemporary music he gave the European premiere of Paul Schoenfield’s Piano Concerto Four Parables, as well as the first performance of John Pickard’s Piano Concerto, which is dedicated to him. Boyde’s musicological interests are demonstrated in his reconstruction of the ‘Schubert’ Variations by Robert Schumann, now published by Hofmeister Leipzig. It is a work that has enjoyed great international acclaim since its 2000 premiere in New York by Andreas Boyde at the Pierpont Morgan Library. He is also Henle Artist and Contributor.

In 2017, Andreas Boyde’s orchestral version of Schumann’s Waldszenen was premiered by the Dresdner Kapellsolisten at the new Kulturpalast Dresden hall, the work now being published by Edition Peters.

Andreas Boyde was born in Oschatz, Germany, where he entered the Book of Honour in 2012. He studied with Christa Holzweißig and Amadeus Webersinke in Dresden and subsequently with James Gibb in London at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. His mentor and promoter Malcolm Frager also proved a major influence.

Andreas Boyde lives in London.

I’ve loved music for literally as long as I can remember. When I first picked up a flute in third grade, my love for music quickly blossomed into a lifelong passion for the instrument. Playing the flute allows me to momentarily escape troubles, to create new worlds, and drive people to feel raw emotions. I played first chair in various jazz and classical ensembles throughout middle and high school, enabling me to gain valuable training which has enriched my musical experience.

When I’m not busily practicing a flute piece, you can find me at the golf course, baking a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies, or debating at tournaments across the country. Most recently, I won first place at a Model United Nations debate tournament hosted by NYU, and I’ve previously won in debate competitions at UC Berkeley and Harvard.

Now that I’m 15, I realize the importance of my role as a young Cambodian American especially given my parents’ struggles during the Khmer Rouge. I am incredibly grateful to have access to opportunities which my parents could never have even imagined, and I hope to use these opportunities to share my love of music so that I may spread a little light in a world plagued by darkness.

The South Bay Children’s Choir is a well- trained ensemble of young singers, ages 6-17, in residence at El Camino College. The ensemble is known for their beautiful tone, expressive singing, and inspiring performances. Founded in 1996 to provide outstanding music education and to pursue excellence in the choral art within a nurturing environment, they perform annually in the Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College and have appeared at many other venues throughout the southland, including Royce Hall at UCLA, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the Los Angeles Music Center, the Wiltern Theater, Segerstrom Hall in Orange County, and the Armstrong Theater in Torrance. The choir tours both nationally and internationally, most memorably to England where they performed in the Canterbury Cathedral, so rich in history and beauty. They performed in Carnegie Hall with composer John Rutter conducting his “Mass of the Children.”

Julie Corallo, Artistic Director, a National Board-Certified Teacher, joined the South Bay Children’s Choir in 2006 as the musicianship teacher, became associate director, and now serves as the Artistic Director. As a Kodály-certified teacher, she believes that all children can learn to read music and sing beautifully. Earning her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and her Master of Education at UCLA, she has been a music administrator with LAUSD, vocal director for several musical theater groups, and is currently an elementary music teacher for LAUSD and an adjunct lecturer at CSULB. Under her direction, the choir was invited to perform at the 2016 National Conference for the Organization of American Kodály Educators, and she was the guest conductor for the 2015 Kodály Association of Southern California Honor Festival, the Education Through Music Los Angeles Choral Festival, and the California Association of Independent Schools Choral Festival. In 2022 she was honored with the Outstanding Music Educator award from the Southwest Division of the California Music Educators Association. She has been a presenter for numerous music organizations, including Little Kids Rock (now MusicWill), California Choral Directors Association, and the Kodály Association of Southern California, and is an active member with OAKE, ACDA and SCVA.

Apostolia Nikouli is a symphony and opera conductor from Greece. Currently, she serves as Assistant Conductor at the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. Moreover, Ms. Nikouli conducts the ‘The Orchestra at the Beach’ and serves on the orchestral and keyboard studies faculty at California State University of Long Beach. During her Master’s studies, she has also served as assistant conductor of the BCCM Opera Institute where she conducted a performance of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen.

Nikouli’s passion for orchestral conducting started when she moved to the United States to study under the guidance of Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch at California State University of Long Beach. She has also studied with Andreas Mitisek, Mark Gibson, Jacob Sustaita, Georg Friedrich Sandmann, and Michalis Economou. Moreover, she received her degree in Choral Conducting in Greece with high honors. Ms. Nikouli has guest conducted the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, Athens City Symphony Orchestra, and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra where she premiered contemporary pieces in cooperation with Aristotle University’s Contemporary Music Lab. She has also served as an assistant conductor for the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, North College Choir, and as a Principal Conductor of the children’s orchestra and choir at the Thessaloniki Catholic Church.

Apart from her conducting focus, Ms. Nikouli has done a myriad of musicology research. She pursued her first Masters in Analysis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki where she completed her master’s thesis on the comprehensive research of Stravinsky’s Symphony in C titled Stravinsky, Symphony in C, Analytical and aesthetic approach in the context of Neoclassicism. She has also contributed to a paper on behalf of the Hellenic Musicology Society, entitled Rephrase the tradition: The multifaceted role of symmetry in Symphony in C (1938-1940) of Igor Stravinsky.

Jonathan Flaksman, born in Akron, Ohio in 1981, has been playing the cello since the age of five, with his first teacher being Madalena Burle-Marx. He has studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music under Richard Aaron, and then the Julliard School under Fred Sherry. He graduated from Mannheim University in Germany, in the class of his father Michael Flaksman, with an artist diploma in Orchestral Studies. Jonathan has taken many masterclasses, including those taught by Harvey Shapiro, Siegfried Palm, Bernard Greenhouse, Youngchang Cho, Jens Peters Maintz, Frans Helmerson, and Ralph Kirshbaum. As a soloist and chamber musician, Jonathan has traveled the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has attended the Interlochen Arts Camp and music festivals (Aspen), Schleswig-Holstein, Cividale (Italy), Łancut (Poland), Aurora Chamber Music (Sweden), and the Ascoli Piceno Festival, and performed as a soloist with the Bari Symphony at the Carl Orff Festival in Putignano. He has given masterclasses in both Italy and California and has served on the juries of various competitions. Jonathan lives in Los Angeles, playing with the symphonies of Pasadena and Modesto, composing and arranging his own works, and records for tv and film. He recently earned the Assistant Principal Cellist position of New Mexico Philharmonic in addition to winning his spot in the Long Beach Symphony. He has also been tenured as Assistant Principal Cellist of Santa Barbara Symphony since 2015.

Cellist Trevor Handy enjoys an active career as a freelance musician in Los Angeles. A member of the Long Beach Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, he is also Principal Cellist of the Santa Barbara Symphony, and performs with ensembles such as the LA Philharmonic and LA Opera, in various chamber music series, at festivals and as a studio musician for Hollywood.

Prior to living in Los Angeles, he had been a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Honolulu and Jacksonville Symphonies, and the New Haven Symphony. While freelancing in New York, Trevor was a member of the Griffon String Quartet, which won the grand prize at the 1991 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and performed throughout the United States. He was also a member of the Juilliard School Pre-College’s Solfège Faculty.

A native of Boston, Trevor made his solo debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and went on to study with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins at The Juilliard School earning a B.M. and M.M. While there, he also studied and played Baroque cello professionally under the tutelage of Albert Fuller and Jaap Schroeder. He spent summers at Aspen and Tanglewood, as well as in Switzerland at Yehudi Menuhin’s Summer Academy and at Lausanne’s Academy of Music in master classes given by Maurice Gendron.

He has taught at the Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, Pepperdine University, and Westmont College, and currently coaches chamber music each summer at Vermont’s Point Counter Point School.

Korean American cellist Ji Sun Jung is an active soloist, chamber musician, and an orchestra member. Some highlights as an orchestra member include acting as a substitute with LA Phil and Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and she won LACO-USC Mock Audition to play with LA Chamber Orchestra. Ji Sun served as principal cellist at the USC Symphony Orchestra, Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and Colburn Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Ji Sun formed an Angeles Trio at the Colburn Academy. It is here where the trio appeared and performed From the Top radio broadcast. The trio also performed at the La Senora Research Institute concert, in collaboration with The Colburn School, in Santa Monica.

Some highlights as a soloist include winning numerous competitions, such as Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, 1st place at Pasadena Showcase House of the Arts Competition, 2nd place at Brentwood Westwood Symphony Orchestra Competition. Ji Sun has participated in masterclasses, including a recent masterclass with Steven Isserlis, Seth Parker Woods, and David Requiro.

A native of South Korea, Ji Sun began playing the cello at the age of 11. She attended Sun-Hwa Arts Middle School and Seoul Arts High School in South Korea. After moving to the United States, Ji Sun studied with Ronald Leonard and Clive Greensmith at the Colburn Academy. Ji Sun earned her bachelor’s degree from Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach, studying under David Garrett. She is currently finishing her master’s degree in Cello Performance at University of Southern California under the teachings of Andrew Shulman, and plans to obtain a Graduate Certificate in Cello Performance starting next Fall 2022.

Dr. Jake Saunders is a cellist, educator, and collaborative artist based in Boise, Idaho. He is active within the contemporary-classical, chamber, symphonic, and popular music realms.

An omnivorous cellist, Saunders approaches music both contemporary and historical with creativity and commitment. He is the founder and Artistic Director of 208 Ensemble, the first professional contemporary music ensemble in Idaho. Since 2014, 208 Ensemble has presented Idaho the premiere of more than 50 chamber works to diverse audiences. The ensemble’s flagship project, Avant-Garden, commissions new chamber music from emerging and historically underrepresented composers. As cellist of The Playground Ensemble and Sphere Ensemble, Jake is also on the vanguard of the contemporary scene in Denver, CO.

As a recording artist, Saunders is featured on the soundtrack for the film The Social Dilemma. He has also collaborated on forthcoming studio releases by LA-based artists The Naked and Famous and Luna Shadows. Saunders can be heard on recent releases by Idaho-based artists East Forest, LED, Quiet Arrows, and Tispur. His forthcoming solo album, One by One, includes works for cello by Bright Sheng, Nathalie Joachim, Nina Shekhar, and Sarah Kirkland-Snider.

Additionally, Saunders serves as Associate Principal with the Boise Philharmonic, Section Cellist with the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and is a substitute cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Orchestras he’s previously held principal positions in include Symphony Tacoma and Opera Idaho. Saunders received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of Colorado Boulder in 2021, where he served as teaching assistant for Prof. David Requiro.