Past Guest Artists
James Ruggles, Violin
James Ruggles, Violin, earned his Masters Degree in Music from Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, and his Bachelor's in Music Performance Degree from Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK.
He has been a member of the Tulsa Signature Symphony Orchestra and the Ft. Smith
Symphony where he was Co-
James started teaching violin his first summer out of high school and has continued to teach ever since. His styles include Classical, Gypsy, Jazz (Swing), Scottish/Irish, Bluegrass, Broadway show tunes and Pop standards.
Anne Raphael, Pianist
Ann was introduced to the piano at age 3. It provided a magical kingdom of sound and possibilities for exploration.
The opportunity to play with orchestras in her teens gave her a taste of chamber music and a glimpse of the collaborative experience.
Having lived in the northwest for over 20 years, she is happy to return to her native state and see that this type of musical exchange is thriving here.
Anne Watson, Clarinet
Dr. Anne Watson joined the music faculty at Northeastern State University in the fall of 2008. An active performer, Watson performed as principal clarinet with the Arizona Opera Orchestra of Phoenix, AZ for ten years and in 2004 was named as finalist to the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami, FL. Watson has performed with the Tulsa Symphony, the Tulsa Ballet, the Phoenix Symphony, Ballet Tucson, Tucson Symphony, Phoenix Metropolitan Men's Chorus, Arizona Women in Tune, and the Phoenix Bach Choir. Since 2005, she has been a recording artist with the Carl Fischer Music Co. She actively performs with touring Broadway productions.
Watson holds degrees from West Texas A&M University (BM), where she won the University's Concerto Competition at the age of 18 and Arizona State University (MM and DMA), where she completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of Robert Spring.
Stephen Clark, Vocalist
Stephen Clark, a Tulsa native, Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah was Salon’s featured University Musician for the 2010 Season. In the fall of 2010 Clark will be continuing his education by pursuing a Masters in Music from Oklahoma City University.
After entering college with musical aspirations leaning more towards education, Clark became fascinated with performing, especially the art of opera. This can be seen in recent engagements with Tulsa Opera chorus as well as attending the Taos Opera Institute in New Mexico, a training program for young, aspiring opera singers.
Patricia Surman, Flute
Touring concert and teaching artist, Dr. Patricia Surman is Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Northeastern State University and Instructor of Music at Tulsa Community College. Before teaching in Oklahoma, she taught flute and chamber music at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, and was a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas. She earned her BM in flute performance from the University of Redlands, MM in flute performance and MM musicology from the University of North Texas, and completed her DMA in flute performance with a minor in music theory at UNT.
As an orchestral and wind ensemble player, Patricia is currently a member of the Tulsa Symphony, plays flute and piccolo with the Tulsa Opera Orchestra and the Starlight Bands.
Nataliya Sukhina, Piano
Dr. Nataliya Sukhina, native of Ukraine, graduated from Tchaikovsky National Academy
of Music in Kiev with major in piano performance and related fields in chamber music,
collaborative piano, and education. Nataliya has recently completed her Doctor of
Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas, where she had the privilege
to study with world-
While enjoying solo career, Nataliya is also widely known in DFW area as a collaborative pianist with extensive and diverse repertoire. Dr. Nataliya Sukhina currently teaches piano lessons at Lone Star Music Academy (Flower Mound, TX).
Meredith Blecha, Cello
Currently the Assistant Professor of Cello at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Meredith Blecha leads a dynamic career dedicated to both performing and teaching. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where she served as the teaching assistant to Professor Alan Harris. Additionally, she received a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Cello Performance from Indiana University.
As an orchestral musician, she is currently a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and has held principal and assistant principal positions with several orchestras including the Richmond Symphony and Spoleto Festival USA.
Michael Kirkendoll, Piano
Bridging the gaps between old and new, Michael Kirkendoll is not your everyday pianist. Equally at home in the worlds of Beethoven and Haydn as in those of Frederic Rzewski and John Cage, Michael’s concerts are unique musical experiences leaving audiences eager for the next performance. His performances in the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia have garnered great praise by audiences and critics alike.
Earning performance degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (MM) and the University of Kansas (BM, DMA), Michael’s training has led to enthusiastically received performances around the world.
Michael is currently the Visiting Professor of Piano at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK, where he lives with his wife and two dogs.
Laura Talbot, Violin
A vibrant musician and innovative educator, Laura Talbott is a violinist and violist equally dedicated to performing and teaching. She is Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Oklahoma State University, where she was named the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Professor by the OSU Student Council in 2007.
Dr. Talbott received her doctorate in string performance from Boston University as a student of Peter Zazofsky. She holds additional degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.M., summa cum laude) and the University of Michigan (M.M.).
Dr. Talbott has an extensive background as an orchestral musician, having performed with the New Hampshire Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Boston Virtuosi, Ann Arbor Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony, Cantata Singers Chamber Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Lon de Ada is a flamenco guitarist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lon has been performing on the guitar for many years in various styles, but his specialty is the music he loves, the flamenco style of the gypsies of southern Spain.
Early in Lon’s career a Tulsa World columnist put it quite succinctly,
Once in a while a person comes along who shows so much promise in a particular talent that you feel an excitement and joy for what must lie ahead.
As an educator, Lon enjoys conducting master classes in Flamenco guitar at Universities as well as conducting local workshops in the Tulsa area.
Gordon Robson practices medicine for a living and cello for pure joy. Having had a university music teaching job before changing careers and becoming an anesthesiologist, Gordon has three performance degrees on cello, from Covenant College, the University of Arizona, and Florida State University. His principal teachers were Roger Drinkall and Gordon Epperson.
Gordon is currently active in performing with the Signature Symphony and the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra and is a member of Trio Spiritoso, which has appeared twice at Tulsa SummerStage. He has performed as featured soloist several times in the past with the Tulsa Community College Community Orchestra. Photo courtesy of Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust.
Vintage Wildflowers
Though just two years old, Tulsa-
Vintage Wildflowers takes audiences on a journey from Appalachia to the Celtic lands and beyond, where music is more than art, it is a reflection of the language, landscape, and way of life of the people.
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