Program and Artist Biography

Hailed by the New York Times as "transfixing" and the Philadelphia Inquirer as "remarkable," Daniel Gaisford continues to infuse new life into the great works of the past while fiercely advocating for the music of our own time.  As soloist, Mr. Gaisford has appeared with orchestras throughout the U.S. and Canada, among them the major orchestras of Saint Louis, Seattle, Toronto and Montreal, under the direction of conductors such as Robert Spano, David Zinman and Hermann Michael.

Equally active as a recitalist and chamber musician, Mr. Gaisford has performed throughout the U.S. and abroad.  He has been a featured guest at major festivals throughout the world including New York City's Mostly Mozart Festival, the Chautauqua Festival, the Caramoor Festival, the Davos Festival, Festa Europea della Musica, and the Vail Valley Festival, among others.  Mr. Gaisford has been a frequent guest on radio programs around the country including NPR's Performance Today series.

Widely considered among the most gifted composers of his generation, Michael Hersch first came to broader attention at age twenty-five, when he was awarded First Prize in the American Composers Awards. The award resulted in a performance conducted by Marin Alsop in New York's Alice Tully Hall early 1997. Since, his work has been conducted in the U.S. and abroad under conductors including Mariss Jansons, Robert Spano, Alan Gilbert, James DePriest, Carlos Kalmar, by the major orchestras of Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Dallas, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Seattle, Oregon and other ensembles, including the String Soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Upcoming projects include new works for the Cleveland Orchestra and baritone Thomas Hampson. Also a formidable pianist, Mr. Hersch has appeared in the U.S. and abroad on the Van Cliburn Modern at the Modern series, the Romaeuropa Musica XXI Festival, and in New York City's Merkin Concert Hall and Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Hersch's honors include the Rome Prize, the Berlin Prize, and the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts & Letters.