< Guest Performer & Speakers >
About Demarre Mcgill
Recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, flutist Demarre Mcgill has quickly become one of the most sought-after flutists of his generation. He enjoys an active career as a leading soloist, recitalist, artistic director, and orchestral musician. Currently Principal Flute of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, he previously served as Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony for two seasons and held the same position with the San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. McGill has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Toledo Symphony, among others. An active chamber musician, McGill appears regularly throughout the United States and abroad. He is a founding member of The Myriad Trio and has participated in many national and international chamber music festivals, including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Marlboro Music Festival, La Jolla Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, and the Stellenbosch Chamber Music Festival. In addition to his performance schedule, McGill is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Art of Elan, a chamber music organization in San Diego that aims to expose new audiences to classical music. McGill received his Bachelor's Degree in Flute Performance from The Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. He continued his studies with Mr. Baker at the Juilliard School, where he received a Masters of Music degree.
ABOUT Kahindo Mateene
Kahindo Mateene has emerged as a ground-breaking design talent, based in the United States with an unresembling bold aesthetic. Fusing together tradition and trend, Mateene has created a unique and feminine sentiment. Since the launch of her label, Modahnik in 2009, Kahindo has been committed to developing visually striking collections. Mateene engineers her own textiles every season and merges them with clean lines and cuts that flatter today’s woman.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahindo fuses inspiration from Congolese art and culture. She also finds inspiration from her travels throughout Europe, The Americas and Africa. Kahindo moved to the United States in 1995 to begin studying International Business & Economics. After successfully obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree, Mateene began studying fashion at the Illinois Institute of Art. Armed with a BFA in Fashion Design and a BA in, Mateene was accepted into Chicago’s Fashion Incubator at Macy’s 2011 Residence Program. At the conclusion of her extensive education and training, Kahindo landed a spot as a contestant on Season 12 of Lifetime Network’s Emmy-Nominated Project Runway television show.
Mateene is an avid Philanthropist that supports charitable efforts to raise awareness regarding social and economic issues, in the Democratic Re- public of Congo and the US. In April 2014, Modahnik collaborated with non-profit organization, MamAfrica to create a Clutch Handbag Initiative. The clutch handbags are 100% manufactured in the DRC and are assembled using Modahnik’s repurposed scrap fabrics by Congolese women. The collaborative initiative offers sustainable employment for Congolese women. She also is a supporter of the Boys and Grils Club of Chicago and the Hubbard Street Artistic Community.
Kahindo has been recognized as an independent design talent to watch. Her collections are sold online at Zappos, Sapelle, Modavanti and instore at Nomads Hawaii, Flordora and Hasana.
ABOUT Michael Beckerman
Michael Beckerman is Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Music at New York University and Distinguished Professor of History at Lancaster University. He has written articles on such subjects as film scoring, music of the Roma (Gypsies), Mozart, Brahms, exiled composers, as well as many studies and several books on Czech topics, including Dvořák and His World (Princeton University Press, 1993), Janáček as Theorist (Pendragon Press, 1994), New Worlds of Dvořák (W.W.Norton, 2003), Janacek and His World (Princeton, 2004)) Martinů’s Mysterious Accident (Pendragon, 2007).
For many years he was a regular contributor to the New York Times. He has appeared on Live from Lincoln Center and other radio and television programs in the United States, Europe and Japan; lectures nationally and internationally and has organized many concerts and symposia.
He was awarded the Janáček Medal by the Czech Ministry of Culture, is a recipient of the Dvořák Medal and a Laureate of the Czech Music Council. He has twice received the Deems Taylor Award and in November he received an honorary doctorate from Palacký University in the Czech Republic.
Music Beyond, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that trains musicians to become music teachers in developing countries, starting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.