American Chamber Ensemble

	Blanche Abram, pianist and co-director of the American Chamber Ensemble, has performed throughout the eastern United States and the Caribbean and on TV and radio stations WQXR, WNYC, WFUV and News 12 Long Island. She is Adjunct Senior Professor of Music at Hofstra University and was a long-time faculty member of the 92^nd St. Y. Professor Abram has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad, including a presentation at the International Conference on Tension in Performance in England and is well known for her many workshops and Master Classes. With her colleagues of the American Chamber Ensemble, she has given numerous premieres and recorded the works of Hindemith, Zaimont, Weigl, Tepper, Deutsch, Richardson, and, with Naomi and Stanley Drucker, the compositions of Richter, Siegmeister and Kupferman. She is represented on the Leonarda, 4Tay, Gasparo, Soundspells and Dionysian labels, with an upcoming release on Elysium Records. Honored by the Music Teachers National Association as a "Master Teacher", she received the 1998 Pathfinder Award for Excellence in the Arts from the Township of Hempstead in recognition of her work as both a performing artists and an arts advocate. Professor Abram is the author of numerous articles that have been published in Clavier magazine, Piano and Keyboard and Long Island Parenting, among others. Her work as a pianist is referred to in Clarinet Virtuosi of Today and American Keyboard Artists and a section of Beloved Tyranna, Joseph Rezits' book on Isabelle Vengerova is devoted to Blanche Abram.
	Naomi Drucker, clarinetist, co-director of the American Chamber Ensemble, has performed, recorded and toured with the New York Philharmonic. She has performed in Japan, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, France, Canada and Argentina, and has appeared as soloist with the Nassau Symphony Orchestra, New York Virtuosi, Philharmonia Virtuosi, Massapequa Symphony, Long Island Baroque Ensemble. Long Island Symphony and West Islip Orchestra. She has given performances at the International Clarinet Convention in Paris, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Washington , DC. With her husband Stanley Drucker, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, she has performed on a tour of eleven cities in Japan, at the East Meets West Music Festival in Sweden, in 1996 at the International Clarinet Congress in Paris, in Singapore, at the Music Conservatorium in Sydney, Australia and at the Mykonos International Chamber Music Festival. Principal clarinetist of the New York Virtuosi, she began her career at age 21 as principal clarinetist of the North Carolina Symphony. A graduate of Hofstra University and an Adjunct Professor of Music at her alma mater, she received the 1994 George M. Estabrook Distinguished Alumni Award for career achievement. With the American Chamber Ensemble, she has recorded music of Zaimont, Hindemith and Weigl and has performed on New York Legends - Stanley Drucker for Cala Records and Naomi Drucker and Stanley Drucker Play Meyer Kupferman for Soundspells Records. A 1998 release, Music for Doubles, on Elysium Records, features Naomi and Stanley Drucker performing the Krommer Concerto, Op. 35, for Two Clarinets and Orchestra, Peter Tiboris conducting. Ms. Drucker enjoys a busy teaching schedule and is a strong supporter of her many friends who are Long Island composers.
	Marilyn Sherman Lehman, pianist, is an active soloist, chamber musician, accompanist and teacher in the N.Y metropolitan area. Described as a pianist of "utmost sensitivity and artistry,” Ms. Lehman has given many solo and ensemble concerts, including performances at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kaufman Concert Hall of the 92nd St. Y, The Beethoven Festival of Long Island and at libraries, museums and universities in the New York area. A N.Y. regional winner of the AMSA International Piano Competition, she has been guest artist on radio station WNYC and WEVD and has participated in chamber music festivals in Europe, California and Florida. Ms. Lehman received her Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Hofstra University and her Masters in Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She is currently Associate Adjunct Professor of Music at Hofstra University and in 2003 received the prestigious George M. Estabrook Distinguished Alumni Award for career achievement from her alma mater. Ms. Lehman has been a longtime member of the Usdan Center for the Performing Arts performance, accompanying and teaching faculty. As a core member of The American Chamber Ensemble, she has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall for the last ten years, The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and is represented on the American Chamber Ensemble CDs entitled "American Clarinet Treasures" and "The American Chamber Ensemble Plays Peter Schickele."
	Eriko Sato, violinist, is a frequent concertmaster of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the St. Luke's Chamber Orchestras. Having made her solo debut at age 13, Ms. Sato has performed with the Louisville Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Imperial Orchestra and has been a winner of the Tibor Varga International Competition, the Young Musicians Foundation and three Japanese National Competitions. A founding member of the Aspen Soloists and the Festival Chamber Music Society, she has taught at both Queens College and at the Aspen Music Festival. As an active chamber musician, Ms. Sato has participated in the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Aspen Festival, Bargemusic and Chamber Music Northwest. As concertmaster of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, she has led recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, including Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins and Mozart's A Little Night Music. She has also recorded for Vanguard, Delos and Grenadilla and has been featured on CBS News' Sunday Morning. She has been a faculty member of the Hoff-Barthelson Music School since 1987.
	Deborah Wong, violinist, is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, where she earned both her Master's and Bachelor's degrees. A winner of the Victor Herbert Award, she was a student of Dorothy Delay. Miss Wong has been a featured soloist with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the New England Bach Festival, the North Country Chamber Players and the Stony Brook Symphony. Miss Wong is a veteran performer with numerous chamber music societies and is a member of the Hawthorne Piano Trio. Her affiliation with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has taken her on many tours of Europe and the United States, and has involved her in recordings with Deutsche Grammophon. A champion of contemporary music, Deborah is a member of the Atlantic String Quartet and performs with the Washington Square Contemporary Music Ensemble and organizations such as ISCM and the New York New Music Ensemble. Miss Wong has performed with the Caramoor, Aspen, Spoleto and Waterloo music festivals.
	Lois Martin, violist, studied at the Peabody Preparatory School, the Eastman School of Music, where she was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Lillian Fuchs. Ms. Martin is a founding member of the Atlantic String Quartet and Fidelio, a unique ensemble consisting of viola, cello and piano. She is also a member of Chamber Music Plus, the New York Chamber Symphony, Concordia, String Fever, the Salon Chamber Soloists and the American Chamber Ensemble. Her continuing commitment to contemporary music includes performances with The Group for Contemporary Music, the ISCM Chamber Players, the New York New Music Ensemble, Speculum Musicae, the Composers Guild, the Da Capo Chamber Players, the Composers Forum and Steve Reich and Musicians. Ms. Martin is also on the faculty of the Composers Conference at Wellesley College and has taught at Princeton University.
	Chris Finckel, cellist, began his studies with his father George Finckel and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. A member of the Manhattan String Quartet and the New York New Music Ensemble, Mr. Finckel has concertized extensively in Asia, Australia, Europe, Central America and throughout the U.S. and Canada. A frequent guest artist with such acclaimed ensembles as the Tokyo String Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Speculum Musicae, Mr. Finckel has appeared at the Casals, Santa Fe, Ravinia, Saratoga, Norfolk and Rockport chamber music festivals. A dedicated performer of the music of the 20^th Century, Mr. Finckel has participated in the premieres of over 100 composers works and has recorded for the Nonesuch, New World, CRI, Bridge, and Vanguard Record labels.
	Frequent Guest Artist Stanley Drucker, clarinetist, was Musical America's 1998 Instrumentalist of the Year, and is the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. That year marked his 50^th anniversary with the Philharmonic. He has made approximately 150 solo appearances with the orchestra. Mr. Drucker has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, both times as "Best Instrumental Soloist/Classical with Orchestra." The recordings are Copland's Clarinet Concerto, with the Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, and John Corigliano's Clarinet Concerto, with the Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He is featured on several other recordings with the Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, including Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie, Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto and the World Premiere live performance of the Corigliano Concerto. Also on CD, he appears on the Philharmonic's CD box set, The Historic Broadcasts: 1923-1987. His other recordings include New York Legends: Recitals with Principals from the New York Philharmonic, and Schumann's Complete Works for Winds and Piano, the latter on Elysium Recordings. Mr. Drucker began clarinet studies at age 10 with Leon Russianoff, and later attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Mr. Drucker has the distinction of being one of the few living orchestral musicians whose biography is included in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.