Performing Artists

Calder Quartet
Benjamin Jacobson, violin
Andrew Bulbrook, violin
Jonathan Moerschel, viola
Eric Byers, cello

Inspired by the innovative American artist Alexander Calder, the Calder Quartet continues to expand its unique array of projects by performing traditional quartet repertoire as well as partnering with innovative modern composers, emerging musicians, and performers across genres. The group was awarded the 2009 ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award in recognition of its exciting programming and collaborations.

As quartet-in-residence at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, the Calder performs twice yearly at Zipper Hall. In December of 2008, the group collaborated with Grammy-winning pianist Gloria Cheng on the Thomas Ades quintet. Season highlights this year include a return to La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest, as well as recent performances at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Lied Center at the University of Kansas, and the Beeline Festival at MIT. Their live performance on New York's WNYC-FM in 2008 was voted one of the "Best of 2008."

This year has been monumental for the quartet with unique collaborations with artists ranging from Terry Riley to party rocker Andrew W.K.. The Calder Quartet has been teaming up extensively with indie rock band The Airborne Toxic Event, including performances on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and at Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

The quartet has long-standing relationships with pivotal composers Terry Riley and Christopher Rouse. The Calder Quartet met Riley when they shared a concert as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Minimalist Jukebox Festival in 2006, and continues to spend time studying his works and making personal recordings for Riley. The Calder is also the first quartet in two decades to have a work written for them by composer Christopher Rouse. Carnegie Hall, New Haven's International Festival of Arts and Ideas, La Jolla Music Society, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival have co-commissioned Rouse to write a new quartet for the Calder, which premieres in New Haven in June 2010. The quartet has also recorded a Christopher Rouse album to be released on the E1 label.

In 2008, the Calder Quartet released its first album featuring the music of Thomas Ades, Mozart, and Ravel. Strings Magazine called the album "an almost delirious display of rich coloration and complex textures." They had the special opportunity to work with visual artist Dave Muller on the album artwork and were able to expand their relationship with Thomas Ades by working directly with the composer on a performance of Arcadiana as part of the Green Umbrella Series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in May 2008.

Artistic Director Lucinda Carver

As music director and conductor of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra from 1992-2001, Lucinda Carver garnered critical praise for her stylistic interpretations.

Noted as a “first-rate conductor” by Bernard Holland of The New York Times and as “an important emerging conductor” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times, Carver’s symphonic credits include appearances with the National Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Richmond Symphony.

Carver is no stranger to major music festivals, either, having conducted at Wolf Trap, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s “Next Wave” Festival and the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s “Eclectic Orange” Festival.

Active in both the symphonic and operatic arenas, she has also conducted productions of Don Pasquale with the New York City Opera, Don Giovanni with the Minnesota Opera, Die Zauberflöte and Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Le Nozze di Figaro with the Virginia Opera.

She has performed as soloist a with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Capella Salisburgensis, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra and Manhattan Philharmonic and she frequently took the dual role of soloist/conductor in Mozart piano concerti with the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra.

Carver has also been featured in solo and chamber music recitals at the Carmel Bach Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Prince George Music Festival and under the aegis of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Musica Angelica. Her performances have been broadcast across the United States on National Public Radio.

Courtney Huffman, voice

Recognized as a singer of exceptional artistry and versatility, soprano Courtney Huffman is a captivating and inspiring young artist who is already making waves in the professional musical world. After taking First Place in the NATS 2008 Artist Award Competition in Nashville, Tennessee, Ms. Huffman made her New York solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in June, 2009. Also scheduled is a winner’s recital performance at the NATS National Convention in July, 2010.

The soprano was only recently hailed for her stellar performance as Motezuma’s daughter, Teutile, in the Long Beach Opera’s U.S. Premiere of Vivaldi’s Motezuma. “Teutile…brilliantly sung by a young soprano, Courtney Huffman, just entering the professional arena, is treated as a supercilious young starlet…She sings and steals the stage…I hope opera talent scouts were on hand…” (Mark Swed, The LA Times).

Huffman made her professional operatic debut to critical acclaim in June, 2008 with the Intimate Opera Company of Pasadena, California, portraying Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata. She reprised the role with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra in February, 2009. Additionally, Ms. Huffman has appeared in over two dozen operas and opera scenes with the Aspen Opera Theater Center, USC Thornton School of Music Opera, and the Illinois Opera Theatre. Her stage credits include Betty in Lowell Liebermann’s Miss Lonelyhearts, Frasquita in Carmen, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas; Drusilla in L’Incoronazione di Poppea; Zerlina in Don Giovanni; Johanna in Sweeney Todd.

Sue Feldman, violin

Susan Feldman, violinist and music educator, has devoted much of her career to the study of historically informed performance on period instruments from the Middle Ages through the Baroque, particularly the baroque violin and the vielle.

She performs regularly with Los Angeles’ Musica Angelica, and has appeared with Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, New York’s Soave Diletti, and Seattle Baroque Orchestra.

Susan holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Music as well as a Doctorate in Early Music Performance, both from The University of Southern California, where she met and gathered the other members of La Monica.

Susan is currently on the faculty at the Stephen S. Wise Music Academy and the Ocean Charter School, both in Los Angeles, and also maintains a private studio of 40 students.

Leif Woodward, cello

Leif Thomas Woodward is an alumnus of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where he was granted the Colburn Foundation Scholarship for studies in Early Music Performance and graduated Pi Kappa Lambda. In addition to holding a Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California, Leif also holds a Master of Music degree and Bachelor of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

He has studied violoncello with world-renowned teachers Ronald Leonard, Clive Greensmith, and Jean-Michel Fonteneau and has studied historical performance under the direction of Laurette Goldberg, Dr. James Tyler, William Skeen, Dr. Corey Jamason, Dr. Adam Gilbert and Anthony Martin. 

A native of Long Beach, California, Leif performs with groups such as: Los Angeles Musica Angelica, Los Angeles Master Choral, Pacific Choral, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Angeles Consort, and La Barca.

In addition, he appears at the Carmel Bach Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival and on the chamber music series at the John Paul Getty Museum and Villa, Norton Simon Museum, Sundays Live at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, All Saints Episcopal Music Guild Chamber Music Series in Beverly Hills, and the Los Angeles Musica Angelica Chamber Music Series.