Together with pianist Donna Loewy, Andrew Garland is working with some of today’s leading classical songwriters to program lively and inventive concerts that have audiences looking at the song recital anew. Last season their programs of living American composers were heard in New York City, Washington, DC, Seattle, Cincinnati, Fullerton, CA, Hammond, LA, and Williamsburg, VA. Next season the team brings a new program to various venues, including Santa Monica and Huntsville. They will also make a return visit to the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. Last summer Garland premiered Jake Heggie’s Here and Gone at the Ravinia Festival. This year marks his debut with the New York Festival of Song, performing with Steven Blier. Apart from song recitals, Andrew Garland maintains an active opera career. He made an exciting debut at Seattle Opera when he stepped in at the last minute for Nathan Gunn as Riolobo in Catàn’s Florencia en el Amazonas. As Dandini, recently at Dayton opera, Garland proved to have the comic timing and rapid, clean coloratura required of the role. Garland also has appeared at Cincinnati Opera, Ft. Worth Opera, the Seattle Opera Young Artists program and the San Francisco opera center. Lead operatic roles include Rossini’s Figaro, Mozart’s Count and Guglielmo, Puccini’s Schaunard, Britten’s Junius (Rape of Lucretia), and Ravel’s Ramiro (L’heure espagnole). Upcoming operatic engagements include Nevada Opera (Dandini), the National Philharmonic (Figaro), Boston Lyric Opera and Palm Beach Opera. Garland also proved his unique coloratura skills in this past season’s performances of Handel’s Messiah with the University of Michigan and Virginia symphonies. Audiences and musicians reported they had never heard such a rapid and clear rendition of "Why do the nations?" Another concert appearance of note was his debut with the Cathedral Choral Society in the Washington, DC, premiere of Eric Zeisl’s Requiem Ebraico. His concert repertory includes such varied works as Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Requiem, Dvorak’s Te Deum, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs. He has also has appeared with the Flint Symphony and the Sacramento Choral society. Future concert engagements include performances with the National Philharmonic and the Delaware Symphony. Garland is the winner of the Washington International Music Competition, American Traditions Competition, the William C. Byrd Competition, the Opera Columbus Competition, NATS New England competition, placed in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, was a semi finalist in the Montreal International Music Competition and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Garland is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His teachers and coaches have included William McGraw, Paulina Stark, John Humphrey, Oren Brown, Elizabeth Mannion, Martin Katz, Donna Loewy, Kenneth Griffiths and Terry Lusk.

Pianist/coach Bethany Johnson, from Hanover, Massachusetts, is currently a member of the music staff at Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Johnson received her Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Martin Katz. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Gordon College where she studied with Mia Chung and toured the Eastern U.S. and Europe with the Gordon College Choir. Ms. Johnson was a pianist/coach in San Francisco Opera's Merola Program as well as the Wolftrap Opera Studio. In the summers of 2001 and 2002, she participated in the Art Song Program with the Brevard Music Center. She was also a finalist in the 2003 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Danielle Talamantes, soprano, has returned to her native Washington area and is quickly becoming one of the region's most sought after soloists. Ms. Talamantes’ opera history includes performances with Spoleto Festival USA, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Roanoke, Opera Bel Cantanti and The Washington Savoyards. Recent debuts also include solo features with Nevada Opera, Annapolis Opera and the Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia. Opera roles include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Corilla in Donizetti’s Le Convenienze de Teatrali, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte. She looks forward to returning to Nevada Opera next winter as Gretel in Hansel und Gretel. Oratorio credits include performances with various DC Metropolitan and Virginia groups including The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale, the Oratorio Society of Charlottesville, Friday Morning Music Club Chorale, the Capitol Hill Chorale, Washington Summer Sings, Prince William Symphony Orchestra and the New River Valley Symphony. She will debut as featured soloist with the New Dominion Chorale this spring in Schumann’s Paradies und die Peri. Ms. Talamantes is the current first place winner in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards and will appear in a solo recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in March, 2007. Other recent First Place honors in 2006 include the Lotte Lehmann Cybersing Competition, the Vocal Arts Society Discovery Series Competition, the Longleaf Opera Competition and the DC Music Federation Vocal Competition. Ms. Talamantes maintains a voice studio in the Northern Virginia area and holds degrees from Virginia Tech and Westminster Choir College.

Hailed as a pianist who "really has it all — fiery technique and a rich, warm tone," Joy Puckett Schreier will make her Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall with soprano Danielle Talamantes in March 2007. She received her doctorate in Accompanying and Chamber Music in 2003 under Dr. Jean Barr at the Eastman School of Music. At Eastman, Dr. Schreier was the recipient of the Barbara Koeng Award for Excellence in Vocal Accompanying as well as a three-time prize winner in the Jessie Kneisel German Lieder Competition. Former teachers include Ann Schein, Laurence Morton and Douglas Guiles. Dr. Schreier has served as official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Wolf Trap Young Artist Auditions. She has been presented in recital at the Kennedy Center, the Polish Embassy, the residence of the Egyptian Ambassador, Anderson House on Embassy Row, Strathmore Hall, and Center Stage in San Francisco. With the Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra she has performed in Taiwan, Great Britain, Italy, France and Spain. Dr. Schreier has coached grand prize winners in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award, and the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. She currently serves as vocal coach for the Washington National Opera Education Division under the direction of Plácido Domingo.

Peiyi Wang, mezzo-soprano, originally from Beijing, China, obtained her Masters degree and Specialist degree in Voice Performance from University of Michigan-School of Music and her Bachelors degree in English Language and Literature from Peking University. Ms. Wang made her professional debuts with Michigan Opera Theatre as Cenerentola in La Cenerentola in 2006, with University Musical Society as Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice in 2001 and as Roggiero in Tancredi in 2006. She also performed such roles as Hansel in Hansel & Gretel, Xerxes in Xerxes, Carmen in La Tragedie de Carmen, Marquise in La Fille du Regiment, and Meg in Falstaff. Ms. Wang was the finalist in 2005 Montreal International Music Competition, Metropolitan National Council Audition-Great Lakes Region, and 2nd China International Competition for Singers. She was also the first prize winner of Great Lakes Opera Competition and Harold Haugh Opera Competition. Ms. Wang participated in Naxos' recording project of 20th Century Jewish-American Composers' opera. She was the recipient of career grants from Ars Gratia Artis Foundation and Rislov Foundation. In 2006, she was invited to participate in the Vocal-Piano Master Class with Lorraine Nubar and Dalton Baldwin.

Thomas Bandy is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is presently finishing his doctoral studies in collaborative piano at the University of Michigan. He studies with Martin Katz, with whom he also studied during work on his Master's degree, received in 2004, and plays in the voice studios of Shirley Verrett and George Shirley. He participates in many chamber music groups, and is an active vocal coach in many languages as well, specializing in Russian diction. He has been organist and choir director at several churches, two in South Carolina, one in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, and presently at the First Congregational UCC in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Thomas graduated summa cum laude from Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2001 with a double major in philosophy and piano. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, and Phi Sigma Tau Philosophy Honor Society. He is married to Rebecca Bandy, a musician and teacher of English as a second language, from Georgia. They have a son, Evan Alexander, born July 27, 2005, and another child due in March, 2007.

Tenor Lim Shieh-Yih, a native of Singapore is described by the New York Times as a "Bright Voice Tenor" and "his English Diction is better than most English Native Speakers...." His opera performances include Carmen, Otello, Così Fan Tutte, Eugene Onégin, Die Zauberfl*ouml;te, Madama Butterfly, Ariadne auf Naxos and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He is described as "vividly villainous ... making one want to hiss at him" by The Independent News, in Santa Barbara in his performance of Monostatos at the Music Academy of the West’s production of Die Zauberflöte. In the Oratorio field, he has performed in The Messiah, The Creation, Lauda per la natività del Signore by O. Respighi and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Mr. Lim has been described by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hawaii as having "a strong voice with good quality" in his performance of the Beethoven 9th Symphony under the baton of Norio Ohga (CEO, Sony Corporation). The Denver Post critics Mr. Lim’s performance of the role of Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Aspen Opera Theater Center under the baton of Julius Rudel: "his clear metal voice and considerable volume hinted a future Siegfried." Opera News describes his performance of the role of Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with MAW, Santa Barbara as "ringing substance and brilliance." Also with the same role, Los Angeles Times describes him as "the most promising singer, " and specifically notes his clear German diction. Shieh-Yih is also a fine recitalist. He has performed in Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, New England Conservatory, Paul Hall, etc. Mr. Lim was invited to open the Brownville Concert Series at the Brownville Concert Hall in Nebraska in February 7th, 1999 in conjunction with the Marilyn Horne Foundation. He has obtained fellowships from the Pacific Music Festival, and the Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, where he is one of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Awardee in 1997 and The Apen Opera Theater Center with the Aspen Music Festival. Shieh-Yih has also attended Master Classes given by Marilyn Horne, Joan Sutherland, Elizabeth Söderstrom, Warren Jones, Martin Isepp, Paul Sperry, Graham Johnson, Martin Katz etc. Shieh-Yih is the winner of the 1992, 4th Asian Vocal Competition held in Taiwan, Taipei. He is the youngest to have won the titile. He is also the finalist for the Leonard Berstein Songs and Oratorio Competition, Jerusalem and the Joy in Singing Competition, New York. After coming back to Singapore, Mr. Lim was invited to be the adjudicator for the Malaysia National Vocal Competition 2001, and recently the 1st Chinese Folk and Arts Songs Karaoke Vocal Competition held at Victoria Concert Hall. Shieh-Yih is also very proud to be one of the soloists in Beethoven 9th Symphony to had performed at the National Inauguration of the Concert Hall at the Esplanade — Theatre by the Bay. Shieh-Yih began his music education at the age of 4 on the piano with Madam Lucien Wong. Encouraged by his parents and aunt, Ms Florence Yap Chiu Yuen, his interest in singing became more keen at age 17. He has since earned degrees from The Trinity College of Music, London; Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, PR China and The Juilliard School in both piano and voice. His teachers include Ms Scelagh Molyneaux, Ms Yang Jie, Mr. Li Xinchang, Mr. Robert White, Mr. Edward Zambara and Ms Marilyn Horne. Shieh-Yih has obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s Degree and he has graduated with the degree of Professional Studies on full scholarship, studying with Mr. W Stephen Smith at The Juilliard School. Since his return to Singapore, Shieh-Yih has been very active in the Singapore music scene, performing in a few productions with the Singapore Lyric Opera and other Arts Societies. Mr. Lim was invited by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to perform the Tenor solo in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 at the Inauguration of the Concert Hall at Esplanade — Theatres by the Bay. This concert was broadcast on Symphony 92.4 FM. At the moment Mr. Lim resides in Singapore. Mr. Lim’s future engagements includes performances at the Esplanade — Theatres by the Bay in 2007, Concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia and dedicating part of his time in teaching the younger generation to promote classical singing. He is also engaged to give Master-classes in Taiwan, Tainan National Performing Arts institute and concerts in Asia. His students has won many prizes in the Malaysian National Vocal Competition, in December 2002 and in 2004, 3 of his students was placed 1st, 2nd and 4th in the Singapore-Malaysian Vocal Competition in Singapore Division. Recently, the top 3 prizes belongs to his students at the 1st Festa Canzone International Art Songs Competition 2005, which includes participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, USA, Indonesia and China. Mr. Lim is currently a member of the voice faculty at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LaSalle — SIA College of the Arts in Singapore, Artistic Director of Classical Singers’ Association, Singapore and FestaCanzone — Art Song Festival, Director of the Classical section of the Singing Teachers’ Association Singapore.

Pei-Chi Hong earned her Doctoral degree in Collaborative Piano on full scholarship from New England Conservatory of Music, where she also received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance. Her principal teachers include Irma Vallecillo, Margo Garrett and Martin Katz. In 2003, she assisted in the establishment of the first collaborative piano graduate institute in Taiwan. She is currently a faculty member and the Director of the Institute of Collaborative Piano of Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan. A native of Taiwan, pianist Pei-Chi Hong has been very active as a chamber musician in U.S.A., Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. While a student at New England Conservatory of Music, she had already collaborated with faculty James Buswell, James Dunham and Mazuko Ushioda in recital. She was often chosen to accompany singers in vocal master classes by Warren Jones, and Martin Isepp. Ms. Hong has also appeared at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, in 1993, 1994. In 2001, she was invited to perform with the principal Woodwind Quintet of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kitara Hall in Sapporo, as well as violinist Chantal Juillet and numerous principal artists of Philadelphia, Toronto, and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras in chamber recitals. In 2005, she was invited to perform, give collaborative piano masterclass, and serve as a jury member at the FestaCanzone (Artsong Festival) in Singapore. Besides being a collaborative pianist, Ms. Hong is also a clarinetist and holds a Bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from New England Conservatory of Music. She has won the first prize at the Taiwan Music Competition in 1985 and 1990 and was a recipient of the 1993 Taiwan ICRT Young Rising Star Scholarship both for clarinet and chamber music performances.