Live Broadcasts Artists and Crew

Ocala duo, Olivia Ortiz and Mike Wall, make up the base of the pop fusion/acoustic lounge collaboration, Left On Broadway. Usually heard performing original songs and original arrangements with musicians Karim Martin, Greg Snider, Erik Abernathy, and featured additional guest artists. Left On Broadway has been featured twice as band of the year in Ocala Magazine in 2016 and 2019, the Couch Sessions series in 2017-2018, the Ocala Levitt Amp Concert Series in 2018, Fine Arts for Ocala 2017-2019, and numerous private parties, weddings, festivals and charity events.

Dr. Keith Northover is a graduate from Indiana University, where he studied clarinet with Howard Klug and early clarinet with Eric Hoeprich.  He is currently the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Florida. Past roles include serving as the K-8 music teacher at St. Vincent de Paul School in Bedford, IN, an associate instructor for the woodwind department as clarinet instructor and coordinator for secondary woodwind lessons.  Before IU, he completed both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in clarinet performance and music education from the University of Florida, where he studied with Professor Mitchell Estrin.  Keith also served as adjunct instructor of clarinet at the College of Central Florida.

Recent career highlights include premières and performances at Clarinetfest in Belgium, Knoxville, and Orlando, the NACWPI Conference in Vancouver, and the American Reed Summit in Missouri.  Additionally he has toured the world with chamber music tours in Europe and Brazil and is a founding member of the Novacane Clarinet Quartet and the Æther Reed Quintet. He also performs regularly with orchestras in Columbus (IN), Terre Haute, Evansville, Danville (IL), and Ocala (FL).

In addition to his active performance schedule, Keith is an active teacher and researcher.  His students have gone on to succeed at Solo and Ensemble contests, regional and all-state ensembles, and gaining acceptance into various music programs across the country including Indiana University, and the University of Florida.  His research and performance interests include pursuing and advocating the use of the auxiliary clarinets, Mozart and the Basset Horn, the use of low clarinets in Opera and Film, and historical instruments and performance practices.  For more info: www.keithnorthover.com

The Greg Snider Group is a jazz centric, modular ensemble ranging from duos to sextet and beyond. With an improvisatorial focus, the group excels in musical communication and putting on themed historical and genre based shows. The Group is currently in production of original music to be released on a full album later this year. Please check out www.gregsnidermusic.com for more information.

My name is Joel and I make noise, I hope you like it.

Tasha Robinson has been the Principal Harpist with the Ocala Symphony for almost a decade. She will be sharing 3 harps on her upcoming solo concert, a Rainbow Electroacoustic Harp, a Celtic Harp and a 19 string lap harp she calls Luigi that was made in Kingston Ontario Canada. Tasha will cover the Beatles to Coldplay and Debussy to name a few.

Stewart Kitts is a third generation professional violinist. Stewart began
playing at the age of five on a 1⁄4 size violin built by his teacher and grandfather
Otto Frey. At the age of six, Stewart soloed with his violinist mother and
bassoonist father’s orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony. At ten he soloed with
the University of Florida Symphony and also became the Concertmaster of the
Alachua County Youth Orchestra (with a high school senior sitting next to
him). At fourteen, Stewart became the youngest member ever of the
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. At eighteen, Stewart soloed more than thirty
times with the Jacksonville Symphony, performing St. Saens, Introduction and
Rondo Capricciosso and the third movement of the Tchaikovsky violin
concerto.
After his grandfather passed away, Stewart studied with several other
teachers, including four summers with famed teacher Ivan Galamian at the
Meadowmount School of Music. Stewart then studied with the soloist James
Buswell, as a violin performance major at Indiana University.
After college, Stewart spent one year as the Principal Second of the
Savannah Symphony. The following summer, Stewart was the Concertmaster
of the Spoleto Music Festival, in both Charleston and Spoleto. Following
Spoleto, Stewart won the position of Associate Concertmaster of the Florida
Orchestra, a position he held for twenty three years. During those years,
Stewart spent nine summers as Associate Concertmaster of the Colorado Music
Festival. Following the Florida Orchestra, Stewart has been Concertmaster of
the Hollywood Philharmonic, The Charlotte Symphony and Concertmaster for
Disney recording sessions and for touring shows including; Mannheim
Steamroller, Johnny Mathis, Ann Murray, Styx, Little River Band, Young
Frankenstein, The Alan Parsons Project, Sting, Adam Levine and many others.

Stewart is currently Concertmaster of the Ocala Symphony and Co-
Concertmaster of the Villages Philharmonic.

Stewart resides in Gainesville, where he has a teaching studio, and is co-
director, with his sister Jennifer, of the Celebration Suzuki Strings and

conducts the Celebration String Orchestra.
Stewart is the father of fourth generation violinists, Elizabeth and
Natalie Kitts.

Joshua L. Mazur enjoys an active career as a singer, conductor, and educator, equally at home in operatic tenor roles (recently, Don Jose in Valdosta, GA.) and musical theatre (previously as The Phantom with Ocala Symphony Orchestra). He won the TBNATS “Most Promising Male Singer” award three consecutive years and was the Florida state winner of the NATS Artist Award in 2014.

From Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl, trumpeter Randolph Lee has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, giving appearances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Spanning a career as a soloist, teacher, and a recording artist, he can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon, Centaur Records, Tantara Records, international television and radio broadcasts, albums, television shows, commercials, video games, and movies.

Randolph Lee has performed as a soloist in Carnegie Hall, premiered new works, and presented guest artist recitals at various universities. A collaboration with Columbian composer and pianist Mauricio Arias brought about the creation of a new concerto for trumpet, piano, and orchestra titled Rapsodia Camaleonica, as well as its world premiere and Carnegie Hall debut. A new cantata for trumpet and choir titled The Mystic Trumpeter was also written for Randolph by Anthony Maglione; and after giving its premier, he recorded it on Centaur Records (to be released in 2015). Other solo appearances with various ensembles include the Bells at Temple Square, Salty Crickets Composers Colletive, Azlo Orchestra, Scottsdale Musical Arts Orchestra, Academy of St. Barnabas on the Desert, ASU Schola Cantorum, UCLA Philharmonia, UCLA Brass Ensemble, UCLA Symphonic Band, BYU Synthesis jazz band, as well as high school and community bands.

As an orchestral trumpeter and collaborator, Randolph Lee has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Opera Hong Kong as guest principal trumpet, Tucson Symphony Orchestra as substitute principal trumpet, Orchestra at Temple Square with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as principal and section trumpet, Philip Glass Ensemble, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Utah Wind Symphony, Phoenix Chorale, Phoenix Boys Choir, Salt River Brass as principal solo cornet, Scottsdale Arts Orchestra as principal trumpet, Utah Regional Ballet, and various chamber ensembles including the Potsdam Brass Quintet.

Prior to the University of Florida, Dr. Lee served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet at State University of New York Potsdam and has taught at Arizona State University, University of California Los Angeles, Brigham Young University, BYU – Idaho, and has given clinics at various high schools and middle schools. He holds degrees from BYU (BA), where he studied with David Brown, UCLA (MM) with Jens Lindemann, and ASU (DMA) under the tutelage of Regents’ Professor David Hickman. Other teachers include K. Newell Dayley, Nick Norton, Donald Green, and Jay Posteraro. When not performing or teaching, he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and daughters.

Welson Tremura (musicologist – guitarist – singer) is a Ph.D. in musicology-ethnomusicology from Florida State University and currently serve as a Professor in the School of Music and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida. Dr. Tremura’s main research focuses on music and religion as expressed in folk Catholicism traditions of folia de reis or the Three Kings celebration in Brazil. Additional research areas include the usage of digital technology in performance and global technology and the inclusion of world music as a core discipline and collaborative method for teaching and collaboration. Combining his classical guitar and his voice, Dr. Tremura triumphant performances includes performance halls in the USA such as the Carnegie Hall in New York City and DeBartolo Performing Arts Center in Notre Dame, Indiana. Internationally Dr. Tremura maintains an active performance and academic schedule and has performed and given lectures in Brazil, China, Mexico, Guatemala, United States, India, Spain, Italy, Germany, and New Zealand. Dr. Tremura has been consistently praised by music critics and audiences for his interpretation of the most acclaimed bossa nova songs and his guitar compositions.

The Moreau | VanTuinen Duo is one of the only all female percussion+low brass duos in the world. Formed in 2014, the group is comprised of Dr. Danielle Moreau (percussion) and Dr. Danielle VanTuinen (euphonium+tuba), who presently reside in Gainesville, Florida.Their primary objectives include providing educational outreach opportunities for high school programs in the southeast and commissioning new repertoire for the group. Since 2017, they have performed as featured artists at the International Women’s Brass Conference, Southwest Regional Tuba/Euphonium Conference, the Back Cove Contemporary Festival, the Mississippi Music by Women Festival, and the Asociación Española de Tubas y Bombardinos Festival in Madrid, Spain. As passionate advocates of new music, they have expanded the repertoire through commissioning projects with composers such as Adam Silverman, Shaun Tilburg, Etienne Crausaz, Steven Snowden, and James Grant. Danielle VanTuinen currently serves as Assistant Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of Florida; Danielle Moreau is a freelance musician and educator, and proudly endorses Black Swamp Percussion, Innovative Percussion, and Marimba One.

The founder and flat picking front man of Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Brett Bass is shedding his outlaw skin to bring his powerful guitar and songwriting to the forefront of American bluegrass. Through the course of his 10 year bluegrass career, Brett took 1st prize at the 2015 RockyGrass flat pick guitar contest, has shared the stage with Grammy winners The Del McCoury Band, Jim Lauderdale, and Steep Canyon Rangers, as well as Jam Grass pioneers like Yonder Mountain String Band, Larry Keel , Leftover Salmon and Billy Strings. He also had the honor of filling the guitar role several times with The Travelin’ McCourys, and has taught guitar workshops with Chris Luquette, Jon Stickley, Larry Keel, Jeff Autry and more.

Melted Plectrum is the ace band of pickers Brett has assembled across Florida to deliver his music with the dexterity, drive and authenticity required. They are Benny McDowell on Banjo, Joey Lazio on Mandolin and Rex Putnam on Upright Bass.

Classical and flamenco guitarist Silviu Octavian Ciulei was born in Constanta, Romania. He began his musical studies at age six and attended the High School of Arts. By age thirteen, he had won his first performance prize. Since coming to the United States, Silviu has won an impressive collection of prizes. Among these, First Prize in the Schadt String International Concerto Competition, First Prize at the Indiana International Guitar Competition, First Prize at the East Carolina University Summer Guitar Festival and Competition, First Prize in the Texas International Guitar Competition, First Prize in the Columbus Guitar Symposium, First Prize in the Appalachian Guitar Festival. A recent top prize winner in some of the most prestigious competitions in the world including the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Parkening International Guitar Competition, Silviu is a world class performer. While competing in the Parkening Competition, Soundboard Magazine confirmed Silviu …”gave a solid performance”… Acoustic Guitar Magazine featured Silviu in their “30 under 30” article “…Ciulei brings extraordinary touch to both classical and flamenco repertoire. He has delighted audiences and taken first prize in an impressive number of international competitions”

A native of Romania, Tania Moldovan started playing the violin at age six. As a child prodigy she participated in prestigious competitions in Romania and won numerous awards. Shortly after she toured France, Germany, and Greece with several orchestras and chamber music projects. In 2006 Tania was awarded a Full International Scholarship to study at Bowling Green State University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Performance under the guidance of Professor Vasile Beluska. Tania graduated from Florida State University with a Doctorate in Music in 2015, where she was Teaching assistant to Professor Eliot Chapo and Dr. Ben Sung. Dr. Moldovan is an active orchestra player and also a featured chamber music player. While living in South Carolina she performed regularly with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Greenville Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and Asheville Symphony among others. Since moving to Florida, she has been performing with the Pensacola Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, and with the Ocala Symphony. Tania has worked with and been a teaching fellow at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC, the National Music Festival in Chestertown, MD, Taneycomo Festival Orchestra in Branson, MO, and the Ionian Music Festival in Corfu, Greece. Together with her husband guitarist Dr. Silviu Ciulei, they formed Duo Silvania in 2013 and have been performing creative, modern and engaging arrangements of some of their favorite music for enthusiastic audiences across the United States and abroad. In addition, Dr. Moldovan is the co-founder of Chroma, a chamber music project based in Gainesville, FL which seeks to bring classical music to the community by presenting concerts in unconventional spaces.

Dr. Birkner serves the University of Florida as Assistant Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Bands, where he directs the University Concert Bands, the New Music Ensemble, Gator Pep Bands, and is Associate Director of the ‘Pride of the Sunshine’ Marching Band.  Additionally, he serves the UF School of Music teaching courses in conducting and music education.  Prior to his appointment at the University of Florida, Dr. Birkner taught in the public schools of The Woodlands, TX, Tomball, TX, and La Porte, TX.

He received his Bachelor of Music Education with Performer’s Certificate, Master of Music in Percussion Performance, and Ph.D. in Music Education/Instrumental Conducting from the University of Florida.

​Dr. Birkner has conducted ensembles across the United States, Europe, and South America.  He is an active performer holding the Principal Timpani chair with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra.  He remains active as a guest conductor, performer, and clinician throughout the southeastern United States.  Additionally, Dr. Birkner served as Program Director for the 2018 Vienna Summer Music Festival’s Conducting Institute held in Vienna, Austria.  He holds professional memberships with the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the College Band Directors National Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity.  In addition, Dr. Birkner holds honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

Julie Black performs creative, original, no-compromise music. She’s a critically-acclaimed, award-winning, grant-supported artist, and a kindred spirit of free and fiery souls. Her soulful voice, intuitive approach, and fiery emotional intensity conjure up live performances that are passionate and profound. Deeply-rooted influences like Solomon Burke and Etta James flavor her sound, as do elements of blues, jazz, soul, swing, and rock. Her personal story is deep, complex, and inspiring. Julie Black is an artist unconfined who reaches out to the universe and finds inspiration everywhere. She’s lit up the stage at Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Clearwater Sea Blues Festival,  Dunedin Wines the Blues,  Chasco Fiesta, Pasco Pride, and many other major festivals. She appears regularly on television and radio, and can be heard at great venues like the House of Blues, Zenfinitea, and Blur. She’s charted on Sirius XM, gets worldwide airplay on jazz, blues, and rock stations, and was even up for a Grammy nomination for songwriting. 

Dave Eichenberger is an innovative guitarist & composer who creates sounds that are vast and dramatic, bringing to mind endless oceans and outer space. Inspired by ambient music pioneers Robert Fripp and Brian Eno. Dave has taken his own place in the ambient music world. His latest solo release UBU includes 8.5 hrs of ambient soundscapes to help listeners regain focus and balance. He has released over 55 albums, from the ambient looping of Digital Mythology to the acoustic finery of Christmas Past; was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Cultural Affairs Division of the State of Florida; and was commissioned by the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg to create the music for their Dali & Da Vinci walking tours. In addition, he is a music educator and writes extensively for legendary pickup & pedal manufacturer Seymour Duncan. 

Drummer Frank Timpanelli is a passionate player who’s refined his craft through decades of live shows and intense training. Inspired by greats like; Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta,  Dave Weckl & Gene Krupa, Frank served in the U.S. Marine Band, trained with Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) at California’s Percussion Institute of Technology, and appeared in Clint Eastwood’s film Heartbreak Ridge. He has worked with legends like Mickey Rooney, June Valli, Frank Gorshin (The Riddler from Batman), Rosalyn Kind, and Carol Channing. 

Graeme Currie is the heavy-hitting bassist for Julie Black. An award-winning musician, he hails from the country of South Africa and has worked with an extensive array of notable music projects around the world. 

Giselle Felice and Erik Abernathy are a vocal and guitar duo based in Gainesville, FL. They began playing together in the University of Florida Jazz Program, and can now be seen and heard across Florida. As a duo, their style melds their roots in jazz and pop with Brazilian spirit and folk influences. Each of them songwriters, they offer their audiences a collection of original music that pairs Giselle’s sultry voice and mellow piano with Erik’s Brazilian flair and jazz influences.

2-time Latin Grammy Nominated pianist, Bruno Miranda!

Ramblin’ Mutts preform soulful, original, rhythm and blues. This summer they will be releasing their first full-length album titled “Pity and Mercy” featuring 15 original tunes. The album contains songs about love, loss, redemption and the blues.

As always fronting the band is Dan Stepp on lead vocals, keyboards and slide guitar. Playing lead guitar is the talented Paul Goble, and the rhythm section is made up of Richard Heipp on bass joined by the driving drum beats of Rich Patrick. The band also includes a rockin’ horn section led by Brain Stevens on trombone, with Paul Johnson on tenor saxophone, Greg Snider on Baritone sax, and Sean Etheridge on trumpet.

An earlier incarnation of the Ramblin’ Mutts, known as the R. Mutt Blues Band, were two-time winners of the North Central Florida Blues Society IBC International Blues Challenge and represented N.C. Florida on Beal Street in Memphis TN. The Mutts have had the pleasure of being selected to perform as the opening act for such blues greats as Selwin Birchwood, John Nemeth, Brandon Santini, Mike Zeto, Little Mike Markowitz, Seth Walker, Willie Green and Little Jake Mitchell.

For this performance at the Reilly Art Center on June11, 2020, the Ramblin’ Mutts will be performing selections from their upcoming album. Their music pays a passionate and respectful tribute to the traditions of the soul and rhythm and blues genres. They will also be playing a few updated reinterpretations of traditional blues classics that honor the legacy of this timeless music form.

A selection of the Mutts recent performances recorded at Gainesville’s Heartwood Soundstage can be seen at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzDOXHhlR133bYowVrX8xg

Becky Sinn is a self-taught musician and songwriter who has been performing locally for over 20 years. She is the lead vocalist for the jazz band Swing Theory and a founding member of Dr. Sinn’s Freak Island Musical Sideshow. Notably, she performed as Mrs. Lovett in the Insomniac Theater’s production of Sweeney Todd at the Reilly Arts Center, which is still her proudest moment on stage. She has two albums “Myne Owne” and “Lamb and Lioness” and is honored to be a member of Ocala’s thriving art scene.

Mark Smythe is an American singer /songwriter, born in New Orleans and raised in Central Florida. Since 2018, he’s been the founder, songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of Gypsy Sparrow.The other permanent member of the band is maternal cousin, Phil Frank (backing vocals, drums, percussion) The original music  they create is raw, soulful rock influenced primarily by deep familial roots but also by commercial artists like U2, Tracy Chapman and Ray LaMontagne. In addition to creating original music, Gypsy Sparrow skillfully covers a wide wingspan of artists from Dave Matthews to Radiohead, Prince to Lady Gaga, Patsy Cline to Johnny Cash, Van Morrison to Ed Sheeran and many others. Traveling regionally and locally, they perform several nights a week in Marion County and surrounding areas.Music runs deep in Smythe/Frank family, hailing from several generations of professional musicians largely from Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.

Sean Thomas, performer, educator and promoter, was born in Trinidad and Tobago. He received his formal musical education at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at New England Conservatory, Boston Massachusetts, now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.  Sean is the founder of the Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago (2007) and his career highlights demonstrate his passion and commitment to cultural and artistic diplomacy as a development tool.

Sean has collaborated with many acclaimed international musicians in various genres of music and has produced, performed and promoted events under his organization, the Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago.

Early in his career, Sean toured India and Thailand with the Thelonious Monk Jazz Ensemble under the direction of distinguished Jazz Masters: Carl Atkins, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter and performed both drums and steel pans at the Snowmass Jazz Festival in Aspen Colorado, India & Thailand. Following this initiation, Sean returned to his native Trinidad to begin his journey as a composer, musician, performer, arranger, inventor, entrepreneur and teacher.  More info about Sean can be found on his website: www.seanjazzthomas.com

EMMY® Award Winner & multi-Latin GRAMMY® Nominee, recording and performing artist-music producer-audio engineer, Dr. José Valentino Ruiz, is an internationally-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, composer, missionary, and educator known for his passionate performances, versatility, and fluid expression on the flute, saxophone, bass, and Latin percussion. José Valentino worked for American Idol and X-Factor, produced 60 albums, scored 30+ nationally-televised commercials, & performed in over 1100 concerts. He is CEO/Director of Production & Entertainment for JV Music Enterprises LLC., Strategic Communications Director for TJ Flutes & Saxophones UK Co., Artist-in-Residence and Entrepreneurship Coach for the nationally-recognized music outreach program – Diaz Music Institute (501c3), Composer for MVProds & Hayden 5 Inc., and Head of Music Business & Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

Trumpeter Scott Wilson has established himself as one of the rising stars of jazz – both as a performer and as a pedagogue. Since earning two masters degrees from the University of North Texas and paying his dues on concert stages from Orlando to Osaka, Scott is in constant demand as a player, composer and educator. In addition to his dynamic live and recorded performances on trumpet, he is regarded as one of the world’s foremost proponents of the electronic valve instrument (EVI).  Wilson has diverse international performance credits having shared the stage with jazz luminaries including Benny Green, Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin, Conrad Herwig, Wycliffe Gordon, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Coffin, Shelly Berg, Denis DeBlasio, Peter Erskine, Eric Marienthal, Bobby Shew, Slide Hampton, Terrell Stafford, Ron Blake, John Pizzarelli, Ed Shaughnessy, Alex Acuna, and others.  He has served as Musical Director for Universal Studios Japan, staff composer for Grand Link World in Qingdao, China, and has been a featured trumpet soloist for Tokyo Disney Sea and Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Orlando.

Eric has been mixing and production managing an extremely wide variety of bands and events for the last 20 years. Eric and his company Bunt Backline Event Services has provided production for artists such as DJ Khalid, T Pain, The Drifters, The Temptations, Fantasia, Ziggy Marley, and many more. Eric loves being behind the console and in the crowd, curating what sounds come from the stage. Eric’s mixing is heavily R&B influenced, but he enjoys an extremely eclectic mix of music and mixing all styles.  Eric loves traveling and working to get the crowd hyped through great sound and production.

Since graduating from University of Florida in 2012 Matt Elliott has become one of North Florida’s most in-demand mix engineers. His style is eclectic. The music he mixes runs the gamut from oldies to hip hop, praise and worship to rock. He’s worked with artists like Young Thug, Frankie Avalon, Sean Curran, X Ambassadors, Sister Hazel, and Sean Kingston (just to name a few). He’s equally at home mixing an early morning church service or a late night heavy metal show. Matthew has been engineering with Bunt Backline Event Services since 2016.

Gordon Hammond is a live audio engineer with roots in the recording industry. After a five-year stint as staff engineer at Nashville’s iconic Sound Emporium Recording Studios, he went on to make records for artists including Dawes, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood, Buddy Miller, and Robert Plant. His work has been featured on 9 Grammy nominated albums, 4 International Bluegrass Music Association Award winners, and he is the recipient of a TEC Award for “Outstanding Creative Achievement, Record Production”. As a live sound engineer, Gordon’s commitment is to quality, creativity, and consistency in bringing even the most ambitious musical visions to life.