Stephen Clark

Recipient of the 2016 Sir James Galway Rising Star Award, 1st Prize winner of the 2018 IMKA Music Competition and 1st Prize winner of the 2018 Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition, Stephen Clark has given over a thousand performances across 6 continents and made his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Northern College of Music and in Switzerland with Sir James Galway.

Regularly invited to perform at flute festivals across the globe, he has given solo recitals at the Conventions of the British Flute Society, the National Flute Association of America, the Sir James Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland as well as the Florida Flute Convention, Wisconsin Flute Festival, Mid-South Flute Festival, St. Louis Flute Society and Mid-Atlantic Flute Conventions in the USA. He has been the Guest Artist at countless flute festivals, flute days and events in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Recital and concerto engagements have taken him to over 120 countries as well performances as solo flute player alongside several popular music artists including Annie Lennox, Andrea Bocelli and pop band McFly.

As an orchestral player, Stephen has held principal flute positions with the National Symphony (UK) and Glyndebourne Touring Opera and hasperformed as guest principal flute with major symphony orchestras of the United Kingdom, United States, Portugal, Ireland and Vietnam. He has worked with many significant conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Neeme Järvi, Sir Simon Rattle, Jorma Panula and Sir Mark Elder.

In addition to his performing schedule, Stephen is Flute Professor at Northwestern State University in the United States and is invited frequently to give masterclasses around the world. In the Past 12 months Stephen has given masterclasses at the Universities of Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Alabama, Western Missouri, South Illinois Edwardsville, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Northern Colorado, Weatherford Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, the Cadek Conservatory and the online platform Tonebase. Stephen has been Sir James Galway’s teaching assistant since 2017. He is proud to be an Ambassador for the Music for Youth Initiative of Scotland and Honorary President of the Lisburn Flute Orchestra in Northern Ireland.

Stephen has recorded for Classic FM, Amadeus, Linn, Voyage Records and for the Naxos label and broadcast live on Northern Ireland’s 7FM and BBC Radio 3. In 2015, Stephen was accepted into the Recording Academy of America and is now a voting member in the Grammys. Stephen has appeared on screen as the flute player in both the BBC’s period drama series “Desperate Romantics” and ITV’s feature film “Miss Marple – The Secret of Chimneys”. He is author of “The Flute Gym” – a manual for advanced flute players. In2023, Stephen was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Alabama. He is a Yamaha Artist and plays exclusively on a 14k gold handmade Yamaha flute.

Callie Green Brewer

Flutist Callie Green Brewer is a music teacher and performer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi in Flute Performance and Pedagogy. In 2013 she founded the Callie Green Brewer Music Studio, and, along with her extensive private studio, she travels all over south Mississippi, teaching masterclasses, studio classes, sectionals, and lessons.
In 2015, Callie founded the Coastal Flute Choir. She also performs frequently with symphony orchestras throughout the state.
Callie is a Dual Credit Instructor at Ocean Springs High School and is also an adjunct instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. In 2022, Callie became the social media and marketing director at Flute Specialists, Inc. She is also a collaborator on the online live forum FluteSpresso.
Callie is a Muramatsu-America artist and plays a Muramatsu Platinum Clad flute.
She and her husband Ron have two beautiful children, Beau and Abbie and a boatload of animals on their little farm on the beach.

Jesus Augusto Castro-Turriago

Jesús Augusto Castro Turriago is a Colombian flutist, educator, and researcher recognized as an “Investigador Asociado” by Minciencias under Call 894. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance and a Master of Music from The University of Southern Mississippi, as well as an undergraduate degree in Music Education from the Conservatorio del Tolima. His career includes international performances in the United States, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil.

Dr. Castro has earned major national distinctions, winning prestigious Colombian competitions such as the Festival Nacional del Pasillo in Aguadas–Caldas, the Festival Colono de Oro—where he received the Gran Colono de Oro in Florencia–Caquetá—and the Festival Nacional de Bambuco Anselmo Durán Plazas in Neiva–Huila. Internationally, his achievements include an Honorable Mention from the Louisiana Flute Society Master Class Competition in Baton Rouge, top prize at the MTNA Chamber Music Competition with the Seven AM Woodwind Quintet in Jackson, Mississippi, second place in the MTNA Young Artist State Division, and semifinalist recognition at the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition, where he represented Colombia. He was twice named Graduate Musician of the Year by The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and won both the USM William T. Gower Orchestra Soloist Competition and the USM Band Soloist Competition. He was also awarded the Ministry of Culture’s National Grant Program in 2015.

As director, arranger, and flutist of Dueto Camino Real, Dr. Castro has led the ensemble to significant national acclaim. The ensemble won first place at the Festival Nacional de Duetos Hermanos Martínez in Floridablanca–Santander, the Festival Nacional del Pasillo Colombiano in Aguadas–Caldas, the Festival Nacional del Bambuco Anselmo Durán Plazas in Neiva–Huila, and the Festival Nacional Apolinar Críales in Puerto Salgar–Cundinamarca. In 2024, the ensemble won first place as Príncipes de la Canción at the Festival Nacional de la Música Colombiana, one of the nation’s highest honors in traditional music. The ensemble was additionally a winner of the Ministry of Culture’s 2023 National Grant Call.

Dr. Castro is Director of the Research Group Música, Educación, Cultura y Sociedad and Director of the students research group Música y Performance at the Universidad de Pamplona, where he teaches Counterpoint II, Musical Forms I, and Principal Instrument: Flute I–X. He is the author of The Art of Singing and Playing on the Modern Flute, and co-author of Colombian Anthology for Flute and Piano: Danza, Intermezzo, Pasillo, and Bambuco, written with Bibiana Cáceres and José Lizcano, both published by the Editorial Seal of the Universidad de Pamplona. He also serves as a peer evaluator for Minciencias. Dr. Castro is currently full professor at the Universidad de Pamplona, and director of the International Flute Seminar organized by the same institution.

Danilo Mezzadri

Danilo Mezzadri is Professor of Flute at the University of Southern Mississippi. He is also applied faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI) and InterHarmony International School of Music. Danilo is president and founder of International Flute Workshop (Italy) and Southern Flute Festival (MS).

Danilo performances have been reviewed as “gorgeous” (Flute Quarterly and Detroit Press) “with a limpid sound, and coaxing every ounce of lyricism” (Jackson Patriot). His CD Brazilian Soundscapes, was regarded as “music of a high order that deserves a welcome from a global audience” (The American Record Guide). In his solo CD Epigrams, Danilo is described as having “glowing, golden tone” and “vivid musicality bringing each work to life, regardless of tonality” (Fanfarre Magazine). He also was described as having “a lovely ‘voice’ with and enviable dexterity” (British Flute Society). In his most recent CD, entitled Romantic Transcriptions, Danilo has been praised for his “large range of colors, dynamics, and emotions” (Flute Quarterly).

Considered one of the “great names in Brazilian Music” (Gazeta do Povo), Danilo is prize winner in many competitions, such as the International Porto Alegre Symphonic Orchestra Young Instrumentalist Competition, Michigan State University Honors Concerto Competition, and the Brazilian International Flute Association Competition. His performances have been broadcast by Rede Vida Television in Brazil and by National Public Radio in the US.

Danilo Mezzadri has appeared as a soloist with more than forty ensembles, including Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Pró-Música Symphony Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro, and Camerata Florianópolis. Upcoming performances include the North American Premiere of Magical Concerto by the Italian composer Armando Guidoni and the World Premiere of a new flute concerto by the Spanish composer Jose Ignacio Blesa Lull.

Besides being Principal Flute Soloist at Gulf Coast and North Mississippi Symphony Orchestras, Danilo performs with Mocking Bird Ensemble, with soprano Susan Ruggiero and pianist Brian Murphy. A sought-after artist, Danilo Mezzadri has annually served as a guest teacher and soloist throughout the Americas and Europe.

Danilo Mezzadri is the creator of the Spider Log interleaved practice system with graphic feedback. Through his system, Danilo has helped many young musicians develop repertoire and technical mastery on their instrument.

Danilo Mezzadri earned his Bachelors degree at Escola de Música e Belas Arts do Paraná where he received the First Prize Award in his graduation class. He also earned a Bachelors in Public Law from the prestigious Universidade Federal do Paraná. He earned a Master of Music in flute performance, Master of Musicology, and Doctor of Musical Arts in flute performance from Michigan State University.

David Reyes

Winner of the Soloist Competition at the Distrital University Francisco Jose de Caldas in 2023, David Fernando Reyes Rodriguez began his musical studies at the age of eight at the Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory of Music in his hometown Barquisimeto, Venezuela. His first flute teacher was Anquiza Quijada when he was 11 years old, and later he became a student of Maestro Manuel Rojas. He was part of the National System of Children and Youth Orchestras and Choirs – El Sistema – where he performed in various orchestras and groups, including The Children and Youth Orchestra and The Lara State Flute Orchestra. In 2016, he traveled to the United States and took classes with Karrie Griffiths, assistant flute and piccolist of The Symphony of Americas. That same year, he moved to Bogota, Colombia, where he was admitted to the Preparatory of Musical Arts at The Faculty of Arts ASAB of the Distrital University Francisco Jose de Caldas. In 2019, he was admitted to the undergraduate program at the same university to study his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance with Maestro Julio Noguera. He earned his bachelor degree in 2025, and in the same year, was admitted to The University of Southern Mississippi to pursue his Master’s Degree in Flute Performance with Dr. Danilo Mezzadri.

As a teacher, between 2014 and 2015 – at just 17 years old – he held a position as a flute faculty at Incret, a branch of El Sistema, and also served as a substitute teacher at The Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory. He began his own flute studio in 2021, focusing on developing technique for beginners and intermediate flutists through an adaptive, student-centered teaching approach.

He has participated in numerous masterclasses with world-renowned teachers, including Luis Julio Toro, Eduardo “pájaro” Gómez, Alexis Angulo, Etni Molletones, Aron García, Felipe Jauregui, Rafael Aponte, Gaspar Hoyos, Krzysztof Kaczka, Katherina Bachevska, Philippe Bernold, Davide Formisano, Denis Bouriakov, and others.

Sandra Bibiana Cáceres Rueda

Bibiana Cáceres is a Colombian pianist and pedagogue whose early training and artistic formation took place at the prestigious Affiliated School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where she earned both her Undergraduate Diploma (1994) and Master’s Degree (1996) in piano performance. Prior to her studies in what was then the Soviet Union, she completed the basic cycle of musical studies at the Conservatory of Music of the National University of Colombia. In 1988, she was awarded a merit-based scholarship to pursue her professional piano studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s Affiliated School, initiating a trajectory marked by academic rigor and profound artistic development.

During her years in Russia, Cáceres undertook extensive pedagogical practicums in piano instruction and participated in numerous artistic activities. She performed in several of Moscow’s most distinguished concert venues, including Rachmaninov Hall, the Small Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and the Shalyapin Hall at the Pushkin Museum, consolidating her presence as a Latin American pianist within the Russian musical tradition.

Upon her return to Colombia in 1997, Cáceres joined various Colombian universities, where she has developed an accomplished career in piano pedagogy, performance, and academic administration. Over the past sixteen years, she has offered concerts at both national and international levels, sharing a message of hope through music while promoting Colombian and Latin American piano repertoire.

Since 2007, her leadership in public higher education has included key administrative appointments such as Curricular Project Coordinator for the Bachelor of Musical Arts Program at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Coordinator of the Professionalization Project in Arts in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, and Director of the University Institute of Languages (ILUD). She also achieved top ranking in the national call for the CONACES Arts and Humanities Panels, joining the national pool of academic evaluators.

Cáceres has taught at some of Colombia’s leading institutions, including the University of the Andes, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. She is fluent in Spanish (native), Russian, and English.

Her work in research and interdisciplinary innovation is reflected in her role as co-founder and Director of LINGUARTIC Research Group (Languages, Arts, and Technology), the part of the I3+ Institute.

She is also co-author of the book Colombian Anthology for Flute and Piano: Danza, Intermezzo, Pasillo, and Bambuco, written in collaboration with Jesús Augusto Castro Turriago and José Lizcano, and published by the Editorial Seal of the Universidad de Pamplona, a contribution that enriches the pedagogical and artistic literature on Colombian repertoire.

Zhaolei Xie

Chinese Pianist Zhaolei Xie was a winner in the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, which led to his debut in Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2006. He also won the Bronze Medal in the 58th Wideman International Piano Competition. His other awards include the First place in the Young Artist Division of the Tourgee DeBose National Piano Competition in Baton Rouge; Winner of Monroe Symphony Young Artists Competition, Mid-Texas Symphony Young Artist Competition and Texas Christian University Piano Concerto Competition; Second place in the Louisiana Music Teachers Association Collegiate Artist Competition of MTNA and Texas Young Artists Competition.

Mr. Xie has appeared as orchestral soloist with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra, Texas Christian University Symphony Orchestra and Southeastern Louisiana University Chamber Orchestra. He is also active as a recitalist, chamber musician and piano accompanist. Mr. Xie has performed piano solo and chamber music in Ed Landreth Auditorium and PepsiCo Recital Hall in Texas and Miller Recital Hall and Greenfield Hall in New York City. He has served as piano accompanist in Southeastern Louisiana University and the Thurnauer School of Music of Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in New Jersey. Mr. Xie has participated in master classes given by Leslie Howard , Yoheved Kaplinsky and Jose Feghali.

Mr. Xie received his piano training in Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China and St. Petersburg State Conservatory of Music, Russia from 1993-2004. He earned his Bachelor’s degree with honors from Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was a student of David Evenson and Kenneth Boulton. Mr. Xie holds Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and Artist Diploma from Texas Christian University, where he studied with Marc Silverman and John Owings. He is a member of PHI KAPPA PHI National Honor Society. In 2014, Mr. Xie was appointed as Staff Accompanist in The University of Southern Mississippi.

Brian Murphy

Pianist Brian Murphy is active as a soloist, collaborative pianist, vocal coach, and pedagogue. He has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist and presented masterclasses across the United States, Mexico, Chile, Germany, and Italy. Murphy is on faculty at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he teaches applied piano, piano-related courses, music history, and collaborates with singers, instrumentalists, choral ensembles, and Carey Opera. In recognition of his teaching, Brian has been awarded numerous Top Music Teacher awards by Steinway and Sons.

Murphy completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at The University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a double Master of Music in Collaborative Piano and Choral Conducting from Mercer University, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Mississippi College. Brian lives in Hattiesburg with his wife, LeAnn, who teaches at Petal Middle School. They have one son, Patrick, and one daughter, Elizabeth.