Mimesis opens its first season in 2008-2009 with a dynamic series of four concerts comprised of solo, chamber, and chamber orchestra works by the world’s foremost living composers. Established with the vision of merging the highest quality compositions with the highest quality performances, Mimesis strives to foster close relations with the composers it programs. With great excitement Mimesis announces its first composer-in-residence, the foremost living Egyptian composer Halim El-Dabh. El-Dabh will be featured throughout the season, and the concluding concert will be devoted to his extraordinary achievements.

Members of the ensemble are among the most promising musicians of the upcoming generation. They come from renowned conservatories and universities, including The New England Conservatory, The Juilliard School, The Curtis Institute of Music, Yale University, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Boston Conservatory, and Columbia University. Members of the ensemble frequently appear in prestigious venues and festivals, such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Aldeburgh Festival’s Britten-Pears Program, Tanglewood Music Center, Banff Music Centre, and the Aspen Summer Music Festival. These vigorous advocates for the flourishing of music are passionately dedicated to the performance of contemporary music.

Composers will frequently be engaged both with the performance and rehearsal process of their works. Anticipating a rich future of collaborations between Mimesis and the composers it programs, several prominent composers have agreed to conduct and/or rehearse works for the opening season. Mimesis is honored to have the extraordinary composers Malcolm Peyton and John Heiss conduct the ensemble both on their own works and other pieces they advocate.

Alejandro Acierto
clarinet

Esme Allen-Creighton
viola

Aaron Baird
double bass

Colin Belisle
viola

Kalindi Bellach
viola

David Bousso
violin

Elissa Cassini
violin

Nathaniel Chase
double bass

Clayton Chastain
trumpet

Andrea Christie
piano

Gregory Chudzick
double bass

Michael Couper
saxophone

Doren Dinglinger
violin

Jonathan Engle
flute

Christina English
mezzo-soprano

William Frampton
viola

Tomoko Fujita
cello

David Gutkin
guitar

Brett Hodgdon
piano

Harrison Hollingsworth
bassoon

David Huckaby
cello

Ari Isaacman-Beck
violin

Ona Jonaityte
flute

Sean Kleve
percussion

Daniel Lee
viola

Victor Lowrie
viola

Robert Mayes
cello

Matthew McDonald
bassoon

Kevin Moehringer
trombone

Alexandra Osborne
violin

Sharon Park
violin

Kolio Plachkov
horn

Mara Plotkin
clarinet

Katie Reimer
piano

Lisa Romain
violin

Amanda Romano
harp

Benjamin Russell
violin

Kristoffer Saebo
double bass

Brian Santero
trombone

William Short
bassoon

Stuart Stephenson
trumpet

Ryan Walsh
oboe

Zachary Wilder
tenor

Yao Guang Zhai
clarinet