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Jeffrey Noel Lastrapes is a cellist, chamber musician, recitalist, and teacher. He has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, and South America, with concerts and recitals at The Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, Steinway Hall in New York, and numerous others. He has been soloist with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Midland-Odessa Symphony, the Lower Marion Symphony of Philadelphia, and the Festival Orchestra in Vina del Mar, Chile. Appearances at festivals include the Evian Festival in France, the Bellingham Festival, Sevenars Festival, Mozart on the Square in Philadelphia, The National Cello Congress in Phoenix, Mid-Atlantic Chamber Music Society, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and twice at the Gregor Piatigorsky Seminar at the University of Southern California.

After earning his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied under the renowned pedagogue Orlando Cole, he was awarded the Robert Brereton full scholarship to the Juilliard School where he received his Master of Music degree with Harvey Shapiro. He has had master classes with such cellists as Rostropovich, Paul Tortelier, Joel Krosnik, Yo Yo Ma, and Lynn Harrell. In 1991, Mr. Lastrapes represented the United States in the International Competition for Violoncello in Chile and won two of the four major prizes. Other honors and awards include the Lighthouse Award for Outstanding Achievement, which included a recital in New York, and first prize at the Birmingham American Society of Arts and Letters Competition.

Positions held include principal cello with the Curtis, Juilliard and Temple University orchestras, the Haddonfield Symphony, New Jersey, and the Midland-Odessa Symphony in Texas. He was also the cellist of the Lindsayan String Quartet for three seasons. Mr. Lastrapes has performed frequently on radio and television including broadcasts over Radio France, Northwave Radio of Japan, National Public Radio, National Television and Radio of Chile, and three live recitals on WFLN of Philadelphia. He has recorded for New World Records and West Virginia University Press. He has served on the Cello and Chamber music faculty of the Interlochen Center for the Arts for ten seasons. Mr. Lastrapes is also Assistant Professor of Cello at Oklahoma State University and the cellist and founding member of Quartet-a-tete Piano Quartet.

Mr. Lastrapes performs on a Ruggieri cello dated 1684.

Dave Eggar’s body of work is consistently greeted with superlatives and rave reviews. It’s a luxury not often enjoyed by an artist who records in diverse genres and performs live in multiple musical categories, seamlessly moving between each, be it Pop, Rock, Jazz, R&B, New Age, World or Classical music. His ability to effortlessly blur the lines between any musical style is truly unique. That's the magic of Dave Eggar.

Dave’s soon-to-be released CD project and companion DVD video, Kingston Morning, was recently recorded in Brooklyn, NY, Kingston, Jamaica, and Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Released by Domo Music Group (www.domo.com), favorite Eggar tracks on the release include Earth’s Paradise (vocals by Jamaican roots reggae legend Luciano); Follow Me to the Sun (vocals by Chuck Palmer); High Atmosphere (vocals by NPR’s Robin & Linda Williams -- Prairie Home Companion); Itsbynne Reel and Jacob’s Vision (vocals by Bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley -- O Brother Where Art Thou).

Eggar says this project was an especially moving and emotional recording for to make. He notes, “This is a project of ingenuity and improvisation which took many hours of dedicated perseverance to complete. With open minds and open hearts, our lives were forever changed as these unique Reggae and Appalachian collaborations took shape. As we immersed ourselves in these seemingly disparate cultures, amazing similarities in the history and storied cultures emerged. Their individual hopes, dreams and the power of the music eventually seemed to bring the music and people of Jamaica and Virginia ever closer together.”

Dave continues, “My imagination has always been captivated by the music and culture of Jamaica and Appalachia. These journeys to Kingston and Big Stone Gap were truly a life altering experience for me. I am especially proud of the music that has been produced as a result of our efforts.”

A musical prodigy as a child, Dave Eggar began playing the cello and piano at age three. By the age of seven, Dave had performed on Broadway and with the Metropolitan Opera. He debuted at Carnegie Hall at the age of 15. Dave is a graduate of Harvard University and the Julliard School's Doctoral Program.

Mr. Eggar has appeared worldwide as a solo cellist and pianist. A virtuoso of many musical styles, Dave has performed and recorded with artists in numerous genres including Evanescence, The Who, Michael Brecker, Josh Groban, Coldplay, Beyonce, Pearl Jam, Fall Out Boy, Dave Sanborn, Kathleen Battle, Ray Lamontagne, Roberta Flack, The Spin Doctors, Dianne Reeves, Brandy, Carly Simon, Phil Ramone, Hannah Montana, Duncan Sheik, Sinead O’Connor, Bon Jovi, Manhattan Transfer, Corinne Bailey Ray and many more.

His list of awards and accomplishments includes accolades from Time Magazine, ASCAP, the National Endowment for the Arts, Sony Records Elevated Standards Award in classical music, the Geraldine Dodge & Leonard Bernstein Foundations, and at 15 was the youngest winner in the history of the Artists International Competition.

Dave’s mission to “not just cross over, but to cross through” multiple genres of music is apparent in all of his releases. Whether it’s classical, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, pop, or world music, Eggar finds a common voice within his musical vocabulary and introduces it with his own unique imaginative vision.

American born violist Brett Deubner has been hailed for his “dynamic virtuosity” as well as his communicative skills as a soloist, chamber music collaborator and sought-after teacher. Engagements as concerto soloist on five continents have garnered critical acclaim as have his guest appearances at festivals throughout North and South America and Europe. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he studied with Martha Katz and John Graham. Brett Deubner has received over 80 works written for him including 25 concerti by such composers as Lalo Schifrin, Samuel Adler, Andrew Rudin, as well as sonatas and chamber music for viola by Joseph Turrin, David Sampson, David Del Tredici, Amanda Harberg and many others. Recent concerto performances include appearances with the Knoxville Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, String Orchestra of the Rockies, Southern Maine Symphony, Kiev Kamerata, New Symphony of Sofia, Bulgaria, Desert Symphony, Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, and National Symphony of Ecuador. He has performed at festivals such as Caramoor, Bargemusic, Lenape, Norfolk, Kent-Blossom festival, Cape May and gives frequent guest master classes around the world. Upcoming engagements take Brett Deubner to Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Missoula, Quito, Guayaquil and France. A faculty member of the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University Brett teaches viola and chamber music in the summer at the Luzerne Music Center. Brett Deubner has recorded for Naxos, Albany, Innova and Centaur.

Spécialités

concerto soloist,performing new works for viola, chamber music collaboration, master classes in viola and chamber music, motivational speaker