Sonya Headlam, Soprano

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Soprano Sonya Headlam enjoys a vibrant career performing music that spans from the Baroque period to the 21st century. She opened the 2022–23 season with several notable solo debuts, including Handel's Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra; Mozart and Bologne with Apollo's Fire at Severance Hall; Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 with the North Carolina Symphony; Bach's Mass in B Minor with the Grand Rapids Symphony; and Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate with the New World Symphony, a concert that was included in the South Florida Classical Review’s "Top Ten Performances of 2022." Upcoming highlights for the 2023-24 season include solo debuts with the New York Philharmonic, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Sonya delights in collaborating with contemporary composers on projects like Sung Jin Hong's Kennst du das Land, a piece she commissioned and performed in 2020; Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Light (afterlight), which was directed by Peter Sellars and performed at the Park Avenue Armory with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Yaz Lancaster’s OUROBOROS produced by Beth Morrison Projects; and Julia Wolfe's Steel Hammer, which was filmed for the Cal Performances at Home series and performed in 2022 at Carnegie Hall with the Bang on a Can All-Stars.

As a recitalist, Sonya has an affinity for art songs from the romantic period and is equally committed to introducing fresh musical idioms and little-known composers to audiences. Born of Jamaican parentage, she champions the music of her heritage, and she regularly performs and lectures on the life and music of the 18th-century writer and composer Ignatius Sancho.

On the opera stage, Sonya’s favorite roles include Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème.

Sonya holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Miami University of Ohio.

Elizabeth Fayette, Violin

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Violinist Elizabeth Fayette, praised by the New York Times for her “alluring, lustrous sound and seasoned virtuosity,” made her Carnegie Hall solo debut with conductor Alan Gilbert and the Juilliard Orchestra.  Ms. Fayette has appeared as a soloist with the Houston Symphony, won Second Prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and was awarded the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia Career Grant.  As a chamber musician she has performed across North America and Europe, first as a founding member of the Sheridan Piano Trio, then later as first violinist of the Vega String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at Emory University.

Ms. Fayette’s festival appearances include Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival.  As a guest concertmaster, she has performed with the Princeton Symphony, Brazil’s Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, and the Milwaukee Symphony.

Ms. Fayette holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, including studies with Sylvia Rosenberg in Juilliard's esteemed Artist Diploma program. Ms. Fayette is also an alumnus of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, a fellowship program that trains musicians for careers that combine artistry with community engagement, arts advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

Benjamin Fingland, Clarinet

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With performances conveying “spiritedness and humor”; “unflagging precision and energy”; "eloquence and passion"; "dazzling technique" (The New York Times) and playing described as “something magical” (The Boston Globe), “compellingly musical” (The New York Times) and “thoroughly lyrical…expert” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Benjamin Fingland interprets a diverse range of clarinet literature.

A proponent of the music of our time, he works closely with living composers.  In addition to being a founding member of the critically-acclaimed new music collective counter)induction, he plays with many of the leading contemporary performance ensembles on the East Coast: NOVUS NY, the International Contemporary Ensemble, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Network for New Music, the Argento Ensemble, the Locrian Chamber Players, and Sequitur.  He is an artist faculty member of the annual Composers Conference, and a guest faculty member of the Bennington Chamber Music Conference.

He has performed worldwide as a recitalist and soloist, and has also collaborated, recorded, and toured with a wide variety of other artists - ranging in scope from the Brooklyn Rider string quartet and the Horszowski Trio to Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, to jazz legend Ornette Coleman and pop icon Elton John.  

Mr. Fingland is the principal clarinetist of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, has held principal clarinet positions with the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra and the New Haven Symphony, and has also played with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.  He is a member of the renowned Dorian Wind Quintet, which will soon celebrate 60 years of groundbreaking commissions and performances of wind chamber music.  He has Bachelor and Master of music degrees from the Juilliard School, and teaches at Sarah Lawrence College and the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City.

James Lubrano, Piano

As a Collaborative Pianist and Vocal Coach in the US and abroad, James Lubrano has prepared ensembles and performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kimmel Center and NJPAC. Highlight performances include the Carnegie Hall premiere of Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo, under the direction of Henry Leck, the UNICEF / Steinway “Peace Piano” World Tour Showcase, the 2023 ACDA National Conference (John P. Stevens High School), 2016 ACDA Eastern Division Conference (NJ Youth Chorus), the 2015 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (Eastern Wind Symphony) and the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. International engagements include Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica (Celebration Singers), Lied Austria International, and international tours to England, Scotland, and Italy.

Regionally, Mr. Lubrano has performed with the Eastern Wind Symphony, Encore Orchestra of New Jersey, Grammy-nominated Rutgers Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Winds, Rutgers Symphony Orchestra and the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra. He can be heard on the Eastern Wind Symphony’s album, Elements (2019), featuring music of composer Julie Giroux.

Mr. Lubrano has accompanied Connecticut & New Jersey All-State Choirs, NJ-ACDA, NJMEA & CJMEA Honor Choirs, Princeton Girlchoir, Monmouth Civic Chorus, and Manhattan Concert Productions. At Wagner College, he served as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach for Opera Workshop and the college choirs. As an experienced choral pianist, Mr. Lubrano has worked with many distinguished conductors including Anton Armstrong, Jerry Blackstone, Rollo Dilworth, Lynnel Joy Jenkins, Jennifer Sengin, Sandra Snow, and Brandon Williams. Mr. Lubrano has coached Broadway performers and soloists of the Metropolitan Opera, and has served as Music Director/Accompanist for over 150 musical theater productions. Currently, Mr. Lubrano is a collaborative pianist for the Ridge High School Choirs, The College of New Jersey Chorale, Celebration Singers Adult Chorus, Rise Up Adult Chorus, and the Music Director at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Providence, NJ.

James Lubrano holds a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano Performance from Rutgers University, where he studied with Barbara Gonzalez-Palmer. He is in high demand as an active freelance pianist and coach throughout the NJ, NY, CT, & PA area.

Gerall Hieser, Cello

Praised for her beautiful tone and musicianship, cellist Gerall Hieser began her musical education in Newport News, Virginia, studying piano and singing harmony with her mother, also a cellist. After moving to Pennsylvania she fell in love with the cello and studied with Metta Watts and Orlando Cole at the New School of Music in Philadelphia. Gerall continued studies with Mr. Cole earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Temple University. She received her Master of Music degree from the Mason Gross School for the Arts at Rutgers University as a student of Paul Tobias.

 In the 1980s she began playing Southern Appalachian style fiddle and traveled to North Carolina and Virginia to study with some legendary old fiddlers including Tommy Jarrell. Gerall has played for square dances and has won a few fiddle competitions!

Ms. Hieser is a passionate and devoted cello teacher and maintains an active studio at her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and at Drew University.  She is a founding member of  the Madison String Quartet, and performs with the Gabriel Chamber ensemble as well.  Gerall is the Assistant Principal cellist of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and is Music Director of the Vermont Music and Arts Center, a summer program for adult amateur musicians.

Gerall is married to French Hornist Tony Cecere and they perform as a Duo inventing new sonorities for cello and horn.

More to come - stay tuned!