Sonia Usatch-Kuhn: composer, lyricist, director
Sonia Usatch-Kuhn is a poet, author, playwright and actor who taught Healing & Madness, at Stony Brook School of Medicine, New York. Sonia was the writer/director of, “BREAK A LEG!” an original reader’s theatre play with pianist Michael Pelz-Sherman. It premiered at Holly Springs Cultural Center and encored at The Halle Center, Apex. Favorite onstage role – the Bubby in Crossing Delancey. Sonia is a standardized patient actor for CPEP and Campbell University, and the host and producer of Community Connections, a radio show for the blind and print impaired. Catch one of her podcasts at ncreadingservice.org.
Michael Pelz-Sherman: composer, producer, sound engineer
With degrees from Indiana University and UC San Diego, Michael has been an active composer and keyboardist since the early 1980’s. An accomplished software engineer and computer-musician, he served as a Musical Assistant at IRCAM in Paris, France in the early 1990s. Michael currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he performs regularly with classical, jazz and pop groups.
Jacqui Otaño: videographer
Jacqui is a documentarian and storyteller who grew up in the New York metro area. In addition to being a well-versed video producer, she is a trained jazz vocalist, songwriter, and copywriter. In 2019, Jacqui moved to Puerto Rico to learn more about her heritage, and to study the native jibaro rhythms of the island. From this experience, she has the groundwork for a new album, which will feature music in the styles of jazz, bolero, plena, and folk.
Rhonda Robichaux, vocalist
A New Orleans native, Rhonda relocated to North Carolina in 2000. Enhanced with unique stylings, her distinct vocals and innovative guitar conjure up an atmosphere of smoky cool with an intriguing vamp on classics, standards, and soul-bearing originals. Tapping into her NOLA roots with blues, jazz, samba, and soul, her music captivates with haunting intimacy – commanding, engaging – unmistakable and undeniable rawness.
Ed Stephenson, guitarist
Edward Stephenson (Edvard Stefanyshyn) is a Raleigh, NC based Canadian guitarist and Alanna recording artist. Ed’s virtuosity includes Classical, Classical Spanish, Flamenco, and Flamenco Fusion genres. He has performed throughout North America as a soloist as well as an active member of the North Carolina Guitar Quartet and the Nuevo Flamenco ensemble the Paco Band. His most recent CD, Rosamaria, was recently completed with the Paco Band and released April 2015 under the Alanna Records label.
Willie Hinton: choreographer
A native of New York, Willie began dancing at the age of 16 at Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC and continued his training at the American Dance Festival and at the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts. As a dancer, he has toured with Jubilations Dance Company, The Philadelphia Dance Company, and Dance Kaleidoscope. Willie’s passion to inspire and motivate young people has brought him to teach at many institutions including the School of the Richmond Ballet, The Estudio de Capezio (Bolivia), the University of Bolivia and the American High School. He has also worked extensively with National Dance Institute affiliates Minds in Motion and NC Arts in Action.
Diana Cantu-Melo: dancer
Diana Cantu-Melo is a 15 year old dancer from City Ballet in Raleigh. She is a freshman at Raleigh Charter High School. She has participated in various summer intensives from Carolina Ballet, Campaneria Ballet School, Raleigh School of Ballet and has performed in the UNCSA Festival of Dance. Her favorite roles were Marzipan in the City Ballet’s Nutcracker and a soloist for Paquita in Campaneria Ballet School.
Caleb Chesson: dancer
Caleb Chesson is a 16 year old junior at Virtual Academy High School. He attends City Ballet of Raleigh and Dance City of Harlem Ballet School virtually. He has danced numerous roles in City Ballet’s Nutcracker. His favorite was Harlequin which was performed in previous years by his mother and uncle. He attended numerous summer intensives at Carolina Ballet and International Ballet Academy. He plans to continue to pursue dance when he goes off to college.
Petia Radneva-Manolova: 1st violin
Petia Radneva-Manolova is a gifted violinist who has been playing violin since the age of 4. She has played professionally for more than 30 years. Petia currently plays with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster, and teaches on the faculty at Meredith College as a Violin Professor. She also offers private violin instruction for children and adults.
Angela Scalise: 2nd violin
Angela has enjoyed a varied and diverse musical career. While residing in Los Angeles from 2000 – 2015, she performed with the Pacific and Santa Barbara Symphonies and also performed with a wide variety of artists including Kanye West, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Tony Bennett. Since moving to the Triangle area of North Carolina, Angela has played with many orchestral groups including the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the Durham Symphony.
Katherine Stalberg: viola
Katherine is an active freelance violist in the Triangle area as well as director of Save the Date Music. She studied music at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Catholic University of America, played as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Ecuadorean National Symphony and currently organizes musician exchanges as a volunteer with the North Carolina-Cochabamba Bolivia Partners of the Americas.
Sanford Enslen: cello
Sanford (Sonny) is a multi-genre cellist, focused on blurring the lines between styles and genres of music, and on breaking down barriers between the arts and sciences.
Mark Manring: recording engineer (string quartet)
Mark Manring started audio recording nearly 30 years ago as a part time business. It expanded to a full time audio/video business in 2005. He specializes in on-location recording of live concerts, recitals, recording sessions and audition materials.