Stefani Burk earned a bachelor of music degree in music education and a master’s degree in oboe performance from the University of Iowa. She also studied with Fred Cohen. Burk has taught at Bowdoin College, Indian Hill Arts, Bates College, and the University of New Hampshire’s Summer Youth Music School. She is on the faculty of St. Paul’s School and has been a member of the Portland Symphony since 1982. She also has performed with most of the orchestras of northern New England, including Portland 's PORT Opera, the White Mountain Bach Festival, the NH Music Festival, the Hanover Chamber Orchestra, Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, and the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra. She has been a frequent participant in chamber music concerts, including those of the Musicians of Wall Street, the NH Music Festival, Yellow Barn, Sebago-Long Lake, and Classicopia. Her freelance playing has included everything from Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Anne Murray concerts to performing the Brahms Requiem with the Dartmouth Glee Club Alumni at Carnegie Hall.Jean Benson
Flute
Jean Benson began her education with John Thomas at the Eastman School Preparatory Department. After moving to New England, she continued advanced studies with Louis Moyse and theory with Gudrun Gay of Marlboro College. While working toward her bachelor of music degree from Keene State College and studying with Bonnie Insull and other members of the Apple Hill Chamber Players, Benson traveled to New York to work with Julius Baker. A frequent soloist in the New England area, Benson has participated in recital series at King’s College Chapel, the Blacksmith’s House, the Longy School, Boston Conservatory and St. Paul’s School. Formerly principal flute with the Nashua Symphony, Benson also has soloed with the New Hampshire Philharmonic and the Vermont Symphony. She has performed with the Great Waters Festival and Granite State Opera and currently plays with the Granite State Symphony Orchestra. Her students have won numerous musical honors locally and abroad, including the St. Paul’s School Keiser Competition, and have been accepted into programs such as Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artist Orchestra, Domaine Forget, International Summer Academy of Music, Boston Conservatory and Eastman School of Music’s undergraduate program. She maintains an active teaching and performing schedule at St. Paul’s School. Benson joined the Music School faculty in 1984.
Robert Couturier studied composition and music theory at the Boston Conservatory with John Adams, Cris Rose, and Larry Bell. He studied trumpet with Dan Nolan, Steve Emery, and Jay Daly; as well as David Hickman and Allen Vizzutti. Couturier was a participant in the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute and teaches in the Nashua public schools. He has performed with the Four Tops and is founder and business manager of Granite State Brass, and founder of the New Hampshire Wind Ensemble.
Adam Gallant earned a bachelor of music degree in music education and a master of arts degree in music studies from the University of New Hampshire in 2008 and 2012. While at UNH, he was principal trumpet of the UNH Brass Quintet, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra and Opera Orchestra. In 2011, Gallant was honored to perform in the faculty recital of his teacher, Robert Stibler. He also was the sole winner of the 2011 UNH concerto competition, performing Kent Kennan’s Trumpet Sonata under the baton of Andrew Boysen Jr. Gallant has called New Hampshire home for the past seven years and in that time has been a freelance player in the Seacoast area. He has performed as first call substitute and acting second trumpet with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra from 2009 to present. He also was the trumpet soloist for William Kempster’s production of Messiah in 2009 and again in 2010 with Portsmouth Pro Musica. Gallant also has played principal trumpet with Portsmouth Pro Musica on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Mozart’s Requiem. He has performed with the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, UNH’s Mask and Dagger, the Inextinguishable Brass, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, Hillsboro-Deering Theatre, Rising Star Theatre Company and at several churches, universities and bandstands. Gallant has worked at UNH’s Summer Youth Music School since 2005, for which he coaches brass quintets and teaches beginning trumpet courses, trumpet master classes, private lessons and sectionals. He also teaches brass lessons at the Nottingham School, York Middle School and privately. Gallant joined the Music School faculty in 2011.
Brian Gardell received a bachelor of music degree from Boston Conservatory of Music. He also has studied with Charles Kavalovski, former principal horn of the Boston Symphony. Gardell has been principal horn with Merrimack Valley Philharmonic since 1998 and is a member of the Lakes Region Woodwind Quintet.
Maria Isaak received a master of music degree and bachelor of fine arts degree in bassoon performance from the New England Conservatory. She also is certified as a Kodály Specialist and has studied at the International School for Kodály Studies in Hungary. She has taught in the San Francisco public schools and supervised music education interns/student teachers at the University of New Hampshire. Isaak has performed with the Boston Philharmonic and the symphonies of Central Massachusetts, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Sacramento. She has been a concerto soloist with orchestras in San Francisco, Chile, and China and has attended Tanglewood, Banff, Chautauqua, and Sarasota festivals.
Robert Kruskol earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the Juilliard School. He studied trombone with Edward Herman, Jr. and chamber music with Gerard Schwarz. He is a former faculty member of Notre Dame Community Music School in Manchester, NH, and the 92nd Street Y School of Music in New York. Kruskol performs with the Nashua Symphony and the New Hampshire Philharmonic. He also has performed with the Boston Lyric Opera, Granite State Opera, Granite State Symphony, New England Brass Quintet, Boston Brass, the Monadnock Chorus Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Chamber Symphony.
George Stevens, of Alton, is a classically trained musician who participated in various musical competitions during his early years, including NH All-State, All-Eastern, and McDonalds' All-American Band. As a freelance classical/jazz musician, he has performed and recorded with such groups as The NE Wind Symphony, The Belknap Brass Quintet, Carter Mountain Brass, Ted Herbert Big Band, Seacoast Big Band, Northeast Big Band, Dave Rasmussen Jazz Orchestra, The Movers, The State Street Rhythm and Blues Band, New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra, and The Charles Jennison Jazz Quintet. Mr. Stevens has performed with such jazz artists as Clark Terry, Eddie Daniels, Peter Erskin, and Phil Wilson. He recently retired his military career as soloist and Trumpet Section Leader with the NH National Guard 39th Army Band. (on leave)