Tom Axworthy:
Mr. Axworthy is an active performer in many ethnic, specialty and classical
chamber music groups. His early instruments have been heard in numerous
film and TV soundtracks as well as on recordings for Musical Heritage Society,
Nonesuch, Dargason, Titanic and Word Records.
He has appeared as a shawm
and recorder soloist with the LA Philharmonic
Orchestra under the
direction of Andre Previn. He has recorded music
(playing shawm and recorders) for Disney's 1996 animated feature The
Hunchback
of Notre Dame. Appeared in and recorded music for WB’s
TV show Gilmore
Girls. Recently Mr. Axworthy played German Street
Organ with the LA
Philharmonic in Disney Hall.
Julia Rittershausen Beers:
Violinist, Julia Rittershausen Beers, born a Kentuckian, grew up all over the
world. A musical family, elementary school orchestra, and classical violin lessons
led her to the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony where she performed in
D.C. and Carnegie Hall as a sophomore in high school.
Julia followed her parents’ profession to India. She graduated as the
concertmistress at Woodstock School in the Himalayas only forty miles the
way a crow flies from Tibet. Under the direction of Vance George, she
performed various times in New Delhi and for the newly escaped school’s
neighbor, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Settling down in the States at Whittier College, she selected teaching, playing
in several symphonies, marriage, raising a musical son, Johannes, and finally
retiring to revisit her favorite ole violin. Since 1995, she has performed with
SALTBOX, a folk band known for their diversity of tunes, traditional, Celtic
and American genres, from rousing ship-tunes, to gentle waltzes, Scandinavian
Hambos and Irish airs. SALTBOX brings a sense of celebration, touching
various cultures and sure to leave your foot tapping!
She was the violinist for LADY SLIPPERS ECD band, and now is the violinist
and contact person for the English Country Dance Band, Fleur de Lis. This
band is found performing monthly in Riverside every second Thursday and at
other ECD venues and Balls.
Caitlin St. John:
Caitlin St. John received both her B.A. and M.A. in music from UCR, having
previously studied harpsichord at Northwestern University and the Cleveland
Institute of Music. She concentrated on performance of baroque harpsichord
music. She presently plays the organ for a local church and has been the music
librarian at UCR for almost six years. In addition to playing keyboard for English
Country dances, she is an enthusiastic contradancer and produces a monthly
contradance at All Saints', Riverside.
Marcella Waggoner:
Marcella is the only member of the band who comes to English Country Dance
music from a traditional rather than a classical background. She has been active
in the local Bluegrass and Folk Music communities since the 1970's. Recently
she has also played with the Contra Dance band "Swamp Mamas". The deep
tones and solid rhythm of her bass add a depth to our sound that makes Fleur
de Lis an especially fun band for dancers.
Hamilton Avila:
Born to Brazilian parents in Riverside, Hamilton spent his early childhood
in Brazil
before his family returned to Riverside, where he now lives. He
began studying the
violin at an early age. In high school, his violin
teacher promised to loan him a
viola for an indefinite period in exchange
for playing it in his school orchestra; he
still has that viola and plays it
often.
Hamilton studied composition at La Sierra University and earned his
Master's
degree in it at the University of California at Riverside, where he
also studied
choral conducting. In addition to composing, he performs in
chamber groups
and at
churches, and he typesets music. |
