Guest Artists

Allegra Lilly, harp

Allegra Lilly made her solo debut with the Detroit Symphony at age 12. Recent honors include winning the Anne Adams Award of the American Harp Society and taking third prize in the Concours International de Harpe in Nice. As an orchestral harpist, Ms. Lilly has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Stony Brook Symphony, and Metro Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Lilly completed her undergraduate studies with Nancy Allen at The Juilliard School in 2007, and will obtain her master's degree from Juilliard in 2009.

Augusta Read Thomas, composer

Augusta Read Thomas has achieved world-wide recognition for her unique style and thoughtful compositions. The winner of numerous international awards and honors, Ms. Thomas has served as Composer-in-Residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has held faculty positions at Eastman School of Music and Northwestern University. Her works have been performed and commissioned by such ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Chris Pedro Trakas, baritone

Chris Pedro Trakas, praised by the New York Times as "elegant ... with a commanding sound," continues to enjoy a free spirited and all encompassing career noted for its eclecticism and consistent excellence. On venues large and small, from the Metropolitan Opera to Joe's Pub, he has performed a remarkably broad repertoire, impressing audiences around the world with his deeply felt and intensely communicative art. His orchestral credits include L'enfant et les Sortileges with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony, Damnation of Faust with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony, and Kindertotenlieder with the Danish Radio Orchestra.

Amelia Watkins, soprano

Amelia Watkins, soprano, has performed with leading orchestras and opera companies in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe. She has recently appeared in such prestigious venues as the Estates Theater (National Theatre, Prague), the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Tanglewood Music Festival, the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), the Gewandhaus (Germany), and in concert in Hong Kong. Ms. Watkins is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.