Tory Parker is definitely the best-dressed substitute violinist in the Seattle Symphony (and probably the cutest). With her guitarist husband she makes up the other half of the Parker Duo. http://www.parkerduo.com. Oh, and she also plays beautifully!

Heather Bentley was at Indiana University at the same that I was and we never knew each other! That is testimony to how huge a school of music it is. Now that I’ve met and played with Heather here in Seattle, I feel like I’ve known her my whole life (or perhaps in previous ones). She’s not just a wonderful player, but a wonderful person whom you will want to know personally. Please don’t be afraid to introduce yourselves to any of our artists before, during and after concerts. The personal interaction with audiences makes the performing so much more meaningful and enjoyable. She writes a terrific blog at http://www.hemisemidemiThoughts.blogspot.com

Cristina Valdes is one of the most highly respected pianists in the Seattle area, especially in the area of new music. She’s game for anything, musically speaking, and she’s happy to finally be playing a more traditional program with us. We especially appreciate her commitment to doing these concerts considering that she is expecting her first baby at any moment!

What can you say about Allan Dameron except that you won’t find a more amazing pianist to play with anywhere. Period. A friend of mine called him a “musical jellyfish”- not flattering-sounding at first thought, but actually a very apt description of how his fingers can move in any direction to do anything and how fantastically musically flexible he is. He is, as you might expect, a wonderfully warm friend and colleague and he has the soul of a poet. He might have been Keats or Shelley in a previous life. If you came to our fundraiser in April you heard him play that incredible Schubert Eb piano trio- and that was the first time he ever performed it! I can guarantee you don’t want to miss his performance of the Archduke.

Some of you may remember Steve and Sue Jane Bryant from our May Festival in 2010. They joined us for the final concert in Souvenir de Florence. We’ve been trying to get them back since, but it’s always been a challenge with Steve’s symphony and Sue Jane’s ballet schedules. So we’ve finally managed to make it work and it promises to be a lovely program. Steve is more excited about chamber music than any other musician I know. Every summer he organizes a string quartet to play in the Grand Canyon as part of a river rafting adventure. They play in some of the most fantastic natural amphitheaters in the world. He and Sue Jane have been married forever. I even think they have been married so long, they actually have grown to look like each other! Have a look at this photo and see if you don’t agree with me.