For over a decade, Eric Tran and Nathan Cheung have performed four-hands originals, transcriptions, and classics alike with a focus on bringing humor and joy to the classical music world. Happy Dog Duo has been performing four-hands and two-piano repertoire together since they were in middle school. They won both the 1st Prize and the Abild American Music Award at the 2017 Ellis Duo-Piano Competition, hosted by the National Federation of Music Clubs. They have also won a record-setting 13 gold medals in piano duo events at the United States Open Music Competition, and have performed with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, Diablo Symphony Orchestra, and the Vallejo Symphony.

As part of the internationally-acclaimed, award-winning Pawn: The Musical, they toured in Korea, China, Canada, and New York. Happy Dog has also made multiple appearances at the Aspen Music Festival. They perform extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area—their hometown—and they were the first piano duo ever to perform in Bing Concert Hall.

The name Happy Dog comes from their eponymously-titled 30-second compositional “masterpiece,” Happy Dog. Neither Nathan nor Eric owns any dogs.

Arkansas Tour Schedule

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 • 7:30 p.m.
Mabee Fine Arts Center
Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St.
Arkadelphia, AR 71998

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 • 7:30 p.m.
Stilwell Humanities Music Hall
Texarkana College
2500 North Robison Rd.
Texarkana, AR 75501

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 • 7:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Center
University of Arkansas at Monticello
346 University Ct.
Monticello, AR 71655

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 • 2:00 p.m.
Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall
University of Arkansas Little Rock
2801 S University Ave
Little Rock, AR 72204-1000

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 • 2:30 p.m.
White Lecture Hall
Robert Burns Building
Northwest AR Community College
#1 College Dr.
Bentonville, AR 72712

The 2017 Young Artist Competition was held on June 21 and 22. The finalists were announced on June 22. Each winner received a first place prize of $20,000.

Baritone, André Chiang has been touted by the Oregonian as “vocally commanding.” He brings his lyrical voice to repertoire spanning from Handel to Glass. Mr. Chiang’s recent engagements include returns to Virginia Opera as Fiorello/Officer in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Opera Birmingham as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore.

Pianist Kevin Ahfat is an artist that “leaves no question about his riveting presentation and technical finesse” (Seattle Times), Canadian-born pianist Kevin Ahfat is acclaimed to be “poised to become one of the young heirs of the classical piano realm, with a bold, boundary-pushing, millennial style matched by refined execution” (Vanguard Seattle). He has appeared as a multi-faceted artist at venues and festivals nationally and internationally, most notably at Boettcher Hall in Denver, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Fumin Hall in Kyoto, Japan, and Troldhaugen in Bergen, Norway.

Soprano Natalie Conte has studied vocal performance and immersed herself in the world of opera since childhood. Her devotion to the art shines through in her passionate performances. Currently based in Virginia, Natalie is in high demand as a soloist throughout the Mid-Atlantic. She most frequently appears as a soloist for the Lyric Opera Baltimore, performing both main stage roles and outreach programs.

Cellist Sujin Lee has established herself as a mature young artist in the United States and Europe, having performed at world-renowned venues such as the Louvre Museum, Kennedy Center, Zankel Hall at Carnegie, the Rose Studio at Lincoln Center, and Mechanics Hall. In demand as a soloist and chamber musician, she has been a frequent artist at the Caramoor, Lake Champlain, Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Perlman, Ravinia, Yellow Barn, and Verbier festivals. Prizewinner of the Schadt, Hudson Valley, Klein, and Johansen International competitions, she has performed concertos with numerous orchestras in Massachusetts, New York, and Florida.

Duo Pianists, Happy Dog Duo, Eric Tran and Nathan Cheung have performed four-hands originals, transcriptions, and classics alike with a focus on bringing humor and joy to the classical music world. They will perform the 2017 Arkansas Young Artist Tour. (see front cover for more information.

Matthew Lipman, violist

Matthew Lipman, the 2015 NFMC Young Artist Winner in Strings, has been selected to perform the annual Arkansas Young Artist tour.

The recipient of a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, American violist and NFMC Young Artist Matthew Lipman has been hailed by the New York Times for his “rich tone and elegant phrasing.” He recently recorded Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Rachel Barton Pine and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Sir Neville Marriner and has performed with the Juilliard, Grand Rapids Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber, Ars Viva Symphony, and Montgomery Symphony Orchestras. The only violist featured on WFMT Chicago’s recent list of “30 Under 30” top classical musicians, highlights of Mr. Lipman’s 2014-15 season included collaborations with Leon Fleisher at the Caramoor Center and a three continent tour with David Finckel and Wu Han culminating in a Wigmore Hall debut. He recently performed Penderecki’s Cadenza for solo viola live on WQXR with the composer himself in attendance and is a member of CMS2 at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Having performed under the auspices of the Marlboro, Ravinia, Perlman Music Program, and the Music@Menlo Festivals, his collaborators include Miriam Fried, Gary Hoffman, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Itzhak Perlman, and members of the Cleveland, Emerson, and Guarneri Quartets. A top prizewinner of the Tertis, Primrose, Washington, Stulberg, and Johansen International Competitions, and the NFMC, Minnesota Orchestra, and Juilliard National Competitions, Mr. Lipman is the recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School, where he serves as a teaching assistant to Heidi Castleman. He has also studied with Steven Tenenbom, Misha Amory, and Roland Vamos, and performs on a 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola from the REB foundation.

Arkansas Tour Schedule

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 • 7:30 p.m.
Mabee Fine Arts Center
Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St.
Arkadelphia, AR 71998

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 • 7:30 p.m.
Stilwell Humanities Music Hall
Texarkana College
2500 North Robison Rd.
Texarkana, AR 75501

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 • 7:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Center
University of Arkansas at Monticello
346 University Ct.
Monticello, AR 71655

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 • 11:00 a.m.
Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church
4823 Woodlawn Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 • 2:30 p.m.
White Lecture Hall
Robert Burns Building
Northwest AR Community College
#1 College Dr.
Bentonville, AR 72712

AFMC is pleased to announce the 2016 winners of the AFMC William Yick Collegiate Award.

Hunter Mabery

Hunter Mabery is a Senior piano performance major at Henderson State University. In 2012, Hunter performed Haydn’s D Major Piano Concerto with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the Young Artist Concerto Competition. In 2013, 2014, and 2016, as a winner of the annual President’s Concert Concerto Competition, Hunter performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto in G Major K.453 and A Major K.488, and most recently, Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at HSU. Hunter especially enjoys collaborating with other musicians, and is passionate about refining his skills as a collaborative pianist. In 2015, Hunter attended the American Institute of Musical Studies’ (AIMS) six-week summer program in Graz, Austria where he studied the art of vocal collaboration with an emphasis on German Lieder. In fall 2016, Hunter will be furthering his musical studies by pursing a Master’s degree in Piano Accompanying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Brice Maxey

Brice Maxey is finishing his Associate of Arts degree at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, and plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. He has been performing at the Arkansas Public Theatre in Rogers since he was in elementary school and has been playing drums at his church for several years. Mr. Maxey sang in the Arkansas All-State Choir and has begun playing piano and guitar recently.

Mr. Mabery and Mr. Maxey will perform at the AFMC Convention in Little Rock on Saturday, April 23, 2016.

Christie Conover, soprano

Christie Conover, the 2015 NFMC Young Artist Winner in Voice, has been selected to perform the annual Young Artist tour in Arkansas. Ms. Conover will be accompanied by Dr. Naoki Hakutani, professor of piano at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Described as a “jewel” with a “lovely timbre, perfect trill, and soaring top,” soprano Christie Conover is a rapidly rising star. Her voice, rich and warm, is partnered by a personal grace both on and off the stage. Her sensitive portrayal of characters such as Liù (Turandot), Juliette (Romeo et Juliette) and Micaëla (Carmen) have garnered her critical acclaim, as well as her fiery portrayal of Musetta (La bohème) and effervescent, comedic rendition of Clorinda (La Cenerentola). Most recently, however, Ms. Conover was “the standout, expressing her character’s reticence and yearning with radiant vocalism” singing Caroline Abbott in Opera San Jose’s world premier Where Angels Fear to Tread.

Arkansas Tour Schedule

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 • 7:30 p.m.
Mabee Fine Arts Center
Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St.
Arkadelphia, AR 71998

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 • 7:30 p.m.
Great Room, Truman Arnold Center
Texarkana College
2500 North Robison Rd.
Texarkana, AR 75501

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 • 7:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Center
University of Arkansas at Monticello
346 University Ct.
Monticello, AR 71655

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 • 4:00 p.m.
Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church
4823 Woodlawn Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 • 7:00 p.m.
Oak Cliff Baptist Church
3701 S. Gary St.
Fort Smith, AR 72904

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 • 2:30 p.m.
White Lecture Hall
Robert Burns Building
Northwest AR Community College
#1 College Dr.
Bentonville, AR 72712