Multi-instrumentalist Brennen Milton has had a diverse and fascinating career- he’s twice been invited to Carnegie Hall, once as the winner of the Golden Classical Musical Awards; as a student, he’s studied at California State University Sacramento, in VIterbo Italy, and in Norfolk, VA at the Naval School of Music for the Armed Forces, as a member of the US Marine Corps field band. In this feature he explores the clarinet music of Yayoï Kitazume and Paul Reade.
Lingyu Dong, violin
Violinist Lingyu Dong was born and raised in China and had already made his first concerto performance with Shandong Symphony Orchestra at the age of 7! He also took first place in the Hong Kong International Violin Competition and the East Asia International Violin Competition in Tokyo. He eventually made his way right here to Sacramento as part of an exchange program with the Sacramento Youth Symphony, where he met lifelong friend and collaborator pianist Roger Xia. They still frequently perform together here in town all these years later. In this feature Lingyu joins Roger for several wonderful works for violin and piano.
Dr. Robert Halseth, conductor
Dr. Robert Halseth has been conducting right here in our area for many decades! Since 1993, he has been Director of Bands and Professor of Music at California State University, Sacramento; he also conducts the Sierra Winds, who performs in this feature. As he is not just a conductor but also a professional trombonist of 40 years he particularly understands directing winds. In this feature he discusses creating during covid and presents some stunning American folk tunes.
Shuying Li, composer
Composer Shuying Li was born in China and went to Shanghai Conservatory before moving here to the states. Her music has been performed all over the country with venues/ensembles like Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Symphony, President's Own United States Marine Band, and West Edge Opera, and around the world in countries like Finland, Romania, Netherlands, Canada, Italy. Students at Sac State are now lucky enough to call her their professor of Composition. In this feature we explore selections from her new album Hive Mind.
Darita Seth, conductor/composer/countertenor
Darita Seth is a Cambodian-American conductor, composer, choral artist and professional counter-tenor. With roots right here in our area, he now works up and down this entire state- making a career with, among many others, the LA Master Chorale, UOP’s choral department, his own ensemble Choral Audacity (a chamber choir advocating for QBIPOC voices)…and you may have caught him during his tenure with the famed ensemble Chanticleer. In this feature we enjoy two sides of his talents- an arrangement of his own featuring Choral Audacity, and a vocal solo performed with the Sacramento based ensemble RSVP.
Anna Crumley, soprano
Soprano Anna Crumley is a Sacramento native who got her start in singing as a young girl enrolled in the Sacramento Children’s Chorus. Had you asked her then, she surely would not have imagined that she’d later have two vocal degrees and an international performance career that includes working on two Grammy nominated albums, arrangement credits, and collaborations with the singularly renowned ensemble Voces 8. In this feature we hear from Anna and her own 6 voice treble ensemble Lyyra.
Ramya Shankar, Indian classical vocalist and sound healer 
Ramya Shankar resides in the Bay and is a bridge between many worlds. Not only does she combine the seemingly disparate worlds of classical Indian music and jazz, she’s also a sound healer, a vocalist trained in the Carnatic traditions, a composer and a producer. And she’s recently contributed to her first ever Grammy nominated album! In this feature we explore her settings of meditative traditional Indian ragas.
