Linda Oh (MM 2008, Jazz Bass)

Born in Malaysia, raised in Western Australia and now living in New York City, Linda Oh began playing piano, bassoon and electric bass before starting upright-bass at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). A James Morrison Scholarship finalist, Ms. Oh was an IAJE Sister in Jazz and is an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Award winner; having also received honorary mention at the 2009 Thelonious Monk Bass Competition. She is an active double bassist, electric bassist and composer, composing music for short films including the Student Academy Award nominated film “Wian Bu.” Ms. Oh has performed with the likes of Slide Hampton, TS Monk, Nathan Davis, George Cables, James Morrison, Tony Gould, George Cables, Nasheet Waits, Max Sharam, JD Walter, Joel Frahm, Billy Kilson, Steve Wilson and Billy Childs. Her recently released debut trio album Entry with Obed Calvaire and Ambrose Akinmusire received rave reviews and is one of Vijay Iyer’s top ten albums of 2009. Ms. Oh holds a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music having studied with Jay Anderson, John Riley, Phil Markowitz, Dave Liebman and Rodney Jones. She now teaches at Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Division and conducts jazz videoconference master-classes for high-schools around the US.

David Handler (BM 2004, Composition)

David Handler is co-founder of (Le) Poisson Rouge, the multimedia performance and art space located on the site of the historic Village Gate. (Le) Poisson Rouge is being credited with reviving both the New York culture and nightlife scenes simultaneously since its opening in June of 2008. Dedicated to the fusion of popular and art cultures in music, film, theater, dance and fine art, the venue's mission is to revive the symbiotic relationship between art and revelry; to establish a creative asylum for both artists and audiences thus introducing a more visceral context in which to experience the arts. David oversees all departments ensuring that all aesthetic and logistical aspects of the venue are in keeping with the venue's founding principles and mission. An accomplished composer and violinist/violist, David has always been passionately involved in music and the arts. David's compositions have been featured in the master classes of Julia Wolf, Charles Wuorinen and Ned Rorem. He has played under the baton of Zdenek Macal, Kurt Masur and Jerzy Semkov, and performs regularly with Ensemble Pi and Ensemble LPR. David is a founding member of the Gift of Music Scholarship Concert, established in 1991 to provide music education and instruments for underprivileged children in the tri-state area. He was recently appointed Merchant Chair of the Bleecker Area Merchants’ and Residents’ Association.

Andrea Lam (BM 2008, Piano)

Australian pianist Andrea Lam has given over sixty solo performances with orchestras in Australia, the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong, working with renowned conductors including Alan Gilbert, Edo de Waart, Michael Christie, Marcus Stenz, and Christopher Hogwood. She recently made a debut recording of Mozart Concertos with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Milton for ABC Classics to be released in 2010. Other performance highlights include concerts with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, a performance of Saint-Saens Second Piano Concerto with Orchestra Victoria, and a performance of the Dvorak Quintet with the Takacs Quartet. Lam was a Semifinalist in the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, where she was praised for her inventive programming, musicianship, color, and personality. In 2009, she was also the Silver Medalist at the San Antonio Piano Competition, where she won additional prizes for the Best Classical performance and Best Russian performance.