Qingqing Ye
Pianist
Mr. Ye’s Doctoral work in piano performance was done under Walter Cosand at Arizona State University, where he currently serves as Faculty Associate in the Piano Department. In 2013, Mr. Ye became an Artist-in-Residence for the Scottsdale Philharmonic and performs with the orchestra on a regular basis.
Mr. Ye is an internationally acclaimed artist. He has appeared with the “Morningside Music Bridge” International Music Festival in Canada and at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine, where he also served as an instructor. He began his piano training at age of four, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Bowling Green State University under Maxim Mogilevsky and his Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Northwestern University under Alan Chow.
Mr. Ye was awarded the National Scholarship by the YAMAHA Music Foundation of China. He won first prize at the 2005 Lima Young Artists Competition in Ohio for his performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. He also received first prize in 2006 at the Masterworks International Music Festival in Indiana, where he performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and he received the “Audience Favorite” award in the 2008 Concerto Competition at Bowling Green State University for playing the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto.
In 2007 Mr. Ye was invited to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 1 in a live broadcast with the Lima Symphony Orchestra in honor of the conductor’s 10 year anniversary concert. In 2010, Mr. Ye’s live performance of Chopin’s solo works was broadcast by WMFT, Chicago’s classical radio station, as a part of the Chopin Bicentennial Celebration.
In 2011, his debut CD album “40 Piano Classics for Youth” was released in China by CRC Label. In 2015, Mr. Ye released the first ever recorded album on iTunes and Amazon Music featuring the newest piano solo works by the acclaimed Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin.
Since 2013, Mr. Ye has taught master classes in highly acclaimed universities in China, including Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chongqing Normal University, and Beifang (North) University of Nationalities.
Xiaolin Li
Violinist
Xiaolin Li is an internationally acclaimed artist as soloist, chamber and orchestra musician. Her impressive recitals and orchestral performances have brought Ms. Li to the finest concert halls and major festivals worldwide such as Music Concert Hall for the Performing Arts in Ningbo (China), Salzburg Academy Music Festival in Chongqing (China), Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Manchester Chamber Music Festival in Vermont, Sewanee Summer Music Festival in Tennessee and Red Rock Music Festival in Arizona.
During her career, Ms. Li has performed with some world-renowned musicians. Her collaborators include Joshua Bell, Cho-Liang Lin, Ilya Kaler, Yundi Li, Martin Chalifour, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Kenneth Goldsmith, Steven Moeckel, Mark Steinberg, Charles Castleman and Christopher O’Riley. She also has worked with esteemed string quartets such as Juilliard String Quartet, Brentano String Quartet, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Shanghai String Quartet, Ariana String Quartet, Harlem Quartet, Ying Quartet and Brooklyn Rider String Quartet.
Ms. Li has been a prize-winner of many prestigious competitions in China and the U.S. including National Violin Competition (Beijing, China), National Doctor Cup Violin Competition (Tianjin, China), Sewanee Music Festival Concerto Competition (Sewanee, TN), Louisiana State University Concerto Competition (Baton Rouge, LA), Arizona State University Concerto Competition (Tempe, AZ). She is also a member of Laniakea String Quartet based in Arizona, a group that won first place in the 2019 6th Hong Kong International Chamber Music Competition.
A vibrant recitalist and chamber musician, Ms. Li is widely engaged in performing at numerous venues in the Valley such as Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Tempe Center for the Arts, Musical Instrumental Museum and Mesa Convention Center. Past season highlights across the globe include appearances with Louisiana Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Ningbo Chamber Orchestra.
Born in China, Ms. Li began violin lessons at the age of four. She is a proud recipient of the Special Talented Award at Arizona State University (ASU), where she earned her Doctoral Degree in Violin Performance under Danwen Jiang. In 2011, she made her debut as Concertmaster of ASU Symphony Orchestra and was selected as First Violinist of the elite graduate quartet “Herberger String Quartet” for the 2011-2015 season. The Quartet was invited for a concert tour in Switzerland during the summer of 2013.
Thomas Landschoot
Cellist
Thomas Landschoot joined the Herberger College School of Music faculty of Arizona State University after having taught at the University of Michigan. Born in Belgium, Landschoot began studying the cello at the age of six with his father, leading to a successful career as soloist and teacher.
He performs virtually the entire standard cello repertoire, as well as works by contemporary composers such as Witold Lutoslawski, Kristof Penderecki and Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Several composers have dedicated their works to him. Mr. Landschoot has played numerous recitals in Europe, the United States and Asia, both as a soloist and in chamber music settings. He is a founding member of the Chamber Ensemble Bloomington in Japan, the Taman Trio in Europe and the Trio du Soleil in the US.
Mr. Landschoot has been involved in an interdisciplinary public service project resulting in the building of an orphanage and hospital in Tamil Nadu, India. A documentary film of the cellist performing in India has been combined with photography, culinary, journalism and new compositions.
He recently performed with the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Frankfurt Chamber Orchestra, Prima la Musica, Tempe Symphony and the Orchestra of the United States Army Band. His Interviews and performances have been broadcast on radio and television in Europe, Japan and the United States and recordings are available on Summit, Organic and Centaur Records.
Mr. Landschoot has been awarded the Katherine K. Herberger College of Fine Arts Distinguished Tenure Track/Tenure Faculty Teaching Award in 2005.
Landschoot has given masterclasses at conservatories and universities throughout Asia, the U.S and Europe. He spends his summers performing and teaching at places like the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Killington Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music and the Texas Music Festival. He performs on a cello by Tomaso Balestrieri (1778) and a Dominique Pecatte bow.
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Melissa Solomon
Soprano
Award-winning soprano Melissa Solomon, praised by Opera Canada magazine as “delightful” and “vivacious,” is exciting audiences as a rare and diverse performing actress.
She is currently in her eighth season with the Arizona Opera and sings with Songs By Heart, a non-profit organization providing therapeutic music sessions to dementia and Alzheimer’s patients with songs of the 30s, 40s and 50s. She debuted with Halifax Summer Opera as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare in Nova Scotia, Canada and repeated the same role at ASU in addition to other roles with Lyric Opera Theatre. Equally experienced in oratorio, Ms. Solomon has performed Haydn’s Creation with the Mt. Desert Summer Chorale in Bar Harbor, Maine, as well as local performances of Handel’s Messiah and the Mozart C minor mass, among many others. As a diverse singing actress, Ms. Solomon has performed Marian Paroo in The Music Man and Lily in The Secret Garden, and was a lead vocalist with a jazz band.
She has been a recipient of numerous awards including The Maricopa Community Colleges District Artist of Promise Award and winner in many competitions, including Arizona District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She has performed numerous solo concerts in performing centers, churches, and homes throughout Arizona.
She is a graduate of Arizona State University, a full-time mother of two boys, ages eight and six, and is based in Gilbert, Arizona.
Maria Dominique Lopez
Mezzo Soprano
Maria Dominique Lopez’s extensive performing experience includes a variety of operas, oratorio, recitals, competitions, master classes, and premieres of new works. Maria earned her Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Vocal Performance from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Among the range of Maria’s opera experience is her most recent performance as Lucretia in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, as well as Magdalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Serse in Handel’s Serse, La Femme in Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and Baba in Menotti’s The Medium.
Together with fully-staged and orchestrated operas, Maria has also performed in Carmen, in Serse in Handel’s Serse, Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel, Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Dame Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff. In concert, Maria has performed as the mezzo soloist in Hoenegger’s King David, the alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem Mass and the mezzo soloist for Handel’s Messiah.
Ken Goodenberger
Tenor
Ken Goodenberger has been a prominent member of the musical scene in Phoenix for over 30 years. He was the Arizona District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Competition. Ken has been a frequent soloist and narrator with the Phoenix Symphony, singing as featured tenor in a concert of operatic favorites. He is a well-rounded musician, who is active as a conductor, choral clinician, voice teacher, actor and singer. All of his musical endeavors are dedicated to making music of the highest caliber accessible to students, choirs and audiences.
Mr. Goodenberger currently serves as Director of Music at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West, and is the Artistic Director of the West Valley Chorale. Ken is also an experienced theater music director as the ariZoni winning Musical Director of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, MD of Avenue Q: School Edition both at Theater Works, MD of Les Miserables and ariZoni nominated Happy Days – A New Musical at Creative Stages Youth Theatre, Willy Wonka at Starlight Community Theater, and MD of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Drowsy Chaperone at Paradise Valley Community College. The former director of The Theater Works’ Youth Works Choir, The City of Phoenix Children’s Chorus, and a past Director of the Arizona Elementary All State Choir, Ken has also made a strong impact as a children’s choral director. As the Music Director for Showcase Concerts, Ken directs the Royal Renaissance Singers and OperAntics (formerly OperaTunity).
OperaTunity has delighted hundreds of audiences, ranging from elementary schools to featured performances with the Phoenix Symphony. These groups are among the best in the state when working with children and Ken’s ability as a teacher and communicator helps this to be true.
Ken is equally well known to Valley audiences as a singer as he is a conductor. In addition to his abundant performances with OperaTunity and the Royal Renaissance Singers, Mr. Goodenberger performs The Ken and Brenda Show at Theater Works, Arizona Broadway Theatre and many other venues on a regular basis.