Program at COMPASS Concerts, a live, online music performance series.

Cathy Baerg is a graduate of the University of Ottawa performance program where she studied flute with Robert Cram. As a student, she was awarded the Mrs. O.J. Firestone scholarship and later received a grant from the Floyd S. Chalmers fund which enabled her to study in England with William Bennett and Peter Lloyd. She held the position of principal flute with the Nepean Symphony Orchestra and also played with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. As an ensemble player, Cathy has been heard in recital on CBC Radio with the Rollins Duo and the trio Trillium. She continues to play with local musicians and has recorded a CD as a member of the flute quartet, Opus Four. She enjoys teaching, both in her private studio and as a flute performance instructor at Carleton University.

Mark Frutkin

Mark Frutkin has published eighteen books of fiction, poetry and nonfiction. His most recent novel, The Artist and the Assassin (Porcupine’s Quill, 2021) is based on the fascinating life of famous Italian painter, Caravaggio. His recent collection of poetry, Hermit Thrush (Quattro), was shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. His novel, Fabrizio’s Return (Knopf Canada), won the Trillium Award and the Sunburst Prize, and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize (Canada/Caribbean region). A French translation of Fabrizio’s Return was published by Alto Editions of Quebec City in 2017 (under the title Le Saint Patron des Merveilles). His novel, Atmospheres Apollinaire, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for fiction. Many of his novels are historical works set in Italy or China. He has taught creative writing at Carleton University, University of Ottawa, and Naropa Institute in Halifax. He has received numerous grants from Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Ottawa. His works have been translated and published in French, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Hindi and Korean. His most recent book, Where Angels Come to Earth: an evocation of the Italian piazza (Longbridge, Montreal), is a work of text and photography (with Toronto photographer, Vincenzo Pietropaolo.)

www.markfrutkin.com

Isabelle Haulin

Isabelle has been playing piano as a hobby since childhood, mostly classical music, until around 2016 when she decided to focus on tango music. She is a software engineer currently working for Nike, and mother of an 18 year old boy.

Isabelle performs with Nancy Good and other musicians who live close to Portland Oregon. They met through tango dancing, and have been playing tango music together since 2018. They have played for dancers and at house parties.

Mari Hwang

American pianist Mari Hwang believes in creating a safe world where people are inspired to live wholeheartedly. As a co-producer of The COMPASS Concerts (Community Online Meditation Performance and Salon Series), she and her partners, Shinichiro Inaji and Louis Yungling, have established a welcoming, safe environment for music performance where people from all over the world feel a sense of community, support, and healing.

Ms. Hwang’s earlier experiences and challenges with stage fright for solo performances has guided her to share mindfulness awareness practice, easing psychological tension, and connecting heart to music. She performs in variety of venues, in concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Merkin Hall, Walt Disney Hall, and in cathedrals, hospitals, libraries, music schools, and private residences.

Her programming frequently shines light on works by unknown, undervalued, minor works of well known composers, and women composers. Her embodiment of often deeply personal storytelling resonates profoundly with audiences and leads to open and courageous dialogue.

In addition to her private teaching studio and being on the faculty for MSM Summer Program, she serves as a collaborative pianist at Manhattan School of Music in NYC.

Ms. Hwang has moved from a sunny suburb of Los Angeles, CA, to attend Manhattan School of Music, where she has received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Subsequently, she has received a Master’s in Music from Mannes School of Music and a minor in impact entrepreneurship from The New School.

Mirna Lekić

Pianist Mirna Lekić performs a wide range of repertoire that reflects her interests in intercultural music, historical performance practice, and contemporary works. As a recitalist and chamber musician she has performed in the United States, Canada and Europe, at venues including Carnegie- Weill Hall, Symphony Space, Chicago Cultural Center, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Théâtre de l'Ile Saint-Louis in Paris, and the Hall of the St. Petersburg Union of Composers and the Gorki Leninskiye Museum in Russia. Her performances are featured on Furious Artisans, Centaur, and Romeo Records and have been broadcast on WQXR, WNYC, WFMT, WPRB and Bosnian TV and radio stations. Mirna serves as an Associate Professor of Music at Queensborough Community College, CUNY and as Associate Faculty in Piano at Columbia University.

www.mirnalekic.com

Alessandro Simoné

Alessandro Simoné studied Classical Piano Performance at Manhattan School of Music. He presented his interpretations at master classes there and at The Juilliard School taught by author David Dubal, and developed an interest in historical music practice.

conservatory studies, he creatively planned and administered piano lessons as a public school teaching artist. Later exploring his path in accompanying as staff pianist with Opera Oggi NY, he contributed to performances of opera including contemporary works that examine social issues of today.

Alessandro has experimented with popular music through an arranging and transcribing collaboration with the lead vocalist of contemporary band 3D2. His background includes teaching piano performance and music theory privately in Elmhurst, Queens; accompanying and advising vocalists, and contributing to piano interpretation seminars mentored by Zelma Bodzin, Professor at Mannes College The New School for Music. He began accompanying movement classes at Eurythmy Spring Valley in October 2018.

Louis Yungling

Hello, my name is Louis Yungling and I'm the founder of COMPASS. I'm also a pianist and teacher.

Meditation, mindfulness and awareness exercises are an integral part of my teaching and practice. Musicians benefit greatly from these practices by being able to fine tune their focus and get more out of their practice as well as increase their responsiveness to sound and be more present and confident in performance.

I created COMPASS concerts to extend these practices to audiences and give everyone a moment to pause and go inward. We do this by sharing a brief contemplation exercise before every concert. In this way we practice being aware of one another and give ourselves a chance to feel and appreciate our unique contribution.

Preparing our minds and bodies to receive and make music allows us to be more receptive to the beauty and generosity that goes into a musical performance. And practicing this type of mindful preparation regularly can help us open our hearts more to the experiences of our day to day lives.

I am thrilled to share this journey with you and the very talented, generous artists who perform here. Thank you to all my musician friends for sharing your gifts and creating beautiful programs of music for our COMPASS community. And thank you to all who come and partake in these heart-warming community concerts.

I currently live and teach piano in Valencia, Spain. My teaching website: Yungling Piano Studio.