JMU Faculty members violist Diane Phoenix-Neal and pianist Paulo Steinberg will perform a stunning program featuring compositions by Johannes Brahms and American composers Kevin Day and Reena Esmail.
Diane Phoenix-Neal enjoys a vibrant teaching and performing career. She performs nationally and internationally as a collaborative artist and as a soloist, and her performances have taken her to concert venues and music festivals throughout the world to four continents, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the festivals of Bowdoin, Evian, and Spoleto. In France, she served as both the principal solo violist of Orchestre de Picardie and as violist of Quatuor Joachim, and her sound is described as “rich and sumptuous.” She is a longstanding principal performer and soloist with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and has been a performing artist and teaching faculty member at the Eastern Music Festival for twenty-five years. Her recent recitals, premieres and projects featuring contemporary music for viola have been presented at the Northwestern University New Music Conference, Eastern Music Festival, JMU Contemporary Music Festivals, and at several International Viola Congresses. Dr. Phoenix-Neal received her training from The Juilliard School as a student of William Lincer, Paul Doktor and of the Juilliard Quartet, and earned her doctorate from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her recent CD, When the Spirit Sings, in collaboration with the chamber group Musica Harmonia, features the chamber music of Gwyneth Walker and explores American spiritual melodies and themes.
Paulo Steinberg has performed as a soloist and as a collaborative pianist across the U.S., Canada, South America, and Europe. In 2017, he performed a total of 55 recitals in Ireland, Scotland, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, Latvia, Sweden, Canada, the USA, and Brazil. He teaches piano literature, piano pedagogy, and applied piano at James Madison University, and often serves as an adjudicator in competitions and festivals. With a doctorate from Indiana University, he offers master classes, lectures, workshops, and performances in the U.S. and abroad. His research interests include Brazilian music and piano technique. Dr. Steinberg spends his summers teaching at the Saarburg Chamber Music Summer Festival in Germany and performing in Brazil. He has released 4 CD albums, including his solo CD Alma Brasileira, which was recently featured on the Brazilian film “As Cadeiras”. Follow him on Instagram @paulosteinberg for performance samples and tips on how to become a better pianist.
