Bold City Contemporary Ensemble
Whatmakesustick
We are a group of highly trained and experienced classical musicians who believe passionately that our tradition can be successfully continued through the performance of very new music. For all those who say classical music is dying, we vehemently disagree and prove the opposite is true through a series of engaging, outside-the-box performances. Think you know classical music and how we play? Think again!
Modular in design, the ensemble ranges in size from 2–13 players, accommodating instrumentation for a variety of newly composed works. Our flexibility is an asset as we travel locally inside Jacksonville and nationally to serve communities and interests that are drastically under-exposed to the arts. Without the constant, strict formality of a concert-hall, we interact with our listeners to create an immersive, all-sensory experience.
Dr. Boja Kragulj: Founder, Technology Specialist, Clarinets
Uniquely geared to teach musicians of the next generation, Boja Kragulj gives "well-rounded" new meaning. A Fulbright Scholar who specializes in non-traditional wind techniques, Kragulj is also known for her sensitive performance of the standard repertoire. Outside her private studio of clarinetists, Kragulj is an award-winning theory and ear-training instructor, and is a music technology specialist trained at the Berklee College of Music.
Dr. Galen Dean Peiskee, piano
Dr.Galen Dean Peiskee (piano) has established a multifaceted career as an accomplished chamber musician, soloist, orchestral pianist, choral accompanist, and vocal coach. He has performed all over the United States as well as throughout the world in Austria, Poland, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cuba and Bolivia. Dean has enjoyed premiering works by Gregory Wanamaker, Piotr Szewczyk, Paul Richards, Roger Zare, and Timothy Hoekman. Dean has a DM in collaborative piano and a MM in accompanying from Florida State University. He also has an AD and BM in piano performance from Texas Christian University, and an Associate of Music degree from Kilgore College.
Sarah Jane Young: Flutes
She goes by Sarah Jane but some of us call her SJ, and she's all about new music and bridging the gap between the music and the audience. Her love of performing with different musicians and instruments through chamber music gives the opportunity to find new sounds, colors, and musical ideas. So perhaps she is more than a flutist: perhaps she is better called an explorer of sound. As an explorer, she has performed with the Tallahassee Symphony since 2005 and the Pensacola Symphony since 2007. A huge advocate of new music, she serves as the flutist in the ensemble What Is Noise, Coreopsis Quintet and Duo Velocipede. She is currently on faculty at Bethune-Cookman University as Adjunct Professor of Flute.
Dr. Piotr Szewczyk, violin
Dr. Piotr Szewczyk (violin and composer) (pyo-ter shef-chick), Polish-born violinist/composer, is a violinist in the Jacksonville Symphony and was a rotating
concertmaster of the New World Symphony. He is the creator of Violin Futura Project, a recital series of over 30 commissioned violin works
from composers around the world. As a composer he is the winner of The American Prize and various other competitions and received numerous commissions from soloists, chamber groups and orchestras. His music was released on Navona records and other labels. More information at www.VeryNewMusic.com
Philip Pan: Violins
Philip Pan was born in Schenectady, NY to Chinese immigrants. He began studying the piano at age six and violin at eight. His teachers include William Kroll, Felix Galimir, Jens Ellerman and Dorothy DeLay. After receiving his M.M. from the Juilliard School he became Concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and held that position for thirty-two years.
Philip performs extensively throughout the Southeast and beyond. He founded many concert series including Bach and Beyond and Sound Effects at MOCA. He works in diverse musical styles from bluegrass to prog metal as a performer, arranger and composer. He was a member of indie bands Canary in the Coalmine and Folk is People, and currently plays in the Bold City Contemporary Ensemble and Mariachi Primera Costa.
His instruments include an 1837 August Bernardel, a five-string violin by Barry Dudley, a seven-string Viper by Wood Violins, and bows by David Forbes.
A sports enthusiast, he enjoys running, hiking, cycling, kayaking and skiing.
Charlotte Mabrey, Percussion
As a percussionist and educator, Charlotte has been a prominent and inspiring local presence since 1978, when just out of the University of Illinois with a freshly minted master’s in music, she was hired as a percussionist with the Jacksonville Symphony. Three years after landing that job, she began teaching percussion at the University of North Florida. Although she is now retired from the University and is no longer a core member of the Symphony, she remains the figurehead for not only strengthening the local left-of-field music community but for introducing audiences to more obscure and experimental music. She has taught and inspired thousands of students during her long career, and she continues to delight audiences with her inventive performances with every imaginable instrument from marimbas to bongos.
Matt Monroe, horn
Matt Monroe became a father in 2011 and has been infinitely inspired and frequently fatigued ever since. His boys are passionate about singing incessantly, exploring new local playgrounds, Legos, and role playing as R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker. Matt’s other idols include Elon Musk, future inhabitant of Mars, and Joe Maddon, The Windy City’s ultimate performance anxiety guru.
2003 started a decade of freelancing and teaching young hornists in Chicago. During that time Matt performed with Chicago Sinfonietta, Chicago Opera Theater, the Kalamazoo Symphony in Michigan, and the Millar Brass Ensemble. Before that he was Fourth Horn and Orchestra Librarian with the Eugene Symphony in Oregon where his appreciation for the sport of running as well as craft brewing grew. He has held the position of Second Horn with the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra in his hometown of Portland since 1999. Playing the Nutcracker there is a tradition that completes his holiday celebration every year.
After arriving in Jacksonville Matt created A Lonely Horn to inspire young musicians and to share his music with friends near and far. It is a weekly YouTube show dedicated to the performance of music for solo horn. He has reestablished his teaching studio in Riverside, and performs with the Coastal Symphony of Georgia and the Jacksonville Symphony.
Linda Minke, cellist
Cellist Linda Minke's earliest experiences playing contemporary music were as a member of the Rochester High School Jazz Band, in which she played electric and upright bass. While pursuing her bachelors degree in Cello Performance at Northern Michigan University, Minke was a founding member of The Marquette Contemporary Ensemble, a group which modeled itself after The Paul Winter Consort.
Linda participated in the Memphis New Music Festival while she earned her masters degree in Cello Performance at University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University) and for several years afterward, while she was assistant principal cello with the Memphis Symphony.
Linda has lived in Jacksonville since 1993, playing with the Jacksonville Symphony and free-lancing in the area. She has enjoyed playing with local singer-songwriters such as Mark Williams, Terry Whitehead, and Mike Bernos. Her son, Victor Minke Huls, is an emerging cello virtuoso/orchestral conductor. Minke is married to Jacksonville's former public radio celebrity Landon Walker.
Brad Behr
An active performer, Brad Behr has appeared with numerous ensembles across
Pennsylvania and the Southeastern United States. Currently, Dr. Behr performs with the
Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Savannah Philharmonic, and other ensembles in the
region. From 2012 to 2017, he frequently played with the Jacksonville Symphony in all
bassoon chairs as needed. For the 2015-2016 season, he was a member of Jacksonville’s
woodwind education and outreach ensemble performing numerous school and
community outreach concerts. In addition to previously holding a position with the
Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, he has also performed with orchestras such as the
Naples Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, and Palm
Beach Opera.
From 2012-2017, Dr. Behr served as the adjunct professor of bassoon at the
University of North Florida. In addition to directing the Applied Bassoon studio at UNF,
he taught courses in Music Education, World Music, Music Literature, and Music
Pedagogy. In past summers, Dr. Behr has had the privilege to work as the bassoon
coordinator for FSU’s Summer Double Reed Camp, bassoon instructor for the Golden
Isles Youth Orchestra Camp, and as an instructor at UNF’s Summer Music Camp.
After performing with the Hilton Head Symphony for the past six seasons as a
bassoonist, Dr. Behr recently moved to Bluffton, S.C, to become the orchestra’s Director
of Youth Programs and Community Engagement.
Dr. Behr holds a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, as well as a Master of Music, and Doctor of Music in Bassoon
Performance from Florida State University. His treatise on electroacoustic bassoon
performance was published in spring of 2015.
Dunwoody Mirvil
An active performer, Dr. Dunwoody Mirvil is currently the second trombonist of the Tallahassee Symphony and Sinfonia Gulf Coast Orchestras. He has previously performed with several other ensembles throughout North Florida and South Georgia, including the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Tallahassee Winds, in which he was a guest soloist multiple times. His work as an accomplished soloist also includes a performance with the MCoE Army Brass Band of Ft. Benning, Ga.
Beyond his talent as a performer, Dunwoody is also a music educator who enjoys sharing his knowledge as an instrumentalist with other aspiring musicians. Currently, he is the Assistant Professor of Low Brass at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., a position in which he instructs students of trombone, euphonium, and tuba. His experience as an educator also includes a term as Director of Bands at Amos P. Godby High School in Tallahassee, Fla. In years past, he has presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic as a member of the Seminole Trombone Quartet and has performed with the ensemble at Carnegie Hall as winners of the 2016 “Noles in NYC” competition.
Additionally, Dunwoody is a sought-after trombone clinician, hosting masterclasses and clinics to high school band programs across the Southeast, and performing recitals at a number of universities. He serves as an adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association and is a member of the International Trombone Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Dunwoodyis a Conn-Selmer Performing Artist and has two signature mouthpieces with Giddings Mouthpieces.
Kyle Mallari, Trumpet
Born and raised in Tallahassee, trumpeter Kyle Mallari has performed throughout the United States in a variety of capacities. After receiving his B.M. in Trumpet Performance from Florida State University, he moved to Ann Arbor, MI to pursue graduate studies at the University of Michigan. While at UofM, Kyle received a M.M. in Trumpet Performance, M.M. in Chamber Music, as well as a Specialist of Music Degree in Trumpet. His professional engagements include playing with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra from 2014-2018 and with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra since 2013. While in Michigan, Kyle was a member of the UofM Contemporary Directions Ensemble, working closely with famous living composers such as Augusta Read Thomas and Julia Wolfe. While performing with this ensemble, Kyle discovered his passion for contemporary music. He has made the performance and promotion of this music his mission ever since.
Kyle’s love for music is matched only by his love for coffee. As a coffee professional, he works as a barista specializing in pour-over and espresso-based beverages. Much like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, Kyle believes that a great piece of music hits all the right notes.
Scott Erickson, oboe
Born in Denver, Colorado, oboist Scott Erickson has performed throughout the Americas. While pursuing his doctorate at Florida State University, he was appointed Principal Oboe of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Bolivia, and he taught at the National Conservatory in La Paz. His unique experiences have given him an adventurous musical personality, and his pursuits for newer sounds and ideas manifested themselves in performances of both written and improvised music with the Bold City Contemporary Ensemble in Jacksonville, Florida.
Erickson is a frequent performer in orchestras throughout the United States. He currently holds the second oboe position with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, and has additional performances in the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, Pensacola Symphony, Ocala Symphony, Panama City Pops, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Albany (Georgia) Symphony. Additionally, he has given concerto performances in the United States, Canada, and Bolivia.
In 2018, Erickson joined the faculty at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. He was awarded his doctorate in oboe performance at Florida State University, where he also earned his master’s degree, studying with Dr. Eric Ohlsson. He received his bachelor of music degree from the University of Wyoming with a dual emphasis on oboe and flute, studying with Dr. Lindsey Bird-Reynolds and Dr. Nicole Riner, respectively. He is an active performer and educator, and he maintains a reed making business in Ellensburg.
Victor Minke Huls: Cellist | Conductor | Pianist
Victor Minke Huls is a cellist, conductor, counter-tenor, and pianist who comes from a Floridian family of musicians. Raised by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Victor has become an eclectic and avid musician. Victor earned dual-Masters degrees in cello performance and orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan (2017), and has nearly completed his doctoral studies (DMA) in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University with Victor Yampolsky. At Northwestern he was assistant conductor for the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Bienen String Ensemble, Alice Millar Chapel Choir, Baroque Music Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Some of his major projects included conducting the opera Dog Days by David T. Little (assisting Alan Pierson), and working on Bienen’s virtual opera production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo (with Dr. Stephen Alltop). Victor is passionate about and well-versed in contemporary music and has premiered and recorded many pieces by his friends and colleagues.
Before moving to Chicago, Victor was music director of a chamber orchestra known as the Ann Arbor Camerata (2014-18), and recorded an album with Dr. Nancy King titled, “IllumiNation: New American Concertos for Oboe,” released by Equilibrium Records. In 2015, Victor was featured cello soloist in the NAXOS recording project led by David Alan Miller at the National Orchestral Institute, playing Corigliano's First Symphony. Native to the Bold City, Victor participated in the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras for years, winning the concerto competition in 2008 and the honor to play a concerto with the Symphony with both of his parents on stage. More recently, Victor has performed as cellist with the Aspen Chamber Symphony, New World Symphony, Peninsula Music Festival, NuDeco Ensemble, Lincoln Center Stage, and Chicago Civic Orchestra, and is newly principal cellist of the Amarillo Symphony.
Victor is also a multi-instrumentalist by hobby, playing flute, recorders, penny whistle, mandolin, guitar, and harpsichord. He has enjoyed playing a variety of genres outside of his classical training, including Irish and Celtic, Old Time, Folk Rock, and Jazz. In his spare time he listens to Funk, Jazz, Soul, and the music of mother nature.
Amanda Ross, Trumpet
Amanda Ross is a musician committed to contemporary music and collaboration. She has performed with many ensembles, including the International Contemporary Ensemble for the New York premiere of George Lewis’ P. Multitudinis, the ÆPEX Contemporary Performance and Contemporary Directions Ensemble at Strange Beautiful Music IX and XI (Detroit, MI), and the Soundscape Exchange Festival (Maccagno, Italy). She is a founding member of Girlnoise, an Ann Arbor, MI based mixed chamber ensemble dedicated to promoting the music and artistry of women, which has funded and premiered new works by composers such as Annika Socolofsky, Nadine Dyskant-Miller, Tanner Porter, and Clay Gonzalez. She also received an EXCEL Enterprise grant through the University of Michigan to commission ALMANAC (2017), a highly personal and performative work for trumpet and electronics by Chicago based composer Corey Smith. In May 2020 she earned a Doctor in Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, and holds degrees in Trumpet Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan and Baldwin Wallace University. She currently resides in Virginia Beach, VA with her wife and guinea pigs Pinkie and Oreo.
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