Discovering the Music of César Franck, October 3, 2025

Artist Biographies:

Brazilian violinist Cármelo de los Santos Brazilian violinist Cármelo de los Santos was the first- prizewinner of the IV “Júlio Cardona” International Competition, held in Covilhã, Portugal, in 2003. He also received the special prize for the best interpretation of the required Portuguese work. In 2002, Cármelo performed at the prestigious Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, both as a soloist and conductor. Cármelo won the first prize at the Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio. He first came into prominence in 1993 when he won Brazil’s most prestigious music competition, the “VII Eldorado Prize,” in São Paulo. Since then, Cármelo has appeared as a soloist and recital player with major orchestras in Brazil and South America. Other prizes include second prize in the “VII Young Artist International Competition” (1991) in Argentina, and first prize in the “I Young Talents of MEC Radio Competition” (1996) in Rio de Janeiro. Cármelo has recorded many programs for radio and television in Brazil. In 1994 he made a CD under the Eldorado Radio label, which featured Brazilian and other composers of the twentieth century. Cármelo began his violin studies at the age of nine. He graduated from Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Brazil, where he worked with Fredi Gerling and Marcello Guerchfeld. He came to America in 1997 to study in New York at the Manhattan School of Music with Sylvia Rosenberg. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Georgia, having studied under the Russian violinist Levon Ambartsumian. He is currently Professor of Violin at the University of New Mexico.

Macedonian pianist and composer Dr. Natasha Stojanovska has earned recognition as a dynamic and innovative artist, seamlessly bridging Eastern European musical heritage with contemporary classical traditions. Her critically acclaimed debut album, Uncommon Voices (Navona Records), showcases music by Eastern European women composers and has been celebrated for its artistry and cultural significance. As a featured artist and guest curator for Classical Music Indy, Dr. Stojanovska remains a dedicated advocate for underrepresented voices. Her upcoming album, Uncommon Voices, Part II: American Women Composers, supported by a prestigious grant from the Musicians Club of Women in Chicago, continues her mission to highlight diverse perspectives in classical music. An active soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Stojanovska has performed extensively across Europe, the United States, South Korea, and Haiti. Her collaborations with luminaries include Renée Fleming, Patricia Barber, Rachel Barton Pine, Molly Barth, Shulamit Ran, Carmen-Helena Téllez, and Nathan Gunn. She has performed at the Princeton Festival, Ear Taxi Music Festival, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, and Henry Fogel’s esteemed music series. A graduate of Northwestern University, Dr. Stojanovska holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Music Theory, where she studied under James Giles and earned Program Honors. Her earlier training includes an Artist Diploma and Master of Music in Piano Performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Alexander Toradze and Ketevan Badridze, and a Bachelor of Music from Lynn Conservatory of Music under Roberta Rust. Currently, Dr. Stojanovska serves as part-time faculty in Music Theory and Collaborative Pianist at the University of New Mexico, as well as Piano Professor at New Mexico School for the Arts. She balances an active teaching schedule with her vibrant solo career and co-directs the piano duo, The Stojanovska Sisters, with her sister Marina. This duo, three-time first prize winners of the Macedonian National Competition, has delighted audiences across Europe and the United States for over 25 years.

Conductor and educator Oliver Prezant is the executive and artistic director of Opus OP Arts and Education Projects, which provides unique programs for listeners, musicians, and teachers in northern New Mexico. A popular lecturer for The Santa Fe Opera for many years, he has also presented lectures and education programs for arts organizations including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Performance Santa Fe, the Tanglewood Association of Volunteers, Road Scholar, the Guilds of the Santa Fe and San Francisco Opera companies. In addition, he has presented programs on the relationship of art and music for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the Albuquerque Museum of Art, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art. As the music director and conductor of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra for twenty years, he worked with community musicians and choristers, professional soloists, public school music students, composers, creative artists, and community partners from Santa Fe and northern New Mexico to present a wide variety of innovative performances, unique education programs, and community collaborations. His notable compositions include The Butterfly (La Mariposa) for storyteller and orchestra, songs in a variety of genres, and educational pieces for student ensembles. Oliver was one of the founding teaching artists in Partners in Education’s ArtWorks Program, a Lincoln Center-inspired arts education program which provides workshops for Santa Fe Public Schools students and teachers in the areas of music, poetry, visual art, theater, and dance. As the artistic advisor to the program, he trained teaching artists and classroom teachers, and coordinated with area poets, museums, and other arts organizations. He studied at the Mannes College of Music in New York City and the Pierre Monteux School for conductors in Hancock, Maine, and was an Assistant Professor in the Contemporary Music Program at the College of Santa Fe and an instructor at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.