Guest Musicians to Sweeten Summer Services

Summer Music at St. Mark’s Program in its Tenth Year

Our choir may have hung up their robes for the summer, but that doesn’t mean music takes a back seat at our main Sunday worship. Director of music George Wesner has again curated a slate of musicians and singers to enhance the program as we gather each week:

• JUNE 23 – NADIA BACH (SOPRANO) – Hailed as “outstanding” by Donald Henahan of The New York Times, Nadia made her solo recital debut at Carnegie Recital Hall at age 15. Ms. Bach has won numerous prestigious international awards and foundation grants while distinguishing herself in the field of opera, oratorio and art song – on stage, radio and in film around the world. A member of Mensa and a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and the City College of NY she is also an international voice teacher and choral director.
• JUNE 30 – PETER ARFSTEN (FLUTE) – Flutist Peter Arfsten, praised for his tone “as gentle as a summer breeze” has played extensively throughout the US and Europe. He is the top prize winner of numerous competitions. He has played with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and American Symphony. In his most recent performances, he has been heard on Broadway, the Blossom Festival, Greenwich Symphony and as a soloist with the Windham Chamber orchestras. Mr. Arfsten has recorded for numerous CDs and films. He is a graduate of Queens College, The Cleveland School of Music, and the Peabody Institute.
• July 7 – FRANCES DUFFY (HARP) – Ms. Duffy is Principal Harp of the Wheeling and Allentown Symphony Orchestras, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and performs regularly with the American Ballet Theatre in Lincoln Center. She has been the harpist for the Broadway show Wicked. She has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Albany and Hartford Symphony orchestras. This year she was elected to the American Harp Society Foundation Board of Directors and recently received a doctorate at Rutgers Mason School of the Arts.
• JULY 14 – KYLE HOYT (FRENCH HORN) – As an in-demand french horn performer, Kyle is a member of the Montclair Wind Quintet and on the faculty at Montclair State University. He has appeared with the Westchester Philharmonic, American, New Jersey, New Haven, St. Lukes, St. Paul Chamber, Knights Chamber, New York and Vienna Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and Radio City orchestras. He has been soloist and Associate Principal horn of the Jerusalem Symphony and held positions with the orchestras in Columbus and Syracuse.
• JULY 21 – PETER SALEH (PERCUSSION) – Peter is a multi-faceted percussionist, drummer and teacher. He has performed for the award–winning Off-Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, Beetlejuice, Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Some Like it Hot! He has appeared at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Papermill Playhouse. He has played with Itzhak Perlman and the NJ Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic and a solo recital tour of Taiwan and Korea. Peter recently celebrated 20 years with the Exit 9 Percussion Group with nearly 500 performances in places like Ecuador and as a cultural envoy for the US State Department. He has collaborated with Nimbus Dance, The Joffrey School and NJPAC. He has taught a unique “music for dance” curriculum at SUNY Purchase and is the inventor of the patent pending “Switchboard” percussion table. He is founder and director of the Rutgers Youth Percussion Ensemble for 15 seasons and is enthusiastically teaching the next generation.
• JULY 28 – SUMMER CHOIR EXPERIENCE – All are welcome to sing in the choir. Rehearsal at 9am in the sanctuary. Invite your friends and Come as you are!
• AUGUST 4 – GARRY IANCO (VIOLIN) – From studio recordings and Broadway musicals to orchestral and concerto appearances, Garry Ianco A experienced concertmaster in both commercial and classical music, Mr. Ianco has performed with the Albany Symphony, The Kingdom Hearts Symphony, Chelsea Opera, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, and for the Irish Tenors. Recently, he was the concertmaster for Cameron Mackintosh’s production of The Phantom of the Opera. As an ensemble member, Mr. Ianco has performed with the Santo Domingo Festival Orchestra, The Bellingham Festival Orchestra, The Munich Symphony, and with various ensembles in NYC and abroad. He has performed in the Broadway productions of Miss Saigon, Cats, Carousel, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, and West Side Story.
• AUGUST 11 – SARAH CARTER (CELLO) – Sarah enjoys a versatile career as a freelance musician in the NYC area. She is a member of several orchestras including the American Symphony, American Composer’s Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, Oratorio Society of NY, Stamford Symphony, Little Orchestra Society, Opera Orchestra of New York and Radio City Music Hall. An active Broadway musician, she has been a member of several show orchestras. Sarah greatly enjoys teaching private students and lives in Cresskill, NJ.
• AUGUST 18 – ALEX BENDER (TRUMPET) – Alex Bender is the Lead Trumpet of the Radio City Orchestra, appears regularly with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and was a featured musician in Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour.  He has performed with the American, New Jersey, Harrisburg, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Springfield, and Princeton Symphony 0rchestras.  He recently appeared on Good Morning America with pop star Josh Groban and with Michael Bublè at Radio City Music Hall. Alex has been in the Broadway revival of Spamalot and the Broadway recordings of Side Show (revival), Finding Neverland, Paramour, Bandstand and NBC’s TV production of Peter Pan Live!  He has served on the faculty at Lansing Community College (MI) and the College of Lake County (IL) and is currently at The College of New Jersey.  Alex holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and James Madison University and is completing his Doctoral research for Michigan State University as a University Distinguished Fellow.
• AUGUST 25 – DEVIN DI MAURO (WOODWINDS) – August 25 – Devin Di Mauro, woodwinds – Devin Di Mauro is a low reed specialist who has established himself over the himself over the last ten years in the New York commercial music scene. His Broadway credits as a chair holder and substitute include Days of Wine and Roses, Carousel, and Finding Neverland. He has also performed as a chair holder in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall for seven seasons. Devin is also principal bassoon with the New York Chamber Players, and has appeared with numerous other orchestras in the NYC area. He is active on Broadway and plays with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular orchestra.
• SEPTEMBER 1 – CHRIS SMUCKER (MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST) – Chris Smucker is a NYC-based multi instrumentalist. He is a regular member of Broadway orchestras having subbed on dozens of shows on and off Broadway. For the last few years he has been a member of the Christmas Spectacular. In addition to his playing career, Chris composes and produces. In 2020 he released Signal Left, an EP of experimental electronica that reflects his multifaceted musical background. Chris holds a BM degree from West Chester University in Pennsylvania where he studied saxophone, flute and clarinet. He studies bassoon privately with Gil Dejean.