Dr. Lawren Brianna Ware, a Gadsden, Alabama native, is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned her DMA in Music Composition with a minor in musicology. Compositionally, Dr. Ware's goal is to "write music that makes one feel." Although she is an "up and coming" composer, she has begun to secure her place in the world of contemporary classical composition. Dr. Ware's composition have been featured on two professionally recorded albums (the Amernet Quartet's "Alabama String Quartets (Birmingham Arts Music Alliance)"(2020) and Dr. Cole Bartels' " On the Brink" (2022)) and will be included on upcoming albums by Marcus Eley (clarinet) and Laura Downes (piano). Her most recent projects include being the inaugural composer and co-founder of the Black Composer Revival Consortium, composing for the Minnesota Consortium for Black American Composers (2020), and composing and releasing an electronic music album in conjunction with comic book writer Jaromir François on the comic My Brother Teddy (2021). In July of 2022, Brianna became the first African American composer selected to be the composer in residence for the Seal Bay Music Festival in Vinalhaven, Maine. Additionally, she is presently working with Access Contemporary Music (ACM) on their Songs about Buildings and Moods video series which explores the connection between architecture and music.

Mezzo-soprano, Kaswanna Kanyinda, has been praised for her dramatic presence, vocal warmth, and as a “talent to keep a sharp lookout for.” This past season, she worked as a young artist at Fort Worth Opera, Opera Theatre Saint Louis, Finger Lakes Opera, and was a Semi-Finalist for The James Toland Vocal Competition. Prior to that, Kaswanna’s season was filled with modern opera where she performed in productions such as Blue, Omar, and Stinney: The American Tragedy with Opera Toledo, Spoleto Opera Festival, and Opera Grand Rapids, respectively. During the 2020 pandemic, she played the role of Flosshilde in Michigan Opera Theatre’s Twilight: Gods after winning a Wilde Award for her performance as the Mother in Opera MODO’s production of The Consul the previous year. Her participation in summer programs such as Pittsburgh Festival Opera, FAVA, CoOperative, and Amalfi Coast Festival furthered the education and experience she received from University of Michigan and UNC Chapel Hill. Under the tutelage of Professor George Shirley and Dr. Louis Toppin, respectively at these institutions, Kaswanna experienced unforgettable moments in her career such as performing at the Kennedy Center and performing the national anthem for President Barack Obama. A North Carolina native, she currently resides in the Dalla/Fort Worth area, reprising her position as the Mezzo-soprano Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artist with Fort Worth Opera for 2023-2024 season. 

  A graduate of the famous Gnessin State Musical College (2004 – 2008) and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music (2008 – 2015), Igor Parshin graduated with the highest marks of his graduation year. His professors included Irina Temchenko and the world-renowned Tatiana Zelikman. In 2015 he received the coveted Lili Kraus Scholarship at the TCU School of Music and completed the Artist Diploma program under the guidance of Doctor Tamas Ungar in 2018. In 2020 Igor completed the Master of Music program in Collaborative Piano under the guidance of Doctor Michael Bukhman.

  Igor Parshin is currently serving as a Collaborative pianist in Fort Wort Opera, teaching piano lessons at The Music Conservatory at Fort Worth Country Day, performing Cliburn in the Classroom series of educational programs organized by The Cliburn foundation. Also, he ispursuing Doctor of Musical Arts degree at TCU under the guidance of Doctor Tamas Ungar. In the Spring semester 2023 Igor has served as a Collaborative pianist at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX.

  Igor has successfully participated in international competitions, winning first prize in the “Ciudad de Huesca” International Competition in Huesca, Spain in 2005; first prize in the International Piano and Chamber Music Competition “21st Century Art” in Kiev, Ukraine in 2006; and first prize in the Concorso Internationale “Don Vincenzo Vitti” in Castellana Grotte, Italy in 2014.

  Igor received The Marina Bondarenko Memorial Prize 2016 in Israel; 2019-2020 Judith Solomon Award in Vocal Accompanying. He has performed in numerous venues in Russia, United States, Ukraine, Belarus, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and Israel. He received return invitations to such festivals as Rachmaninoff International Music Festival in Tambov, Ivanovka(2007 – 2013); Chamber Music Festival of Music from Ireland and Russia “From John Field to the present day” (2012); and Tel Hai International Piano Masterclasses in Israel (2015, 2016).

  In the season 2021-2022 Igor has performed numerous piano recitals and concerts on board of the first high polar exploration cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot, visiting Antarctic region. In the summer of 2022, he received an invitation from the PianoTexas International Festival &Academy, Fort Worth and participated in the event as a collaborative pianist.

  In the summer of 2023 Igor Parshin has returned as a collaborative pianist to the PianoTexasInternational Festival&Academy, Fort Worth, TX, took part in the Texas Chamber Music Institute, Fort Worth, TX, participated in Basically Beethoven Festival in Dallas, playing Saint- Saëns Carnival of Animals with Metamorphosis Dallas Chamber Orchestra.