Paul Merkelo
has been hailed as ‘the new Maurice André’ by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is recognized as ‘a spectacular soloist... a most impressive master of his instrument’ (Montreal Gazette) who ‘knows no limits’ (Der Spiegel online - Germany) with ‘unusual lyrical gifts’ (Gramophone). Principal trumpet with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 1995, he has been featured frequently with the OSM, including tours to South America and at the Lincoln Center in New York, and is the first member of the orchestra to be invited to record a debut solo album with the orchestra (French Trumpet Concertos - Kent Nagano).

In 1999, he was appointed Canadian musical ambassador to China for the inauguration of the Montreal Park in Shanghai, and as soloist with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in a national telecast. Merkelo made his New York debut at the Lincoln Center with the New World Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas in 1998. He has worked with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta and Valery Gergiev, and has been invited as guest principal trumpet in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, Paul has been featured with orchestras worldwide, including English Chamber Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Venice Baroque Orchestra and Eastman Wind Ensemble.

Merkelo’s first solo recording, A Simple Song was ranked #1 in Quebec’s classical recording chart in 2000. In 2004, Analekta released a highly praised second CD, Baroque Transcriptions, which was nominated by ADISQ for Best Classical Album of the Year. French Trumpet Concertos with OSM and Kent Nagano was nominated by the JUNO Awards as Best Classical Album of the Year-Soloist with large ensemble in 2016.

The English Chamber Orchestra will feature him with the Haydn and Leopold Mozart concerti on a UK tour in April 2020, while at the same time MediciTV will release a DVD concert of his ‘Gershwin Romance Music’ project which will showcase his jazz and improvisation skills.

Also in 2020, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has commissioned Gabriela Ortiz to write a new concerto for trumpet which will feature soloist and the principal trumpet of the orchestra.

Paul is on the faculty at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and McGill University in Montreal. He is on the board of directors for the Youth Orchestra of the Americas (Canada), and is the founder of the Paul Merkelo Scholarship, which helps young, gifted brass players with financial aid and career guidance.

Jae-hyuck Cho
Acclaimed pianist and organist Jae-Hyuck Cho is one of the most active concert artists in South Korea. He is one of the rare musicians who makes both piano and organ as his main instruments, he has been described as “a musician who is nearing perfection with extraordinary breadth of expression, flawless technique and composition, sensitivity and intelligence, insightful and detailed playing without exaggeration.”

Since making his debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 1993 as the winner of the Pro Piano New York Recital Series Auditions, Cho has been very active as a performing artist making appearances in various parts of the world. He has worked with numerous orchestras including Seoul Philharmonic and l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte- Carlo. In season 2020-21, Cho is making his UK debut as a recitalist and a soloist in Beethoven Festival of London, working with The Royal Philharmonic.

Cho’s discography includes his debut album of Beethoven Sonatas on SONY Classical where he released his second album of Beethoven and Liszt Piano Concertos No. 1 with Adrien Perruchon conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra that was featured in Gramophone’s ‘Listening Room’ shortly after its release. After a critically acclaimed release of his organ album recorded at la Madeleine, Paris under a French label Evidence, his latest collaboration with maestro Hans Graf and Russian National Orchestra of Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3 will be released on the same label later this year. His future projects include Mozart’s Piano Concertos with the Royal Philharmonic in London.

Born in ChunCheon, South Korea, Cho began piano studies at age five. He moved to New York to continue his piano studies at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division with Solomon Mikowsky, and moved on to receive Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Herbert Stessin and Jerome Lowenthal. He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music, studying with Nina Svetlanova.

Cho started his organ studies at age sixteen at Manhattan School of Music Pre-College. He continued his organ studies while he was earning academic degrees majoring in piano. He served as organist/director of music in several churches in New York and New Jersey area for over 23 years. His last post was at The Old First Church of Newark, New Jersey, founded in 1666, where he had a privilege working with a professional choir and 100-rank Austin organ circa 1930s. His last major performances as an organist include a recital at St. Eustache of Paris, and at the Lotte Concert Hall of Seoul. Cho premiered Joseph Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante, Op. 81 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall with Korean Symphony Orchestra.

Cho’s celebrated communication skills on stage opened doors for opportunities to expand his musical endeavors. He has been the guest artist in 252 episodes of ‘with Piano’, a special corner of ‘Family Music’ on KBS Classic FM Radio, creating the format of ‘Live Lecture Concert on Air’ where he shared commentaries and gave performances on a live radio broadcast. He has been the lecturer for Seoul Arts Center’s signature concert series ‘The 11o’clock Concert’, and continues to serve the roll as the communicator of music to the audience.