Neo Camerata
New Classical Music Group
Combining the emotion and beauty of classical, the excitement and energy of pop, the awe-inspiring technique of virtuoso musicians and the riveting original music of one of its members, Neo Camerata has created what critics have called a “genre-busting,” “technically impressive,” “emotionally stirring” and “totally cool and amazing” experience. With a unique multi-cultural mix, Neo Camerata’s “new classical” sound has people buzzing on both the classical and pop sides of the music business. Recently, Tim Smith, classical critic from the Baltimore Sun echoed Sarah Hepola, rock critic from the Dallas Observer by simply stating, “Whatever you call it, it’s good.”
The group plays from memory and uses amplification to create a sound that as one reviewer put it, “makes you swear a dozen people are on stage”. Equally at home in serious concert halls and grungy rock clubs, the growing Neo Camerata audience is as diverse as their varied collaborations. Since their debut in 2004, they have shared the bill with pop artists, rock bands, opera singers, symphony orchestras and a ballet company. They’ve performed in places as diverse as Washington’s Kennedy Center, New York’s Cutting Room and the Cannes Film Festival.
Mark Landson, composer and violist
The music of Mark Landson has been described as “a wonderful melding of pop idiom and classical craft”. Classically trained from age six on violin, viola and piano, Mark Landson began to find his voice as a composer while singing and playing keyboards in rock bands in high school.
He graduated from the Eastman School of Music, where his most important influences were the music of Bartok, Berg, Hindemith, Reich, Britten, Respighi, Talking Heads, Violent Femmes and New Order. Although he studied classical composition technique and harmony, he concentrated mostly on pop music composition, as the expression of contemporary classical composers seemed to lack the relevant voice he was seeking.
After Eastman, Mark moved to Spain to become a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Granada, where he played viola, composed arrangements for that orchestra and continued his development as a composer in various pop music projects. These divergent interests ultimately led him to experiment with how classical form and composition could incorporate pop music elements in a way that would provide for both a wide range of expression and connection to the contemporary world.
John Landefeld, cellist
John Landefeld is a multi-talented musician who has excelled on many fronts. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Anthony Ross and Steven Doane. He has held principal cello positions with the New World Symphony, the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia and the San Angelo Symphony. He has also performed solo concertos with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra.
In addition to the cello, John also is a fine electric guitarist and spent several years touring with heavy metal hair bands in the late 1980’s. After his spandex era ended, he returned to the cello, but since then has continued to hone his skills in the pop music realm through composing, arranging, recording and producing. He resides in Dallas, Texas, and is currently pricipal cellist of the Plano Symphony Orchestra and performs with the Irving Symphony Orchestra as well.
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Vesselin Demirev, violinist
Born in Varna, Bulgaria, Vesselin Demirev began his musical studies at the age of four. He has a Master of Arts degree from the prestigious National Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria and an Artist Certificate in violin performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Vesselin has held the position of concertmaster for the New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia, Bulgaria, as well as the Abilene Philharmonic of Abilene, Texas. He is currently concertmaster for the Irving Symphony and the Plano Symphony Orchestras.
As a soloist, he has performed to critical acclaim with major symphony orchestras and in chamber and solo recitals performed throughout Europe including Austria, Hungary, Holland, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain and more recently in the United States. He has recorded for the Gasparo label in New York and the Balkanton label in Sofia. He is Professor for violin performance, orchestral repertoire and chamber music at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Jane Hunt, violinist
Jane Hunt was born in Manchester England and graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2005. While at RNCM, Jane was a member of the Colman String Quartet, a highly acclaimed group which performed throughout England and in prestigious international chamber music festivals. Jane has proven herself to be a fresh and exciting talent since coming to the US and joining Neo Camerata.
In 2006, Jane began to explore Celtic and Jazz music which soon lead to an album recorded with members of the Eileen Ivers Band and Original Blues Brothers percussionist Tommy McDonnell. The album entitled "Rebirth" uniquely combines Celtic and Classical music and has received much critical acclaim since its release in 2006. Rebirth has been the main feature on many radio stations across the country and is the impetus for the creation of Violin Venus.
Featured as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Hall as well as the US Open and Fashion Week, Jane also makes regular guest solo appearances with The Irish Sopranos and most recently Ronan Tynan. Her most recent endeavor has been a project with acclaimed pianist and producer Vana Gierig, that mixes classical music with jazz music and is going to be released in 2008.
Jeanne Schumann, pianist
Jeanne Schumann has distinguished herself many times in competition, winning prizes in the Cleveland International, the Bartok-Kabalevsky International, the Star City Young Artists, the ARTS Festival, the Heida Herrmans International, the Stravinsky Awards International and the Kosciuszko Piano Competitions. In 2001, Ms. Schumann was the youngest applicant and the only American woman to be accepted into the International Van Cliburn Competition.
She studied with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music, graduating in 2004 with a Masters in Piano Performance and is now studying at the Colburn School in Los Angeles with John Perry. She is a 2004 Gilmore Young Artist Award winner and was featured on the “Rising Star Series” at Ravinia.
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