Since his orchestral debut at age 11, pianist Alex McDonald has soloed with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Mexico, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has performed across the United States as well as in Israel, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and South Korea; additionally, he has been a featured performer on PBS, WRR (Dallas/Ft. Worth), KUHA and KUHF (Houston), NPR, and WQXR (New York City). Awards and fellowships include second prize at the 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition and second prize at the 2001 Gina Bachauer International Young Artist Piano Competition. In 2008, he was named a Harvey Fellow by the Mustard Seed Foundation. In 2013, he was a competitor in the 2014 Van Cliburn Competition.

Highlights of this season include solo performances in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tennessee, and will record his first CD consisting of Liszt, Haydn and others this Fall. Additionally, he is appearing as a chamber musician in Texas and Virginia with Joseph Kuipers and the Marinus Ensemble and Ensemble 75, as well as two-piano concerts with Cathy Lysinger in Oklahoma and Texas. This April he will appear with the Plano Symphony, performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Variations on I’ve Got Rhythm.

Dr. McDonald is currently on faculty at Texas Woman’s University, having previously taught at Richland College as well as at the Juilliard School. Additionally, his private piano students have been admitted to Juilliard, Eastman and New England Conservatory, and have performed at Carnegie’s Weill Hall and on WRR. Deeply concerned about a healthy integration of life with music, he has actively pursued community formation both as an R.A. in the Juilliard residence hall and as president of Juilliard Christian Fellowship.

Dr. McDonald received his pre-college training under Lois Nielson, his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance under Russell Sherman, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Juilliard under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin. His doctoral document, a source study on manuscripts and editions for Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, has been cited in the most recent edition of the sonata by Alfred Publishers, edited by Nancy Bricard.

Originally from San Ramon, Costa Rica, Oscar Garcia-Montoya joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as a full time musician in the trumpet section in 2008. In 2013 Oscar joins the Dallas Chamber Symphony as Principal Trumpet. Prior to coming to Texas, Mr. Garcia- Montoya held a two-year position as Principal Trumpet with the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and Miami City Ballet Orchestra.

Mr. Garcia-Montoya completed in 2006 a prestigious three-year intensive orchestral training program with the New World Symphony Orchestra, under the charismatic artistic direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Other artistic engagements have been as guest Principal Trumpet with the Fort Worth Symphony, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Palm Beach Opera Orchestra in Florida. Oscar has made his way and performed at various Summer Music Festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Cantieri Internazionale di Musica in Italy, American Wind Symphony, and Youth Orchestra of the Americas (FOSJA) in Puerto Rico.

Mr. Garcia-Montoya has been invited in 2014 to perform, as Principal Trumpet with the New Hampshire Summer Music Festival Orchestra. As a soloist, he has been featured with the New World Symphony Orchestra and Brampton Symphony Orchestra. He has won first place at the National Trumpet Competition USA, 2006 (ensemble category) and the “Medalla de Oro” 1996, Soloist Competition in San José, Costa Rica. In addition to his orchestral work, Oscar is an avid chamber music musician and has performed with the New World Symphony Brass Quintet and the Baylor University Faculty Brass Quintet as well as his current group Iridum Brass Quintet.

He has a Master’s degree in music Performance from Rice University and a Music Performance Bachelor’s degree from Baylor University. His Trumpet teachers and mentors have included Armando Ghitalla, James Wilt, Michael Sachs and Marie Speziale. Oscar in his free time, enjoys playing league amateur Soccer.