Artists

Pianist Xijuan Zong is a concert pianist based in the United States. Her repertoire spans both traditional and contemporary works, reflecting a broad engagement with the piano literature.

Her playing is shaped by an attention to sound, color, and expressive detail, with an approach that seeks balance between structure and imagination. She is drawn to repertoire that offers distinct musical perspectives, creating performances that are both thoughtful and immersive.

Zong has presented solo recitals in cities including Boston and New York, where her performances have connected with audiences through a nuanced and expressive musical voice.

John Howard Arman (b. 1986, Innsbruck) is a British jazz guitarist and composer active in Austria. The son of singer Stella Arman and conductor Howard Arman, he began classical guitar studies at the Tyrolean State Conservatory before turning to jazz. He studied at the Gustav Mahler Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Music in London, with mentors including Pat Martino, Dave Douglas, and Dave Stryker, and toured early with Richie Beirach.

Arman has collaborated with Vincent Herring, Jeremy Pelt, Joris Dudli, Harry Sokal, and Jesse Davis, and has also worked on contemporary opera projects with his father. He leads the John Arman Organ Trio, which released its debut album Organ Trio (2016), and performed with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. His album Fingerstylin’ (2020) features Johannes Enders, Flip Philipp, Renato Chicco, and Christian Salfellner.

He is based in Vienna and teaches guitar at the Musikum Salzburg and the Tyrolean State Conservatory.

Austrian tenor saxophonist, composer, and musicologist Dr. Lukas Gabric has been hailed by Thomas Gansch and Joel Frahm as a “master musician” with “breathtaking tenor virtuosity.” He has earned recognition as a prominent figure in the international jazz scene, with performances and teaching engagements spanning the USA, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain, Slovenia, China, South Korea, Mongolia, Serbia, and Brazil.

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Dr. Gabric’s early promise was recognized in 2012 when he joined the European Generations Unit at the prestigious Festival in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, studying with jazz greats Louis Hayes, Peter Washington, and David Hazeltine. A year later, he was a semifinalist in the renowned Thelonious Monk Competition in Washington, D.C. His growing acclaim continued in 2014 with a Best Soloist Award and Audience Choice Award at Spain’s Getxo Jazz Festival, along with a third prize at the North American Saxophone Alliance Competition in Illinois. In 2016, he was awarded the Herb Alpert Composer’s Award by ASCAP for his piece “Fire Dance.”

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In 2018, Dr. Gabric received the Cultural Distinction Award and the Bruno Gironcoli Award from his hometown of Villach, Austria, enabling the production of his album Labor of Love, which was praised internationally in reviews across eight countries.

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In 2019, he was invited to serve as an expert adjudicator for the New York International Contemporary Music Competition at the Aaron Copland School of Music (Queens College). His recordings span over 15 albums, including Derek Bermel’s Migrations (Naxos, 2019), which was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the category “Best Contemporary Classical Composition.”

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Dr. Gabric holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School and a Ph.D. in Musicology from The City University of New York. He taught at Juilliard’s preparatory division (2014–2021) and served as an adjunct lecturer at The City College of New York (2012–2020). Over his academic and professional career, he has received scholarships, stipends, and grants totaling nearly half a million USD. His doctoral dissertation offers a neo-Schenkerian and Formenlehre-informed analysis of John Coltrane’s blues-based works.

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A dedicated educator, Dr. Gabric has given lectures and masterclasses around the globe, and he is the author of several method books, musicological articles, and pedagogical materials. He was honored with the “Extraordinary Dedication and Achievement in Teaching Distinction” by the American Protégé International Competition at Carnegie Hall in 2019 and received the “Recognition for the Contribution to the Excellence in Music Pedagogy” from the Music and Stars International Competition in 2021.

Since 2018, he has directed the Carinthian International Jazz Award (www.carinthiajazz.com), which has drawn competitors from over 40 countries.

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Dr. Gabric’s latest album, Moving On, was released by Alessa Records in early 2024. He is a Henri SELMER Paris and D’Addario Woodwinds artist and currently serves as Associate Professor at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China.