BCP Musicians

Trumpet

Neil Balm, trumpet

Neil Balm, a graduate of the Juilliard School, is co-principal trumpet of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and principal trumpet of both the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the New York Pops. Broadway credits include lead trumpet for several productions, including the entire thirteen-year run of Beauty and the Beast. He has performed as soloist at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and was a featured soloist on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center, performing the Stölzel Concerto.

Mr. Balm has recorded with the Canadian Brass; New York Trumpet Ensemble; music for television, radio, and over thirty major motion pictures; as well as Aaron Copland's Quiet City with the New York Chamber Symphony under the direction of Gerard Schwarz. Most recently, Neil recorded twelve PBS television shows with the All-Star Orchestra, comprising ninety-five of the top musicians from major orchestras across the country.

Richard Clymer, trumpet

Richard Clymer has been a freelance artist in the New York Metropolitan area for over thirty years. In that time he has appeared regularly with many of the city's finest ensembles such as the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, New York City Opera, American Symphony Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Opera Orchestra of New York, Erick Hawkins Dance Company, and in numerous Broadway shows.

Richard is currently principal trumpet with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and a member of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and New York Chamber Brass. He also serves as professor of trumpet at Western Connecticut State University and the SUNY Purchase School of Music.

Kenneth DeCarlo, trumpet

Trumpeter Kenneth DeCarlo has performed, toured, and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Saito Kinen Orchestra, and other prestigious ensembles throughout the New York City area. Kenneth has played in numerous Broadway shows, served as principal trumpet in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, and was a featured soloist for eighteen years with the New York Symphonic Ensemble on tours of Japan and Southeast Asia.

Currently a member of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, Mr. DeCarlo, a native New Yorker, is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music.

John Sheppard, trumpet

John Sheppard has been an active freelance trumpet player in New York City for thirty years, currently serving as a member of the American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra of New York, and performing regularly with such groups as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

John can currently be heard playing principal trumpet in the Broadway revival of On the Town. Other Broadway credits include a six-and-a-half-year run as principal trumpet in the orchestra of Mary Poppins, as well as engagements with Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Nine, The Phantom of the Opera, and Beauty and the Beast. He has also recorded for radio, film, and television; most notably, John can be heard on the PBS documentary Medal of Honor.

Mr. Sheppard has co-produced two recordings with New York Symphonic Brass and three recordings with the Metropolitan Opera Brass, acting as conductor, arranger, and performer. His arrangements for brass ensemble—which received critical praise from the New York Times—have been performed and recorded by the MET Opera Brass, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, New York Symphonic Brass, Meridian Arts Ensemble, and the Atlantic Brass Quintet.

French horn

Shelagh Abate, French horn

Shelagh Abate currently serves as principal horn with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 1999, and has also performed as principal of City Music Cleveland, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Opera North, the National Repertory Orchestra, and was a fellow at Tanglewood Music Center.

In New York, Ms. Abate has become a freelance artist in high demand. She performs on a regular basis with the American Ballet Theatre, Opera Orchestra of New York, Wind Soloists of New York, New York Choral Society, Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral work, Shelagh has played for more than a dozen Broadway productions, including The Woman in White, South Pacific, Mary Poppins, Evita, Little Miss Sunshine, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

Lawrence DiBello, French horn

Hornist Lawrence DiBello performs extensively in the New York Metro area, currently serving as a member of the New York Symphonic Brass, principal horn in both the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and Stamford Symphony, and as a member of the American Symphony and Westchester Philharmonic. As a freelancer, Lawrence makes frequent appearances with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. He has been a member of numerous Broadway show orchestras throughout his career—most notably performing in the productions of Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Nine, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot, and the revivals of Oklahoma! and Fiddler on the Roof.

Trombone

Paul Bellino, trombone

Trombonist Paul Bellino maintains an active schedule as both teacher and performer, having led master classes and performed across the country throughout his career. Mr. Bellino's performances include recordings and tours with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Brass, Cincinnati Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Montreal Symphony, as well as a roster of soundtrack recordings which recently include The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Noah.

In addition to his work as principal trombonist with the Peninsula Music Festival (WI) and second trombonist with both the Springfield Symphony (MA) and Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Mr. Bellino also has an extensive private studio and is the trombone instructor at Vassar College.

Thomas Hutchinson, trombone

Thomas Hutchinson is one of the leading trombonists in New York City and across the U.S., serving as principal trombone with New York City Opera since 2002 and as an extra with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra on tenor and alto trombone, bass trumpet, and tenor tuba. Additionally, he is currently principal trombonist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, second trombonist with the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and has also performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and many other New York–based ensembles.

Broadway credits include Cats, The King and I, Candide, 1776, The Sound of Music, A Chorus Line, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Urinetown: The Musical. Thomas has played on several motion-picture soundtracks, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Noah, as well as many television and radio jingles and NFL Films soundtracks. He is currently on the trombone faculty of New York University.

Jeffrey Caswell, bass trombone

Jeffrey Caswell enjoys a diverse career in New York City performing with the Metropolitan Opera, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Amici New York, New York City Chamber Orchestra, Stamford Symphony, Little Orchestra Society, American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and the orchestra at Radio City Music Hall. Jeffrey has held the bass trombone chair in the American Symphony Orchestra for over twenty years, and has played in numerous Broadway shows both as a substitute and contract member, including Grand Hotel, The King and I, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins.

In addition to myriad recordings with the American Symphony Orchestra now available on iTunes, Jeffrey's playing can be heard on David Byrne and St. Vincent's brassy, Grammy-nominated Love This Giant, and the Metropolitan Opera Brass's three popular album releases.

Tuba

Morris Kainuma, tuba

Morris Kainuma currently holds the principal tuba chair with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and is a member of the orchestra at The Lion King, with previous Broadway credits including the 1999 revival of Annie Get Your Gun, Dance of the Vampires, the 2003 revival of Gypsy, and Shrek the Musical. Morris has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Percussion

Charles Descarfino, percussion

New York–based percussionist Charles Descarfino has performed with a diverse group of ensembles which include the American Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, New York City Ballet Orchestra, EOS Orchestra, Speculum Musicae, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Additionally he has performed on stage with Alanis Morrissette, Cyndi Lauper, Roberta Flack, and Idina Menzel.

Charles has performed as percussionist for the Broadway productions of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess with Audra MacDonald, Follies, Baby It's You, Elf the Musical, Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein, Sweet Charity with Christina Applegate, Thoroughly Modern Millie, City of Angels—where he also served as assistant conductor—The Who's Tommy, Titanic, Suessical the Musical, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Threepenny Opera at Studio 54, Les Misérables, and is currently percussionist for the revival of On the Town at the Lyric Theater.

Daniel Haskins, percussion

Percussionist Daniel Haskins is currently the principal percussionist of the Opera Orchestra of New York and Stamford Symphony, timpanist of the American Classical Orchestra, and percussionist in the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Daniel performed for many years as a percussionist with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra playing for the Christmas Spectacular, Easter Extravaganza, and other shows at the iconic venue. Broadway credits include The Woman in White and Mary Poppins. Along with his performing duties, Daniel is also personnel manager for the Opera Orchestra of New York and was the orchestra contractor for Il Divo - A Musical Affair on Broadway.

Organ

James D. Wetherald, organ

James D. Wetherald has been minister of music at First Presbyterian Church (the Fish Church) in Stamford, Connecticut, since 1978, and has maintained a close association with New York Symphonic Brass since the mid-1980s, after first meeting trumpeter John Sheppard. Jim's book, Highland Cathedral, for bagpipe and organ, was published in 2001—a selection from which will be performed in the October Broadway Chambers Players concert, in a new arrangement by Sheppard. In 2008 James and the New York Symphonic Brass produced the album Fish Church Noel, featuring many of the John Sheppard arrangements from their years of frequent collaboration.

Mark Pacoe, organ

Mark Pacoe has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, China, and Australia, with career highlights including solo performances at the Sydney Opera House, Oriental Arts Center (Shanghai), St. Paul's Cathedral (London), organ festivals in Vienna, Amsterdam, Pistoia/Florence, Paris, and many other domestic series in Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee. Mr. Pacoe is in demand as an adjudicator for organ competitions including the 1er Concours International d'Orgue in Saint-Julien-du-Sault, 2nd Concorso Internazionale di Interpretazione Organistica "Agati-Tronci," the George Markey Scholarship, AGO Region I RCYO Competition, and the John Rodland Scholarship.

Mr. Pacoe serves as director of music for St. Malachy's – The Actors' Chapel and artistic director of the acclaimed Concerts at St. Malachy's series, located in the heart of New York's Theater District. In 2013, Cardinal Dolan appointed Mark to the music commission for the Archdiocese of New York. He is a member of the East West Organists roster.