2021-2022 EPLC Members
Julia Bengtsson
Ibis Laurel Betancourt
Thomas Carroll
Chan Wei En
Theodore Cheek
Karin Cuellar
Teresa Deskur
Job Salazar Fonseca
Dominic Giardino, chair
Vidita Kanniks
Sophie Lowe
Shelby Mass
Ashley Mulcahy
Niccolo Seligmann
Leah Weitzner
Faces of EMA
Each week, new member of the Early Music community is featured on Instagram at @facesofema, a project coordinated by EPLC. You can nominate a friend or colleague using the ’21-’22 nomination form below.
EPLC Member Guidelines
- The EPLC will comprise a maximum of 15 members.
- Members will serve a 2-year term, renewable once for a 1-year term extension. (3-year term max)
- To be an EPLC member in good standing, members are expected to attend a minimum of three of the four quarterly Council meetings (August, November, February, and May) and actively participate in Council projects.
- Members should expect a commitment of four hours per month over 10 months each year.
- All council members receive a complimentary EMA Personal membership.
- Membership is not required at the time of application.
- EPLC members are invited to attend EMA Board meetings (in person or via Zoom), as observers; to participate in EMA Board training programs, and actively participate in Board committees.
- Candidates should be no older than 35 at time of application.
The EPLC is a committee of young professionals who serve the field of early music by working with the EMA staff and Board of Directors to encourage the development of programming and resources for emerging artists and professionals. Past EPLC projects include hosting networking events at the Boston, Berkeley and Bloomington Early Music Festivals, developing a resource packet for establishing a non-profit or ensemble, developing a fund to assist artists and ensembles with travel to EMA’s summer programming.
The EPLC is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility and building a diverse council.
Mission
The Emerging Professional Leadership Council (EPLC) provides young professionals valuable non-profit board experience by working alongside the board of Early Music America to support and advocate for the next generation of early music professionals, performers, scholars, patrons and enthusiasts in North America.
If you have comments or questions for members of EPLC, Contact EMA.
EPLC Members 2021-2022
Julia Bengtsson
I am a choreographer/dancer from Sweden. My productions span from 18th-century opera-ballets to contemporary dance works and have been presented at Carnegie Hall, UN Headquarters, Bruno Walter Auditorium, and Alvin Ailey Dance Center. I dance with the New York Baroque Dance Company led by my mentor Catherine Turocy.
Ibis Laurel Betancourt
I’m Ibis Laurel from Baja California, Mexico. I´m the founder and Artistic Director of the Camerata XXXI Non-profit, an emergent vocal & instrumental ensemble that brings to life some of the early music repertoire from Colonial America, in an attempt to better understand our musical past and history.
Thomas Carroll
I’m Thomas Carroll, a Boston-based historical clarinetist and instrument builder. I perform throughout North America and Europe with a repertoire ranging from baroque chalumeau to the symphonies of Brahms and Mahler.
Chan Wei En
I’m a countertenor from Singapore, now based in Boston. Apart from my work as a soloist, I’m a founder of my chamber choir, Carduus, and a song series featuring songs and stories outside the European canon. I enjoy the entire creation process from research to logistics to the stage!
Theodore Cheek
A lutenist, violinist, and opinionated video-essayist, I split my time with a resurgent career between performing and teaching, alongside a growing demand for web-based performances and video content. Although I remain based in Philadelphia, I have planned solo and ensemble appearances
ranging from Lewes, DE to Charleston, SC.
Karin Cuellar
I am a Bolivian historical violinist and scholar interested in researching and presenting non-euro-centered early music while recognizing the syncretism and connections with traditional music. I
studied Historical Performance at Case Western Reserve University, Royal Academy of Music and currently pursue a PhD i Musicology at McGill University with a research focus on 19th c. performance practices in South America using as a case study the music of Peruvian composer Pedro Ximenez Abrill Tirado.
Teresa Deskur
I’m a recorder player, horn player, and educator living in Baltimore, Maryland. I’m in my final year of studying Horn Performance and Music Education, and minoring in Historical Performance at Peabody Conservatory. I am also the co-founder of the Fanfare Youth Recorder Club and can’t wait to work with EPLC!
Job Salazar Fonseca
I’m an immigrant from Monterrey, Mexico. I started my music studies there and came to the USA for college and stayed in Boston. I teach violin and chamber music at the Powers Music School in Belmont, MA. I truly enjoy working with young musicians, I truly believe in the new generations.
Dominic Giardino
I am a historical clarinetist and arts administrator currently based in New Haven, CT. When I’m not clarineting or wearing my hat as executive director of Arizona Early Music, I spend a decent amount of time exploring the intersections of military life and music making in the Atlantic World.
Vidita Kanniks
I am a vocalist and educator based in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was drawn to Historical Performance for its
collaborative nature. I believe music is a vehicle for human beings to connect and share emotions greater than that which can be expressed through any other medium.
Sophie Lowe
Hi! I am a Baroque violinist who trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England in period performance. I was born in South Dakota but am now based in Washington, D.C. Currently, I am researching early music being composed and performed in the United States before 1820.
Shelby Mass
I am a baroque violinist and scholar currently based in Bloomington, Indiana, where I received my MM in baroque violin from IU’s Historical Performance Institute. I am passionate about helping dismantle elitist entities and canonistic strongholds in our field, and am currently researching improvisation and folk influences in 18th-century English and Scottish chamber music.
Ashley Mulcahy
I am a recent graduate of the Voxtet Program at the Yale School of Music and reside in the Boston area. I’ve sung with ensembles including Bach Collegium Japan, NYS Baroque, Newberry Consort, Music at Marsh Chapel, and Handel + Haydn Society. I also co-direct Lyracle, a voice and viol ensemble.
Niccolo Seligmann
I perform early music (Alkemie, The Broken Consort, Hesperus, Washington Bach Consort), noise improv (Feb 2020 solo gamba album Kinship), and multitrack early instruments for soundtracks (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Firaxis Games), from the confluence of Piscataway & Susquehannock lands, commonly known as Maryland. I queer early music by highlighting Othered traditions.
Leah Weitzner
I am a mezzo-soprano and viola da gamba player based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal, Quebec). I perform with a variety of early music ensembles, most often with vocal-quartet Toni Precari and self-accompanying Duo Petalo. I am currently in my first year of a Masters in Musicology at McGill University focusing on Renaissance and early-Baroque performance practice and oral traditions.