Chris Burgess - Percussion

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where he started

music at the very young age of 3 in this church's pre-school

music program.  Chris became involved in world music during his undergraduate work at Indiana University, where he helped develop and participate in the first steel drum ensemble in the university's history. 

Chris also explored and developed skills in other types of

world percussion including various Latin American and West

African styles.  MuzikoMonda serves as an outlet for Chris and is

an ensemble that opens minds to the all-encompassing

influence music has on people.  Chris feels that world music

promotes understanding of the similarities between all cultures.
Christ is currently finishing his Masters work at

The Boston Conservatory.

 

 

 

Eric Gaudette - Guitar 

Eric, of Massachusetts, has been active in music since the age

of 10, when he began playing trombone for the school band.

At the age of 12 he made the switch from trombone to guitar, which

he has played ever since. Being home-schooled through high school,

Eric had the advantage of making his own schedule for plenty of

practice time, both solo and in groups. At age 17, he took on the

classical guitar and the following year began studying at The

Boston Conservatory. In his sophomore year, Eric joined the group

Muziko Monda as a replacement for the original guitarist for their

performance at the World Peace Forum hosted by the AFS at

Columbia University.  Thereafter he became a full-time member.

Eric is currently a guitar/bass teacher at Dracut Music Centre in

Dracut, Massachusetts and is looking forward to entering his

junior year at The Boston Conservatory.

 

 

 

Kett Chuan Lee - Cello
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kett Chuan began cello

lessons at the age of sixteen.  In 2007, he earned an

undergraduate diploma from The Boston Conservatory

under Rhonda Rider, and is pursuing his graduate diploma

currently at the Longy School of Music under Mihail Jojatu. 

Lee won second prize in the HSBC Concerto Competition in

Malaysia in 2007.  Since 2004, Lee has been the recipient of

the Yayasan Seni Berdaftar (YSB) scholarship, which sponsors

his education and living expenses in Boston.  He has been

invited to perform recitals and chamber music concerts every

summer in Malaysia. Lee has been heard in summer music

festivals such as the National Orchestral Institute, Asian Youth

Orchestra, and the Canton International Music Festival.

 

 

 

Asako Okamoto - Marimba
Okamoto began studying percussion at the age of twelve

and marimba at the age of fifteen.  She has competed in

numerous events internationally, such as the Japan Percussion

Society 20th Percussion Solo Competition in 2004 which won

her 1st Place, and the Young Artist Award which followed

a performance in Tokyo, Japan.  Okamoto also won The Boston

Conservatory Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition in 2006.
Okamoto has studied under John Grimes, David Herbert, 

Patrick Hollenbeck, Sam Solomon, Shiori Tanaka, and

Nancy Zeltsman. She is currently studying at

The Boston Conservatory.

 

 

 

Tomina Parvanova - Harp
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1985, Parvanova entered

the National Music School L. Pipkov at the age of eleven,

where she studied harp under Kohar Andonian and later

with Professor Malina Hristova at the National Music Academy

P. Vladigerov. Parvanova took first place in the Young Virtuoso

International Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria and also in the

School Festival of Music, Theater and Cinema in Pachino, Italy. 
Parvanova performs regularly with The Boston Conservatory

Symphony Orchestra, Musical Theater and Opera Orchestras,

the Wind Ensemble, Longwood Symphony Orchestra, MIT

Symphony Orchestra, and is an active member of the Musicales

Concert Series at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is

currently attending The Boston Conservatory with a full

tuition scholarship as a student of Cynthia Price-Glynn.

 

 

 

Cynthia Price-Glynn - Director of MuzikoMonda
Originally a native of Wichita, Kansas, Price-Glynn received her bachelor degrees at Pomona College for visual arts and at the University of Kansas in harp performance, and  her Masters in Music degree from the New England Conservatory in harp performance.
For many years she was a freelance musician in Boston playing in all the major orchestras and ensembles as well as in the musical theaters, and touring Broadway shows and ballet companies.  Since 1976 she has been Principal and Solo Harpist with Boston Ballet; and, since 1986, Chair of the Harp Department at The Boston Conservatory teaching harp, chamber music, pedagogy, career skills, and creative musicianship.
     Her recordings include the award-winning "Lullabies" and "Musical Backgrounds", three CDs with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, and two CDs with the highly acclaimed Latin American ensemble ANDANZAS. 

     As Co-Founder and Executive Director of the GentleMUSES (see www.gentlemuses.org), she coordinates a consortium of harpists who play therapeutic music at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  In February 2006, Ms. Price-Glynn was invited to be an associate member of The National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians, a group of pioneers and professionals in the movement that is creating standards of practice for programs that train therapeutic musicians. 

     Since the late 1980s, Cynthia has researched, written, directed, and produced audio-programs which have been funded by The American Truths Foundation, Inc. since 2002 (see www.americantruths.com).  Her collaborations for the albums on history and human rights include the New England Native American Institute and the United Nations Association of Greater Boston.  She also has collaborated with the Roland Hayes School of Music (a Boston public high school) for the "Everyone is Beautiful" CD album and book that complement her KindredCOLORS exhibit (see www.kindredcolors.org).
     Since September 2006, Price-Glynn has been the faculty coach for The Boston Conservatory's world music ensemble, MuzikoMonda.