Musical Instrumentation

Bruce Bednarsky

Electric Bass - Guitar

Bruce Bednarsky resides in Huntington and is a Music Specialist at East Shore Middle School, Milford, CT, where he is a Choral Director for the Freedom Singers and the Dophinaires. Bruce performs regularly in area productions and is a private instructor of guitar and electric bass. Before accepting his current position, Mr. Bednarsky taught at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport. He was the former Administrator for the Sacred Heart University String School and Music Preparatory Division. Mr. Bednarsky is currently the Director/Administrator for the Performing Arts Center of Connecticut located in Trumbull. His music preparatory division offers private instruction in voice, piano, guitar, electric and acoustic bass, woodwinds, strings and brass. Bruce is the author of Basically Bass, published by Warner Bros Music and recently completed Basses Loaded, his second methods book. He is principal guitarist for the Fairfield County Children's Choir, 3 in Accord, Shelton High School Drama Department , The Youth Connection and is a freelance studio performing guitarist and electric bassist.

Mr. Bednarsky has performed with Bob Hope, Enzo Stuarti, The Turtles, The Grass Roots, Linc Chamberlain and Sal Savador. He is featured on recordings with Benny Rae, Fairfield County Children’s Choir and the Staples Players. He is the only Connecticut educator that is on the Teacher’s Advisory Board for Music Alive publication. Bruce holds a B.S. in Music Education and Performance from the University of Bridgeport, an M.A. in Education from Sacred Heart University and is a member of CMEA, MEA and is a COI Fender Guitarist.

Marilyn Jones

Piano

Marilyn Jones, a native of Indiana, has been a resident of Connecticut since 1970 when she moved here from the Chicago area. She took her private piano studies with Carl Atkinson of Chicago and Dr. J ohn Carre of the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and classical organ training in Indiana. She has also studied theory, counterpoint and composition under Dr. David Barnett and Harold Dart at the University of Bridgeport

Since moving to Connecticut, she has been the musical director and accompanist for many theater productions in Fairfield County, including Downtown Cabaret and The Missoula Children's Theater at Fairfield University.

She is presently organist/pianist at the United Methodist Church of Monroe, where she also teaches piano as well as maintaining a private piano studio. In addition, Marilyn is the accompanist for the Norwalk Community Choral and the Greens Farms Academy Lower and Upper School Choral Program. Ms. Jones is very interested in composing and has written the score for two musicals, "Our Hero" and "Babes In Hollywood".

Charles Wade

Vocal Coach - Accompanist - Piano

Charles Wade has been a musical director, accompanist, teacher and vocal coach for over twenty years. He is equally at home in musical theatre, as well as classical, contemporary and liturgical music. Charles has been the musical director for over seventy productions throughout the United States. His credits include such diverse work as George M to Sunday in the Park with George. He has musically directed industrials, cabaret, classical recitals and church music. Recently his credits include Once On This Island, South Pacific, The Secret Garden, and evening of classics by noted scenic designer Leo Meyer, and performing Carmina Burana at the Norwalk Concert Hall. For the last eight years Charles has been seen in the ongoing role of Mike Miller in the annual Christmas Show at the Spinning Wheel Inn. He has been the musical director for showsat Playhouse on the Green, The White Barn Theater, The Edgerton Center, Fairfield University and Curtain Call Theatre.

Originally from Baltimore, Charles is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory’s Preparatory School, Furman University and Towson State University. He studied piano with Mary Winchester, Ruby Morgan and Ernestine Smith; conducting with Bingham Vick and Vincent Lawrence; and musical theatre and vocal coaching with Karen Gustafson, the first woman to conduct on Broadway. He met Ms. Gustafson when they were on the faculty of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan.

Charles now lives in Bridgeport where he teaches piano privately and coaches singers on audition and song preparation. He is also the Music Director/Organist for the Golden Hill United Methodist Church in Bridgeport. You can often see Charles with his three very understanding dachshunds as they take him for a walk around St. Mary’s by the Sea

Josh Bednarsky

Actor - Singer - Pianist

Mr. Bednarsky graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts with a Minor in Musical Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College. Josh is a member of Actors' Equity Association. While in College in Manhattan, Josh was first exposed to the acting methods of Stanisklavski and Boleslavsky, through Debra Wiley Hart, who was an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College. By chance, he met Julia Rand, an acolyte of the late Uta Hagen, who now serves as his private acting coach.

Josh was on a National Tour of Seussical the Musical as the Mayor of Whoville and most recently played Gus Field in Babes In Arms in Tamworth, NH at the Barnstormers Theatre. Josh has musically directed A Night at The Movies 1 & 2, with the Performing Arts Center of CT. Josh is a former member of the Fairfield Country Children's Choir Chamber Singers, where he was privileged to tour Washington D.C. and Canada and perform with the Connecticut Grand Opera working with Charles Strouse and Barbara Simon, and at Carnegie Hall. He played Freddie Trumper in CHESS, Willard in FOOTLOOSE, Marius in the CT World Premiere of Les Miserables, under the direction of Gary and Francesca Scarpa and as Tommy in Rob Kennedy's mounting of THE WHO'S TOMMY, the show that signaled his departure from the small town to the big city.

He lives and works in New York City, and resides in Harlem with 9 roommates.

Milton Beisiegel

Acoustic Bass

Milton Beisiegel, double bassist, is Principal player of both The New Haven and Bridgeport Symphonies. He attended the New England Conservatory of Music and continued studies with George Moleux of the Boston Symphony, Samuel Levitan of the New York Philharmonic and the late William Rhein of both New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestras. In addition to his former association as instructor of double bass at the University of Bridgeport and Principal Bassist with The Connecticut Grand Opera, Mr. Beisiegel has performed the Dittersdorf Concerto for double bass with the New Haven Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Recent solo performances include Mozart’s “Per questa bella mano” with the Fairfield County Chorale. This music was composed for bass singer, double bassist and orchestra. Mozart treats both soloists as virtuosi, asking the double bassist for plentiful double-stops in thirds, rapid scales, arpeggios and wide leaps. Mr. Beisiegel has recently acquired and “Arvi” double bass and continues his daily practice and delights in exploring the literature of Bottesini.

Liz Austin

Violin

Ms. Austin has studied both Suzuki and Traditional methods of Violin for the past eight years. Liz is an active participant in the Bridgeport Youth Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Austin is first violinist in the Principle Orchestra and was the Principle second violinist in Symphony Orchestra. She has recently auditioned for the Western Regional Orchestra. Liz has attended the Western Connecticut State University Summer String Camp for two years, and was awarded a full scholarship for "most dedicated" player. In addition to attending camps, she has been a camp staff member for the Trumbull Public String Cam, where she taught both privates and ensembles. Ms. Austin has played at various weddings, parties, and shows, in addition to playing at Crossroad Community Church, weekly. Currently, Ms. Austin is studying with Tim Baker.

Miriam Giannone

Violin - Strings

Miriam Giannone has been a violinist, violist and strings teacher in Connecticut for twenty years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, and a Master of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music. She is a former member of the Rochester, New York Philharmonic. Currently she is a member of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra and formerly a member of the Norwalk and Ridgefield Symphonies. Her Chamber music experience includes the Kentucky String Quartet, the Wesleyan Trio, and the Connecticut String Quartet, with which she performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. representing the State of Connecticut. Ms. Giannone has toured in Europe and Mexico with the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra and has taught in several area public schools.

Jon Blanck

Sax - Clarinet - Flute - Jazz Piano

Jon Blanck graduated in Spring of 2005 from Western Connecticut State University with a BM in Jazz Performance on the saxophone. He has been a member of a number of bands such as Hindu Kush, Blanck Stare, Hot Soup, Emerge, Buzzhound, Funk Revolution Orchestra, Father Frank Blues Band, Varsity Squad and the JCQ and has opened for groups/leaders such as: John Scofield, Dianne Schurr, Los Angeles Guitar Ensemble, Bombsquad, Dave Holland, Phil Woods, Parliament Funkadellic. Jon is a regular sub in the New York Edge Orchestra, one of the leading privately hired bands in New York City and has also served as a substitute in organizations such as the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz Stars Big Band. He has been privately teaching piano and saxophone lessons for 8 years and gives clinics and master classes at high schools and middle schools in Connecticut. Jon has been the recipient of many awards such as the Scholar Leader Award (2001), Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellency from the Marine Corps. (2001), Louis Armstrong Jazz Award (2001). Musicianship Award from the Greater Bridgeport Symphony (2001), 4 time recipient of the James Furman Award (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), Student Leader Recognition Award (2003), and Best Soloist Award at the Villanova Jazz Festival in Pennsylvania. (2004). He plans to further his education and go on to graduate school.