ABOUT MARKO TOPCHII

Marko Topchii, a renowned classical guitarist born into a musical family in Ukraine in 1991, has garnered widespread acclaim for his exceptional talent and numerous competition victories. With over 100 awards in international classical guitar competitions, including First Prizes in prestigious events such as the International Guitar Competition Francisco Tarrega and the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in New York, Marko has established himself as a one of a kind musician in the classical guitar world.

Marko’s performances have graced some of the most esteemed venues worldwide including Carnegie Hall (New York), the Salle Cortot (Paris) and Yamaha Ginza Hall (Tokyo). His collaborations with orchestras, spanning more than 15 concertos for guitar and orchestra, showcase his depth and flexibility as a guitarist.

Beginning his guitar studies at the age of four under Volodymyr Homenyuk, Marko went on to graduate from the Kharkiv Conservatory and pursue advanced studies under notable mentors like Volodymyr Dotsenko and Yuri Aleksik. In 2018, he joined the professional studies programme of the San Francisco Conservatory in the class of Judicaël Perroy, with whom he continued his studies at Haute Ecole de Musique de Geneve as part of the Master Soloiste programme.

Common hour performance featuring saxophone quartet ~Nois. Q&A to follow the performance.

ABOUT ~NOIS

Take your preconceived notions of ‘noise’ and toss them out the window. Equal parts “fiendishly good and fiendishly goofy” (Chicago Tribune), ~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to connecting with diverse audiences through the creation of new work. Since its founding in 2016, “~Nois continues to legitimize the saxophone quartet as a premiere ensemble formation for classical music” (Brutal New Music) through commissioning repertoire that is thought-provoking, engaging, and honestly just really good, by some of today's most inspiring compositional voices. 

Hailed as “technically superb and musically brilliant” (Cleveland Classical) the ensemble has been awarded top prizes at numerous prestigious chamber music competitions including the M-Prize International Arts Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and have presented over 130 performances spanning 24 states. With more than 100 world premieres to date, the members of ~Nois have had the privilege of working closely with some of the world’s leading voices in composition including Nico Muhly, Augusta Read Thomas, Shelley Washington, among others.

~Nois’ recorded output boasts a wide variety of genres and styles, including their debut album “Is This ~Nois”, which was heralded as “fresh and intense” (The Whole Note) The group’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “Kinds of ~Nois”, will be releasing in March of 2024 on the label Bright Shiny Things, in collaboration with the composer collective Kinds of Kings. 

~Nois is János Csontos (he/him), Julian Velasco (he/him), Jordan Lulloff (he/him), and Hunter Bockes (he/him). For more information, visit www.noissaxophone.com

ABOUT ~NOIS

Take your preconceived notions of ‘noise’ and toss them out the window. Equal parts “fiendishly good and fiendishly goofy” (Chicago Tribune), ~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to connecting with diverse audiences through the creation of new work. Since its founding in 2016, “~Nois continues to legitimize the saxophone quartet as a premiere ensemble formation for classical music” (Brutal New Music) through commissioning repertoire that is thought-provoking, engaging, and honestly just really good, by some of today's most inspiring compositional voices. 

Hailed as “technically superb and musically brilliant” (Cleveland Classical) the ensemble has been awarded top prizes at numerous prestigious chamber music competitions including the M-Prize International Arts Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and have presented over 130 performances spanning 24 states. With more than 100 world premieres to date, the members of ~Nois have had the privilege of working closely with some of the world’s leading voices in composition including Nico Muhly, Augusta Read Thomas, Shelley Washington, among others.

~Nois’ recorded output boasts a wide variety of genres and styles, including their debut album “Is This ~Nois”, which was heralded as “fresh and intense” (The Whole Note) The group’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “Kinds of ~Nois”, will be releasing in March of 2024 on the label Bright Shiny Things, in collaboration with the composer collective Kinds of Kings. 

~Nois is János Csontos (he/him), Julian Velasco (he/him), Jordan Lulloff (he/him), and Hunter Bockes (he/him). For more information, visit www.noissaxophone.com

Danielle Vergara is a fourth-year voice major from Augusta, GA pursuing a degree in music therapy. This will be her third year as a student ambassador. She has been a member of the Treble Choir, Repertory Singers, UGA Choral Project, and is currently in the Hodgson Singers. She is a part of Sigma Alpha Iota and serves as Co-Program-Chair, is in the Music Therapy Student Association and serves as the Social Media Chair (follow @ugamtsa!), and is a member of the Filipino Student Association.

Shelby (she/her) is a fourth-year Music Therapy major from Dallas, GA. She is studying voice under Dr. Anne Ivey and is an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota and MTSA. Outside of the music school, she is heavily involved with Athens church as a volunteer small group leader for 6th grade girls and student ministry worship leader. Shelby hopes to be a welcoming, comforting, and encouraging face for those applying to HHSOM who may come from various musical backgrounds.

Jorjana is a second year Music Education major here at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. She is a member of the Percussion Studio, and you can find her playing in multiple ensembles across the SOM, including the UGA Percussion Ensemble and Symphonic Band. She is a member of the Athens Percussion Outreach Program where she volunteers her time to teach basic percussion to students in the Athens-Clarke County Area. Outside of music, Jorjana serves as a Dawg Camp counselor assisting first year students in their transition into college.

Ian Harding is a fourth-year music student at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. He is pursuing a B.M. in music education as a bass trombonist, alongside a B.A. in music for voice. On top of his studies as a double music major, Ian is actively involved in the musical theatre performance certificate program. During his career at the School of Music, he has participated in many diverse ensembles and performances. These include: Hodgson Singers, Redcoat Marching Band, Trombone Choir, Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble, Men’s Glee Club, and more!

Phoebe Feibus is a second-year B.M. Music Performance student studying voice in Dr. Knight’s studio. A film and television fan, she is also pursuing a Film and Media Scoring Certificate. For her score of the short film After Years, she received an “Award of Excellence in Music” from the Southern Shorts Awards. Phoebe has enjoyed being a part of Women’s Glee Club, Repertory Singers, and Hodgson Singers ensembles as well as being a member of the UGA ACDA chapter.

Aidan Eclavea (he/him), a native of Martinez, GA, is a passionate vocalist, saxophonist, and conductor entering his third year as a double major in BM Music Education and AB Music at the University of Georgia. He currently studies voice with Dr. Amy Petrongelli and saxophone with Dr. Brandon Quarles. Through his studies, he has been a member of the UGA Wind Symphony, the UGA Men’s Glee Club, and the Hodgson Singers. He also currently performs with the Ducks Here We Come Saxophone Quartet and the Chapel Bells Barbershop Quartet.

Hi my name is Zaria Doss and I am a Music Education Major looking to further my understanding of music in order to pass it on to others so that they can know and love music as much as I do. I have been singing since I was about 3 years old and I’ve been playing guitar since I was 13 years old. Over the years I have had exceptional musical experiences that have helped me find my place in the world and I want to help others achieve the same!