Michael Strauss

Michael Strauss studied at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Mr. Strauss has performed as a concerto soloist with South Africa's main orchestras and has been featured by the South African Broadcasting Company.  He headed the accompanying department at the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg and is currently a member of the faculty at the New England Conservatory's Opera Program.

                                       Xoxi Mendez

Xoxi Mendez has performed as soloist in some of the most important cultural cities of the US such as New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston. She is known to bring new and refreshing interpretation to opera and to standard repertoire. Knowledgeable in seven languages she has extensively performed music from all over the world. Recently she was interviewed by the radio station Payam -e- Doost. The interview, where Xoxi talked about the role of music in our changing world, was aired in the Americas and Iran.

                                      Nikan Milani

Composer and Pianist Nikan Milani was born in Detroit, Michigan but was raised in Tehran, Iran.  In 1991 he was invited by the University of Tehran to present the first Western classical music concert at the university since the revolution.  He co-founded the National Baha'i Choir in Iran, a group of singers for whom he wrote choral works. Besides his choral pieces he has written chamber music, three piano sonatas and a number of songs. In the US he has performed solo concerts at the University of Maryland and in Boston.