Laurel Morgan, Violin*

 

Laurel Morgan earned her music degree in violin while studying violin at the Conservatory of Music- Kansas City. Since graduating she has played with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, arranged music for Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, and worked in the recording studio playing string parts for several projects ranging from pop music to movie scores. Morgan holds the position of Adjunct Instructor of Music at Cottey College while also teaching in the Early Strings program of the Kansas City Missouri School District. Morgan is a member of the groups In The Pines, Tree, and has recently toured Europe playing violin for the group In the Pines and is looking forward to going back overseas in 2009. Most recently Morgan has been involved in playing in the pit orchestra for theater performances.

Ben Parker, Violin*

 

Currently a member of the Des Moines Symphony, Ben Parker, has been playing violin since an early age. Early achievements included concert master positions in All-State, and All New England music festivals as well as holding a co-concert master post in the Vermont Youth Orchestra.

After attending the Meadowmount summer music program, for most of his high school years, Ben auditioned and was accepted into the Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist program where he completed high school and several years of his Bachelor of Music degree.

More recently, Ben finished his degree at UMKC under the tutelage of Benny Kim. While Ben attended UMKC he won a Kansas City Music guild award. Over the years he has also traveled back to Vermont for various chamber and solo appearances.

He has attended Encore School for Strings as well as the Chautauqua Music festival. His teachers have included Steven Rose, David Russell, Linda Cerone, Evelyn and TL Read, Peter Salaff, Jacques Isralevitch, Sally Thomas, and Anne Setzer among others. Ben currently lives in Kansas City with his wife LeAnn. He is studying with Ben Sayevich pursuing the Graduate Performance Certificate.

David Kovak, Viola*

 

David Kovac started to play violin at the age of four and later, at the Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava, decided to play viola. Mr. Kovac received a scholarship to the Longy School of Music in Boston, where he completed his Bachelor of Music degree. In 1998, he received a Graduate Teaching Assistantships in chamber music and orchestra at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst. Mr. Kovac was the principal violist of the UMass orchestra and played with many other orchestras in the Boston area. In 2001 he received his Master of Music degree from UMass—Amherst. In 2002 Mr. Kovac was offered a Graduate Assistantship at the University of Missouri—Kansas City, where he was a member of the Graduate String Quartet and is pursuing a doctoral degree in viola performance. His principal teachers include Pavel Vitek, Michelle LaCourse, and Charles Treger. Mr. Kovac has taught at the Dana Hall School of Music in Wellesley and the Brattleboro Music Center in Vermont and is currently teaching at the UMKC Music and Dance Academy.

 

Mark Stauffer, Cello*

 

Mark Stauffer, a native of Parsons, KS, began his music studies at the age of 7 in the local Suzuki violin program. He switched to the cello at the age of 15. Soon after the fated switch, he was accepted into the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy to complete his junior and senior years of high school. He recently graduated "Summa cum laude" from the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory. He is currently a member of the Helios Quartet which performs in various functions around the Kansas City Metro Area. An avid Francophile, Mark has spent the past three summers studying music and French in both France and Domaine Forget in Québec. Mark's principal and summer teachers have included such pedagogues as Carter Enyeart, Richard Aaron, Philippe Muller, Carole Sirois, Odile Bourin, Crispin Campbell and Dr. Carolann Martin. He has participated in Master Classes with Brian Manker and Philippe Muller. Mark is currently on the faculty of the Community Music and Dance Academy at UMKC.

Angela Diaw, Viola/Violin**

 

Angela is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Diaw earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in violin performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha as a Regent Scholar. She has performed with the Salina Kansas Symphony, Omaha Symphony and is a current member of the Lincoln Symphony in addition to her free lance work performing with a variety of artists. Mrs. Diaw has a private studio of 53 students. When she's not teaching, Angela enjoys spending time with her husband and three year old son.

Conrad Hulme, Piano**

 

Hulme has been playing the piano since the age of 5 and teaching professionally since the age of 21. He often performs with the Helios Quartet when a pianist is requested. Hulme won several area and regional solo piano competitions before studying under Robert Weirich at the UMKC Conservatory. Post college he taught piano at the University of Central Missouri and now teaches a private studio of 45 students. Recently Hulme has performed as an accompanist for the Alvin Ailely School of Dance and the Missouri All-State Music Festival. In most recent years Hulme has ventured away from performing strictly classical music to play and perform jazz in the Kansas City area.

Danny McGaw, Guitar**

 

A journeyman by circumstance and nature, Danny's path has taken him from his hometown of Manchester, England, to the Isle of Jersey, professional soccer career to the tenuous life of a Santa Monica street musician to an accomplished songwriter and producer in Los Angeles.  Danny approaches both his life and music with the gentle ferocity, guileless sensitivity, and meditative joy of a transient, of one who knows his time here is brief, and as he's passing through he means to absorb, process, and reflect all that this life has to offer.  Danny's life is the subject of his art, and his art is the Stuff of Life. 

Danny has been playing solo and with bands in clubs, bars, and restaurants for over 10 years.  Now based in Kansas City he  is currently a regular at O’Dowd’s on the Plaza, O’Dowd’s Zona Rosa, The Blue Moose Leawood, The Kansas City Public House, The Sunset Grill and often plays house concerts and private parties.

Danny’s set includes a wide variety of cover songs and originals.  Artists covered include:
The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Otis Redding, Dire Straits, Oasis, Eric Clapton, Bob Marley, Radiohead and The Beatles…just to name a few.

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*denotes permanent member.

**denotes Helios Quartet Affiliate