This Year's Performers
Read below about Michael Gilbertson, artistic director, and about the ChamberFestDBQ guest artists who will perform in our 2020 VIRTUAL event.
Michael  Gilbertson 
Artistic Director of ChamberFestDBQ
Michael Gilbertson is a composer whose works have been described as "elegant" and "particularly beautiful" by The New York Times, "vivid, tightly woven" and "delectably subtle" by the Baltimore Sun, and "genuinely moving" by the Washington Post. He studied composition at The Juilliard School and at Yale. Michael's orchestral works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony. His choral pieces include works published by Boosey & Hawkes and G. Schirmer. His one-act opera, Breaking, was commissioned by the Washington National Opera and premiered at The Kennedy Center in 2013. His most recent work, a string quartet for the Verona Quartet, was premiered at Carnegie Hall in February, 20 17 .
The 2020 line-up of 
guest artists
Bridget Pasker, cello
Cellist Bridget Pasker is a passionate chamber musician and performer. A native of Dubuque, she is a founding member of the Thalea String Quartet. While she was completing her studies at The Juilliard School, Bridget discovered a true passion for outreach and music education. During her time at that institution, she was selected as a Gluck Community Service Fellow, which led her to performances at care centers in the New York City area. Bridget has continued this dedication throughout the Bay Area in a similar program out of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She also has a teaching studio at the Mid Peninsula Music Academy in Redwood City, CA. Bridget holds a Bachelors degree from The Juilliard School and Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Bridget has performed in many countries of the world, including the US, Canada, Italy, and France.
David Fung, piano
Described as “stylish and articulate” in the New York Times and having “superstar qualities” by Le Libre, pianist David Fung is widely recognized for performances that are elegant and refined, yet intensely poetic and uncommonly expressive.  Mr. Fung regularly appears with the world’s premier ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. As a recitalist, Mr. Fung has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. He is a frequent guest of major festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival. The first piano graduate of the prestigious Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, Mr. Fung has also studied at the Yale School of Music. He is a Steinway Artist and currently serves on the faculty at the University of Georgia.
Libby Fayette, violin

Starting at the age of ten, Ms. Fayette began going to the Juilliard Pre-College Division, moved over to the Curtis Institute of Music for a Bachelor degree, then back to Juilliard for a Masters and Artist Diploma. She has studied with Arnold Steinhardt, Pamela Frank and Shmuel Ashkenasi at Curtis, and Sylvia Rosenberg at Juilliard. She credits each teacher, in their distinct ways, for modeling a life in music full of integrity, curiosity, the highest standards and a lasting love of the art form. 

 “...she produced a ravishing sweet sound in the opening Andante, where the solo violin draws swirling patterns over the thickening orchestral texture. She played with great poise... with a chamber musician’s attention to the interplay of melodic lines and the expressive color of each harmony.” — The New York Times

Evan Saddler, percussion

Percussionist and artistic producer Evan Saddler is the mind and stick behind interdisciplinary, experiential performances that provoke interaction, dialogue, and connection. A winner of international percussion competitions, Mr. Saddler is one of contemporary music’s most highly sought after artists. Currently performing with Miami’s genre-bending chamber orchestra Nu Deco Ensemble, his performance career includes appearances with Grammy-winning musicians. Also well-regarded in classical settings, Mr. Saddler has performed with organizations such as the New World Symphony among many others. Mr. Saddler is grateful for his pedagogues, who include Glen Velez and Joseph Gramley. He holds diplomas from the Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Michigan, and The Juilliard School.

Anthony Trionfo, flute

Anthony Trionfo was recently praised as a “breezily virtuosic flutist” by the New York Times after his New York concerto debut with a performance of the Ibert Flute Concerto with the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s in May 2019. Hailed as “a musician of prodigious talent and scintillating personality” by Oberon’s Grove after his New York recital debut in March 2018, Anthony has continued to bring his love of music to diverse audiences around the world. Mr. Trionfo won First Prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and he received the further distinction of being the first YCA artist to win the inaugural LP Classics Debut Recording Prize. Committed to education and community engagement, Anthony has made a purpose of bringing music to all. Anthony completed both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, California under the tutelage of James Walker, former principal flute of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Bixby Kennedy, clarinet
Admired for his “suppleness and beauty of tone” (Portland Press Herald) Bixby Kennedy is one of the most versatile clarinetists of his generation. He has performed concerti with the Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Bloomington Sinfonietta, and Indiana University Symphony. As a chamber musician, Bixby has performed throughout the US and Europe in venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and The Kennedy Center. As an orchestral musician, Bixby currently holds titles as the Associate Principal Clarinetist of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and Albany Symphony, and the Principal Clarinetist of Symphony in C. He has appeared as a guest artist with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. On period instruments, Bixby performs classical repertoire on original and replica instruments throughout the US with Grand Harmonie Orchestra. He is an alumni of Carnegie Hall's Ensemble Connect and works as a teaching artist throughout New York City.