Charlyn Bethell - Oboe

Charlyn Bethell plays recitals and chamber music throughout the New England area.  She has performed with Monadnock Music, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Music, New Hampshire Symphony, and the Opera Company of Boston.  She was a founding member of the New Art Winds (woodwind quintet), which made its New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall in 1985.  Ms. Bethell has performed world and local premieres by several composers including Thomas Oboe Lee, Andy Vores, and Hayes Biggs; she continues to commission new works by area composers.  Ms. Bethell has recorded for CRI. 

In addition to performing, she teaches General Music to grades K-5 in the Concord Public Schools.  She is an Endorsed Trainer for Education through Movement:  Building the Foundation,  and teaches Kodaly Pedagogy and Materials at the Kodaly Music Institute of New England Conservatory.  Her educational background includes undergraduate degrees in music performance and education from Western Washington University, a diploma from Det Jydsk Musikkonservatorium in Aarhus, Denmark, a Master¹s degree in Education from Cambridge College, and a certificate from the Kodaly Center of America. 

Dan Shaud - French Horn


Dan Shaud is a hornist, composer and teacher in the Bostonarea. He has performed with the Boston Philharmonic, the Nashua Symphony, the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, and is a member of the Solar Winds Woodwind Quintet.  He has a strong interest in contemporary music and has premiered many new works with the Solar Winds and other chamber ensembles. His improvisation ensemble, the Know Trio, performs original and spontaneous works regularly in the Bostonarea.  He teaches horn, theory and chamber music at the Rivers Music School in Weston, Massachusetts.  He is also the organist for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Westwood, Massachusetts.  He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory and the New England Conservatory.  His teachers include Douglas Hill, Jay Wadenpfuhl and James Sommerville.

Mark Margolies - Clarinet

Hailed as “a virtuoso player” by The Boston Globe, Mark Margolies is a freelance musician and music teacher living in the Boston area.  He can be found playing clarinet and bass clarinet in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout New England, as well as playing clarinets, saxophones, bassoon and flute in theater pits, klezmer bands and other ensembles.  Mark is a champion of new music with many premiers to his credit.  He is a regular participant in the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival and was recently featured on a commercial CD release of chamber music by Julian Wachner.  He serves on the faculties of Brookline Music School, Boston College and Pine Manor College and holds degrees in Music and Communication from Boston University."

Neil Fairbairn – Bassoon

Neil Fairbairn studied bassoon in Boston with Ruth McKee and Sherman Walt and continued his studies in London with William Waterhouse. As a member of the London  Opera Group and the Phoenix Wind Quintet, he toured extensively throughout  Great Britain. He also appeared frequently as a bassoonist with the Royal  National Theater, accompanying productions on European and North American tours.

In the field of music publishing, Neil was associate editor of The Music Makers, a biographical encyclopedia of musicians.  He also co-edited Royal Collection, an anthology of music composed by members of the British royal family. He later wrote and performed in a radio program based on this work which was aired nationally by the BBC.

As a historical writer, Neil wrote several chapters for Time-Life's multi-volume History of the World. His own books include A Traveller's Guide to the Kingdoms of Arthur, A Traveller's Guide to the Battlefields of Britain and A Brief History of Gardening.

Neil is currently a writer and musician in the Boston area teaching  bassoon and coaching chamber groups at Phillips Andover Academy.

Jill Dreeben – Flute

Jill Dreeben has performed in numerous solo flute and chamber music concerts in the New England and New York areas including Cornell University,  Merrimack College, Middlesex College, Babson College and Northeastern University.

Ms. Dreeben is a founding member of the Woodwind Quintet Solar Winds and a member of the chamber ensemble Kaleidoscope.  She has played extensively with Lumen Contemporary Ensemble, Composers in Red Sneakers and been a soloist with The Boston Secession and the women's chorus, Cantilena.

She premiered music written for her by composer John Kusiak and recorded some of his commercial works. She also premiered pieces by Canadian composer John Armstrong and local composers Pasquale Tassone, Armand Qualliotine, Betsy Schramm and James Ricci.

Jill Dreeben performed orchestral works  with the newly formed New England Light Opera Company, Emmanuel Music of Boston, the Thayer Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Dreeben studied with Craig Goodman, Louis Moyse, Lois Schaefer and John Oberbrunner. She earned a BA in Music from Cornell University (1983) and a MM in Flute Performance from New England Conservatory (1987).  Currently Ms. Dreeben teaches part time at Brandeis University and maintains a private studio in Arlington, MA.  She also directs and plays in “Musical Offerings,” a professional ensemble performing chamber music for weddings and other events.