NEW MUSIC SOCIETY New York-based duo to perform at Youngstown State's Bliss Hall

The duo will present music by Asian and Western composers.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The New York-based Aurista Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Bliss Recital Hall at Youngstown State University as part of this year's New Music Society presentation. The duo has two other performances earlier in the day.
This recently formed duo is made up of San San Lee, violinist on the faculty at the Juilliard School in New York and chair of the String Department of its Music Advancement Program, and Thomas Osuga, a Dana alumnus who is pianist and co-chair of the Preparatory Piano Division at Mannes College of Music in New York.
Artists' background
Lee was born in Taiwan, but was raised in Michigan and Wisconsin, and at 16 performed with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra as winner of its statewide concerto competition.
She holds degrees from Oberlin College-Conservatory, Juilliard School and New York University and has studied with Margery Aber, Dorothy Mauney, Stephen Clapp, Joseph Fuchs, and at the Moscow & iacute;s Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Sergei Kravchenko, and Eduard Grach. She has an active performing career as soloist and chamber music performer, and is a clinician at Suzuki violin/chamber workshops nationally.
Osuga holds degrees from Kent State University, Youngstown State University and Manhattan School of Music on honors scholarships.
Osuga has been an active researcher, performer and commissioner of Japanese-American music, and has been nominated as "Japanese-American of the Biennium" for this work. He is also a frequent performer of solo and chamber music in the New York area, specializing in contemporary music. This will be his third performing-artist residency at Dana.
The Aurista Ensemble will present works by Asian composers including Takeo Kudo and others, and works by Western composers Ravel, Copland and Dana Faculty member Robert Rollin.
Other performers
Also appearing on the program will be Dana faculty members Robert and Gwyneth Rollin playing Rollin's "Images of Africa" for violin and piano.
Works by student composers including Minuet for Trio by sophomore Justin Hite from Vienna, String Trio by sophomore Ryan Coffey from Columbus, and Oboe Duet by freshman Scott Eddy from Boardman will be featured.
Sophomore Vincent Basile will sing "Sleep Now" by Samuel Barber accompanied by Dana alumnus Jerry Resanka.
The duo will also perform at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Bliss Hall, Room 3139. These concerts are free and open to the public. They also are scheduled to perform a matinee recital at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 421 Covington St. (off Rayen).
The New Music Society will present a convocation of works by student composers at 11 a.m. December 2 in Bliss Recital Hall.