Tribute to Women Composers 

Canadian pianist Janice Fehlauer is noted for her musical creativity and diverse pianistic interests.  Janice was the gold medalist of the Wideman International Piano Competition and the winner of the University of North Texas Concerto Competition, and won second prize in the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition and the Hodges Competition for 20th-Century Music.

​Recent appearances as concerto soloist in the USA include performances with the Mississippi Symphony, the North Florida Symphony, the Meridian Symphony, the Shreveport Symphony, the Lewisville Lake Symphony, the Clear Lake Symphony, the Baytown Symphony, the Akron Pops Symphony, Symphony North, and the UNT Symphony, as well as with orchestras across Canada.  Janice has performed solo recitals across North America, including the Philips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Clayton Piano Festival, and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, broadcast live on WFMT. She recently completed a solo recital tour of England and Scotland, including a performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and presented recitals at the Museo Nacional in Bogotá and the Festival Internacional de Bellas Artes in Medellín, Colombia.

In addition, Janice is a sought-after collaborative artist who has performed in chamber recital series across the United States, as well as being on staff of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria for several summers.  Janice served as répétiteur and Assistant Chorus Master at The Dallas Opera; a highlight of her time there included coaching the chorus and soloists for the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s acclaimed new opera, Moby-Dick.  Janice has also played and coached for Fort Worth Opera, Taos Opera Institute, UNT Opera Theater, Moores Opera Center, and the Houston Symphony Chorus, and was Music Director for Houston Grand Opera's educational programs.

Janice is a dedicated piano teacher who has taught masterclasses and judged competitions in Canada, USA, Asia, and South America, and now teaches at the Kingwood Music School which she owns and directs.  She also seeks ways of sharing her love of the piano with non-traditional audiences. While living in Vancouver Janice performed regularly for the UBC Learning Exchange, an organization that sought innovative ways of presenting classical music to underserved audiences in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.  Now in Houston, she enjoys playing at The Turning Point, a shelter for homeless seniors.

Janice began her musical training in her hometown in British Columbia, where she received the Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in both piano and violin.  She also holds a bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia, where she studied with Jane Coop; a master's degree from the University of North Texas, where she studied with Pamela Mia Paul and was voted Most Outstanding Graduate Student by the music faculty; and a doctoral degree from the University of Houston, where she studied with Tali Morgulis.

When not at the piano or immersed in a book, Janice can be found pursuing her love of painting and marathon running, or spending time with her husband and young daughters in their beautiful adopted city of Houston

Gavin Carney is a music educator, performer, and doctoral candidate in the Doctor of Musical and Arts program in Trombone Performance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Carney has recently moved to the Twin Cities to continue his music career. His research focuses on the integration of music theory into the private teaching studio. In addition to his studies at UMKC, Gavin holds music degrees from the University of Iowa and Washington State University. In addition to his notable performing experiences on tenor, alto, and bass trombone, Gavin has been an active pedagogue. Some of his past teaching experiences include serving as a Lecturer in Music at Truman State University, leading a large private studio in the Kansas City metropolitan area, giving numerous clinics and masterclasses in Washington, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, as well as adjudicating for multiple festivals and academic performances. Gavin’s students have seen success in many of their playing opportunities and he strives to give his students a well-rounded music education by including aural skills, written theory, and history into weekly lessons. Pedagogical goals for students include self-assessment and comfort on their instrument. He teaches students of all ages and has multiple years of experience working with students with special learning needs such as Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and ODD.

Samantha Hogan hails from Western New York and presently resides in the Twin Cities, MN. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University, OH in Music Composition in 2014 under the tutelage of Dr. Dave Morgan and Robert Rollin, as well as Trombone with John Olsson and Mike Crist. She has also studied composition independently with Scott Pfitzinger and Gwen Rollin while in school. In addition, Samantha has also studied music composition and technology with William J. Lackey post-graduation.

Samantha was also a participant at the 2014 St. Mary’s Composition Intensive where she studied with the faculty of Zae Munn, Joshua Marquez, Michael Schelle, Kristen Kuster, and Jay Batzner.

Classical, rock, jazz, video game, and film music influence Samantha's work, giving her compositions a dramatic, yet buoyant feel. When Samantha is not composing, you will find her playing trombone in The Minneapolis Trombone Ensemble, Twin Cities Brass Band, Swing Sisterhood Big Band, and West Wind Swing Band. In addition, Samantha also frequently subs for several community orchestras, chamber groups, the Triforce Trombone Trio, and the Chimera Consort - a chamber brass ensembles of which she is a co-founder.

As a composer, Samantha has had many successful premieres.

Currently, Samantha is working with the Golden Valley Orchestra ( MN), Music Director and Condutor David Carillo, and Trombone soloist Gavin Carney to premiere a fully orchestrated version of The Mill Creek Trombone Concerto Fall of 2024. She is also currently serving as a house head for The St Cloud School District where she will be conducting composition-based workshops with music students from 2nd-6th Grade.

In addition, Samantha has composed several scores for the MNKino Film Festival in Minneapolis, MN. Plus, collaborating with directors Beth Peloff and Jason Schumacher to create film scores for, Blob’s Adventure (2017), Build Yourself a Birthday Party ( 2019), and Lobsterbelly (2021). These soundtracks were performed live while the short was projected for the audience to watch. Samantha was also selected as the composer for a Fifteen Minutes of Fame concert by the Third Wheel Trio. Lonely Waltz was performed alongside other new music compositions. Spring of 2016, Samantha was a composer in residence at Henryville High School in Indiana for the premiere of her band work Reverence. While in residence she worked with and taught the students about the composition Reverence.

In 2014, Samantha's piano solo, Cumulus Humilis, was recorded by Pianist Avguste Antonov and put on his solo album, An American Journey. And in 2013 the Youngstown New Music Society Festival Orchestra Eclectic Images was performed. She also collaborated with her brother on the rock song Walking Dead, featured in the motion picture B.O.Y.D. in 2010.

Through her experiences, Samantha has become an eclectic and versatile composer, who aims to explore as many areas of music as possible. She especially enjoys working with individual performers and groups to write pieces that highlight their sound and abilities, as well as, fulfilling their musical desires.

She intends to create new music that inspires and educates the listener and performer alike.

When not composing, Samantha can be found performing music on a multitude of instruments or exploring nature. She also enjoys learning and reading about new subjects whenever she can. "After all, the moment you stop learning is the moment you stop living", states Samantha.