Five faculty musicians from UCF Music come together for a concert that showcases their individual and collaborative talents. Join professors Lindsay Garritson (piano), Michael Hill (bass), McClenty Hunter Jr. (drums), Rie Suzuki (clarinet), and Ayako Yonetani (violin) for an evening of chamber music.
About the Artists
Lindsay Garritson is an internationally active pianist who has performed throughout the United States and abroad since the age of four, appearing in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Place des Arts in Montreal. She has been featured as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal), and Orquestra Sinfônica Barra Mansa in Brazil. An award-winning artist, she has received top prizes at the Montreal International Piano Competition, the USASU Bösendorfer International Piano Competition, and the Mozarteum International Chopin Competition in Salzburg, and recently completed a five-city solo recital tour in China. A passionate advocate for new music, her Carnegie Hall debut featured the world premiere of Carl Vine’s Piano Sonata No. 4, written for her, coinciding with the release of her solo album Aphorisms: Piano Music of Carl Vine. She holds degrees from Principia College, the Yale School of Music, and the University of Miami, and is currently a visiting assistant professor of piano at the University of Central Florida.
Michael Hill, a graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, is a former member of professional orchestras in both Europe and the United States and is currently Principal Bass of the Orlando Philharmonic and Orlando Chamber Soloists, as well as an adjunct professor at Rollins College, the University of Central Florida, and Stetson University. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, he is widely regarded as one of the most sought-after orchestral bass performers and teachers in the Southeastern U.S.; his students have gone on to leading institutions such as Juilliard and Indiana University and currently hold positions including Principal Bass of Charlotte, Air Force Bands, and regular engagements with major orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and ensembles throughout Florida, while his education students teach in Hong Kong and across Florida. Michael’s performance career has taken him to Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and throughout Europe, including France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Italy, and he has recorded with artists such as Plácido Domingo, Felix Ayo, and Maria Bayo. Two days before graduating from Curtis in 1992, he won his first international audition with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León in Valladolid, Spain, followed by a second international audition in 1994 as Acting and Co-Principal Bass of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia; in 1996, he was appointed Principal Bass of the Orlando Philharmonic. He is sponsored by Solano Basses, endorsed by D’Addario Strings, and in 2008 co-founded the Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills with his wife, Dawn Marie.
McClenty Hunter Jr. is a Grammy-nominated jazz drummer and artist-educator whose work bridges tradition, contemporary practice, and mentorship. Rooted in the jazz lineage, his musical foundation was formed in the church, where rhythm, feel, and purpose shaped his approach to time and ensemble interaction. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Howard University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School. Renowned for his deep swing and clarity of time, Hunter has performed and recorded with leading artists including Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, Kenny Garrett, Bob Mintzer, Dave Stryker, Curtis Fuller, and Lou Donaldson. His work has appeared at major venues and festivals such as the Newport Jazz Festival, the Village Vanguard, and Dizzy’s Club. He is featured on the 2025 Grammy-nominated album Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 with the Christian McBride Big Band. Hunter serves as Assistant Professor of Jazz Drum Set at the University of Central Florida.
Clarinetist Rié Suzuki has appeared internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer across Asia, Europe, North America, and Central America. She is a tenured member of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and principal clarinet of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, with additional performances with the Jacksonville Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Philly Pops, and others. Festival appearances include Aspen, AIMS in Graz (Austria), Kusatsu (Japan), Apple Hill, and Sarasota. Her performances have been broadcast on WQXR (New York) and WRTI (Philadelphia), and her recordings appear on Naxos, Centaur, New World, Capstone, Warner Brothers, and BCM&D Records. She is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Central Florida. For her full biography, please visit www.riesuzuki.com.
Ayako Yonetani is a full professor of violin and viola at the University of Central Florida. Born in Kobe, Japan, she began studying violin with Saburo Sumi and won the Japan National Competition at the age of nine. She continued her training at the Juilliard School with Hyo Kang and Dorothy DeLay, later assisting Ms. DeLay at both Juilliard Pre-College and the Aspen Music Festival. Since relocating to the United States in 1982, Yonetani has enjoyed an international performing career, appearing in major venues such as Tokyo’s Kioi Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Dome Umenia in Slovakia, and Astana City Hall in Kazakhstan. Her artistic work includes acclaimed recordings, world premieres, and service as a juror for prestigious competitions. Her discography features both solo and ensemble recordings, including a Tchaikovsky/Mendelssohn concerto album named “CD of the Month” by WMFE-90.7FM. In addition to translating Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician into Japanese, she directs UCF’s Pegasus String Quartet Graduate Program and returned to Carnegie Hall for a performance in November 2024.
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