At the Conservatory he received his masters and doctoral degrees. He has performed with major symphony orchestras since his school years. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive performance and teaching experience. From 1974 to 1990, he was principal bassoonist of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under such world-renowned conductors as Kiril Kondrashin and Dmitry Kitaenko. Dr. Irchai taught bassoon at the Gnessins Music Pedagogical Institute in Moscow, Russia. Among his awards are the first prize in the All-Russia Music Competition for Woodwind Quintets and the Distinguished Artist of the Russian Federation Award. He has toured Europe, Asia and the Americas with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and other world-class orchestras. Dr. Irchai has been performing solo recitals as well as chamber music recitals throughout the United States and the world for many years. His recent solo performances include appearances at the Lincoln Center, NY; Kennedy Center, Washington, DC; the Lyceum, Alexandria, VA; the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, Rockville, MD; Strathmore Hall, MD; Lyceum of Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia; Castlenuovo di Garfagnana, Italy; and at other venues. Dr. Irchai’s performances have been widely reviewed and featured in local, national, and international mass media. His performances elicited admiring comments that “Irchai … was impressive not only for flexibility of his performance which audience have come to expect, but also for his tone quality – sweet but not cloying, with an even focused vibrato in the lyrical passages and deep tones that resonated with warmth” and “bassoon at its best” in the Washington Post. Mount Vernon Gazette rightly praises Irchai as “a master of his instrument” having “singing tone and superb technique”. Currently, Dr. Irchai is Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Florida, School of Music, the Principal Bassoon of the National Philharmonic, and the Principal Bassoon of the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra. He holds the position of Program Director of the Mount Vernon Music Festival, VA. He is also a faculty member of the Summit Music Festival, Tarry Town, NY, and International Academy of Music, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Castlenuovo di Garfagnana, Italy. Dr. Irchai’s arrangements are published by TrevCo Music.

“PHENOMENAL BASSOONIST”. “HIS PERFORMANCE, WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, … IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MASTERSHIP”.
Hudobný Život (Slovakia)

“… UTILIZED SEEMINGLY SUPERHUMAN BREATH CONTROL AND A VIGOROUS PHYSICAL PRESENCE TO LIFT HIS PERFORMANCE TO RARE AND REMARKABLE LEVELS”. “THE GREAT INSTRUMENT, VIRILE AND ROBUST IN ITS NATURE, WAS AS GENTLE AND SMOOTH AS A NEWBORN KITTEN IN IRCHAI'S HANDS”.
The Potomac News

“ARNOLD IRCHAI … EARNED A GOLD MEDAL, SMOOTHLY SCALING THE TECHNICAL HEIGHTS MOZART DEMANDS WHILE SUSTAINING THE WARM, DARK BEAUTY OF THE BASSOON”.
The Washington Post

 

...Mr. Milkis’ unique interpretations and artistry have earned him an international stature as a dazzling soloist, chamber musician, recitalist and jazz clarinetist, with performances at principal venues of virtually every continent, including the Far East, Europe and the Americas.

His numerous soloist appearances include the Toronto Symphony, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra of Russia (Gosorkestr), St. Petersburg Philharmonic, L’Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, L’Orchestre Symphonique Francaise, among many others, performing on such prominent stages as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Salle Pleyel and Salle Gaveau in Paris, Great Halls of the Moscow Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Roy Thomson Hall and Weston Recital Hall in Toronto, and National Concert Hall in Taipei.

Aside from being an established soloist, Julian Milkis is a sought-after chamber musician, having collaborated with some of today’s leading artists including Yuri Bashmet, Misha Maisky, the Borodin String Quartet and the St. Lawrence String Quartet, to name a few. A multifaceted musician, Mr. Milkis is one of the leading voices for his instrument in the field of Jazz. His treasured collaboration with jazz pianist Dick Hyman – Benny Goodman’s old bandmate who has transcribed a number of King of Swing’s classics for Milkis – provide a rare and genuine insight into the golden era of Jazz. With recent performances at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, Mr. Milkis has had a Jazz Concerto dedicated to him, and has worked with bass legend Tony Falanga.

With an extensive amount of music written for him, including a number of concertos, Milkis has had the honor of working with iconic music personalities such as Giya Kancheli and Olivier Messiaen. Mr. Milkis has recorded for Warner Classics’ Lontano, the French Suoni e Colori, Sony’s Russian division CEAUX, and Russian Melodiya and Russian Season.

Julian Milkis holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, where he was he studied renowned pedagogue Leon Russianoff, as well as a Masters Degree in Russian Literature from Norwich University in Vermont, possessing a keen interest in all aspects of the fine arts. Julian Milkis performs exclusively on Yamaha Clarinets.

Ms.Newton serves on the teaching faculty of the Music Conservatory of Westchester and has held faculty positions at the Manhattan School of Music and Queens College. Ms. Newton holds an M.A.in music performance (harpsichord )from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York.
 

...Getting his Radio France soloist card, he took part in very famous radio and TV programs such as « libre parcours récital », the « grand échiquier »…

He played flute solos with prestigious soloists as Lily LASQUINE, Roger BOURDIN, Gary KAR, Gérard JARRY, etc.…

He performed as a soloist:
- With different musical organizations such as: French-Speaking Switzerland’s Orchestra, Languedoc Roussilon National Orchestra, Jean-François Paillard’s Concert band, China’s National Orchestra, Ile de France National Orchestra. - With famous conductors as Karl BOEHM, Paul PARAY, Vladimir FEDOSEEV, Jean Pierre RAMPAL, etc….
He took part in multiple festivals in Chamber Music orchestras with piano, harp, guitar, organ, quartet, wind quintet etc.

He just ended a musical tour in Japan few months ago and was invited as a jury for the international flute contest and for “masters class” during the international flute convention in Mexico.

He was invited by the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy from 12 till 27 August 2007. He also played the integral of Mozart Quartet in Israël .

In the beginning of 2008 he will be in Mexico again, then in Greece and is anew invited for the 2008 Beijing International Festival and Academy in August. In October, 2008 he will be in China for a tour with a Flute quartet and will record the Integral of Franz Doppler’s pieces.

Early this year, it will give concerts with harp, Australia and New Zeeland, and will again in China in late August 2010

He is currently the first soloist (Flute solo) of the Ile de France National Orchestra and professor at the VERSAILLES national conservatory.

He is member of the CNSM jury.
 

...and the St. Cecilia Orchestra. He has appeared in recital throughout the Unites States and in Europe including Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater to name a few. Whiteside is flutist with the VERGE Ensemble of the Contemporary Music Forum of Washington, the edgEnsemble, and the Dinosaur Annex Ensemble. He has worked closely with a number of eminent composers including George Crumb, Donald Martino, and Joseph Schwantner. In 1999 he gave the Washington premiere of Melinda Wagner’s Pulitzer Prize winning Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion. Whiteside played with the Aeolian Chamber Players and served on the faculty of the Bowdoin Summer School of Music (now the Bowdoin International Festival). Mr. Whiteside studied with James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Julius Baker and Walfrid Kujala and holds the Master of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the EastmanSchool of Music.