North Country Chamber Players

As a violinist, arts administrator and educator, Ronnie Bauch has helped shape the trajectories of two important American musical organizations, the internationally renowned, Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the North Country Chamber Players, recognized as one of New England’s premier chamber ensembles. A member of the Orpheus violin section since 1975 and a staunch advocate for the self-governing and collaborative aspects of the group, Mr. Bauch served several terms as an Artistic Director and also served as Managing Director from 2002 to 2008, during which time he led a major organizational turn-around. As a violinist, he has toured throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia with Orpheus and other groups. Ronnie has appeared as a soloist with Orpheus,...

Georgia native Gabriela Diaz began her musical training at the age of five, studying piano with her mother, and the next year, violin with her father. As a childhood cancer survivor, Gabriela is committed to supporting cancer research and treatment in her capacity as a musician. In 2004, Gabriela was a recipient of a grant from the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, an award that enabled Gabriela to create and direct the Boston Hope Ensemble. A firm believer in the healing properties of music, Gabriela and her colleagues have performed in cancer units in Boston hospitals and presented benefit concerts for cancer research organizations in numerous venues throughout the United States. A fierce champion of contemporary music, Gabriela has been fortunate to work closely with many significant...

Born into a family of cellists, Chris Finckel began his studies with his father George Finckel and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Mischa Schneider and Orlando Cole. Currently Mr. Finckel is the cellist of the Manhattan String Quartet with whom he performs on major Chamber Music series throughout the United States and Europe. A frequent guest artist with such renowned ensembles as the Tokyo String Quartet and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, Mr. Finckel has appeared at the Casals, Santa Fe, Ravinia, Saratoga, Norfolk and Rockport Chamber Music festivals, and has recorded for the Nonesuch, New World, CRI, Bridge and Vanguard record labels. A dedicated performer of 20th century music, Chris Finckel has been involved in New York City’s contemporary music...

Kemp Jernigan performs extensively in New York City with ensembles varying in size and style. Regarded as “agile and playful” (New York Classical Review), he is a frequent guest performer with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Mark Morris Dance Group Ensemble, as well as a co-artistic director of the Exponential Ensemble. A graduate of the Yale School of Music, Kemp has been a guest artist at festivals such as Music from Angel Fire, Bridgehampton, White Mountains Music Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, Ocean Reef, Washington Friends of Music, Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival and Musical Bridges over San Antonio. Kemp is on the faculties of the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and the State University of New York at...

Violist Ah Ling Neu’s performing career has spanned several continents, including the U.S.,Europe, Australia and Asia. An avid chamber musician, she was a member of the renownedCassatt String Quartet, Ridge String Quartet and New York Phillomusica. She was invited to theMarlboro Music Festival for four summers and toured with Musicians from Marlboro. She ispresently a member of the North Country Chamber Players in New Hampshire and is a frequentguest at the Barge Music in Brooklyn, NY. She has participated in festivals such as theBridgehampton Festival, the White Mountains Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival andInternational Musician’s Seminar in Cornwall, England. Born in Japan of Chinese parents, AhLing started viola in the San Francisco public school system at the age of 13....

Susan Palma Nidel is widely recognized as one of the most important and versatile flutists of her generation. A founding member of the North Country Chamber Players, she traveled the world, and often appeared as a soloist and chamber musician, as a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra between 1980 and 2022. Susan is featured prominently on Orpheus’ Grammy Award winning ‘Shadow Dances’ recording, as well as their universally acclaimed Ives and Copland albums, which both received Grammy nominations. Susan’s recording of Mozart’s Flute Concertos, with harpist, Nancy Allen and Orpheus, was named the “finest recording of these works to date” by GramophoneMagazine. In addition, Ms. Nidel has also served as the principal flute of the American Composers Orchestra, Speculum Musicae, Martha...

Donald Palma has an active career as double bassist, conductor, and educator. A native New Yorker, Don attended the Juilliard School and at the age of nineteenjoined Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra. As a member of thenewly formed contemporary music ensemble, Speculum Musicae, he went on to win the Naumburg Competition and secure management with Young Concert Artists. A founding member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Don has toured the globe and recorded over fifty compact discs for Deutsche Grammophone, including theGrammy Award winning Stravinsky CD, Shadow Dances. Don has also been a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and played Principal Bass in the National Arts Centre Orchestra under Trevor Pinnock. He played principal bass for LeonardBernstein on his...

International horn soloist, Bernhard Scully, is currently the Professor of Horn at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is the Artistic Director of the non-profit 501(c)(3) Cormont Music. He spends his summer in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as both the Artistic Director of the Kendall Betts Horn Camp and as the horn player of the North Country Chamber Players.  His solo career has spanned across many genres from classical, to jazz and beyond, including being the former long-time horn player of the Canadian Brass and former principal horn of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He was recently named principal horn of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and performs as principal horn of the Saint Bart’s Music Festival. Among his many awards are top honors at numerous...

Dr. Joel Timm’s distinguished career has encompassed virtually all the major areas in the field of music. He has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player with most of the major ensembles in both New York and Los Angeles. Acting as Associate Principal Oboe of the New York Philharmonic, he toured with the orchestra, made six recordings and appeared as soloist. He has served as principal oboist and soloist with the New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony (English Horn), Virtuosi of New York, New and Newer Music Series at Lincoln Center and the orchestras of the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theater. He has recorded chamber music for CBS Records, Columbia Records, Vanguard and the Musical Heritage Society labels.In Los Angeles, he has held the position of...