As one of the most prestigious musical bodies in all of United States and probably further even, the Baltimore Composers Forum is a place of some of the best artists that the world has to offer. Here are just some of them and a short bio.
Garth Baxter is a writer who likes to mix modern style writing with a more traditional approach and he manages to do this quite successfully. He earned music degrees for the Pepperdine and California State University and has been tutored by William Thornton, Joseph Wagner and Robert Hall Lewis among others. His works have also been published many times, by the Mel Bay Publications and the Columbia Music Company, among others
John Belkot ‘s work is mainly focused on vocals and stage work. He was tutored by Michael Hersch and Atlin Volaj, among others and has got his Bachelor’s degree in Susquehanna University and is recipient of several renowned scholarships as well. Right now, he is also a member of the ACF (American Composers Forum), the ACSAP and a treasurer in the Baltimore Composers Forum.
Ljiljana Jankovic is a Serbian born and she started to learn piano and music theory at an early age of seven. She studied music in Croatia and Montenegro under the tutelage of Professor Zeljko Brkanovic and earned a BM in 1988 in music competition. Next year, she moved to Stuttgart and started specializing in mystique concrete with professor Urlich Süße. Later, she continued to evolve as a classical musician in the New Music Theater in Cologne. In 2002, she graduated at the Townson University and her works are now widely performed in Serbia, Croatia, Germany, England, France, Canada and the US. In 2004, she gained a “Meet the Composer” award and has been a member of BCF from 2002. Also, she is the current president of the BCF.
Ariyo Shahry was born in Iran and has started studying music with Javid Madjilessi, an ex-principal of the Teheran Symphony Orchestra. Shahry gained the most prestigious award that a young classical composer in his country can get, the Fajr Music Festival award and has also completed his studies at the Teheran Music Conservatory in 2002. He is also a member of the Teheran Symphony and the Teheran Youth Symphonic Orchestra. He later continued his education in the United States and studied under Keith Kramer at Hartford Community College.
Joseph Spicka is a pianist, who composed more than 500 different works. His opus ranges from the classical work, to jazz and even electro-acoustic. Spicka has been a member of the BCF from its very early days, having joined in 1994 and have performed in New York twice. In 1988, his composition, called Free Fall, has been chosen as the theme for the Maryland Public Television’s commercials. In October, 2005, he organized the 1st Annual Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase. During the course of his long and successful musical career, he won many awards and accolades in both the United States and the rest of the world.