Hats + Heels
Chamber Music Duo
The Members
Photos - Anna Maxwell NSP Studios
At a time when classical music is being diminished from American childhood education and experience, Dr. Blaire Koerner strives to re-enforce music's importance and availability through a variety of collaborations including interdisciplinary performances, educational initiatives, and innovative storytelling endeavors.
A freelance bassoonist, Blaire has performed in ensembles, operas, musicals, recitals, and studio recordings. Some groups she has worked with include Ensemble Signal, Society for Chamber Music Rochester, Buffalo's Slee Sinfonietta and Syracuse’s orchestra Symphoria. She belongs to the Eastman Community Music School faculty wind quintet and plays in a variety of chamber settings focusing on outreach and community engagement. In addition, Blaire has performed internationally in Austria, Italy, Germany, France, and Switzerland with American Music Abroad and the contemporary soundSCAPE Festival.
A seasoned bassoon teacher and chamber coach, Koerner works with musicians of all ages and experience levels. Currently, she is the bassoon instructor at Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music. Since 2015, she has taught at the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) as both bassoon teacher and coach for the Honors Wind Quintet. In 2016, she received the Jack L. Frank Award for Excellence in Teaching from ECMS.
Blaire completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from the Eastman School of Music with an Advanced Certificate in Collegiate Teaching.
An avid thrifter and admirer of fashion's many eras, Blaire is a long-time collector of a variety of hat styles and will rarely been seen without one.
Harpist and actor, Dr. Rosanna Moore, has made it her aim to combine theatre and music wherever possible. As a harpist, she plays with Ensemble Signal, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. She was the first harpist to be a finalist at the Gold Medal Competition at RNCM, won the Stan Baker award, was a semifinalist in the Dutch Harp Competition and placed third at Tierra47’s International Pedal Harp Competition. As an actress, she has worked as a narrator for Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra and done voice over work. Finally, as a combination of both, she has worked with trombonist/actor John Kenny, and was awarded honorable mention in the Eastman Lecture Recital Prize for her research and performance into the choreography used in R. Murray Schafer’s Crown of Ariadne.
In addition to performing, Rosanna is the new Instructor of Harp/Artist in Residence at the University of Oregon where she will teach students at the collegiate level as well as developing a community harp division and also is the Harp Instructor at Opus Ithaca. Formerly she was the Professor of Harp at Nazareth College and the Harp Instructor at the Eastman Community Music School in Rochester, NY. In these roles, she works to bring the harp to as many students as possible and teaches students of all ages and abilities. She was recently elected as President of the Rochester Chapter of the American Harp Society. In addition to this, she is the co-founder and host of the Soundweavers Podcast with Dr. Adam Paul Cordle and Dr. Blaire Koerner. Soundweavers is a chamber music podcast that explores the trials and tribulations of being a chamber musician or composer in the gig economy.
Rosanna completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with the Performer’s Certificate, an Arts Leadership Certificate and a minor in theatre at the Eastman School of Music, supported by the Eileen Malone Scholarship. Her wonderful mentors throughout the years have been Kathleen Bride and Eira Lynn Jones.
Rosanna has a penchant for slightly over the top footwear, and found the perfect fit when she started collecting Irregular Choice shoes. Very much a trend setter, she enjoys finding fun colors, patterns, and silhouettes to combine in her outfits both on and off stage.
