Meredyth Coleman - originally from Kansas City has been the oboist for City Winds Trio since 2001. Mrs. Coleman started her music career first on the violin starting Suzuki violin at 22 months old. While ages four and five Coleman performed violin on Kansas City Local Television and a concert with Dr. Suzuki. Meredyth continued violin until the age of 11 and started oboe at age 10. At the age of 15 Meredyth was appointed Associate Principle Oboe of the Northland Symphony, her first professional orchestral position. Mrs. Coleman has performed with ensembles such as: the Emerson String Quartet, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Illini Symphony Orchestra, Arcady Music Festival Orchestra, Gold Coast Opera Company and many more Symphonies throughout the East Coast. Mrs. Coleman can also be heard as the oboist for Lidia’s Italy Television show currently airing on PBS. In 2000 Ms. Coleman fell in love with chamber music while performing the Mozart Oboe Quartet with the Emerson String Quartet. In the fall of 2008 Meredyth performed the Marcello Oboe Concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Christ Church of Pelham. In 2008 Mrs. Coleman toured Florida to performed Principle Oboe with the Gold Coast Operas production of Madame Butterfly. Also in 2008 Mrs. Coleman was the Oboist for the new musical Midnight Madness, with the part specifically written for her by composer Jack Bender. Midnight Madness premiered in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival in September of 2008 at the Alvin Ailey Theater. Meredyth has also won numerous awards including: Emerson String Quartet Top Prize and Best of Chamber Music Award from the Hartt School of Music. In her Symphonic Performances Meredyth has worked under such conductors as: Kurt Masur, Maxim Shostakovich, Jo Ann Falletta. Mrs. Coleman has a BA (Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Masters Degree (Hartt School of Music) in Music Performance on Oboe. She also has a Professional Studies Performance Diploma (Mannes College of Music) on English horn. Ms. Coleman teachers include Marion Arthur Kuszyk, Humbert Lucarelli, Nancy King and Ronald Roseman on oboe and Thomas Stacy on English horn.

Yuki Higashi - Bassoon - a native of Japan, began studying bassoon at the age of sixteen. He received his B.M. and M.M from the Conservatory of Music at S.U.N.Y. Purchase and Professional Studies Diploma from the Mannes College of Music. Mr. Higashi studied with Leonard Hindell, Matthew Ruggierro, and Donald MacCourt. He performed Weber￿s Bassoon Concerto with the Kawanabe Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan. Mr. Higashi is an active freelancer through the East Coast as an Orchestra and chamber musician. Recently, Mr. Higashi is serving as bassoonist for the New York Symphony, One World Symphony, Western Piedmond Symphony (NC) and Cape Symphony (MA).

Jack Bender-Piano- A resident of New Brunswick, Jack Bender became the pianist for City Winds Trio in 2009. Mr. Bender received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers’s University in 2003 and he was choral director of Bloomfield High School for 3 years. He is also a freelance musician with many years of experience in musical theatre. Jack served as the vocal and music director for the Talent Time Players of Bloomfield for nine years and has worked closely with his friend and colleague Ilene Greenbaum for 5 years. Also, Jack Bender was assistant Music Director for the New Jersey Youth Theatre from 2005-2008. Jack Bender’s composed and orchestrated the music for the new musical, Midnight Madness, which debuted in August 2008 at the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts. Midnight Madness was also performed in September of 2008 at the Alvin Ailey Theater in NYC. In high demand throughout NJ for his musical direction Mr. Bender has directed at the Barn Theater in Montville NJ and for the Cranford Dramatic Club. In addition to his musical theater work Jack is also the organist for Scared Heart Church in South Plainfield.