PAUL WRIGHT (violinist) As an exponent of both the modern and the eighteenth century violin, Paul Wright is one of Australia's most versatile instrumentalists . Paul was born in Adelaide in 1959. At the age of 8 he began violin studies with Lyndall Hendrickson and three years later was awarded a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England. He went on to study at the Guildhall School in London and in 1978 was accepted as a student at the Julliard School in New York, where he studied under Ivan Galamian.

He has performed with many ensembles in Australia and America including the Australian String Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra in California. Paul has been a soloist with many major Australian orchestras since 1989. Since 1991 he has directed Ensemble Arcangelo, and eighteenth century instrumental group based in Perth.

In 1990 Paul was appointed as the Geoffrey Robinson Musician-in-Residence a The University of Western Australia. Paul currently holds the position of Director of String Studies at the School of Music and is an exponen t of the violin pedagogy relevant to both modern and earlier instruments. Additionally, Paul performs and records with the Ensemble of the Classic Era. Following its third tour for Musica Viva Australia in 1997, the Ensemble continues a full schedule of performances and recordings. The ensemble's first CD, released on the ABC Classics Antipodes label in 1996, was nominated for the ABC FM Classical Recording of the Year, and received the Soundscapes Editor's Choice Award, Ensemble of the Classic Era's second CD was released in 1997.

Paul Wright first performed with Kashtany in 1986. Since then Paul has accumulated a diverse repertoire of cross-cultural music both virtuosic and lyrical. Paul's love for folk music stems from his desire to discover and experience the source of most western classical music whose foundations are built upon the simple but often profound music of the people.

MYROSLAV GUTEJ (accordionist)

Myroslav Gutej was born in Perth, Western Australia on 18 September 1961. He began playing the piano accordion at four years of age and the piano at nine. He entered the University of Western Australia Music Department at 17 to study the piano and develop harmony skills. His piano teachers during his six-year stay there included Brian Michell, David Bollard and the composer-pianist Dr. Roger Smalley.

During his music studies at U.W.A, he began an on-going personal study and arranging of EasternEuropean folk music, which led to a study of the music of many cultures throughout the globe after 1995. The primary focus of this study is the analysis of the distinct national characteristics in the inflexionsand nuances of Traditional folk melody and harmony.

In 1984 he formed and started arranging music for the Kashtany Music Ensemble, a world music group, (which released recordings of his folk arrangements in 1989). This led to the formation in 1989
of the Kashtany Duo (violin and accordion) which has since been performing folk music from a number of countries, focusing mainly on the folk music of Eastern Europe and the Gypsies. The Kashtany Duo has given highly successful concerts, recently performing at the University of Western Australia Music Society "Masterpiece 2002 season" in September.

Kashtany Duo has also performed at various World Music Festivals in Australia receiving much public and critical acclaim
In 1995 the larger Kashtany Music Ensemble (14 piece ensemble) which Gutej directed released a CD of his arrangements of Ukrainian dance and folk melodies. Myroslav has continued composing in the classical genre and in 2002 released a CD of his Piano Sonatas which is receiving international critical acclaim.