BIOGRAPHY
Benita Rose has performed throughout the United States, as well as Latvia, Brazil, and Canada as soloist, accompanist, or chamber musician. She has been soloist with Connecticut orchestras as well as the U. S. Coast Guard Band. Her concerto performances with this ensemble were broadcast on over 200 national public radio stations on Martin Goldsmith's Performance Today. She has been a scholarship student at the University of Connecticut and the Hartt School of Music where she received the prestigious Parker Award and Master of Music degree. She has studied with Luiz de Moura Castro, Joseph Villa, Louis Crowder; also, Paul Rutman, David Westfall, Leonard Seeber, and Neal Larrabee; also Menahem Pressler, Emanuel Ax, Ilana Vered, and Raymond Lewenthal; early studies with Olga Froman and Doris Carlson. The winner of numerous competitions, Ms. Rose has performed at Steinway Hall in New York City and also Symphony Space, where she premiered music written for her by composer Jane Brockman. She has been on the faculty of the Orford Center for the Arts in Canada, Moravian College's Summertrios program, Pomfret School, and the University of Connecticut. Ms. Rose is presently and accompanist and music coach at the University of Connecticut, an active recitalist, teacher of award winning students, as well as frequent adjudicator in the greater Connecticut-New York area. She is also the wife of internationally acclaimed saxophonist, Tony Gibbs, with whom she has performed at international saxophone symposiums. Tony Gibbs has received international acclaim as a classical saxophone soloist. As principal saxophonist of the U.S. Coast Guard Band, he has toured the world, performed for dignitaries, (including 3 U.S. presidents) and with celebrities. He has been heard on National Public Radio, as well as Radio Free Europe. He has performed numerous recitals on various concert series and performed at international saxophone symposiums. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Fred Hemke.
