The Bateira Trio brings new life to traditional works and has a bold approach to new music. A mixed ensemble of flute and strings, Bateira’s unique timbre is best described by composer, Vivian Li: “fresh sounds that, when pureed, make a wholesome drink for your spirit.” Comprised of flutist, Sandy Hughes, violist, Conway Kuo, and double bassist, Satoshi Okamoto, the New York City-based ensemble was born from a group of musicians and friends that enjoyed animated conversation over a platter of Bateira Sushi. The unusual trio began by performing at church services and other community events, but since its founding in 2006, Bateira has broadened its horizons.The Bateira Trio has performed at Trinity Church, Jan Hus Church, The Met Museum, and The Harvard Club, among other New York City venues, in solo recital, for new music events, and on chamber music series. Their repertoire includes both the conventional and the avant-garde, ranging from Medieval to Contemporary. In 2012, the Bateira Trio participated in Vox Novus's Fifteen Minutes of Fame series, featuring world premieres of fifteen one-minute pieces written especially for the group.As part of the ensemble’s Carnegie Hall debut this coming January, Bateira will again present all fifteen original works.Champions of new music, the Bateira Trio continues its collaborations with both established and blossoming composers, enlarging the repertoire for this lovely combination of colors.

Satoshi Okamoto, founding member of the Bateira Trio, is Acting Associate Principal Double Bass with the New York Philharmonic. He was Assistant Principal Double Bass in the San Antonio Symphony for eight years and a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra for one before joining the New York Philharmonic.

Satoshi received his Master's degree from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor's degree from Tokyo University of Fine Arts. An eight-time Aspen Music Festival participant, he won the festival's bass competition twice, in 1993 and 1997. He became a finalist of the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition in 1997 as well as the Izuminomori International Double Bass Competition in 2001. His teachers include Philharmonic Principal Bass Eugene Levinson, Paul Ellison, Al Laszlo, Bruce Bransby, Yoshio Nagashima, and Osamu Yamamoto.

Conway Kuo, violist and violinist, is a founding member of the Bateira Trio. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Juilliard School. He is currently the Associate Principal Second Violin of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and also a Section First Violinist with the New York City Opera Orchestra. Conway performs regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has participated in the Aspen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Pacific Music Festivals. His major teachers include Jascha Brodsky, Masao Kawasaki, Glenn Dicterow, and Arnold Steinhardt.

Sandy Hughes, a native of Portland, Oregon, became a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in the 2012-13 season. Called “one of the best young American flutists I’ve heard” by Sir James Galway, she has received critical acclaim for her “eloquent playing” and “detailed attention to the musical phrase.”

Sandy plays second flute with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and also appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic. An avid chamber musician and soloist, she has collaborated with the Miami String Quartet, the Alturas Duo and the Wallingford and Hartt Symphony orchestras. Sandy has participated in the Tanglewood, Aspen, and Schleswig-Holstein Orchestral Festivals as well as the Sarasota Chamber Music Festival.

A Fulbright Grant recipient and New World Symphony finalist, Sandy earned her Master of Music in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Robert Langevin. She also received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Hartford and a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from the Hartt School of Music, where she studied with John Wion.

Duo Anova is a cello and guitar duo based in New York City. Members Susan Mandel (cello) and Kenji Haba (guitar) met in 2012 and immediately bonded over their passion for contemporary music and their animated sense of humor.The rare instrumentation offers an exceptional experience; it opens up a listener’s mind to a new dimension of textures and sounds unique to cello and guitar. Duo Anova is committed to expanding their repertoire for this unique combination and performing with virtuosity and intensity. Award winning composers and emerging composers, such as Goya Masatora, Michael Kropf, Andrew Middleton, Castilla-Ávila, Inna Buganina has writtenmusic for Duo Anova. In 2014, it will participate in Vox Novus's Fifteen Minutes of Fame series, featuring world premieres of fifteen one-minute pieces written especially for the group. Duo Anova has performed at Composer’s Voice 100th Gala concert, 662 Center concert series, Saint Peter’s Church, and other chamber music series. On January 27th, 2014, the duo will make its debut at prestigious Carnegie Hall presented by Composer’s Voice. Duo Anova also collaborates with artists to explore the possibility of performing arts with visual arts. On December 21, 2013, Duo Anova will be performing with the magnificent works of Hisami Taniguchi at Resobox in New York.

Susan Davita Mandel is a native of New York. In her classical training, she has studied with cellists Marion Feldman and Dr. Frederick Zlotkin. She has attended Domaine Forget and Bowdoin International Music Festivals where she studied with cellists Thomas Wiebe, Carol Sirvois, Matt Haimovitz, and David Ying. Susan, with her piano trio, was selected to perform the American debut of Robert Delanoff’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano at Weill Recital Hall within Carnegie Hall as finalists of the AMTL Young Musicians concert series.

In addition to her passion for classical performance, she has interests outside of the classical genre involving collaborations with hip-hop, pop, rock, and jazz artists. She has performed and recorded with ensembles and production teams such as Joey Contreras Music, Amy Vachal, Jon Bell, Mason Jar Music, West Fourth New Music Collective, the Robbers on High Street, the Silent League, Alex Weston, Folk Wandering, Capillary Action, and Guards. She has performed at a variety of venues including Webster Hall, (le) Poisson Rouge, Merkin Hall, the American Folk Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 92YTRIBECA, Joe's Pub, Glasslands Gallery, Pianos NYC, The Bell House, and Mercury Lounge. Most recently, Susan was the featured cellist in Jihae and John Patrick Shanley’s opera “Fire Burning Rain” at the Highline Ballroom in New York City and the Not For Sale campaign event in San Francisco Bay Area. She has also recently performed with indie artist, Feist, at Radio City Music Hall with a Mason Jar Music ensemble. Additionally, Susan has a passion for studying the modern music industry. She will begin her Masters at New York University pursuing a degree in Performing Arts Administration in Fall 2013.

Susan recently graduated with honors from New York University - Steinhardt in May 2012 with a degree in Music Performance and in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology and currently works at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Kenji Haba is a guitarist who heralds a new direction for classical guitar through his insight and work with the coloration of sounds, as well as through bringing new formats to the landscape, including the innovative guitar-cello ensemble. He is well known for his interpretation of Toru Takemitsu, his performances having been described as an “ideal match for Takemitsu’s music” by Fanfare. He is also an active performer of contemporary music, with over 20 pieces of music written for and premiered by him.

He has performed as a solo and chamber musician throughout the States, including in New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Nevada, Kentucky, Georgia as well as in Japan. In 2011, Kenji Haba was appointed as featured artist at the 3rd Annual Special Guitar Concert, in New York City, sponsored by Vox Novus. The highlight of the next season is his debut at the Carnegie Hall in January 2014, with Susan Mandel, Cello.

Kenji Haba has had opportunities to work with some of the preeminent composers of our time, such as a Grammy nominated composer, Sergio Roberto, Dai Fujikura, Chia-Yu, Ashley John Long, Salim Dada, Oswaldo, and many others. He has premiered over 20 pieces of music written for him. Kenji Haba and Vox Novus, NYC based composer’s organization, have been working closely, and he was the first guitarist to be appointed to perform the 15 minutes of fame project as a part of Composer’s voice concert series as well as Tennessee Classical Guitar Seminar in 2011.

In 2010, Mr. Haba released his debut CD, music of Toru Takemitsu. Fanfare magazine highly praised the work, saying that Mr. Haba’s “nuanced performances are an ideal match for Takemitsu’s refined music.” Since then, Mr. Haba has been gaining more and more attention for his interpretations of the music of Takemitsu.

Mr. Haba’s love of chamber music resulted in a collaboration with award winning American cellist, Susan Mandel. Kenji and Susan formed Impulse, a guitar and cello duo, to explore this ensemble possibility. After its debut performance at Composer’s voice 100th Gala concert, Impulse immediately gained high reputation for their performance, and composers such as Marisol Gentile (Argentina), Masatora Goya (Japanese), Michael Kropf (America) and others have approached them for collaboration. Impulse will make its debut at prestigious Carnegie Hall in January 2014. In addition, Kenji Haba has shared the stage with other eminent artists such as Oren Fader, Gregory Durozel. The performance with Oren Fader (guitar), was covered by Sukan New York Seikatsu, praising the ‘two renowned guitarists’. His performance with Gregory Durozel (violin) was a sold out Valentine’s day concert in New Jersey that ended with multiple standing ovations.

Eastern and western cultural experiences have influenced Mr. Haba’s musical perception and directed him to a unique artistry. He was born in a rural area, called Mino-City, Japan. In 2001, he moved to United States to study Business, and worked for an accounting firm in NY. However, at age of 25, he listened to the sound of the master guitarist, Andres Segovia, and he came to an epiphany and realized he needed to pursue the art of the guitar. In 2006, Haba began studying classical guitar under renowned guitarist, Kevin R. Gallagher, and after one year of study, he was accepted into the Manhattan School of Music Master of Music Program, and worked with Mark Delpriora.