Andrew Paul Jackson (b. 1984) is a prolific young composer with an eclectic style known for works of unfaltering lyricism and sleek construction. In recognition of his work as a composer, Mr. Jackson was the winner of The Boston Conservatory’s 2008-2009 Orchestral Composition Competition and was the recipient of the conservatory’s 2009 Roger Sessions Memorial Composition Award. Mr. Jackson’s compositions have been performed by the Juventas Ensemble, The Xanthos Ensemble, The Boston Chamber Orchestra, The Moscow Chamber Orchestra, ensemble21, The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, and The Springfield Symphony. He has studied composition with Andy Vores, Dalit Warshaw, and Carlyle Sharpe, as well as conducting under the tutelage of Christopher Koch and David Goza. Mr. Jackson holds an MM in Composition from The Boston Conservatory and a BA in Music Theory and Composition from Drury University. Jackson is also a founder and the Artistic Director for The Fifth Floor Collective, a Boston-area consortium of composers and performers. For more information visit www.andrewpauljackson.com
Gretl Satorius is a writer and dramaturg with a B.F.A in Dramaturgy and Criticism from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2006, she has lived in Vienna, Austria, where she is currently completing coursework at the University of Vienna towards a Mag in Opera Dramaturgy. Her fascination with all aspects of theatrical expression have led her to participate in master classes with Bill Irwin, Edward Albee and Ntozake Shange, workshops in Meisner actor training, gymnastics and circus arts, and to perform in the United States, Austria and Ireland. Her work has garnered numerous awards and honors, including the California Governor’s Award and Marcus Award for Dramaturgy. In February 2010, her musical adaptation of an Austrian folktale, Hondidldo, was performed at the United Nations in Vienna, and will soon be published as an interactive children’s book. In her spare time, Ms. Satorius leads winery and city tours by bicycle throughout Austria (recently acclaimed by the New York Times) and plays the ukulele.