Pianist, Musicologist and Lover of Wonderful Voices

Brian Wilbur Grundstrom’s compositions for film, orchestra, opera, chorus, piano, quintet and other ensembles demonstrate an innovative use of harmony and melody, which although firmly rooted in the tonal tradition is entirely new. Audiences take to his compositions immediately, finding in his compositions traces of Aaron Copland, Kurt Weill and Samuel Barber. 

Classically trained in piano as well as music theory from Gettysburg College, he has continued orchestration and composition studies with John David Earnest (see photo below).

His awards include Encore from American Composers Forum, ASCAPLUS from ASCAP and Composers Assistance Program from the American Music Center. He received four grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities , an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, and won Outstanding Emerging Artist in the 2013 DC Mayor's Arts Awards. Brian received Peer Awards for Sadie's Waltz and Arc of Light: A Portrait of Anna Campbell Bliss from Television, Internet, & Video Association of DC (TIVA-DC). The Bridge Club song from his Musical Pepe! The Mail Order Monkey Musical was nominated for a 2009 OUTMusic Award

A member of ASCAP, Brian attended the prestigious prestigious ASCAP/NYU Buddy Baker Film Music Workshop. His features include Arc of Light: A Portrait of Anna Campbell Bliss, and 2 Minutes Later, in addition to writing music for many short films. His studio includes the latest in technologies, including Vienna Symphonic Library, and he is able to render his orchestral compositions at high professional standards.

His music has been performed by Sunderman Woodwind Quintet, SONOS Chamber Orchestra, North/South Consonance, Shippensburg Festival Orchestra, Trinity Chamber Orchstra, George Washington University Orchestra, NIH Philharmonia, Holyoke Civic Symphony, The Queer Urban Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia, Colla Voce and The New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus as well as on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. 

Edward Tyndall, Writer/Director of Sadie's Waltz (Mobius Films) writes: "It was a joy to work with Brian on my last two projects. His dedication to the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the creative process greatly increased the dramatic complexity of my films. Brian has an amazing talent for composing cinematic scores. I look forward to working with him on our next film."

Sonos Chamber Orchestra Director Erik E. Ochsner writes "Many audiences cringe at the thought of new music. We had such positive feedback from audiences on how much they enjoyed Grundstrom's work. It is modern, yet tonal." 

Brian is currently writing an opera for Ernest Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls. He is represented by Jeffrey James Arts Consulting and his compositions can be heard at www.brianwilbur.com.

Praised for her "crystalline tone" by Opera News, soprano Maya Kherani has sung over 35 operatic roles spanning her 7-year career. Ms. Kherani recently triumphed as Partenope in Handel's Partenope with Opera NEO under the baton of Benjamin Bayl. Favorite roles include Despina (Così fan tutte) and Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) with Opera San Jose, Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with West Bay Opera, Britomarte (L’arbore di Diana) with West Edge Opera, Semele (Semele), Poppea (Agrippina), Dorinda (Orlando), Marie (La fille du régiment), Tytania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and La Fée (Cendrillon). In 2014, Maya made her Houston Grand Opera (HGOco) debut as Meera in the world première of River of Light. Upcoming roles include Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Pip (Moby-Dick), and Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia). This November, Ms. Kherani will make her European debut with the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy singing a solo program of French Baroque repertoire. Prior to her singing career, Maya graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Follow her online at mayakherani.com.

Gesangssolist in Fachbereich Oper und Lied. Soloist in Italienischer Tenor Stimmfach am Staatstheater Braunschweig von 2007 bis 2017. Gastengagements in Komische Oper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Utah Festival Opera und San Diego Opera.

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