SCRAG MOUNTAIN MUSIC FOunders and Co-Artistic Directors
Double Bassist / Composer Evan Premo creates heart-centered music that inspires audiences and musicians alike. His music has been commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra, River Town Duo, Owen Dalby, the International Society of Bassists, Diana Gannett, Paul Dwyer, The Pine Mountain Music Festival, Capitol City Concerts, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Evan is a member of Decoda with which he has performed in residencies around the world including four he led in Abu Dhabi, UAE. As a member of Ensemble Connect, Evan has performed in concerts at Carnegie Hall and participated in residencies in Spain and Germany. As a chamber musician, he has performed at summer music festivals throughout the country and has been featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. Evan has participated in and collaborated with New Music on the Point summer festival in Leicester, Vermont. Evan resides in Vermont where he is active teaching and performing and is Founder co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Beethoven and Banjos, a residency that brings together folk and classical musicians for cross-genre concerts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. When Evan's not performing and composing, he enjoys woodworking, hiking, skiing, fishing, and simply being in nature. www.evanpremo.com
Mary Bonhag is an “extraordinary” singer (Classical Voice N. America) committed to the healing powers of song. She is both a new-music specialist and a singer deeply devoted to sacred music across the ages. Mary was featured on Resonant Bodies Festival, and has sung with 21st Century Consort, and San Francisco Contemporary Players. Mary recently premiered a new chamber opera by Susan Botti, River Spirits, an allegorical tale featuring Mary, Susan Botti, and Lucy Shelton.
Mary is sought after for her impeccable musicianship and “supple expressive voice” (San Antonio News) for concert work, specializing in the sacred music of J.S. Bach.
In 2010, Mary co-founded Scrag Mountain Music, now in its 14th year of organizing chamber music residencies and innovative and affordable concerts around Vermont. Locally, Mary lends her “warm and brilliant” voice (Times Argus—VT) to Scrag Mountain Music concerts, as well as frequently soloing with the Burlington Choral Society, TURN Music, and Oriana Singers. She has appeared in recital at Dartmouth College, UVM, and Smith College, and has sung numerous times on the Capital City Concerts series. In 2015, she starred as Grace in Erik Nielsen’s opera A Fleeting Animal to great critical acclaim, and has premiered works by Vermont composers Nielsen, Premo, Don Jamison, and Kathy Eddy. In 2021, she premiered a preview performance of Nielsen's newest opera Aliceheimer's.
Since COVID, she has devoted much of her personal practice and professional work to chant and recorded Wellspring: Centering Chants for Uncertain Times by Kathy Wonson Eddy. Since 2020, she has been leading Taizé chant services both online and in person.
Collaborations and relationships are central to Mary’s professional life as a singer and she enjoys close partnerships with pianist David Kaplan, Aizuri Quartet, Aeolus Quartet, Decoda, conductor Filippo Ciabatti, and numerous composers including premiering or commissioning works by Lembit Beecher, Susan Botti, Evan Premo, Shawn Jaeger, Eliza Brown, Evan Chambers, and C. Curtis Smith.
After studies at University of Michigan and Bard College (under Dawn Upshaw’s mentorship), she was invited to residence at SongFest, Fall Island, and Tanglewood. While at Tanglewood, she was honored with the Grace B. Jackson Prize and her performances of Schoenberg’s String Quartet no. 2, excerpts from Lutoslawski’s Chantefleurs et Chantefables, Grieg and Sibelius songs, and David Lang’s Just were received with great acclaim.
Mary is featured on the NPR show Performance Today and appears on Albany Records. In between travels, she lives and makes music with her children in Vermont amongst the pine trees and flowers. www.marybonhagsoprano.com
Mary is sought after for her impeccable musicianship and “supple expressive voice” (San Antonio News) for concert work, specializing in the sacred music of J.S. Bach.
In 2010, Mary co-founded Scrag Mountain Music, now in its 14th year of organizing chamber music residencies and innovative and affordable concerts around Vermont. Locally, Mary lends her “warm and brilliant” voice (Times Argus—VT) to Scrag Mountain Music concerts, as well as frequently soloing with the Burlington Choral Society, TURN Music, and Oriana Singers. She has appeared in recital at Dartmouth College, UVM, and Smith College, and has sung numerous times on the Capital City Concerts series. In 2015, she starred as Grace in Erik Nielsen’s opera A Fleeting Animal to great critical acclaim, and has premiered works by Vermont composers Nielsen, Premo, Don Jamison, and Kathy Eddy. In 2021, she premiered a preview performance of Nielsen's newest opera Aliceheimer's.
Since COVID, she has devoted much of her personal practice and professional work to chant and recorded Wellspring: Centering Chants for Uncertain Times by Kathy Wonson Eddy. Since 2020, she has been leading Taizé chant services both online and in person.
Collaborations and relationships are central to Mary’s professional life as a singer and she enjoys close partnerships with pianist David Kaplan, Aizuri Quartet, Aeolus Quartet, Decoda, conductor Filippo Ciabatti, and numerous composers including premiering or commissioning works by Lembit Beecher, Susan Botti, Evan Premo, Shawn Jaeger, Eliza Brown, Evan Chambers, and C. Curtis Smith.
After studies at University of Michigan and Bard College (under Dawn Upshaw’s mentorship), she was invited to residence at SongFest, Fall Island, and Tanglewood. While at Tanglewood, she was honored with the Grace B. Jackson Prize and her performances of Schoenberg’s String Quartet no. 2, excerpts from Lutoslawski’s Chantefleurs et Chantefables, Grieg and Sibelius songs, and David Lang’s Just were received with great acclaim.
Mary is featured on the NPR show Performance Today and appears on Albany Records. In between travels, she lives and makes music with her children in Vermont amongst the pine trees and flowers. www.marybonhagsoprano.com
SCRAG MOUNTAIN MUSIC Board of Directors
Mary Bonhag
John Donaldson
Mike Donofrio
Lois Eby
Allyson Evans
Theresa Murray-Clasen
Evan Premo
Virginia Roth (In memoriam)
John Donaldson
Mike Donofrio
Lois Eby
Allyson Evans
Theresa Murray-Clasen
Evan Premo
Virginia Roth (In memoriam)