Zara Lawler
Flute

Neil Parsons
Bass Trombone

Meaghan Heinrich
Oboe

Bonnie Whiting Smith
Percussion

Zara Lawler, flutist, made her concerto debut with the Houston Symphony in 1995 and shortly thereafter became assistant principal flute of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, a position she held until 1998. As a student of Carol Wincenc, she received her Master of Music from the Juilliard School and her Bachelor of Arts at Barnard College. Her recent activities include summers at Marlboro Music, founding and performing in the chamber group Full Fathom, and folk dancing. She is a recent prizewinner of the Artists International Competition and made her sponsored New York debut at Merkin Concert Hall on June 3, 2001. Zara joined T&S in 2000.

Neil Parsons, bass trombonist, graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and received his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Ray Premru. He designed an individual major: Interdisciplinary Performance and Education, uniting his interests in music, dance and teaching. After his graduation, he continued his studies with trombonist Tony Baker and at the Ohio University School of Dance. A diverse performer, Neil’s performance credits include roles in professional theatre productions; performing his own choreography in college dance productions; and performing music with a variety of ensembles including a disco orchestra. Neil joined T&S in 1999.

Meaghan Heinrich, (Oboe) a native of Huntington, WV, completed her Master of Music Degree in oboe performance at Rice University in 2004. While at Rice, she was a student of Robert Atherholt and also helped create and coordinate JUMP! (Just for U Music Program), a series of student-run interactive children's concerts. Previously, Meaghan was a student of Mark Ostoich at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she performed for four years with the Split Ends Woodwind Quintet. She has spent summers performing with the Opera Theatre of Lucca Festival in Tuscany and the Sarasota Music Festival. In addition to her performance experience, Meaghan has worked as an orchestra librarian, an admissions officer, and has performed acting roles in works such as Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. Some of her other interests include running, biking, books of all kinds, and learning to play bagpipes and mandolin. Meaghan joined Tales & Scales in 2004.

Bonnie Whiting Smith, percussionist, received her Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory and graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy. She continued studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and served as principal percussionist and timpanist for the Ohio Light Opera Company. She was recognized by the NFAA through the Arts Recognition and Talent Search, and was a recipient of Oberlin's Ernest Hatch Wilkins Memorial Prize and the Phi Kappa Lambda award for musicianship. Bonnie joined T&S in 2005.