Inman Piano Trio

Violinist Beth Newdome was appointed to the faculty of Florida State University as Assistant Professor of Violin in Fall 2002. Previously she served as Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where she had been a member since 1991. Her association with major orchestras in the US began with the position of Assistant Concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony and then followed with positions in the Columbus and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. Hailed by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as a "musician's musician", Ms Newdome enjoys an active solo and chamber music life. As a core member of the Georgian Chamber Players, she has performed with such artists as Ruth Laredo, Awadagin Pratt, Maria Bachman, Robert McDuffie and Jonathan Bass. She and Mr. Pratt have given concerts throughout the US as well as in Japan. In the summer she teaches at the Aspen Music Festival. Beth Newdome trained at the Eastman School of Music, where her teacher was Charles Castleman.

David Bjella is Associate Professor of Cello at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. He served as Principal Cellist of the Orlando Philharmonic since its inception until 2001. He is a member of the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee and frequently performs with the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at the Riverbend Music Center during the summer season. Mr. Bjella has also played with the Baltimore and Des Moines Symphonies and the Florida Orchestra in Tampa, as well as Principal roles with the Drake, Aspen, Peabody, Annapolis, and Ft. Myers orchestras. He has performed with the Ying and Alexander String Quartets and is cellist with the Nova String Quartet. Mr. Bjella appears frequently as a concerto soloist and has performed numerous premieres of works written for him by such composers as Kari Juusela and Michael DeMurga. David Bjella's performance of Juusela's cello quartet "Bliss" won Grand Prize at the Composers Guild competition of 1999. David Bjella studied at Drake University with John Ehrlich and with Stephen Kates at the Peabody Conservatory. At Peabody, he was the recipient of the Isreal Dorman String Award and also appeared with Mr. Kates on a recital in New York's Merkin Hall. Bjella resides with his wife, Joni, and his two daughters in DeLand, Florida.

Pianist BRENT RUNNELS earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Constance Keene and John Browning, where he was awarded the school’s highest graduate honor, the Harold Bauer Award. He is the winner of the New Orleans International Piano Competition and has won top prizes in the Jacksonville Classical Piano Competition and the Frinna Awerbuch Competition in New York. He has received critical acclaim for his performances in the US, Europe, Australia and Russia as an orchestral and recital soloist, chamber musician, and jazz pianist. Orchestras with which he has appeared include the Atlanta Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Kosice State Philharmonic, Ural Academic Philharmonic, Slovak Sinfonietta of Zilina, Florida Orchestra, Florida Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Brevard Symphony and the Gwinnett Philharmonic. He has given recitals in London, Prague, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sydney and Atlanta. Dr. Runnels has been a frequent guest at the South Bohemia Music Festival in the Czech Republic and has given master classes for the European Piano Teacher’s Association in Prague, Brno and as guest artist at the Urals Summer International Academy of Arts in Novouralsk, Russia.

Brent Runnels is founder and pianist of the Inman Piano Trio, an ensemble known for performances of unusual and rarely heard chamber works. They are represented by Philip Truckenbrod Concert Artists. He has also performed extensively as a jazz pianist and has appeared with such artists as Jon Faddis, Clark Terry, Gene Bertoncini, Lou Soloff, Dave Mancini and Warren Covington. As a staff singer at the Cathedral of St. Philip he sings with the Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Schola.

Dr. Runnels is an active advocate for the performing arts and music education. He is Executive and Artistic Director of Orchestra Atlanta, a non-profit arts organization that presents chamber music and classic jazz concerts and produces Summer Music Camps for Atlanta area students. He serves on the music staff at The Cathedral of St. Philip as Cathedral Concerts Manager, as well as supporting the Friends of Cathedral Music program. He has taught on the music faculties of Rollins College, Concordia College, the Manhattan School of Music and Georgia State University. A native of Rockville, Maryland, Brent Runnels is a member of the international roster of Steinway Artists