Beta Quartet is sponsored by Flute Specialists and Trevor James Flutes

Described as "chamber music at its finest" by Kenneth Tse and "unique and virtuosic" by Barbara Siesel, BETA Quartet is an award-winning ensemble comprised of flutists Eftihia Arkoudis, Tatiana Cassetta, Alyssa Schwartz, and Meg Brennan.

BETA is dedicated to exploring and promoting the cutting edge of modern flute music by premiering and performing works by living composers from around the world. The ensemble is actively engaged through concerts, masterclasses, and educational outreach across the country and abroad.

As strong competitors, BETA has won First Prize at France Music Competition 2° (2020) and West Virginia Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition (2016), First Prize at the Flute Society of Kentucky Quartet Competition (2017), and advanced to the semi-finals of the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2017). The group has performed and presented workshops at the National Flute Association Convention, Florida Flute Association Convention, the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia, and the WVU International Flute Symposium.

BETA’s activities have been partially funded by grants from The Friends of Flutes Foundation and West Virginia University, and their recognition within the flute community resulted in sponsorship by Flute Specialists, Inc. (Clawson, MI). As of 2019, BETA Quartet is also a Trevor James Low Flutes Ensemble.

Following the release of their self-titled debut album (2017), BETA commissioned Detroit based composer Marcus Elliott to write a work celebrating the feminine divine (2019) and recorded the world premiere of Nuraghi Warriors Dance (Ples Bojevnikov Nuraghi) composed by Anže Rozman and dedicated to the group (2020). Both albums are released with Merandi Records and are available through Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and www.betaquartet.com.

Angela McCuiston is a NASM-CPT, CES, SFS and CETI-CES (Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist and Cancer Exercise Specialist) and owner of Music Strong (www.musicstrong.com), a business that specializes in personal fitness training for musicians.

Winner of the 2007 NFA Piccolo Master class, Angela received her Master of Music in Flute Performance from Florida State University and her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Tennessee Technological University. An avid performer, Angela is Assistant Principal/Piccolo of Sinfonia Gulf Coast of Destin, Nashville Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony and Nashville Flute Choir. Joining the military soon after 9/11 she recently became a member of the 313th Army Band in Huntsville, AL, after completing a 16-year tenure in the 129th Army Band in Nashville, TN.  In addition to her solo performances, she has performed with such celebrities as Kristen Chenowith, Pink Martini, Jamie Bernstein, Morgan James,  Katherine Jolley, Nancy Griffith and Mary Wilson of the Supremes.

As a trainer, Angela maintains several training locations in Nashville and also travels to give her workshops and presentations, most notably presenting at the National Flute Association Conventions in Salt Lake City, UT; Las Vegas, NV, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, FL. Among her recent workshops, she has travelled to present at Arizona State University, Florida State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Ft. Lewis University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga among others.

Recently she was sought out by the Old Guard, Army Fife and Drum Corps as a special consultant to prevent playing related injuries. She has since taken up residence on the faculty of the Stetson University flute camp and has been sought out for numerous other positions including her recent appointment Fall of 2018 as Chair of the National Flute Association Performance Health Committee.  

In February 2019 she published her first book: The Musician’s Essential Exercises, with plans to branch out into instrument-specific volumes in the near future.

When she is not performing or training, Angela can be found teaching private flute lessons in the middle Tennessee area or riding her Trek road bike as many hours as there are sunshine.  She recently completed her 4th century ride (100+ miles) and has a goal to ride between 5-12 centuries in 2019 and log 5,000 miles.

Flutist Jeffrey Beyer was performing with the First National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof until the COVID19 pandemic brought live shows to a standstill. He currently performs regularly for his Mozart singing cockatiel at his home in Oak Park, MI. Beyer holds a BA from Siena Heights University, where he studied with Kelly Hill Kretzer, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeast Michigan Flute Association as past president, website editor, and sponsorship chair. No stranger to the flute industry, Beyer previously worked at a leading specialty store for over a decade. He has several arrangements published by Alry Publications, including his arrangement of Franz Strauss’ Nocturno for Bass Flute and Piano which was a finalist for the NFA 2020 Newly Published Music Competition.

Dr. Nicholas Buonanni is a Trevor James Alto Flute Artist, multifaceted performer, and teacher currently living in Lansing, MI. He has won second prize at the 2019 NFA Alto Flute Soloist Competition and the 2018 LFF International Alto Flute Competition and has been a prize winner in numerous national and international competitions on flute and piccolo. Dr. Buonanni is an active orchestral musician, serving as Performance Fellow with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and regularly performing with the Lansing, Flint, Southwest Michigan, and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras. 

As a teacher, Dr. Buonanni is a Flute Instructor for the University of Central Florida Summer Flute & Piccolo Institute. Additionally, he has served as an Instructor Fix-Term and Flute Studio Teaching Assistant at Michigan State University, and as the Flute Choir Conductor and Coach for the MSU Spartan Youth Wind Symphony. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Dr. Buonanni studied with Dr. Nora Lee Garcia at the University of Central Florida and Richard Sherman at Michigan State University. Currently, Dr. Buonanni serves as Social Media Director for the Southeastern Michigan Flute Association (SEMFA). www.nicholasbuonanni.com

Christina Condon maintains a competitive flute and clarinet studio in Beavercreek, Ohio and Odessa, Florida with her students placing at the top of their school ensembles, regional honor bands, and orchestras. Her studio flute ensembles have been recognized for their exceptional skill and use of extended techniques. With over 18 years of teaching experience, online lessons were integrated over 7 years ago and her online students share the successes of her in-person students. Christina’s flute students have sat principal flute in the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Springfield Youth Symphony, and Middletown Youth Symphony, and also played flute/piccolo in the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestras and in the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (rotating seating). They have also won and placed in several national flute competitions such as with the Central Ohio Flute Association and National Flute Association and have been accepted into music programs at schools such as the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, the University of North Texas, and the Ohio State University.

In addition to her private studio, Christina performs flutes/clarinets/saxes for musical theatre, assists band directors with their sectional needs for winds, and has previously taught as sabbatical replacement for the University of Dayton and assisted with the New Horizons Band. In her free time, Christina enjoys her athletic outlet with cycling and inline speed skating with her husband Bill and they provide a cushy life for their furry felines. www.condonmusic.com

Traci L Buckner is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who enjoys performing and recording various genres of music. She is a member of several groups including the SEMFA Flute Choir, Michigan Flute Orchestra, Universal Virtual Jazz Flute Big Band, United Freedom Band and Canton Concert Band. Traci is employed at the University of Michigan and serves as an Associate Pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Ministries International in Ypsilanti. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching and mentoring. Traci currently resides in Van Buren Twp., Michigan.

Dennis Carter is a busy freelancer in the Detroit area, serving as Principal Flutist for the Michigan Philharmonic and the Dearborn Symphony, and as an additional musician with the Michigan Opera Theater, the Flint Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He is a well known soloist in the area, performing concerti with the Michigan Philharmonic, the Dearborn Symphony, and the Rochester Symphony.  Active in theater orchestras, he serves as the Principal Flutist for the Fisher Theater Orchestra and the Bijou Orchestra, and has toured the United States with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, the New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra, and the Carl Rosa Opera Company (UK).  He also is a part of the Sphinx Organization, participating in their youth strings program and their orchestra, which recently was on tour at the Napa Valley Music Festival in California. He holds a B.A. in Music Performance from Wayne State University, and his teachers were Ervin Monroe and Clement Barone.

Shelly Rouse-Freitag is a member of the Michigan Philharmonic, Oakland and Warren Symphony Orchestras playing second flute and piccolo.  She has played in chamber orchestras in Germany, toured the US and Canada with the with the Freiburg Academic Orchestra and recorded in Singapore with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.  Shelly has a thriving flute studio in West Bloomfield, with students earning positions in the Michigan All-State Band, regional youth symphonies, and winning awards in area young artist and concerto competitions.  She has taught flute and woodwind methods at Siena Heights University, MI, was an adjunct flute instructor at the Vienna Poly-college in Austria, and taught privately in Frankfurt, Germany for several years.  Shelly teaches middle school band part-time in the West Bloomfield School District, and flute lessons with Crescendo Detroit. She is a member of Tuesday Musicale Detroit and Pontiac, Sigma Alpha Iota Pontchartrain Alumnae Chapter and is a past president of the Southeast Michigan Flute Association.

Gail Green serves as Past President in the Southeast Michigan Flute Association and is the Director of the Michigan Flute Orchestra.  Gail also adjudicates Solo & Ensemble Festivals at the District and State Levels. She lives in Brighton, Michigan where she has a private flute studio.  Gail is a retired Elementary Music teacher as an Orff Schulwerk Specialist that included Honors Choirs and World Drumming performing groups. Besides performing in a variety of orchestras and groups around Michigan and Canada, she presently performs with Trio Dolce, Motor City Flutes, the SEMFA Flute Choir and will be traveling to Italy with the International Flute Orchestra in 2022.

Cathi Marro is a professional free-lance musician, educator and artist in Miami, FL. She specializes in flute and alto flute, playing in several ensembles ranging from classical symphony orchestras, to flute choirs, rock bands, sacred ensembles and even a performance art troupe, Kunstwaffen 1918. You may also know her as Cat-Hi the artist who makes cat themed art in various mediums. www.cathimarro.com www.cat-hi.com http://www.facebook.com/kunstwaffen1918

Matt Johnston grew up in Tampa, Florida, and followed an unusual path during the course of his musical education. Never seeming to want to settle on playing one single instrument, and with a foundation of piano lessons starting at the age of five, Matt began to explore the entire spectrum of instruments from a young age. Playing trumpet in elementary school led to the viola and double bass in middle school, only to return to trumpet for high school marching band. Braces on his teeth forced him to low clarinets and bassoon later in high school, meantime dabbling in flute and saxophone, trombone in jazz band, all without a single private lesson on any of these instruments. With supportive parents and music teachers largely just letting him “do his own thing,” it’s no wonder he was eventually destined for a career such as music publishing, where such wide and unconventional breadth of experience would be an asset.

He graduated from the Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and a certificate in bassoon performance. However, even then while there, not quite willing to settle on playing a single instrument, he also embraced private studies on the organ, flute, clarinet, and piano. Following college, a move to Seattle for a fresh start led to a varied career of teaching, playing organ for a local church, and performing on multiple woodwinds and keyboards in the theatres.

Throughout all this time, Matt self-published his own musical arrangements and transcriptions, most notably for flute and clarinet ensembles, eventually leading to his taken over ownership of ALRY Publications in 2012. With ALRY, he now enjoys spending his time working with the 300+ composers and arrangers represented in the catalog, promoting their works around the world.

Kassia Martin is a classical flute and piccolo performer in southern Michigan. She holds positions in the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Midland Symphony Orchestra, the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, and the Warren Symphony Orchestra and has played with groups throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. She also performs regularly as a soloist, and with her husband, clarinetist Sam Martin, as the Martin Wind Duo. Kassia is the flute instructor at Madonna University and enjoys helping students of all levels reach their goals. She is also the conductor and music director of the Flute Specialists Flute Choirs in Clawson. 

Martin Melicharek, III, M.D., ASCAP. Presently Dr. Melicharek is the founder, conductor and artistic director of the Camellia City Flute Choir. He serves in the capacity of arranger for the group. His educational background includes degrees in Biological Science and Medicine. His musical training started in flute at the age of twelve and later studied piano and organ.  His formal musical education began after retirement a Cal State University, Sacramento, CA in Composition and Music Theory. He is one of the founders of the Sacramento Flute Club and presently serves as board member-at–large. He is a life member of the National Flute Association having served in the past on the low flute committee and as an adjudicator. His compositions and arrangements for flute choir can be found in the ALRY and Falls House Catalogues. He also self publishes through his Camellia Flutes Publishing Co.

Christina Steffen is the founder and Artistic Director of Desert Echoes Flute Project (defproject.org), a nationally recognized flute choir program sponsored by Mesa Community College in Arizona. The original ensemble was founded in 2006 and has become an internationally recognized flute choir selected to perform at National Flute Association Conventions, The San Francisco International Flute Festival, The International Low Flutes Festival, and the renowned Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. The members include professional flutists, music educators, college students, and community musicians selected by audition. The Chamber Choir began in 2011 joining together select members of DEFproject in a small choir that typically performs without a conductor. The Community Flute Choir was established in 2016 and brings together flutists of varying levels (from high school through professional) to enjoy playing music together. DEF and MCC also sponsor several educational programs: Summer Flute Project, AZ FluteFest, the All-Arizona Flute Choir, the Flute Regional Etude Day, and varying guest artists events. mesacc.edu/flute-events   For the past year the flute choirs of DEF have been meeting live/online creating engaging virtual video projects. Given the online format members have joined from outside the Phoenix area in Arizona, Utah, North Dakota, Georgia, Louisiana, and Italy. https://www.youtube.com/defproject

Christina enjoys a diverse career as a musician and educator. Her unique artistry melds pure classical and orchestral training with a jazz sensibility shaped by years of playing in Big Bands. This combined with a passion for the musics of the world has fashioned a uniquely versatile musician.  She has played with local pit orchestras for over 50 national Broadway tours including “Wicked,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Aladdin,” The Phoenix Theatre Company, The Phoenix Symphony, many ad hoc orchestras, and various chamber ensembles. She has played for an extensive list of international entertainers such as Hugh Jackman, Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, and Natalie Cole. Ms. Steffen presents flute clinics and master classes and has taught at many music camps including the NAU Curry Summer Music Camp, MCC Summer Music Camp, SCC Music Camp, Music in the Bradshaws, and founded the original Arizona Flute Society Flute Camp.