“It must be said from the beginning that one of the joys of seeing Mobley is hearing his beautiful alto coming out of a big, tall man who looks more like a linebacker for the Miami Dolphins than the P.G. Wodehouse party guest his name might suggest.”
Countertenor Reginald L. Mobley fully intended to speak his art through watercolors and oil pastels until circumstance demanded that his own voice should speak for itself. Since reducing his visual color palette to the black and white of a score, he’s endeavored to open up a wider spectrum onstage.
After starting his classical music career as a member of twice GRAMMY® nominated ensemble Seraphic Fire, Reggie has since appeared with Academy of Ancient Music, Agave Baroque, Bach Collegium San Diego, Calgary Symphony, Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists, Pacific Music Works, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, TENET, and The Handel + Haydn Society. With the latter, he had the honor of becoming the first Black person to lead H+H in its Bicentennial year. Recent festival appearances include Bachfest Leipzig, Festival Berlioz, Early Music Vancouver, Thüringer Bachwoche, Portland Bach Experience, and the Boston Early Music Festival. This coming season will see debut appearances with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque, Musica Angelica, Bach Akademie Stuttgart, Gaechinger Cantorey, Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, and a recital of the music of Black American composers with keyboardist Henry Lebedinsky at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris . Reggie has also participated this fall in two new recording projects. An all Handel disc featuring the Ode to the Birthday of Queen Anne, and the Utrecht Te Deum & Jubilate with Bach Akademie Stuttgart led by Hans Christoph Rademann, and Italian Chamber Duets of Agostino Steffani led by harpsichordist, Jory Vinikour.
Never bound by conventional countertenor repertoire, Reggie has a fair bit of non-classical work in tow. His first professional work was in Musical Theatre, and while working in Japan (as a Singer/Actor for Tokyo Disney), he performed cabaret shows of gospel, jazz, and torch songs in jazz clubs around Tokyo. Since moving in Boston, a strong devotion to social and political activism has awoken and become a part of everyday life. As a member of NoBoston2024 and allied with No Boston Olympics, Reggie (one of the #tenpeopleontwitter) was able to lend his strength to the effort to reject the 2024 Olympic Games bid that was “awarded” to Boston. That, and time volunteering in local political campaigns, has only helped focus a desire to make a difference within the Arts. Particularly with the massive inequality regarding race, gender, and sexuality within the classical music industry.
And though not one to regret, Reggie has considered rediscovering his artistic roots. So if seen post concert, forego an autograph and ask for one of his self-acclaimed stick figure drawings. It’s a start.
Oboist Naomi Bensdorf Frisch, a Chicago native, is Principal Oboe of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. From 2003 through 2018, Naomi was principal Oboe of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Tulsa Philharmonic, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and others. An avid chamber musician, Naomi has performed as a soloist and chamber music collaborator with many ensembles throughout the Midwest and coaches woodwind chamber music for the award winning Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Program. Ms. Bensdorf Frisch received her Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University as a student of Ray Still and her Master of Music from DePaul University as a student of Robert Morgan. Recently, Ms. Bensdorf Frisch completed her Juris Doctorate at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. In addition to playing the Oboe, she has been working as a plaintiffs’ employment law attorney since May of 2018.
A native of West Palm Beach, Jeff Adkins is a double bassist who thrives on connecting with audiences across musical genres. Jeff enjoys a diverse career in South Florida’s vibrant music scene, currently performing as a member of Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Nu Deco Ensemble where he also performs on electric bass. Jeff has had the fortune of supporting great artists including Gloria Estefan, Sir James Galway, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Mario Cantone, Bernadette Peters, and The Platters.
Flutist Joseph Monticello’s playing has been praised by both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal as “graceful” and for being as “exciting as the singers.” Equally at home on both modern and historical flutes, Joseph spends most of his year as second flutist of the Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Symphony orchestras, making his home in Miami. Joseph remains active in the historical performance world, performing with Philharmonia Baroque, Boston Baroque, New York Baroque Incorporated, and as the principal flute of the newly formed Teatro Nuovo festival orchestra, specializing in the historically informed presentation of Bel Canto operatic masterworks on period-appropriate instruments. Having received his Masters in Historical Performance from The Juilliard School, Joseph has performed and toured worldwide with many of the leading conductors and ensembles of the early music movement, including: Nicholas McGegan, Masaaki Suzuki, Jordi Savall, Harry Bickett, Richard Egarr, and William Christie, having twice participated in the Les Arts Florissants summer festival “Dans les Jardins de William Christie” in Thiré, France. Prior to his studies at Juilliard, Joseph received his Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory under Michel Debost and later, Alexa Still. It was there he first took up the baroque flute under Kathie Stewart, before continuing his studies with Sandra Miller at Juilliard.
On Monday, March 11, 2019 at 7:30pm, 
For the second performance of season 8, musimelange, the multi-sensory chamber music series in Miami, welcomes you to experience musiJAZZ with Hendrik Meurkens. The virtuoso jazz harmonica player will be coming down from freezing New York to perform with pianist Jim Gasior, bassist Jamie Ousley and dummer Goetz Kujack – and warm our hearts with some Brazilian Jazz. The concert will be paired with EverCook creative hors d’œuvres & desserts, Barton & Guestier’s delicious selection of wines and BON Chocolatier decadent chocolates.
Jamie Ousley has been one of the most in-demand bassists in south Florida since he moved to Miami in the fall of 1998 to attend graduate school in the prestigious Jazz program of the University of Miami. He has since completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Jazz Bass Performance and continues to perform and teach both locally and internationally.
