The Musicians of Duo Millenia

Elisabeth Chardonnet, co-founder of Millenia Music, was born in France in 1973. She started studying harp at age 9 with Françoise Netter at the National School of Music of Le Mans, where she was awarded a Gold Medal in 1990. In 1988, she won the First Prize in a regional competition for young musicians. She also studied with Pierre Jamet in the summers of 1988 and 1989. In 1991, she was unanimously admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. There, she studied with Marie-Claire Jamet and obtained a unanimous First Prize in 1995. In 1994, thanks to an exchange program, she spent three months at the Moscow Conservatory where she studied with Vera Dulova. In the fall of 1995, she flew to the United States to study with Susann McDonald at the Indiana University School of Music. She was awarded a Performer Diploma in 1996 and the prestigious Artist Diploma in 1997. She spent the summer of 1997 at the Aspen Music Festival and School where she sudied with Nancy Allen. She was a Prize winner at the 1998 U.S.A. International Harp Contest. She was also the principal harpist of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 1999. Angélus, her first solo harp CD, was released in July of 2000. She currently resides in Little Rock and works as a freelance musician and recitalist. She is the principal harpist of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and teaches both privately and at the University of Central Arkansas Community School of Music.

John Dahlstrand was born in 1978 and started playing bass in school at age 8. His rapid progress lead him to study with Chicago Symphony bassist Roger Cline soon after. He came to the Indiana University School of Music in 1995 to study with Lawrence Hurst, whom he knew from his summers at Interlochen. While a student at IU, he won numerous competitions and honors, including the 1999 Concerto competition, with a noted performance of the David Anderson Bass Concerto, and the PerformerÕs Certificate in 1999. He was the winner of the ASTA biannual string competition of 1998 at both state and national levels. He spent three summers as a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival. Since 2001 he has been a bassist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra working with the orchestra and providing educational outreach to the state of Arkansas through the symphonyÕs Arts Partners program. John is a composer as well. Inspired by the unique sound of double bass and harp he has written and arranged numerous pieces for his duo. His works are published by Millenia Music. His compositions have been performed on concerts in Japan, Ireland, France and the United States. John is regularly commissioned for new works ranging from small chamber pieces to symphony orchestra.

duo@millenia-music.com