Meet the Musicians
Nathaniel Sullivan, Baritone

Nathaniel Sullivan is a musician, theatre artist, and writer devoted to holding space for reflection, understanding, and creative projects that champion change. An "alert and highly musical baritone" (Opera News), Nathaniel infuses his work with "impressive strength and precision" (Schmopera), as well as “great eloquence” and "allegiance to both music and words" (ConcertoNet). Upcoming highlights: Jochanaan in Salome with Heartbeat Opera (February 2025); Escamillo in Carmen in concert with the West Virginia Symphony (March 2025); recitals with Chamber Music Quad Cities (March 2025), Riverview Chamber Series (April 2025), and Piano Lunaire (May 2025). Other recent highlights: the role of The King in the North American premiere of George Benjamin's Lessons in Love and Violence at Tanglewood; soloist and Jesus in the St. John Passion with Abendmusik; premiering two works for baritone and chamber ensemble with Contemporaneous at Carnegie Hall; covering the role of Harvey Milk in the world premiere of Stewart Wallace's Harvey Milk Reimagined at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Nathaniel was one of seven winners of the 2023 Astral Artists National Competition and has been awarded the Grace B. Jackson Prize for exceptional service at Tanglewood (2019), Third Place in the Washington International Competition (2023), Third Place in the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition (2019), Third Place in the Orpheus Vocal Competition (2019), and First Place in the NATS National Musical Theatre Competition (2018). He received his BM from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (2014) and his MM from the Bard College Conservatory of Music (2017). Connect with Nathaniel at nathanielsullivan.com.
Stephanie Zyzak, Violinist

Praised for her sensitive musicianship and heartfelt playing, violinist Stephanie Zyzak is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most soulful and profound musicians of her generation.
At the age of seven, Stephanie made her first solo appearance with the Starling Chamber Orchestra at the Aspen Music School and became the youngest recipient ever to be awarded the Aspen Music School New Horizon Fellowship. The following year, she performed in Germany as an invited guest of the Internationale Kunst – Akademie Liechtenstein (IKAL). Since making her debut in 2004 with the Louisville Orchestra, Stephanie has performed as a soloist throughout Germany, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Italy, France, and with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Southeast Missouri Symphony, and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.
Recent and upcoming season highlights include performances at Caramoor,
Carnegie Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Vancouver Chamber Music Society, and on tour with Mitsuko Uchida and Musicians from Marlboro as part of Carnegie Hall’s Perspective Series.
A deeply passionate chamber musician, Stephanie frequently collaborates and appears in concerts with musicians including Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss, Kim Kashkashian, Hsin-Yun Huang, Alice Neary, Danny Phillips, Marcy Rosen, and Peter Wiley. She has also performed at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Caramoor, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival, where she has toured extensively with Musicians From Marlboro.
Born in South Carolina, Stephanie is a graduate of New England Conservatory and has studied with Miriam Fried and Mark Steinberg. She is also a founding member of ensemble132, a roster-based chamber music collective and was a 2020-22 Ensemble Connect fellow at Carnegie Hall.
Stephanie performs on a 1778 Joseph and Antonio Gagliano violin, generously on loan from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, and a bow by François-Nicolas Voirin.
Gregory Sauer, cellist

Praised for his versatility, Gregory Sauer performs in many different musical arenas. He has appeared in recital at the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco, Vanderbilt University, Rice University, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and the Brightmusic Concert Series in Oklahoma City, among many others throughout the U.S. Mr Sauer has performed concertos with orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, the Quad City Symphony, the Columbus (GA) Symphony, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Missoula Symphony, among many others. As a member of Trio Solis, he performed in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall.
Greg has recorded for Harmonia Mundi, MSR Classics and Mark Records. Sauer holds the positions of principal cello of the Tallahassee Symphony and assistant principal of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. He served nine seasons as principal cellist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.
A committed teacher and mentor, Greg was appointed to the music faculty at Florida State University in 2006. He taught eleven years at the University of Oklahoma, and was named Presidential Professor in 2005. Other teaching positions have been a visiting professorship at the University of California at Los Angeles, and at summer programs such as the Texas Music Festival, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, the Duxbury Music Festival, and the Foulger International Music Festival.
Thomas Sauer, pianist

Pianist Thomas Sauer is highly sought after as soloist and chamber musician in a wide range of repertoire. Recent appearances include Carnegie Hall, St. John’s College, Oxford, and the Chamber Music Societies of Lincoln Center, Boston, and Philadelphia. With his long-time duo partner Colin Carr, Mr. Sauer has appeared at the Wigmore Hall (London), the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston), and Da Camera (Houston). He has performed with members of the Juilliard String Quartet at the Library of Congress and given numerous concerts with the Brentano String Quartet.
Mr. Sauer’s varied discography includes recordings of Beethoven and Haydn piano sonatas (MSR Classics); solo music by Thomas Adès, Stephen Hartke, and Hans Abramahsen (Azica Records); with Colin Carr, the complete cello and piano works of Mendelssohn (Cello Classics) and Beethoven (MSR Classics); music of Hindemith with violist Misha Amory (Musical Heritage Society); music of Britten and Schnittke with cellist Wilhelmina Smith (Arabesque); music of Ross Lee Finney with violinist Miranda Cuckson (Centaur Records); and music of James Matheson (Yarlung Records).
Mr. Sauer has performed at many of the leading festivals in the United States and abroad, including Marlboro, Caramoor, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, and Taos, as well as Lake District Summer Music (England), Agassiz (Canada), Festival des Consonances (France), and Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival (Denmark). A faculty member of Mannes and Vassar Colleges, Mr. Sauer was the founder and director of the Mannes Beethoven Institute, a highly regarded summer program that ran for fifteen seasons.