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Connie Marie, director, violin, M. Mus. Ed. UWSP, Stevens Point, WI; B. Mus. Ed. Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Oh. Currently violin teacher at the PLACe Music Academy and violinist for Symphony of the West Valley, she has been directing and playing violin in bands for over 19 years. She has been teaching violin privately and in public schools and universities for over 27 years. Her degrees in music education and her experience dancing in Heartland East European Dance Troupe have allowed her many resources and skills for playing, directing and writing music. Her non-classical music-playing love is Gypsie, and ethnic Hungarian and Romanian violin music. She also in the Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Congregations on Phoenix in Paradise Valley.

David Clemons, guitar, performing and composing for over 25 years. His background includes alternative, rock, blue grass and jazz. He is currently the lead guitarist for the Steve Barker band at Rawhide in Scottsdale, Az. His music influences include Pat Metheny, Jerry Garcia, and David Gilmore. He is also owner and chief engineer of DCSD recording studio. He is also producer and technical director for entertainment stages at Rawhide in Scottsdale. He has founded and directed several bands including Cincinnati based Dire Wolf and The Perspective.

Chris McAbee, ethnic percussion, has performed and composed music for 19 years with experience in the folk, rock, and ambient/experimental genres. He has been home recording for 14 years and has assisted with engineering and production of many independent recording projects. He has local and regional performance experience with the Lawrence, Kansas based band, Mean Free Path. Additionally, he has a ruthless forehand on the ping-pong table and an insatiable appetite for all things Andy Griffith.

Jeff Farias, bass, has engineered for and recorded the Nitpickers, Trophy Husbands and Tammy Patrick on his own Rustic Records label since his arrival in Phoenix five years ago. His recording and performance credits go back to Bloomington, IN where he engineered and recorded the CD Summertime by the Bathtub Virgins. His music creativity also includes music composition. His impact on the Phoenix music scene is far reaching as his bass voice is low.

Gail Paul, flute, B. Mus. Performance, Benedictine College, Atchison, KS. Gail has performed for over 25 years in Colorado, Kansas and Arizona with the St. Joseph, MO Symphony, Atchison, KS Orchestra, early music and chamber groups, Bach-a-thons, church choirs and ensembles, and even a Grateful Dead-style rock band. As a student she was selected for performances with the Denver Symphony and the Kansas City Philharmonic. She is a performing member of WomanKraft in Tuscon and is a musician at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix.

The name Europa has been around for about 19 years, prevalent in Cincinnati’s world music scene. Europa a.k.a. Ensemble Europa has toured the east coast, mid-west and south including Detroit, Chicago, NYC, Birmingham and Nashville. Europa self-produced three major shows in the Aronoff Center for the Fine Arts in downtown Cincinnati where Europa began. In Cincinnati the band played live on WVXU, WGUC and WNKU; they sponsored a Benefit for Bosnia, and were the most popular world band at Northern Kentucky’s classy eatery, The York Street Café. Connie Marie has led Europa through many lands and has moved many people with performances of folk and traditional music ranging from Romanian Gypsy to Turkish and Hungarian dance music.

In Phoenix, Europa has played to cheering audiences at the Modified Arts, Future Studios in Sedonna and at self-produced concerts. They also play for loyal fans at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and pack the house at Fiddler’s Dream and the UU Congregation of Phoenix. Other Arizona appearances include Glendale Chocolate Affaire, UU Congregation Solstice Celebration, the Phoenix Folk Music Festival, Phoenix International Folk Dance Festival, Channel 12 Morning Show, Tempe Art Festivals, The Alwun House, and Peoria Public Library Concert Series.

Europa’s recordings include Passage Through Time 1989 on LP and cassette and Second Passage 1995 on CD. Their most recent CD is Europa 2001*. Passage Through Time sounds a bit like it came out of Eastern Europe on one side, and the other they called "Eurojazz." Second Passage was called by local entertainment press "the most spiritual release of the year." Europa 2001 is full of international dance tunes, haunting vocals and gypsy violin.

*Soon to be released "Europa-Live in Sedonna."

Europa has shared the stage with Jim Scott of Winter Consort fame at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix and has also shared the stage with the Nitpickers and Trophy Husbands at the Arizona Road House and Long Wongs in Tempe.

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last updated: 14/01/2004