Piano Portraits
Jon Schmidt has released wildly popular albums and volumes of original piano scores.  His music can be heard on the radio all over the country and can regularly be found at mp3.com's top 40.  Jon has won several Pearl Awards for his music.  He performs at locations across the United States and consistently plays to sold-out concerts in major venues along Utah's Wasatch Front.As a teenager, Jon was inspired by the early albums of Mannheim Steamroller.  "Because of them, I took license to blatantly mix elements from my classical piano training with rock and roll," he said.  His televised concert, "A Jon Schmidt Christmas," has fast become a successful yearly tradition.  After airing of the PBS concert, hundreds of messages were left on KUED's viewer line with comments such as "one of the most incredible hours I've spent on a Saturday night in a long time."Paul Cardall is a national recording artist who is best known for his album, The Christmas Box, on the Narada Label.  Paul's catalogue of albums offers a spirited and diverse musical array of emotions--from the soft touch of a solo piano to the smooth, heartfelt melodies of guitars, bass, strings and a children's choir.The Chicago Sun Times described Paul's style as "Wonderfully moving and inspiring.  Cardall's keystrokes are as gentle as a first snowfall, which makes the familiar melodies that much sweeter to hear."Having shared Billboard's New Age Top 25 Charts with artists like Enya, Brickman, Yanni, and Winston, Paul Cardall is quickly becoming a household name in quality instrumental music.Michael R. Hicks has performed for audiences all over the world and his music reflects his many travels.  He has shared his talent from the West Coast to the Middle East, from Calgary, Canada to Kenya, Africa.Michael's compositions and creative arrangements have been performed by tens of thousands across the globe.  His music has the power to unify and touch his audience.   One listener described her delight this way: "we sat in stunned silence [and] looked at one another -- we couldn't believe our ears!"Michael's keen sensitivity has been described by reviewers as "a beautiful expression of feelings within music." Michael's perceptive music has earned him widespread recognition, including Pearl Award nominations.David Tolk studied classical piano from an early age in the small, sylvan town of Mendham, New Jersey.  At the age of 14, David moved to Nashville with his family and continued his musical training with a broader approach, incorporating jazz and developing his improvisational skills.  David began composing contemplative instrumental piano music and performing with rock bands while in high school.After recording several albums with popular folk artist Peter Breinholt, David recorded his first CD of original compositions, Mendham, inspired by memories of the natural beauties of his childhood home.  His second album, Stories in the Sky, containing songs influenced by poetry, travel, and family, was released the following year.  David's Christmas album, Holiday, features his arrangements of both traditional and original Christmas carols and has found distribution throughout the world.