Kirk Whipple & Marilyn Morales, duo & solo pianists and composers, are on the Kennedy Center Approved Artist Roster, State of FL Touring Artists Roster, State of SC Artists in Education Roster, State of LA Touring Artists Roster, and are the Directors of The Unconservatory, a nonprofit musical organization. The two were married in a ceremony and concert performance that included the world premier of their original Concerto For Two Pianos and Orchestra. They have concertized extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. On March 6, 2002 the duo performed their original works for two pianos at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This event can be viewed by visiting the following link on the Kennedy Center web site: www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=KIRKWHIPPL The duo are Executive & Artistic Directors of Cranberry Coast Concerts, a summer music festival in Massachusetts. For updates, please visit www.cranberrycoastconcerts.com Whipple & Morales are enjoying the inaugural season with their new touring ensemble, The United Nations Piano Quartet. Also including pianists Frédéric Chauvel & Mark Solé-Lerís, The UNPQ is performing world premier concerts of Whipple's new work, "Fives" Concerto for 2 Pianos-8 Hands in American and European venues. National releases by the duo include a book of 1 piano/4 hand holiday arrangements for beginning pianists entitled Christmas Treasures. CD releases include Danzas Para Dos Pianos, Latin Lovers, Elemental Portraits ~ Nocturnes for Two Pianos, Celebrating Americans, and their most recent release, Danzas Para Dos Pianos y Orquesta, featuring The Unconservatory Festival Orchestra. The U.F.O. will tour Florida in April of 2008. A recording of Whipple's holiday piano arrangements with Morales, The White Season, is also available on Yamaha disklavier disk. Kirk Whipple was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2007 he was awarded the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in composition. Whipple received 1st prize in the 1996 (San Francisco) Bay Area Keyboard Artists Competition. He also was a 1st prize recipient in the National Young Artist Competition in Midland, Texas and has performed in solo recitals and concerts throughout the United States. He studied piano with Darlene Bradley-Garza, Frances Kelly and Mark Wetch. Other piano instructors include Roy Bogas, John Browning and James Barbagallo. Whipple studied harmony, composition & improvisation with W. A. Mathieu, and African drumming with Kwaku Daddy. Whipple participated in the 9th Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow and gave several performances in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1990. Other distinctions include Best Classical Musician, 1989 and Best Music Teacher, 1990 in the Sonoma County, California Art Awards. Whipple has also toured as pianist with The Harry James Orchestra, under the direction of Fred Radke. Marilyn Morales, a native of Havana, Cuba, has performed in solo recitals and concerts throughout the United States. She has a Bachelor's degree in piano performance from Boston University and an Associate's degree from Miami Dade College. She studied piano with Maria Clodes Jaguaribe, Roy Bogas, Linda Byrd and Bela B. Nagy and has taken master classes with Michael Tilson Thomas and Claude Monteau. Morales has also studied harmony, composition and improvisation with W. A. Mathieu. Other music teachers include Robert Sirota and Richard Cornell. A finalist in the Portland, Maine Symphony Piano Competition, Morales participated in the 1990 Jose Iturbi International Piano Competition which was held in Valencia and gave several performances in Spain. She is listed in Quien Es Quien, the American Hispanic version of Who's Who.