Dr. Barry Coutinho Benefit Concert

Join Shoulder to Shoulder Pittsburgh/San Jose for a night of world-class music with Van Cliburn award winning pianist Dr. Barry Coutinho and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

About Dr. Coutinho 

photo credit: Van Cliburn Foundation

As a teenager, Dr. Coutinho appeared in the final rounds of the UK BBC Young Musician of the year National Music Competition and won several awards at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He went on to graduate with Honors from the London Royal College of Music, and was later a double prize winner in both the 2011 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, and the 2013 Washington D.C. International Piano Artists competition. Now, Dr. Countinho is a full-time family physician and teaching faculty at the UPMC Shadyside Family Medicine program as well as Vice Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Shadyside.

About Laura Motchalov

Laura Motchalov joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in its 2003-2004 season. She began studying the violin at the age of four and by the age of six, she was accepted into the Mount Royal College Conservatory of Music program in Calgary. As a teen, Laura won many awards at the local, provincial and national levels, including the Provincial Grand Prize award in Alberta in 1997; as well as prizes at the Austrian-Canadian Mozart Competition and the Canadian Music Competitions. In 2001, she won Second Prize at the Corpus Chris International Concerto Competition in Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

About Brandon McLean

Brandon McLean was appointed associate principal bass of the Pittsburgh Symphony in 2016. Prior to this, he served as principal bass of the Colorado Symphony, associate principal bass of the Vancouver Symphony (BC), and assistant principal bass of the Florida Orchestra. Originally from Seattle, Washington, McLean started music studies in the public school system. From there, he received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas, a master's degree from the Boston Conservatory and spent additional time studying at Carnegie Mellon University. For three years, McLean was a fellow of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, and has also participated in many prestigious summer festivals, including Tanglewood, Verbier, National Repertory Orchestra and the Artosphere festival. In his free time, McLean enjoys hiking, fishing and camping.

About Marylène Gingras-Roy

A native of Québec City, Canada, Marylène Gingras-Roy joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra viola section in the 1997 season, and in 2004 was promoted to fourth chair. She studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec with Douglas McNabney and François Paradis and graduated in 1993 with unanimous First Prizes in both in viola and chamber music. She was then the recipient of Canada and Québec Arts Councils' Scholarship Grants, enabling her to attend the Harid Conservatory with Victoria Chiang and the renowned Curtis Institute of Music with Karen Tuttle and Joseph DePasquale, where she earned an Artist Diploma in 1997. 

Marylène has participated in many festivals, including the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy, the Solti Project at Carnegie Hall, the Jerusalem Music Festival, the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, where she served as Principal violist, and since 2000 she is a member of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Idaho. She is heard regularly in chamber music concerts and maintains a full teaching schedule at Duquesne University, privately and is the viola coach for the Three Rivers Young People Orchestra. Marylène has also taught at summer music festivals such as: Domaine Forget, Québec, Interharmony Festival in Germany and Advanced Chamber Music Seminar in Pittsburgh.

About Will Chow

Will Chow was appointed to the cello section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in June 2016. He has appeared as a soloist with the Nova Vista Symphony and the Peninsula Youth Orchestra and has been heard on NPR's From the Top and on WHYY-TV. As a recitalist, Chow has performed at venues in countries all over the globe spanning from Singapore to the Netherlands. He has served as principal cellist of the Curtis Chamber Orchestra on Curtis on Tour, and also as principal cellist of the Curtis 20/21 ensemble in Cedile Chicago Lable’s Grammy-nominated CD album, Two x Four.

As a chamber musician, Chow has collaborated with notable artists such as the Borromeo Quartet, Jeffrey Khaner, Ida Kavafian, Scott St. John, Joseph Lin, Donald Weilerstein and Roberto Diaz, among others. Chow has appeared in music festivals such as Marlboro Music, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute in Highland Park, Music from Angelfire, Aspen Music Festival and School and Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute. 

He was awarded First Prize in the 2011 Mondavi National Young Artists Competition, and was also the 2008 recipient of the Lawrence Bedini Scholarship from the YES Foundation for the Arts in San Francisco. Chow recently completed his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Carter Brey and Peter Wiley.

About Shoulder to Shoulder Pittsburgh-San Jose 

It is our mission at Shoulder to Shoulder Pittsburgh-San Jose, Inc. to:

• Improve health outcomes in San Jose del Negrito, Honduras and the surrounding rural communities by empowering these communities to provide sustainable comprehensive primary health care (medical, dental, behavioral health, preventive health, nutritional services and educational programs)


• Provide opportunities for training for US-based health professionals in the area of international health care and international health program development


• Sponsor, develop, and promote services and programs, which are charitable, scientific or educational and which address the physical and/or mental needs of the members of the communities served by Shoulder to Shoulder Pittsburgh-San Jose. 

Proceeds benefit Shoulder to Shoulder Pittsburgh/San Jose's operating fund.