Who We Are
It all started with two musicians; a shared goal, love of music, and this quaint town of Marine we call home. The vision for Marine Candlelight Series is to enhance this rich sense of community that Marine on Saint Croix is known for. We are grateful for the volunteers that help make the series special! We wish to share our passion for live classical music performance with the citizens of our community and provide a space for the artists themselves to share their talents and ideas. An ideal location, Marine on St. Croix provides an intimate setting where community members and local artists can connect on a deeper level, bridging the gap between audience and performer. In the coldest, darkest months of winter, warmth and richness can be found in community coming together for the shared appreciation of music and the arts.
Milinda Nitti
Milinda holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Science degree in Project Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Over the years, she has performed with various local orchestras, in chamber groups, and has served on the board of directors for Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra. She has served on the advisory board of the Upper Midwest Flute Association as the Youth Engagement Coordinator, and is the flute instructor at Music Connection and Faith Music Academy. She also lives in the world of experiential marketing and events, working with a great team at Star in Minneapolis.
Josh Misner
Josh enjoys a diversity of work as a member of The Laurels String Quartet, a recording engineer and producer at his studio The SunTrap, and through composition, sonic experimentation, and song-writing with his solo project Elamon.
His playing can be heard on countless recording including: Jeremy Messersmith, Chris Koza (Rogue Valley), Belle & Sebastian, Kevin Gastonguay (Cory Wong), Dessa, The New Standards, Kevin Bowe (Etta James, Paul Westerberg), Jason Mraz, Motion City Soundtrack, Andy Thompson (Producer, Minnesota Orchestra), John Mark Nelson, Kat Perkins (NBC’s “The Voice”), Nicole And The Avalanche, and Brandon Buttner (Jonas Brothers, Halsey).
He’s also had the pleasure of backing artists on stage such as: Father John Misty, Macklemore, Lucius, Semisonic, Helado Negro, Ondara, and Dan Wilson (Adele, The Chicks, Taylor Swift).
Josh’s favorite things in life are spending time with his family, alpine skiing, cooking, the outdoors, and carpentry.
Leah Moss-Parham
Leah received her Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Johns Hopkins University. She has performed with orchestras throughout the East Coast; including the Union Symphony Orchestra, Ballantyne Chamber Orchestra, Charlotte Civic Orchestra, Harrisburg Opera Orchestra, Maryland Symphony, and Mid-Atlantic Symphony. Leah was the founding member of Arioso Trio and Quintaero Wind Quintet which performed regularly on chamber music series in the Baltimore/Washington area. As a private instructor, Leah has held teaching positions at the McDonogh School, the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, Musicians Institute of Baltimore, The Maryland Conservatory of Music, and the Charlotte Academy of Music.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Leah is passionate about natural healing. She is the owner of Simply Veda LLC, an Ayurvedic Practice in Marine on Saint Croix.
What to expect...
We bring some of the Twin Cities most fantastic musicians to perform chamber music in Marine on St. Croix, MN. Listen to selections of the live performance recording of the Isles Ensemble String Quartet in concert on January 8, 2023.
String Quartet in B minor, Opus 11 - Molto Adagio
by Samuel Barber (1910-1980)
String Quartet in D minor, D. 810
by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
I. Allegro
II. Andante con moto
III. Scherzo: Allegro molto
IV. Presto
Performers:
Stephanie Arado, violin
Leslie Shank, violin
Johanna Torbenson, viola
Thomas Rosenberg, cello