The Ecce Ensemble

Lily Xie, flutes
Barret Ham, clarinets
Hassan Anderson, oboe
Natalie Boberg, violin
Robbie Bui, cello
Geoffrey Burleson, piano

Learn more about our featured performer faculty below.

Lily Xie, Flutes

Award-winning flutist and pianist Lily Xie has been praised by the South Florida Classical Review for her “impeccable dexterity and technical security,” which are described as fully meeting the demands of even the most challenging music. Her meticulous dedication and fiery passion for music have propelled her to prestigious stages across North America, Asia, and Europe. 

Lily’s achievements span numerous international competitions and performances. She earned First Prize at The Seventh International Competitions of Young Musicians in Vladivostok, Russia (2012), and achieved double gold medals in both the solo and chamber music divisions at the Nanning International Flute Competition (2013). As the concerto competition winner of the 2014 MasterWorks Music Festival in Indiana, Lily performed as the soloist with the MasterWorks Orchestra. Her accomplishments also include First Prize in the 2008 International Art Festival Solo Piano Competition in China. Additionally, she is a proud recipient of the esteemed Henry Mancini Institute (HMI) Fellowship, established in honor of Henry Mancini, the legendary composer behind iconic film scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Pink Panther. An active orchestral musician, Lily has performed as principal flutist in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Symphony Center. 

Lily’s artistry is vividly captured in her significant recordings. She recorded with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra on Smile (2020) for Nurse Heroes Live!, collaborating with celebrated artists including Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, Céline Dion, and David Foster. As a member of Ensemble Ibis in Miami, she recorded Luciano Berio’s Sequenza I (1958) and Folk Songs (1964) for the Frost New Music “Year in Review” (2021), receiving critical acclaim for her technical precision and expressive mastery. Her contributions to contemporary music further include recording Bernard Rands’ Canti Del Sole (1984) with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble for the album Rands At Oberlin, released on the Oberlin Music Record Label (OC20-01) in 2019. These recordings highlight Lily’s versatility, skill, and ability to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned artists and ensembles. 

Lily is deeply committed to community involvement and outreach. In 2018, she was a guest performer for Mercy Allen Hospital's Doctors Day. From 2016 to 2018, she served as a pianist for the Church of Cleveland, showcasing her dedication to uplifting local communities through music. Her commitment to charitable causes extends over a decade, exemplified by her involvement in the Changsha Province Charity Concert Series (2007–2017). Additionally, in 2013, she demonstrated her versatility as a musical scriptwriter, composer, and lead singer for the Multi-Genre Music Ensemble at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. 

Through her artistic endeavors and altruistic contributions, Lily Xie has left an indelible impact on diverse audiences around the world. She currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, with her two beloved cats.

Hassan Anderson, oboe

A multitalented artist, American oboist Hassan Anderson is a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher noted for his clarity of tone, range of colors and energetic stage presence. A popular collaborator, amongst his numerous guest appearances with distinguished ensembles are performances with the American Ballet Theater, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, Harlem Chamber Players and the Juilliard Orchestra.Mr. Anderson has recorded an album of works by various artists including Schumann, Gershwin, Avner Dorman (world premiere) and Jonathan Keren (world premiere) with SHUFFLE Concert (in house label, October 2013). He is also featured on “Unremembered”, a song cycle by Sarah Kirkland Snider (New Amsterdam Records, September 2015).

Barret Ham, clarinet (Macon, GA), served as clarinetist and bass clarinetist for the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra in its 2019-2020 season. He has appeared as soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as the Borromeo String Quartet as winner of its Guest Artist Competition. His other summer festivals include the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Brevard Music Center, and the International Summer Academy MDW, where he studied under Richard Haynes. Barret has played for Alea III and ECCE Ensemble in Boston. After studying under Montgomery Cole, he received his B.M from New England Conservatory as a student of Michael Wayne. Barret is currently pursuing a M.M at the University of Southern California as a student of Yehuda Gilad. Previous Yellow Barn musician (2019)

Natalie Boberg, violin

Violinist, Natalie Boberg, is a versatile soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Her playing has been noted by Vijay Gupta of Street Symphony and the LA Philharmonic as, “Beautifully personal, with instincts that are so on.” Natalie made her debut as a soloist with the Utah Symphony in 2018, performing Mark O’Connor’s Double Violin Concerto with Maestro Connor Covington. Natalie has also appeared as a soloist with the Colburn Chamber Orchestra alongside Anne Akiko Meyers, Lake Avenue Chamber Orchestra, and Gifted Music School Chamber Orchestra. In national chamber music competitions, Natalie placed second at University of Michigan’s MPrize Competition, and medaled bronze at Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s national competition. Her summer endeavors include time spent at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Meadowmount School of Music, BU Tanglewood Institute, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Natalie also studied conducting at the Colburn School with Maxim Eshkenazy and performed and trained vocally for nine years in Los Angeles Children’s Chorus’ top Bel Canto choirs. Natalie currently performs on a 17th century violin made by the Italian master Tommaso Balestrieri.

Natalie’s mission is to share engaging musical experiences and the art of the violin with the world. She is particularly excited about contemporary music and collaborating with living composers and artists on new music projects. As a violinist, choral singer, dancer, and artist, she envisions unique programming that has wide-appeal and captures a new generation of classical music lovers. Alongside her work on the stage, Natalie maintains a studio of violin students, most recently as a Teaching Artist at the Boston Music Project through a Teaching Fellowship from the New England Conservatory of Music. Natalie is committed to nurturing the growth of new artists and aims to make classical music more accessible by creating inclusive, memorable experiences for all.

several places including the McGill Schulich School of Music, Koussevitzky Shed, Seiji Ozawa Hall, Jordan Hall, Conrad Prebys Music Center, Mandeville Auditorium, and Coronado Public Library. He was frequently a recurring performer in nec[shivaree], NEC Contemporary Ensemble, and the Tuesday Night New Music series. Between 2018-2021, he was also Tuesday Night New Music’s leading director. 

Bui is currently recognized in ensembles such as La Jolla Symphony, Pacific Lyric Association, Palimpsest Ensemble, and Alinéa Ensemble. Alinéa, of which he is a founding member, is a contemporary music group dedicated to music by living composers and new performance practices. The ensemble has produced notable events, some of which include a portrait concert, a microtonal-themed concert, a residency at Ithaca College, and even a virtual summer festival entitled « Everything But The Kitchen Sink, » which won a nomination for the Royal Philharmonic Society Ensemble Award. Other groups in which he was a collaborator, composer, or mentee include Ensemble PHACE, JACK Quartet, New England Conservatory Symphony, Perfect 4th String Quartet, Tempest String Quartet, Transient Canvas, Worcester Chamber Music Society, and Phoenix Youth Symphony.

Some merits from his musical career include winning Best Contemporary Performance Prize of the La Jolla Symphony Young Artists Competition, as well as New England Conservatory’s Honors Ensemble Competition 2018, Orchestral Composition Competition 2019, and Contemporary Ensemble Competitions 2020. Additionally, he has been recognized and awarded through organizations such as Tribeca New Music, Collage New Music, Arizona Musicfest, and the American String Teacher Association’s National Orchestra Festival.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors from the New England Conservatory, where he was the Commencement Address speaker and a Presser Scholar. His primary teachers included composer Stratis Minakakis and cellist Mickey Katz. Currently, he is a doctoral student in Contemporary Cello Performance at the University of California San Diego, studying with Charles Curtis. In summers, he has attended institutes and festivals fostering both composition and performance disciplines including Darmstädter Ferienkurse Klangspuren, Etchings Festival, Delian Academy, New Music on the Point, Orford Music Academy Contemporary Workshop, Vienna Summer Music Festival+Ensemble PHACE, Boston Conservatory, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Idyllwild Arts.

Beyond music, Bui is a portrait/event photographer, avid language learner, fashion enthusiast, and sometimes hair stylist, and latte artist

Geoffrey Burleson, piano

Equally active as a recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, and jazz performer, Geoffrey Burleson, pianist, has performed to wide acclaim throughout Europe and North America. The New York Times has hailed Burleson’s solo performances as “vibrant and compelling,” praising his “rhythmic brio, projection of rhapsodic qualities, appropriate sense of spontaneity, and rich colorings.” Current recording projects include Camille Saint-Saëns: Complete Piano Works, on 5 CDs, for the new Naxos Grand Piano label. Volumes 1 (Complete Piano Études), 2, 3 and 4 have been released to high acclaim from Gramophone, International Record Review, Diapason (France)and elsewhere, and have garnered International Piano Choice Awards from International Piano Magazine. Other noteworthy recordings by Burleson include Vincent Persichetti: Complete Piano Sonatas (New World Records), which received a BBC Music Choice award from the BBC Music Magazine, and AKOKA (Oxingale Records), featuring Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, as well as companion works, for which Burleson was nominated for a 2015 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year.