Soloist Bios

Dr. Robert Ianacone (Solo Pianist)
Dr. ‘Bob’ Ianacone currently teaches at The George Washington University and hails from qestern New York. In his over forty years as a pianist, he has performed at numerous venues throughout the East Coast and in Las Vegas before settling in the Washington Metropolitan area. Bob has performed with The Lace Music Combo, a well known area musical pop/jazz group, since 1987. Bob has entertained as piano soloist and rhythm section pianist at countless country clubs, hotels, banquet halls, and military bases in the area. Though he is also an eclectic player able to perform most any style of music, his greatest love is jazz, light rock and contemporary. Bob has professionally recorded, and performed as a featured artist at a numbers of concerts. As a teacher, composer, and performer, his love of music abounds and is evidence in his playing.

With Bob at the keys, you can feel confident your guests are in for a very special treat!

Dr. Robert Larson (Solo Pianist)
Bob originally from the state of Washington, is the director of Jazz Studies at Shenandoah Conservatory, and has performed at Blues Alley in Washington D.C., with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, and can be heard on the critically acclaimed CD by Alan Baylock, Two Seconds to Midnight. Bob has performed professionally with The Lace Music as soloist & ensemble player throughout the Metropolitan Area. His repertoire ranges from the classical music of Bach, Mozart & Beethoven for your ceremony to the jazz greats such as Cole Porter and George Gershwin, and Bill Evans for your cocktail hour.

If you are looking for elegance & pizzazz for you wedding day, you have chosen the best with Bob Larson

Caleb Nei (Solo Pianist)
Caleb, originally from Huntington, Indiana is presently the Worship Arts Director at the Emmaus Church in Berryville, VA. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Huntington University and has done further studies at Shenandoah University. Caleb has worked for The Lace Music for the past thirteen years as rhythm section and solo pianist for ceremony & cocktail work. He has worked as a featured soloist at most of our Washington Metro area Hotel, Country Club & Banquet Hall venues. Some of his favorite places he has appeared at are The Willard, 2941 Restaurant, Mount Vernon, Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg (as steady weekly performer) and The Village Square in Winchester. His repertoire includes jazz standards, light rock ballads & light piano-pop.

Caleb prides himself on setting the music to fit the client needs and always gets the job done!

Cathy Arnold (Vocalist)
Cathy has performed over the last two decades throughout the Washington Metropolitan area. She has appeared at many of our Metro locations such as the Kennedy Center, State Department, and Pentagon. Cathy joined ‘The Lace Music’ as lead vocalist in the Jazz/Pop Combo and in 1987 and has performed more recently (early 2002) as one our best Lace Music DJs. Cathy has performed as singer and DJ at countless country clubs, hotels and banquet halls on numerous occasions that have taken her to renowned venues such as Wolftrap Barns, Landsdowne Resort, International Town & Country Club, the Country Club of Fairfax and numerous other Northern Virginia venues.

Kristen Jepperson (Solo Harpist/Vocalist)
Kristen is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Harp Performance with a Voice Minor. She has toured nationally with the New Christy Minstrels, and played with such names as Ray Charles, Tony Bennet, Victor Borge and Shirley Jones and has performed over fifteen years in numerous ceremonies & cocktail hours in the Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC Metropolitan Area with The Lace Music. Kristen has that uncanny ability to perform virtuoso harp while singing with an angelic voice in both the classical sound of “Ave Maria” and the swing jazz sounds of Cole Porter.

Yes, the best of an incredible harpist and the angelic voice for your ceremony, cocktail & or dinner hours!

Don Stapleson (Flute Soloist w/ Candlelight Trio)
Mr. Stapleson attended the Berklee College of Music and holds a B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland (1980) and, in 1992, a Masters of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland. Don has performed as flutist & saxophonist with Ray Charles, Wayne Newton, Dexter Gordon, Nancy Wilson, the Ink Spots, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Martha Reeves. He has also appeared on MTV with Danny Gatton. Mr. Stapleson has performed at the National Theater, as a member of the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble and as guest soloist with the Chesapeake Orchestra. For the last several summers he has traveled with St. Mary’s College to play at the Alba Music Festival in Italy. There he has also performed with the Romanian State Orchestra, jazz concerts, and has lead well-attended performance workshops. As Director of Woodwind Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, he teaches courses in flute, saxophone, sight singing and jazz improvisation. He directs both the Jazz Combos and the Jazz Ensemble at St Mary’s College.

With Don The Lace Candlelight Trio creates elegant and lush sounds for your ceremony and cocktail hour.

Rick Whitehead (Solo Guitarists)
Rick is the recipient of the 2006 Washington Area Musician’s Association award (WAMMIE) as Best Jazz Instrumentalist. Originally from Miami, he has performed in shows on Miami Beach and worked with Connie Francis, Sandler and Young, Jayne Morgan, Glen Campbell and others. Once in The Washington Metropolitan area as the featured guitar soloist for the USAF Band’s Airmen of Note, he toured throughout the United States, Far East, and South America. Rick teaches jazz guitar at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia and George Mason University. Along with performing with the Lace Music rhythm section player and soloist for corporate & private parties for over fifteen years, Rick frequently performs solo jazz guitar in concert at the Washington National Cathedral and the J.F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Rick is the consummate professional who will treat your guest to the ultimate in solo jazz and classical guitar!