The Ones behind the Music
Meet Our Musicians
It's the music. It's the musicians.
It's the experience.
2026 Soloists & Visiting Ensembles
THE CERUS QUARTET
The Cerus Quartet is dedicated to showcasing the dynamic and versatile sound of the saxophone quartet. With a repertoire spanning contemporary compositions and transcriptions of classical masterworks, the quartet seeks to establish the saxophone quartet as a leading voice in 21st-century classical music.
They have premiered works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Karalyn Schubring, and Joey Karz. Their unique programming approach — pairing newly commissioned works with transcriptions of classical mainstays — has not only earned them critical acclaim and competition success but has also shaped a distinctive ensemble sound, allowing them to seamlessly adapt to a wide range of performance settings and musical styles.
The quartet was named the winner of the 2025 Concert Artist Guild Louis and Susan Meisel Competition. Additional accolades include the Gold Medal in the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music
Competition and First Prize in the 2024 MTNA National Chamber Music Competition.
Based in Ann Arbor, the ensemble is composed of Roberto Campa (soprano saxophone), Laura
Ramsay (alto), Kyle Kato (tenor), and Samuel Dishon (baritone). Roberto Campa has been recognized both nationally and internationally as a soloist. He is pursuing his Doctorate in Musical Arts in saxophone performance and is a Graduate Teaching Instructor. Laura Ramsay is a saxophonist and educator from Bergenfield, New Jersey. She holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Saxophone Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Saxophone Performance while maintaining a private studio. As a soloist, Kyle Kato has recently received the 2nd prize in the 2024 Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and has participated in commissions and premiers of new works. Samuel Dishon is passionate about the business side of the music industry and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship and Leadership.
The group’s name draws from Greek mythology—Cerus was a wild bull transformed by the goddess Persephone, a story of chaos tamed into beauty.
CLASSICAL KIDS LIVE
Classical Kids Live! symphony concert series is produced by Classical Kids Music Education, NFP. The acclaimed series, which tours North America and abroad in collaboration with professional orchestras, is well-known and respected in its field. These popular theatrical concerts currently average fifty performances each season with approximately twenty major orchestral organizations, reaching up to one hundred thousand children and their parents annually. Classical Kids Live! is an integral and ongoing component of family and educational symphony concerts throughout the United States and Canada.
The Classical Kids Live! symphony concert series helps to enrich the communities that it serves through direct access to professional artists and productions, while fostering new appreciation for classical music and music history. Each production inspires audiences with more than twenty-five musical excerpts, which are woven into the drama as two professional actors share anecdotes and observations based on true incidents from the composer’s life. The fully-staged productions, including Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage and Gershwin’s Magic Key, are underscored by the Festival’s on-stage musicians and feature period costumes, props, set pieces and theatrical lighting.
JUN CHO
Piano
Pianist Jun Cho is a multifaceted artist known for his versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. His performances have captivated audiences in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, 92nd Street Y, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, Benaroya Hall, Kennedy Center, Barclay Theater, Salle Bourgie, Sala Sinfónia Pablo Casals, and Seoul Arts Center, among others.
Cho has appeared as a guest artist at Texas Wesleyan University, Gijón International Piano Festival, La Jolla Music Society, Cabrillo Festival, Harriman-Jewell Series, North Shore Chamber Music Festival, and Buffalo Chamber Music Society, Pro Arte Musical Puerto Rico, among others. He has given lectures and masterclasses in Arizona State University, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sungshin Women’s University, and Korea International School of Arts (KISA).
A passionate collaborator, Cho frequently performs with esteemed musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Philippe Quint, Stefan Jackiw, Ray Chen, Clive Greensmith, Steven Banks, and Randall Goosby, among others. As a featured pianist with the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet, a winner of the Latin GRAMMY Award, Cho brings the rich tradition of tango to life in renowned New York City venues such as The Iridium, Joe’s Pub, and Barbès. In 2024, Cho participated in the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Haemosu’s Celestial Chariot Ride (commissioned and performed by Sejong Soloists) at Zankel Hall.
Concurrent with his position at Syracuse University as Assistant Professor of Piano, Cho is an artist-faculty member at the Perlman Music Program and serves as the studio pianist for violinist Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School. At Juilliard, he also assists piano faculty member Julian Martin. In the past, he served as a faculty member at the Heifetz Institute and taught at the Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Division at Rice University.
As a founding member of New York in Chuncheon, a music festival based in Chuncheon, South Korea, Cho has played a pivotal role in creating a vibrant cultural exchange between New York City and Chuncheon. Since 2012, the festival has featured performances by prominent NYC musicians, including members of Brooklyn Rider, Attaca Quartet, and Sybarite 5. Through its outreach programs, including masterclasses and mentorship activities, the festival has nurtured the talents of aspiring musicians in Chuncheon, fostering a thriving musical community. In 2016, Cho, along with the other festival members, was appointed an honorary ambassador of Chuncheon.
Cho holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in piano performance from the Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His teachers include Julian Martin and Jon Kimura Parker.
COLD CHOCOLATE
Cold Chocolate is a genre-bending Americana band, blending folk, funk, bluegrass, and more. The core duo members are Ethan Robbins (vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Ariel Bernstein (vocals, percussion, banjo. Ethan Robbins and Ariel Bernstein met in 2012 in Boston, where they continue to be based.
Their music is marked by tight vocal harmonies, skillful musicianship, and high-energy live performances. Over time, their style has evolved: beginning more in a bluegrass/roots vein and incorporating elements of jam rock, jazz, funk, and folk. Their live shows are known for being spirited and uplifting, and they frequently perform at festivals.
Robbins has a classical music background (violin since childhood) and fell in love with guitar in his teens. Bernstein also studied classical percussion before moving to drum set / percussion. The name Cold Chocolate comes from a childhood memory Robbins has of traveling to his grandfather’s house and running to the freezer for Milky Way bars.
They have shared stages with well-known acts like Leftover Salmon, David Grisman, and Angelique Kidjo. Their third full-length album, Down the Line, was released on June 26, 2020. In 2023, they
released Now That’s What I Call Cold Chocolate, Vol. 1, a covers album with songs spanning multiple decades (70s–90s), reinterpreted in their own style.
Critics note their evolution over the years and how they’ve grown from a more traditional acoustic sound into a fuller, more eclectic band.
CHELSEA GALLO
Guest Conductor
Chelsea Gallo, this season’s Dancing Queens conductor, begins her third season as Resident Conductor of The Florida Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Orlando Philharmonic, and returns to the New York Philharmonic as an Assistant Conductor. Gallo has conducted many leading orchestras and opera companies. With a unique affinity for science and music Gallo has spearheaded interdisciplinary projects uniting both worlds. She was recently invited by the University of Michigan’s Department of Nuclear Engineering to collaborate on a project exploring creativity in the hard sciences by drawing parallels between conducting an orchestra and managing a nuclear reactor. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan.
JESSICA HENDY
VOCALIST
Jessica Hendy is a critically acclaimed actress, writer and singer. She’s long been known as one of the best belters on Broadway. She earned a GRAMMY® Nomination for her work on the Sondheim Unplugged Vol 3 album in 2023. She wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway musical, Walking With Bubbles, in which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, and won the Off-Broadway Alliance
award. Walking With Bubbles is based on Ms Hendy’s life and was a critical success in New York City. The cast album is available on all streaming platforms.
Ms. Hendy made her Broadway debut as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats at the Winter Garden Theatre. She is the only member of that production to have also been cast in the Broadway revival at the Neil Simon Theatre playing the same role. Other Broadway credits include Aida (Amneris), and Amour. She made her Radio City Music Hall debut in The New York Spring Spectacular alongside the world-famous Rockettes. She toured nationally with Cats (Grizabella), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), and in concert with composer Stephen Schwartz, singing “Defying Gravity” from Wicked.
Her one-woman cabaret, A Life To Call Your Own received rave reviews in the New York press, and she received a Bistro Award for the review Get Your Tickets Now at Don’t Tell Mama’s cabaret. She played Diana Goodman in the regional premiere of Next To Normal at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, where she earned an Acclaim Award. Other regional theatre credits include Mamma Mia (Donna) at Connecticut Rep, directed by Terrence Mann. North Shore Music Theatre’s Miss Saigon (Ellen), and the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center production of Songs for a New World with Jason Robert Brown. A regular guest singer at Feinstein’s 54 Below, housed in New York’s legendary Studio 54, Ms. Hendy continues to appear in concert with Symphony Orchestras across North America. Ms. Hendy attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and lives in New York City.
EILEEN IVERS AND THE BRIGIDEENS
Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated, Eileen Ivers continues to push traditional fiddling boundaries in a career spanning more than 40 years. She has guest starred with the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and over 60 symphony orchestras to date. She has appeared at Music in the Mountains multiple times, the last time in 2019, but this is her first appearance with the Brigideens.
She’s been called “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin” by The New York Times. The daughter of Irish immigrants, Ivers was born and raised in the culturally diverse neighborhood of The Bronx, NYC. She is a 9-time All- Ireland fiddle champion, and one of the most awarded All-Ireland fiddle and banjo champions ever. She celebrates a renowned career as a performer, composer, producer, songwriter, band leader, educator, multi-instrumentalist, and pioneer in connecting her American, Irish traditional, jazz, blues, and world roots.
Ivers graduated magna cum laude in mathematics from Iona University. In 2019, Iona University conferred upon Ivers the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts for her “lifelong commitment to innovation, excellence, and deep dedication to bringing people together through music.”
With The Brigideens, Ivers continues to produce her signature musical sound. From traditional reels and soaring ballads and genre-blending originals, The Brigideens deliver a high-energy, emotionally resonant performance. The Brigideens are named for Brigid, the Celtic patron saint of scholars, poets, healers, and peace, and known for her perpetual flame.
The Brigideens are:
Caitlin Maloney: lead vocals, keyboards
Hilary Hawke: 5-string-banjo, upright bass, clarinet, spoons & vocals
Anna Colliton: bodhran, cajon, percussion
Colin Forhan: guitar, tenor banjo & vocals
KATARINA STRING QUARTET
Grand Prize winner of the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Katarina String Quartet has quickly distinguished itself as one of North America’s most compelling young ensembles. The tightly knit and community focused ensemble currently serves as the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School, where they explore all chamber music, from the classics to contemporary to folk tunes.
The KSQ was founded in 2022 at McGill University under the tutelage of André Roy. Since then, the KSQ has worked extensively with members of the Juilliard, Alban Berg, Danel, Dover, and Pacifica Quartets, and has participated in prestigious programs such as IMS Prussia Cove and McGill International String Quartet Academy (MISQA).
The KSQ takes its name from luthier Katarina Guarneri, wife of violin-maker Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu. Scholars believe that she worked on her husband’s violins during the most productive years of his career. Inspired by Katarina, the KSQ celebrates the countless people and communities behind the canonized figureheads of classical music that contribute to the art we enjoy. Known for their personable concert presentations and community leadership, they regularly perform in community centers around New York City as recipients of Juilliard’s Gluck Fellowship.
The group is comprised of:
Jeanel Liang, violin: A graduate of McGill University, Jeanel has been a finalist at the Prix d’Europe and the Canadian Music Competition, and has been a fellow at various music festivals. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, the University of Victoria Symphony, and the McGill Baroque Orchestra.
Jérôme Chasson, violin: Jérôme holds a bachelor’s degree and a Graduate Diploma in Violin
Performance from McGill University. He has been awarded several prizes and distinctions, most notably at the Prix d’Europe, the Golden Violin Award, the Canadian Music Competition Stepping-
Stone, among others.
Celia Morin, viola: Celia recently completed an Artist Diploma in Viola Performance at McGill
University, where she previously earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance with Jinjoo Cho. Celia showcased her talents as a soloist with the Lakeshore Chamber Orchestra and embarked on a Canadian chamber music tour at the age of 14.
Maya Enstad, cello: Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, Maya is a graduate of the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music and McGill University. An avid teacher, Maya has taught privately for 8 years, as well as at the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos in Panama City, Panama.
STEPHANIE JAE PARK
VOCALIST
Stephanie Jae Park is a versatile performer with credits spanning Broadway, concerts, and on-screen roles. She starred as Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton and originated the Broadway productions of War Paint and The King and I. Her theatre work includes performances at world-class venues such as The Muny, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and New York City Center. As a concert artist, she has performed twice as a Principal Vocalist at Carnegie Hall, and with multiple Philharmonics across the country. Her debut album, Fire to My Air, with her group Saffron Lips, placed in the top 10 on the R&B charts. On-screen, she has appeared in Pen, Again (Pen), Nanny (Christie), and The Blessing (Brittany) and will be making her Netflix debut this coming year.
QUARTETO NUEVO
Quarteto Nuevo merges western classical, eastern European folk, Latin, and jazz with an organic feel that packs a wallop! Their diverse programs fit anywhere, from an intimate chamber music venue to a large outdoor festival. The ensemble’s razor-sharp precision is enhanced by jazzy interludes, lightly rumbling percussion motifs, and mesmerizing rhythms.
Winners of the Beverly Hills National Auditions, two South Arts Jazz Road Tour Grants and a South Arts Jazz Road Creative Residency Grant, Quarteto’s master musicians create emotionally charged soundscapes with instruments that represent very different world cultures. Their unique instrumentation richly colors their wide-ranging repertoire, from Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras and Chick Corea’s “Children’s Song No. 6” to traditional Macedonian “Gadjarsko” and original works “Hector, Desmond and Titus”, “Rain Song”, and “Dizer O Que”.
Merging multitudes of musical styles, this ensemble “utilizes the sounds and instruments of ancient worlds and faraway places with a contemporary groove” (LA Weekly).
Quarteto Nuevo is: Damon Zick – soprano saxophone, woodwinds; Kenton Youngstrom – acoustic guitar; Jacob Szekely – cello; and Felipe Fraga – percussion
PHILIPPE QUINT
Violin
Praised for his “searingly poetic lyricism” (UK Daily Telegraph), Philippe Quint stands as one of America’s leading violinists, captivating audiences with his “breadth of tone and passion” (The New York Times). With multiple Grammy Award nominations for several of his recordings, Quint is consistently recognized for his innovative performances of classical repertoire and advocacy for contemporary music.
He has created unique multimedia format programs such as The Muse, Homage to J.S. Bach, Charlie Chaplin’s Smile, and The Legend of Astor Piazzolla. Quint has performed with world-class orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. His dedication to contemporary music is evident in numerous premieres by today’s foremost composers. In spring 2024, Quint premiered a violin concerto written for him by Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen.
Highlights of his 17 commercially released recordings include Chaplin’s Smile (Warner Classics), and notable Naxos recordings such as the Grammy-nominated Concertos by W. Schumann and Korngold as well as the world premiere of John Corigliano's The Red Violin Caprices. He has also recorded concertos by Bruch, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian, and Glazunov for AvantiClassics.
As an active chamber musician, Quint has performed at major festivals including Mostly Mozart, Verbier, and Ravinia, and at venues such as the Kravis Center and National Gallery in Washington. Based in New York since 1991, Quint studied at the Special Music School and earned degrees from The Juilliard School under the guidance of distinguished mentors including Dorothy DeLay, and Itzhak Perlman.
Photo by John Gress
JULIAN RHEE
Violin
2026 "Arkady Fomin Young Artist in Residence" in collaboration with the North Shore Chamber Music Festival "Stars of Tomorrow" program
Winner of the coveted 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Korean-American violinist Julian Rhee has
been recognized for his refinement, beauty of sound, and “the kind of poise and showmanship that thrills audiences” (The Strad). Rhee brings expressive depth, technical mastery, and interpretive insight to both familiar and contemporary works.
Rhee has appeared with leading orchestras across North America, Europe, and Asia, including the Calgary Philharmonic, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Oregon Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn, and San Diego Symphony, among others.
Following his prize-winning performances at the 2024 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition and his Silver Medal at the 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Rhee rose to international prominence as a soloist. He is also First Prize Winner of the Elmar Oliveira International Competition and Astral Artists’ National Auditions, and the recipient of numerous honors including the Aspen Festival’s Dorothy DeLay Fellowship, Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund, and Manfred Grommek Prize from the Kronberg Academy.
A dedicated chamber musician, Rhee is the newest member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program, appearing regularly at Alice Tully Hall and on tour. He has performed at leading festivals including Marlboro, Ravinia Steans Institute, Bridgehampton, Music@Menlo, Rockport Music, and North Shore Chamber Music Festivals.
Rhee received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the New England Conservatory and performs on the extraordinary 1699 “Lady Tennant” Antonio Stradivari violin and a Jean Pierre Marie Persoit bow, on extended loan through the generosity of the Mary B. Galvin Foundation and the Stradivari Society, a division of Bein & Fushi, Inc.
SPREZZATURA
Founded in Austin, Texas, Sprezzatura Brass Quintet was formed by five musicians while each was pursuing a doctoral degree in music. The ensemble takes its name from the Italian term sprezzatura, meaning “effortless mastery.” This artistic ideal defines the group’s approach to performances. Combining virtuosic precision with a laid back Texas flair, and a bold, unified sound, Sprezzatura delivers performances that are both refined and electrifying.
Renowned for their versatility, the quintet performs an expansive repertoire spanning classical masterworks, virtuosic transcriptions, jazz standards, pop and Broadway favorites, and significant contemporary works for brass. Equally compelling in formal recital settings, major public performances, festival stages, and collaborative projects, Sprezzatura crafts programs that are innovative, audience-centered, and artistically substantial.
Beyond the stage, the ensemble is deeply committed to education and community engagement. Sprezzatura regularly presents public recitals throughout the Austin area and is proud to be an active contributor to the region’s vibrant musical landscape. The group maintains an ongoing presence in educational outreach, offering masterclasses, coachings, and interactive performances for students of all levels, mentoring the next generation of musicians with the same excellence and enthusiasm that define its concerts.
With a commanding stage presence and a dedication to artistic integrity, Sprezzatura Brass Quintet brings technical brilliance, stylistic flexibility, and meaningful connection to every performance.
BYRON STRIPLING
Byron Stripling’s electrifying and heartfelt tribute to Louis Armstrong has become America’s most popular orchestral pops program. With his engaging rapport, jazzy vocals, and virtuosic trumpet sounds, Byron dazzles audiences wherever he goes. With his signature version of “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In” to close the show, Byron celebrates the spirit of New Orleans and always leaves ’em dancing in the aisles!
Since his Carnegie Hall debut with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops, Stripling has become a pops orchestra favorite, soloing with Boston Pops, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and Dallas Symphony, to name a few. He has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and on the PBS television special, Evening at Pops, with conductors John Williams and Keith Lockhart. Currently, Stripling serves as artistic director and conductor of the highly acclaimed Columbus Jazz Orchestra.
Stripling earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He has played and recorded extensively with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, and Buck Clayton, in addition to The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and The GRP All Star Big Band.
Stripling is also an actor and vocalist. He played the lead role in the musical Satchmo, a tribute to Louis Armstrong. He has acted on TV appearing in a cameo on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan.
2026 Festival Musicians
NIKKI ABISSI
trombone
Abissi is a professional trombonist and instructor. She is second trombonist of the historic American Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the New Alchemy Trombone Quartet. An active performer, she frequently plays with many of the country’s fine orchestras, in chamber recitals, as well as on Broadway and with the Radio City Orchestra. She has held positions with the Alabama Symphony and Colorado Symphony, as well as a fellowship with the New World Symphony.
She is a passionate teacher and loves helping others reach their potential. She has given clinics at many fine universities and music festivals including Georgia State University, University of Alabama, Interlochen Arts Camp, Southeast Trombone Symposium, University of Kentucky and Youngstown State University, among others. Abissi received her Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School and her Master of Music from Stony Brook University.
Anastasia Agapova
Violin
Violinist Anastasia Agapova joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the 2013/14 season and was appointed Principal Second Violin in 2025. Agapova’s artistry has been recognized with top prizes in national and international competitions, including the Jury Prize at the 2006 David Oistrakh International Violin Competition and Second Prize at the 2004 International Competition for Young Violinists. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across Russia, Germany, England, Ireland, France, Finland, and Lithuania.
A native of Russia, Agapova made her North American recital debut in the Gessner-Schocken Concert Series in Boston and her orchestral debut with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed as a soloist with the Columbus State University Philharmonic Orchestra and opened the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra’s 2007–08 season. In December 2011, she made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and in March 2013, she performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. An active chamber musician, Agapova performs chamber music with her colleagues from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has appeared at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, and Lake George Music Festival.
Agapova came to the United States in 2005 to study with Sergiu Schwartz. She later continued her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she worked with Aaron Rosand, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Pamela Frank, graduating in 2013.
JACQUELINE AUDAS
violin
Audas is a member of the Seattle Symphony. She has performed as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician across the United States and internationally. Audas was awarded first prize in the 2017 North International Violin Competition and was a quarter finalist in the 2019 Michael Hill International Violin Competition and the 2020 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition. Her recent engagements include performances with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, the Baltimore Symphony, the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival.
She is the founder and artistic director of the non-profit Classical C.A.R.M.A. (Concerts Aiming to Raise Money and Awareness), which organizes benefit concerts to fundraise for other non-profit organizations. Prior to university she studied with the late Arkady Fomin. She holds a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Vadim Gluzman. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in violin performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
KATHERINE AUDAS
cello
Audas enjoys performing in orchestras, chamber ensembles, and as a soloist. She joined the Seattle Symphony Orchestra cello section in 2023. She was awarded first prize at the Ann and Charles Eisemann International Young Artists Competition in Dallas in 2020 and she won the silver medal at the IX Concurso Internacional Violonchelo Carlos Prieto in Michoacán, Mexico in 2019. In recent years, Katherine has appeared as a soloist with numerous symphonies, including the Houston Symphony at the Ima Hogg Competition, the Northbrook Symphony, the Michoacán Symphony, the Shepherd School of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Boise Philharmonic. She is the founding member the Houston Cello Quartet and an active performer in the non-profit Classical C.A.R.M.A. (Concerts Aiming to Raise Money & Awareness). She holds a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and an artist diploma in cello performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
TREVOR BARROERO
percussion
Barroero is the Principal Percussionist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Second Percussionist of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. A gold medalist of 13 concerto competitions, Barroero has performed as a marimba soloist in Canada, as guest timpanist with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, and as a soloist with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” He has also appeared for productions on Disney+, ABC, Hulu, and NBC, sharing the stage with artists like Christina Aguilera, Halle Bailey, and Andrea and Matteo Bocelli.
He has written award-winning scores for nearly 20 short and feature films. His compositions for percussion ensembles have been performed around the world, and his private students have won international awards and scholarships to prestigious institutions. As a founding member of the Lineage Percussion Trio, he was honored with the 2024 Ann Divine Educator Award and regularly presents masterclasses nationwide and internationally. He holds degrees from The University of Arizona and the University of Georgia, where he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts.
REBECCA BENJAMIN
violin
At home on both the violin and the viola, Benjamin is an engaging and versatile musician who has made appearances across the United States and abroad. She has performed in Carnegie Hall as concertmaster of the New York String Orchestra Seminar and has also been a member of the Hartford Symphony and Akron Symphony Orchestra. Benjamin has served as concertmaster for the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, the Music Institute of Chicago Academy Chamber Orchestra and the Symphony of the Lakes, and has soloed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Cleveland Pops Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, among others. She graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance and a master’s degree in violin from the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as a Master of Musical Arts degree in violin from the Yale School of Music.
LINDA MACK BERVEN
pre-concert lecturer
Mack Berven was a long-time Professor of Music at Fort Lewis College. She currently serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Durango Choral Society, which has twice been awarded the Chorus America Alice Parker/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. Mack Berven also conducts the Durango Women’s Choir and is a former Music Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. Her appearances as a conductor, pianist, and harpsichordist have included the San Juan Symphony, Fort Lewis College faculty recitals, Third Avenue Arts Recital Series, Showcase Concert Series, and the Durango Bach Festival. Mack Berven has conducted choirs and orchestras at Carnegie Hall in 2010 and 2018, as well as in in Prague, Greece, Zagreb, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Linz. She has prepared numerous choral works for the Music in the Mountains Festival through the years and has served as pre-concert lecturer and keyboard performer since 2012. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois.
EMMANUELLE BOISVERT
violin, concertmaster
Following her tenure as a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, Boisvert was welcomed in 1988 as the first and youngest woman ever to be named concertmaster of a major orchestra, serving 23 years as the Detroit Symphony Concertmaster. She is currently Associate Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony, while performing as a soloist in diverse concerto repertoire.
As a founding member of the St. Clair Trio, Boisvert’s artistry as a chamber musician places her in demand as artist-teacher in residence at such venues a Seattle String Project, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Wayne State University, Center for Creative Studies, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, and the Emmy award-winning All-Star Orchestra, currently broadcasting its tenth season on PBS. Other guest concertmaster appearances have included Seattle Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Grand Tetons Music Festival. She is an alumna of the Marlboro Music Festival. She holds degrees from the Quebec Conservatoire and The Curtis Institute of Philadelphia.
BETSY BRIGHT
trumpet
Bright is a trumpet player and composer originally from Columbia, South Carolina. She has been a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra trumpet section since 2003 and is also a member of Monsoon Brass, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and the TSO Brass Quintet. Bright has performed as a substitute with orchestras across the United States including the Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony Orchestra and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra among others.
Her compositions and arrangements have been frequently performed by Monsoon Brass and the Tucson Symphony Brass Quintet, and she is the resident arranger/composer with Tucson Brass Workshop. She is a composition instructor with the TSO’s nationally acclaimed Young Composer Project and is the founder and director of Tucson Brass Workshop, a nonprofit annual summer chamber music workshop for all ages. Bright studied at the Shenandoah Conservatory and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance and a minor in composition.
SUN CHANG
Keyboards
Chang’s career is very eclectic. She has worked with many ensembles and musicians including the Utah Symphony, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Chicago, Friction Quartet, Trevor Pinnock, Ars Musica Chicago, Haymarket Opera, WFMT Bach Organ Project, Vadim Gluzman, and American Bach Soloists. She is the keyboardist of Ensemble Affect, an early music group based in San Francisco, and Ensemble Vitelotte, a piano-violin duo focused on historical women composers. She also freelances in Chicago. In addition to teaching at North Park University, Chang is working on a solo album of keyboard suites by Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre on a tempered piano, a project made possible with support from the Luminarts Foundation. She is an amateur viola de gambist and jazz pianist. She received her Master of Arts in Harpsichord at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Rachel Daniels
viola
Daniels is a member of the Sarasota, Wichita Falls, and East Texas Symphony Orchestras. Daniels previously held positions in the Madison and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. Additionally, she has performed with several other groups, including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Arctic Philharmonic, and New World Symphony. In 2018, Daniels was a member of the resident piano quintet aboard the Holland America cruise line. Daniels is passionate about the music of today. As a trained Suzuki teacher, Rachel balances her busy performing career with an active private studio. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music.
TIM DANIELS
oboe, English horn
Daniels has held the English horn and section oboe chair with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since the fall of 2021. Prior to that, he held the same position with the Kansas City Symphony, with which he was a featured soloist on Aaron Copland’s Quiet City. He has been a guest performer with numerous orchestras including the San Francisco, New World, and Memphis Symphonies as well as the Metropolitan Opera and IRIS Orchestra. He has held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival of Japan, and Spoleto Festival USA. Daniels holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Daniels is also a proud graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy.
Michael Davis
Viola
Violist Michael Davis maintains a vigorous and exciting performing schedule in both New York City and the Southwest. Michael is a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Ballet Orchestra and a former member of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. He can be heard on GRAMMY nominated recordings with NOVUS NYC and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and has appeared on stages from Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden with artists including Hans Zimmer and The Who. Internationally he has performed throughout Korea as a member of the New York in Chuncheon Festival, as a faculty member of the Alfredo Saint Malo Festival in Panama, and with the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic. He was a founding member of the conductor-less string ensemble Shattered Glass, performing as Guest Artists at Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and at Carnegie Hall, Interlochen School for the Arts, Princeton University, The New School for Music, and on world premiere recordings of music by Caroline Shaw, Pascal LeBeouf, and Tarik O’Regan. A former Tanglewood Music Center Fellow and an alumnus of the Pacific Music Festival, Michael completed his graduate studies with Karen Dreyfus at the Manhattan School of Music and was an undergraduate student of Michael Klotz and the Amernet String Quartet at the FIU Wertheim School of Music in Miami, FL.
LESLIE FAGAN
flute
Fagan is currently Assistant Principal Flute of the Nashville Symphony. Before moving to Nashville, she was Assistant Principal Flute with the Omaha Symphony from 2007-16. For many years prior, she was an active freelancer and teacher in the Chicago area and was a regular substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, participating in their 2009 Asia Tour. While in Chicago, she was also a substitute/extra player for the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Formerly a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, she performed with that organization at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. She has been an interim studio instructor for flute majors at Roosevelt University in Chicago and is currently Acting Associate Professor of Flute at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. She holds a Doctor of Music in Flute Performance from Northwestern University.
NINA FAN
violin
Colorado native Nina Tso-Ning Fan is a full-time member of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. She began her violin studies at the age of four. She is an active recitalist and chamber musician in the Twin Cities. She has performed at many summer festivals including Aspen, Sarasota, Grand Tetons, Mainly Mozart, Lakes Area Music Festival, Canna (Calabria, Italy), and Festival Mozaic. In 2002, she was the winner of the McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians and an independent study resident at the Banff Centre for the Arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree in French literature from Harvard University while studying violin with James Buswell at the New England Conservatory of Music. She later received her master’s degree in violin performance at Indiana University, where her teachers were Sylvia Rosenberg and Paul Biss. There, she was an associate instructor of violin and served as teaching assistant to Rosenberg.
REESE FARNELL
horn
A native of Fort Worth, Farnell joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as 3rd Horn in 2025, after serving for the 2024-2025 season as Interim Assistant Principal/Utility Horn with the Dallas Symphony. For the 6 years prior, he performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, primarily in the role of 2nd Horn. Formerly Principal Horn of the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Farnell has appeared as Guest Associate Principal Horn with the Atlanta and Fort Worth Symphonies, and Guest Principal Horn with Symphony S.O.N.G. in Seoul, South Korea. He has performed with The Dallas Opera and Dallas Chamber Symphony, and has performed onstage behind Yo Yo Ma, Andrea Bocelli, The Who, Chris Botti, Marvin Sapp, and Cody Fry, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Music from The University of Texas, and both a Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts from Yale University.
CHRISTOPHER FRENCH
cello
The seventh in a “full octave of musical siblings,” French is the associate principal cello of the Houston Symphony. Before joining the orchestra in 1986, he held titled positions in both the Shreveport and Honolulu Symphonies. He has appeared in concerto performances with the Houston Symphony and in the Chamber Players series, Da Camera of Houston, Greenbriar Consortium, and the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego. He teaches orchestral repertoire at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and teaches cello to younger students, including coaching the Youth Orchestra of the Americas as they prepare for their international tours.
SARAH FRISOF
flute
Frisof has concertized throughout the world as a soloist, chamber, and orchestra musician. She is currently the Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Maryland and former Professor of Flute at the University of Kansas and University of Texas at Arlington. A proponent of contemporary music, Frisof frequently premieres major works. She has worked with major symphony orchestras across the country, including the Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, and Kansas City Symphonies, and the New York Philharmonic. She also serves as the principal flute of the Dallas Winds.
In the summers, Ms. Frisof plays with several festival orchestras. She has been a faculty member at the Interlochen Arts Camp, the Music in the Mountains Conservatory, and the Blanche Bryden Summer Institute. She has worked with young students in Zimbabwe and Brazil, and she frequently gives masterclasses at universities across the United States. She is a graduate of the Eastman School, The Juilliard School, and the University of Michigan.
KEIRA FULLERTON
cello
Fullerton became the associate principal cello of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in January 2025. Formerly, she had been the FWSO’s assistant principal cello since 2008 and was an adjunct professor of cello at the University of Texas at Arlington from 2015-2020. Before joining the FWSO, she held the position of assistant principal with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Winnipeg, Manitoba for three seasons. She has also performed as an extra musician with the Houston, Pittsburgh, and Seattle Symphonies.
She spent three summers as a participant in the Crested Butte Music Festival and has also performed with the Colorado Music Festival during the 2017-2019 summer seasons. A native of Ohio, Fullerton moved to Toronto, Ontario at age eleven, where she studied both piano and cello at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She then earned her Bachelor of Music at Rice University and received her Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
COLIN GARNER
viola
A native of Littleton, CO, Garner has been a member of the Dallas Opera Orchestra viola section since 2008. He is also a regular extra violist with the Fort Worth Symphony. Previous positions include associate principal viola of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and principal of the West Texas Symphony and Abilene Philharmonic. While playing with the West Texas Symphony, he was also the violist in the Permian Basin String Quartet. Additionally, Garner participated in the Crested Butte Music Festival during the summers of 2015-16. He received undergraduate degrees in viola performance and music education from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master of Music from the University of Southern California.
ZINA GOLDRICH
Vocalist
Zina Goldrich is an award-winning composer, conductor, musical director, and performing artist. Her romantic comedy and theatre songs have been sung around the world by Broadway stars including Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Hilty, Kelli O’Hara and Alan Cumming. She and longtime collaborator Marcy Heisler won the 2009 Fred Ebb Award for excellence in songwriting, the first women to do so. Their musical, Ever After, enjoyed a sold-out run and was the first production on the Coca Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Current projects include a new musical, Stage Mother, with lyricist Heisler and book writer Brad Hennig, and a new revue, #IRL with multi-Emmy Award winning writer, David Javerbaum.
Other Goldrich and Heisler collaborations include Dear Edwina (Drama Desk Nomination) and Junie B. Jones (Lucille Lortel Nomination) which ran successfully Off-Broadway, as well as Goodspeed’s The Great American Mousical, directed by Julie Andrews. On television, she has composed for AppleTV’s Wonderpets in the City, ABC’s The Middle, Pooh’s Learning Adventures and Peg + Cat, on PBS. Ms. Goldrich was a staff songwriter for Disney’s Feature Animation. As a performing artist, she has appeared in numerous Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center concerts, conducted the Mazatlán Camerata, and will be a guest soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the Harry Warren Award, a Larson grant, Seldes-Kanin fellowship and was an Artist-In-Residence at Second Stage. She has played keyboards on Broadway for Avenue Q, Bombay Dreams, Oklahoma! and Titanic, where she also conducted. She studied with Jerry Goldsmith and is a proud graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program. Ms. Goldrich has taught at Temple University, and has led master classes at NYU, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon as well as many other universities.
HELEN GOODE-CASTRO
bass clarinet
Goode-Castro graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, England with an Honors Degree and a Professional Performers Diploma in Clarinet. She furthered her studies at the Royal College of Music where she received the Artist Diploma. While in London, she performed with several European Orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, and Söd-Bayerische Philharmonie, Germany. She moved to Los Angeles to study at UCLA where she obtained an MFA in Clarinet Performance. She was a finalist in the Boosey and Hawkes Clarinet Competition.
Since moving to LA, Goode-Castro freelances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Mozart Camerata, and Santa Barbara Symphony, among others. She recently recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London where she performed the Tone Poem for Clarinet and Orchestra by Charles Fernandez. Ms. Goode-Castro is currently on the faculty at California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Los Angeles. She also teaches at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
SHERYL HADEKA
horn, librarian, orchestra manager
Hadeka began her role as the assistant librarian of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2022. Hadeka has formerly held library roles at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Eastman School of Music. As a horn player, Hadeka is 2nd horn in the Pittsburgh Opera and also performs with the Music in the Mountains orchestra. She has formerly held playing positions in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic. She grew up in Vermont and received a bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music in Horn Performance and Music Theory at Southern Methodist University.
MATTHEW HAKKARAINEN
violin
Hakkarainen, a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is the first American violinist to win first prize at the Premio Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, where he also received three special prizes. He is a 2024-25 Rebanks Family Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School, and will
join the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Associate Concertmaster starting in the 2025-26 season. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Orchestra Sinfonica Bulgaria Classic di Plovdiv, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, and many others.
Hakkarainen has served as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. He performs on a 1790 Giuseppe Guadagnini violin and an Étienne Pajeot bow. Hakkarainen received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music and his Master of Music from The Juilliard School.
Micah Harrow
timpani
Harrow serves as Acting Principal Timpani with the Utah Symphony. He previously served as Principal timpani with the New World Symphony and the New Mexico Philharmonic. He has also performed as a guest with the San Francisco Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Santa Fe Pro Musica, among others. He also joined the Grand Tetons Music Festival Orchestra for 2025. Micah earned his undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music with Michael Burritt and Charles Ross, where he was awarded a Performer’s Certificate. During that time, he also served as timpanist with the Erie Philharmonic. He went on to earn his master’s at San Francisco Conservatory as a student of Ed Stephan and Jake Nissly. During the summers, he attended Aspen Music Festival as an ACA fellow, Texas Music Festival and National Orchestral Institute. Micah is fortunate to have performed on two GRAMMY nominated albums, one with the San Francisco Symphony, and one with the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic. He has also recorded with the Kansas City Symphony.
VALORY HIGHT
violin
Virginia native Hight, although classically trained, has collaborated with artists of many different genres including the Dallas String Quartet, Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin, and contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center, the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and Rudolfinum in Prague. She has performed with prominent musicians including Paul Neubauer, Peter Wiley, Peter Serkin, Dawn Upshaw, and the Escher Quartet, among others. She currently tours with pianist and composer Eric Genuis, whose non-profit, “Concerts for Hope”, performs in prisons, schools, nursing homes, and homeless shelters across the country. Hight is on faculty at Zhen Music and Arts Institute and Rockwall School of Music in Dallas. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bard College and Conservatory and completed her master’s degree at Southern Methodist University. Currently, she is in the Performer’s Diploma program as a recipient of the Meadow’s Artistic Scholarship at SMU.
JENNIFER HINKLE
bass trombone
Hinkle’s adaptability to different musical styles has led to a performing career with a myriad of ensembles, from Broadway shows including Wicked, Aladdin, and Beautiful, to the Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band, and to the Oregon, Seattle, Spokane, and New Haven Symphonies. She has also performed with drummer/composer Dan Pugach’s Grammy-nominated ensemble Nonet. She has given solo recitals and led clinics and studio classes at colleges, elementary and high schools, and industry symposia across the country. Her work spans not only musical genres but other artistic media (art, literature, public speaking, etc.). As a founding member of Calliope Brass, she has had a hand in its administrative operations and performances, but it’s her original storylines, artwork, and collaboration with puppet-makers from Sesame Street that have been integral to the development and production of Calliope’s sought-after educational programs.
JUSTIN HUBBARD
alto sax
Hubbard is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Music at Fort Lewis College, where he leads the
bands and orchestras as well as teaches saxophone, clarinet, conducting, and music education courses.
He also serves as Music Education Coordinator and Music Area Coordinator within the Performing Arts
Department. Outside of the college, he works as a freelance audio editor, producer, and saxophonist. He also regularly serves as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor, most recently guest conducting the University of Nevada Wind Ensemble in November of 2025. Hubbard holds a Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University. He earned his master's degree at the University of Nevada, Reno and went on to earn his DMA in Integrated Conducting from Arizona State University.
WILLIAM HUNT
violin
Hunt performed in the first violin section of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for 43 years. Currently, he serves as concertmaster of the Penfield Symphony Orchestra, a position held since 1988. Previous posts include the Filarmonica de las Americas, Canary Islands Opera Festival Orchestra, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, Fredonia Chamber Players, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. In addition to several appearances as soloist with the Penfield Symphony Orchestra, Hunt has also appeared as guest artist with the Cincinnati Community Orchestra, Fredonia Bach and Beyond Festival, Society for Chamber Music (Rochester), and Madrigalia. He holds music degrees from the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon School of Business Administration.
Braizahn Jones
Double Bass
Jones is a double bassist, educator, and entrepreneur based in Portland, Oregon. He serves as Assistant Principal Bass of the Oregon Symphony and is on the faculty at Portland State University and Reed College. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he maintains a multifaceted career spanning orchestral performance, chamber music, and teaching. As an orchestral musician, Jones has appeared extensively as a substitute with major ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony, and has performed at festivals such as Chamber Music Northwest, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Bellingham Music Festival, and the Pacific Music Institute. He has performed with many of today’s leading conductors and soloists. Jones has served as faculty at the National Orchestral Institute since 2019 and now he is the founder of Umami Bass, an international workshop and performance initiative dedicated to bass pedagogy and community building. The project has hosted successful programs in Japan and the United States, with further expansion underway.
Davis Jones
alto/tenor sax
Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and audio engineer. He grew up in Austin,
TX, received his Bachelor of Music in Music Performance at Indiana University’s Jacob’s School of Music,
and has since been pursuing music in a myriad of ways whilst living in Chicago, New York City, and
Colorado. He is currently an online lecturer at Point Blank Music School, and continues to perform, co-
write, co-produce, and mix/master for his group, Loki Moon.
KATHARINA KANG
violin
Equally at home on both the violin and viola, Kang Litton has been Principal Viola of New York City Ballet since 2018. As a violinist, she has performed as soloist with leading orchestras in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Bergen, Baltimore, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, London, New York and Rio de Janeiro. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has collaborated with such artists as Pinchas Zukerman, Midori Goto, Hagai Shaham, Viviane Hagner, Elmar Oliviera, Pavel Gililov, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Timothy Eddy, Franz Helmerson, Philip Setzer, and the Schumann Quartet.
Kang Litton grew up in Germany where she studied at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule Düsseldorf. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Manhattan School of Music. She received her Artist Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Kang Litton enjoys performing at international summer music festivals regularly.
Petros Karapetyan
violin
Originally from Yerevan, Armenia, Petros Karapetyan joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019. He is a former member of the Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, and has also played with the Houston Symphony, the IRIS Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Sinaloa de las Artes, and Symphoria. Petros has had fellowships at Tanglewood Music Center, Pacific Music Festival, Lake George Music Festival, and Colorado College Summer Music Festival.
As an educator, Petros teaches at the Chamber Music Institute for Young Musicians in Stamford, CT, and has previously given master classes at the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes
and the Orquesta Sinfónica Esperanza Azteca in Mexico. He holds a Bachelor of Music with Performance Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Rochester, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University.
JOSEPHINE KIM
violin
Kim, a Korean American violinist, performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony in C Orchestra. Other orchestral engagements include performing and touring with the 2023 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra. After being a part of the Chamber Music Institute at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, Kim’s piano quartet performed on the Sunday’s Live Program broadcasted on the KUSC Radio. Josephine has competed as a semi-finalist in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition and is also a member of illume Duo, a violin and marimba group based in Baltimore, MD. Kim was a winning soloist at LANSUM International Music Festival Competition. She continues to refine her skills and broaden her musical horizons. Josephine is currently pursuing her Graduate Performance Diploma in violin performance from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studies with Vadim Gluzman.
PHILIP KRAMP
viola
Based in Washington, DC, Kramp is currently on the faculty at the University of Maryland, and plays regularly with the National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and the Chiarina Chamber players. He has performed on tours worldwide with many orchestras and can be heard on recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Metropolis Ensemble, and The Roots. He can also be heard on many motion picture soundtracks and television shows. Before moving to DC, Kramp performed with the Kansas City Symphony and was on faculty at the University of Kansas. He has also enjoyed collaborating with the Mark Morris Dance Group and has performed alongside many of the world’s greatest artists. He has won prizes in the Irving Klein String Competition, Chicago Viola Society Competition, and NEC Concerto Competition, and has participated in the Stulberg Competition and the HAMS Viola Competition. Phil received his formal training at the Curtis Institute and the New England Conservatory.
DMITRY KUSTANOVICH
viola
Hailing from Worcester, MA, Kustanovich joined the viola section of the Fort Worth Symphony in 2005. Kustanovich has also performed with the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Seattle Symphonies, touring much of the US and Europe. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music as a violist, also receiving a Bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music as a violinist.
Nikolette LaBonte
Horn
LaBonte is the newly appointed Principal Horn of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and is an accomplished orchestral player. LaBonte was previously with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony. She has performed with orchestras across North America including guest principal engagements with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and an extended engagement with the Baltimore Symphony as Visiting Guest Principal Horn. Active as a soloist and educator, LaBonte was the Instructor of Natural Horn at the Eastman School of Music, served on the faculties of the Eastman Horn Institute, Kendall Betts Horn Camp, and Carnegie Hall’s NYO-USA, and was a participant in the prestigious ARD International Competition in 2021, the only American horn player invited. Originally from South Florida, she received both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music.
LAURA LEISRING
bassoon
Leisring is principal bassoon of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she served for 14 seasons as principal bassoon in the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in Spain, where she performed the European Premiere of Ellen Taaffe-Zwillich’s Concerto for Bassoon. She has also performed with the Milwaukee and Barcelona Symphonies. She studied at The Juilliard School, Mannes College of Music, and the University of North Texas.
SARAH LEWIS
cello
Lewis has been a performer with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for many seasons. She gave the U.S. premiere of Malcolm Forsyth’s Eclectic Suite, for cello and piano. Prior to joining the SPCO, she was a member of the Milwaukee Symphony, and performed as a substitute musician with the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She has performed solo and chamber recitals in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities. She holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and The Juilliard School.
JIMIN LIM
violin
Lim, a native of Busan, South Korea, was born into a musical family and began her violin studies at age 6. Prior to joining the Dallas Symphony in 2023, she performed with the Nashville Symphony, where she played with the second violin section, and was then acting associate principal. She has also performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras.
Winner of the Korean National University of Arts Concerto Competition, she performed Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with the KNUA Symphony. Also an avid chamber musician, Ms. Lim has participated in numerous performances and master classes with leading musicians of our time, including Joshua Bell, James Dunham, and Sylvia Rosenberg, among others, and has performed in summer festivals including the Britt Music and Arts Festival and the Aspen Music Festival. Lim received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Violin Performance from Korean National University of the Arts and holds Performance Diplomas in both solo and orchestral studies from Indiana University.
NICK MEYERS
bass
Myers was appointed Principal Bass of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Hailing from Cadillac, Michigan, he spent four seasons playing in the bass section of his home state’s Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which he joined in 2018 after his final year of graduate school. He has participated in the Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Nicholas is a Pirastro Strings artist and performs in the orchestra on a full-size 1836 Abraham Prescott double bass from Concord, New Hampshire. Nick received his Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory, and his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where he was a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship.
DAVE MORGAN
tuba
Morgan has been Principal Tuba of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra since 2010. Additionally, he is a member of the TSO Brass Quintet, Tucson Pops Orchestra, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and Monsoon Brass. He has performed as guest principal tuba with the San Diego Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony, and the Britt Festival Orchestra, and he has participated in the Aspen, Hot Springs, and Bay View Music Festivals.
He has been featured as a Guest Soloist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Pops Orchestra, Sierra Vista Symphony, and Arizona Symphonic Winds. Morgan hails from Vienna, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. He studied tuba with Michael Bunn (Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra) at the Shenandoah Conservatory; he earned a Bachelor of Music in Tuba Performance in 2003 and minored in bass trombone. He later began graduate work at Carnegie Mellon University.
JOE NIBLEY
trumpet
At an early age, Nibley, originally from Provo, Utah, discovered his deep passion for music. Currently a member of the Fort Lewis College Music Faculty, he serves as a mentor, guiding students in their personal and professional growth and helping them find their path to success. Nibley is actively engaged in music education, sharing his expertise through presentations, clinics, educational recitals, and workshops worldwide. Nibley has also held positions in ensembles such as the prize-winning San Antonio Brass Band (Solo Flugelhorn), Albany Symphony of Georgia, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Tallahassee Symphony, and Ann Arbor Symphony, among others. As a soloist, he has made a mark in competitions, being a five-time semifinalist at the National Trumpet Competition. He has earned degrees from Brigham Young University (B.M., Performance), The University of Michigan (M.M., Performance; M.M., Chamber Music), and Florida State University (D.M., Performance). His most recent research and collaborations have also led to several presentations, including for The International Trumpet Guild.
JOEL OCKERMAN
horn
Ockerman is an active freelance horn player and teacher in Austin. He recently served as acting principal horn of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and has also frequently performed with numerous ensembles throughout the state of Texas, including the Austin Symphony, Round Rock Symphony, and the United States Air Force Band of the West. Additionally, he has frequently collaborated with the Austin-based New Music ensemble Destiny512 and and has performed on natural horn with the Austin Baroque Orchestra. He received his bachelor’s and doctorate from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas, Austin.
Marissa Olegario
Bassoon
Olegario was appointed Principal Bassoon of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in 2023. Additionally, she is Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Arizona, where she was nominated for the 2021 and 2024 Five Star Faculty Award. Olegario enjoys a varied musical career involving performances in the US and internationally as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has performed with the Phoenix Symphony, South Florida Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the GRAMMY-nominated True Concord Voices and Orchestra.
Other summer appearances include clasclas Chamber Festival (Spain), Crested Butte Music Festival, Castleton Music Festival, and Norfolk Chamber Festival. She has collaborated with artists from Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmoniker and the Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet. Olegario holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, Master of Music from Yale University, and Doctor of Musical Arts from SUNY Stony Brook.
REBECCA ORTIZ
trumpet
Ortiz is an acclaimed trumpet performer and educator originally from Laredo, Texas, whose work spans orchestral performance, solo artistry, mariachi, chamber music, and higher education. She was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. An accomplished competitor, Rebecca won the National Trumpet Competition Small Ensemble Division and placed First in the 2022 Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Solo Competition.
She has performed with numerous orchestras including the Dallas, Colorado, and Tucson Symphony Orchestras. She previously served as Third Trumpet with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and held a teaching position at the Boulder Symphony Music Academy. Ortiz is a core member of Colorado’s all-female mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Las Dahlias. She has collaborated with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Pink Martini, Danny Elfman, and Gregory Alan Isakov. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado. She holds a Master of Music from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Music from The University of Texas, Austin
Andrew Parker
oboe, English horn
Parker is currently Assistant Professor of Oboe at the Butler School of Music and was previously Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Iowa. He has provided master classes throughout the country at such institutions as the University of Michigan, Temple University, Rice University, the University of Florida, the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Luther College, Mannes Preparatory Division, and the University of Virginia to name a few. Parker maintains a rich career as an orchestral musician, soloist, and chamber player and addition to his experience as a teacher. Parker is currently the principal oboe of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his collegiate teaching and performing experience, Andrew has also taught and coached chamber music at various international music festivals, including the Round Top Music Festival, Oboe Fest in San Juan, FEMUSC Festival in Brazil, the Hartwick Festival in New York, and the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont.
HECTOR PONCE
bass
A native of San Jose, California, Hector Ponce is a current double bass fellow at the New World Symphony. He has performed with ensembles such as the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and others. Previous festival engagements also include Music Academy of the West and Spoleto Festival USA. He has worked with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Sir Antonio Pappano, Zubin Mehta, Daniele Gatti, and Giandrea Noseda. He was previously a member of the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, an initiative founded by cellist Emilio Colón aimed at connecting with children in underserved communities through free performances and tours. He has also performed with One Found Sound, a chamber orchestra based in San Francisco, CA. He received a bachelor’s degree with a performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music and completed graduate studies at the Yale School of Music.
ANNAMARIE READER
cello
Reader grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She has performed with small and large ensembles including the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Mercury Baroque Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony while maintaining a private cello studio of her own in Houston. In recent summers she has enjoyed playing in the Bellingham Music Festival in Washington State and also participating in chamber music festivals in Texas, Colorado, and Utah. She completed her studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Rice University Shepherd School of Music, where her primary teachers were Melissa Kraut and Desmond Hoebig.
ELLE RIO
bass
Born and raised in Western New York, Rio was fascinated by the double bass since the age of seven. From that moment, the trajectory of her life changed as she became the youngest member of the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra at the age of 10. She trained in high school at the Eastman School of Music and went on to receive her BM in Jazz Performance on Double Bass from California State University Northridge. During her career, she traveled internationally and statewide with symphonies, big bands, trios, and quartets alike, while maintaining studio work in Los Angeles for various artists. Now setting her roots in Durango, she has performed locally in numerous venues with the San Juan Symphony, SJS Chamber Singers, Jeff Solon’s Swing’n Big Band, vocalist Alison Dance, pianist Jack Maynes and most prominently a member of the jazz quartet, Durango Jazz Puppets. She is always happiest when classical and jazz music merge on stage in an artistic collaboration like this.
SASHA ROMERO
trombone
Romero is the principal trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and an internationally renowned soloist and teacher. Her sound has been simply described as “big, like three trombones in one.” She hopes to shatter the idea that the trombone cannot be just as effective a musical conduit as other popular instruments with every performance she has the opportunity to play in. She is a passionate educator, and currently serves on the trombone faculties at the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers University, Mannes School of Music, and Bard College Conservatory of Music. A highly sought-after teacher, soloist, and clinician, she has presented solo recitals and master classes at numerous colleges, universities, music conservatories, and industry conventions across the United States and abroad. Romero is an S.E. Shires Performing Artist, and she has a signature mouthpiece line with Long Island Brass Co.
LUKE SANTONASTASO
violin
Santonastaso is a versatile musician, instructor, and mentor active across the United States, presently based in Orange County, CA. He currently serves as the principal 2nd violin for the Santa Cruz Symphony as well as tenured member of the New West Symphony and the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. His musical collaborations extend to various orchestras on the west coast, including the Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Opera, San Bernardino Symphony, and Redlands Symphony, among others. Luke has collaborated with renowned artists such as Midori Goto, Maxim Vengerov, Osmo Vänskä, Lynn Harrell, Gilbert Kalish, Kim Kashkashian, and Augustine Hadelich. He has been a fellow at the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, and Incontri in Terra di Siena music festivals. Santonastaso maintains a private studio, along with serving as coach and instructor with Junior Chamber Music. He is also a member of the Scottish Fiddlers of Los Angeles and enjoys folk music in all forms. He holds degrees from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Derek Sawyer
Percussion
Sawyer is a local Durango percussionist who is both a professional musician and a licensed structural engineer. He has been the principal timpanist with the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra in Cheyenne, Wyoming for the past 7 years. In addition, he has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Music in the Mountains, Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Colorado, and several other orchestras on the Colorado Front Range. In 2013, He won the Undergraduate Concerto Competition at the University of Colorado School of Music performing the Creston Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra. He graduated in 2015 from the University of Colorado, Boulder with degrees in Engineering and Percussion Performance.
ERIN SCHREIBER
violin
Schreiber joined the St. Louis Symphony as Assistant Concertmaster in September 2008, at the age of 20. She has appeared in recital throughout the U.S., as well as in London, Sweden, Italy, and Germany, and toured with jazz legend Chris Botti in Shanghai, Mexico City, and Eastern Europe. She made her St. Louis Symphony solo debut in 2011 and has appeared as a soloist with the Richardson, Gateway, Alton, and Missouri Symphony Orchestras. In the summers, she has performed at Festival Mozaic in California, Olympic Music Festival in Washington, and for the past six years, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Idaho. Schreiber attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
MADDI SHAKE
Percussion
Shake joined the Arkansas Symphony as Principal Percussionist in 2021. In the summers, she is a section percussionist with the Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. She has performed with various orchestras including the London Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, New World Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago where she was an associate member for the 2017/2018 and 2020/2021 seasons. Other summer festival appearances include the Colorado Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, and Sunflower Music Festival. An Indianapolis, Indiana native, Shake earned her Bachelor’s in Music in performance from Roosevelt University in Chicago and a Master’s of Music in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
LESLIE SHANK
violin, concertmaster emerita
Shank was a member of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for 30 years, 24 years as assistant concertmaster, and is a founding member of the Minneapolis-based chamber music group, The Isles Ensemble. Shank gave her New York recital debut at Carnegie’s Weill Hall as a winner of the Artists International Competition and was twice re-engaged to perform on its Special Presentation Series. She was appointed Visiting Assistant Violin Professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison, for the year 2014-15. Shank served as concertmaster of the Music in the Mountains Festival in Colorado for 11 years and has performed at numerous other festivals including the Aspen, Grand Teton, Mainly Mozart, Marlboro, and the Britt Festival, where she served as concertmaster of the festival orchestra. As a member of the prestigious Musicians from Marlboro, she toured the East Coast. In addition to her musical activities on violin, she frequently plays viola in chamber music and is an avid photographer.
KYLE SHERMAN
trumpet
Sherman joined the Fort Worth Symphony as principal trumpet in 2016. He has appeared with the Dallas Symphony and as a soloist with the Garland, Arlington, and Las Colinas symphony orchestras. He has also performed on the Broadway national tours of the Book of Mormon, Porgy & Bess, and Matilda, among others. Sherman is a Yamaha performing artist. An active educator, he regularly appears as a clinician and recitalist at universities throughout Texas and the United States. He is an alumnus of the Yale School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Tanglewood Music Center, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Round Top Festival.
ILYA SHTERENBERG
clarinet
Acting Principal Clarinet of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Principal Clarinet of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Principal Clarinet of the San Antonio Philharmonic, Shterenberg balances a career as an orchestral musician, chamber music performer, soloist, and educator. He has been featured as a soloist with both orchestras, performing standard works as well as rarely heard clarinet concertos and the American premiere of Richard Strauss’s Serenade for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra. He is a member of the Olmos Ensemble in San Antonio. He has appeared in numerous summer music festivals and has been a faculty member of the College of Charleston, the University of Texas San Antonio, and UT Austin. A native of Ukraine, Ilya began his music education there. After his immigration to the United States in 1989, he received an Artist Certificate from the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, after which he did further study at DePaul University in Chicago.
RICHARD SILVERS
violin
Silvers currently serves on the faculty at Fort Lewis College as a Visiting Instructor of Music Theory and Upper Strings. As an undergraduate at UCLA, he was the concertmaster for the UCLA Philharmonia, the school’s flagship orchestra. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Herb Alpert School of Music there. He has performed with many university and regional orchestras during the course of graduate studies at the University of Indiana and the University of Wisconsin. He was the winner of the 2018-2019 UW Madison Concerto Competition and a finalist in the Montgomery Symphony Concertmaster Competition. Silvers has served as concertmaster at summer music festivals, including the Chautauqua Institution in New York and is a regular performer in masterclasses around the country. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and at venues in Italy and Switzerland. He earned his Master of Music from the University of Indiana and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
JAN SIMIZ
cello
Simiz is assistant principal cello of the Phoenix Symphony and principal cello of the Phoenix Symphony Sinfonietta, and was previously with the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra. A native of Romania, he studied at Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest and received his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Simiz is a faculty member at Arizona State University.
MARIA SIMIZ
cello
Simiz is currently the principal cellist with Musica Nova Orchestra. She is an active freelance cellist, and a section cellist at Music in the Mountains Festival. She has also performed with the Phoenix Symphony, the Arizona Opera, the Amabile String Quartet, and with her husband, Phoenix Symphony associate principal cellist, Jan Simiz. Simiz founded the Strings Department at Arizona School for the Arts when it opened in 1995. She studied chamber music at the St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar at Stanford University. She received her Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Southern California and her Master of Music in Cello Performance from California State University at Long Beach.
HUGO SOUZA
oboe
Souza is the principal oboe of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Active as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and orchestral player, Souza performs extensively throughout Brazil, North America, and Europe. He has performed as a guest artist at Music@Menlo and with the ensemble Pentaèdre (Montreal). He has also toured with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
Souza is on faculty at Capital University’s Conservatory of Music while also giving master classes throughout the country. While on oboe and chamber music faculty at his alma mater, he co-founded the Brazilian Double Reed Society, which has since held major international conferences featuring master classes with world renowned double reed artists. Born into a musical family in Natal, Brazil, he began playing oboe at age fourteen. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). He continued his studies in the US, earning his Master of Music from SUNY Purchase. He is a doctoral candidate at the Eastman School of Music.
RYAN SUJDAK
bass
A Florida native, Sujdak joined The Florida Orchestra as Principal Bass in the fall of 2023. Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, he began playing the double bass at the age of 16, under the guidance of Terry Plumeri. Sujdak went on to earn degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, the Yale School of Music, and The Colburn School. He has performed in both orchestral and chamber settings with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, and the Shattered Glass Ensemble at the Schneider Chamber Concert Series. A passionate educator, Ryan maintains a private studio in the Tampa Bay area. As a member of the Yale Music in Schools Initiative, he taught students in New Haven public schools, while also serving as a private instructor for Yale undergraduate students, and a teaching assistant for graduate theory and ear training.
Photo by Toby Winarto
OLEG SULYGA
violin
Sulyga is a violinist with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Houston Ballet Orchestra, Mercury Chamber Ensemble, and other music organizations in Houston, Texas. He has performed with the renown ensemble Virtuosi of Moscow. He has performed as a chamber musician with the principals of the Wiener Philharmoniker and as a member of the Kopelman Quartet. As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Chicago Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Houston Symphony. He began his studies in his native Moscow and has studied in several countries. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the Moors School of Music, University of Houston.
ANTHONY TRIONFO
flute
Trionfo is an active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. He appears regularly with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Jupiter Chamber Players, Erie Philharmonic, and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus. In 2025, he joined the Dorian Wind Quintet. Recent concerto appearances include the Edmonton Symphony and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Since 2024, he has served as Visiting Instructor of Flute and Chamber Music at Interlochen Arts Academy. Trionfo is a founder of the Umoja Flute Institute, a nonprofit supporting flutists of African descent. He serves on the Aspen Music Festival and School’s IDEA Committee and has collaborated with the Sphinx Organization, DC Youth Orchestra Program, and Harmony Program. A First Prize winner of the 2016 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, he has presented masterclasses at Florida State University, Ithaca College, and The Juilliard School. He holds BM and MM degrees with teaching certification from The Colburn School and is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy.
IVAN VALBUENA
clarinet
Valbuena is the associate principal clarinet and E-flat clarinet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Before joining the Atlanta Symphony, he served as assistant principal clarinet and E-flat clarinet with the San Antonio Philharmonic Orchestra and has also served as Principal Clarinet with the New Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra. He has had an international career as orchestra performer, soloist, and educator. He is the winner of the 2017 Matthew Ruggiero International Clarinet Competition and winner of the Harold Wright Clarinet Award.
He has been featured as a soloist with the Cusco (Perú) Symphony Orchestra and with Symphony Pro Musica Orchestra of Boston and he has performed in several venues in Europe, North and South America including the Penderecki European Center for Music in Poland, the Fine Arts Palace in Mexico, and Teatro Municipal de las Condes in Santiago de Chile. He holds a master’s degree from Longy School of Music and a doctorate in performance from University of Texas at Austin.
ALEJANDRO VALDEPEÑAS
viola
Originally from Toronto, Valdepeñas enjoys a multi-faceted career as a violinist and violist. He joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as the Associate Principal Viola at the start of the 2022/2023 season. Valdepeñas made his solo debut on violin at age 9 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Sarah Chang. Recent engagements include performances and recordings with the Amici Chamber Ensemble and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Chamber Soloists. He has spent multiple summers as a violinist with the Santa Fe Opera and has also performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. In the summers, Valdepeñas has performed at the Aspen Music Festival and School and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival at Yale. His future summer engagements include performances at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Valdepeñas received his Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory and his Master of Music from Rice University.
KATHERINE VENTURA
harp
Ventura is currently Acting Principal Harp of the Kansas City Symphony. She has also performed as guest principal harp with the Chicago, Pittsburgh, Houston, St. Louis, National, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, Rochester Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London, UK), and the United States Air Force Band. Festival appearances include Principal Harp of the Britt Festival Orchestra 2022 (Oregon), Principal Harp of the Verbier Festival and Verbier Chamber Orchestras (Switzerland), the Spoleto Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival (Japan), Aspen Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, and with the Sun Valley Music Festival in Idaho. Ventura is pursuing a Doctorate in Musical Arts at Temple University and holds degrees from the Chicago College of Performing Arts and Carnegie Mellon University.
MATT WILSON
horn
Wilson is Acting Principal Horn of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has also served as Principal Horn of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and Acting Associate Principal Horn with the Minnesota Orchestra. Wilson has appeared as guest Principal or Associate Principal Horn with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, and the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. His additional orchestral engagements include performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, and Colorado Symphony. He has toured internationally with the Minnesota Orchestra to Cuba and Europe, and with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra to Asia. Beyond the orchestral stage, he has performed with The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Touring Company and served for several years as Principal Horn of the Crested Butte Music Festival. He has been a regular performer at Music in the Mountains since 2019. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota.
CHERRY YEUNG
violin
Winning her first job in a major orchestra at the age of 21, Yeung is now the Associate Principal Second Violin of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Hong Kong Academy, New World, and Princeton Symphony Orchestras, among others. She is an artist at the prestigious Marlboro Music Festival and recently went on tour with the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival. She has also performed at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Music Academy of the West, among many other venues. Yeung has been featured on Radio Television Hong Kong, Kansas Public Radio, and Fox 4 Kansas City TV. She has been successful in many international competitions, winning first prize at the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition. Her other competition awards include second prize of the Juilliard Violin Concerto Competition, two-time winner of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Concerto Competition, and others. She holds an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.
ANGELA YOFFE
piano
Yoffe was born in Riga, Latvia into a family of highly respected musicians. After studying in Latvia and Israel, she continued in the United States and was an assistant to Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School. Pianist, producer, and educator, Yoffe is the founder and executive director of the North Shore Chamber Music Festival and the Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund, which provides support, guidance, and inspiration to gifted young artists from around the world. Yoffe is also founder of the Collaborative Piano Class at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
She has performed as a chamber musician and recitalist in New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, London, Berlin, Paris, Tel Aviv, Geneva, Rome, and Tokyo among others. She has appeared as soloist with the Seattle, Omaha, and Hamburg Symphonies, SWR Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, and with New York’s Jupiter Symphony under the batons of leading conductors. She has performed at many festivals all over Europe, the Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, and the Ravinia Festival.
DAVID YOON
percussion
Yoon joined the Kansas City Symphony in the 2019-2020 season as Associate Principal Percussion. Originally from Irvine, CA, he began his musical journey with a few years of training in piano and violin. At age 10 he began taking drum lessons, and from then on, there was no looking back. Yoon has performed with various orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the New York Philharmonic. In 2023 he served as Guest Principal Percussion at the Colorado Music Festival. He has served as adjunct instructor of percussion at the University of Missouri, Kansas City since 2024. He is an endorser of Vic Firth and Zildjian Cymbals. He received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School and was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Before joining the Kansas City Symphony, he spent a year in the master’s degree program at the Manhattan School of Music.