Masterworks Festival 2010 Scheherazade Musician Biographies

Caroline Brethauer, Viola. After moving fifteen or more times, Caroline Brethauer, viola, has enjoyed settling in the Washington area and playing with Avanti, as well as other orchestras; shows; weddings and corporate events; and especially chamber music, much of it on Friday Morning Music Club programs.

David Brown, Violin. Mr. Brown studied violin with Allen Ohmes at the University of Iowa School of Music. While living in Edinburgh, Scotland from 2001-2009, he played in the Scottish Sinfonia (assistant concertmaster), the Heriot-Watt University Orchestra (concertmaster), and Philomusica of Edinburgh (principal second violin). He was the first violinist for the Heriot-Watt University String Quartet, the Sinfonia Chamber Ensemble, and the Sutherland Quintet. He played numerous chamber and orchestral concerts in the Edinburgh Festival. Since moving to Washington, DC in 2009, he has played in the Alexandria Symphony, the Fairfax Choral Society, and the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and has coached the Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. He will play a piano quintet concert August 29th at the Lyceum Theater in Alexandria. Dr. Brown is a Ph.D. economist in the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Linda Bryant, Flute. Ms. Bryant received performance degrees from Florida State University (MM) and Indiana State University (BA). Her teachers have included Geoffrey Gilbert, Keith Underwood, Charles DeLaney, and Joyce Wilson. In Miami, Ms. Bryant performed as a member of The Chamber Players of Coral Gables, which was heard on live public radio and television broadcasts. She has also performed in music festivals in Italy and Germany, as soloist with chamber orchestras in Viareggio, Italy, and New York, and as guest artist with the Concorde Chamber Music Society of Westport, Connecticut. As an active freelance musician in New York, she played in various ensembles including the New York Verismo Opera Company, Amato Opera Company, New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, Staten Island Ballet, New Jersey Pops, and the Hunter Symphony. Now living in the D.C. Metropolitan area, as a freelance musician she has performed as a member of the Washington Concert Opera, The McClean Orchestra, The Landon Symphonette, The Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College, The Symphony of the Potomac, and the Avanti Orchestra. In addition she has performed solo and chamber music recitals in Miami, New York, and the DC Metropolitan area. Her teaching experience includes teaching music in the Dade County Public School System in Miami, as well as maintaining private flute studios in Miami, New York City, and the DC Metropolitan area.

Christopher Buchanan, Trumpet. Mr. Buchanan is a native of Fairfax, VA and currently serves with the U.S. Naval Academy Band, where he often appears as feature soloist. In 2006, he earned Bachelor of Music degrees, summa cum laude, in both performance and composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also earned a Master of Music degree from Illinois in 2007. Mr. Buchanan is now working towards a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Institute and maintains a small private studio in Annapolis, MD. He has performed with the Danville Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera and the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana and was recently featured as guest soloist and clinician at Northern Illinois University. Mr. Buchanan has studied with Ronald Romm, Michael Ewald, Ed Hoffman, Joe Burgstaller and Terrence Detwiler.

Jay Chadwick, French Horn. Mr. Chadwick maintains an active symphonic and chamber music performance schedule in the DC area. He performs with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, Avanti, and the McLean Orchestra, as well as with brass quintets, woodwind quintets, and other chamber ensembles. He is past president of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association. He studied the French horn at the College of William and Mary, and his primary teacher has been David Wick of the Virginia Symphony. Mr. Chadwick practices law in the Northern Virginia office of Venable LLP in the area of commercial real estate transactions.

Wesley Chan, Violin. Mr. Chan is a rising senior at Poolesville High school (PHS). He has played the violin for the past 10 years and is currently studying with Ivan Stefanvoic at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore. Wesley has extensive orchestral experience including the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, PHS orchestra, and various chamber groups. Wesley is the assistant concertmaster of the Première Peabody Youth Orchestra this year. His achievement also includes winner of the 2009 FMMC String Competition, recipient of the 2009 Outstanding Achievement Award at the Peabody Preparatory, selected performer of 2009 Vella Silver Memorial Recital, and performer for the Biava Quartet Master class. He also plays the piano and was recently placed 3^rd in Maryland State Music Teachers Association Solo Piano Festival. Wesley is a member of the National Honors Society at school and is active with the Student Government being elected as his school’s 2010-11 County Region representative on the Maryland Association of Student Councils. He plans to continue music in college by majoring in violin performance and biomedical engineering. Wesley is excited about this summer opportunity to play alongside with the regional professionals.

Victoria Cheng, Violin. Ms Cheng will be an 11th grade Junior at Wootton High School. She loves to play the violin and has been playing the violin for 8 years. She also has been selected to play in the Concert Orchestra of the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra for one year, and Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra for four years: one year in Young Artist; two years in Symphony; and one year in Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Cheng has enjoyed these years greatly, and is looking forward to participating in the Masterworks Festival.

Wendy Chinn, French Horn. Ms. Chinn is a private brass music teacher in Northern Virginia. With a degree in Music Education, she has also been an elementary school band director and general music teacher. She has performed in many different venues, from the Conservatoire Americain in Fontainbleau, France, to the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee, to the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in California. She currently performs in groups in the DC area such as Avanti, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, the Cardinal Brass Quintet, and the North Lakes Woodwind Quintet.

Ashley Chung, Violin. Ms. Chung is a sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park where she is studying neurobiology and physiology. She has been playing violin for 12 years and her orchestral career includes playing with the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra (MCYO) at Strathmore hall from 2000-2009 and the Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College in Spring 2009. With MCYO, she was a member of their first Chamber Ensemble and played with electric violinist, Daniel Bernard Roumain. On top of music and academics, she is a member of the National US Wushu Team (Chinese martial arts) and has competed internationally, including competing in the Wushu World Championship Games this past October.

Rhea Chung, Violin. Ms. Chung is a sophomore at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda where she serves as concertmaster of the Upper School Orchestra. She is also co-concertmaster of the American Youth Philharmonic, and was concertmaster of the Maryland All-State Senior Orchestra this year and Junior Orchestra last year. Recently, she was nominated to the All-Eastern Orchestra 2011. She was also a finalist of this year’s National Symphony Orchestra Young Soloists’ Competition and was third-prize winner of the Friday Morning Music Club High School Competition for String Players. Ms. Chung has performed at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Strathmore Concert Hall as a winner of the 2008 and 2009 National Philharmonic Concerto Competition. Ms. Chung was a finalist for the U.S. Army Orchestra Competition and has won 1st prizes at the Young Artist Award Competition 2009 and the Joseph and Goldie Feder String Competition 2008. She has played in master classes with Midori, the Emerson String Quartet, Jaime Laredo, Anne Akiko Meyers, Nurit Bar-Josef, Adele Anthony, and Zino Bogachek. She started the violin at the age of five, and has studied with Dr. James Stern since 2008 and Mr. Paul Kantor since 2009. Ms. Chung also plays the piano, enjoys dancing, sings in her school chorus, and is a licensed sailor.

Clark Cooper, Percussion. Clark Cooper has been active as a timpanist and percussionist since grade 5, having studied music seriously but choosing to pursue it as an avocation rather than vocation. A program director at the National Science Foundation “by day,” he holds a BS and Ph.D. degrees in materials science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University, respectively. Prior to his relocation to the Washington, DC area in early 2006, he was principal research scientist at United Technologies Research Center in Connecticut and Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Materials Science at University of Connecticut. His current musical pursuits include singing bass voice in the Friday Morning Music Club Chorale and playing timpani or percussion in the Washington Conservatory Orchestra, the Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, and the New England Chamber Choir and Orchestra.

Joanna Dabrowska, Percussion. Ms. Dabrowska is the Principal Timpanist of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic , and also performs with various groups throughout the Baltimore-Washington DC Metro Area, including the McLean Orchestra, Avanti Orchestra, Metropolitan Orchestra, Brass of the Potomac, and the Capital City Symphony. She was recently featured as a finalist in the Rising Star Competition sponsored by the Howard County Arts Council.

Ms. Dabrowska serves as Percussion Faculty at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD. She is the Founder and Music Director of the Mercury Rising Percussion Ensemble, which is a supplemental program open to all percussion students that provides opportunities for students to perform in one of two ensembles based on experience. Beginning in 2010, she will also direct the ISM Percussion Ensemble.

Ms. Dabrowska recently commissioned and premiered James Kazik's Percussion Concerto. In this composition, the soloist is featured on marimba, vibraphone, concert toms, bass drum, and brake drums. She also performed as a soloist in the World Premiere of Philip Glass' Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Wind Ensemble, with Jonathan Haas and the Peabody Wind Ensemble. Her previous instructors include Jonathan Haas, William Trigg, and Mark Bencivengo. For more information about Joanna Dabrowska, please visit www.joannadabrowska.com

Paul Durning, Percussion. Mr. Durning is a graduate of Annandale H.S., where he was drumline captain for two years. He received the John Philip Sousa Award and was selected for the VA Governor's School for the Performing Arts. He graduated in 2007 with a BA in music from Bucknell University. During college, Paul was timpanist for the orchestra, but he was also a member of the symphonic band, hand bell ensemble, jazz band, pep band, and gamelan, and the 2005 PA Intercollegiate Band. In the spring of 2006, he was a member of the Rødovre Concert Band in Copenhagen, Denmark. In his senior year of college, he performed the xylophone solo, "Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints," by Alan Hovhaness, with the orchestra in their annual Concerto Competition concert. Since graduation, he has been freelancing as a percussionist in the greater DC area, playing with groups such as the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, the Piedmont Symphony, and the Capital Wind Symphony. Paul worked at the Interlochen Arts Camp for two summers during college as Percussion Coordinator.

Elizabeth Eber, Oboe. Ms. Eber is a senior at Wilde Lake High School, where she plays in the band and the orchestra. Outside of school, she has been in the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra under the direction of Jason Love, and recently joined the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra where she plays in the Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Pablo Saelzer. She plans to apply to college as a Music Education major.

Cyndy Elliott, Bass. Ms. Elliott freelances in the Washington DC area and has performed with the Avanti Orchestra, the McLean Orchestra, and as co-principal bass with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra for several years. After teaching piano for over twenty five years, she spent four years touring the country playing bass for a 1940s big band show called "In the Mood" and working as a crew musician on ships in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and northern Europe. Ms. Elliott has performed with a number of well known big bands including the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, and Diva. She is co-leader of the jazz octet "Swingtopia" and in 2009 she completed her M.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of Maryland.

Tomás Fajardo, Viola. Mr. Fajardo is a violist and music educator who will join the Montgomery College–Rockville teaching staff this coming fall. Currently he holds the principal viola chair in the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra in Alabama. He serves on the educational staff of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, where he teaches strings and conducts clinics at middle school and high school programs in the Mobile area. Mr. Fajardo also maintains a private teaching studio.

His earlier orchestral experience includes Emmanuel Music in Boston, the Keene Chamber Orchestra in New Hampshire, and the Mercury Baroque Ensemble of Houston, Texas. He also performed and toured with the Jeune Orchestra Atlantique in Saintes, France. He was principal viola for the Round Top Festival Institute in Texas and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival Orchestra in Toronto, Canada.

A dedicated chamber musician, he has been a member of the Stretto String Quartet and the University of Southern Mississippi Graduate String Quartet, performing educational and outreach concerts. In 2006, he won the Honors Chamber Music Award at Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mr. Fajardo holds a master’s degree in viola performance from the University of Southern Mississippi, did graduate work at the University of Houston, and received a Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music. He also has studied conducting at the Tafelmusik conductors’ program and the Rose City International Conducting Workshop in Portland, Oregon.

Lori Fowser, Clarinet. Ms. Fowser received her Bachelor of Music (2004) and Master of Music (2006) degrees from the University of Maryland. She has studied privately with members of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and continues to maintain a busy teaching studio of about 30 private clarinet and saxophone students. Her students have been selected for honors, county and all-state bands, as well as achieving highest marks in the Maryland Band Directors Association Solo and Ensemble Festival. Ms. Fowser is a busy freelance musician, doubling on clarinets and saxophones of all sizes. She has performed locally with Rockville Summer Dinner Theater, Washington Savoyards, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Capital Wind Symphony, Sonora Ensemble, Gennusa Clarinet Camerata, Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, Toby's Dinner Theater of Columbia, and many others. In 1997, Lori was a winner of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell Concerto Competition while working towards a master of science degree in physics. This marked the beginning of a decision to change careers from physics to music performance and private teaching, which she has found very rewarding.

Kevin Frear, French Horn. Mr. Frear is active in several groups in the DC area, primarily the NVCC-Annandale Symphony, Avanti, Annandale Brass, and the Brass Lite Quintet. His teachers include Zardis Hoffman and Edwin Thayer. While in the Continental Army Band at Fort Monroe, Va, he played with orchestras throughout the Tidewater region. Mr. Frear is also active as a musician at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Springfield as a baritone/faux-tenor and in their brass quintet.

Richard Gillam, Percussion. Mr. Gillam is the timpanist of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, Washington Sinfonietta, and Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra and holds a percussion performance degree from the Eastman School of Music. In real life, he is a software engineer for a large computer company.

Alisa Hahn, Violist. Ms. Hahn is a rising senior at Rockville High School. She was exposed to music at an early age by her family who is a great support toward her interest. She started playing piano at age 4 and violin at age 10 until she fell in love with the viola's rich and soothing sound in 9th grade. The change gave her more opportunities to reveal her talent. Her past performance includes RRYO, MCYO, Church Youth Orchestra, Asian American Chamber Music Society, Solo Festival County/State and Montgomery County Honors Orchestra. In school she has participated in Pitt Orchestra and Honors Symphonic Orchestra. Outside of music, Alisa has volunteered at the Montgomery County Circuit Court, Montgomery County Police and Fire Department, The United School of Greater School of Washington, and is currently interning for Delegate Susan Lee District 16. She plans to continue music throughout college by majoring in music education and law.

Susan Hayes, Flute. Dr. Hayes is a sought after performer, teacher, orchestral and chamber musician. A native of Alexandria, VA, She made her recital debut at the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago in 1990, a performance broadcast live on WFMT radio and syndicated nationally. Since then she has been engaged as a solo performer, giving recitals in venues such as The Kennedy Center, The Phillips Gallery, The Gallery at the Ellipse, The Fairfax Towne Hall, The Strathmore Arts Center, The Lyceum, The Martin Luther King Memorial Library, and many other Washington, DC performance spaces. Her performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio through “Performance Today.” She performs chamber music with the Eco Voce Ensemble, and is an active freelance artist

In addition to her work as a soloist, Dr. Hayes has held flute positions with several orchestras, including The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, The Annapolis Symphony, The Prince Georges Philharmonic, The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and The Washington Symphony. She performs currently with The Alexandria Symphony, The Rappahannock POPS Orchestra, the Avanti Orchestra, The Capital Wind Symphony, and The Landon Symphonette. She has been presented as soloist with The National Symphony Orchestra, The Alexandria Symphony, The Capital Chamber Orchestra, The Rappahannock POPS Orchestra, and the Avanti Orchestra. She has collaborated with some of the foremost musicians of the day, including Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Morgan, and Robert Shaw.

Dr. Hayes holds several degrees in music, including a Bachelor’s Degree from Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, Master’s Degree from Northwestern University, and Doctorate Degree from University of Maryland. Her principal teachers include Dr. William Montgomery, Mark Sparks, Emily Countroulis, Walfrid Kujala, and Timothy Day. She has studied in masterclass with James Galway, William Bennett, and Trevor Wye. She spent two summers at the Aspen Music Festival, where she played assistant principal flute to her teachers, Albert Tipton and Nadine Asin, in the Festival Orchestra and Chamber Symphonies. A sought after teacher, Dr. Hayes has taught undergraduate students at both Northwestern University and University of Maryland, in addition to her private studio. Her students have been accepted at Music Conservatories around the world, including the Royal College Conservatory, London, Oberlin Conservatory, McGill University, Peabody Conservatory, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Molly Hodges, Violin. Ms. Hodges was born in 1987 in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a senior studying violin performance under Dr. Leonid Yanovskiy at the University of West Florida. She is a member of the Pensacola Symphony and Opera Orchestras, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Pensacola Choral Society, and the University of West Florida's Runge Strings Chamber Orchestra, of which she is Concertmaster. Ms. Hodges has performed with Harold Levin of the Herrick Ensemble, Louise Schulman of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and under Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet. She has recently performed in solo masterclasses for violinists Krista Feeney of the Orchestra of St. Luke's and Corinne Stillwell of Florida State University. In 2009, Ms. Hodges took the first prize at both the Pensacola Music Teachers Association Sonata Contest and the Music Teachers National Association Florida State Young Artist Performance Competition. She performs regularly in solo and chamber recitals along the Gulf Coast where she resides. Outside of her performance schedule, she is the head violin faculty for the University of West Florida's Music Academy. There, she teaches a large studio of private, non-degree seeking students of all ages and abilities. She will graduate from UWF in 2011 and is looking forward to then continuing her musical studies at the graduate level.

Roberta Holtz, Bassoon. Musically trained at Oberlin Conservatory, Ms. Holtz received a Bachelor’s of Music in Bassoon Performance from Oberlin in 1995. While at Oberlin, she studied with bassoonist George Sakakeeny. Since graduating Oberlin, Ms. Holtz has been teaching music in her private studio for over 15 years (301-220-0767 or 301-910-8114). During this time, she has coached both wind sectionals and woodwind chamber music programs. When it comes to performing, her main instrument is bassoon and she has been an active freelancer in the DC area. Besides being a bassoonist, she is also an accomplished flutist and singer. Ms. Holtz was born and raised in Montgomery County and was a long time participant in MCYO in her youth.

Christopher Hsing, Cello. Mr. Hsing is a rising second-year Architecture student at the University of Virginia (UVa) where he studies architecture, medicine, and music. Christopher studies cello with Professor Adam Carter, of the cello faculty at UVa. Christopher studied previously with National Symphony Orchestra Assistant Principal Cellist Glenn Garlick. Christopher is an active cellist in the Charlottesville community, participating in the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Viva Pit Orchestra, and several fundraising events. Christopher was co-principal cellist in the American Youth Philharmonic located in Virginia from 2006 to 2009. In 2006, he was the first-place winner in the junior division of the Washington Performing Arts Society Fedder Memorial String Competition. In 2008, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and School studying under Richard Aaron, a world-renowned cello professor at the University of Michigan. Christopher also co-founded a chamber music group, the Sixth Sense, that performs monthly at the nursing home Asbury Methodist Village. For the past several years, Christopher also taught underprivileged middle school students in the Potomac and Rockville, Maryland areas.

Ben Hoyt, Violin. Mr. Hoyt is a Sophomore at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and has been playing the violin since age seven. Ben plays with the MCYO Chamber Strings Youth Orchestra and the Peabody Preparatory Violin Choir. He also plays with the BCC High School Symphonic Orchestra and the BCC String Quartet, with whom he has recently played at The Democratic Women’s Club for a ceremony honoring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Ben won Second Place at the 2008 MSMTA String Festival, first place in the 2010 MSMTA String Festival, Second Place in the 2009 Weaver Competition, and First Place in the 2010 Brewster Competition. He studies with Rebecca Henry at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore.

Phillip Hummel, Cello. Mr. Hummel is a native of Huntington, New York. He has toured over thirty countries with the Long Island Youth Orchestra and played for audiences ranging from the Queen of Jordan and the President of Malta to elementary school students in South Africa and New Zealand. Phillip currently is a cellist with the Symphony of the Potomac and the Washington Sinfonietta. Before moving to Washington, D.C., he performed with the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in Baltimore, MD for four years. Phillip is a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Maryland School of Law. He enjoys pub trivia, O’s games at Camden Yards, free concerts at the Library of Congress, and Peruvian chicken.

Jeff Kahan, Oboe and English Horn. Mr. Kahan studied oboe performance at Rice University and University of Texas at Austin and performed in orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber groups, early music ensembles, and contemporary music ensembles. In Austin, he also played with the 1000 Nights Middle Eastern Orchestra which culminated in a live performance of a new score to the 1924 silent film Thief of Baghdad. Since his return to Northern Virginia in 1999, he has played with a plethora of ensembles including the Jewish Community Center Symphony Orchestra, the Riverside Wind Symphony, Pan American Symphony Orchestra, NOVA Manassas Symphony Orchestra, various musical theater groups and is currently serving as principal oboist of The Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College and frequently enjoys making music with Avanti, the Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club, the Red Fox Winds, Circus of Saints, the Montrose Ensemble, and is a member of the DC Chamber Music Players Group.

Lora Katz, French Horn. Ms. Katz started her musical life in the Prince George's County, Maryland public school system, first playing the trumpet and then changing to the horn in the seventh grade. She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education at Towson State University, Maryland and a Master's in Music in horn performance at Ithaca College, New York.

After earning her degrees, she was accepted into the United States Air Force as a musician. After the excitement of touring the Pacific Northwest and Southeastern United States and earning a commission, she left active duty and became a civil servant. She currently works for the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

You will still find Lora performing throughout the D.C. Metropolitan area as a member of woodwind and brass quintets, the Prince George's Philharmonic, Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College, Virginia Grand Military Band, Maryland Community Band, Annapolis Wind Symphony and various music theater productions.

To keep her French horn company, Lora's lives with two standard French poodles, Sassy and Flo, in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Tatios Kebrab, Cello. Ms. Kebrab is entering her senior year at Richard Montgomery High School. She has been playing the cello for 5 years and has played for her school orchestra, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, and Montgomery County Honors Orchestra to name a few. She also enjoys playing lacrosse, basketball, in addition to excelling in the International Baccalaureate Program at school. Tatios truly enjoys playing the cello and hopes to continue with her musical passion in college and throughout her life.

Lori Kaufman, Violin. Ms. Kaufman is a rising junior at Montgomery Blair High School. She has studied violin for seven years. Lori plays with her school orchestra and the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras as well as various chamber groups. She has participated in the All State Orchestra for three years and has been nominated for the All Eastern Orchestra for next year. In her spare time, Lori likes to read, hike, bike, and write computer programs.

Susan Kelly, Cello. Longtime performing member of the Friday Morning Music Club and Avanti, teaches at Episcopal High School, and the Levine School of Music. She plays in orchestras for Wolf Trap, the National Theatre, and in Baltimore as well as contracting musicians for various groups such as the Alexandria (VA) Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and Post-Classical Ensemble in Washington. Additionally, she is music librarian for the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Amelia Li, Bass. Ms. Li has been playing double bass for around eight years and has played in the All-State Orchestras and for MCYO. She openly cries when watching Pixar movies.

Melissa Lindon, Piccolo. Flutist and piccoloist Melissa Lindon freelances in the Baltimore/ Washington area, and has enjoyed teaching students of all ages and levels for over twenty years, helping them find their musical voice. A Maryland native, Melissa began flute studies with her mother Marlee Lindon. She received her BMus and MMus in Flute Performance from Boston University, and an Artist Certificate in Flute Performance from Southern Methodist University. Melissa serves on the faculty at Howard Community College and The Music Institute at HCC, and is now accepting students for her new private studio in Takoma Park, MD. Also a certified yoga teacher (RYT500), she brings special attention to breathing and body awareness to her flute teaching. For more info, please see www.melissalindon.com.

Ameorry Luo, Violin. Ms. Luo has been playing violin for nine years. She has participated in MCYO for the most part since fourth grade, and also takes major positions in her school's pit orchestra and music program, gaining recognition as a proficient violin player. She has won several ribbons in quartet competitions and placed 3rd in a solo competition in year 2008. Ameorry likes to play in an orchestra setting rather than as a soloist, because of the group experience it provides and the edge that a full orchestra can give to the music. She enjoys instrumental music outside of her own playing, and loves listening to classical music as well as orchestral music such as movie soundtracks. Outside of music, she is deeply immersed in the visual arts, having created a reputation for herself in graphic design, drawing, and video production. In college, Ameorry aspires to pursue a degree in Film & Video Production so she can enter a career in the film industry.

Gail MacColl, Violin. Ms. MacColl got hooked on playing orchestra and chamber music during her youth in Seattle and has been an active violinist and violist throughout her adult life. During her time in DC, she has attended chamber music workshops at the Levine School, Gettysburg College and has studied with Melissa Ruof. A retired federal program analyst, Ms. MacColl currently leads the second violin section of the Washington Conservatory Orchestra (WCO). As WCO's Personnel Manager, she welcomes more string players. She is a Chamber and Orchestra Performance Member and past president of the Friday Morning Music Club, and encourages audience members--music lovers as well as musicians--to join. Gail also participates in several informal chamber ensembles.

Barbara Marks, Violin. Ms. Marks picked up the violin at the age of six because all the piano classes at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop were full. For the next twelve years, she took private lessons from Virgilio Hoven, and at eleven, she joined the DC Youth orchestra program. With DC Youth, she toured in Austria and Germany and finished her tenure in 2000 as concert mistress and soloist at the Lincoln Theatre. From 1995-2000 She attended various music camps including Camp Encore Coda as well as Interlochen to which she received a scholarship from a DC competition. During the same time period, she played with various chamber groups at the Levine School of music. She attended McGill University in Montreal where she majored in Economics and Music. Currently, she teaches private violin lessons, middle school science, and freelances. She looks forward to playing with the Avanti Orchestra in the coming year.

Teresa Meeks, Bassoon. Ms. Meeks received a music education degree from East Carolina University. She has served as the newsletter editor for the Flute Society of Washington and performed as a flutist with the McLean Symphony and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. She managed the Kirkwood Flute Ensemble, a quartet, for 20 years, and currently plays bass flute with The Musical Offering flute choir. Teresa studies bassoon with Ying-Ting Chiu and enjoys playing bassoon in the Avanti Orchestra and in the Montgomery College Orchestra under Pablo Saelzer.

Jorge Orozco, Violin. Mr. Orozco is a faculty member at the Levine School of Music and the Georgetown Visitation School. He is also conductor of Chamber Strings at MCYO. Mr. Orozco is an active chamber music performer with pianist Carlos Rodríguez and violist Maria Montaño, as well as a member of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Vox Amadeus Ensemble. Mr. Orozco holds a Masters Degree in Music Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor Degree in music performance from the Instituto Superior de Artes, Havana, Cuba. Mr. Orozco has participated in numerous Festivals and workshops including the Texas Music Festival, Victoria Bach Festival, Vicksburg Chamber Music Festival, and the Sterling-Delay Seminar at Juilliard.

Pete Ostle, Bass. Mr. Ostle is a versatile bass player, band leader, and tubist who served with the U. S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” based at Fort Myer, Virginia. Tours abroad with the Band included a month at the renowned Edinburgh Tattoo. Locally, Pete led A La Carte Brass & Percussion, an innovative 10-piece ensemble for which he also played sousaphone, and the Tuxedo Park Orchestra, a 10-piece swing band. He currently plays double bass and tuba with Chaise Lounge, a jazz/pop ensemble, and performs with the Avanti Orchestra, the McLean Orchestra, and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. Pete received a degree in Arranging and Composition from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

John Park, Bass. Mr. Park is a freelance bassist and instructor in the Washington metropolitan area. He studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY with James Vandemark and is currently pursuing his Master in Arts Management at American University. Mr. Park is also working as the Operations Manager at the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras.

Gabriel Peal, Violin. Mr. Peal has been playing violin for 12 years. He began his orchestral career with the Potomac Valley Youth orchestra and spent 2004-2009 playing with the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra (MCYO) at Strathmore hall. With MCYO, he was a member of their first Touring Orchestra that played in venues in Austria and the Czech Republic. He also spent two summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. He currently plays in the Northwestern Philharmonia at Northwestern University where he is studying electrical engineering and computer science. On top of music and academics, he is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player and plays for Northwestern.

Leah Frohman Plave, Cello. Ms. Plave is a sophomore at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland where she has played in the BCC Symphony Orchestra, string ensemble, and cello choir. This fall, Ms. Plave will join the BCC Jazz Band on the upright and electric bass, in addition to continuing her cello ensembles. Ms. Plave has been studying cello for six years, most recently with Ms. Deb Brudvig at the Washington Conservatory of Music. She has also played with the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra for the last two years and the Metropolitan Orchestra at Montgomery College during its 2009-2010 season. In prior years, Ms. Plave participated in a chamber orchestra at the Levine School of Music and in the Landon summer orchestra. More recently, Ms. Plave attended the New England Music Camp, where she studied cello with Mr. Jameson Platte, as well as classical guitar with Mr. Christopher Ladd. For the last 18 months, Ms. Plave has taught two cello students on a regular basis. In her spare time, Ms. Plave enjoys playing multiple guitars, piano, and drums, and she has begun to compose music.

Vasily Popov, Cello. Mr. Popov keeps an active concert schedule, performing as a soloist and chamber musician. He has appeared in some of the world’s finest concert halls such as Gasteig, Santory Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Rachmaninov Hall as well as other important venues in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary and the USA. Mr. Popov is a prize winner of the International Chamber Music Competition "Accademia di Citta di Pinerolo" in Italy, the All-Russian Cello Competition and the Gartow Foundation Competition.

His CDs are produced by Arte Nova Records (with the Soloists of St.-Petersburg), BMR (New Music), Excelsior, Intercount Music, Madacy Records, (Solo with St.-Petersburg Chamber Orchestra) and Melodia labels.

Mr. Popov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1971 into a musical family. He started playing cello at the age of seven. He studied with Anatoly Nikitin and Walter Nothas and participated in master classes with Daniil Shafran, Natalia Gutman and Eliso Virsaladze. From 1995 to 1999 he was a member of the St.-Petersburg Philharmonic orchestra. In 2001 he completed an Artist Diploma at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Munich, Germany.

Since 2005 he has started appearing as a conductor. He has conducted concerts with the Georgetown University Symphony and the Rock Creek Chamber Players. Mr. Popov’s musical versatility has expressed itself in numerous jazz and rock collaborations, playing both the acoustical and the electric cello. He also has composed and arranged a number of pieces for the cello.

Mr. Popov is Chair of the Chamber Music Program and Artistic Director of the Levine Chamber Orchestras at the Levine School of Music where he also teaches cello. In 2002 he founded the Brown Bag Music Series at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington D.C. Mr. Popov lives in Washington with his wife, pianist Ralitza Patcheva and two sons Yuri and Vladislav and maintains a small private cello studio. Please visit: http://vasilypopov.com

Jean Provine, Violin. Ms. Provine received her master’s degree from Boston University and spent several years in Boston playing and teaching. Subsequently, she performed with the Seoul Philharmonic and the Durham Sinfonia in England, where she lived for 23 years free-lancing and teaching. She has a studio in College Park and plays with the National Philharmonic and several other area orchestras and chamber groups.

Rick Puzzo, Percussion. Mr. Puzzo holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Applied Percussion from West Virginia University where he studied with Dr Phil Faini, Jan Fung and David Satterfield. From 2007 through 2009, Rick continued his percussion studies with Svet Stoyanov through the Peabody Preparatory. Rick also spent 9 1/2 years in the US Air Force, the last 5 years in the USAF he held the position of criminal investigator. He currently lives in Fredericksburg, VA and is an active performer in the Washington DC metro area. Rick is the principal percussionist with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and performed with the Capital Wind Symphony for the 2009-2010 season. Rick was a member of the West Virginia University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Donald Wilcox, who performed at the 1980 Royal Northern College of Music Invitational International Wind Ensemble Symposium in Manchester, England. As an independent percussionist, Rick has performed with the Stafford Choral Society, the Fredericksburg Chorus,

the Spotsylvanians Chorus, the Friday Morning Music Club in Washington, DC, the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, the McLean Orchestra, the Mid Altantic Wind Ensemble, the Fredericksburg Community Concert Band, and the Fredericksburg Big Band. Rick is also active in musical theatre and was the percussionist in productions with Stagedoor Productions in Fredericksburg, VA, the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, Theatre Department's productions and at the Riverside Dinner Theatre in Stafford VA. For more information about Rick please visit http://www.jr-music.biz

Jeanne Rosenthal, Viola. Ms. Rosenthal has been playing chamber music in the Washington area for 30 years. She is originally from Cleveland where she studied with Edward Ormond of the Cleveland Orchestra and Martha Katz of the Cleveland Quartet. She holds an M.P.H. in epidemiology from Tulane University and is a Vice President in the Health Studies Sector at Westat, a research firm headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

Alessandra Schneider, Violin. Ms. Schneider received her Master of Music in Violin Performance with a concentration in Suzuki String Pedagogy from the University of Maryland, under the instruction of Ronda Cole. Her B.M. in Instrumental Music Education, from the University of Delaware, certifies her to teach students K-12. Ale has also been trained in Music Mind Games (Unit 1) and taken the Parent Effectiveness Training course. Her performance experience includes playing with the Dover Symphony, the Pthalo String Quartet, Perfect Harmony String Quartet, Inscape Chamber Music Project, and Avanti Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club. Past teaching includes the Delaware Community Music School, and University of Maryland Suzuki Program. Currently she teaches at the Academy of Music in Gaithersburg as well as the Animato Suzuki Violin Program in Greenbelt, of which she is a founding member. She also serves on the MD/DC Chapter of ASTA as the Suzuki Liaison and Membership Chair.

Glenn Sewell, Timpani. Mr. Sewell is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and Indiana University and performs regularly with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, the McLean Orchestra, Avanti Orchestra of FMMC, the Brass of the Potomac, and the Great Noise Ensemble, while maintaining a busy freelancing schedule with a variety of ensembles in the VA/DC/MD area. Glenn has also appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Chorus, and the Choral Arts Society of Washington, DC. and is a member of percussion faculty at the International School of Music in Bethesda.

Mark G. Simon, Clarinet. Mr. Simon is a clarinet student of Steven Hartman (principal clarinet of the New York City Ballet and Opera), and holds a DMA in composition from Cornell University, where he studied with Karel Husa. He has performed with the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Ithaca Opera Company, the Tri-Cities Opera (Binghamton, NY), the Prince George's Philharmonic, The Montgomery County Metropolitan Orchestra, the Capital City Symphony, as well as Avanti. He has participated in many performances of contemporary music at Cornell University and Colgate University, and performed music by Witold Lutoslawski, Poul Ruders, Joan Tower, Karel Husa, Steven Stucky and others in the presence of the composers.

His compositions include vocal and instrumental works, many for clarinet. His musicals Mr. Natural and Jennie's Will were successfully produced in Ithaca, New York, and Music's Recreation commissioned his Carnival of the Subatomic Particles, a musical exploration of particle physics, with text by David Mermin. Avanti has performed the first movement of Silver Spring, for orchestra Most recently his Duo for Mandolin and Guitar was accepted for performance by the Duo Ahlert & Schwab in Germany. For more information, go to his website at http://www.markgsimon.com. When not engaged in musical activities, Mark Simon is a librarian at the Library of Congress

Joanna Taylor, Cello. Ms. Taylor started the cello as a young teen when her Foreign Service family lived in Germany. Currently, she performs with FMMC’s Avanti Orchestra and other area groups. She graduated from Barnard College with a degree in English and Creative Writing. Later she enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she obtained a Certificate in Arranging & Composition. She is a freelance editor and writer by occupation.

John M. Taylor, Tuba. Mr. Taylor was born in Freeport, Illinois, and began his trumpet studies in the sixth grade; moving to the tuba in eighth grade. He graduated from York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, and then received his bachelor of music degree from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. In 1962, he began studying with the renowned teacher and Principal Tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Arnold Jacobs, a relationship that continued until Mr. Jacobs’ death in 1998. In 1964, he joined the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the CSO’s training orchestra, and simultaneously became the substitute and second tuba of the CSO. He later became the Principal Tuba of the North Carolina Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec and finally served 21 years with The United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own). In addition, he was a member of the CBC-Quebec Orchestra and associate tuba of the Chicago Lyric Opera. Since retiring from The Army Band, he has become the principal tuba of The City of Fairfax Band and The Capital Wind Symphony, and is a member of The Virginia Grand Military Band and The Legacy Brass Quintet. He is currently the author of three books about shotguns and edited a forth titled Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, and writes for several outdoor publications. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife of 41 years, Peggy, a registered nurse, and director of Lighthouse Home Health, a full-service home-care agency.

Larry Wallace, Viola. Mr. Wallace has performed at the Kennedy Center, Constitution Hall, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, the British Embassy, and other venues. His recordings include Leonard Bernsteins’ Mass with the composer conducting, several recordings with the American Camerata for New Music, and videos with Beverly Sills and M. Baryshnikov. Formerly on the law school faculties of Duke University and UCLA, Mr. Wallace was Deputy Solicitor General of the United States under 8 Presidents and ten Solicitors General. He has made more oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States than any other living person and holds the 20^th century record for such arguments. He has received Presidential, Department of Justice, Bar Association, and university awards for his public service.

Kirsten Warfield, Trombone. Ms. Warfield hails from Fargo, North Dakota. She did her undergraduate work at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from Indiana University where she was a student of M. Dee Stewart. Subsequent doctoral studies in brass pedagogy at IU were suspended when she was offered a position in the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own." She joined the group in April, 1999, becoming the first woman trombonist in the unit's history. Ms. Warfield has also been principal trombone of the Prince George's Philharmonic and is currently principal trombone in the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. She is an active recitalist, both as a soloist and with her small ensembles, Moonlight Dance Orchestra and Patton Circle Brass Quintet. Kirsten would like to invite you all to her show entitled “The Electric Slide” coming up July 11 at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia. The show is free and starts at 3pm. The program will be music for trombone alone, trombone and electronics and electrified trombone.

Ruth Wang, Violin. Ms. Wang is sixteen years old and has been in MCYO for a total of two years. She currently plays in her school's orchestra and plans on being in that class all through high school. She is looking forward to the Masterworks Festival and is excited to be a part of this program.

Steve Ward, Trombone. Mr. Ward is originally from Middletown, Rhode Island. He is a member of the NIH Philharmonia and appears with the Washington Sinfonietta, the Victorian Lyric Opera, and various theater groups in the metro area. Prior engagements include playing second trombone in the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra. Steve would like to invite concert goers to the McLean Community Players production of Little Women in July. Mr. Ward is a financial analyst with the Veterans Health Administration in Washington DC.

Matthew Wlezien, Trumpet. Mr. Wlezien is a trumpet instructor in Northern Virginia. He holds degrees in trumpet performance from the University of Illinois and Penn State and has studied with Ronald Romm, Dr. Michael Ewald and Dr. Langston Fitzgerald. Mr. Wlezien currently maintains an active performance schedule in the Metro-Washington Area playing with groups such as the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Annandale Brass, and the Brass Lite Quintet.

Eleanor Woods, Violinist. Ms. Woods violinist and occasional violist, has been a member of the Friday Morning Music Club since the 1970’s. She started violin at the age of 8 and went on to major in music at Smith College and then at Yale University. Her teachers have been Marjorie Hogg, Gabriel Banat, Broadeus Earle, William Haroutounian, and Jody Gatwood. She has relished many aspects of the Friday Morning Music Club. It has offered chamber music opportunities, its orchestra and its Washington International Competition. She states: “Teaching is what has really nurtured my soul. I relish each student who comes before me. I have so loved keeping up with former students who studied with me five years or more, many of whom now have children of their own. I recently created an online newsletter with blurbs from 40+ students from the past, and it is fascinating to see how their lives have evolved and how their violin study impacts them now.”

Joyce Yang, Viola. Ms. Yang is a 15-year-old junior at the Yang Academy. She has played violin for 11 years and viola for half a year and is a student of Judy Silverman. A member of the Landon Symphonette for three years, she has also played with the Rockville Regional Youth Orchestra, serving as concertmaster in seventh grade, and Montgomery College Symphony Orchestra. She has also participated in the National Philharmonic's Summer String Institute for four summers. Joyce attends her family's private school with a focus on math and science. Last year she passed the level 9 of the certificate program and has followed a more relaxed schedule this year. Joyce enjoys reading, being outdoors and doing karate.

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