2018 Texas Music Festival Orchestra Fellows

Laena Batchelder will be starting her senior year at Texas Christian University in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance. She currently studies with Elisabeth Adkins at TCU and studied with Martha Walvoord at UTA during her high school years. Laena has attended the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, TCU Intensive String Quartet Workshop, Music in the Mountains Conservatory, and the UTA Texas Chamber Music Institute. She loves performing chamber music and making videos of her original songs and covers of film music.

Violinist, Kara Cantele has performed throughout the United States and Italy. She has served as Principal Second Violinist of the Queens College Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Conservatory/Berklee College of Music Collaborative Orchestra. Previously, she has attended Summit Music Festival, and Interlochen Arts Camp. Kara studied violin with Miranda Cuckson, Christina Khimm, and Aaron Rosand. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College as a student of Daniel Phillips. Currently, Kara is a Master of Music degree candidate at Boston Conservatory at Berklee as a scholarship student of Sharan Leventhal.

Andrés Caveda has played the violin since age 11. He has worked with renowned artists such as Giancarlo Guerrero, Esperanza Spalding, Sammy Nestico, Glenn Dicterow, Christopher O’Riley, Jeffrey Grogan, Amy Oshiro-Morales, and Dr. Brenda Brenner. He has performed in some of the nation’s finest concert halls, includingCarnegie Hall, Verizon Hall, Adrienne Arsht Center, and New World Center. He has performed with the New World Symphony, NYO2, and Music for All’s HonorOrchestra of America. Andrés will begin pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance at Oklahoma City University in the Fall of 2018.

Sarah Figueroa enjoys spending her time teaching a large violin studio of all ages in Coppell, Texas and performing throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area for chamber music, weddings and banquets. Her primary passion is performing in large ensembles and she is currently a member of the Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale. She has attended Bowdoin International Music Festival two times previously. Ms. Figueroa holds a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of North Texas with Dr. Olschofka.

Hannah Gudeman will be a senior Violin Performance Major at Bradley University, studying with Marcia Henry Liebenow. A member of the Hilltop String Quartet, Hannah attended the 2016 Arianna Chamber Music Festival and participated in the 2017 Chamber Music Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a full-tuition scholarship. In addition to her involvement in multiple ensembles at Bradley, she is an active orchestral and chamber musician throughout the community, and also maintains a private violin studio.

Bin Gui, originally from Qingdao, China, came to United States in 2012 as a student at University of Virginia. In 2014 Bin decided that she wants to make a change and pursue music for life, so she transferred to Manhattan School of music and began her study of violin performance with Lucie Robert. Graduated from her BM degree in 2017, Bin is now continuing her study with Lucie Robert at Manhattan School of Music for her MM degree. Bin has served as concertmaster for MSM symphony orchestra in 2016 and MSM composer orchestra in 2016 and 2018.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Luis Gutiérrez Fonseca began learning the violin at 11. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in violin performance at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music where he studies with Kirsten Yon. He has attended music festivals and workshops such as ARIA, UNT Summer String Institute, Naolinco Chamber Music Festival and Cambridge International String Academy.

Minjin Lee, hailing from South Korea, is an avid orchestral and chamber musician who has performed in Europe, Russia, Korea, and the US. She has been awarded at numerous competitions and invited to solo in various international venues. Ms. Lee graduated from the Kaywon Arts School and received her Bachelor’s degree at Sungshin University, where she studied under Hoyoung Pi. She later went on to obtain her Master of Music degree at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, under the tutelage of Herbert Greenberg. Currently, she is pursuing her Graduate Performance Diploma at Peabody with an Artistic Excellence Award.

Eunsol Lee is currently studying with professor I-Fu Wang in Michigan State University for her Doctoral Degree. She also studied her master’s program in MSU with professor Dmitri Berlinsky. She studied her B.M. in University of Cincinnati with professor Won-bin Yim and graduated with honor of every year dean's list. Eunsol has given concerts and recitals in Cook hall, Hart hall, Watson hall, Werner hall, and Wharton Center. Eunsol won many prizes and awards including American Protégé International Competition, Korea Times Music Competition and Korean Music Association Competition. She attended many national and international festivals and master classes.

Natalie holds a B.M. from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston where she studied under Dr. Kirsten Yon. Her playing has taken her to festivals such as Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, where she studied with acclaimed performers and teachers such as Oleh Krysa, Janet Sung, Dennis Kim, Richard Roberts, Joshua Fisher, and Rodney Friend. In 2017, she began performing with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, and is an active freelance performer in the Houston area. Passionate about orchestral playing in both symphony ensembles and opera and ballet orchestras, Natalie plans to pursue a Masters degree in performance and continue in her ambitions as an orchestral musician.

Jason Martin, 20, is an undergraduate music performance major at the University of Missouri St. Louis where he is a student of John McGrosso, and is the concertmaster of the University Orchestra. Jason is also a member of the Unique Music of St. Louis Ensemble (a ensemble dedicated to performing contemporary music written in St. Louis), and has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra for three seasons. Jason hopes to someday play in a professional orchestra.

Samuel Ng was born and raised in San Jose, California.  He began playing violin at the age of 9, and is currently a junior at San Jose State University majoring in violin performance.  He has studied with Mr. John Kraus, Mr. Li Lin, Miss Kwok-Ping Koo, and is currently studying under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Jones-Hayes.

Johnum Palado, a graduate at Caddo Magnet High in Shreveport, LA, has played the violin for 10 years, currently under the tutelage of Mr. Dan Santelices. Performances include the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, a solo with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Johnum has served concertmaster for the Magnet High Chamber Orchestra and Centenary Youth Orchestra for 3 and 4 years, respectively, as well as associate concertmaster in the Louisiana All-State Orchestra for 3 years. Johnum plans to attend Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music to double major in Mathematics and Violin Performance.

Tian Qiu began to study violin when he was 5. He is currently Graduate student in Manhattan School of Music. He study with Lucie Robert from undergraduate in Manhattan School of Music with full-scholarship. Tian has performed extensively as soloist. He won the Lillian Fuchs chamber music competition twice, and performed as concertmaster of Manhattan School of Music Orchestra.

Ellen is known as a passionate violinist, someone who pours emotion into her every performance. She received a bachelor's degree in violin performance at Cedarville University under the teaching of Carlos Elias. She performs extensively, playing with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra as well as the Cedarville University Orchestra and other small ensembles in the area. She has performed at several music festivals such as the Miami Music Festival and Masterworks Festival, and has received additional training from teachers such as Joel Smirnoff, Shannon Nance, Mary Irwin and Jessica Hung. She has performed in Masterclasses with Andres Cardenez, Rachel Barton Pine, Mikylah McTeer and Won Bin Yim. She is a very versatile performer and feels at home with standard repertoire as well as new music and looks forward to joining the Texas Music Festival this summer.

Sara Salomon is a french violinist who received a master's degree in violin pedagogy in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she studied with Professor Gyula Stuller. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Music and Musicologie from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She is now pursuing her studies with Professor Lucie Robert at Mannes School of Music in New York. She has played in several festivals, including the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra. Passionate about chamber music she had the chance to perform in both chamber music ensembles and orchestras all over Europe, in Singapore and now, in New York.

Violinist Raphaëlle Siemers is a Master of Music candidate at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University studying under Emanuel Borok. Raphaëlle began her violin studies at age 7 and became an avid chamber and orchestral player. She previously attended Bowdoin International Music Festival, Villa Medici Masterclass Series, Harpa International Music Festival, and Montecito International Music Festival. Raphaëlle graduated from the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy after attending for 3 years and then received her Bachelor of Music at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver under the tutelage of Linda Wang and Mark Rush.

Born 1990 in Mexico City. She received her first violin lessons at the age of five.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica in Mexico City and a master’s degree from the University of Music Würzburg in Germany. Currently, she is studying at the University of North Texas with Dr. Felix Olschofka.

She has performed as a soloist with the Orquesta de Cámara del Conservatorio Nacional de Música, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tlalnepantla and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tlaxcala.

She has taken masterclasses with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Nicolas Dautricourt, Scott Yoo and with Bartosz Bryła.

Born 1990 in Mexico City. She holds a Bachelor degree from the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City and a Masters degree from the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Currently, she is studying her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of North Texas under the guidance of Dr. Felix Olschofka.

She has appeared as a soloist with the Orquesta de Cámara del Conservatorio Nacional de Música, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Tlalnepantla, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tlaxcala.

Among others, she has taken masterclasses with the CuartetoLatinoamericano, Ludovica Mosca, Jeremy Bell, and Bartosz Bryła.

Julia Tondera, who is from Warsaw, Poland, started her journey with music at the age of 3 when encouraged by her parents she started playing piano. When she picked up the violin at age of 7, she began to win numerous solo and chamber music competitions and used many opportunities to perform as a professional musician, also as a soloist with the orchestras. Julia is currently on her way towards obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in violin performance in the studio of Doctor Kirsten Yon at Moores school of Music.

Clara Treadway is a recent graduate of Northern Illinois University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance under the instruction of Mathias Tacke. Throughout her undergraduate career, she served as Assistant Concertmaster and Principal 2^ndViolin in the NIU Philharmonic. She has performed with many orchestral ensembles in venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center. She is also an avid chamber music player, and earned an Honorable Mention in the 2018 NIU Chamber Music Competition. In addition to classical music, she enjoys playing jazz arrangements, and is proficient in improvisation.

Luke Carmichael Valmadrid is an undergraduate senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Violin-Performance.  He currently studies violin under Soh-Hyun Park Altino, viola under Sally Chisholm, and chamber music under Parry Karp.  At UW-Madison, he has performed for the guest masterclasses of the Takács Quartet, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, and David Kim. Luke has served as the violist for the School of Music’s Perlman Ensemble since being selected in the Fall of 2015.  He attends UW-Madison through the First Wave Hip-Hop Arts Scholarship, specializing in hip-hop/animation dance styles and Ike-style spoken word poetry.

Born in Hong Kong, Carrie Wan began learning violin at 6. Carrie pursued her undergraduate at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2017, majoring in violin performance under the guidance of Anthony Wong.Carrie has participated in a number of solo and chamber masterclasses held by various artists, including Roberto Diaz, Leo Philips, Peter Spissky, Qing Li and Sean Wang. In 2016, Carrie studied with Herbert Greenburg and Wei He in the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy.Carrie is currently a graduate student of Kent State University, studying with Cathy Robinson (Member of Miami String Quartet) and Amy Lee (Associate concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra). 

Bio coming soon

Prize-winning violinist Lumeng Yang has been lauded for her solo and chamber musicianship across China. Studying at the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in Beijing, she won third prize at the 2013 Hong Kong International Violin Competition. She took first prize in the Great War International Music Festival Concerto Competition, and third prize in the Chamber Music Competition. As concertmaster of the China Youth Philharmonic, she has performed alongside internationally acclaimed artists such as pianist Lang Lang. She lives in New York, where she studies with Lucie Robert at the Manhattan School of Music.

Diane Yang, 22, recently graduated from the University of Michigan studying with Professor Stephen Shipps. Diane is a 2018 PMA American Music Competition Prize Winner, 2016 Miami Music Festival Concerto Finalist, and has soloed with several orchestras in Maryland. Diane has sat concertmistress of both the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Peabody Youth Orchestra. Masterclass appearances include Noah Bendix-Balgley and Gil Shaham. Diane has interned for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the University Musical Society, and the University of Michigan’s School of Music. In the fall, she will pursue her Master’s at Northwestern University, studying with Professor Blair Milton.

Bio coming soon

Austin Han, viola, began his musical studies at age 15 under Catherine Van Hoesen in San Francisco. He later pursued undergraduate and graduate studies under Yizhak Schotten and Stephen Wyrczynski at the University of Michigan and Indiana University respectively. Currently Austin is pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Kentucky under a graduate assistantship, where he is also a member of the Lexington Philharmonic and Paducah Symphony Orchestra, as well as maintaining a private studio. As a chamber musician, Austin has collaborated with artists such as Elaine Douvas, Gillian Bennett, Darrett Atkins, and Vladimir Feltsman.

Tara Hoellein was born in Layton, UT and is the youngest of eight children. She grew up in a musical home and was introduced to the viola at twelve years old, which soon became her voice in a family of singers.

Tara has participated with various groups such as Utah Youth Symphony, All-State Orchestra, Side-by-Side with the Utah Symphony, and background performer to Jenny Oaks Baker.

She attended Weber State University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education-Instrumental and is currently studying at the University of Utah to receive her Masters in Music Performance and Pedagogy.

Violist MooKun Jang made his debut with the Hugarian Debrecen Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at the age of ten, Since then, his performance credits included concerts at the Keum-Jung Art Center, Busan National University Orchestra, Donestsk City Hall, Donestsk Academy Orchestra.
Mr. Jang came to United States to pursue his dream and has studied at Juilliard pre- college and completed an undergraduate degree at Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Grigory Kalinovsky and Isaac Malkin. Mr. Jang currently studies Viola with Karen Dreyfus and Shumel Katz in Manhattan School of Music with his Masters degree.

Originally from Houston, TX, Danny Jordan has been a member of Texas All-Region and All-State Ensembles as well as the Houston Youth Symphony. They began playing viola at age 11 in the Tomball ISD Orchestra program. During their time at Tomball High School, they studied with Penelope Meitz and Lawrence Wheeler. After graduating high school, they began study at Southern Methodist University, pursuing degrees in Spanish and Viola Performance under the direction of Barbara Sudweeks. In their free time, they enjoy spending time outdoors with their dog Charlie and cooking.

Hao-Hsuan (Sam) Lee is a Taiwanese-American violist studying with Dawson White at the University of St. Thomas - Houston. He has performed frequently with the Woodlands and Brazos Valley Symphonies and holds a successful studio of violists and violinists in North Houston. His music festival experience includes the LIU Post Chamber Music Festival in Long Island, NY and Schlern (Semper) Music Festival in Italy. Past mentors/teachers include Eliseo Rene Salazar, Alicia Valoti, Zachary Carrettin and Jacob Sustaita. He has participated in master classes with Veronica Salas, Lauren Burns Hodges, Antonello Farulli, Dr. Kathryn Steely, Helen Cullus, and James Dunham.

Sarah is a member of the Monterey Symphony and Santa Cruz Symphony. A native to San Francisco, she also performs in ensembles such as Stockton Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Opera Parallele and the Lucky Devils Band. She led as Principal Viola at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, National Music Festival, and the Orchestra Institute of Napa Valley. She has a Master's of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), where she studied with Jodi Levitz. For her  Bachelor’s of Music degree, she attended Indiana University under the tutelage of Stephen Wyrczynski where she received high awards.

Kwan Wai (Kenny) Lung is a native of Hong Kong. He began to study the viola at the age of sixteen. He is currently a master student at University of North Texas, studying viola performance with Susan Dubois and Daphne Gerling. He also studies orchestral conducting with David Itkin and Clay Couturiaux at UNT.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Tyson Salinas began playing the viola in 5th grade. Six years later, while still being predominately self-taught, he won the Principal Viola position with Virtuosi of Houston and held the position for two years until graduation. During this time he began his formal instruction with Suzanne LeFevre before moving to Connecticut to study with Rita Porfiris at The Hartt School. As a serious chamber musician he has performed in masterclasses for many prestigious chamber musicians such as The Dover, Juilliard, and Chiara String Quartets as well as a masterclass performance of Dvorak’s American Quartet in Paris, France.

Mallory Todd is a graduate student finishing a Master’s Degree in Viola Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Utah, studying with Julie Edwards. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance in 2012 from Utah State University, studying with Russell Fallstad and Bradley Ottesen. She has also studied with Rita Porfiris, Timothy Deighton, Brant Bayless, and the Fry Street Quartet. Having battled Chronic Lyme Disease since 2013, Mallory is thankful everyday for the gift of music as a healing power. Her greatest passions are chamber and orchestral performance, and sharing her love of music with her students.

Valerie Wiley has performed in venues across Southern California with esteemed ensembles including the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic, American Youth Symphony, Debut Orchestra, CSUN Symphony, Valley Chamber Ensembles, and Conejo Valley Youth Orchestras. She is a recent graduate of California State University, Northridge, with a degree in viola performance. While working as a musician and educator in Los Angeles, she also uses her talents in collaboration with other artists to promote such causes as autism awareness, cancer prevention, female empowerment, and relief for victims of war. Wiley is a private teacher as well as a coach for several local schools and youth orchestras.

Nicholas Cheon is currently in his 3^rdyear at Texas Tech University for Music Performance and is studying under Jeffrey Lastrapes, and he enjoys performing in Texas Tech’s University Symphony Orchestra and chamber ensembles. His achievements consisted of performing Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Youth Orchestras of Lubbock in 2015 and placing as runner-up for the Texas Tech University Concerto Competition in 2018. He began playing the cello at age 8.

Austrian-born, Venezuelan cellist Francisco Garay moved to Houston in 2004. He is a junior at the University of Houston, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance and was awarded the Hirsch Scholarship Endowment 2016. He currently studies with associate principal cellist of the Houston Symphony, Anthony Kitai. He has attended ARIA, Sewanee, and Interlochen Summer Music Festivals, and has performed in master classes given by Brinton Smith, John Sharp, Istvan Vardai, Arne-Christian Pelz, Patrick Moore and the Escher String Quartet. In his pre-college education, he studied with Cornelia Watkins in the preparatory program at Rice University.

Cellist Jacob Ginn is an undergraduate at the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music where he studies with Theodore Buchholz. He regularly performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Grammy-nominated True Concord. He is also member of the West Valley Symphony. Jacob has participated in masterclasses with Matt Haimovitz, Sharon Robinson, Sergey Antonov, and members of the Juilliard String Quartet and St. Lawrence String Quartet. He previously attended the Round Top Festival Institute. When not performing, Jacob enjoys teaching young musicians at the UA String Project, reading, biking, and exploring new restaurants in Tucson.

Eddie He began to study cello at the age of eight, and later attended the Xinghai Conservatory of Music for both junior and senior high school in China. In 2013, he came to the United States to study with Pin Fei Tang at the Montecito Music Festival and continued studies in Maryland with cellist Lauren Laufman. He is currently a student of Andrew Mark at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, cellist Marcie Kolacki has established herself as an intuitive and dedicated performer. Since beginning her studies at the age of eight, Ms. Kolacki’s technical proficiency and musicality have led her to professional solo, chamber, and orchestral performances and recitals throughout the Southwest. Ms. Kolacki is currently studying at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under Alan Stepansky, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance. She has been the recipient of the Gregor Piatigorsky Scholarship since 2016.

Award winning Korean cellist, Soyoon Park, enjoys all aspects of performing music: as a soloist, a chamber musician and in the orchestra. As a devoted musician, Park has performed in recital at the Griswold Hall, Werner Hall, and Watson Hall. Park has previously served as an associate member of the section cello at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in 2017-2018 and section cello member at the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Park is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree for Cello performance and pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Alan Stepansky.

Zachary Sears is a graduate student at DePaul University. He began his cello studies at age 6 and has studied with current or former members of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Borromeo String Quartet, and the Juilliard String Quartet. His current teacher is former assistant principal cellist of the CSO, Stephen Balderston. Zachary has performed in many famous concert halls, including Boston Symphony Hall, The Kennedy Center, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and Carnegie Hall. He has also performed in master classes for artists such as Darrett Adkins, Clive Greensmith, Phoebe Carrai, and others.

Matthew Shin, 22, is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he studied with Alan Rafferty. Matthew was principal cellist of the CCM Philharmonia. He was one of the youngest members of the 2015 National Repertory Orchestra (NRO) in Breckenridge, Colorado. He returned to the NRO in 2016 as principal cellist. In 2013, Matthew won the Dayton Philharmonic's David Pierson Young Musicians Concerto Competition and then made his solo debut at the Schuster Center. He has performed live on WDTN Channel 2 News and was featured twice on NPR’s From the Top.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, cellist Hsin Hou Sun currently studying DMA with Terry King on full scholarship at the Hartt School. He had performed under the batons of Gustavo Dudamel, Giancarlo Guerrero, Leon Fleisher, Max Hobart and James Feddeck. He played masterclasses and chamber coachings for Paul Katz, Natasha Brofsky, Hanani Yehuda, Roger Tapping, Ulf Schneider, the Simon Bolivar String Quartet, the Heath Quartet and the Attacca Quartet. He is a passionate cello teacher and an avid advocate of performing at public areas. He enjoys making food (hopefully taste good) and playing basketball, sometimes even more than music.

Kelsee Vandervall is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, earning a master’s of music in both cello performance and chamber music under the tutelage of Anthony Elliott. She has performed in masterclasses for the Calidore, St. Lawrence and Argus String Quartet. An avid freelancer from Chicago Illinois, Kelsee is establishing a versatile career across multiple genres. A typical day for this cellist ranges from orchestral performances to live shows with pop, folk and funk bands. Kelsee also enjoys the performing new music. She looks forward to her first summer in Houston here at the Texas Music Festival!

Brendan Carrillo (Waco, TX) performs with a 2017 Roberti Bass. He studies Bass Performance at Baylor University with Sandor Ostlund. Other primary teachers include Mark Whitney and Jeffrey Bradetich. Brendan participated in masterclasses with Francois Rabbath, Paul Ellison, David Allen Moore, Ed Barker, Scott Dixon, and Brian Perry. Performance highlights include; Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (4 years), Texas All State Orchestra (3 years), Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Domain Forget. Brendan performed as a semi-finalist at the 2017 ISB Orchestral Competition and was awarded the 2011 Young Master Award by The Texas Commission on the Arts.

Ian Donovan, a Houston native, began studying the double bass at age 9. He attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts for both classical and jazz music. He also has participated in the Houston Youth Symphony, TMEA All-State Orchestras, as well as being awarded as a semi-finalist in the International Society if Bassists 15-18 solo division competition. Ian has participated in Le Domaine Forget, Montecito Music Festival, and AFA. Ian is currently a member of the Temple Symphony and attends Baylor University with Sandor Ostlund.

Samuel Dugo, from Ashburn, Virginia, began studying the double bass at the age of 15.  He is currently a junior at the Peabody Conservatory where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Music under the tutelage of Paul Johnson. He has served as principal bass of the Peabody Symphony, Chamber, and Modern Orchestras while also performing with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and Symphony Number One. He has previously attended the Brevard Music Festival where he studied with George Speed.

William Kline is currently a student of Kurt Muroki at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, but he has previously worked with Derek Zadinsky, Kevin Switalski, Francois Rabbath, and many more. William is committed to challenging the norms of Classical music, as well as playing music by living composers. He regularly performs student compositions at IU, but he is also a frequent player in the IU Philharmonic Orchestra, and has appeared as the principal bassist of other school orchestras. This will be his first summer attending the Texas Music Festival.

Bennett Norris is a classical double bassist from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Bennett started playing when he was eight years old and was soon taking private lessons at the local University with the guidance of Peter Paulsen. In high school, Bennett participated in local jazz quartets, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. Currently Bennett is principal of the New York Youth Symphony and is in his third year at the Manhattan School of Music studying with Timothy Cobb.

As a junior performance major at UTRGV, Andrés Vela has collected many accolades as an orchestral and solo player.  Andrés has participated in the National Youth Orchestra of the USA for performances at Carnegie Hall and a tour of China under maestro Charles Dutoit in 2015.  He has also participated in the Round Top Music Festival, Classical Music Institute, the Aruba Symphony Festival, has received Honorable Mention in the ASTA Solo Competition and recently won the UTRGV Concerto Competition.  He has performed in master classes for many artists including Scott Pingel, James VanDemark, Jeff Bradetich and Thierry Barbé.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Avery Weeks began studying double bass at the age of eleven. Since then, he has been a member of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, and the Oklahoma All-State Orchestra, winner of the Buttram solo competition, along with a student at the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Avery currently resides in Chicago, where he is pursuing both a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance, under Andrew Raciti, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at Northwestern University.

Sabrina Bounds is an active solo, orchestral, and chamber musician residing in Los Angeles, California. She qualified as semi-finalist for the New World Symphony and as a listed substitute for the Seattle Symphony and American Youth Symphony 2017-2018 seasons. Sabrina has performed with the Brevard Music Festival Orchestra, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, among others, and recently gave a recital in Kochi, Japan. She led as President of the Seattle Flute Society and Outreach Education Coordinator for Philharmonia Northwest from 2015-2017. A BM graduate from the University of Washington, Sabrina currently studies at USC Thornton School for her MM.

Tim Fernando is a graduate flute player, and is currently pursuing a Performance Certificate under the guidance of Jeffrey Khaner at the Lynn Conservatory. Originally from Ames, Iowa, Tim received his Bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his Master’s from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He had recently performed with the South Florida Symphony, Boca Raton Symphonia, and The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra.

A native of Seattle, Washington, Julia Pyke has just completed her third year at Oberlin College studying under Dr. Alexa Still. Previously, she has attended the Aspen Music Festival and is currently a regular substitute with the New World Symphony. She has performed under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Hans Graf, Tim Weiss, Hugh Wolff, Markus Stenz, and Andre Boreyko.

Bio coming soon

Andrew Glenn is an oboist from Austin, Texas currently studying with Jonathan Fischer, Bob Atherholt and Adam Dinitz at the Moores School of Music. Andrew has performed as a substitute with the San Antonio Symphony, New World Symphony, Nashville Symphony, the Nashville Sinfonietta and Victoria Symphony. In addition to freelance work he is also a founding member of the Aeolus Wind. Outside of music, Andrew enjoys backpacking, rock climbing and landscape photography.

Lauren Keating recently graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with her Master's degree, studying with Jeffrey Rathbun. She is currently a substitute oboist with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Rockford Symphony, as well as a semi-finalist for the New World Symphony in Miami, FL. She was previously an Associate for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s 2014-2016 seasons. Last summer, Lauren attended the National Orchestral Institute, studying with Robert Atherholt, Mark Hill, and Robert Walters. Keating received her Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. Her principal teachers there were Michael Henoch, Robert Morgan, and Scott Hostetler.

From Anchorage, Alaska, Remy Libbrecht is an undergraduate student at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he has just completed his third year of study towards an oboe performance degree. He studies with Robert Walters (English Horn, Cleveland Orchestra). He has also studied significantly with Robert Atherholt (Shepherd School of Music), Jonathan Fischer (Houston Symphony) and Mingjia Liu (San Fransisco Opera). In addition, he is working towards a minor in historical performance on baroque oboe under the study of Kathryn Montoya.

Born and raised in Belle Harbor, NY, Belinda Rosen began her musical studies on piano at the age of 4, and oboe at the age of 11, at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.  In 2016, she completed her BM in Oboe Performance at the University of Michigan and graduated with top academic honors.   Belinda is currently pursuing her MM at Rice University as a student of Robert Atherholt.  She has held fellowships at Marrowstone, Sarasota, and TMF.  Last summer, Belinda was a member of YOA’s 2017 Southern Cone Tone and will be attending the 2018 European tour.  She is looking forward to her second summer at TMF.

Clarinetist James Abrahamson first experienced classical music at age 5 through his dad’s ringtone, which triumphantly buzzed the fourth movement of Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony. James has recorded with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Empire Film Music Ensemble, notably for Star Trek Continues. James freelances with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony, and teaches clarinet at West Boca Raton Community High School. He is a member of the Syzygy Wind Quintet, winners in the 2017 Lynn Chamber Music Competition.

B.M. Eastman School of Music

M.M. Lynn Conservatory of Music (In progress)

His teachers are Jon Manasse and Sean Osborn.

Justin Best is a rising junior Clarinet Performance major at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where he is a student of Richie Hawley. In 2016, Justin graduated with honors and was awarded the Fine Arts Award from Interlochen Arts Academy. He also performed at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in the 2016 New York Philharmonic Biennial with the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra. He has spent his summers at Texas Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Interlochen Arts Camp, where he was an Emerson Scholar. Justin’s previous teachers include Emil Khudyev and Michael Forte.

Martina Morello is a clarinet player from Italy. After a bachelor degree in clarinet and piano, she attended Nice Conservatoire, France, in the studio of Michel Lethiec. She graduated then from Haute école de musique de Lausanne, in music pedagogy. She currently studies with Pascual Martínez-Forteza at Manhattan School of Music.

She performed in many chamber music festivals in Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Netherlands and United States. Martina has played with several orchestras, among others Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestra Sinfonietta de Lausanne, Cannes Orchestra, Ernst&Young Orchestra. She is currently in the substitute list of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Clarinetist Elena Murphy currently resides in Houston, Texas where she maintains an active freelancing and teaching schedule. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, she was chosen as a National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellow in high school and studied with Paul Cigan.

Previously, Elena attended the Round Top Festival Institute and Brevard Music Center. In Maryland, she has played principal clarinet with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony and Washington Opera Society.

Elena graduated from Northwestern University in 2016 and was a student of Steve Cohen and Lawrie Bloom. She is currently pursuing her MM and studies with Mark Nuccio at the University of Houston.

TRISTAN (“TROY”) BABAN, 20, from McLean, Virginia, is a sophomore at Juilliard.  He studies with William Short, Principal Bassoon, New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. His previous teacher was Christopher Jewell, Assistant Principal Bassoon, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Troy has performed as a Principal in the Juilliard Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.  He was Principal Bassoon for the Virginia All-State Orchestra in 2015 and 2016 and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (AYPO) in 2015-16.  He won First Prize at the 2015 AYPO Concerto Competition for Winds and Brass and performed solo with the orchestra.  Troy attended the 2017 Kent/Blossom Music Festival.

Michael Lamar is an active bassoonist living in New York City. At age ten Michael began playing saxophone, and began playing bassoon when he was fourteen. Currently he is a third-year undergraduate student at the Manhattan School of Music studying with the New York Philharmonic’s second bassoonist, Roger Nye. Formerly studying with the second bassoonist of the San Diego Symphony, Ryan Simmons, Michael has a unique perspective in orchestral playing and a strong understanding of the supportive role that is required of a second bassoonist.

Michael Lamar anticipates to graduate with his Bachelor of Music Degree in 2019.

Bio coming soon

Julianne Mulvey, bassoon, just completed her freshman year at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Benjamin Kamins. She is a former member of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in 2017 was featured on the NPR radio show From the Top. In past summers, she has attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artist Orchestra and the Brevard Music Center. Julianne’s other principal teachers include Richard Svoboda of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Neil Fairbairn. Outside of the concert hall, Julianne is passionate about advocating for classical music through community outreach.

Logan Bryck grew up in Portland, OR and is now an undergraduate horn student at Oberlin Conservatory. His primary teachers include Roland Pandolfi, Danielle Kuhlmann, and Larry Johnson. During his time at Oberlin, he has performed on their honors recitals both as a soloist and in a chamber group. In May of 2017, he performed with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble at Bang On a Can’s 30^th anniversary marathon concert, and in July 2017 he attended the inaugural year of Festival Napa Valley’s Blackburn Music Academy.

A native from Denver, Colorado, Ayo Derbyshire is entering his senior year at the Colorado State University School of Music studying horn performance under Dr. John McGuire. As an extra/substitute player, he regularly performs with the Fort Collins Symphony. Ayo is an active freelancer in Colorado, playing in a variety of chamber and orchestral settings. Last year, Ayo was also awarded First Place in the Siegfried’s Call Engelbert Schmid Horn Competition and traveled expense-free to Germany for a week learning from some of Europe’s finest horn players.

Born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania, Anna Gilpatrick is currently pursuing an MM at the University of Southern California studying with Dr. Kristy Morrell. She recently graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Horn Performance and Music Education where she studied with Adam Unsworth. As an active freelancer in Los Angeles, Anna frequently performs with groups such as the Los Angeles Sinfonietta, Debut Chamber Orchestra, and LA based all-female horn octet “Playdate”. In past summers she has attended the Stockholm Chamber Brass Academy, Hot Springs Music Festival, Bar Harbor Brass Week, and Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar. Outside of music, Anna enjoys running and surfing.

Jacob Medina is a horn player from Pearland, Texas. He is entering his junior year at the University of Houston Moores School of Music this fall. He is pursuing a degree in Horn Performance while studying with Gavin Reed. Jacob has performed with the UH Wind Ensemble, Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and with the Texas Music Festival Orchestra. Jacob also teaches a small studio of students in the Houston area.

Anthony Stanley, a native of Dallas, Texas, is a former graduate of Texas Tech University where he studied Horn Performance under professor Christopher M. Smith, while also performing with Lubbock Moonlight Musicals, as principal horn with the Plainview Symphony, and as utility horn with the Lubbock Symphony. Currently, he is pursuing his Master's at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with retiring professor Randy Gardner, who will be superseded by Denise Tryon come the Fall semester. Outside of music, Anthony enjoys baseball and watching British panel shows.

Claire Worsey, born in San Diego CA, recently graduated from the Bard College Conservatory of Music where she completed a BM in French horn performance and a BA in French language and literature. Her primary teachers were Barbara Jostlein and Julia Pilant and she studied abroad in Paris from 2015-1016 where she was a student of Andre Cazalet. Claire has attended the New York String Seminar, Roundtop Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Next year she will be pursuing a MM at the Mannes School of Music where she will study with Michelle Baker.

Noah Adams is a senior music education major at the University of Houston, where he studies with Mark Hughes. In past summers, Noah has performed off-stage with the Texas and Round Top Music Festivals. During the school year, he performs with the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra.

Morgana Ortiz received her Bachelor's in Music Education at Arizona State University in 2012. Afterward, she went on to become an elementary school music teacher in Phoenix. A couple years later, she decided to return for her Master's in Trumpet Performance at the University of Arizona. Morgana completed her graduate degree in 2017. Currently, Morgana is an active freelancer and teacher in Tucson. She has played with groups such as Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Grammy-Nominated True Concord Voices and Orchestra, and the Tucson Masterworks Chorale. Her primary teachers included David Hickman, Ryan Darke, Edward Reid, and Benny Nguyen.

A native of Friendswood, Texas, Megan is an incoming junior at the University of Houston pursuing a Trumpet Performance degree with Mark Hughes. Her orchestral experience includes Virtuosi of Houston and the Houston Youth Symphony. She attended the Brevard Music Center Festival in 2015, and in 2016 was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States where she worked with conductors Christoph Eschenbach and Valery Gergiev on a European tour. When not practicing, Megan obsessively watches “The Office” and is currently playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to 100% completion.

Cameron Wilkins is an active freelance musician in Southern California. He also maintains a private trumpet studio and serves as a brass clinician for various schools. Cameron is currently pursing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance from the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Thomas Hooten and Jennifer Marotta. Cameron also holds a Master of Music degree in Performance from California State University, Northridge, studying with Jon Lewis. Recent performing ensembles include the USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra, CSUN Jazz "A" Band, Youth Musical Theatre Pit Ensemble.

Chris Grijalva has been called a “joy to work with” for his “powerful work ethic, sharp wit, and nuanced artistic choices.” He resides in Pittsburgh, where he serves as the Second Trombone in the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Houston, Mr. Grijalva earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern California under Terry Cravens, where he studied voice as well as trombone, and his Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University with Peter Sullivan. This last year, Mr. Grijalva was the featured soloist with the Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble in a performance of Hector Berlioz’ Funeral and Triumphal Symphony.

Originally from Miami, FL, Nicholas Halbig is currently a junior at Baylor University and studies under Brent Phillips. During his time at Baylor, Nicholas has performed in the Baylor Symphony, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble. In 2017, Nicholas was named the winner of the International Trombone Association Larry Wiehe Solo Competition. Additionally, Nicholas has been named a finalist in the New World Symphony Concerto Competition and the Baylor Semper Pro Musica Solo Competition. Nicholas also shares a love for teaching students in the Waco ISD and has served as faculty at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts.

Noah Roper is a bass trombonist from Aledo, Texas. He has performed with many ensembles, such as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Institute orchestra, both on fellowship status. He was also declared a winner of the 2017 American Trombone Workshop Division I Bass Trombone Solo Competition. Just finishing his second year at Oklahoma State University, he is in the process of transferring to Indiana University to study with Dr. Denson Paul Pollard, of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Kevin Fenske is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Euphonium Performance at The University of Texas at Austin where he studies euphonium under the tutelage of Charles Villarrubia and is a member of the University of Texas Wind Ensemble under the direction of Jerry Junkin.  Originally from Houston, Texas, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Houston.  Kevin has been named a semi-finalist in multiple international solo competitions including the prestigious Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival, and the artist division solo competition at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference.

Carter Loud is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma and has been playing the tuba for nine years. Loud is currently a junior at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying under Yasuhito Sugiyama; additional teachers include Massimo La Rosa and Randall Hawes. In 2016, Carter was named the gold medalist in the Tuba-Student division at the Leonard Falcone Festival Competition. He currently resides in Cleveland, OH and is an avid sports fan.

Steven Needham is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and a recent graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with David Fedderly and was a recipient of the Yale Brody Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Needham received his undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico as a student of Dr. Richard A. White. Professionally, he has performed with numerous ensembles including the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Concert Association, Enchantment Brass amongst others. Currently Steven is freelancing and maintaining an active studio of over 40 students in the greater Houston area and in his spare time enjoys exercising, reading, and camping.

William Kan is a Percussionist/Timpanist from Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelors in Percussion Performance from Wright State University, where he studied with Mr. Gerald Noble. After completing his undergraduate studies, William studied with Mr. Thomas Freer at Cleveland State University and will be attending the University of Georgia, studying with Mr. Timothy K. Adams this coming year. As an active freelancer, William has performed with orchestras including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Erie Philharmonic, Canton Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and many others. William also served as a section percussionist with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic for two seasons.

Gregory LaRosa, an emerging young percussionist, is described as a “talented, versatile and committed musician” by the Anthony Quinn Foundation. In 2011, he was recognized as the foundation’s Performing Arts Scholar, in 2012, was awarded 1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society’s solo marimba competition, and in 2013 was named 3rd place winner in Larry Spivack’s international vibraphone competition. Most recently, he was awarded Grand Prize in the Kerope Zildjian Scholarship Competition, making him one of the youngest recipients in the history of the competition. Gregory is a graduate of The Juilliard School and currently studies at The Colburn School.

Justin Ochoa is a percussionist from San Antonio, TX currently pursuing his B.M. at the University of Texas at Austin studying under Thomas Burritt and Tony Edwards. Justin has previously been a fellow at the Round Top Festival Institute and a scholarship recipient at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. This is Justin’s first summer attending Texas Music Festival In addition to school, Justin teaches at various high schools throughout Texas and is on the substitute list with the Midland- Odessa Symphony.

Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, and currently residing in Kansas City, Blaise Rothwell holds degrees from Drake University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is currently a student of Christopher McLaurin and has previously studied with Aaron Williams and Robert Meunier. Blaise has performed with the Des Moines, Wichita, and Quad City Symphonies, Orchestra Iowa, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. When not onstage or in the pit, Blaise is active on the soccer field as a referee for youth, high school, and adult games.

Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Lucas Sanchez enjoys a multi-faceted career as a percussionist and teacher. In 2017, he was appointed principal timpanist of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. Lucas has also performed with the Houston Symphony and the Amarillo Symphony, and is an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival and the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps.

Lucas received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Rice University under the tutelage of Richard Brown. He is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami as a Mancini Fellow, studying with Matthew Strauss and Svetoslav Stoyanov.

Wesley K. Strasser is pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Percussion Performance at the University of Southern California. He also holds an M.M from USC and a B.M. from the University of Central Florida. Wesley is the principal timpanist with the American Youth Symphony and YMF Debut Chamber Orchestra in Los Angeles, and has performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, USC Percussion Group, and UCF Percussion Ensemble. Wesley’s primary teachers have included Joseph Pereira, James Babor, Jeff Moore, Kirk Gay, Thad Anderson, Peter Erskine, Marty Morell, Ron Schwartz, and Gary Robinson. Wesley is also an Eagle Scout.

Kristin Quint has been playing the harp for the past 15 years. She received her B.M. in Artist Development from Liberty University (2016) and her M.M. in Harp Performance from the University of Michigan (2018). Her enthusiasm for ensemble playing led her to form and direct the LU Harp Ensemble in 2015, as well as perform with several local orchestras during her undergraduate and graduate studies. In addition to performing, Ms. Quint enjoys collaborating with composers writing new music for the harp, and has premiered works including a one-act opera and several chamber pieces. Believing in the unique sound qualities of the harp and the healing power of music, Ms. Quint also received certification as a therapeutic musician through the Music for Healing and Transition Program to provide live therapeutic music at the bedside of patients in all healthcare situations.

Grace Roepke is currently a junior at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studies under the tutelage of Yolanda Kondonassis.

An avid performer and competitor, most recently, Ms. Roepke was awarded a solo performance with the CIM Symphony Orchestra in their 2018-19 season, as a result of their concerto competition. Other accolades include concerti performances with CIM faculty (2017), Round Top Festival Institute faculty (2017), and the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra (2016).

Ms. Roepke has spent summers at the Round Top Festival Institute, Eastern Music Festival, and Interlochen Summer Arts Camp where she was awarded the Emerson Scholarship.