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Hugh Keelan, Music Director

VIOLIN

Mary Beth Woodruff - Concert MAster

Concert Master, Mary Beth Woodruff was educated at the Interlochen Arts Academy, the New England Conservatory of Music, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S. Chemistry and Music) and Carnegie Mellon University (M.M. Violin Performance). At MIT, she studied composition with John Harbison and was a member of Emmanuel Music of Boston’s Bach Cantata Program. She studied with Andres Cardenes, concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony, under a full graduate studies scholarship. She has been faculty at Biola University, Songfest International at the Colburn School, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She has been co-concertmaster of the International Symphony Orchestra of Jerusalem, been assistant concertmaster of Santa Barbara Opera, and is currently concertmaster of the Santa Maria Philharmonic, a member of the Radian String Quartet, and Artistic Director of Santa Barbara Strings. She has a not so minor obsession with Tristan und Isolde and feel deeply in love with opera because of this singular work.

IsAac Kay

Mr. Kay is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Westmont College, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory College.

Indebted to his instructors for their commitment and care in his musical training, Mr. Kay was fortunate to study under Rebecca Ensworth, Eugenia Poustyreva, Yue Deng, Thierry Stoeckel, Dr. Han Soo Kim, Linda Wang, Ian Swensen, Alexander Barantschik, David Halen, and Bing Wang.

Recently completing a project with Lincoln Center and Holland America Line, Mr. Kay has traveled to over 20 countries and performed over 300 concerts in 5 months onboard the MS Rotterdam bringing quality classical music to the open seas. In addition, he has performed throughout Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, and extensively in the U.S.A., in renowned halls such as the Mozarteum (Salzburg), Dvorak Hall (Prague) Harvard University, Severance Hall, Mechanics Hall, among others.

In 2019, Mr. Kay was selected as one of nine students to receive the Center for Orchestral Leadership Training Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He has served in principal positions in the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Aspen Opera Center Orchestra, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony. In addition, Mr. Kay has attended the Credo Chamber Music Festival at Oberlin College, the Brevard Music Festival, and the Stringendo School for Strings.

Mr. Kay was fortunate to live in Heidelberg, Germany and study at the Heidelberg Opera House with its Concertmaster, Thierry Stoeckel, during the fall and winter of 2014.

Mr. Kay has performed chamber music with Simone Porter, Stephen Wartts, Robert Chen, Alex Kerr, Matthew Zalkand, Jeremiah Shaw (of the Telegraph Quartet), and Jean-Michel Fonteneau, in addition to performing with the Santa Barbara Symphony under Nir Kabaretti and Yakima Symphony under Dr. Lawrence Golan.

As an avid music instructor, Mr. Kay has taught at the Santa Barbara Strings program for youth where he coached chamber music, was the director of the ensemble “Toccata,” and assisted with large ensemble duties from 2012-2016. In addition to maintaining a private studio in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Kay was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for violin Professor Linda Wang at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music during his graduate studies. He also was an instructor of both violin and piano students at The Amabile School in San Francisco.

Mr. Kay performs on a 1765 Gustave Helmer instrument on a generous loan from the Riesenfeld family. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Sarah Briggs

Sarah Briggs teaches violin at Amherst and Smith Colleges, plays in the Wistaria String Quartet, and performs regularly with the Berkshire and Springfield Symphonies and groups throughout western MA and VT. She was tenured in the Colorado and Charlotte Symphonies, played with Chicago and Utah Symphonies, and has soloed with Colorado Philharmonic, Anchorage and Holyoke Civic Symphonies. Summer work has varied: teaching at Brevard, principal second violin at Central City Opera Festival, a fellow at Tanglewood, contractor and violinist for Williamstown Theater Festival. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and Master’s degree from UT, Austin. When not making music, she is probably doing yoga, biking, or cooking. 

Sabine Vener

Sabine Vener is originally from Germany, and has performed with numerous orchestras, chamber orchestras and summer festivals throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the United States. Her music has also taken her to Japan and New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles’s Music Center, Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, various recording sessions as well as performances with Roger Daltrey, Electric Light Orchestra and Bernadette Peters.

She resides in southern California and currently is Principal Second violin for California Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Philharmonic as well as section violin for San Luis Obispo Symphony and Orchestra NOVO.

Noemi Mil0radović

Born in Belgrade, Serbia, violinist Noemi Miloradović graduated with honors from the Longy School of Music in Boston. While pursuing her undergraduate diploma she won the honors and the concerto competition resulting in solo performance with the Longy Chamber Orchestra. Noemi obtained a Masters of Music degree at the University of Kansas and Artist Diploma at Park University, studying with violinist Ben Sayevich.

She is former member of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Portland Symphony. She was a featured soloist with the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, the Kansas University Orchestra,the Endless Mountain Festival Orchestra and the Binghamton Philharmonic orchestra.

Noemi is a member of Symphoria, previously known as Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. She serves as associate concertmaster ofthe Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, concertmaster of the MostArts Festival orchestra and is the violin professor at Binghamton University.

Mike Winer

Based in central Connecticut, Violinist Michael Winer currently maintains an extensive private teaching studio and playing career. 
Mr. Winer’s principal teachers have included violinists Julian Ross in Cleveland, Eric Rosenblith in Boston, and Ben Sayevich in Kansas City.  In addition, Mr. Winer has studied composition with Howard Frazin and Loris Chobanian, conducting with Dwight Oltman, and his violin pedagogy is heavily influenced from working with Eric Rosenblith, Carrie Reuning-Hummel, and his parents, who are both educators and musicians.  In addition, Mr. Winer has performed with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Scottish BBC Orchestra and is the Concertmaster of the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra. 

Recitals have been throughout central Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and Woods Hole on Cape Cod. Recently, he has performed recitals with pianist Andrew King and the Westfarms quartet at the Leroy Anderson House in Woodbury, CT. He has also been fortunate to perform as an orchestral soloist, playing Vaughn Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” and the Bach Double Concerto.

As an educator, Mr. Winer serves as strings specialist with the Glastonbury Public Schools. He is also in high demand as a long-term substitute teacher, guest teacher, and clinician. In addition, he is a faculty member with the Farmington Summer Suzuki Academy, where he teaches lessons, conducts orchestra, and coaches chamber music. Mr. Winer is very active with both the Connecticut Music Educators Association and serves as President for the Connecticut chapter of the American String Teachers’ Association.

Outside of playing, Mr. Winer spends much of his time attending the opera, cooking, and eating fresh vegetables from his garden. www.mikewinerviolin.com

Hazel Joy Keelan

Pablo Picasso said “Music and art are the guiding lights of the world” “Music and art are the guiding lights of my world” says Hazel Keelan

An ongoing inspiration in my life is how to coadjute/offset/weave my time and headspace between these creative forces. I have worked as a community and exhibiting visual artist and musician across the world, and have a much less interesting third resume pretending to want to do other things.

Some recent artistic excitements have included designing some of the publicity visuals for Tundi’s 2022 festival, organizing an interactive exhibition Pandora’s Box in England, a co-curated week of art, music and conversation, which explored creativity in challenging times. In March this year I was instrumental in bringing together a flash mob full symphony orchestra to fundraise for Ukraine - possibly one of the most moving concerts I have been involved with. It was a reminder to performers and passersby alike of the power of community, expression and compassion in the face of aggression and agony on our doorstep in Europe; and of course took place in the continuing shadow of the pandemic and its stamp on live performance.

I became a professional violinist by mistake in California some eight years ago. Perhaps not a surprise to others, it was the happiest of accidents, leading to what will be my biggest playing challenge to date later this year in the UK. All are invited to an intimate recital of two of Bach’s seminal pieces for solo violin (Sonata No.3 in C major BW 1005 and the famous Partita No.3 in E major, BWV 1006) in stunning medieval Ely cathedral on October 7th, 12.30pm. Please come.

Hazel is a co-founder of Sight and Sound, a collaboration of musicians, tech creatives and artists; who aim to find new ways of presenting the classical repertoire in the community. Her first performance with this group in 2016 in the Bay Area, California, was completely sold out. She has performed in professional and community groups across the US and now in the UK. Hazel trained in fine art in Chelsea, London and has held solo and joint visual art exhibitions in the UK prior to moving to the US in 2007. She was appointed Board Director of the Palo Alto Art League (the oldest community visual arts organization in California) when living nearby. One of her portraits was awarded First Prize in PAL’s 97th Members’ Exhibition, over hundreds of other entries, in 2018.

CARL LARSON

Carl Larson, violist, hails from Louisville, KY and maintains an active performing and recording career as a member of symphony, chamber, opera, ballet, and session orchestras in New York, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Alabama, and the Dominican Republic.

Carl has toured with San Francisco's JazzMafia, Deltron 3030, Barry Manilow, and has performed with Dolly Parton on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He can be heard on many film, television, and video game soundtracks. Festival engagements include the Endless Mountain, Montreal Jazz, Artosphere, Bard, Interlochen, Aspen, Yellowstone, and New Hampshire music festivals. He holds degrees in Mathematics and Viola Performance, and studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Carl is also actively involved with the Miami, Cincinnati, and Nashville chapters of Classical Revolution, a project which seeks to revolutionize the way live classical music is programmed and heard by offering chamber music performances in highly accessible venues such as bars and cafés, and collaborating with local musicians and artists from various styles and backgrounds.

viola

Carson rick

Carson Rick, viola, started playing violin at age five before switching to viola in high school. After graduating from University of California, Santa Barbara, he attended the Glenn Gould School of Music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto on a full scholarship to study with Steven Dann, former principal viola of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. His previous teachers have included Helen Callus, Carrie Dennis, and CJ Chang. Carson has maintained an exciting schedule of playing both orchestral music and chamber music with such groups as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, members of the Chicago Symphony, ARC ensemble, Zelter Quartet, and wild Up Ensemble. Away from the viola, Carson loves to cook large meals for his friends.

Anton Boutkov

Violist Anton Boutkov, former member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and guest musician with the Greenwich Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, currently resides in Springfield, Massachusetts. Anton began studying the viola at age seven under the instruction of violist and conductor Bernard Klinger. He went on to join Karen Ritcher’s viola studio at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory division, with whom he stayed for over a decade until coming up to Amherst, Massachusetts to study with violist Kathryn Lockwood.

Anton has played in master classes for violists Kim Kashkashian, Michael Tree, Amihai Grosz, James Dunham, Roger Tapping, as well as many others. He’s performed at venues including Madison Square Garden, Boston TD Garden, Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, The Symphony Space on 92nd Street, Chicago Symphony Center, The Sheen Center in Manhattan, Rockwood Music Hall, The Bowery Ballroom and many others. Some of the musicians Anton has collaborated with include vocalists Andrea Bocelli, Heather Headley, Chris Mann, violinist Caroline Campbell, singer-songwriter Paul Simon, and many others. 

Lucy Prichard

Lucy Prichard is an eager 23 year old musician with a Bachelor’s in Viola Performance from the University of Puget Sound. Last fall Lucy began her studies towards a Masters in Music Performance at the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music.There she trained under Basil Vendryes and earned a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. For 17 years, the viola and violin have been an integral part of Lucy’s life. She was fortunate enough to study under the leading pedagogues Joyce Ramee, Carol Kutsch and Eleanour Angel.

In her years of performing, Lucy’s orchestral participation became a key factor in her growth as a musician. Throughout her undergraduate career, Lucy earned the title of Principal of the viola section within the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra. Her orchestral experiences have also brought her all across the United States and as well as Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Lucy has had the fortune to perform in the Musikverein (Vienna), Carnegie Hall (New York), Orchestra Hall (Chicago), and Symphony Center (Washington D.C.).

In 2018 Lucy attended the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute at Whistler, under the direction of Maestro Bramwell Tovey. That same year, Lucy was also invited to participate in the selective inaugural University of British Columbia Chamber Orchestra festival. The summer of 2019 she spent 7 weeks studying at the intensive Orchestral program at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, where she trained under Maestros Keith Lockhart, JoAnn Falletta, Matthias Bamert and Christian Zacharias. The same summer she attended Brevard, Lucy participated in TUNDI's inaugural 2019 production of Wagner’s “Tristan Und Isolde” and is very excited to be returning this summer for their 2022 festival.

Ken Allen

Violist Ken Allen is a founding member of Trio Notturno, a founder and president of the Massachusetts Viola Society, as well as a member of the American Viola Society, the American String Teachers Association, Boston Musicians' Association, and Early Music America. Ken is an active chamber and orchestral musician and has performed with many ensembles in the Greater Boston area and beyond. After completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in English at UNC-Chapel Hill and at Harvard, Ken earned his Master of Music degree in viola performance from the Boston Conservatory, where he studied with Lila Brown and Leonard Matczynski, and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Historical Performance from the Longy School of Music, where he studied viola with Dana Maiben and Sarah Darling, as well as harpsichord with Vivian Montgomery. He has performed in master classes for Julie Andrijeski, Amadi Azikiwe, Sylvia Berry, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Elizabeth Blumenstock, Sheila Browne, Helen Callus, Levon Chilingirian, Brandon Chui, Gabriela Diaz, Susan Dubois, Michael Finnissy, Vinko Globokar, John Harbison, Jeffrey Irvine, Patrick Jordan, the Jupiter String Quartet, Kim Kashkashian, Michelle LaCourse, Robert Mealy, Aisslinn Nosky, Karl Paulnack, Karen Ritscher, and Carol Rodland.

Ken also studied viola with David Rubinstein, Gillian Rogell, and Anne Hooper Webb, as well as baroque viola with Jane Starkman. His piano teachers include Lorraine Hale Robinson, Jacqueline Schwab, and Michael Lewin.

Ken resides with his husband and cat in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Marlboro, Vermont. His violas were made by Douglas Cox.

CELLO

Jakub Omsky

“An extraordinarily talented and dedicated musician…” – Yo-Yo Ma

Jakub Omsky is a graduate of Oberlin College Conservatory and the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Omsky has been called by Yo-Yo Ma an "extraordinarily talented and dedicated musician". Music critics have said he "sets a standard of contemporary interpretation" and have called him "Master of Cello". Cellist Jakub Omsky was chosen by the Santa Barbara Independent and recognized by the U.S. Congress as the Local Hero in 2001, and the Music Maker of the Year 2000 for original sound healing methods and innovative concert programming and performances in Santa Barbara, California. He is the first and only cellist ever to win the First Prize in the D'Angelo International String Competition in 2000.

Jakub Omsky was born in Warsaw, Poland where he started as a prodigy of Arnold Rezler and the youngest student in the history of the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy. He continued his studies with Peter Rejto and Andor Toth, Jr. at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio, graduating with Honors in 1995 (Bachelor of Music) and in 1997 (Artist Diploma). His mentor at the Thornton School of Music of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles is Eleanor Schoenfeld. Mr. Omsky has performed at prestigious summer festivals including Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West. He has performed extensively in Poland, Germany and the United States. He has recorded as a guest artist on RCA Victor Red Seal, Summit Records, PlayBall Productions, and other labels. His album with a member of Los Angeles Philharmonic Michele Zukovsky called "Intermezzo" is available on Summit Records.

Omsky’s composition "For Martin" dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has received the Brilliant Retrievers of American Goals 2001 Award. For his compositions for "Danube", a play by Maria Irene Fornes, he was awarded 2001 Theater Music Award by The Independent. Recently Mr. Omsky performed his theater music for "The Prisoner" (a Holocaust inspired drama by Henryk Grynberg, adapted by Omar Sangare for cellist and actress) with Deborah Latz, at the Mazer Theatre in New York City. 

Jakub Omsky has been Artist in Residence at many schools and universities and founder of ecumenical Sound Prayer Project, Universal Harmony Dialogue Concerts and transformational sound healing methods. He was the principal cellist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. His quest to become music continues

with expansion of his understanding of folk and spiritual music of variety of traditions. His vast repertoire spans many centuries of Western classical music, and his own improvisational music is inspired by the great traditions of the East and West. 

Jakub Omsky performs as a soloist with orchestras, composes music for theater and film and leads master classes and music workshops. His collaboration with Polish actor and director Omar Sangare, initiated in 2001 won critical acclaim. He won The Indy Prize for the best original theater music (Maria Fornes's "Danube"). Omsky currently lives in Boston, teaches cello, music, and deep listening techniques, and offers sound and water therapy throughout Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher at many universities and schools. Omsky loves creating alternative church services and spiritual development seminars, combining art, singing, movement, and the sacred scriptures in interactive, inspiring formats. He performs and works at hospitals, retirement homes, clinics, and hospice organizations.

Gregory Wood

Gregory Wood is Assistant Principal Cellist with Symphoria of Syracuse, and was Acting Principal Cello for the 2014-15 season. Mr. Wood has performed as Assistant Principal Cello of the Syracuse Symphony, and as Substitute Cellist for the Detroit Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony. He has also performed with the Syracuse Opera, Finger Lakes Opera, the Cincinnati May Festival in a concert performance of Wagner’s Parsifal, and the Syracuse Symphony concert performance of Wagner’s Flying Dutchman. Currently, he is Adjunct Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University, and is Adjunct Professor of Cello and Strings Repertoire at Onondaga Community College.

Mr. Wood received his Bachelor’s Degree in Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Lynn Harrell, Jack Kirstein, Zara Nelsova, and chamber music with the LaSalle Quartet. He received a Master’s Degree in Music Education from SU and a Master’s Degree in Psychology and Counseling from SUNY Oswego. Mr. Wood has performed as cello soloist with the Syracuse Symphony, as a winner of the CCM concerto competition performing Kabalevsky’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and with the Syracuse University Orchestra in Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 and the Saint Saens Cello Concerto No. 1. He received the Civic Morning Musicals 2006 Excellence in Chamber Music Award has performed numerous recitals for CMM. the Jewell Trio, the Society for New Music, the Skaneateles Festival, and Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music. He also has performed as Principal Cello with the Endless Mountain Music Festival 2019, and with Josh Groban, Roger Daltry, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

PEdro Pereira

A former bassist and adult-onset cellist, I studied bass at Manhattan School of Music under Homer Mensch. After a six-year hiatus and moving to Vermont, I wanted to get back into playing, and was inspired to downsize to the cello after a magical listening experience at Marlboro. I joined the Windham Orchestra not long after taking up the cello, around the year 2000. I studied with Judith Serkin for a time, and later had some significant lessons with David Runnion.

Double Bass

Spencer Phillips

Dr. Spencer Phillips is highly sought after as both an orchestral bassist and chamber musician throughout the United States and abroad. Recent performance engagements include a US tour with the Munich Symphoniker, performances with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, performances with the Michigan Opera Theater, Solo Bassist with the International Chamber Orchestra led by violinist Dimitri Berlinsky, as well as recording the complete Beethoven Symphonies with Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadian, under Jean-Philippe Tremblay.

Dr. Phillips is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, Michigan, where he studied with Derek Weller. He went on to study with Jack Budrow (Michigan State University) and Orin O'Brien (New York Philharmonic) at the Manhattan School of Music,
NYC. He completed his doctorate in music performance with a minor in music theory at the Eastman School of Music where he studied with James VanDemark. He was a prize winner at the International Society of Bassist competition in 2005.

Dr. Phillips is Principal Bass of Symphoria (Syracuse Symphony Orchestra), Tri-City Opera, and the Binghamton Philharmonic. He currently teaches at Syracuse University and is also a radio host for WCNY Classic FM Syracuse.

When he is not playing the double bass Spencer is an avid hockey fan, recreational snooker player, and was a volunteer fireman for the Brooktondale Fire Department, NY. He and his wife currently reside in Jamesville, NY.

Dr. Phillips holds DMA in Music Performance, Minor in Music Theory, Eastman School of Music, an MM in Orchestral Performance, Manhattan School of Music, a BM in Music Performance, Michigan State University and is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy

Evan Runyon

Evan Runyon is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with a repertoire spanning six centuries, active in traditional and modern media across manifold genres. He is a member of L'histoire ensemble Exceptet and double bass quartet Large Furniture; has performed and/or recorded with Klangforum Wien, Talea Ensemble, The Knights, International Contemporary Ensemble, Metropolis Ensemble, Ludovico Ensemble and Ensemble Signal; Raphael Saadiq, Wye Oak, Emily Wells, Thundercat and Slipknot.

Evan is a member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with the American Composers Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra and New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, and has been guest principal with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Wiener Walzer Orchester. A prolific session musician, he has contributed performances and arrangements to tracks with combined streams in the hundreds of millions as well as to scores for major motion pictures, television shows and AAA videogames.

Flute/Piccolo

Robin Matathias

Robin Matathias teaches flute and directs the Flute Ensemble at Keene State College, NH and at the Brattleboro Music Center, VT. She holds a B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.A. degree from The City College of New York. Robin’s principal teachers were Frances Blaisdell and Deirdre McArdle. She has performed on both the East and West coasts as a soloist and in orchestral, opera, musical theater, chamber, and jazz ensembles. She is an active freelance flutist throughout New England and regularly performs in faculty recitals. Before moving to Vermont in 1992, she taught for eleven years in the New York City Public Schools and taught graduate courses at The City College of New York. Robin also teaches Environmental Studies at Keene State College.

Rebecca Sayles

Rebecca caught the music bug as a young student at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, PA. High school summers were spent at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music (Nelson, NH) and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She has remained actively playing ever since. Before moving to New Hampshire in 2018, Rebecca performed regularly throughout the New York area in community orchestras and chamber music ensembles. A 2022 National Flute Association solo competition winner, she currently plays with the Windham Philharmonic and Guilford Festival Orchestra in Vermont, and with the Westmoreland Town Band and River Mill Flutes in New Hampshire. She is the flute instructor at The Putney School (VT).

Rebecca holds an AB cum laude in sociology from Harvard and an MA in international and comparative education from Columbia University Teachers College. She is an independent fundraising consultant and writer on the arts. Her article, “From Women’s Clubs to MeetUps:  Social Influences on Amateur Music-Making in America,” is published in the Oct/Nov 2019 issue of American Music Teacher.

Rebecca resides in Westmoreland, NH with her husband. They have two grown, musical daughters.

She is delighted to embark on her second TUNDI journey.

OBOE/English Horn

Abigail Haines

Abigail Haines developed a passion for playing the oboe at the young age of ten when she began playing in fourth-grade band. Her dedication to performing carried her through high school where she spent weekends playing with the Boston Youth Symphony. This is where her love of orchestral repertoire and specifically opera began. Soon after, she earned her Bachelor’s in Oboe Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying with oboist Fredric Cohen. Over the years, she has attended several summer festivals such as the Domaine Forget, Apple Hill Chamber Workshop, and Rocky Ridge Young Artist Seminar. Currently, Abigail is local to Western Massachusetts where she is a member of several local performing groups such as The Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra and The Valley Winds. Additionally, Abigail discovered a passion for making oboe reeds. She began her business called Haines Oboe Reeds shortly after she graduated. In addition to her work as a reed maker, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in oboe performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After she is finished with her degree she hopes to continue a career as a free-lancer, performer, and reed maker.

Jim Sharrock

Jim Sharrock, English Horn, fell in love with the oboe at age 10, when listening to a recording that turned out to be his future college professor, E. Earnest Harrison. Across the next 50 years, this led him to many wonderful musical experiences including two oboe performance degrees from LSU, playing Principal Oboe in the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, in New Orleans, and across New England; hundreds of orchestra concerts, hundreds of opera and ballet performances (Jim thinks he could still play the Nutcracker from memory), and soloing on Franaix’s The Flower Clock. In New England, the Cor Anglais has become more prominent in his life. He has soloed on Sibelius’ Swan of Tuonela, Coplands’ Quiet City, Schostakovitch’s 8th Symphony, and numerous performances of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. However, playing the epic English Horn solos in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde for Tundi (2019) was more than a musical summit... it was an amazing life experience (beginning with 6 months of decoding Wagner’s phrasing)!
Jim also champions local composers, and has premiered many compositions, including for solo oboe, oboe/English horn with piano, woodwind quintet, orchestra, and chorus. He has been fortunate to be invited to conduct Keene State Orchestra, Monadnock Chorus, Raylynmor Opera, Friends of Messiah., and the Keene Lions Club Annual Musical. He is also a grateful product of 3 public school band directors, Margaret Helms, Ray Borrell, and Pete Phillips, as well as Kennedy Center Oboist Gene Montooth.
Live acoustic music with fine musicians and an appreciative audience is one of the best experiences on the planet.

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

Eric Thomas

Winner of the international Concert Artist Guild competition Eric Thomas is an active performer, a virtuoso clarinetist who has appeared as a guest artist with several groups including the internationally acclaimed Apple Hill Chamber Players (N.H.), the Sylvan Winds of New York City, the Boston Pops Traveling Ensemble, the Bravo! Festival at Vail, the Wellesley Composers Conference and the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival.

As a freelance artist he has toured with Goldovsky Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera New England, The New England Ragtime Ensemble, The New England Conservatory Contemporary Ensemble, and The National Gilbert and Sullivan Tour. He has been a substitute with several orchestras including The Florida Orchestra, The Charlotte Symphony, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York City Opera in the Park Orchestra, The Southwest Florida Orchestra, and the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.

As a composer, his most recent commissions have come from the Sonad Project, Colby College Symphony Orchestra and pianist Ilya Friedberg. Eric has has been a guest lecturer/performer at several colleges and universities including Brown, Harvard, Boston University, Boston Conservatory of Music and Duke.

Presently, Mr. Thomas is Director of Music at the Putney School in Vermont and adjunct faculty at University Maine Augusta.

Stephanie Ratté Jenkins

Stephanie Ratté Jenkins received a B.M. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York and an M.M. in Clarinet Performance from Michigan State University, where she studied under Elsa Verdehr. She performs with Chorus North Shore, Symphony by the Sea, and the Keene Chorale, as well as Infinities Chamber Ensemble, which has performed throughout Massachusetts as a member of Young Audiences. Ms. Jenkins has also performed with Granite State Symphony Orchestra, the Great Waters Music Festival, Hanover Chamber Orchestra, Green Mountain Opera Festival and Granite State Opera. She is on the faculty at the Concord Community Music School where she teaches clarinet and coaches ensembles, she is a lecturer and conducts the Clarinet Choir at Keene State College, she teaches applied clarinet lessons and runs woodwind sectionals at St. Paul’s School, and she teaches privately at her home studio in Goffstown, New Hampshire. In her free time she enjoys gardening, yoga and spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Timothy Young

BASsOON

Diane Lipartito

Bassonist, Diane Lipartito received her BA in music performance from Rowen University, where she studied with Lawrence Stewart. She also worked with Philadelphia Orchestra members Kathleen White-Vigilante and Ferdinand Del Negro, and later with Arthur Weisberg at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she earned her MM in music performance. Her interest in music improvisation led her to pursue studies with David Darling and Bill Schontz. Currently principal bassoonist with the TUNDI Productions opera orchestra, the Windham Philharmonic and both principal and second bassoon with PanOpera, she has also played principal bassoon with the Pioneer Valley Symphony, the Commonwealth Opera and the Williamstown Theatre Festival along with playing both principal and second bassoon with The Keene Chamber Orchestra and Raylynmor Opera. An experienced chamber and orchestra musician, she appears frequently in concerts in western MA, southern VT and southern NH. She likes to organize chamber music concerts and is always curious about new repertoire. Besides teaching bassoon at Keene State College she also teaches bassoon at the Prindle School in Easthampton, MA and privately in her home in Holyoke, MA. Contact Diane at jontoobie@yahoo.com or find her on Facebook or LinkedIn

Monica Schwartz

Bassoonist, Monica Schwartz moved to Vermont from Maryland in 2019. Since then she has performed with the Vermont Symphony, the Valley Winds, the Windham Philharmonic, and ensembles at Dartmouth College. A Washington DC native, she attended the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University earning three bachelors of music in Bassoon Performance, Music Education, and Music Composition, and two masters degrees in Music Education and Music Composition. She was on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory for Bassoon and Music Theory instruction for ten years. She was also an award winning public school band and orchestra director in Howard County Maryland for twelve years. Monica also founded the Gallery Winds Chamber Music camp for talented youth which continues to this day in Ellicott City, MD. She operated Orchard Music Studios for over a decade, a facility that housed her bassoon studio of 25-30 bassoonists and ran regular master classes with distinguished artists such as Frank Morelli, Sue Heineman, Lynn Hileman, Ryan Romine, and others. Many of Monica’s bassoon students have gone on to wonderful careers in music on full scholarship to schools such as Curtis, Yale, Oberlin, Ithaca, Peabody and other fine schools. Also an active performer, Monica was principal of the Columbia Orchestra for many years, and performed the as soloist with them on the Haydn Concertante. With wind quintets being a passion in particular for Monica, she founded many chamber groups in the Washington area and performed recitals regularly with different chamber ensembles over the past twenty years on established concert series. Monica’s principal bassoon teachers include Linda Harwell (National Symphony while at Peabody) and Barrick Stees (Cleveland Orchestra while at Interlochen). As a composer, Monica’s compositions have been played widely locally and abroad, her chamber opera about Lilith; “Wings of Fire” was produced by the Peabody Opera department. Monica’s main composition teachers were Thomas Benjamin, Mark Lanz Weiser, Nicholas Maw, Joel Puckett and Morris Cotel. Since moving to Vermont, Monica has enjoyed raising a flock of egg laying chickens, eating and cooking local food, becoming a certified yoga and meditation instructor and exploring nature with her two boys. She also has two rescued animals: a distinguished old pug of 17 years name Miles (Davis) and a portly cat the kids named Peaches.

Horn

Paul Hadley

Peter Guidi

Peter Guidi is a performer and horn teacher in the Keene area. He studied at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst under the tuition of Laura Klock and Dr. Joshua Michal, where he received both his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance as well as a Professional Performance Certificate. He later completed a Master’s degree in Music Performance at Bowling Green State University in Ohio with Dr. Andrew Pelletier. While living in Ohio, Peter was a mentor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s civic ensembles, where he taught and ran sectionals for the youth orchestra and wind ensemble’s horn sections. Additional training was done at Kendall Betts’ Horn Camp, where he studied with A. Kendall Betts and renowned soloists Herman Baumann and Bernhard Scully.

Peter has performed with numerous ensembles including the Adrian Symphony, Amherst Symphony, Windham Orchestra, Keene Chamber Orchestra, and the New England Repertory Orchestra, among others. Chamber music experience includes multiple performances with the UMass faculty wind quintet Avanti Plus, as well as being a founding member of the horn quartet 'Fourte!'. Peter has performed in masterclasses for Frøydis Ree Wekre, Michael Hatfield, Bruce Hennis, Gustavo Camacho, Bruce Hudson and Ellen Dinwiddie Smith.

SARAH PERRIN

TRUMPET

DAN FARINA

Trombone

Caroline Cole

"Mein Schlaf ist Träumen, mein Träumen Sinnen, mein Sinnen Walten des Wissens...Wirr wird mir, seit ich erwacht: wild und kraus kreis’t die Welt!" -Erda, Act 3 of "Siegfried" by Wagner.

In the past year I've found my spirit awoken abruptly as if out of troubled, brooding dreams. Like Erda, I've been awoken nearly against my will into a wild, changed world I no longer recognize and no longer know my place in. Where I've been and what I've done in life no longer carries much meaning for me in this strange, new world.

Yet I'm drawn ever more to the work we do with Tundi, specifically the dedication to "performing music that addresses the most burning issues of being human." Grappling with the complexities of performing Wagner ... performing anything at all ... performing anything against the backdrop of tremendous grief and loss we're all experiencing.

But are these not the most burning issues of being human? Is this not perhaps the reason we perform? Together, the extremely talented musicians and artists of Tundi bring these Wagnerian works to life in ways that are both grand and humble, and always deeply human.

Who am I then? I am Erda, except I can't go back to sleep. I am a musician. I am an artist. I am a soldier. I am here.

Kristoffer Danielsen

Dr. Kristoffer Danielsen is a freelance trombonist and educator active throughout New England. In addition to maintaining an extensive private teaching studio, Kris is on the faculty of Westfield State University and Western New England University and has performed with the Albany Symphony, Lowell Chamber Orchestra, Cape Symphony, Portland Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Handel Society, Moscow Ballet, Nautilus Brass Quintet, Massachusetts Chamber Players, Pioneer Valley Symphony, Windham Symphony, Keene Chamber Orchestra, and Keene Jazz Orchestra. Kris is currently the bass trombonist of The Valley Winds, an American Prize-winning wind ensemble based in Western Massachusetts. He can be heard on the Grammy-nominated recordings “Fantastique” (MSR) and “Johan De Meij: The Symphonies” (NAXOS), and has been a guest recitalist and masterclass presenter at Umass Amherst. In addition to playing alto, tenor, and bass trombone, Kris also plays the euphonium and bass trumpet professionally and is the founder of The Valley Bones, a low brass chamber ensemble based in the Pioneer Valley.

 A native of western Massachusetts, Kris holds degrees from The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University (B.M. 2010), the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (M.M. 2013), and Boston University (D.M.A. 2018). He has studied with Greg Spiridopoulos, Gabe Langfur Rice, Toby Oft, James Olin, David Fedderly, and Steven Kellner. Kris has also attended the Spectrum Brass Seminar at the Bay View Chamber Music Festival and the Alessi Seminar in Eugene, Oregon, served on the faculties of Shepherd University Trombone Day, Artspace Greenfield, The Prindle School, Northampton Community Music School, and Belchertown Public Schools, and has been published in Massachusetts Music News. 

Teaching Philosophy: My approach as a teacher is to meet each student where they are at the start of every lesson and build strong fundamental instrumental technique that allows the student to explore music in their own way. My goal is to remove barriers to musical curiosity and expression. These barriers might consist of faulty technique, difficulty reading music, or struggles with confidence and self-worth. I try to guide students through breaking down these barriers so they can grow in their enjoyment of music and achieve their own goals.

John T. Hart

Dr. John T. Hart Jr. serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Keene State College, directing the Concert Band and co-coordinating the Music Education program. He also coordinates the Music Department’s woodwind, brass, and percussion areas. Dr. Hart has performed with and conducted many of the Northeast’s top ensembles, including the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Hartt Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, Hartford Opera Theatre, the Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra, Valley Winds, and Winchendon Winds. As an active clinician, he has conducted festivals and workshops throughout the Northeast. He especially enjoys working with living composers, and is a strong advocate for the creation of new wind ensemble music to better represent marginalized populations.

Dr. Hart also designs, publishes, and presents empirical research on music teacher education and conducting methods. His publications appear in Music Educators Journal, Contributions to Music Education, and Journal of Music Teacher Education. He has presented at the state, regional, and national levels. Dr. Hart received a Ph.D. in Music Education and a Master of Music Education from The Hartt School, and a B.A. in Music from Gettysburg College. He is a member of NAfME, NHMEA, SMTE, AERA, Conductors Guild, CBDNA, College Music Society, and the academic music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda. Dr. Hart performs on S.E. Shires Custom trombones, Besson euphoniums, and Eastman tubas.

TUBA

Susan Lemei

Dr. Susan Lemei is a recently retired family physician. Prior to medical school, she received a BM in Music History from the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific. Graduate study began in Ohio at Bowling Green State University where she was a student of Ivan Hammond. She later transferred to the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and received her Masters in Music History and Criticism. While In Baltimore, she performed widely with a specialty in brass quintet and small ensemble literature. The Imperial Brass Quintet played throughout the Baltimore-Washington area and was a selected participant in the International Brass Quintet Festival competition. Eventually realizing that she had additional gifts to offer (and needed a much better day job), she prepared herself for medical school and matriculated at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. There was a necessary musical hiatus of 13 years, only resuming regular playing upon her arrival in Vermont in 2004. She is a member of the Windham Philharmonic and the Keene Chamber Orchestra, the Monadnock Brass Quintet, and plays with several other musical groups in the region. Since 2017 she has been the director of the Brattleboro American Legion Band and has been on the board of the Brattleboro Music Center since 2018.

Percussion

Rocío Mora

Rocío Mora has a bachelor's degree in music education from New York University and earned her master's degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Vermont. A classically trained percussionist specializing in timpani, Rocío received her training at Juilliard, NYU and LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts. Performing extensively in NYC before moving to Vermont 18 years ago, she currently performs all over New England and calls Brattleboro home. She has played with the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, Windham Orchestra, Opera Company of Middlebury, Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra, Burlington Civic Symphony, Green Mountain Mahler Festival, Montpelier Chamber Orchestra and Vermont Symphonic Winds. A native of Colombia, she is also fluent in Spanish.

Andrew Armstrong

Andrew studied at University of Massachusetts Amherst with Professors Ayano Kataoka and Thom Hannum where he was a Music Education major. Andrew is currently a percussion instructor and private lessons teacher in the Pioneer Valley. Andrew has his hands in various ensembles ranging from Marching Band, Winter Percussion, Drum Corps and Concert Band just to name a few. In his performance life, Andrew has played in several different groups in the Pioneer Valley area and beyond.

KEYBOARD

Jerry Noble

Pianist/guitarist/composer Clifton J. Noble, Jr. is a sought-after musical collaborator who performs across a wide range of genres and styles. His original compositions and arrangements have been played by professional and student choral and instrumental ensembles and by soloists throughout the U.S. and around the world. The music he composes reflects a diverse and eclectic range of influences. Noble’s works are published by Subito Music, Warner Chappell, and ArtistTec, Inc., a company founded and managed with his wife, writer and editor Kara Noble. His compositions have been recorded by artists including saxophonist Lynn Klock, the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus, Anima: The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, and violinist Joel Pitchon. From 1986 until his retirement in 2020, Noble accompanied faculty, staff, students, and ensembles in the Smith College Music Department as a collaborative pianist. He has written classical music features and reviews for the Springfield Republican newspapers since 1988. He holds a BA from Amherst College (1983) and an MA from Smith College (1988), where he studied composition with M. Lewis Spratlan and Donald Wheelock.