Principal, Flute

Rebecca Tryon Andres

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1975

Rebecca Tryon Andres is principal flutist of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and is proud to have been a member of the CCO since before its first subscription season. Many of her most satisfying musical experiences have taken place with the CCO, and she dearly treasures making music with her fabulous colleagues both in the orchestra and the CCO principals’ quintet.

Rebecca is principal flutist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, a member of the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, and has performed often with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pops and May Festival. Currently on the faculty of Miami University, she has taught at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University and the University of Dayton.

She is a graduate of The Ohio State University, holds a Master of Music degree from CCM, and a diploma from the Académie Internationale d’Été, Nice, France. She has studied with Jack Wellbaum, Donald McGinnis, Raymond DeMattia, Kyril Magg and in the extended masterclasses of Jean-Pierre Rampal, William Bennett, James Pellerite and Geoffrey Gilbert.
Rebecca says that her teachers were a huge musical influence. “The first time I heard my early teacher, Raymond DeMattia, my ears and heart were opened to the tonal possibilities of the flute. That’s something I have carried with me always. Discipline and technical skills came from Donald McGinnis, precision and piccolo excellence from Jack Wellbaum, musical inspiration from Rampal and Bennett and so many others.”

A Life Member of the National Flute Association, she has served as Secretary, has been Copy Editor of the Flutist Quarterly, and has chaired the Young Artist Competition. She wrote and appears in the instructional video Maestro Introduces the Flute. Her published arrangements include Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus for flute choir, and woodwind trio arrangements of music by Grieg and Joplin. She has written several articles for Flute Talk magazine.

Principal, Cello

Patrick Binford

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2002

Concertmaster, Violin

Celeste Golden Boyer

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2017

Celeste Golden Boyer became the second associate concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2011. Celeste began her musical studies at three years of age. When she was nine years old, she became a student of Arkady Fomin, violinist in the Dallas Symphony, and at fifteen, Celeste was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Jaime Laredo and Ida Kavafian. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Curtis in 2005, and in 2007, she received a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with David Cerone and Paul Kantor.

Celeste is a laureate of several national and international competitions. Most notably, she was the Bronze Medalist at the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in 2006. Celeste has appeared as soloist with numerous symphony orchestras around the world, including the St. Louis Symphony, the Latvian Chamber Orchestra in Riga, Latvia, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has appeared in series and festivals such as the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, the Festival de San Miguel de Allende, the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, the Innsbrook Institute Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Marlboro Music Festival.

Celeste was the concertmaster of the New York String Orchestra Seminar in 2005 with concerts at Carnegie Hall. She also performed as concertmaster for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in the New York City premiere of John Adams’ opera, “A Flowering Tree” at Lincoln Center in 2009. She is thrilled to be joining the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra as concertmaster in the upcoming season.

Ms. Boyer resides in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband of seven years, Brandon Boyer, and their children: Charlotte, who is 4 years old, and Benjamin who is 2.

Principal, French Horn

Aaron Brant

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2012

Coalescing dual roles as artist and teacher, Aaron Brant performs a heavy volume of orchestral and chamber music concerts as well as teaches a wide array of students.

In addition to his responsibilities as principal horn of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Aaron serves as principal hornist with the Dayton Philharmonic where he has been featured as a concerto soloist. Aaron also performs regularly with the Cincinnati Symphony, periodically as guest Associate Principal Horn.As an educator, Aaron teaches horn at the University of Dayton and at Wright State University.

He has previously taught at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic Educational Brass Quintet, aka the Carillon Brass. Aaron also spent seven years teaching SPARK lessons in select 3rd and 4th grade classrooms in the Miami-Valley (SPARK was a DPO educational program where musicians teach State of Ohio common core curriculum using musical vehicles).

Before moving to Dayton Aaron was the principal horn of the South Bend Symphony for four seasons. In South Bend he made his solo debut in 2009, performing the Horn Concerto No. 1 of Richard Strauss. Aaron also spent four seasons as third horn of the Ann Arbor Symphony, frequently filling in as principal horn. He has also worked extensively with the Grand Rapids Symphony.

His primary teachers were Alan DeMattia of the Cleveland Orchestra, Randy Gardner (CCM) former member of both the CCO and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Peter Landgren (Peabody Institute) formerly of the Baltimore Symphony.

Viola

Belinda Reuning Burge

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2017

A native of Ithaca, New York, violist Belinda Reuning Burge has been living in the Cincinnati area for over 20 years. Belinda received degrees from the Curtis Institute and the Eastman School of Music. A former member of the Louisville Orchestra, she was also principal violist of both the West Virginia Symphony and the Lancaster music festival. Belinda has always been an avid chamber music player, and has been a member of several string quartets, including the Vanadium, Montani, Duveneck and Trillium string quartets. She has performed at the Siena chamber music series in Westwood, Kentucky Chamber Players, Sunday at Central in Columbus, the Taft Museum series, and the Portland Chamber Music Festival. She has also played extensively with the Cincinnati Symphony, traveling with them on several international and domestic tours. Currently, Belinda is a member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, is principal viola in the Richmond Symphony (IN) and is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic. She also has a teaching studio and is a member of the Swenson String Quartet. Belinda lives with her husband and two children in Montgomery.

Violin

Kiki Bussell

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1984

Kiki Bussell grew up in Long Beach, California. She received her BFA in violin studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Influential teachers included Alice Schoenfeld, Yoko Matsuda, and Heiichiro Ohyama. Her summers were spent at Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, studying violin and chamber music with Zoltan Szekely, Lorand Fenyves and Cecil Aronowitz.

Kiki joined the Pacifica String Quartet, and won the prestigious Barstow Award, Coleman Competition in 1982. In Los Angeles she was active in the motion picture recording industry, and was a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Pasadena Symphony.

Kiki is married to Lon Bussell, Associate Principal Oboe in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They have three grown children and live with their dog and cat in Anderson Township.

When she’s not playing the violin, Kiki can be found reading a book under a tree in Mexico or hiking somewhere way up high in the Swiss Alps.

Cello

Nathaniel Chaitkin

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2009

Nathaniel Chaitkin enjoys a wide-ranging career as a cellist, teacher and advocate for concert music. He has made several appearances as soloist with orchestra, including a performance of the Schumann Concerto which the Washington Post praised for its “engaging flair and commitment.” He has been heard in recital on CBC Radio, on WFMT Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess series, at the National Gallery of Art and the Banff Centre. He has recorded for Albany Records.

In 2012, Nat was awarded the City of Cincinnati’s Artist Ambassador Fellowship, performing in community centers, libraries and offices. His programs, called Bach and Boombox, places classical cello pieces alongside pop recordings to show how all music works the same way. In 2015, Nat founded 4-Way, Cincinnati’s String Quartet, which offers accessible, innovative performances in community settings, as well as free lessons to underserved children in Kennedy Heights.

Nat teaches at the Preparatory Division of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has also taught at Michigan State University and Georgetown University. He is a member of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and was previously a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony and the “President’s Own” U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra.

Nathaniel Chaitkin graduated from the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School, where he studied with Ardyth Alton. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, as well as a B.A. in History at the University of Michigan, and a doctorate at the University of Maryland. His teachers included Jeffrey Solow, Nina deVeritch, Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, Evelyn Elsing and David Soyer.

Clarinet

Miriam Culley

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1985

Miriam Culley has enjoyed playing with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra for over 25 years. She is also presently principal clarinet in the Richmond (IN) Symphony and has been a regular substitute/extra on clarinet, E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet for many seasons in the Dayton Philharmonic.

One of Cincinnati’s top free-lance musicians, Miriam has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, as well as the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Ballet Orchestra and the Lexington Philharmonic.

Miriam received her Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and her Master of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. In the summer she has performed with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in Chautauqua, NY, and has also participated in many summer music festivals, including the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, the Great Woods Institute and the Aspen Music Festival.

As a chamber musician, Miriam’s accolades include first place prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (woodwind quintet), and a top ten finish in the Munich Competition, also with woodwind quintet.

In addition to her performance career, Miriam maintains a thriving teaching studio; many of her students have participated in both District and All State bands.

Miriam is married to a percussionist and has two amazing daughters. She also enjoys a playing with her two fluffy cats, Rosco and Suki.

Violin

Jacquie Fennell

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1986

Jacquie Fennell has enjoyed playing violin with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1986. She also plays regularly with Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra of the Rockies and Ohio Valley Symphony. Jacquie also performs as substitute violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Oregon Bach Festival and Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

Jacquie received her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Peter Salaff of the Cleveland Quartet, and her Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, studying with Walter Levine of the LaSalle Quartet. Additional teachers include Paul Kantor, Jorja Fleezanis, John Celentano and Phil Ruder.

Also active as a teacher, Jacquie holds an adjunct teaching position at Cincinnati Christian University and maintains a private violin studio. Past teaching experience includes positions in the prep department at the Eastman School of Music, Cincinnati’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts and directing the Suzuki program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music prep department. For the past several years, Jacquie and her students have provided violin lessons to youth at an inner-city ministry in Newport, Kentucky.

Violin

Kristin Frankenfeld

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1984

Kristin (Kris) Frankenfeld performs frequently in the Tri-State area as a member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, she has been featured on the Taft and Linton Chamber series, and plays regularly with the Hawthorne String Quartet.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, she holds both Bachelor and Masters degrees. Prior to moving to Cincinnati in 1984, Kris was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Symphony. She also served as Concertmaster of the Lincoln Symphony in Lincoln, Nebraska for two years.

Kris enjoys fitness activities and spending time with her golden retriever.

Violin

Sarah Gannon

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1983

Cello

Tom Guth

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Tom has been an active orchestral and chamber musician in the Cincinnati area for over 20 years since graduating from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

He is an associate member with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and principal cello of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. He has played with the Cincinnati Symphony and can often be seen in the Dayton Philharmonic cello section as well. On Sundays you can find him playing the organ at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Madeira.

Tom resides in West Chester with his wife and three kids, where he maintains a private cello studio.

Principal, Trumpet

Ashley Hall

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Ashley Hall is an internationally renowned trumpet soloist, chamber musician, clinician and coach. From small rural villages in the developing world to grand concert halls, both personally and professionally Ashley has engaged in her passion for building community and inviting people into the experience of music as a tool for connection.

As the principal trumpet of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Ashley enjoys regular cross-discipline artistic collaborations in non-traditional and traditional performance spaces in connection with their highly successful Summermusik Festival. She also held the position of third trumpet with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra from 2003-2012, and has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Winston-Salem Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Asheville Symphony, New World Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

Her work as a soloist and recitalist has taken her around the globe including performances in Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Mexico and China. Recent career highlights include solo appearances in Taipei, Taiwan with the Grace Orchestra, multiple performances of B Minor Mass, and cornet solos with the North Carolina Brass Band, Lexington Brass Band, Atlantic Brass Band and the Sheldon Theatre Brass Band. As Concert Master of the New England Brass Band and founding member of the electro-acoustic trumpet quintet Fifth Bridge, Ashley enjoys a busy and diverse performance calendar. Recent highlights include multiple solo recital tours, national and international tours with Carolina Brass and Stiletto Brass Quintet, an Asia tour with the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, returning as guest artist to the Great American Brass Band Festival, and being the featured trumpet solo artist and clinician at both the International Women’s Brass Conference and the National Trumpet Competition.

Ashley is on trumpet faculty at the Longy School of Music and also manages the school’s innovative Career Coaching Program – a program designed to help students craft meaningful careers in the arts that are congruous with their personal values and goals. She has held other collegiate teaching positions at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, St. Olaf College and the University of Dayton. Ashley combines her passion for whole-person development with a methodical approach to trumpet improvement. Her teaching on respiratory mechanics, strategic practice planning, upper register development, and her personal stories of struggle and growth make her one of the most sought-after guest clinicians and educators on the trumpet.

With significant experience in arts leadership and education, Ashley served on the board of directors for the Rochester Symphony (MN), helping the Symphony reimagine its Educational Outreach programming. In collaboration with the Dayton Arts Institute, she and her husband developed “Art and Music: Making the Connection” – an educational program helping students to see the connections between visual art and music as they evolved over time. She currently assists the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra with their strategic planning initiatives, and loves to see the arts used as a powerful tool for community engagement and human connection.

Ashley’s passion for community engagement through the arts has taken on many iterations over the years but remains a focus of everything she does as an artist and teacher. She taught weekly early childhood music classes for Half Pint Harmonies to families in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and offered a free weekly course sponsored by the YMCA literacy program integrating principles of English as a second language into the Music Class curriculum for local refugee families. Additionally, Ashley loves organizing community “Brass Jams” during free outdoor Brass Band concerts, inviting kids of all ages to participate in the experience of music with those on stage. Ashley recently developed an interactive, multi-media brass quintet show called “Folk Tales: The Art of Story” which has been featured at the Cincinnati Children’s Theatre and the Forsyth County Public Library.

As an active recording artist, Ashley frequently enjoys time in the studio collaborating on new projects. She recorded a new CD in 2018 called JUHLAT: Festivals and Celebrations with the Brass Septet, Ameriikan Poijat. In 2019, she was one of the featured artists on the International Trumpet Guild’s recordings of the Brandt Etudes. Ashley also recorded a PBS Special with Carolina Brass and the North Carolina Master Chorale called the “Joy of the Season” which will be aired every holiday season between 2017-2019. “Christmas Wrapped in Brass” (2017) also features Ashley in the solo cornet section of the North Carolina Brass Band. In the fall of 2007, Ashley released her debut album entitled Behold Him, a collection of hymns for solo trumpet, and she has recorded two CD’s with EUROBRASS, Give Thanks to the Lord and Worthy is the Lord.

Mrs. Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and an artist diploma from the Longy School of Music.

When not traveling and performing, she enjoys her second career as a mother to two incredible children, Morgan and Kevin, and as a wife/best friend to Nathan Tighe.

She proudly endorses GR Mouthpieces.

Assistant Concertmaster, Violin

Sujean Kim

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Violinist Sujean Kim has been widely praised for her dynamism as a concertmaster, chamber musician, and soloist. Since she was ten years old, she has appeared on television programs such as Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” and “That’s Incredible!” and has played in concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and at the White House. She has worked under the batons of Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, Zubin Mehta, Sir Georg Solti, and Hugh Wolff, and has performed for audiences throughout North America, as well as in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Russia and Korea.

Ms. Kim is the concertmaster of the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony and the assistant concertmaster of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of 4-Way, a string quartet that concertizes and provides free private strings lessons to underserved students. In addition to her freelance work, she is an assistant teacher at a Montessori school. Ms. Kim holds degrees from Princeton and Northwestern universities. The Los Angeles native resides in Over-the-Rhine with her husband and two sons.

Associate Concertmaster, Violin

Amy Kiradjieff

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Violinist Amy Kiradjieff has performed nationally and internationally with orchestras, chamber ensembles and in recital settings. Currently, she is the associate concertmaster of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, second violinist in the Oxford String Quartet at Miami University, and principal second violinist of Collegium Cincinnati.

As an orchestral musician, Amy has performed as a freelance violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic and the Louisville Orchestra. She has performed on several tours with the Cincinnati Symphony, including Europe, Asia and several national tours. Amy was concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and during her tenure, the orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. The performance was featured on the CBS Program 60 Minutes.

Chamber music performances include appearances on the Taft Music Series in Cincinnati and many small ensemble series events with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Amy has collaborated with violinist Chee-Yun, pianist Joyce Yang, cellist Joshua Roman and guitarist Roger Klug, as well as with members of both the Chicago and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras. While a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, her quartet was featured both on WFMT Radio in Chicago and the Marshall Field’s Day of Music for the opening of Symphony Center in Chicago.

As a soloist, Amy has appeared with numerous orchestras, including the Racine Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Brevard Music Festival Orchestra and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.

Amy has participated in many music festivals, including Brevard, Aspen and the Luxembourg International Music Festival where she was principal second violin of the festival chamber orchestra. She has served on faculty at Miami University for a decade.

Amy holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as well as a master’s degree from the DePaul University School of Music.

Principal, Clarinet

John Kurokawa

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2005

John Kurokawa currently performs as principal clarinetist of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. The press applauds his “…warmth, communication, and easy virtuosity” (Cincinnati Enquirer) and “truly flawless technique and intonation… a tone as smooth as silk and velvet.” (Kettering-Oakwood Times). He has been a featured soloist with both ensembles, performing the works of Mozart, John Williams, Gerald Finzi and John Adams. In the summer Kurokawa performs as principal clarinetist of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’s festival, Summermusik, and has also performed as guest Eb clarinetist and guest principal clarinetist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera. An avid chamber musician, he gives educational concerts at schools all over the Miami Valley with the Dayton Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet and is a founding member of the Prestige Clarinet Quartet, which has been a featured ensemble at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, International Clarinet Association Clarinetfest, and many other universities and national symposia.

Kurokawa is also the Instructor of Clarinet at Wright State University. In addition to teaching applied clarinet, he teaches courses in woodwind chamber music, woodwind pedagogy and music education. He has performed on the International Double Reed Society Conference, published articles in the Triad, presented at the Ohio Music Education Association Conference and Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and in 2013, was one of twenty faculty members recognized by Wright State University for Excellence in Teaching General Education. A highly sought after teacher and clinician, he continues to present masterclasses and clinics for colleges, high schools and youth orchestras across the Midwest.

Kurokawa holds the B.M. in woodwind performance (specializing in clarinet, flute, and saxophone) from Bowling Green State University and the M.M. in clarinet performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Angelo Fortini, Edward Marks and Ronald deKant.

Kurokawa performs exclusively on the Yamaha CSVR Clarinet and Yamaha Custom 881 Eb Clarinet and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Flute

Susan Magg

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1995

Susan Magg, second flutist and piccolo player, has been a member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1995.

From 1992 to 2011, she frequently appeared as a substitute with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, including performing with them on tour in Europe and Asia and participating in several of their recordings. She was principal flutist of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra from 1993 to 2015, and is the former piccolo player of the Ohio Valley Symphony and the Richmond (IN) Symphony.

Susan served as Acting Principal Flutist of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra from 2001 to 2002, and has also been a member of the American Institute of Musical Studies Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria. During the summers of 2006 to 2008, she was on the staff of, and performed in, the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy.

Since moving to Florida in 2011, Susan has been very active in the Southeast, performing with such orchestras as the Hilton Head Symphony and the Charleston Symphony, and touring with the orchestras of Teatro Lirico D’Europa, Il Volo and Zelda.

Susan was the faculty flute instructor at the College of Mount St. Joseph from 1995 to 2011, and has also taught on the faculties of Wright State University and Marshall University. She and her husband, retired CSO flutist Kyril Magg, have played many chamber music concerts together, in which the two flutists were featured in combination with a variety of other musicians.

When she’s not playing the flute, Susan loves taking long walks on the beaches and through the maritime forests, and traveling with her husband.

Principal, Bassoon

Hugh Michie

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1993

By the sixth grade, Hugh Michie knew his career would be that of a bassoonist. After encouragement from his family, Hugh began playing the bassoon in the fourth grade under the instruction of Ferdinand Del Negro, a former member of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Hugh earned his Bachelor’s of Music with a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with David van Hoesen; and his Master of Music from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Norman Herzberg.

In the spring of 1990, Hugh was appointed second bassoonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He has been principal of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1993 and has soloed with the ensemble twice.

Principal, Oboe

Christopher Philpotts

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1998

Chris was drawn to the oboe because his mother had some LPs that featured the instrument. An oboist by the name of Mitchell Miller was the soloist. According to Chris:“I found out later that he was Mitch Miller. Mitch was a rather strong pop icon in my mother’s day with the show “Sing Along with Mitch.” I switched to the oboe as soon as I was allowed.”

Christopher Philpotts attended Boston University for two years, but then transferred to Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. It was there that he met his wife Pam, who was a cello major and is now a Montessori teacher for Cincinnati Public Schools. Chris and Pam have three children: twin daughters (Kira and Becca) and a son (Jacob). His most significant teacher was James Caldwell. He was professor of oboe at Oberlin, and Chris would travel up to study and visit with him. For English horn, Lou Rosenblatt of the Philadelphia Orchestra was a great influence. He also studied with John Holmes and Ralph Gomberg at B.U., DeVere Moore and Sara Bloom at CCM, and Richard Johnson and Bill Harrod from the CSO.

Chris has performed in the Cincinnati area for most of his adult life. He started his professional career here in Pro-Musica of Cincinnati as Principal Oboe. He also performed for several years in “Wolfgang” Chamber Orchestra as Principal Oboe. In addition to these fine ensembles, other chamber orchestra experiences including Pro-Musica of Columbus and Dayton Bach Society, provided him with a level of musical satisfaction that compelled him to continue to pursue chamber orchestra playing as one of his passions. He has been Principal Oboist with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1988. During this time period he has worked with many fine conductors and musicians, has enjoyed wonderful music, has performed in New York’s Town Hall, has recorded with the orchestra and has been a featured soloist on both English horn and oboe several times.

Early in his career, Chris also had the honor of subbing on a regular basis with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He was delighted to become a full time member of the CSO in the 2000-2001 season. He is currently the Principal English Hornist in the CSO. He has happily performed in two European tours and in one tour of Japan, in addition to several East Coast performances including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center with this orchestra.

Chris is a multi-talented artist, who also enjoys playing jazz and fusion and has produced and played on many CD’s as a sideman. He has a solo CD out now titled “Harvest Song” which can be found on iTunes or a hard copy can be purchased from www.cdbaby.com/cd/ChrisPhilpotts. Chris enjoys writing, recording and producing music in his home studio where he spends way too much time!

Bassoon

Amy Pollard

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2007

Amy Marinello Pollard is the associate professor of bassoon at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. She formerly served as lecturer of bassoon at Baylor University and has also been on faculty at the University of Dayton and the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts. During the summer she has been on the faculty of the Interlochen Arts Center Advanced Bassoon Institute. She is currently second bassoonist with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and principal bassoon of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. She has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

Amy has performed as a soloist with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony as well as with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Chamber Players. An avid chamber musician, she has performed at venues throughout the United States and also in Ireland, Belgium, and Argentina with such groups as the Col Legno Duo, the Georgia Woodwind Quintet, the Baylor University Woodwind Quintet, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Woodwind Quintet, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Chamber Players.

Amy received her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University.

Amy has been a member of the CCO since 2007 and is a passionate participant in chamber ensembles. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, cooking and traveling. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her husband, Scott, and dog, Whiskey. Amy says that Stravinsky is her favorite composer “because he writes fantastic bassoon parts and his music is fascinating in regard to structure and melody.”

Violin

Junqi Tang

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2018

Violinist Junqi Tang, has actively performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra musician in China and in the USA. She currently plays with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as a part-time member, and has performed with the Dayton Philharmonic, Flint Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony and Southwest Florida Symphony. She is a member of Cincinnatus String Quartet which received a Special Prize in 2016 Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China.

During her studies, Ms. Tang has been a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, the Asian Youth Orchestra, National Arts Centre in Canada, Sarasota Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival and Great Wall International Music Festival.

She was concertmaster at Renmin University in Beijing and the McDuffie Center for Strings. She has been a member of the YouTube Symphony 2011 in Sydney, Australia and in the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa under Pinchas Zukerman.

She currently teaches as faculty member of the Starling Preparatory Program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and at the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing.

Ms. Tang received her Bachelor degree from Renmin University in China, her Master Degree from University of Southern California, Artist Diploma from the McDuffie Center for Strings. She is completing her DMA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Her teachers have included Kurt Sassmannshaus, Robert McDuffie, David Halen, Amy Moretti, Alexandra Kazovsky, Jan Grüning (Viola), Suli Xue, Hsiaowei Chen and Lingwei Xu.

Principal, Double Bass

Deborah Taylor

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1977

Deborah Taylor, Principal Double Bass, auditioned for the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra at the invitation of then conductor and founder Paul Nadler, and joined the orchestra in the fall of 1977.

She was born and raised in Hays, Kansas and received both a B.S. in Elementary Education (Cum Laude) in 1973 and a B.M. in Music Education (Magna Cum Laude) in 1974 from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. After teaching public school (both grade 2 and orchestra grades 3-12) in Kansas and Idaho from 1973-77, she earned a M.M. in Double Bass Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati in 1979. Major teachers have included Barry Green, Paul Ellison, and Francois Rabbath.

She has served as adjunct professor on the faculties of CCM-University of Cincinnati from 1979-95, Wright State University from 1979-88 and Idaho State University from 1975-76. Currently, she maintains a private teaching studio of double bass and cello students. She is married to Karlton Taylor, a violinist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and bowmaker/repairman. They have three adult children; twin daughters Jessica and Rachel and son Adam.

In addition to playing with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Debbie joined the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in 1977 and was later named Principal Double Bass in 1986; a post she still maintains. Other Dayton Philharmonic affiliations include the Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet. She has been a regular substitute bassist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, and Cincinnati Opera since 1978 and has enjoyed several long-term appointments with the CSO. She has also been affiliated with the Cincinnati Ballet since 1978. Professional honors and affiliations include Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Iota, guest clinician for the International Double Bass 1982 Competition and Workshop, Isle of Man, British Isles, life member of the International Society of Bassists, as well as past Executive Assistant of the International Society of Bassists.

French Horn

Brooke Ten Napel

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2019

Brooke Ten Napel is an active orchestral and chamber music performer in the Greater Cincinnati area, joining the CCO in 2019.

Originally from Sibley, Iowa, she holds degrees from Luther College (B.A.) and University of Cincinnati CCM (M.M., A.D.). In addition to being third horn of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, she performs regularly with the Louisville Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Lexington Philharmonic and various other ensembles. Brooke also serves as Adjunct Professor of Horn at Xavier University.

Viola

Wendy VanderMolen

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1987

Violist Wendy VanderMolen is a native Cincinnatian who discovered the viola by sheer accident. Inspired by the CSYO violin performances of her cousin Barry Sargent (now Director of the Orquestra Barroca de Mallorca), she began to badger her parents for a violin of her own. At the age of nine, Wendy’s persistence paid off in the form of an instrument that produced mysteriously sonorous and velvety tones. In time, puzzlement yielded to fascination with the instrument’s peculiarities, not least of which was the rare alto clef of viola music, which she had never encountered in piano training.

Wendy grew up in Anderson Township. As a fourth-grader at Anderson Elementary School she joined the orchestra class of Dale Swisher, current Music Director of the Blue Ash Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was a longtime student of Raymond Stillwell, former violist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and former Principal Violist of the CCO. In her senior year at Anderson, Wendy was co-winner of that school’s Senior Solo Competition, when she and her friend Miriam Sturm (now a violinist with the John Mellencamp Band) were permitted to enter the contest as a duo.

Upon graduation, Wendy enrolled at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she attained degrees in viola performance and enjoyed the challenge of expanding her orchestral repertoire under the baton of Teri Murai, now of the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Wendy has been a member of the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra since 1978, a member of the CCO since 1987 and Principal Violist of the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony since 1998. She is the violist for Cincinnati’s Hawthorne String Quartet, and has enjoyed the camaraderie of this ensemble for fifteen years.

In addition to the classical repertoire, Ms. VanderMolen enjoys popular music and music theatre. Wendy has performed with a variety of stars such as Bernadette Peters, Tony Bennett, Sarah Brightman and Johnny Mathis. She has enjoyed playing Broadway shows at the Aronoff Center and her dream job would be playing on Broadway!

The music of Mahler is Wendy’s favorite to play in a classical setting. The viola passages are magnificent to hear and play. Currently, a compilation by film score composer John Barry, Moviola, is spinning in the kitchen boom box. Although Mahler and Barry are decades apart, they both have a gift for writing gorgeous melodies and harmonies… and for keeping the viola section busy!

Ms. VanderMolen teaches viola and violin at her home studio in College Hill, where she lives with her husband Terry Donohue and her son Ryan, who enjoys the opportunity of studying with CCO cellist Tom Guth as well as training at Cincinnati Public Schools. She claims sole rights to Ohio VIOLA license plates.

Principal, Second Violin

Manami White

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1988

Manami White has performed both nationally and internationally with orchestra, chamber ensembles, and in numerous recital settings. She is principal second violin and personnel manager of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she is concertmaster and associate director of Cincinnati Bach Festival and Cincinnati Collegium, concertmaster of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, principal second violin of Cincinnati Bach Ensemble and an associate member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She has also toured internationally with the American Sinfonietta. Manami’s solo performances include appearances with the North Florida Symphony Orchestra, MUSE and the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing, Manami is on faculty at Xavier University.

Trumpet

Wesley Woolard

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1998

Wesley Woolard originally became a member of the CCO in 1980 while a graduate student at CCM. Upon graduation, Wesley took a brief hiatus of 17 years before rejoining the ensemble as second trumpet in 1998.

A native of Central Illinois, Wesley began playing trumpet in elementary school. Experiences as an exchange student in Belgium helped steer him toward a career in music.

Wesley has played with the Belgian Radio Orchestra and was Principal Trumpet with the Veracruz (Mexico) Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with all local major orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras, the Dayton Philharmonic, and the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra. In addition to his position of second trumpet with the CCO, Wesley is principal trumpet with the Richmond (IN) Symphony Orchestra.

Outside of music and his family, his main passion is cycling, particularly 100+ mile events. He has cycled throughout Europe and the United States. This summer marks Wes’ sixth year participating in the RAIN ride, a 162-mile one-day cycling event across the state of Indiana. In addition to cycling, Wesley enjoys cooking and teaching his many students.

A cancer survivor, Wesley encourages men to “know your numbers.” Wesley lives in Madeira with his wife, flutist Evelien Woolard, and the other female in his life, Lucy, The Wonder Dog.

Principal, Viola

Heidi Yenney

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1995

Heidi Yenney was raised in Palo Alto, California, where she was introduced to the world of chamber music at an early age as a member of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra.

She earned bother Bachelor and Master degrees with distinction in performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, where her principal teacher was Dorothy Delay.

During her years in Boston, she freelanced as both a chamber and orchestral musician. As a founding member of New England String Quartet, they had dual residences at both University of Massachusetts Boston and Amherst. The NESQ collaborated with many other musicians, most notably clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, jazz pianist Fred Hersch and cellists Colin Carr and Yo Yo Ma.

Orchestrally, Heidi was a member and frequent concertmaster of Emmanuel Music which has been performing weekly Bach Cantatas since 1970. She was principal second violin of both New Hampshire Symphony and Monadnock Orchestras. In addition to her performing life, Heidi held a post as faculty member at the prestigious Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where she taught private violin and general music, conducted a chamber orchestra and coached chamber music. She was also a member of the faculty’s Essex String Quartet.

Since moving to Cincinnati, Heidi has raised three children and maintained a busy freelance career performing and teaching. She is principal viola of both the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Collegium Cincinnati. Equally at home on violin, you’ll see Heidi performing on both instruments in many other groups around town. She taught violin and directed the chamber music program at Xavier University for several years before moving to the Public School system, where she taught at the Montessori Schools, Clark and North Avondale.

Heidi’s passion for music and composers is inspiring. As she puts it: “I have composers that I really enjoy for different reasons. Schumann is natural and passionate, Brahms is soothing and romantic, Bach is pure and spiritual, Mozart is optimistic and full of life, Beethoven is crafted to perfection and gets you in the gut…” She loves performing modern music as well, and often feels it brings a new, fresh perspective to older compositions.

When not working, Heidi can be found at one of her favorite restaurants, at a jazz club, thrift-shopping or practicing yoga.

Photography by Ixi Chen

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Eckart Preu

A native of Germany, Eckart came to the United States as a winner of the National Conducting Competition of German Academic Exchange Service (1996) for graduate studies with Harold Farberman at the Hartt School of Music. At Hartt, he received the Karl Bohm Scholarship. He earned a masters degree in conducting from the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar, studying under Gunter Kahlert and Nicolas Pasquet. Eckart’s early musical training was in piano and voice. At the age of 10 he became a member of the Boys’ Choir Dresdner Kreuzchor and went on to work with them as soloist, rehearsal pianist and assistant conductor.

Eckart’s career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Sorbonne in Paris and a live broadcast with the Jerusalem Symphony. His first commercial recording was of the world premiere of “Letters from Lincoln,” a work commissioned by the Spokane Symphony from Michael Daugherty featuring baritone soloist Thomas Hampson. His recent and upcoming events include concerts with American symphonies such as the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the Portland Symphony, as well as international appearances with Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile and the Philharmonie Baden-Baden in Germany.

Eckart is currently the music director of the Long Beach Symphony (CA) and the Portland Symphony (ME). More information: www.orchestraconductor.org

RESIDENT CONDUCTOR

Isaac Selya

A musician of remarkable versatility, Isaac Selya is a conductor, pianist, vocal coach, cellist and singer. He is the founder and artistic director of Queen City Opera, where he has coached and conducted Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Der Schauspieldirektor, Bastien und Bastienne, Zaide, Abu Hassan, L’amore dei tre re and the first acts of both Walküre and Siegfried from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. As of March 2015, he has conducted all of Mozart’s German-language operas. He joined Cincinnati Opera in 2014 as a coach/accompanist, and in September of 2014 he was the featured new artist of the month in Musical America. In the summer of 2015, he joined the Glimmerglass Festival as assistant conductor.

At CCM Opera, Isaac served as coach and conductor for productions of El Amor Brujo and La Tragédie de Carmen. In April of 2013 he conducted a CCM Mainstage Series performance of Die Zauberflöte that received acclaim in international press. He conducted a performance of Amahl & the Night Visitors with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra in December 2013 and in April 2014 he conducted The Ghosts of Crosstown at Opera Memphis.

Isaac has conducted Mozart’s Requiem and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in Ecuador and excerpts from Don Giovanni and Madama Butterfly in Spoleto, Italy. At Mannes Opera, he assisted Maestro Joseph Colaneri on productions of Così fan tutte, Falstaff, and The Saint of Bleecker Street.

Equally at home in the symphonic repertoire, Isaac debuted with the National Symphony of Guatemala in September 2014 with two programs focusing on Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6. He has also conducted the Shippensburg Symphony, the Chelsea Symphony, the Yale Symphony Orchestra, the Mannes Symphony, the CCM Philharmonia and the Jonathan Edwards College Philharmonic, where he served as music director for three years.

Isaac started his professional music career at the age of 18 singing in the chorus of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem.

He holds a BA from Yale College, where he studied conducting with Toshiyuki Shimada. At Yale, Isaac was principal cellist of the Yale Symphony and sang in Yale’s Schola Cantorum. He completed an MM in conducting at Mannes College, where he won a competitive grant from the New School Green Fund to present a concert dealing with environmental advocacy. He holds a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Maestro Mark Gibson. Isaac’s doctoral research focused on Mozart’s operas and historical casting trends.

He has two cats, named Tosca and Aida.

Isaac maintains a catalogue of parallel fifths and other voice leading violations he finds in the works of common-practice composers. You can see them, as well as commentary on counterpoint and voice-leading at his blog: http://illicitfifths.tumblr.com/

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

Jon Noworyta

Jon S. Noworyta is in his third season as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. He was appointed to the faculty of the University of Indianapolis as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands, Instrumental Activities and Educational Outreach in 2018. There, he administers all aspects of the woodwind, brass and percussion area, teaches basic and advanced conducting and courses in music education, and conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Pep Band. A versatile conductor who is equally comfortable with orchestras as well as wind and brass groups, the Music Director of the Cincinnati Brass Band, and the Artistic Director of the Queen City Freedom Band; ensembles he continues to work with in addition to his duties at UIndy and the CCO. In demand as a clinician and guest conductor, ensembles under his direction have performed at local, state, national and international venues including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Music for All National Concert Band Festival, Chicago’s Symphony Center, the Kennedy Center, at various European venues and most notably, Carnegie Hall.

Noworyta was the Music Director and Conductor of the Amherst Chamber Ensembles (ACE) from 1994 to 1999. The ACE Orchestra gave the local or world premieres of thirteen different works by composers from across the nation during his tenure. His continued commitment to high quality new music in the years since, has led to the commissioning of works for wind ensembles across the country by composers Rossano Galante, Michael Markowski, Clint Needham, Shawn Okpebholo and Charles Rochester Young. His work has won Noworyta the praise of such influential composers as Leslie Adams, Jennifer Higdon, Karel Husa, Timothy Mahr and David Maslanka, as well as conductors Harry Begian and Arnald Gabriel. Noworyta has twice collaborated with world-renowned pianist James Tocco in performances of the music of George Gershwin and David Maslanka.

Noworyta is a member of several professional organizations, is listed among the Who’s Who in America Educator’s Edition and is on the advisory team for the 28,000+ member “Band Director” Facebook group. He was the 2012-13 Distinguished High School Teacher in Wheaton-Warrenville School District 200 and is a member of the Fine and Performing Arts Wall of Fame at North Tonawanda High School (his alma mater).

Noworyta holds degrees from Baldwin-Wallace College (BME), Northwestern University (MM) and the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati (DMA). Additional studies in conducting have taken place in workshops at the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LeAnne Anklan

A Cincinnati native, LeAnne holds three degrees from the University of Cincinnati: Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and International Business, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Arts in Arts Administration.

Anklan’s professional background includes experience as senior marketing coordinator for FRCH Design Worldwide, public relations manager for the Contemporary Arts Center, and marketing associate for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she held the position of festival manager for the successful inaugural season of the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. LeAnne joined the CCO in 2012 in the position of artistic and orchestra operations manager.

FINANCE DIRECTOR; SENIOR GRANTS WRITER

Ralf Ehrhardt

A native of Frankfurt, Germany, Ralf moved to Cincinnati in 1997. His work experience includes American Record Guide (1998-2001, 2016-present), the World Piano Competition of Cincinnati (2001-2007) and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (2007-present).

Ralf earned his M.A. in American Studies and Political Sciences from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Ann Stewart

A Cincinnati native, Ann is a former ballet dancer with a degree in Education and Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. Her twenty-five years of professional experience include working for both social service (Shriners Burns Institute and Cincinnati Speech & Hearing Center) and arts non-profit organizations (Fine Arts Fund), and serving as PR Director for Krienik Advertising.

Ann worked for the CCO from 2006-2012, and returned to the staff in April 2014. In her next life, Ann hopes to come back as Sheryl Crow or Annie Lennox.