Principal, Cello

Patrick Binford

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2002

Schlachter Family Principal Cello Chair

Viola

Belinda Reuning Burge

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2017

Chair sponsored by Carol Kruse

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.

Cello

Nathaniel Chaitkin

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2009

Chair sponsored by Tony Cole

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

Chair sponsored by Tom & Margaret Osterman

Miriam Culley has enjoyed playing with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1985. 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 playing with her fluffy cat, Suki.

Principal, Flute

Annie Darlin Gordon

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Bushman Family Principal Flute Chair

A versatile performer and music educator, Annie Darlin Gordon is principal flutist of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, second flutist of Queen City Opera, and a long-time member of the Cincinnati-based woodwind quintet Wayside Winds. She performs regularly with regional ensembles, such as Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony, and Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony. She has also been a guest performer with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Concert:Nova, and Opera Project Columbus.

As a music educator, Annie is passionate about the cross section of music and equity. In 2015 she joined the staff at MYCincinnati, an El Sistema-inspired, after school music program that offers free, high-quality, and intensive ensemble-based music education to students living in the Price Hill neighborhood. At MYCincinnati, Annie founded the Wind Ensemble program where she is currently the Lead Teaching Artist. Through this program, her students have had the opportunity to meet and work with incredible guest musicians such as Ebonee Thomas (flute), Brandon Patrick George (flute), Anthony McGill (clarinet), and Titus Underwood (oboe), and have traveled to perform and spread the word about MYCincinnati to Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, and more. 

In addition to the traditional classical repertoire, Annie is an avid performer of contemporary repertoire. In 2013 and 2014, she was a Contemporary Ensemble Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival during which she performed dozens of new music works and collaborated frequently with the Aspen Festival’s Composition Fellows. In 2015, she was invited back to her Alma Mater, Carnegie Mellon University, to perform Kaija Saariaho’s “Terrestre” as a soloist with the Contemporary Music Ensemble. During her time at Oberlin Conservatory, she was the winner of the Honors Recital Competition and was invited to perform the Berio Sequenza at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Annie was a guest musician with Cincinnati’s Concert:Nova ensemble, where she participated in a world premiere of a commissioned piece by composer Timo Andres. 

Annie is on the music faculty at Camp Encore/Coda in Southwest Maine, a sleep-away music camp for school-aged students with a passion for music. At Encore/Coda Annie is the private flute instructor, a chamber music coach, theory instructor, flutist and piccoloist of the faculty chamber orchestra, and conductor of the Symphonic Winds group.

Annie received her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance degree from Oberlin Conversatory and received her Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Her principal teachers were Alberto Almarza, Jeanne Baxtresser, Alexa Still, Michel Debost, and Kathleen Chastain. 

When Annie is not performing or teaching music, she is the director of a non-profit DIY Home Repair workshop program called Do It Yourself Darlin, which offers beginner-level home repair workshops taught by local Cincinnati craftspeople.

Viola

Rebekah Edewards

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Rebekah Edewards began her musical studies on violin at the age of 7 in Rapid City, SD. She and her family moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when she was 11 and from there, traveled to Chicago for lessons with Lyric Opera’s then principal second violinist, Hilel Kagan. In 2004, she was a winner of the outstanding young artist competition for the state of Michigan. Ms. Edewards attended the Cleveland Institute of Music on violin for her bachelors degree, where she studied with Linda Cerone & David Russell. In her junior year, she switched her major to viola performance studying with Cleveland Orchestra violist Mark Jackobs. Upon graduation, she was awarded the annual Horace & Marie Arnold Viola award for most improved violist.

Ms. Edewards spent her summers at the Meadowmount School of Music, ENCORE school for strings, Blossom Music Festival, MasterWorks Festival, Verbier Festival (Switzerland), Cabrillo Festival in San Jose, California, and most recently with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) at Tanglewood. She has held positions in the Akron Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and most recently, the BSO. During her tenure in Charlotte, she was a featured soloist performing the Walton viola concerto under the direction of Music Director Christopher Warren-Green.

She has toured with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra to China; the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on their 2016 European tour; and the BSO to Carnegie Hall, Japan (2017), and Europe in 2018. Ms Edewards is married to Joshua Edewards. They have 3 children and reside in Cincinnati, OH.

Oboe

Bonnie Farr

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Violin

Jacquie Fennell

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1986

Chair sponsored by John & Patsy Kreitler

Jacquie Fennell has enjoyed playing violin with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 1986. She also plays regularly with String Orchestra of the Rockies, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Ohio Valley Symphony and was principal 2nd violin for Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra for 20 years. She has performed as a freelance violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Oregon Bach Festival and Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

Jacquie received her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Peter Salaff of the Cleveland Quartet, and her Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Walter Levine of the LaSalle Quartet. Other influential teachers include Paul Kantor, Jorja Fleezanis, John Celentano and Phil Ruder.

Passionate about sharing her love for music with students, Jacquie has taught private violin lessons since 1982. She has also held teaching positions at Cincinnati Christian University, Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department and was Director of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department’s Suzuki Program.

When not playing violin, Jacquie can be found hiking with her Environmental Engineer husband, Scott, and their dog, Max.

Violin

Sarah Gannon

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1983

Chair sponsorship available

Violin

David Goist

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2022

David Goist holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music – CCM, where he studied with Timothy Lees, former Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Won-Bin Yim. During his time at CCM, he was winner of the Clara and Bertha Baur Competition and a finalist in the Violin Concerto Competition.

David is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic and Lexington Philharmonic and also frequently performs with the Cincinnati, Charleston, and Columbus Symphony Orchestras.

During previous summers, he has been awarded fellowships with music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, and National Orchestral Institute where he was part of a Grammy-nominated recording album. 

Viola

Stephen Goist

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Violist Stephen Goist enjoys a multifaceted career as an orchestral player, chamber musician, and historical performance specialist based in New York City. A graduate of The Juilliard School and University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Stephen has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and India. In addition to being an active freelancer in New York’s robust early music community, he is a member of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus and performs regularly with leading period instrument ensembles such as Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, The Handel and Haydn Society, The English Concert, Bach Collegium Japan, and Les Arts Florissants. A native of Cincinnati, Stephen is a proud alum of the School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Concertmaster, Violin

Celeste Golden

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2017

Chair sponsored by Rebecca Bolce & Keith Wood

Celeste Golden 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.

Cello

Tom Guth

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Chair sponsored by Dr. Max Reif

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

Chair sponsored by Cliff Goosmann

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.

Violin

Gyusun Han

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2022

Violinist Gyusun Han was born and raised in South Korea, where she began her musical studies at age six. Gyusun joined the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra in 2022. As of 2021, she also plays with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra as fourth chair in the first violins. Prior to Columbus, she performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra from 2019-21 as first violin.

Gyusun was accepted into the Korea National University of Arts at age 15 and from there, received her Bachelor and Master of Music studying with Nam Yun Kim and Bonjiu Koo. She achieved her second master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where she is finishing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree studying with Dr. Won-Bin Yim.

Gyusun has been awarded distinctions at international and national competitions, including the Korea Times Competition, Ewha & Kyunghyang competition, Strad competition, Music Journal competition (where she went on to receive an additional special award), and University of Cincinnati CCM concerto competitions in the United States. In Korea, she also was invited to participate in the Young Musicians Festival.

Gyusun made her debut as a soloist at the Universal Arts Center in Seoul, Korea at age 10. She has appeared as a soloist with the KNUA orchestra and with the Hyundai Youth Orchestra in Korea. In the United States, she has performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the CCM Philharmonic and Concert Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Gyusun is a founding member of the Violin Quartet FOVA in Korea, and with that group, has performed in chamber recitals at the Kumho Art Hall, Olympus Hall, Perigee Hall, Han Young Art Center, and Ara Muse Hall as supported by the municipality of Seoul. The group has expanded their concert giving by playing in China, the United States, and other regions of South Korea.

In her free time, Gyusun enjoys traveling and reading.

Principal, Horn

Michelle Hembree

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2022

Chair sponsored by Ed Lyon

Michelle Hembree is Principal Horn of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Utility Horn of the Britt Festival Orchestra. For the 2022-23 season, she served as Acting Assistant Principal/Utility Horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She previously served as Acting Principal Horn of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic from 2019-2021.

Michelle received a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She studied with Randy Gardner and Denise Tryon. She also completed a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the U.C. Lindner College of Business.

Michelle is a 2017 Yamaha Young Performing Artist and CCM Kemp Horn Scholar of her class. Additionally, she has won the 3 Arts Neff Scholarship, CCM Undergraduate Instrumentalist competition, YoungArts Merit award, and Andrew Howell Memorial competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Seven Hills Sinfonietta, and Meridian Symphony. Michelle has participated in the Sarasota Music Festival, National Youth Orchestra of the USA, and Voksenasen Norwegian Summer Academy.

A native of Boise, Idaho, Michelle studied with David Saunders and Lawrence Johnson prior to CCM. Her interest in music began at the age of five when she started the violin, and she later discovered the horn at age 10. Outside of music, Michelle enjoys skiing, traveling, and spending time with her dog Mina.

Assistant Concertmaster, Violin

Sujean Kim

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2008

Chair sponsored by Susan Esler

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. 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

Chair sponsored by Mary Jane Mayer

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

Chair sponsored by Dan & Lin Domis/Gary Shinn/Karen Hartman

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.

Viola

Caterina Longhi

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Violist Caterina Longhi has been a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 2018 and a member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since 2023. Previously, she was a member of the San Diego Symphony and New Haven Symphony.

A native of New York, Caterina attended The Juilliard School (2009-15) where she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees under the tutelage of Heidi Castleman, Steven Tenenbom, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Misha Amory. She served as principal viola with the Juilliard Orchestra and New Juilliard Ensemble as well as the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. She is an alumna of The New York String Orchestra Seminar, Taos School of Music, Heifetz Institute of Music, Music Academy of the West, and Perlman Music Program.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Longhi performs regularly with the CSO Chamber Players as well as with concert:nova, a local ensemble dedicated to performing new music. She enjoys performing all genres of music for the Cincinnati community and appears regularly as a core member of Listeso’s Candlelight Series with concerts ranging from Vivaldi, Bach to Beatles, Classic Rock, and Anime.

In her free time, Caterina enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog exploring new restaurants and parks.

Flute

Susan Magg

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1995

Chair sponsored by LeAnne & Matthew Anklan/Alejandro & Tasha Aragaki

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 orchestra as the Hilton Head Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Charleston Symphony, as well as 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

Chair sponsored by Eric Allen

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.

Bassoon

Amy Pollard

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2007

Amy Pollard is Professor of Bassoon at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, as well as the Associate Director of Performance. 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 has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, Symphony Orchestra Augusta, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

Pollard has performed as a soloist with the University of Georgia 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 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. Her bassoon-percussion duo, Col Legno, has performed recitals and presented masterclasses at numerous venues throughout the country.

Pollard 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. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her husband, Scott, son, Elliot and dog, Guinness.

Principal, Oboe

Jessica Smithorn

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2023

Chair sponsored by Allison & Brett Evans

Jessica Smithorn is the principal oboe of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra and the second oboist of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra. She previously was the English hornist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and was an associate musician with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Equally comfortable in leadership and section roles, Ms. Smithorn has regularly appeared with orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic (including a NAXOS recording project), Omaha Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Cincinnati Ballet. She was also the oboist on a tour of Mexico with the Eastman Broadband Ensemble, a new music group dedicated to performing the music of Latinx composers.

Jessica Smithorn studied at the Eastman School of Music with Richard Killmer; the College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Ostoich, Dwight Parry, and Chris Philpotts; and the University of Missouri-Kansas City with Barbara Bishop. When she’s not making reeds or practicing, Jessica enjoys baking, playing with her cats, and hiking.

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.

Principal, Second Violin

Manami White

CCO MEMBER SINCE 1988

Chair sponsored by Ruth Schwallie & Mark Silbersack

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.

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

ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Daniel Parsley

CCO MEMBER SINCE 2021

Position sponsored by Linda Holthaus & Richard Zinicola

Daniel Parsley enjoys an active career in the Midwest as an educator, conductor, scholar, church musician and professional chorister. Daniel currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities and program head for the music department at Thomas More University. At Thomas More, Daniel directs three choruses that include over 125 singers and teaches music history and music theory. He also serves as faculty for the Kentucky Institute of International Studies (KIIS) Salzburg study abroad program where he teaches conducting, music history, opera scenes and choral ensembles. Daniel will next serve on the faculty with the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA) London summer study abroad program in 2021.

Most recently, Daniel was the assistant conductor and choral conducting fellow for the Cincinnati May Festival, where he prepared choruses for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops. In addition, Parsley is the Associate Director for the Cincinnati Youth Choir, Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory & Community Engagement and conducts Voci Sonore, a changing voice ensemble. A Cincinnati native, Parsley completed a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Choral Conducting with a cognate in orchestral conducting at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (CCM). Daniel also holds a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Bowling Green State University and B.M. Voice Performance and B.A. International Studies from Xavier University. In 2019, Daniel was selected as one of four finalists for the 2019 American Choral Directors’ Association National Graduate Conducting Competition held in Kansas City.

Parsley has enjoyed a wide breadth of diverse professional experiences, ranging from positions including the Worship Arts Coordinator at Faith United Methodist in North Canton, Ohio to pursuing ethnomusicological field research in West African musical traditions as a research fellow in Ghana, West Africa through the Edward Brueggeman Center for Dialogue. Parsley’s current research interest focuses on the integration of Body Mapping, a method of instruction typically reserved for the private studio, into the choral rehearsal. Recent scholarly publications include a curriculum guide for collegiate educators to apply Body Mapping techniques in ensemble rehearsals. Daniel is currently a Body Mapping Educator Affiliate with Andover Educators.

Parsley has studied conducting under Robert Porco, Earl Rivers, Brett Scott, AikKhai Pung, Mark Munson, and Tom Merrill. He has appeared in recent conducting masterclasses with Dale Warland, Kente Tritle, Duain Wolf, John Alexander, David Hayes, Eric Whitacre, Rodney Eichenberger and Cesar Leal. Daniel’s passion for choral arts extends beyond conducting: he has performed with many choruses himself as a professional singer, including the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, Toledo Opera, Tuscia Opera Festival (Viterbo, Italy) and Berkshire Choral Festival. As a conductor of symphonic choral literature, Parsley has most recently assisted and prepared choruses for John Morris Russell, Juanjo Mena, Eun Sun Kim, Robert Porco, Gerhardt Zimmermann, James Meena and Giordano Bellincampi.

Daniel was most recently the Music in Worship Chair for the Ohio Choral Director’s Association. He serves as Director of Music at St. Timothy Episcopal Church in Cincinnati and also served as associate conductor for Cincinnati’s Music Sacra from 2017-19. Daniel is an active member of ACDA, ChorusAmerica, AGO and NAfME.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Evan Gidley

Evan Gidley has served as Executive Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra since May 2022. Prior to this appointment, he held the position of Orchestra Personnel Manager with the Columbus (OH) Symphony Orchestra, where he assisted in leading the organization’s robust community outreach program. Evan received his MM in Saxophone Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and he remains active as a freelance saxophonist and private lesson instructor.

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.

PATRON ADVANCEMENT AND PRODUCTION MANAGER

Maureen Hickey

After interning with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra for the 2021 and 2022 Summermusik seasons, Maureen joined the CCO staff as Patron Advancement and Production Manager in September 2022! Maureen serves as Cover Conductor for the Cincinnati Community Orchestra, where she also plays viola. She enjoys freelance gigging work on her primary instrument, violin. In 2022, Maureen received dual Master of Music degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Violin Performance at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Prior to this, she earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Miami University of Ohio.