Festival Orchestra Musicians

Nathan Olson holds the position of Co-Concertmaster with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and is Adjunct Faculty at the University of North Texas. He has appeared as Guest Concertmaster with the symphony orchestras of Pittsburgh, Toronto, Omaha, and Tucson, and as Principal Second Violin with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Nathan is a silver medal winner at the Fischoff Competition and has served on faculty at the Innsbrook Music Festival. A member of the Baumer String Quartet, he serves on faculty at the Crowden Chamber Music Workshop and the Monterey Chamber Music Workshop.

Emily Cornelius received her M.M. degree from the New England Conservatory in 2007, and her B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory. An active freelance performer based in Cleveland, Ohio, she holds leadership positions in numerous ensembles, including the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra. She is also a dedicated teacher with a large private teaching studio. Emily has appeared as soloist with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Richmond Philharmonic, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, and the Heights Chamber Orchestra.

Hugh Palmer is currently a member of the Utah Symphony, joining the first violin section in January of 2016. Previously he was a fellow with the New World Symphony. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University and his Artist’s Diploma from the Colburn Conservatory, studying with AlmitaVamos and Robert Lipsett, respectively. Solo engagements include the Minnesota Orchestra, Colburn Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra. He has served as concertmaster for the Colburn Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Young Musician’s Foundation Debut Orchestra and the Pacific Music Festival and Chautauqua Music Festival orchestras. Chamber collaborations include performances with MenahemPressler, LeraAuerbach, Ronald Leonard and members of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Rachel Sandman is a Los Angeles native now living in Miami Beach, Florida, where she is a fellow with the New World Symphony. Previously, she was the associate concertmaster of the Canton Symphony in Canton, Ohio and on the faculty at the Aurora School of Music in Aurora, Ohio. Rachel earned her Bachelor’s degree at Rice University. She completed Master’s degrees in Violin and Suzuki Pedagogy and an Artist Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her principal teachers include William Preucil Jr., Joel Smirnoff, Ivan Zenaty, Cho-Liang Lin, and Sergiu Luca. 

William Shaub was appointed concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in May of 2017. He has garnered distinction as a frequent concertmaster and chamber musician at music festivals such as Spoleto, Kneisel Hall, the Music Academy of the West, and Da Camera of Houston. In addition to his duties in Knoxville, he directs and performs the orchestra’s critically-acclaimed Concertmaster Recital Series. He received the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Juilliard School as a student of Cho-Liang Lin. Prior to his appointment in Knoxville, he served as concertmaster at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a student in the coveted Artist Diploma program. William Shaub performs on a violin by J. B. Vuillaume, from 1865.

Hannah Yim is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic. A native of Southern California, she studied with Alexander Kerr and Henryk Kowalski at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Ms. Yim has performedchamber music over the years with a range of artists including Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Pablo Ziegler, and has performed at Jazz Fest, Voodoo Fest, and the French Quarter Festivals.She especially enjoys arranging pops and rock hits for string quartet. Ms. Yim is happy to return for her 12th season with the BMF. 

Kate Hatmaker enjoys a varied career as performer, educator and entrepreneur. She is the Executive and Artistic Director of Art of Élan (www.artofelan.org), a San Diego chamber music organization committed to bringing classical music to diverse audiences, and has been a violinist with the San Diego Symphony since 2006. Ms. Hatmaker has been a featured soloist with a variety of North American orchestras and has performed at the Vail International Dance Festival, La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest and the Strings Music Festival. She teaches privately and at the Coronado School of the Arts and is a frequent chamber music recitalist and guest clinician. 

Elizabeth Furuta is the 2nd Associate Concertmaster of the Omaha Symphony. She received her B.M. and M.M. from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with William Preucil and David Updegraff. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Elizabeth has participated in the Banff Chamber Music Residency, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Fischoff competition, and the Taos School of Music. She has performed as a substitute with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony. Elizabeth was featured on NPR’s nationally broadcast “Says You,” and gave a solo performance for former United States Supreme Court Justice David Souter. 

Meghan Jones is the Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Sarasota Orchestra. Prior to accepting her position in Sarasota, Ms. Jones was a member of the New World Symphony and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. She is an active chamber musician and teacher in the Sarasota area. She has performed in music festivals including Tanglewood, the National Repertory Orchestra, Spoleto USA, and Encore School for Strings. Originally from Edina, MN, Ms. Jones earned her Bachelor of Music at Northwestern University and her Master of Music at Boston University. She has been playing with the BMF orchestra since 2002.

Born in Belgium, Guillaume Pirard studied at Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music, Juilliard School and at the Den Haag Conservatory. Co-concertmaster and founding member of The Knights, Mr. Pirard has toured extensively in the US and Europe in major festivals such as Tanglewood, Ravinia, Caramoor, the Festival-de-Paques in Aix-en-Provence and the Salzburg Festpiele. Mr. Pirard has performed at the Helicon Foundation, with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, the Context series at Rice University, with the Saint-Paul Chamber Orchestra, Quodlibet, Camerata Pacifica, A Far Cry, the Sejong Soloists and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.

Born in Colorado and raised in Cleveland, OH, in an artistic family, Jenny received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of David Updegraff. In 2004 Jenny earned her Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Andres Cardenes. Jenny joined the violin section of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in September of 2004. She is a member of UNC Charlotte’s resident string quartet, the Madison Park String Quartet, along with being a regular performer on Davidson College’s chamber series.

Katie Magill Carrington originally hails from Chicago, where she began her studies with Mr. Michael Hining. While under his guidance she made her Carnegie Hall debut performing the Telemann Viola Concerto. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Rice University, where she had the pleasure of working with Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, and James Dunham. In addition to her performing career she enjoys a rewarding teaching schedule. She previously served as Artistic Director of the Greater New Orleans Suzuki Forum, and currently maintains a private studio in Houston. 

Violist Matthew Carrington enjoys a diverse performing career, from chamber ensembles to large orchestras. He currently is a member of Mercury: the Orchestra Redefined, which performs music of all eras on period instruments to enthusiastic audiences. Prior to joining Mercury, he performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic and the New World Symphony. As a member of the Apollo Chamber Players for three seasons, he helped illuminate the intersection of classical and traditional folk music from around the world. A native of Fresno, Mr. Carrington received a Bachelor of Music from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Music and Performer Diploma from Indiana University.

Susan Pardue is a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Prior to moving to Jacksonville, she played with the New World Symphony in Miami. A native of North Carolina, she earned a high school diploma and Bachelor of Music from the North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. Her viola teachers have included Sally Peck in North Carolina, William Lincer at Juilliard and PieroFarulli, with whom she studied in Italy on a Fulbright scholarship. She is founder and artistic director of the Florida Chamber Music Project. She enjoys running. 

San Francisco native Marybeth Brown-Plambeck began her journey on the cello at The Crowden School, a music-intensive middle school in Berkeley, CA and then with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. She attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Stephen Geber, where she completed her Bachelor of Music and Professional Studies degrees and served as a member of the Akron and Canton Symphonies. Following her three year Fellowship with Miami’s New World Symphony in 2014, Marybeth freelanced in Los Angeles before becoming a tenured member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Born in New York, cellist Alex Greenbaum enjoys a diverse and adventurous musical life. As a member of the Hausmann Quartet he is an Artist-in-Residence at San Diego State University, where he teaches cello and chamber music. A long-time member of The Knights, he has performed and recorded with the group throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing at the festivals of Caramoor, Dresden, Ojai, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Salzburg, Vienna and this year in Aix-en-Provence. His varied interests have led to recordings for film, television and commercials, collaborations with dance companies, performances on baroque cello and throughout Mexico. Alex plays a cello crafted in 2006 by Michele Ashley.

From Oakland, CA, Ian Jones fell in love with the cello and chamber music while attending The Crowden School, a Berkeley middle school which incorporates music into the everyday curriculum. His studies took him to UCLA and Indiana University, continuing at IU for graduate studies with Eric Kim and Janos Starker.  A committed chamber musician, he counts among his influences Atar Arad and Alexander Kerr.

Ian began his orchestral career in 2006 playing in the cello section of the Honolulu Symphony. He joined the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in 2011, and has since been appointed assistant principal cello. Apart from the Symphony, he has appeared with other arts organizations around the Southwest, including Tucson’s St. Andrews Bach Society, Phoenix’s Downtown Chamber Series and Placitas Artists in New Mexico.  Beginning in 2012 he has appeared in Colorado on the Breckenridge Music Festival’s Winter Concert Series, and since 2014 spends his summers with the BMF.  He is an avid skier and tennis player.

A native of Los Angeles, cellist David Rosen received his Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, his Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the

University of Miami. His major teachers include Stephen Geber and Steven Doane. Rosen was a winner of the Coleman Chamber Music Competition in Pasadena, California and has participated in the music festivals of Aspen, Banff, Blossom, Chautauqua, Heidelberg, and Steamboat Springs. He has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the Los Angeles Opera and was a member of the New Orleans Symphony from 1989-1990. He has been a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra since 1991 and has been spending his summers at the Breckenridge Music Festival since 1992.-

Nicholas Browne joined the bass section of the San Antonio Symphony in 2014. He also currently performs as a substitute with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Mr. Browne was previously a member of the Canton Symphony and has also performed with the Houston Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Grand Rapids Symphony. A native of Pittsburgh, Browne earned a Bachelor of Music from Duquesne University under Jeffrey Turner, and his Master of Music at Rice University as a student of Timothy Pitts. He has spent summers at Brevard Music Center, Chautauqua Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and Tanglewood Music Center.  

Alison holds Master’s and Doctoral degrees from U.S.C. (bass) and the University of Kansas (conducting). Previous experience includes serving full-time as principal in Tulsa (8 years), a Tanglewood fellowship, New York String Ensemble, the Spoletto, Italy Festival, St. Louis Symphony (sub), and co -principal with the N.R.O. for 2 summers. She has been a soloist with the NRO, Tulsa Philharmonic, Breckenridge Festival, and Rockford, IL Symphony. She is Assistant Conductor for Elmhurst Symphony, adjunct professor and Orchestra conductor for the College of DuPage and is a freelance bassist and conductor throughout Chicagoland.

Jessica Petrasek (née Anastasio) grew up in San Antonio, Texas and lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her Master of Music from Rice University and her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University. Jessica has been the Principal Flutist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and the Piccoloist and 2nd Flutist of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. She has received additional training at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Her recordings can be heard at JessicaPetrasek.com.

Amy Casper Pintea holds degrees from Indiana University-Bloomington and The University of Texas at Austin where she studied with Thomas Robertello and Marianne Gedigian, respectively.A recent transplant to Richmond, VA, Amy performs frequently with the Richmond Symphony and the Williamsburg Symphony.She has also played with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Austin Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the MSO Young Artist Competition. As an active educator, Amy also enjoys all avenues of teaching, from private lessons to clinics and masterclasses.

Claire Chenette hails from Iowa via Los Angeles and has been principal oboe with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra since 2014. She also enjoys an active freelance career in Southern California as a member of wildUp, folk band Three Thirds, and regularly appearing with the San Diego, Pacific, Long Beach and New West Symphonies and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, among others. Claire holds bachelors degrees in religion and oboe performance from Oberlin College and an
MFA from CalArts.

Alexandra von der Embse currently plays in the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. In 2010, she founded Ensemble39, a chamber group based on the Prokofiev quintet dedicated to artistic collaboration and expanding the reach of classical music. Under her leadership, they premiered 19 commissions and collaborated with groups such as the Pennsylvania Ballet, World Café Live’s LiveConnections, and eighth blackbird. Alexandra graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Richard Woodhams, and Oberlin where she studied with Alex Klein, Robert Walters, James Caldwell, and Laura Griffiths.

Israeli born clarinetist Ran Kampel is the Principal Clarinet of the Jacksonville Symphony. Prior to his appointment in Jacksonville, he was the Interim Principal Clarinet of the Grand Rapids Symphony and a fellow with the New World Symphony.

During the summers, Ran has performed at Salzburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Tanglewood, Yellow Barn, Krzyżowa-Music, Lakes Area, Aspen, Norfolk, Colorado College, Britten–Pears and Sarasota music festivals.

Ran is a Buffet Crampon Artist and exclusively plays on Buffet Crampon clarinets. Outside the concert hall, he enjoys cooking, skiing, hiking, playing tennis and soccer.

Thomas DeWitt is currently the Associate Principal Bassoon and Contrabassoon of the Kansas City Symphony.  Previously, he was the Second Bassoon with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with Kristin Wolfe Jensen. At UT, he was a winner of the Winds Concerto Competition, which led to a performance of Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto.  He continued his studies at Rice University, earning a Master of Music studying with Benjamin Kamins. This is his seventh season with the Breckenridge Music Festival. 

Originally from Port Angeles, WA, Hunter Gordon is currently Acting Assistant Principal/Contrabassoon of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He previously served as Acting Section Bassoon with the Charlotte Symphony, and has performed with the Houston Symphony and Kansas City Symphony. He holds an MM from Rice University, where he studied with Ben Kamins, and a BM/BA from Oberlin College and Conservatory where he studied with George Sakakeeny. Summer festivals include the Verbier Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Samuel Huss is the Principal Trumpet in the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and is in his first summer with Breck Music. Sam is a recent graduate of Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where he received a Master’s degree. Prior to Rice, Sam earned his Bachelor’s from the Eastman School of Music. Sam also has been a prize winner in several national and international solo contests, most recently placing 2nd in the Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Solo completion in 2016. Sam is excited to return back to Breckenridge after being a member of the National Repertory Orchestra in 2017.

Jemmie Robertson is Associate Professor of Trombone at Eastern Illinois University and is a founding member of the American Trombone Quartet. Jemmie is an active musician throughout the Midwest where he has performed with Lyric Opera, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Chicago Civic Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Jemmie studied at Northwestern, Yale, and UNC Greeley. Jemmie has three published solo CDs: A New Day Dawning (2008), Conditions of a Solitary Bird (2014), and Collaborations (2017). Jemmie enjoys spending the summer in Breckenridge with his wife, Christine, and son, James.

Thomas Joyce has been Bass Trombonist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for twenty seasons. He also serves the orchestra as Personnel Manager and HR Coordinator. He graduated the University of Puget Sound summa cum laude with degrees in Mathematics/Physics and Music, and then pursued performance studies at New England Conservatory and Boston University. Mr. Joyce has been a member of Burning River Brass, a Cleveland-based large brass ensemble, and he can be heard on that group’s five critically-acclaimed CDs. In 2005, Mr. Joyce performed in the Seattle Opera production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Yousef Assi was appointed third horn of the Dallas Symphony in 2014. Prior to winning his new position, he held the post of Principal horn with the Sarasota Orchestra for six years. Assi has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and many others. Yousef studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, and his instructors have included Scott Brubaker, Jerome Ashby, Jennifer Montone and Julie Landsman. Mr. Assi is thrilled to join the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra for his third season as Principal horn.

Anne-Marie Cherry is a versatile performer and educator with a varied career as a soloist, chamber/orchestral musician, and recording artist. As a soloist, she has performed with the Iowa Center for New Music, the Bainbridge Symphony, and on the soundtrack of the film The Last Full Measure.

An active free-lancer in Austin and Los Angeles, Dr. Cherry has a passion for new music, regularly commissions works for horn in diverse contexts, and performs with symphonies nationwide. She excited to join the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 2018.

Horn player Nicolee Kuester divides her time between experimental music and the Older Stuff, recently performing with the International Contemporary Ensemble, The Knights, and Wet Ink Ensemble in NYC; Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris; Alarm Will Sound in St Louis; and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra in LA. She is co-founder of MEANINGLESS WORK, a performance series that waffles between sounds, performance art, text, and movement theater. Before moving to New York from the west coast, she was principal horn of the La Jolla Symphony, where she appeared as a concerto soloist, and also performed with the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera.

Raúl I. Rodríguezis an Associate Professor of Music at Texas State University. He teaches tuba and euphonium and conducts the tuba-euphonium ensemble. His performance credits are quite diverse, ranging from symphony and pop orchestras to brass quintet, solo recitals and jazz, and he is occasionally called upon to perform with the Austin and San Antonio symphonies. An advocate of music education, he makes time to get out into the public schools to teach beginners and work with concert bands. Low Blows for Tuba, published by Balquhidder Music in April 2015, is his latest contribution to the repertoire of method books for tuba. When he is not performing or teaching, Mr. Rodríguez makes sure to get in a round of disc golf when he can. Raúl has performed with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra since 2001. 

Emily Melendes, originally from Waukesha Wisconsin, holds her Masters degree from the Juilliard School and her Bachelors’ from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently a fellow at The Orchestra Now, an innovative symphony orchestra hosted at Bard College in New York. In addition to her orchestral work, Emily has soloed with the University of Milwaukee Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, has been a finalist in the American Harp Society’s national competition, won the national Anne Adams competition, and received honorable mention at the Lyon and Healy Awards.

Chandler Teague is the Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of the Shreveport Symphony, Longview Symphony, Shreveport Opera, and for 13 summers was the timpanist of the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. He has performed with the St. Louis Symphony, touring Broadway shows, has been a soloist in timpani and percussion concertos, was the hand-drum soloist in a performance of Ravi Shankar’s Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra, and works regularly with a jazz trio. Mr. Teague teaches percussion at Centenary College and Grambling State University and was awarded the 2008 Music Fellowship Award from the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. 

Rajesh Prasad, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is currently Acting Assistant Principal Percussionist with the North Carolina Symphony. Rajesh has previously held a percussion fellowship with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, in addition to a percussion position with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has performed with many orchestras in the United States, including the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, and the Columbus Symphony. Rajesh earned his Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, and a Master’s in Music as well as a Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to his position as Principal Percussionist with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, Rajesh is also a percussionist in the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.

Michael Linville has established a rich and varied professional life as a pianist, percussionist, harpist, conductor, arranger, and educator. As the Dean for Chamber Music and Fellow Development at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Mr. Linville curates three different concert series as part of the Symphony’s season, programming repertoire and coaching its Fellows. As a concert pianist, Linville has performed with NWS, the San Francisco Symphony, the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra, and regional orchestras around the U.S. An avid skier, Linville enjoys spending as many winter days as he can on the slopes of Breckenridge with his partner Cesar.