Musicians from the Mid-Valley and beyond

 This festival, founded in 2001, is built around performers who grew up in Willamette Valley and are now pursuing concert careers in classical music.

There are at least 26 such artists living in the US and Europe, playing in symphonies, operas, chamber orchestras, and touring ensembles, and auditioning for new opportunities.

2026 Performers

Noah Seitz
Artistic Director & Cello

Born and raised in Corvallis, Noah Seitz earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance at the UMKC Conservatory of Music in 2001.  He then returned to Oregon as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon. In his younger years he attended Corvallis schools and had wonderful orchestra teachers like Carol Huntington, Norma Wilson, and Charles Creighton. His early cello teachers were Sylvie Spengler and Nancy Sowdon. He was a member of the Corvallis Junior Symphony, and Youth Symphony, where he performed with other Chintimini musicians Lara Wickes, Anne Ridlington, and Ethan Pernela.

In addition to maintaining private teaching studios in Keizer and Corvallis, he is Instructor of Cello at Pacific and Linfield Universities, and the Corvallis Waldorf School. He is a member of the Eugene Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players and Orchestra Next. He regularly performs with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, Eugene Opera, and has performed as soloist with orchestras throughout the Willamette valley. He serves as President of the Board for Camerata Musica chamber music series in Salem and is Artistic Director of the Chintimini Chamber Music Festival. He resides in Keizer, Oregon with his wife Sara, who is a fantastic pianist. They are ridiculously proud of their two daughters, and now that the kids have flown the coop, spend free time with their two dogs, a cat, four chickens, and a wonderful garden. Beyond music, Noah loves soccer, holds a Private Pilot License, and is a fanatic about anything aviation related.

2026 Season Performers

Tyler Abbott, bass

Tyler Abbott is an instructor of double bass, jazz bass, and music theory. He maintains an active performance schedule as an orchestral bassist, chamber musician, jazz bassist, clinician, and soloist, performing throughout the region and nation with some of the finest musicians in both the classical and jazz music worlds. He has recently performed with, or is a member of, the Eugene Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Festival of American Music’s “American Symphonia,” Eugene Opera Orchestra, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Mozart Players, Salem Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician he has performed with the Oregon String Quartet, Pacifica Trio, Beta Collide, and Hundredth Monkey, a Eugene-based contemporary ensemble he co-directed.

Issac Beu, clarinet

is a native of Austin, Texas. After meeting his partner Chloe in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and winning the 2nd and E-flat clarinet position with the Eugene Symphony, they moved to Portland in January of 2021. Isaac also teaches clarinet at Willamette and Linfield universities.

Outside of music, Isaac is an avid SMU Mustangs Football fan, and he sincerely enjoyed watching his alma mater play in the College Football Playoff in their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He is also a lifelong fan of the middling Dallas Cowboys, an avid film buff and an emo and screamo enthusiast. He and Chloe are the proud owners of two cats (Kashi and Queso Grande) and two pet rats (Patches and Mr. Rat).

Robert Brudvig, percussionis the director of percussion studies and associate professor of music at Oregon State University. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in percussion performance from The University of Arizona, a Master of Arts in teaching from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Music from Oregon State University.

Brudvig has held positions with the Tucson Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theater, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera, Oregon Coast Music Festival, Cascade Festival of Music and the Ernst Bloch Music Festival.

He has performed throughout the United States, including at Carnegie Hall; as a solo performer, as a member of the Orkota Percussion Duo, and as a member of Starfire – a trio of two harps and percussion. Brudvig’s international performance engagements have included tours of Japan, China, and Germany. He has performed as percussion soloist with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra, University of Arizona Orchestra, and the Portland State University Orchestra.

In addition to his percussion duties, Brudvig teaches music theory, aural skills, applied lessons, percussion methods and The History of Rock and Roll at Oregon State University.

Kenji Bunch, violin

Composer/violist Kenji Bunch has enjoyed a unique career of more than 30 years as a performer comfortable in venues from the world’s most prestigious concert halls to preschool classrooms, farmers markets, dive bars, sports arenas, coffee houses and sidewalks.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Bunch studied in New York City where he spent two decades as a freelance musician performing in solo and chamber recitals, orchestras, Broadway pits, and in recording studios. He was a founding member of groundbreaking experimental groups The Flux Quartet, Ne(x)works and The Nurse Kaya String Quartet, while also playing fiddle and singing in the bluegrass band Citigrass.

In addition to performing, Bunch is a composer whose music is frequently performed worldwide, and a teacher committed to youth music education. Aside from music, Bunch’s screen credits include work as an extra in the 1992 horror film Dr. Giggles and work as a fake cellist in a 2023 commercial for OnPoint Community Credit Union. During the 2024-25 season, Bunch was undefeated as a volunteer deputy assistant rec league basketball coach with a record of 1-0.

Bryce Caster, violin

Bryce Caster is a violinist and violist living in the Pacific Northwest. When he was 12, his mother feared he didn’t have a passion so she had him try out a violin lesson and from the moment he held that instrument in his hands he knew it was forever. Bryce has studied violin performance at the collegiate level, and participated in many apprenticeship programs that have gained him experience in both new music and historical performance practice.

Bryce lives in Portland, Oregon and runs a prolific private teaching studio while playing concerts in Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, Sonoma and beyond! Bryce’s favorite composers are Bach, Stravinsky, and Caroline Shaw. Ask him why! Bryce spends his free time walking in nature with his husband and dog, singing in choir, and generally being a little rascal.

Benjamin Ehrmantraut, violin

Violinist Benjamin Ehrmantraut thrives at the disciplinary crossroads of classical music, teaching, and scholarship. His performing career has taken him across the United States and internationally to Israel and Palestine. He is especially proud of his tenure as concertmaster with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, and his current engagements with Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, and the Rogue Valley Symphony. He has maintained a private studio for 15 years and has also served as a youth orchestra coach, honors clinician, and as faculty with the North Star Chamber Music Festival. Ehrmantraut holds degrees from Concordia College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Oregon. His research focuses on the unfinished works of violinist- composer Eugène Ysaÿe. In his free time, Ehrmantraut enjoys the company of friends and loved ones, a good board game, and the occasional slice of pecan pie.

Alex Ellsworth, cello

is a cellist, former resident of Corvallis, and a new father. His musical experience includes an Emmy Award-winning recording, a Jeff Award-winning performance as an actor-musician, and positions in orchestras, contemporary music ensembles, and chamber music groups in Chicago, Washington D.C., New England, and the Pacific Northwest. Alex is currently Music Director at Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York where he works to create an engaging and rigorous musical environment for a rapidly growing student body. In addition to his work as a performer and educator, Alex is also an active composer. You can listen to Alex’s original music on Bandcamp.com or the streaming site of your choice. This is Alex’s second year participating in the Chintimini Music Festival, and he looks forward to maintaining a close connection to the Corvallis community for years to come.

Julia Frantz, violin

Julia has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral violinist throughout North America and Europe. A native of Eugene, she is assistant principal 2nd violinist with the Eugene Symphony, a member of Portland Opera Orchestra, and plays regularly with several other orchestras throughout Oregon and the Northwest. Julia completed her Bachelor of Music at Rice University and her Master of Music at the University of Maryland, College Park.

She has participated in music festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including Oregon Bach Festival, Sunriver Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, AIMS Institute in Austria, Round Top Festival-Institute and Astoria Music Festival. Equally comfortable outside the realm of classical music, Julia has played fiddle since the age of five and regularly performs with country, rock, and hip hop groups throughout the Northwest. In 2021, she joined acclaimed Eugene folk band Mood Area 52 and has shared the stage with country legends Mark O’Connor and Ray Price. When not playing violin, Julia enjoys hiking and running with her partner Phil and border collie Sky Pilot, and cuddling with her two cats.

Fritz Gearhart, violin

For 25+ years Fritz Gearhart called the Willamette Valley home during his time at the University of Oregon. He is currently living in Denver, CO and pursuing a master’s degree in recording arts at CU Denver. He has produced his first album of a local singer-songwriter, and enjoys all aspects of the process from recording, arranging, editing, to mixing and mastering. He remembers when Noah Seitz was a student at the university. He enjoyed working with him then and even more now!

Rebecca Keller-Gardner, oboe

is an accomplished oboist, music educator, and arts administrator based in Oregon. She serves as the Director of Operations and Administration for the Oregon Mozart Players and is a founding member and oboist for the nonesuch.reedquintet. Rebecca also regularly performs as a substitute with the Eugene Symphony, Newport Symphony, and Rogue Valley Symphony. She teaches oboe and reedmaking at the Pavilanis School of Music in Eugene, as well as in Roseburg. Rebecca holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oregon, a Master of Music from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Bachelor of Arts from Luther College.

Chris Kim, bass

Chris Kim received his Bachelor’s in Music from the University of North Texas and a Master’s in Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His prominent teachers include Jeff Bradetich and Bruce Bransby. He has spent three amazing summers in Aspen attending the Aspen Music Festival and School and in 2013 attended on a Mentor Fellowship. In 2015, he spent his summer in Breckenridge, CO attending the festival known as National Repertory Orchestra prior to joining the Oregon Symphony as an acting musician. Chris is also a finalist for the New World Symphony and has subbed with the orchestra in Miami, Florida. Chris works full time in Arts Administration with the Portland Opera but still keeps a busy schedule of freelance work with the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and other local arts organizations in the Portland area.

In his spare time, Chris loves to spend time outdoors hiking, camping, and capturing nature photography along with his family. Chris plays on a 2011 Guy Cole double bass.

Dieter Koch, oboe

Oboist Dieter Koch currently plays English Horn with the Eugene Symphony. A native of Vashon Island, Washington Dieter is delighted to be back on the west coast. Since returning to the area he has performed with many local ensembles including the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Mozart Players, Orchestra Next, and the Oregon Wind Quintet. Before his homecoming he taught oboe and chamber music at Washburn University (KS) and performed frequently with the Kansas City Symphony. He has appeared with diverse ensembles and performers, ranging from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Seraphic Fire, to Mannheim Steamroller, “Weird Al” Yankovic and Hugh Jackman.

Cindy Lefton, horn

Cindy Lefton has been an active horn player in Corvallis for over 20 years. She performs as co-principal horn in the Willamette Valley Symphony, plays with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, the Corvallis Community Band, and local pit orchestras for musical theater productions. A nurse at Samaritan Health Services, as well as a visual artist, Cindy values contributing to the health, creativity, and musical life of this community.

John Livingston, piano

John Livingston has worked extensively as a collaborative pianist since age 13. He has had a continuous stream of collaborative experiences ranging from choirs, to musical theatre, to college instrumental lessons and recitals, and more. In 2009, he partnered with Pentacle Theater, a local community theatre company, in their production of My Fair Lady. Hooked by this initial foray into musical theater, he continued to work with Pentacle Theater on six of their following musical productions.

At the University of Missouri-Kansas City, John studied Piano Performance under Dr. Robert Weirich, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. He was subsequently accepted into the Master’s program at UMKC and was awarded an Opera Accompanying graduate assistantship. He has served as rehearsal pianist for Hänsel und Gretel, Poulenc’s La voix humaine, Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges, Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, and Johan Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus.

John is a founding member and principal accompanist of Choral Spectrum, a LGBTQ-and-supporting choir which is the first of its kind in Kansas City, and has developed a relationship with the Midwest Chamber Ensemble in Kansas City and the Kansas Lyric Opera. John serves as Adjunct Faculty at Avila University where he teaches Applied Piano, Music History, Music Theory, and serves a staff accompanist.

Katherine McLin, violin

Violinist Katherine McLin was born and raised in Salem, Oregon and, even though she hasn’t lived in the Valley in almost four decades, still thinks of it as home. During most of the year she lives in Phoenix where she is Professor of Violin at Arizona State University but also spends about two months out of the year in Columbus, OH where she serves as Concertmaster of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and, in the summers,  leads a nomadic life doing everything she can to not be in the 120 degree heat of AZ. Katie is always planning her next adventure to cash in all those frequent flier miles and, true to her roots, loves anything to do with nature and hiking.

A frequent concerto soloist, she has made well over 100 appearances with orchestras and performs extensively with her partner in both music and marriage, pianist Andrew Campbell. She holds a doctorate in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan, with additional performance degrees from Indiana University and Oberlin Conservatory. When she isn’t practicing, Katie can be found stressing about not practicing.

Lisa McWhorter, violin

Lisa McWhorter, violin, serves as Assistant Concertmaster of the Eugene Symphony and Principal 2nd violin of Orchestra Next. She also performs with the Oregon Bach Festival and other musical groups in town, as well as teaching private violin lessons.

Lisa grew up in Albuquerque, NM, and studied violin with Susan Kempter and Leonard Felberg, and enjoyed summers at Chautauqua, Tanglewood and Aspen music festivals. Lisa received her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance at the University of Michigan studying with Paul Kantor, and worked on a master’s degree in Violin Performance with Bernard Zinck at the University of New Mexico. Before moving to Eugene, Lisa played as a freelance violinist in New York City, played with the Baton Rouge Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and toured Europe with the American Sinfonietta and International Music Program Festival Orchestra.

Elizabeth Moss, piano

Elizabeth Moss is a pianist, teacher and pickleball enthusiast based in Corvallis, Oregon. She’s the Coordinator of Piano Studies at Oregon State University, where she works with an inspiring crew of students and colleagues.

Elizabeth loves bringing music to life on stage, whether it’s through solo performances, chamber collaborations, or cheering on her students from the wings.

When she’s not at the piano, you can find her chasing after her kids, overwatering houseplants, dreaming up her next recital program - or getting way too competitive on the pickleball court.

Erika Nagamoto, violin

Erika Nagamoto is a multi-instrumentalist currently attending Oregon State University. From classical violin to pop cello, Celtic to Renaissance, she enjoys playing in a variety of groups including the Eugene Symphony, her Celtic trio, and country duo. She has been fortunate to study with Jessica Lambert, Sibbi Bernhardsson, Anthea Kreston and Jason Duckles.

Charles Noble, viola

Charles Noble grew up in Puyallup, Washington where he started on violin in elementary school. After going to college and enduring intolerable weather conditions on the eastern seaboard, 17 years later he joyfully returned (now as a violist) to the Pacific Northwest in his current position as assistant principal viola in the Oregon Symphony.

Warm days, and cool nights. Craft beer and pinot noir. Espresso and pour-over. Mountains, seashore, and desert. All reasons he loves Oregon and continues to make it his home. If not playing the viola, you can also find Charles out on the open road riding his bike thousands of miles each year. He also loves cooking, reading a wide variety of fiction, snuggling his two cats, and gardening and sharing his life with his wife Stephanie.

Monica Ohuchi, piano

Monica Ohuchi is pianist and executive director of Fear No Music, and performs locally with Chamber Music Northwest, Classical Up Close, 45th Parallel, in collaboration with the Oregon Ballet Theater, and can be often heard on All-Classical Portland. Monica has performed with the Chintimini Chamber Music Festival since 2007.

She is currently a program director at Reed College in the Performing Arts Music Division, where she also teaches piano and chamber music. Ohuchi holds advanced degrees from the Juilliard School in Piano Performance. In her spare time, Monica enjoys impromptu kitchen dance parties with Kenji and their two children, traveling to Japan to visit her parents and exercising with friends.

Victoria Parker, violin

Violinist Victoria Parker’s musical experience spans from Baroque to unhinged. She is equally comfortable in concert halls, recording studios and eclectic venues playing solos, improvising or collaborating with colleagues and friends. Her love of chamber music emerged at age 5 when she began touring with her family quintet. She has been a featured soloist with many orchestras and music festivals and recorded a violin concerto composed for her by Roupen Shakarian.

Victoria performs with the Seattle Symphony and Opera and can be heard on numerous popular albums and soundtracks, many of which feature her arrangements and improvisations. Parker is also a conceptual artist who explores and creates in a variety of mediums. She relishes finding magic in the mundane and is strongly motivated by morning coffee and dark chocolate.

Her favorite activities include forest bathing, beachcombing and watching films. Victoria lives in Seattle with her family, which includes an apricot Bernadoodle named Ginger.

Jill Pauls, flute

For nearly 3 decades, Jill Pauls has been both principal flute of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony and the flute instructor at OSU.  During that time, she has made numerous appearances as a soloist as have several of her students and her daughter. Pauls is also principal flute and has been a soloist with The Oregon Mozart Players, is principal flute of the Eugene Opera Orchestra, and plays flute and piccolo as a member of the Eugene Symphony.  Jill has participated in several chamber ensembles including the Arrieu Wind Quintet which toured China in 2000 with Dr. Marlan Carlson. She earned both Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Oregon under the instruction of Richard Trombley. She has also studied with Trevor Wye in the UK and has performed in masterclasses for Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway, and many others.

Her hobbies include sewing, decorating, and attempting to train her dogs. Her youngest dog, Daisy, is known for finding lost disk-golf disks at Mary’s River Park- her current total is over 225!  Jill enjoys hosting parties and Bible studies, hiking, singing at church, and making music with her family including husband Rod, son Joshua, daughter Andrea, and son-in-law Abraham.

Ethan Pernela, viola

Ethan Pernela joined the viola section of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in spring of 2015. Mr. Pernela completed his Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Graduate Diploma with honors at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied with James Dunham and Martha Strongin Katz.

After receiving a fellowship to the New World Symphony in 2007, Pernela won a viola position in the Honolulu Symphony under the baton of Andreas Delfs. Other orchestra engagements include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, Portland Symphony, World Symphony Orchestra of Korea, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Verbier Chamber Orchestra and the Verbier Festival Orchestra, where he served as principal violist. Mr. Pernela also performed in festivals including Taos School of Music, Yellow Barn, Kneisel Hall, Musicorda and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Orchestral concert tours have taken Mr. Pernela to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore as well as much of Europe and the United States.

Anne Ridlington, cello

Anne Ridlington is a Corvallis based cellist. She is principal cellist of the Eugene Symphony, and the Corvallis-OSU Symphony. She also performs with Orchestra Next, the Corvallis Repertory Singers and the Eugene Opera.

She was surprised to discover she loves teaching students of all ages, having napped and/or eaten lunch during cello pedagogy in college. She teaches group strings classes through the Corvallis Elementary Strings program, teaches college level cellists at Oregon State, and has a private cello studio at her house.

She loves hiking with her kid, meeting random cats (felines, not the jazzy human variety), mystery podcasts and shenanigans.

David Sorenson, horn

Born and raised in the Willamette Valley, David Sorenson settled in Corvallis after attending Oregon State University. He has a deep appreciation for the region’s rich and vibrant music scene and performs with many ensembles, including the Corvallis–OSU Symphony Orchestra, where he has played for more than 35 years.

David works at OSU on the Registrar’s Office tech team. He serves as president of the Corvallis Youth Symphony Association board, and as a member of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Society board.

He met his wife, Melanie - instructor of flute at Linn-Benton Community College - while in college on a symphonic band trip to Costa Rica. Their son, Bastian, a freshman at OSU, is actively involved in the arts as a French horn player, tenor/baritone, and actor.

He also likes playing pickleball, hiking with his Icelandic sheepdog, Tullylulu, and diving into science fiction/fantasy novels by authors such as L. E. Modesitt Jr., Brandon Sanderson, and many others.

Sophie Therrell, violin

Sophie Therrell grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and began studying the violin at age four. Infused at a young age with the eclectic sounds of street music, New Orleans jazz, and Mardi Gras rhythms, Sophie developed a love of music that drove her to make it her career.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in History from Princeton University, she earned a Masters Degree in violin performance from The University of Texas at Austin studying with Vincent Fritelli and Brian Lewis. Sophie’s professional career has included positions with the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Austin Symphony, the New World Symphony, and several summer festival orchestras. She currently plays with the Eugene Symphony, the Eugene Opera Orchestra, and Oregon Mozart Players.

Sophie maintains a small but thriving teaching studio at her home in South Eugene. In her free time, Sophie enjoys long walks, singing with her father and the Motet Singers, teaching Music Together, reading, yoga, and sharing life with her loving family.

Abe Tsai, violin

Raised in Corvallis, Abe Tsai has played in numerous regional honor orchestras. In 2024, he was honored to perform Vieuxtemps’ 4th violin concerto with the Corvallis Youth Symphony. A longtime student of Jessica Lambert, Abe was also featured on All Classical Radio’s On Deck With Young Musicians.

Abe studied musical composition as a member of the Newport Youth Symphony Young Composers Symposium. He has been privileged to perform his pieces with the Corvallis High School Camerata Orchestra, the OSU PRAx Soundbox 7 Music Festival, the Willamette Valley Symphony, Corvallis Youth Symphony, and the Brown University Fermata Composition Collective.

Inspired by performing violin for his great-grandmother as a child, in 2023, Abe founded Casa Musica, a community service organization which brings together musicians of all ages to perform in assisted living homes. Abe is studying biology and religious studies at Brown University, where he is a member of the university orchestra. Outside of music, Abe is a member of the men’s club tennis team at Brown and enjoys mountain biking, reading, and aikido, where he holds a black belt (shodan).

Kimberlee Uwate, viola

Kimberlee Uwate (viola) loves to foster musical communities rooted in connection, reflection, and growth. As the founding violist of Delgani String Quartet, she spent nearly a decade performing and teaching in the Willamette Valley and beyond. Some of her favorite venues in Oregon include the Hult Center (Eugene), Lincoln Recital Hall (Portland State University), First Pres Corvallis (9th St and Monroe), Beall Hall (University of Oregon), and the music room at Corvallis Waldorf School. Kim regularly gives solo and small ensemble concerts in Oregon and California, performs with Eugene Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, and Ensemble Monterey, and visits elementary school students on the Oregon coast communities with the Redfish Festival.

Kim loves to spread the joy of chamber music far and wide, through planning and playing concerts, giving lectures, and teaching workshops for students from ages 8 to 90. Kim has taught at the collegiate level for over ten years, plays a late eighteenth-century viola named Abby, loves nudibranchs and sea otters, and roots for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Inés Voglar Belgique, violin

Violinist Inés Voglar Belgique was born to a Slovenian family in Venezuela, where she studied music under the program “El Sistema” and violin with Roberto Valdes. She came to the United States in 1996 to complete her undergraduate and graduate studies at Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University with Andrés Cárdenes, then concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Before joining the Oregon Symphony in 2004, she played two seasons with the Pittsburgh Symphony as an extra musician, including national and European tours. She also served as guest concertmaster of the Galicia Symphony Orchestra in December 2007 and has been a frequent concertmaster of the Astoria Music Festival Orchestra.

In September 2012 she won the position of assistant principal second violin with the Oregon Symphony in a national audition. An avid chamber musician, she has been a violinist in FearNoMusic since 2005 and served as artistic director until 2011, reaching out to collaborate with internationally acclaimed composers and presenting the music of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to private studio teaching, she is a faculty member at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, the Oregon State University Chamber Music Workshop, and Portland Summer Ensembles. She also conducts the Young String Ensemble of Portland Youth Philharmonic, and she joined the faculty of Lewis & Clark College in the fall of 2015.

Lara Wickes, Oboe and English Horn
Soloist: 2026 Jubilee Finale Concert (Mozart concerto in C Major)

Lara Wickes moved at age 4 to Corvallis, and received her primary and secondary education here. She took up the clarinet in 6th grade, switching to the oboe in the 9th for the Corvallis Youth Symphony - winning the state solo competition in 12th.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Oregon. In 2002, she moved to Los Angeles to study with the principal oboists of the L.A. Chamber Orchestra and the L.A. Philharmonic, earning with them respectively a master’s degree at the California Institute of the Arts, and a doctoral degree at USC.

Lara is currently the regular principal oboist of the Santa Barbara, Pasadena and New West Symphonies, and frequently performs with the L.A. Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony, the L.A. Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, and many others. She is the current president of the Recording Musicians Association L.A. chapter, and has recorded for over 300 Hollywood films, from Avatar (I, II, and III) to Zootopia, plus TV programs, video games, big-name record albums, and even amusement park rides. She is first-call principal oboe (sometimes English horn, oboe d’amore, and bass oboe) for most major L.A. film composers, up to and including John Williams since Star Wars VII. Her latest films are Toy Story 5 and Disclosure Day - just hitting theaters now.  She also has a “side-hustle” playing theremin, such as on The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes.

Lara has also been privileged to record with several legendary artists, appearing on albums by Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Celine Dion, the Who, Seth MacFarlane, Leslie Odom, Jr., Trisha Yearwood, Jimmy Eat World, Ke$ha, and Alice Cooper, and has appeared on television with Prince, Mariah Carey, and (Lara’s personal favorite): Andrea Bocelli and The Muppets.

Bronson York, bassoon

Bronson York is currently the principal bassoonist of the Rogue Valley Symphony and a freelance bassoonist in the Eugene area. He plays with several ensembles in the area including Orchestra Next, Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Composers of Oregon Contemporary Orchestra and others. He was a recording artist for several electronic music artists including Medium Troy, RJD2, Lafa Taylor, Beats Antique and TroyBoi. Most recently Bronson started performing with the Pacific Northwests premiere reed quintet The nonesuch.reedquintet. and recently founded the Oregon Virtuosi, an ensemble with the goal of bringing varied and accessible music to the Eugene community.

Lisa Zweben, viola

Lisa Zweben is a professional violinist and violist, teacher and conductor, and a native of Washington, D.C. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Violin Performance from SUNY College at Purchase, and earned an MM in Violin Performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Her DMA essay is a catalogue of compositions for the viola by United States women composers.

Following studies with principal teachers Charles and Heidi Castleman, Carol Sindell, and Thomas Moore, Lisa has been a member of many orchestras including the Royal Opera of Ghent, Belgium, the Naples Philharmonic in Naples, Florida, and the Assistant Principal Viola of the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. Prior to moving back to Portland, Oregon, Lisa lived in Virginia for fifteen years and was active as a performer and teacher, performing as Assistant Principal viola of the Roanoke Symphony and Principal Viola of Opera Roanoke, teaching private students and coaching chamber music at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, serving as an instructor on the faculty of Virginia Tech in Women’s Studies, and teaching privately. She is currently the principal viola of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, concertmaster of the Corvallis Repertory Singers orchestra and a frequent player with the Eugene Symphony and other regional orchestras. In an effort to promote strings education in Oregon she is on the board of the Oregon chapter of the American Strings Teachers Association and previously served as its president for four years.