Plays
May 10, 2026
YOUTH ORCHESTRA
SUPPORTED BY THE GEOFFREY AND SARAH GUND ENDOWMENT
COYO Plays Dvořák
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center
Sunday, May 10, at 3 PM
James Feddeck, conductor
GEORGE WALKER (1922–2018)
AARON COPLAND (1900–1990)
FERDINAND DAVID (1810–1873)
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904)
Icarus in Orbit
Letter from Home
Trombone Concertino in E-flat major, Op. 4
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Marcia funebre
III. Allegro maestoso
Grace Berendt , trombone
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
I. Adagio — Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Scherzo: Molto vivace — Poco sostenuto
IV. Finale: Allegro con fuoco
At 2 PM in Reinberger Chamber Hall, COYO students will present a pre-concert performance featuring orginal compositions prepared with the assistance of Tyler Taylor, The Cleveland Orchestra’s Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow.
This program is about 1 hour 30 minutes in length.
Major support for The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is provided by The Geoffrey and Sarah Gund Endowment.
This evening’s concert will be broadcast on Ideastream/ WCLV Classical 90.3 FM Sunday, June 28 at 4 PM.
ICARUS IN ORBIT
Composed: 2003
Duration: about 5 minutes
BY George Walker
BORN
June 27, 1922, in Washington, DC
DIED
August 23, 2018, in Montclair, New Jersey
“Many orchestras think that a Black audience will only come for music with overtly African elements,” composer George Walker stated in a 2004 interview for the Detroit Free Press. “I find this view offensive. The most important thing is to select music of the highest quality that will have something to say to the audience.”
Walker, 82 at the time of the interview, never lacked something to say in his music, and over time, opportunities for audiences to hear his works have grown. From his first major composition, the First String Quartet of 1946, to Lilacs — the 1996 orchestral work that made him the first Black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music — and beyond, he forged and refined a distinctive output. Even when he referenced or incorporated folkloric, gospel, or jazz sources, Walker’s voice is one of uncompromising originality.
Born in Washington, DC, in 1922, Walker began his training as a pianist during childhood and later pursued studies at Oberlin, the Eastman School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. He began composing at Curtis as a graduate student and refined his training in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, the most influential composition teacher of the 20th century.
Walker pursued a career as a concert pianist but focused on composition as well. He absorbed aspects of Serialism and Neoclassicism without embracing a particular dogma or school. Many of his earlier works sound akin to popular works by Copland and Barber, while Walker’s mature style is a jagged, muscular idiom, bearing similarities to Hindemith and Stravinsky while sounding like neither — or much like anyone else.
Commissioned by the New Jersey Youth Orchestra for its 25th anniversary, Icarus in Orbit falls into this late period. The title evokes the myth of Icarus, capturing exhilaration of his hubristic flight before his treacherous plunge back to earth. The piece opens with apprehension before taking off in a flurry of nervous motion. Broad chords, tinged with metal percussion instruments, seem to capture the fearsome intensity of the sun. A solo flute makes one final flurry of flight, before gravity has the final say.
— adapted from a note by Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a journalist, critic, and editor based in New York City. He has written about music for The New York Times and The New Yorker, and served as an editor for the Boston Globe , Time Out New York , and NPR .
LETTER FROM HOME
Composed: 1944
Duration: about 5 minutes
BY Aaron Copland BORN
November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York
DIED
December 2, 1990, in North Tarrytown, New York
Aaron Copland decided he would be a composer at age 15. He studied the piano with Leopold Wolfsohn and composition with Rubin Goldmark . He went to France in the summer of 1921 to study with Paul Vidal at Fontainebleau and remained in Paris for three years studying with Nadia Boulanger as her first American student of composition. He returned to the United States in 1924, and in 1925 was awarded a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship which was renewed the following year.
In addition to being a composer and pianist, Copland was an active proponent of modern and American music, publishing articles and books on the contemporary musical scene and serving many organizations designed to build a larger interest in the music of living composers. Copland sketched his Letter from Home upon commission from the American Broadcasting Company in the spring of 1944 while serving as visiting lecturer at Harvard University. The sketches were completed and scored for radio orchestra the following August at Tepoztlan, Mexico — while Copland was on a government-sponsored tour of Latin America. Paul Whiteman conducted this first version in a broadcast of the Philco Radio Orchestra on October 17, 1944. The composer subsequently rescored his music for full symphony orchestra, an arrangement premiered by The Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell on February 27, 1947.
Copland warns against interpreting the title of his Letter from Home too literally. “This is a musical, not a prose, ‘letter’,” he writes. “The music tries to convey not so much the detail of daily events, but rather emotional reactions associated with the reading of a letter from home. The listener is the recipient in this case; and the composer is fairly certain that the simple nature of the ‘letter’ will make it easily understood.”
— adapted from a note by George H.L. Smith
George H.L. Smith was the Manager of the Musical Arts Association from 1956 to 1957. He wrote this program note in 1947 for The Cleveland Orchestra’s premiere of the full orchestra version of Letter from Home .
TROMBONE CONCERTINO IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 4
Composed: 1837
Duration: about 15 minutes
BY Ferdinand David BORN
June 19, 1810, in Hamburg, Germany
DIED
July 18, 1873, in Klosters-Serneus, Switzerland
Ferdinand David was one of the great violinists of his day. Born just a year after Felix Mendelssohn , the two musicians lived parallel lives. Like Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny, David and his older sister Louise were both child prodigies. When, in his twenties, Mendelssohn became director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, he invited his friend David to serve as concertmaster — a post the latter held for the rest of his life. They also both taught at the Leipzig Conservatory. Mendelssohn even wrote his famous Violin Concerto especially for David.
In addition to performing, teaching, and eventually conducting, David was a prolific composer — having studied with leading German composer Louis Spohr in his youth. His considerable output includes concertos and other works for violin and orchestra, concert pieces for wind instruments, string chamber music, vocal and choral works, and a single opera. He was better known, however, for his arrangements and transcriptions — including his work in editing Mendelssohn’s manuscripts after his untimely death.
David’s most enduring work is his Concertino in E-flat major for trombone and orchestra. David wrote this small concerto soon after moving to Leipzig and may well have created it for one of the trombonists in that orchestra. In the 18th century, trombones were either used in church music or reserved for reinforcing supernatural effects in opera. Nineteenthcentury composers like Berlioz began exploring wider uses for the trombone, but David was remarkable in treating this instrument as a legitimate solo voice.
The concerto opens with a woodwind chorale, reminiscent of the trombone’s sacred associations. This sense of calm is soon interrupted by a swirling, stormy motive in the strings, trumpets, and timpani. The soloist enters with a confident fanfare before immediately introducing a more lyrical passage. The second movement is a true funeral march, the pathos of which was so loved by Romantics of the 19th century. Building out of this somber environment, the finale presents a wonderfully swaggering spotlight for the soloist with militaristic punctuations from the orchestra.
— Ellen Sauer Tanyeri
Ellen Sauer Tanyeri is The Cleveland Orchestra’s Archives & Editorial Assistant and is a PhD candidate in musicology at Case Western Reserve University.
SYMPHONY NO. 9 IN E MINOR, OP. 95, “FROM THE NEW WORLD”
Composed: 1893
Duration: about 40 minutes
BY Antonín Dvořák
BORN
September 8, 1841, in Nelahozeves, Bohemia (presentday Czech Republic)
DIED
May 1, 1904, in Prague
By the time he was 50, Antonín Dvořák was already a famous composer in Europe. However, in the 1890s, he left this all behind for an irresistible offer. Jeannette M. Thurber had founded The National Conservatory of Music in New York City in 1885, and hoped that Dvořák’s worldwide reputation would help the school’s struggling enrollment (and budget). In the fall of 1892 Dvořák set sail for New York accompanied by his wife, two of their six children, and a musician friend. His new salary would be more than 25 times what he had been making in Prague, and he wouldn’t have to teach in the summer anymore, giving him time to write more music.
Dvořák took his new responsibilities very seriously. Among other things, he was soon advocating Thurber’s dream of creating a “new American music.” He studied transcriptions of Native America music and listened to African American spirituals. Composer Harry Burleigh , then a student at the Conservatory, spent many evenings singing spirituals for Dvořák and helped copy parts for Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony.
Completed within eight months of his arrival in New York, the Ninth Symphony reflects Dvořák’s early impressions of America. As such, he added the subtitle “From the New World” to the score to indicate that his new work was something like a musical postcard.
The symphony’s slow introduction hints at the main theme, and then the melody appears in the horns. This syncopated fanfare recurs throughout the remainder of the symphony. Later in the movement, a spiritual-inspired melody is introduced by solo flute. The second movement includes the melody that many of us recognize as the spiritual “Goin’ Home” — one of Dvořák’s students set words to the tune several years later. Dvořák’s idea for the third movement came from dance music he had sketched for an unfinished opera on Longfellow ’s Song of Hiawatha . Following the whirling opening section, the remaining waltzes are alternatingly graceful and energetic. The final movement is set in motion slowly. Melodies from the first three movements reappear along with new material, and the symphony is brought to a stirring conclusion.
— adapted from a note by Eric Sellen Eric Sellen is The Cleveland Orchestra’s Editor Emeritus. He previously was Program Book Editor for 28 seasons.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
The thousands of students who have been members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra represent a remarkable group of talented young people. For some, their interest in music has carried them forward into careers as educators and performers. For others, music continues as an important part of their lives and careers in business, the arts, recreation, or community service.
Some of this year’s seniors shared the following poignant and humorous reflections:
• “Joining COYO opened a door into a glowing world of art and the possibilities of creating — not only as a performer but as a collaborator. This stage and this community have been my second home.” — Cyprus Foster, violin
• “I would like to thank my arms for always being by my side, my legs for supporting me, and my fingers for always being able to count on.” — Jonah Paponetti, viola
• “I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.” — Willa Kenny, clarinet (quoting Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks)
• “I found my people here and was challenged to grow as a performer in ways I never expected. I’m deeply grateful for this experience and will miss COYO greatly.”
— Caroline Jang, cello
We offer our sincere congratulations to this year’s class and wish them success in their next chapter!
CLASS OF 2026 GRADUATING MEMBERS
Matthew Arnold (percussion, 2024–26) will attend the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University to major in percussion performance
Julia Astorga (violin, 2024–26) will attend Carnegie Mellon University to major in composition and electronic music, and minor in violin and creative writing
Grace Berendt (trombone, 2022–26) will attend Oberlin College & Conservatory to major in trombone performance
Kate Davis (bass, 2023–26) will attend Ohio Northern University in their direct-entry PharmD program
Preston Duncan (viola, 2024–26) will attend The Ohio State University to major in computer science and engineering, and minor in music
Cate Dzero (cello, 2024–26)
Keagan Evans (horn, 2025–26) will attend The Ohio State University to major in music education and horn performance
Cyprus Foster (violin, 2022–26) will attend Oberlin College & Conservatory to double major in violin performance and psychology
Abby Hahnenberg (violin, 2024–26) will attend Washington University in St. Louis to study neuroscience and philosophy
Esther Hayashi (violin, 2022–26) will attend Kenyon College to major in psychology
Kaiden Honaker (cello, 2022–26) will attend The Ohio State University to major in neuroscience and minor in music
Caroline Jang (cello, 2025–26) will attend Duke University to major in biology on the pre-med track
Chengyu Jiang (violin, 2022–26) will attend
The Ohio State University to major in biomedical engineering
Alex Jin (violin, 2023–26)
Lindsey Jones (viola, 2022–26) will attend Oberlin College & Conservatory to major in viola performance
Willa Kenny (clarinet, 2024–26) will attend Carnegie Mellon University to study clarinet performance and psychology
Abigail Kovach (bass, 2025–26) will attend the University of Maryland to study business and bass performance
Andrew Kunselman (bass, 2025–26) will attend Carnegie Mellon University to major in electrical and computer engineering
Lucas Marques (trombone, 2024–26)
Alessio Matera (bassoon, 2024–26) will attend Cornell University to major in physics and minor in music
Brennon Mitchell (trombone, 2024–26)
Robert Mosack (bass, 2025–26) will attend Baldwin Wallace University to major in music education and finance
Jonah Paponetti (viola, 2024–26) will attend DePaul University to major in viola performance
Travis Phillips (bass, 2019–26) will attend Northwestern University to double major in bass performance and biomedical engineering
Brayden Qi (violin, 2023–26) will attend the University of Pennsylvania to study economics and psychology
Justin Reimschisel (percussion, 2023–26) will attend Case Western Reserve University to major in mechanical and aerospace engineering, and minor in physics and music
Owen Rinaldo (trumpet, 2023–26) will attend Oberlin College & Conservatory to major in trumpet performance
Kelsey Rogers (percussion, 2024–26) will attend Duke University to double major in biology and Spanish
Angie Stump (bassoon, 2024–26)
Preston Thigpen (bassoon, 2025–26) will attend Kent State University to major in professional pilot with a music minor
Christopher Wang (oboe, 2024–26) will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to major in chemistry
Aaron Wei (violin, 2023–26) will attend Cornell University to major in electrical engineering
Sullivan Wiggins (bass, 2021–26) will attend The Ohio State University to major in engineering and minor in music
Connor Yorke (trumpet, 2025–26) will attend Bowling Green State University to major in music education
Jason Yi-Kun Zhao (viola, 2022–26) will attend Brown University to major in international public affairs
Michael Zhu (cello, 2023–26) will attend Columbia University to major in engineering and applied science as an Egleston Scholar
FIRST VIOLINS
Cyprus Foster
CONCERTMASTER Homeschool
Harris Wang
ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Solon High School
Aaron Wei Solon High School
Lydia Andres Homeschool
Julia Astorga Homeschool
Andrew Heinzen
Cleveland Heights High School
Siyoon Kim
Jackson Memorial Middle School
Maria Shrefler
Padua Franciscan High School
Yi-Chuan Li
Hudson Middle School
Peter Dzero
Western Reserve Academy
Abby Hahnenberg
Shaker Heights High School
Sophia Jiang
Solon Middle School
Roan Westerbeke
Hawken School
Jerry Du
Hudson High School
Cole Krajewski
Twinsburg High School
SECOND VIOLINS
Mason Zhang
PRINCIPAL
Shaker Heights High School
Sujin Kim
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Menlo Park Academy
Marina Han
Solon High School
Chengyu Jiang
Solon High School
YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Alex Jin
Aurora High School
Jason Fan
Rocky River High School
Alexandria Zhang
Hawken School
Arthur Zhao
Avon High School
Cinyi Zhang
Ballard Brady Middle School
Esther Hayashi
Hudson High School
Claire Huang
Solon High School
Christopher Wei
Solon High School
James Zeng
St. Edward High School
Cailyn Hua
Western Reserve Academy
Brayden Qi
Hawken School
VIOLAS
Lindsey Jones
PRINCIPAL Homeschool
Jason Yi-Kun Zhao
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL University School
Jonah Paponetti
Shaker Heights High School
Preston Duncan
Aurora High School
Elizabeth Pineda
Hawken School
Gabi Levy
Oberlin High School
Lydia Huff
Oberlin High School
Seohyun Kwon
Beachwood High School
Min Garcia
Cleveland School of the Arts
Kaustubh Devarakonda
Strongsville High School
Claire Wilburn
Lake Ridge Academy
CELLOS
Kaiden Honaker
PRINCIPAL
Twinsburg High School
Nicholas Jacques
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Hawken School
Cate Dzero
Western Reserve Academy
Michael Zhu
University School
Caroline Jang
Orange High School
Oliver Krishnaney
University School
Rhys Scott University School
Jack Neely
Hawken School
Dylan Hansen
Cleveland Heights High School
Eldon Foster Homeschool
Julia Zollinger
Hoover High School
Seraphina Huang
Hawken School
Lilly Paponetti
Shaker Heights High School
Wesley Lewis
Shaker Heights High School
BASSES
Sullivan Wiggins
PRINCIPAL
Shaker Heights High School
Travis Phillips
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL University School
Abigail Kovach
Lakewood High School
Andrew Kunselman
Strongsville High School
Kate Davis
Firestone Community
Learning Center
Robert Mosack
Strongsville High School
Violet Yeh
Shaker Heights High School
Luke Heiland
Highland Middle School
FLUTES
Malkyiah Grant C
Columbiana High School
Zachary Moskowitz W Da
Shaker Heights High School
Aryaman Sigdel Dv
Twinsburg High School
PICCOLO
Malkyiah Grant W
Zachary Moskowitz Dv
OBOES
Eliana Fittante W C
Ontario High School
Andrew Kelly Dv
Bay High School
Emily Petrella Da
Hudson High School
Christopher Wang
Solon High School
ENGLISH HORN
Emily Petrella Dv
CLARINETS
Nicholas Garrett Dv
Cleveland School of the Arts
Willa Kenny W C
Saint Joseph Academy
Evan Lee
Hudson High School
Sawyer Sulzener Da
Highland High School
BASS CLARINET
Nicholas Garrett C
BASSOONS
Anton Bekeny
Bay Middle School
Alessio Matera Dv
Lakewood High School
Angie Stump C Da
Copley High School
Preston Thigpen W Howland High School
HORNS
Jack Berendt W
Aurora High School
Keagan Evans C
Columbia High School
EJ Thomas Da Dv Oberlin High School
Joseph Joyce**
TRUMPETS
Alex Alafi W Mentor High School
Dominic Morataya Howland High School
Owen Rinaldo C Dv
Stow-Munroe Falls High School
Connor Yorke Da Wadsworth High School
TROMBONES
Grace Berendt Dv
Aurora High School
Lucas Marques Westlake High School
TUBA
Adam Lindsey**
The following eight endowed Youth Orchestra chairs have been created in recognition of generous gifts to The Cleveland Orchestra’s endowment:
Concertmaster, Daniel Majeske Memorial Chair Principal Cello, Barbara P. and Alan S. Geismer Chair
Principal Viola, Anthony T. and Patricia A. Lauria Chair
TIMPANI
Matthew Arnold C Dv
Orange High School
Nathaniel Pino Dv
Solon High School
Justin Reimschisel W Dv
Solon High School
Kelsey Rogers Da
Shaker Heights High School
PERCUSSION
Matthew Arnold
Nathaniel Pino
Justin Reimschisel
Kelsey Rogers
HARP
Elizabeth Gao
Solon High School
PIANO
Saya Uejima
Green High School
CELESTA
Saya Uejima
MANAGER
Kennedy McKain
COORDINATOR/ LIBRARIAN
Micah Kroeker
Performers are listed alphabetically within each woodwind, brass, and percussion section. Superscripts indicate principal player according to the following key:
W Walker
C Copland
Dv Dvořák
Da David
** Extra/substitute musician
Principal Bass, Anthony F. Knight Memorial Chair Principal Flute, Virginia S. Jones Memorial Chair Piccolo, Patience Cameron Hoskins Chair
Principal Harp, Norma Battes Chair Principal Keyboard, Victor C. Laughlin M.D. Memorial Chair
Learn from renowned instructors and take master classes with world-famous musicians. Surround yourself with the beauty and inspiration of two lakes and 1,200 acres of pine forest. Celebrate the connections between art forms through breathtaking interdisciplinary performances. And take part in a time-honored legacy that leads to top colleges, renowned conservatories, and placement in the world’s best orchestras. Where else can you do all these things? THERE’S ONLY ONE INTERLOCHEN.
JAMES FEDDECK
Principal Conductor & Musical Advisor of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra | Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair
James Feddeck is Principal Conductor & Musical Advisor of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra for the 2025–26 season.
A conductor of international acclaim, Feddeck inspires audiences with a presence felt across the world’s finest stages. In North America, he has conducted major symphony orchestras including Chicago, Cleveland, Montreal, San Francisco, and Toronto. His performances with leading European orchestras include the Vienna Radio Symphony, the national orchestras of France, Belgium, Ireland, and Scotland, and major UK orchestras. In addition, he regularly performs throughout Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
For the last five seasons, Feddeck served as principal director of the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, Italy, leading operatic productions and concert performances.
He has collaborated with many of the world’s foremost soloists, including PierreLaurent Aimard , Marc-André Hamelin , Yo-Yo Ma , Midori , and Lise de la Salle. His recorded discography includes works by Georg Schumann for CPO with the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2017), as well as the music of Terry Riley and Dane Rudhyar with The Cleveland Orchestra and Calder Quartet (2022).
Feddeck was previously appointed to the Cleveland Orchestra conducting staff in 2009 during which he also served as Music Director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and led their first European tour.
He is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he received the Outstanding Alumni Award, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, which awarded him the Robert Harth and Aspen prizes. He was also the winner of the prestigious Solti Conducting Fellowship and the sixth Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition.
PHOTO BY ROGER MASTROIANNI
GRACE BERENDT
Trombone
Grace Berendt fell in love with the trombone after attending her first jazz concert at 3 years old, and began playing at age 9. She initially took lessons with her mom, a horn player, and then studied with Eric Richmond at The Music Settlement. She currently studies with Richard Stout .
Grace joined The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) in 2022. She also participated in the 2026 All-State Orchestra, the 2024 and 2025 Northeast Ohio Regional Orchestra, and the 2025 Kent State All-Star Band. Grace has also performed in masterclasses for Elisabeth Shafer and Cristina Cutts and was an associate trombonist in the 2025 Cleveland Trombone Seminar Program.
Grace plays at churches and community events with her family brass quartet, KB Brass. In 2024, she and her twin older brothers were also selected to perform an original composition through the Cleveland Composer’s Guild. In 2024 and 2025, Grace was the Aurora High School Marching band drum major. She also enjoys playing in the school’s pit orchestra and singing alto in choir. At Solo and Ensemble, Grace has received superior ratings since 2022 and led a school trombone quartet in 2026. She also teaches beginner trombone lessons.
In her free time, Grace enjoys running cross country, spending time with her family, traveling, and sewing — and is very proud to have worn her own creations for homecoming events. She is a member of the National Honor Society and enjoys tutoring Spanish. Grace aspires to be a professional orchestral musician.
ABOUT THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is a full symphonic ensemble composed of 98 young musicians drawn from 39 communities in 12 counties across Northern Ohio. Founded in 1986 by Jahja Ling (then resident conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra), The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) provides serious young music students of middle and high school age with a unique pre-professional orchestral training experience. The 2025–26 season marks COYO’s 39th performing season and the return of conductor James Feddeck , who previously led the ensemble from 2009–13.
Among the acclaimed artists to work with COYO are Marin Alsop, Pierre Boulez , Stéphane Denève, Christoph von Dohnányi , Giancarlo Guerrero, Witold Lutosławski , Yo-Yo Ma , Gil Shaham , Michael Tilson Thomas , Antoni Wit , and Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst . The ensemble has been featured on three international tours.
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is part of a suite of Cleveland Orchestra programs designed to nurture aspiring young musicians, which also includes The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus and Preparatory Chorus, and the Crescendo, Music Mentors, and Bassoon Farm pathways initiatives for students in Cleveland schools. In addition, with the support of many generous individual, foundation, corporate, and governmental funding partners, the Orchestra’s full range of education and community programs reach more than 100,000 young people and adults annually, helping to foster a lifelong relationship with music by removing barriers to participation, advocating for and helping to facilitate equitable access to comprehensive music education in schools, and harnessing the life-changing power of music in service to the community.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA COACHING STAFF
The following members of The Cleveland Orchestra have served as section coaches for the Youth Orchestra in preparation for this concert:
VIOLINS
Stephen Tavani Assistant Concertmaster
Kathleen Collins
Vladimir Deninzon*
VIOLA
Gareth Zehngut First Assistant Principal
Stanley Konopka Assistant Principal
Patrick Connolly*
CELLO
David Alan Harrell
BASSES
Mark Atherton Scott Haigh*
OBOE
Frank Rosenwein Principal
CLARINET
Robert Woolfrey
BASSOONS
Gareth Thomas
Phil Austin*
HORNS
Meghan Guegold Hege^
Alan DeMattia*
TRUMPETS
Mike Miller
Jack Sutte
TROMBONE
Shachar Israel Assistant Principal
TUBA
Yasuhito Sugiyama Principal
PERCUSSION
Tanner Tanyeri
Donald Miller*
HARP
Trina Struble Principal
WITH SPECIAL THANKS
Michael Ferraguto Principal Librarian
John McLaughlin Williams Violin substitute
Khari Joyner Cello substitute
Kyra Kester Flute substitute
Alicja Basinska Keyboard substitute
* Emeritus member of The Cleveland Orchestra
^ Alum of COYO
SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHERS
The members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra express gratitude to their school music directors for the role they play on a daily basis in developing musical skills:
Jason Burdett
Aurora High School
Mason Smith
Aurora High School
Jesse Martin
Avon High School
Brendan Caldwell
Baldwin Wallace University
Devon Gess
Bay High School
Mark Awad
Bay Middle School
David Luddington
Beachwood High School
Rebecca Ellsworth
Ballard Brady Middle School
Anthony Bonamase
Canfield High School
Daniel Heim
Cleveland Heights High School
Robert Davis
Cleveland School of the Arts
Dianna Richardson
Cleveland School of the Arts
Jessie Shrenkel
Columbia High School
Charles Miller
Columbiana High School
Michael Foster
Copley High School
Sloan Stakleff
Firestone CLC
Theresa O’Deens
Galion High School
Amy Rach
Green High School
Kyra Mihalski
Hawken School
Edward Marquette
Highland High School
Laura Joss
Highland Middle School
Ronald Varn
Hoover High School
Gregory Rezabek
Howland High School
Roberto Iriarte
Hudson High School
John Rodesh
Hudson High School
Scott Eversdyke
Jackson High School
Joseph Carlson
Jackson Memorial Middle School
Mary Price
Lake Ridge Academy
Elizabeth Hankins
Lakewood High School
Clinton Steinbrunner
Lakewood High School
Adonai Henderson
Menlo Park Academy
Steve Porema
Mentor High School
Emily Cromwell
Oberlin High School
Ryan Jaeckin
Oberlin High School
Grace Reven
Ontario High School
Brandon DuVall
Orange High School
Rebecca Ellsworth
Orange High School
Mark Wozniak
Padua Franciscan High School
Brian Patton
Saint Joseph Academy
Bill Hughes
Shaker Heights High School
Donna Jelen
Shaker Heights High School
Mark Mauldin
Solon High School
Gerald MacDougall
Solon Middle & High School
Robert Luce
Solon Middle School
David Michaels
St. Edward High School
Andrew Hire
Strongsville High School
Ryan Bonitz
Twinsburg High School
Damon Conn
Twinsburg High School
Abigail Dudzik
University School
Devon Steve
University School
Dana Hire
Wadsworth High School
Margaret Karam
Western Reserve Academy
Hilary Patriok
Westlake High School
PRIVATE MUSIC TEACHERS
The members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra express gratitude to their private teachers for their support, insight, and expertise:
VIOLIN TEACHERS
Masha Andreini
Sibbi Bernhardsson
Heather Crawford
Vladimir Deninzon**
Francesca DePasquale
Amos Fayette
Wei-Fang Gu*
Liesl Hook
Amy Lee*
Ruoyao Li
Kimberly Meier-Sims
Ioana Missits*
Marlene Moses
Eugenia Poustyreva
Corrie Ann Riberdy
Barton Samuel Rotberg
Stephen Sims
Cory Smith
Beth Woodside*
Yu Yuan*
VIOLA TEACHERS
Jeffrey Irvine
Laura Kuennan-Poper
Teng Li
Micaela Murphy
Mary Price
James Rhodes
Carol Ross
Laura Schuster
Luke Wardell
Louise Zeitlin
CELLO TEACHERS
Martha Baldwin*
Rachel Bernstein
Abbey Hansen
David Alan Harrell*
Pamela Kelly
Melisa Kraut
Rabecca Landell
Hannah Lintz
Ida Mercer
Daniel Pereira
BASS TEACHERS
Steven Brija
Blake Kniola
Tracy Rowell
Susan Yelanjian
FLUTE TEACHERS
Stephanie Carter Dennis
Kaleb Chasnic
Linda Miller
Thomas Miller
OBOE TEACHERS
Carol Bernhardt
Stephanie Cohn
Jack Harek
Corbin Stair*
CLARINET TEACHERS
Meghan Colbert
Kerri Davis
Stanislav Golovin
Sally Kish
BASSOON TEACHERS
Lydia Byndas
Mark DeMio
Zach Elmore
Shawn Renolds
HORN TEACHERS
Jason Bernhardt
Van Parker
TRUMPET TEACHERS
Amanda Alafi
James Johnson
Jerry Kleman
Ken Young
TROMBONE TEACHERS
Ty Deane
Andrew Mitchell
Eric Richmond
TUBA TEACHER
Brian Griffin
PERCUSSION TEACHERS
Thomas Freer**
Katalin La Favre
Matthew Larson
Jennalee Quillen
HARP TEACHER
Jody Guinn
KEYBOARD TEACHER
Haewon Song
* Member of The Cleveland Orchestra
** Emeritus member of The Cleveland Orchestra
LATE SEATING
As a courtesy to audience members and musicians, late-arriving patrons are asked to wait quietly until the fi rst convenient break in the program. These seating breaks are at the discretion of the House Manager in consultation with the performing artists.
CELL PHONES, WATCHES & OTHER DEVICES
To ensure a quiet and respectful listening environment, please silence all electronic devices.
PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING
Audio recording, photography, and videography are not allowed during performances at Severance. Photographs can only be taken when the performance is not in progress.
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA APP
Explore upcoming concerts, purchase and access your tickets, receive performance updates, and more. Available for iOS and Android on Google Play and at the Apple App Store. More information is at clevelandorchestra.com/tcoapp
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY
Contact an usher or a member of house staff if you require medical assistance. Emergency exits are clearly marked throughout the building. Ushers and house staff will provide instructions in the event of an emergency.
HEARING AIDS & OTHER HEALTH-ASSISTIVE DEVICES
In consideration of others, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other healthassistive devices that may produce noise. For Infrared Assistive-Listening Devices, please see an usher. To request one in advance, email info@clevelandorchestra.com.
AGE GUIDELINES
Regardless of age, each person must have a ticket and be able to sit quietly in a seat throughout the performance. Classical Season subscription concerts are not recommended for children under 8. However, there are several age-appropriate series designed specifically for children and youth, including Music Explorers (for 3 to 6 years old) and Family Concerts (for ages 7 and older).
Copyright © 2026 by The Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association
Editorial: Kevin McBrien, Editorial & Publications Manager (kmcbrien@clevelandorchestra.com)
Ellen Sauer Tanyeri, Archives & Editorial Assistant
Design: Melissa Leone (melissa@melissaleone.com)
Program books for Cleveland Orchestra concerts are produced by The Cleveland Orchestra and are distributed free to attending audience members.
The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to have its home, Severance Music Center, located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, with whom it has a long history of collaboration and partnership.
