Alumni
A History of Success
Eastern Music Festival’s alumni numbers are over 11,000. Many alumni have gone on to acclaimed solo, chamber music, and orchestral careers. Many have careers in arts management, health care, business, education, and law. We’re proud and honored to be associated with each EMF alumni.
Where Are You Now?
We love to keep in touch with our EMF alumni and want to hear about your passions and your festival memories. Tell us about where you are now, your family, your community, your favorite EMF moments. Send us photos from “back in the day” to share!
Distinguished Alumni

Distinguished Alumni
VIOLIN
- Ida Bieler
University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Faculty - Rebecca Boyer Hall
St. Louis Symphony - Eliot Chapo
Florida State University Faculty - Stefani Collins Matsuo
Cincinati Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster - Erin David
Utah Symphony - Ann Fink
St. Louis Symphony - Ingang Han
Jacksonville Symphony - Yumi Hwang-Williams
Colorado Symphony Concertmaster - Miran Kim
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Aniko Kovacs
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra - Eva Kozma
St. Louis Symphony - Courtney Lebauer
Converse College Faculty - Brian Lee
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra - Diana Lupo
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra - Jessica “Lady Jess” McJunkins
Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra Founder and Artistic Director - Scott Mozlin
Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra - Jeffrey Multer
The Florida Orchestra Concertmaster - Bruce Patti
Dallas Symphony - Emily Rist Glover
North Carolina Symphony - Carol Ruzicka
Cleveland Institute of Music Faculty - Gail Norine Sharp
Columbus Symphony Orchestra - Angie Smart
St. Louis Symphony - Guillauame Sutre
University of California Los Angeles Faculty
VIOLA
- Victoria Chiang
Peabody Institute, Faculty - Elisha Nelson
Cleveland Orchestra - Susan Pardue
Jacksonville Symphony - Chauncey Patterson
Lynn University, Faculty - Diane Phoenix-Neal
James Madison University, Faculty - Lauren Spaulding
Thalea String Quartet, Tallā Rouge duo - Antoine Tamestit
Concert Artist - Geraldine Walther
Takas String Quartet
CELLO
- Jennifer Combs
Hartford Sumphony Orchestra - Robert DeMaine
Los Angeles Philarmonic, Pincipal - Bryan Dumm
Cleveland Orchestra - Sterling Elliot
Concert Artist 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient 2019 Sphinx Competition Laureate - Michael Fitzpatrick
Earth’s Call Foundation, Founder - David Hardy
National Symphony Orchestra, Principal - David Kim
St. Louis Symphony, Assistant Principal - Thomas Kraines
Daedalus Quartet - Alvin McCall
St. Louis Symphony - Thalia Moore
San Francisco Opera Orchestra - Marc Moskovitz
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Principal - Julian Schwarz
Shenandoah Conservatory, Faculty - Rachel Young
National Symphony Orchestra
DOUBLE BASS
- Bruce Ridge
North Carolina Symphony - Larry Epstein
San Francisco Symphony, Associate Pricipal - Xavier Foley
2014 Sphinx Competition Winner - Travis Gore
Seattle Symphony - Erik Harris
St. Louis Symphony - Jim Lambert
Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra - Anthony Manzo
New Century Chamber Orchestra, Smithsonian Chamber Players - John Moore
Pittsburg Symphony - Kurt Reicken
Charlotte Symphony - Tristan Sutton
Bergen Philharmonic - Rion Wentworth
New York Philharmonic
FLUTE & PICCOLO
- Rachel Taratoot Ciraldo
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Principal Flute - David Cramer
The Philadelphia Orchestra - Gabe Fridkis
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Flute - Jake Fridkis
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Principal Flute - Elizabeth Klein
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Associate Principal Flute
OBOE & ENGLISH HORN
- Cally Banham
St. Louis Symphony - Karen Birch Blundell
Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, English Horn - Emily Brebach
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - Jennifer Christen
Indianapolis Symphony - Colin Gatwood
Houston Symphony - Laura Griffiths
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Principal Oboe - Kevin Pearl
Milwuakee Symphony, Assistant Principal Oboe - Yvonne Powers Peterson
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Associate Principal Oboe - Elizabeth Koch Tiscione
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Principal Oboe
CLARINET
- Joseph Beverly
The Florida Orchestra - Todd Cope
Orcehstre Symphonique de Montreal, Principal - Richie Hawley
Rice University, Faculty - Brian Hysong
New York City Ballet Orchestra - Tom Legrand
Houston Symphony, Associate Principal - Ricardo Morales
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Principal - Brad Whitfield
Alabama Symphony, Assistant Principal
BASSOON
- Andrew Brady
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Principal - Sue Heineman
National Symphony Orchestra - Patrick Johnson-Whitty
San Francisco Ballet Opera
HORN
- Julie Beckel Yager
Indianapolis Symphony - Beth Beeson
Nashville Symphony - Nicholas Caluori
West Point Band - Nicole (De La Cal) Caluori
West Point Band, Principal - Wei-ping Chou
Peabody Institute, Faculty - Oliver De Clercq
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Principal - Jacob Diedwardo
Axion Brass - Matthew Eckenhoff
Louisana Philharmonic - Melanie Erena
Axion Brass - Kristen Joham
Spokane Symphony - Charles Putnam
American Horn Quintet - Hunter Sholar
Nashville Symphony - Nathaniel Silberschlag
Cleveland Orchestra, Principal - Zachary Smith
Pittsburgh Symphony - Ross Snyder
Omaha Symphony, Associate Principal - Ernesto Tovar Torres
Philadelphia Orchestra
TRUMPET
- Bibi Black
Soloist and Recording Artist - Karin Bliznik
St Louis Symphony - Joseph Burgstaller
Peabody Institute, Faculty Former member of Canadian Brass - Kevin Finamore
Dallas Symphony Orchestra - Billy R. Hunter, Jr.
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Principal - Manny Laureano
Minnesota Orchestra, Principal - Wynton Marsalis
National Medal of the Arts Recipient, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Soloist, Composer and Recording Artist - Mark Niehaus
Milwaukee Symphony, President & Executive Director - Brandon Ridenour
Concert Artist, Former member of Canadian Brass - Alex Wilborn
Charlotte Symphony, Principal
TROMBONE
- Darrin C. Milling
São Paulo State Symphony, Principal Bass Trombone - Steven Osborne
The Sarasota Orchestra - David Ridge
San Francisco Opera Orchestra - Nicholas Schwartz
New York City Ballet Orchestra
TUBA
- Aden Beery
U.S. Naval Academy Band - JáTtik Clark
Oregon Symphony, Principal - TJ Graf
The Florida Orchestra, Principal - Justin Gruber
New Mexico Philharmonic - Kevin Harrison
Axiom Brass - James Jenkins
Jacksonville Symphony - Blake Ryall
Mississippi State University, Faculty
PERCUSSION
- Keith Carrick
Utah Symphony, Principal - Matthew Decker
Seattle Symphony - David Fishlock
Cincinnati Symphony - Nicholas Sakakeeny
Fort Worth Symphony
HARP
- Bridget Kibbey
Bard Conservatory, Faculty - Anna Kate Mackle
The Florida Orchestra
PIANO
- Jeremy Denk
Concert Artist McArthur Fellow Avery Fisher Prize Recipient - James Giles
Northwesetern University, Faculty - Christopher Guzman
Penn State University, Faculty - Chu Fang Hong
Concert Artist; 2011 Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipient, 2005 Van Cliburn Finalist - Paul Schuyler Phillips
Director of Orchestras & Chamber Music – Brown Univeristy - Syvia Wang
Northwestern University, Faculty
GUITAR
- Manuel Barrueco
Concert Artist - Frank Koonce
Arizona State University, Faculty (1978-2018)
CONDUCTING
- Yue Bao
Houston Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor - Kellen Lenard Gray
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Assistant Conductor - Ho Yin Kwok
Mississipi Valley Symphony, Music Director and Conductor - Chelsea Tipton, II
Symphony of Southeast Texas, Music Director - Paul Schuyler Phillips
Brown University, Director of Orchestras & Chamber Music - Ward Stare
Rochester Philharmonic, Music Director (2014-2021), Grammy Winner
LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS
- Michael Fitzpatrick
Earth’s Call Foundation, Founder - Angelica Hairston
Challenge the Stats, Executive Director - Mark Niehaus
Milwaukee Symphony, President & Executive Director - Ian Saunders
Project Step, Artistic Director
Updated as of Jan 02, 2025