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!

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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