AYS Alumni Resources and Accomplishments
We have over 2,500 amazing alumni in our directory from AYS’ rich 56 year history. It is important to us that we keep our relationship going strong after your time playing with AYS. There are a few ways AYS Alumni can stay in touch.
Alumni Updates
Help keep our Alumni directory updated by completing this form and sharing your most updated contact information, success stories, and where you are today. You can find the form here.
Join the Community!
1. Join the AYS Alumni FB Group and connect with each other on music related opportunities, events, and conversations.
2. Receive the monthly AYS Newsletter. Sign up here.
3. Email us your favorite AYS Memory! We would love to hear from you and what you enjoyed about your time being in AYS. Email us at AYS@AYSymphony.org
Add Your Support
Consider making a monthly or one-time donation to AYS in support of musician stipends, community programs, and keeping our concerts free to audiences. Visit our “ways to give” page to learn how you can get involved.
Alumni News and Positions
Alumni in Orchestras:
AYS Alumni have joined the finest orchestras, enjoy successful careers in recording, and are on the faculties of prestigious schools. Their success speaks to the impact of our training program. We value your updates to this incomplete list!
ALABAMA SYMPHONY
Richard Cassarino, bass
Brad Whitfield, assistant principal clarinet
ATLANTA SYMPHONY
Joseph McFadden, bass
AUCKLAND ORCHESTRA (New Zealand)
Sophia Acheson, viola
Jonah Levy, associate principal trumpet
Steven Logan, principal timpani
BERKELEY SYMPHONY
Franklyn d’Antonio, concertmaster & orchestra manager
Rene Mandel, executive director
Cheonho Yoon, principal trumpet
BOSTON SYMPHONY
Rachel Childers, horn
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF PHILADELPHIA
Stephen Tavani, concertmaster
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY
Brice Burton, principal percussion
CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Philip Marten, assistant concertmaster
CHICAGO SYMPHONY
John Bruce Yeh, asst. principal clarinet
Karen Basrak, cello
CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
Stephen Tavani, asst. concertmaster Michael Sachs, principal trumpet
Richard Weiss, asst. principal cello
COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC
Sergei Vassiliev, principal clarinet
COLORADO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Nicholas Recuber, asst. principal bass
DENMARK NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
Stanislav Zakrievski, violin
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Bing Wang, violin
DETROIT SYMPHONY
Michael Ke Ma, asst. principal bassoon
Peter McCaffrey, cello
Shannon Orme, clarinet
Hang Su, viola
Robert Williams, principal bassoon
Johanna Yarbrough, horn
ENSEMBLE ORCHESTRAL DE PARIS
Joel Sultanian, viola
FORT WORTH SYMPHONY
Allan Steele, principal cello Anna Kolotylina, principal viola
GRAND RAPID SYMPHONY
Joel Schekman, bass clarinet
Hawaii Symphony
Anna Lenhart, principal horn
HOLLYWOOD BOWL ORCHESTRA
Tim Barr, principal bass
Nicole Bush, violin
Rose Corrigan, principal bassoon
Gregory Goodall, percussion
Armen Ksajikian, associate principal cello
Barry Newton, bass
Radu Pieptea, violin
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY
Maria Crosby, cello
Joseph Petrasek, associate principal percussion
Raymond Santos, principal clarinet
KITCHENER-WATERLOO SYMPHONY
Edwin Outwater, music director
KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Claire Chenette, principal oboe
Garrett McQueen, bassoon
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Maia Jasper, violin
Armen Ksajikian, associate principal cello
Connie Kupka, violin
Damian Montano, bassoon
Searmi Park, violin
Steven Scharf, violin & personnel manager
David Washburn, principal trumpet
LOS ANGELES OPERA
Tamsen Beseke, violin
Ryan Darke, trumpet
Marlow Fisher, viola
Mary Gale, clarinet
Gregory Goodall, principal timpani
Jennifer Johnson, oboe & english horn
Jenny Kim, horn
Daniel Kelley, horn
William May, bassoon
Jayme Miller, violin
David Stenske, associate concertmaster
Andrew Ulyate, trumpet
John Walz, principal cello
Mark Zimosky, percussion
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
Kazue Asawa-McGregor, librarian
Raynor Carroll, percussion (retired)
Richard Elegino, viola
Jerry Epstein, viola (retired)
Barry Gold, cello
Michele Grego, bassoon
David Howard, clarinet
Matthew Howard, principal percussion
Ingrid Runde Hutman, viola
David Allen Moore, bass
Jeffrey Reynolds, bass trombone
Peter Rofe, bass
Brent Samuel, cello
Barry Socher, violin (retired)
Lawrence Sonderling, violin (retired)
Dennis Trembly, principal bass
Bing Wang, associate concertmaster
LOUISIANA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Jack Pena, principal bassoon
MACAO ORCHESTRA (China)
Christian Goldsmith, principal trombone
Lu Ya, violin
MANCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Andrew Tang, viola
METROPOLITAN OPERA
Kari-Jane Docter, cello
MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Ilana Setapen, associate concertmaster
Benjamin Adler, assistant principal clarinet
MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA
Gregory Milliren, associate principal flute
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
James Zimmermann, principal clarinet
Patrick Kunkee, co-principal trumpet
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Paul DeNola, bass
NEW YORK CITY OPERA
Montgomery Hatch, percussion
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Michelle Kim, assistant concertmaster
Roger Nye, bassoon
Cynthia Phelps, principal viola
Sheryl Staples, associate concertmaster
NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
Sunrise Kim, cello
OREGON SYMPHONY
Silu Fei, viola
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
Rose Corrigan, principal bassoon
Maia Jasper, violin
Marisa Sorajja, violin
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
Brook Speltz, cello
PHOENIX SYMPHONY
Viviana Cumplido, principal flute
SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY
Marisa Bushman, viola
Martha Long, principal flute
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Benjamin Jaber, principal horn
Rose Lombardo, principal flute
Julia Pautz, violin
Yao Zhao, principal cello
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Yun Chu, violin
Yun-Jie Liu, associate principal viola
Brian Marcus, bass
Bruce Roberts, horn
Daniel G. Smith, associate principal double bass
SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY
Nigel Armstrong, concertmaster
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Eduardo Rios, 1st Assistant Concertmaster Sayaka Kokubo, viola
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Yu Ling Duan, violin
SPOKANE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Zhe Song, violin
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY
Anna Spina, horn
TORONTO SYMPHONY
Theodore Chan, bass
TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Gabrielle Castriotta, oboe
Laura Odegaard-Stoutenborough,
…. principal clarinet
Conrad Jones, principal trumpet
U.S. AIR FORCE
Christine Lightner, cello
U.S. ARMY FIELD BAND
J.G. Miller, principal horn
VANCOUVER SYMPHONY
Ryan Zwahlen, principal oboe
VIRGINIA SYMPHONY
Gabriel Campos Zamora, principal clarinet
Alumni News:
Recent Accomplishments by AYS Alumni include:
EDUCATION:
Annie Hyung, Cello (2016-18):
Accepted into undergraduate program at Northwestern University
Joseph Mora, Principal Tuba (2015-18):
Accepted into Masters program at
Northwestern University
Julian Seney, Viola (2016-18):
Accepted into undergraduate program at
New England Conservatory
ORCHESTRA POSITIONS:
Seth Biagini, a member of the AYS cello section from 2009-2011, has joined the Oregon Symphony.
Makena Clark, Violin (2017/18):
Section violinist with Reno Philharmonic
Dana Jackson, AYS principal bassoon during the 2012/13 season, has joined the Seattle Symphony as the 3rd Bassoon/ Contrabassoon. She was also appointed Adjunct Instructor at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
Conrad Jones, an AYS alumnus from the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, has recently been appointed principal trumpet of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has also joined the trumpet faculty of DePauw University in Indiana.
Taylor Marino, AYS principal clarinet during the 2015/16 season, has won the same position with Charlotte Symphony.
Philip Marten, Concertmaster (2015/16):
Assistant Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Carrie Rexroat, Horn (2013-15):
2nd Horn with Symphony Tacoma
Stephen Tavani, Co-Concertmaster (2011-2014):
Assistant Concertmaster of Cleveland Orchestra
COMPETITIONS:
Sergio Coehlo, Principal Clarinet (2015-present):
Runner up in the Classics Alive Young Artists Auditions, and finalist in the 2018 Hennings-Fischer Young Artists Competition.
Dong Nyouk Sunrise Kim, AYS principal cello (2015-present): won second prize in the strings division of the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition.
Coleman Itzkoff, Principal Cello (2014-2017): Won Division A of the Classics Alive Young Artists Auditions
Geneva Lewis, who played in the AYS first violin section during the 2014/15 Season, was a finalist in the 2018 International Naumberg Violin Competition in New York City.
Grace Park was named first prizewinner of the International Naumburg Violin Competition in November 2018
Connor Rowe, currently a sub in the AYS trombone section, has just been named the winner of the 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition. He is one of only 11 musicians nation-wide to earn this distinction.
SOLO ENGAGEMENTS AND MORE:
Garrett McQueen, Principal Bassoon (2011-12):
On-air host for Classical 24, nationally-syndicated radio program produced by American Public Media and Public Radio International
Simone Porter, Violin (2011-13):
Upcoming and recent soloist engagements with: LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional De Costa Rica
