Adam Kuenzel has served as Principal Flute in the Minnesota Orchestra since 1990. He is a frequent soloist at Orchestra Hall and has premiered numerous acclaimed works including two concertos by Manuel Sosa and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. Adam has appeared at leading festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival, and as guest principal flute with the Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, Dallas, and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. (Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Fei Wen is an active freelance musician and private instructor who has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra. In the summer, she plays with the Moziac Summer Festival in San Luis Obispo, California. Fei received a Bachelor's Degree in flute performance from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She now also has an Artist Diploma from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master's Degree from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Julie Gramolini Williams has been a member of the Minnesota Orchestra’s oboe section since 2007. She previously performed with the Omaha Symphony and served as Principal Oboe of the United States Air Force Band of the West in San Antonio, Texas. Julie serves as the Board Chair of CAYO and also contributes as a Teaching Artist, leading educational initiatives in Cuba and facilitating the delivery of essential supplies to students and educators. (Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Sarah Boyle Carmack is a Twin Cities freelance oboist and multifaceted artist, who specializes in painting Minnesota nature. She is the principal oboist of Minnesota Sinfonia, the English hornist of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, a soloist and chamber musician, and educator of oboe, reed making, and gouging machine repair and knife sharpening.

Olivia Hamilton recently completed a two-year Minnesota Orchestra Fellowship and is now Principal Clarinet of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra and a tenured member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. She has been a finalist in the Sphinx Orchestra Partners Audition Competition and has performed with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra, the latter broadcast nationally on CBS. Olivia earned her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University.

Daniel Friberg has performed widely across the United States and internationally in South Korea, Russia, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, Italy, and France. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Yale University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. In addition to performing and teaching, Daniel manages the printed music department of Groth Music. He collects and plays historical clarinets and chalumeaux, and is the author of the pedagogical duet book “Clarinet Excerpts in Context: Duets for Ensemble Mastery.” (Photo credit: Autumn Lee)

Preston Duncan is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist who has performed as a soloist in venues across Paris, Berlin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville, Boston, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Taiwan. He performs regularly with the Minnesota Orchestra and is Professor of Saxophone at the University of Minnesota.

Fei Xie joined the Minnesota Orchestra as Principal Bassoon in 2017, after serving in the same role with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra—becoming the first Chinese-born bassoonist to hold a principal position in a major American symphony orchestra. He has given masterclasses and recitals at conservatories and festivals throughout the United States, China, Cuba, and Brazil, and serves on the faculty of the University of Minnesota. (Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Emma Plehal is a member of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Iowa, where she plays bassoon and contrabassoon. She also serves on the music faculty at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Minnesota Opera. In addition to performing and teaching, Emma is a freelance writer and editor, creating program notes and marketing materials for music organizations nationwide. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in bassoon performance from the University of Minnesota.

Patrick Pridemore has performed with a wide range of artists and ensembles, from Aretha Franklin, Cheap Trick, and Harry Connick Jr. to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera. His playing is featured in films including The Manchurian Candidate, The Greatest Showman, and Joker. Patrick spent more than two decades as a freelance musician in New York City performing on and off Broadway.

Jenna McBride-Harris is Second Horn of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at St. Olaf College, and an active freelancer with the Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Jenna earned her Doctorate of Music degree from The Ohio State University. Career highlights include performing for Norwegian royalty and playing under the batons of Doc Severinsen and John Williams. (Photo credit: @Audreychristine.co)

Manny Laureano was Principal Trumpet of the Minnesota Orchestra for 44 years until his retirement in 2025. He is in demand as a soloist, clinician, and conductor with ensembles throughout the region, and has been Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra for 12 seasons. Manny and his wife, Claudette, co-directed the Minnesota Youth Symphonies for 32 years. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he also holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo. Manny got his start playing the trumpet in junior high band in East Harlem, New York, and he served as the first conductor of Minnesota Winds in 2024. (Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Lynn Erickson played Second Trumpet with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for 34 years before retiring in 2025. She is an active performer whose credits include the Minnesota Orchestra, Mill City Opera, and Broadway productions at the Ordway. She is Principal Trumpet of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and teaches at Augsburg University. Lynn earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. (Photo credit: LeslieShankPhotography)

Trombonist Felix Regalado recently completed a Minnesota Orchestra Fellowship. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he earned his Master of Music degree, he was a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training ensemble of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Felix now teaches trombone at Macalester College.

Jacob Grewe is a freelance tubist and educator. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in tuba performance, with a minor in musicology, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He teaches at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University and serves as Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

Eri Isomura is a founding member and the artistic director of the 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective, is a member of Heartland Marimba, and regularly performs with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Theater Mu, and Champagne Confetti. Eri has two solo/duo albums and is endorsed by Innovative Percussion and Koide Cymbals. She is former adjunct faculty at St. Olaf College (2019–2023), past president of the MN Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society (2022–2025), and the percussion seminar instructor at GTCYS. eriisomura.com‍ ‍10thwave.org