Roma Duncan has been the Principal Piccolo in the Minnesota Orchestra since 2003, and has been featured as a concerto soloist with the orchestra on multiple occasions. Roma has performed as a soloist on both flute and piccolo with various other ensembles, including The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Bach Ensemble, the Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra, and several Canadian orchestras. She has also played in the sections of many orchestras across the country, including the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Roma has had the opportunity to perform throughout Canada and the United States, as well as in concert halls in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Roma has been teaching flute and piccolo students almost as long as she has been playing, and enjoys teaching private lessons as well as coachings and masterclasses.

(Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Claudia, an Ecuadorian flutist and advocate for new music, is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization SonAlt Arts and the Ohio-based new music ensemble, Newphonia. Her mission is to educate and empower audiences from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds through the performance of contemporary music. Among her many endeavors, she organizes the Festival Internacional de Flautistas en el Centro del Mundo held annually in Quito, Ecuador, maintains an active performing career, commissions composers, and leads an international flute studio. Claudia is also a proud Sphinx Fellow.

Hannah Peterson is Principal Flute of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and Adjunct Professor of Flute at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. She recently performed in the orchestra for Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party on Netflix during the 2025 Christmas Day NFL game. Hannah has previously held positions with the Des Moines Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, and the Duluth Superior Symphony. She maintains a busy chamber music calendar, which in the 2025-26 season included recitals at The Schubert Club and the Marine Candlelight Concert Series. In 2018 she was awarded first prize in the Upper Midwest Flute Association Young Artist Competition. Hannah has been selected twice as an MPR Class Notes Teaching Artist, and teaches privately in Saint Paul.

(Photo credit: Emily John Photography)

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 Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, California. Fei received a Bachelor of Music 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 of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

(Photo credit: Festival Mozaic)

Oboist Christine Soojin Kim recently finished her one-year position with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and played with the Vancouver Symphony for the 2023-2024 season as acting assistant principal oboe. She also holds a position with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra as principal oboe while teaching at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed as principal oboe for the Sarasota Orchestra and the Des Moines Opera Orchestra while appearing as a guest musician with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, New World Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and the Korean Symphony Orchestra. Christine earned her Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory, an Artist Diploma from the Colburn School, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University.

Oboist Carrie Vecchione is an active performer and teacher in the Minnesota Twin Cities. She is one half of the award-winning musical duo OboeBass! with bassist Rolf Erdahl. Vecchione has been a sub in various Twin Cities ensembles such as the Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Sinfonia. She performs with the The Northern Lights Music Festival and is a freelance musician in the Twin Cities. She has also been a member of The Duluth/Superior Symphony, The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and The Baton Rouge Symphony. She has performed at numerous conferences of the International Double Reed Society and the International Society of Bassists. Currently she is Artist Faculty at The MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis and the University of Wisconsin/River Falls. She has also taught at The University of Wisconsin/Eau Claire and St Olaf College. In past Summers she has been on the faculty of the Double Reed Camp at UW Eau Claire and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Dr. Vecchione was also the creator and host for five Summers of the John de Lancie Master Classes and the Reed Maker’s Workshops, both national events. Dr. Vecchione has mentored many students of all levels and ages and has helped them find positions and win auditions for competitions and prestigious music schools.

Sarah Boyle Carmack is Principal Oboe of the Minnesota Sinfonia and, since 2018, English Horn with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches oboe at the University of St. Thomas and gives masterclasses throughout Minnesota on performance, reed making, and knife sharpening.

Karrin Meffert-Nelson has served as Principal Clarinet of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra since 2012. An active freelancer, she performs with VocalEssence, productions at the Ordway, Orpheum, and State Theaters, and as a substitute Principal Clarinet with the Minnesota Orchestra. She has also performed with the St. Louis and Milwaukee Symphonies. Karrin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota and is an Associate Professor of Clarinet at Gustavus Adolphus College.

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 of Arts and Master of Music 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)

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 Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Paul Chamber, Houston, Sphinx, Gateways, Omaha, and Princeton Symphony Orchestras and the Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra, the latter broadcast nationally on CBS. Olivia earned her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University.

After 25 seasons as Principal Clarinet of the Minnesota Orchestra, Burt Hara joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Associate Principal Clarinet. He also served as Principal Clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is a faculty member at California State University-Fullerton and a Buffet Group USA and Vandoren Performing Artist. Burt attended the Curtis Institute of Music and made his solo debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 14.

Karolina Krajewska has performed with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Paul Civic Symphony. She has received international acclaim including a 2014 scholarship with Morningside Musicbridge in Calgary, Canada, a 2016 scholarship with the European Music Campus Orchestra in Grafenegg, Austria, and awards in multiple competitions in Poland. Karolina holds degrees from Bard College Conservatory of Music and Frost School of Music at University of Miami, where she was granted the Henry Mancini Institute Fellowship.

David Pharris has performed as second clarinet in the Minnesota Orchestra since 2005 and served as acting associate principal clarinet for the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons. He has also played with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and New York Philharmonic, and he has appeared regularly at the Grand Teton Music Festival since 2009. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University School of Music.

(Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Timothy Zavadil joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 2007 as clarinetist and bass clarinetist. Previously a member of the Louisville Orchestra, Toledo Symphony and Civic Orchestra of Chicago, he has also performed with the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, National, Toronto and St. Louis symphony orchestras, under such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Sir George Solti, David Robertson, Alan Gilbert, Franz Welser-Möst, Zubin Mehta and Christoph Eschenbach. Zavadil has served on the faculties of the University of Louisville and University of Minnesota, and currently is on faculty at DePaul University. Timothy holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University.

(Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Paul Schimming is a Twin Cities-based clarinetist and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Opera as well as touring orchestras for the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and many others. He is a strong advocate for contemporary music and was a founding member of Ensemble 61 in addition to performances with Zeitgeist, 10th Wave, and RenegadeEnsemble. Paul holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota and has held teaching positions at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of North Dakota, and Concordia University, St. Paul.

(Photo credit: University of Minnesota)

Simon Plum has been the bass clarinetist with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra since 2021. He has also performed with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, Saint Paul Civic Symphony, Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Northern Lights Music Festival, and the Edvard Grieg Society. He was a featured soloist with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in February 2024, with the St. Olaf Orchestra in 2018, and has performed internationally in New Zealand, Australia, France, Greece, and England. Simon holds a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from St. Olaf College, a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Indiana University, and a Performer’s Diploma also from Indiana University.

Dr. Alexandra Berndt is a Twin Cities-based performer and educator.  She joined the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and has served on the faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College since 2018.  She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from Northwestern University.

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)

Ariel Detwiler has built a career as a musical entrepreneur, balancing her time between making 1200+ bassoon and contrabassoon reeds per year, teaching her private bassoon studio of 25 students, and freelancing with ensembles around the twin cities and beyond. An advocate for arts education, Ariel’s company, ACDC Reeds, has been a sponsor for podcasts, double reed days, and music conferences around the country, including MMEA, Band is Everything, Double Reed Dish, the International Double Reed Society, and Puerto Rico Double Reed Day, to name a few. Dr. Detwiler holds three degrees in bassoon performance, teaches bassoon at two universities, and currently holds the position of Principal Bassoon with the St. Cloud Symphony. Ariel has been featured as a soloist on bassoon and contrabassoon with the Encore Wind Ensemble, Minnetonka Symphony, and St. Cloud Symphony, and has been selected as a winner for two concerto competitions during her schooling.

(Photo credit: Ali Gessner)

Dr. Benjamin Cold is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Clarinet at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he teaches applied single-reeds, music technology courses and directs woodwind chamber ensembles. A passionate advocate for new music, he has been involved in the commissions and premieres of dozens of compositions for saxophone, with work performed and recorded on Classical Minnesota Public Radio, National Public Radio and American Public Media’s “Performance Today”. He has given masterclasses and recitals at institutions across the United States including the University of Minnesota, Bowling Green State University, and the University of North Texas. Benjamin completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in saxophone performance and pedagogy at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

(Photo credit: Dan Gerber “dangerberphotography”)

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.

Dr. Alexis “Lexie” Aguilar is a saxophonist and educator based in the Twin Cities. She serves as Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at the University of St. Thomas and Winona State University, and maintains studios at the MacPhail Center for Music and Wayzata High School. An active and versatile performer, Lexie has appeared with ensembles including the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra and Quad City Symphony Orchestra. She has presented and performed at conferences and festivals including the North American Saxophone Alliance, International Saxophone Symposium, ClickFest, Electronic Music Midwest, Seamus, and the Splice Institute, reflecting her commitment to contemporary music and collaboration. Lexie recently earned her DMA in Saxophone Performance from the University of Minnesota. She also holds degrees from the New England Conservatory and Augustana College.

Sean is a saxophonist based out of White Bear Lake, Minnesota who earned a Master of Arts degree in Woodwind Performance at the University of Iowa under the instruction of Dr. Kenneth Tse. He is a two-time winner of the Minnesota MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition and the Grand Prize winner of Vandoren’s Young Emerging Artist Competition in January 2019. Sean was featured as an international soloist with the St. Olaf Band on its 2018 tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Sean is an active performer in the Twin Cities area, including recent appearances with Mae Simpson, The Belfast Cowboys, The Twin Cities Saxophone Quartet, Mick Sterling, Transit Authority, and Star of the North Jazz Orchestra.

Outside of playing saxophone, Sean enjoys marathon training, spending time with his fiancé, Leighlin, and aussie, Greta, and working on his golf game.

(Photo credit: Brandon Lenzmeier)

Benjamin Alle is principal trumpet of the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, assistant principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Minneapolis-based Compass Rose Brass Ensemble. Ben has also performed with the Thunder Bay Symphony, as well as numerous Minnesota ensembles, including the Mankato and Kenwood Symphony Orchestras, the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, VocalEssence, and the Edina Chorale. Ben holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota School of Music, where he studied with David Baldwin and studied previously at the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College.

Anne Amen is a freelance trumpet player, multidisciplinary performer, and educator based in Minneapolis. She has performed as a substitute trumpet player with The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the St. Cloud Symphony, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, and the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble. She also serves as the principal trumpet of the Grand Symphonic Winds. In addition, she has presented interdisciplinary masterclasses combining music and movement for the University of Wisconsin, St. Olaf College, and chamber ensembles around the Twin Cities. Anne’s primary instructors include Jean Laurenz, Martin Hodel, Judith Saxton, Garrett Klein, and Manny Laureano. She holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College.

Jonathan is an active freelance musician in the Twin Cities, performing with the Minnesota Opera, VocalEssence, and the Northrop Dance Series. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music degree from Rice University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. His primary teachers included Boyde Hood, Marie Speziale, and David Baldwin. Jonathan is also on the faculty of MacPhail Center for Music.

Josh Coffey is an award-winning performer, having played with groups such as the Phoenix Symphony and Summit Brass, as well as other acts including Lindsay Sterling and Collective Soul. Josh is also the Director of Sales at The Trumpet Shop in Bloomington, Minnesota. Notable among his prize-winning performances is his First Place showing in the 2017 Rafael Méndez Orchestral Excerpt Competition. He holds degrees in trumpet performance from Brigham Young University and Arizona State University.

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: Leslie Shank Photography)

Takako Seimiya Senn earned her Bachelor of Music in performance and education at Musashino Academia Musicae, Tokyo, Japan, and her Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Performance at the University of Minnesota. She has studied with Manny Laureano, David Baldwin, and Ron Hasselmann. Takako plays regularly with the Minnesota Orchestra and is a member of the Minnesota Pops Orchestra. 

Alexander Henton served as Principal Horn of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan (2014-2017) and the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra in China (2018-2019). A 2022 Sphinx Fellowship recipient, he was also named Outstanding Musician at the 2023 Sphinx Orchestral Partners Audition. Currently freelancing in the Twin Cities, he substitutes with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Omaha Symphony. In 2025, he performed in the Netflix production of Snoop Dogg's Holiday Halftime Show alongside Snoop Dogg, HUNTR/X, Andrea Bocelli and Lainey Wilson. Henton holds degrees from Temple University and the New England Conservatory. He is currently on faculty at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire and Gustavus Adolphus College. 

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 The 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)

Katy Meffert is a horn player from Edina, Minnesota. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Northwestern University and completed her undergraduate studies at DePaul University where she studied with Oto Carrillo and Jim Smelser from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as Neil Kimel from the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago. Katy has performed as a substitute musician with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

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.

Matthew Renz is a Twin Cities-based freelance hornist and a founding member of the Compass Rose Brass Ensemble and the Minnesota Horn Quartet. He performs regularly with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. Matthew's broad performance experience spans symphonic and chamber music, musical theater, and beyond, with credits including the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, the Guthrie Theater, and the 2005 Disney Collegiate All-Star Band. He studied horn performance at the University of Minnesota. 

Dr. Phillip Ostrander is Professor of Trombone and Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and Kansas City Symphony, and performs regularly on Broadway shows in Minneapolis. An accomplished jazz trombonist, he has collaborated with Maria Schneider, Jimmy Heath, and Jim McNeely. Phillip holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and New England Conservatory and is a clinician for Conn-Selmer.

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.

(Photo credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)

Kirsten Lies-Warfield is a trombonist, composer, and performer hailing from Fargo, North Dakota. She made history as the first woman trombonist hired by The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own," when she joined in 1999. She also served as Principal Trombone of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. Kirsten holds degrees from Lawrence University and Indiana University, where she pursued doctoral studies in brass pedagogy.

(Photo credit: Robert Mesite)

Mason Donnohue is a freelance bass trombonist who regularly performs with the Fargo-Moorhead, La Crosse, and Rochester symphonies along with the Northern Lights Music Festival Orchestra on the Iron Range. Career highlights include performing with artists Celtic Woman, Wycliffe Gordon, and Chris Brubeck and performing in venues Carnegie Hall, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Musikverein in Vienna. He holds performance certificates from Carnegie Mellon and Penn State universities, a Master of Music degree from Duquesne University, and a bachelor’s from Luther College. Mason is an Eagan native and a graduate of Eastview High School in Apple Valley.
(Photo credit: Steve Groves)

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.

John Tranter has served as Instructor of Low Brass at the University of Minnesota since 2003 and performs regularly with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, and JazzMN Big Band, among many others. He also serves as solo euphonium with the Sheldon Theatre Brass Band. Beyond Minnesota, he has performed with Symphonia, the Palm Beach Opera, and the Kansas City Symphony Brass Quintet. John has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota, along with Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Music Performance.

Sage Kiritschenko is a tuba performance major at St. Olaf College in Northfield and a member of the class of 2029. He plays in the St. Olaf Band under Dr. Henry Dorn and the St. Olaf Orchestra under Dr. Chung Park. Sage studies tuba with Jason Tanksley and hails from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jason Tanksley is a Minnesota-based tubist and Instructor of Tuba at St. Olaf College. He has performed with many of the nation’s leading orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2022, he appeared with the Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra in a special tribute to honoree Tania León. Jason has toured nationally with the Sphinx Orchestra, performed internationally with the Minnesota Orchestra, and regularly presents masterclasses across the United States and abroad.

Jason Wells serves as Executive Director of the 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective and is a versatile bassist whose career spans classical performance, education, and arts leadership. Based in Minneapolis, he is a substitute musician with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, joining the SPCO for their 2024-2025 season and performing alongside artists such as Tabea Zimmerman, Abel Selaocoe, and Jasmine Choi. He has also performed with orchestras across the Midwest including the Des Moines Symphony and Sioux City Symphony.  Jason’s versatility extends beyond classical music to jazz, gospel, salsa, and folk; in 2023, he toured Qatar, Türkiye, and Bulgaria with the folk band Barbaro as part of the U.S. Department of State's American Music Abroad program. A passionate educator, Jason provides private bass lessons, leads workshops and coaching sessions at middle and high schools throughout the Twin Cities, and teaches masterclasses at universities throughout the Midwest, while also championing contemporary classical music by collaborating with local composers to bring new works for the bass to life.

(Photo credit: Claire Loes)

William Eddins is an accomplished pianist, Music Director Emeritus of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and a frequent guest conductor of major orchestras throughout the world. He is also co-founder of MetroNOME Brewery in Saint Paul, a socially missioned brewery dedicated to providing music education for underserved youth in the Twin Cities. William graduated from the Eastman School of Music, where he played with the legendary wind ensemble. He served as conductor for Minnesota Winds in fall 2025.

(Photo credit: Nate Ryan)

Gregory Peterson retired in May 2022 from Luther College, where he has been named Professor of Music and College Organist Emeritus. He is now director of worship and music at Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina, where he is principal organist and oversees a large and varied choral and instrumental music ministry. Gregory has performed in venues all across the United States and Europe. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Luther College and holds a Master of Music degree from the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance and pedagogy from the University of Iowa.

Sarah Grudem is a classically trained, award-winning harpist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She began her musical journey at age seven as a Suzuki harp student at MacPhail Center for Music. Sarah collaborates with choirs, orchestras, and chamber groups including the Minnesota Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, VocalEssence, the Valley Chamber Chorale, and the Oratorio Society. A recent highlight was performing with Andrea Bocelli at the Target Center. She holds a bachelor's degree from the Juilliard School and a master's degree from the University of Minnesota.

(Photo credit: Luke Allen, Illumination Studios)

Bob Adney is principal timpanist of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and timpanist for the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. A founding member of the Minnesota Percussion Trio, he has performed over 1,500 concerts throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. As a Twin Cities freelancer, he has recorded 25 albums with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Minnesota Opera. Bob teaches at MacPhail Center for Music, is the author of several instructional percussion books, and is co-owner of marimbarental.com.

(Photo credit: Illumination Photography)

Jeffery Crowell is Telly and Regional Emmy Award-winning percussionist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His performance and recording credits include such artists as Bobby Shew, Louie Bellson, David Samuels, Henry Mancini, Joan Rivers, Lou Harrison, Arturo O'Farrill, Kent Nagano, David Garibaldi, Buddy Baker, Glen Velez, and John Bergamo. Jeffery received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in percussion performance (classical/contemporary) from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. He is a performing artist/clinician for Pearl/Adams Concert Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets, Tycoon World Percussion, and REMO Drumheads. He is also an Ensemble Artist and Educator Network member for Black Swamp Percussion.

Mary Emmons is a percussionist and educator currently based in the Greater Twin Cities where she serves as the Adjunct Professor of Percussion at St. Cloud State University, as well as part of the Percussion Faculty at the MacPhail Center for Music. In addition to teaching privately at MacPhail, Mary is the co-director of the Rimshots! Percussion Ensemble and serves as the teaching artist for Music for Life’s Drumming for Memory Care Program. Most recently, Mary completed her Master of Music degree in percussion performance at the University of Missouri, and before that, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in music performance from the University of Tennessee-Martin. As a performer, Mary has been seen with the Memphis Repertory Orchestra, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, the 9th Street Philharmonic, the Columbia Civic Orchestra, and the Missouri Symphony. Mary proudly endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets as an Educational and Classical Percussion Artist.

Paul Hill graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a Master of Music degree in percussion performance. He is the former Principal Percussionist & Assistant Principal Timpanist of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. He has also played with the Minnesota Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Winnipeg Symphony, Minnesota Percussion Trio, and many local theaters including the Guthrie Theater, Children's Theater, and Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Paul teaches at St. Olaf College.

Adam Rappel is a versatile percussionist, performer, and teacher. He currently serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Percussion at Gustavus Adolphus College. He performs regularly with the Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Opera, and he has appeared in musicals including Aladdin and Mean Girls in Minneapolis. He has shared stages with artists including Bobby McFerrin and Valerie Dee Naranjo. Adam is the first percussionist to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota and is endorsed by Innovative Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Yamaha Concert Percussion.