Micheal Barnes (b. 1994) has performed with groups such as the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America in their Inaugural Season, the Ft. Smith Symphony, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Barnes has performed in Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and across the United States. He has placed as a finalist or winner in young artist competitions such as the Naftzger Young Artist Competition, the Coeur d’Alene Symphony National Young Artist Competition, the Great Plains International Marimba Competition, and the Hellam Young Artist Competition. Barnes has been a soloist with groups such as the Cameron University Percussion Ensemble, the OSU Wind Ensemble, and the Delta Symphony. He is currently finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma and plans on pursuing advanced degrees. Barnes is a member of Percussive Arts Society, National Association for Music Education, and is a Vic Firth Young Artist.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, violinist Emily Botel studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Emily is a founding member of the unconducted chamber orchestra, One Found Sound and the baroque ensemble, MUSA. She has performed with festival orchestras such as the Banff Festival Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra. She has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Academy Orchestra and regularly performs with various Bay Area ensembles such as the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. She loves playing with indie rock and pop bands in recording studios, venues like The Fillmore, and festivals such as Stern Grove. Emily is a certified Suzuki teacher and has a private teaching studio in San Francisco.

Erica Cherry is a clarinetist and teaching artist active in the Philadelphia area. Passionate about both performance and education, she maintains a vibrant and creative studio of over 40 clarinet and piano students. Erica also acts as a woodwind director and coach for the Young Musicians Community Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County, where she leads rehearsals and sectionals and coaches chamber ensembles. She is an advocate for accessible music education and outreach, and has worked as a lead teacher for the Whiz Kids Music Program, bringing music to underserved schools, and COR Music Project, a growing El-Sistema inspired program in Cincinnati. Erica has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall and Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center; recent performances include concerts with the CCM Philharmonia, Pierre Monteux School Orchestra, and the Bucks County Symphony. She has also developed a series of interactive children’s concerts that are currently being presented in local non-traditional spaces. Erica completed her Master’s Degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and previously studied at Carnegie Mellon University.

Hilary Glen has been praised as a “standout performer” who has successfully “taken on the demanding and most expressive responsibilities assigned to the instrument.” As a passionate chamber musician, Ms. Glen has been invited to play with faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and the Lamont School of Music in Denver. She is the Music Director of a new collaborative music and dance ensemble: Chamber Ballet Brockport. Dedicated to life-long learning, Ms. Glen is a devoted teacher and believes that everyone should have the opportunity to access and create beauty through music. Working to ensure that music is a part of everyday education, Ms. Glen regularly visits schools, presenting hands-on, experience-based workshops for students of all ages. Also an experienced orchestral musician, Ms. Glen is a fellow with the New World Symphony and performs with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Her primary teachers include Janos Starker, Alan Harris, and Helga Winold.

Kevin Judge is a bassoonist committed to bringing a variety of experiences to artistically engaged audiences. Mr. Judge’s work as a performer and teacher has led him to establish an international presence; his orchestral experience has given him the opportunity to perform with various orchestras, under the direction of Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, and Larry Rachleff. Currently, he is the principal bassoonist of the Des Moines Symphony. Mr. Judge’s passion for teaching has led him to serve on the faculty at Iowa State University. Prior to his appointment at Iowa State, he pursued a Master of Music degree at Rice University, under the tutelage of Benjamin Kamins. While attending Rice University, he was the Education Outreach Coordinator for their music program, helping elementary students in the Greater Houston Area to better understand classical music in an interactive environment.

Horn player Julie Rochus has performed across Canada, the United States and Latin America. Currently living in Moncton, Julie is a Teaching Artist with Sistema New Brunswick and a member of Tutta Musica, the professional ensemble of Sistema NB. Last season, Julie was Principal Horn of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony (Illinois), Second Horn of Sinfonia da Camera (Illinois) and a solo competition prizewinner at the 2014 International Women’s Brass Conference. As a member of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Julie spent six weeks touring Central America which included performing in the first orchestral concert in the history of Belize. Julie holds degrees from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Glenn Gould School and Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a laureate of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas’ Global Leadership program