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Rebecca Fischer: Senior Camp Director, Executive Director, Violin
Rebecca (Becca) Fischer is versatile as a chamber musician, soloist, concertmaster and vocalist. First-violinist for 18 years with the Chiara Quartet, she recorded the complete string quartets of Béla Bartók and Johannes Brahms and held residencies at Harvard University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Becca is one half of The Afield, a multidisciplinary collaboration combining new and original compositions for violin and voice with video and other media. She teaches at the Mannes School of Music and holds degrees from Columbia University and The Juilliard School. Her book of essays The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist’s Life was released in 2022. On the Greenwood faculty since 2006, Becca has been the Senior Camp Director and Executive Director since 2022.
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Anait Arutunian, Violin
Recipient of the 2020 Clara Slater Award for excellence in teaching, Anait Arutunian is Chair of the String Department at New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School. Among her present and former students are winners of the Menuhin Competition and the Boston Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, and many have gone on to study at conservatories such as Juilliard, Cleveland Institute, Rice, Vanderbilt and Peabody. Her students have also appeared on "From the Top” broadcasts. Winner of the 2000 Artists International Auditions, Anait has played solo and chamber music concerts in such venues as Moscow Conservatory, Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall and with the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees from The Manhattan School of Music and has been on the Greenwood faculty since 2019.
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Miki Cloud, Violin
Since 2009, Miki Cloud has been a member of A Far Cry, as a violinist and co-artistic director. Acclaimed for her thoughtful curation, her work has been described as “ingeniously crafted” by the Boston Globe and “intoxicating” by the New York Times. Miki was a founding member of the Solera Quartet, winners of the Pro Musicis International Award and Chamber Music America's Guarneri Quartet Residency. A graduate of Harvard College and Yale School of Music, Miki delights in her students at Project STEP, NEC's Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar, and Greenwood. She particularly relishes sharing music in community with folks who typically haven't been welcomed in the concert hall - from infants and their families at Boston Children's Hospital to men incarcerated at Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center.
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Colleen Jennings, Violin
Colleen Jennings was formerly Co-Artistic director at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music and second violinist in the Apple Hill String Quartet. During the regular concert season, in conjunction with Apple Hill’s Playing for Peace program, the Quartet performed concerts and conducted residencies locally in New Hampshire, nationally in major U.S.cities, and internationally around the globe. In recognition of their work, the organization won the 2016 CMAcclaim award from Chamber Music America. Colleen currently teaches violin at the University of Massachusetts and Smith college. She also teaches privately and runs a chamber music class from her home studio, Up! music. She received a bachelor of music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and Masters of Music degree from Rice University.
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Clara Lyon, Violin
Clara Lyon is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, and curator who forges meaningful connections across sonic languages to foster spaces for imagination. A Co-Artistic Director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall's only affiliate ensemble, she was a violinist and the Director of Programs for the Chicago-based Spektral Quartet from 2014-2023, during which time they were nominated for three GRAMMY awards, commissioned and performed dozens of new works for string quartet, and were in residence at the University of Chicago’s Music Department. She is a recipient of the Music Academy of the West Alumni Enterprise Award, and is a prizewinner of the Irving M. Klein International Competition and the Schadt International Competition.
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Michael Casimir, Viola
Meet Michael, a world-class Violist gracing the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra stage. From Principal Violist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2022 to triumphs in competitions like Sphinx and Hudson Valley String Competitions, his journey is exceptional. Juilliard and Curtis Institute of Music shaped his skills under mentors like Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, Roberto Díaz, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Ed Gazouleas. Beyond academia, he's performed with the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra. A passionate advocate for musical education, Michael mentors students, directs orchestras, and expands his horizons through diverse projects, including iconic soundtracks like Disney's "The Lion King" and "Space Jam: A New Legacy." In his talent and commitment, Michael embodies a consummate artist, classical tradition guardian, and music innovator, leaving an indelible mark.
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Charlotte Malin, Viola
Charlotte Malin is a charismatic and soulful artist with a unique range spanning classical violin and viola, intimate and ethereal songwriting, and genre-defying improvisation. Co-founder of Connections Concerts Series and creator of Bach In Your Body, she facilitates many creative offerings at the intersection of music, holistic wellness, and creative empowerment. She has toured in a string quartet with violinist Midori and served as Principal Viola of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. She holds degrees in violin and viola from New England Conservatory and Northwestern, where her principal teachers were Kim Kashkashian and Almita Vamos. Malin currently serves as the viola instructor at Amherst College and co-curates a community hub for embodiment, arts, and spirituality in Florence MA called The Hidden Temple. You can read more about Malin’s work at www.charlottemalin.com and IG: @althaea_music
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Jonah Sirota, Viola
Jonah Sirota works in a variety of media, as both performer and producer of music for film, TV, and video games, and as a composer of concert music. He has performed and/or arranged music for numerous projects including the 2021 Academy award-winning animated short If Anything Happens I Love You…, and major cinematic releases from Avatar: The Way of Water to Oppenheimer. His first full-length feature film as composer, The Grand Strand, will be hitting film festivals in the summer of 2024, while his piano trio Dry Ocean will be premiered in the spring of 2023 by the Neave Trio. Jonah, a founding member of the now-disbanded Chiara Quartet, maintains an active performance schedule with several chamber music groups in the Los Angeles area, and serves as assistant principal viola in the Long Beach Symphony. He also teaches viola and chamber music at Cal State Fullerton and the Colburn School prep division, as well as at Greenwood Music Camp.
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Hannah Collins, Cello
Hannah Collins is a dynamic performer devoted to building community through musical expression. Resonance Lines, her solo debut album on Sono Luminus, is an “adventurous, impressive collection of contemporary solo cello music,” negotiated “with panache” (The Strad). Over the past decade, New Morse Code, her “remarkably inventive and resourceful duo” (Gramophone) with percussionist Michael Compitello, has developed projects responding to society’s most pressing issues and won the Ariel Avant Impact Performance Prize. Hannah has performed recently with A Far Cry, Bach Aria Soloists, The Knights, and Make|Unmake. She holds degrees in biomedical engineering and music from Yale, Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and City University of New York. She teaches at the University of Kansas. www.hannahcollinscello.com
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Volcy Pelletier, Cello
Marie-Volcy Pelletier, a native of Paris, is a Lecturer in Cello Performance at Smith College. By age twenty Ms.Pelletier was a member of the Lyon Symphony Orchestra and went on to win a Fulbright Scholarship to study with Bernard Greenhouse, former cellist of the Beaux Arts Trio, at the New England Conservatory. Ms.Pelletier has been the Acting Principal Cello of the Orchestra Ciutat de Barcelona in Spain as well as being a frequent performer with the London Symphony Orchestra, UK. Ms. Pelletier was on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College as a member of the Laurentian String Quartet. She is currently a member of the Sage Chamber Music Society and the Elm Chamber Ensemble. Her most recent recording is New England Trios released on the Bridge Records Label.
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Clara Lee Rous, Cello
Clara Lee Rous is versatile on both modern and Baroque cello, and is admired for her fresh, heartfelt, and spontaneous interpretations, particularly of the Bach Cello Suites. She was a top prizewinner in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and at festivals such as Yellow Barn and Kneisel Hall. She has studied closely and performed with members of the Juilliard, Cleveland, and Mendelssohn Quartets, and has collaborated with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Savion Glover, Donald Weilerstein, Peter Frankl, and Bonnie Hampton, and with International Contemporary Ensemble, A Far Cry, and SONYC. She received her Bachelor of Music (cum laude) from Rice University, Master of Music and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, and is now pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the New England Conservatory. She is a devoted teacher, and maintains a private cello studio in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Jeanne Kierman Fischer, Piano
In 2023, Jeanne Kierman Fischer will be celebrating 30 years of teaching piano and chamber music at Greenwood. During the academic year, she teaches on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. As a solo pianist, Jeanne has made a specialty of American music, and encourages her students to explore this rich repertoire. She has also appeared as an ensemble player at prominent summer festivals such as Tanglewood, DaCamera, Mohawk Trail and Juneau Jazz & Classics. For over 50 years she and cellist Norman Fischer (The Fischer Duo) have appeared in performance and residency as Artistic Ambassadors for the USIA in Germany, Singapore, Africa, South America and China. Their 16 CDs explore works by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and many American pieces commissioned for them.
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Hilary Abigana, Flute
Hilary Abigana is a founding member and flutist for the hybrid arts ensemble, The Fourth Wall. Praised by The Wall Street Journal for their “deft choreography,” The Fourth Wall’s mission is to create programming that engages everyone from elementary school children to classical performance connoisseurs through a new hybrid of the performing arts in which musicians are also actors, dancers, and acrobats. The Fourth Wall seeks to break the barrier between serious art and serious fun, recently premiering Without a Net, a new show blending music and aerial acrobatics. Hilary has taught workshops and masterclasses with The Fourth Wall across the country and has been Guest Artist at numerous flute societies. She is a proud Verne Q. Powell Flutes Artist.
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Rebecca Eldredge, Bassoon
Rebecca (Becky) Eldredge was a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic for 17 years and is currently in her 35th year playing with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestral appearances include Juno, based in VT, and the New England Repertory Orchestra, based in MA. She has taught at Brown University and at Smith, Amherst and Mount Holyoke Colleges, in addition to Community Music Schools in Springfield and Northampton, MA. She has also enjoyed playing in opera companies in RI, VT and MA. Beckly holds her undergraduate degree from Lowell State College and her Master of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire.
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Gigi Brady, Oboe and English Horn
Equally adept on the oboe and English horn, Regina (Gigi) Brady is sought after as a performer on both coasts. Gigi performs regularly with orchestras around Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, MUSE/IQUE, New West Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and the Santa Monica Symphony. Performances highlighting her versatility include an appearance with the LA Opera orchestra in collaboration with the Hamburg Ballet, a chamber music performance live to film at the Wende Museum of the Cold War, and the premiere performance of an Opera NFT at NFT LA. Gigi holds degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory, Colburn Conservatory, and Bard College, where she also performed for three years as a member of The Orchestra Now.
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Hannah Berube, Clarinet
Hannah Berube is a musician and educator whose work on the stage and in the classroom has centered around cultivating greater access and inclusivity in the music world. She performs with and serves on the leadership council of the New England Repertory Orchestra, “an inclusive symphony orchestra, born in our times”, and performs with other ensembles throughout the Northeast. Hannah teaches at Smith College and Clark University, and is a member of the Leadership Network for Accessible Arts Education through the Berklee College of Music. Hannah holds degrees in music performance and education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston University.
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Joshua Michal, French Horn
Hailed as “pretty good” and “too loud for me” by his 5 year old son, Dr. Joshua Michal is Associate Professor of Horn at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and holds positions with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra. Dedicated to supporting the creation of new music for his instrument, Dr. Michal has commissioned and recorded numerous works for solo horn and wind chamber music and has released albums with the MSR, Neuma, Navonna, and Analekta labels. His principal teachers include Jeff Nelsen, Gail Williams, and Bruce Henniss and he holds degrees from Indiana University, Northwestern University, and The Ohio State University.
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Benjamin Rous, Conductor
Benjamin Rous was named Music Director of the Charlottesville Symphony in 2017, and simultaneously joined the UVA music faculty. Keenly interested in creating new music and new collaborations, he has enjoyed bringing the Charlottesville Symphony into new areas of repertoire and into regular partnership with the Charlottesville Ballet. In 2018 he concluded an eight-year tenure as Resident Conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He has served as faculty conductor at Greenwood Music Camp since 2010. He plays violin and viola at every opportunity, and his compositions and arrangements have been performed by orchestras in Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, Roanoke, Long Beach, Boston, and at Greenwood. Benjamin Rous earned a B.A. in Music at Harvard with an emphasis on composition, and a D.M.A. in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan, studying with Kenneth Kiesler.
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Kareem Roustom, Guest Composer
Syrian-American Kareem Roustom is a composer whose genre crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, and arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner. A musically bi-lingual composer and oud player, Roustom is rooted in the music of the Arab near-east but his music often expresses beyond the confines of tradition. Roustom has received commissions from the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, A Far Cry & Lorelei Ensemble, among others, and his music has been recorded by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin), and the Philharmonia Orchestra (London). Roustom has been composer-in-residence at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, and with the Mannheim Philharmonic. Roustom is the 2024 Nathan Gottschalk Memorial composer-in-residence at Greenwood.
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Kayla Werlin, Guest Choral Conductor
A native of Lexington, Massachusetts, Ms. Werlin holds music degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts. She serves as Music Department Chair and Vocal Music Director at Longmeadow High School in Western Massachusetts. Under her direction, LHS choirs have performed throughout the US, as well as Italy, England, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria. When she’s not teaching, Kayla enjoys time at home with friends and family, especially cooking for them. Married to conductor E. Wayne Abercrombie since 1995, she is the proud step-mother of six, grandmother of fifteen, and great-grandmother of nine. She’s also recently become an avid rock climber, both indoor and out.
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Colin Britt, Guest Choral Conductor
Colin Britt is Director of Choral Activities at Mount Holyoke College, Artistic Director/Conductor of the West Village Chorale in NYC, and the founding director of Terpsichore Ensemble, a professional chamber choir dedicated to performing music from historically underrepresented communities. Prior to these appointments, he taught at Rutgers Preparatory School and conducted the Hartford Chorale Chamber Singers, NYC’s Amuse Singers and North River Sing in Jersey City. In 2023, he served as one of the principal conductors for Jonathan Dove’s “The Search for Spring” at Lincoln Center. His compositions have been performed by ensembles across the country and on four continents, including Spain, Germany, China, Singapore, and Australia. His orchestral arrangements have been featured on The Today Show and America’s Got Talent. He holds degrees from The Hartt School, Yale School of Music, and Rutgers University.
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Cailin Marcel Manson, Guest Choral Conductor
Cailin Marcel Manson, baritone and conductor, is currently Associate Professor of Practice in Music and Director of Music Performance at Clark University, Music Director of The Keene Chorale, Choral Conductor at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Music Director of Barn Opera and Opera Vermont, Artistic Consultant and Conductor for MidAmerica Productions, and Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the New England Repertory Orchestra. A Philadelphia native, Cailin has toured as a soloist and master teacher at major concert venues throughout the United States, Europe and Asia with many organizations, and he has served as guest cantor and soloist at some of the world’s most famous churches and cathedrals, including Notre Dame, Sacré-Coeur, and La Madeleine in Paris and San Marco in Venice. Cailin studied voice performance at Temple University, and opera performance and orchestral conducting at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.
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Alan Murchie, Guest Choral Conductor
Alan Murchie is a versatile musician whose performance schedule includes regular appearances as a pianist, organist, conductor, chamber musician and lecturer. Alan was a camper at Greenwood for four wonderful summers; over his career he has enjoyed collaborating with many fellow Greenwood alumni in chamber and choral music. Choirs Alan has conducted include two at Yale, where Alan was both an undergraduate and graduate student. Alan has recorded two choral collaborations for Delos Records with the Etherea Vocal Ensemble; both reached the Billboard Classical Top Ten. Chamber music collaborations include concerts with The Knights, live performances on WGBH Boston with cellist Owen Young, and appearances at the Maverick Festival in Woodstock. Alan currently lectures in the Music History and Religious Studies departments at Fairfield University.
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Miranda Scripp, Guest Composer
Miranda Scripp is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music at New York University, studying Music Theory and Composition with a concentration in Screen Scoring. She is also a multi-instrumentalist, having studied piano with Jonathan Bass and violin with Kelly Barr at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division. Miranda attended Greenwood Junior and Senior camps and is now a counselor at Junior camp. Equally dedicated to composing and performing, Miranda has been a member of the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has performed in Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall, and Jordan Hall. She currently plays violin and viola in NYC’s Westside Chamber Players. Miranda’s original scores can be heard in many original films created and directed by students of NYU’s Kanbar Institute of Film and Television.
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Charles Coe, Guest Poet
Charles Coe is the author of four books of poetry, all published by Leapfrog Press. A fifth volume, New and Selected Works, will be released in 2024. He is also author of Spin Cycles, a novella published by Gemma Media. Charles was selected as a Boston Literary Light by the associates of the Boston Public Library and is a former artist fellow at the St. Botolph Club in Boston. Charles was a 2017 artist-in-residence for the city of Boston, where he created an oral history project focused on residents of Mission Hill. Charles has served as poet-in-residence at Wheaton College, the Newton Public Schools, and at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State. He is an adjunct professor of English at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and Bay Path University, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where he teaches in both MFA writing programs.
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The Dolphins Quartet, Guest Artists
The Dolphins Quartet is an innovative group of Juilliard musicians dedicated to invigorating chamber music through impassioned performances, original compositions, and inventive improvisation. In 2024, The Dolphins performed John Adams' String Quartet, Absolute Jest, at David Geffen Hall with the Juilliard Orchestra. At Alice Tully Hall, they presented Juilliard premieres of Weinberg’s String Quartet No. 4 and Villa-Lobos’ String Quartet No. 5. Working with living composers, they performed John Corigliano’s 1995 String Quartet, Andy Akiho’s LigNEouS, and Daniel Ficarri's Lessons from the Neighborhood, as well as their own composition, The Dolphin Miniatures. Collaborating with Project: Music Heals Us, the Dolphins helped launch the ‘Music for the Future’ campaign bringing Juilliard composition curriculums to correctional facilities in California. This summer the group travels to Kenya as teaching ambassadors.