Violinist Jenny Berg is currently in her sixth season with the Ann Arbor Symphony and fifth season with the Flint Symphony Orchestra. She performs regularly with the Lansing Symphony and in local schools with the Ann Arbor Symphony String Quartet.
Jenny is originally from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, where she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota with Sally O’Reilly. She moved to Michigan to attend the other UM, completing her Masters in Violin Performance at the University of Michigan with Stephen Shipps. Jenny served as concertmaster at both UM orchestras and has performed with the New World Symphony. As a soloist, Jenny has won the MNSOTA Competition Collegiate Division and was a National Finalist in the MTNA Competition in Toronto. During summer seasons, she has performed in music festivals in Santa Barbara (CA), Breckenridge (CO), Colorado Springs (CO), Chautauqua (NY), Medomak (ME), and Pilsen (Czech Republic).
A dedicated educator, Jenny loves sharing music with students of all ages. Her passion for teaching began at a young age teaching violin to her sister and grew during summer festivals where she had the opportunity to teach individual lessons and give community outreach concerts. At the University of Minnesota, Jenny completed pedagogy studies with Sally O'Reilly and certification for all levels of Suzuki training. In Michigan, she was a Sphinx Overture Instructor, teaching in the Flint afterschool programs. She has also taught at Interlochen Center for the Arts with Ann Arbor high school orchestra programs and the Culture Arts String Camp in Manchester. She currently teaches privately and at Expressions Music Academy in Novi, MI.
Violin / Viola
Violin / Viola
Rita has been an internationally active soloist and chamber musician. As a native of Taiwan, Rita made her U.S. solo debut at age 11 in Alice Tully Hall and has since appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, China, Taiwan, Canada, and throughout the U.S., including performances in Carnegie Hall. In addition to constantly refining the traditional repertoire, Rita enjoys performing contemporary music and has collaborated with acclaimed composers such as Christian Wolff, Lee Hyla, and Michael Gandolfi. Rita also dedicates herself in bringing chamber music to the community. She is the founder of Telluric Ensemble, and the violinist of Khemia Ensemble and Chamber Music Michigan. Rita received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at New England Conservatory where she studied with Miriam Fried and Kim Kashkashian. She is currently obtaining her DMA degree at the University of Michigan, studying with Aaron Berofsky. Rita is the winner of the 1st prize at Coer d’Alene Young Concert Artist Competition, 3rd prize in the Fischoff Competition and 1st prize in International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition. One of Rita’s sources of inspiration comes from writing poetry. Since her first encounter with contemporary American poetry, she has felt a deeper connection towards musical expression and metaphor. In 2011 Rita represented New England Conservatory and recited her poems at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
Alena Carter
Violin
Violinist Alena Carter graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with her Bachelor of Music in May 2012, where she studied with Paul Kantor from 2003 – 2012. During her undergraduate studies at CIM, Alena enjoyed volunteering and performing in hospitals, nursing homes, and for all those who are not usually exposed to beautiful music, as well as teaching violin at the Cleveland School of the Arts, an innercity school dedicated to improving children’s lives through arts education. She was arecipient of the fouryear, fulltuition Starling Fellowship at CIM, and has been a finalist and prizewinner nationally and internationally in competitions such as Stulberg, Johansen, MTNA, and CMC (Canadian Music Competition), and has appeared twice on NPR’s “From the Top.” She made her orchestral debut with the Paducah and Lakeland Symphony orchestras at the age of 14, performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. During her summers, Alena has attended the Aspen Music Festival as a New Horizons fellow, the Heifetz Music Festival on scholarship, and the Taos School of Music. She has also participated in the New York String Orchestra Seminar, performing concerts in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Jaime Laredo. In the year following her graduation, Alena performed hundreds of concerts with Eric Genuis, pianist and composer, in venues ranging from concert halls to private homes to maximum security prisons. Since 2013, she has continued to teach privately and perform as a freelance musician in Lander, WY and Ann Arbor, MI, where she now resides with her husband, Jack Carter. She is truly honored and thrilled to be joining the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as the beginning of her orchestra career.
Karen Donato
Violin / Viola
Violinist Karen Donato is an active performer and teacher in southeast Michigan. She is a tenured member of the Ann Arbor Symphony and Flint Symphony (Assistant Principal Second Violin), and plays regularly with other Michigan ensembles.
Ms. Donato maintains a private violin and viola studio out of her home in Canton. She teaches preschool music at Children's Garden Montessori School in Canton, and elementary music at the Renaissance Homeschool Group in Farmington Hills.
Other performance projects include chamber works at Orchestra Hall in Detroit, Kerrytown ConcertHouse in Ann Arbor, and in many venues across the Upper Peninsula. Ms. Donato also performs with touring Broadway productions, most recently in West Side Story at the Fox Theater(Detroit) and Chicago at The Whiting (Flint). She and her husband, keyboardist Neil Donato, collaborate regularly to perform both classical and jazz music.
Ms. Donato holds a Master of Music Degree in Violin Performance from The University of Michigan.
Jacqueline graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a Master of Music degree in viola performance She completed her Bachelor of Music in performance at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance. Jacqueline has performed with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (Lenox, MA), and the National Repertory Orchestra (Breckenridge, CO). She also attended the International Music Academy-Pilsen; (Czech Republic) and the ENCORE School for Strings (OH). She currently plays as a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony and frequently performs with the Toledo Symphony as a substitute. Jacqueline is an adjunct professor of violin and viola at Hillsdale College and teaches privately in Ann Arbor, MI.
Bram Margoles
Violin / Viola
Bram Margoles started playing violin when he was 6 years old while growing up in Boulder, Colorado. He came to Ann Arbor in 2012 for music school at U of M, where he recently finished his undergraduate degree in performance studying with Professor Aaron Berofsky. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in performance at the university, studying with St. Louis Symphony concertmaster David Halen. Bram takes pride in playing violin with great energy and artistry. He has a passion not only for mainstream classical music, but also enjoys exploring many genres such as period practice baroque, new music, folk, and rock. An avid orchestral musician, Bram holds positions in the Ann Arbor and Lansing Symphonies. When he is not playing violin, Bram loves to cook lots of food and explore the great outdoors.
David Ormai
Violin / Viola
A native of Budapest, Hungary, David Ormai is an active performer and teacher in Michigan. He is currently the concertmaster for the Livonia Symphony and is a core member of the Ann Arbor and Flint Symphonies. He has also performed with such ensembles as City Music Cleveland, the Colorado Music Festival, the Danubia Symphony of Hungary, and the Toledo Symphony.
As a dedicated teacher, David maintains a private studio of over 30 students in Ann Arbor. He has completed Suzuki training with Kimberly Meier-Sims of the Sato Center for Suzuki Studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and has taught at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, the Parlando School for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts.
An avid chamber musician, he has competed at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition as well as the Rutenberg Chamber Music Competition with the The Sweetwater Trio. He has studied with members of the Takacs, Cavani, and Phoenix Quartets, as well as Peter Salaff, Christopher Harding, Louis Nagel and Cornelia Heard.
Early music performance practice is one of David's biggest passions and inspirations. His affinity for it has led him to perform and record with the world-renowned baroque orchestra, Apollo's Fire. His early music teachers include Cynthia Roberts, Jeannette Sorrell, Edward Parmentier, Penelope Crawford, Aaron Berofsky, Julie Andrijeski, Peter Bennett, and Rene Schiffer.
David has participated in many summer music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, the Academie de Musique Tibor Varga festival in Scion, Switzerland, and the Bartok Festival in Szombathely, Hungary. During the summer of 2010, he was the concertmaster and soloist for the music festival on Michigan's own Beaver Island, 'Baroque on Beaver'.
David's primary teachers include Yehonatan Berick, Aaron Berofsky, Paul Kantor, Harold Wippler, Barbara Barber and Ellie Albers LeRoux. He has participated in masterclasses given by Mihaela Martin, Dong-Suk Kang, Gyorgy Pauk, Jordi Savall, The Cavani Quartet, The Altenberg Trio, and the Rebel baroque ensemble. He holds a Bachelors degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Masters Degree from the University of Michigan.
Violin / Viola
Principal Second Violin, Gates & Rudisill Endowed Principal Second Violin Chair
Barbara Sturgis-Everett has been a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra since 1989 and has served as Principal Second Violin since 1991. Prior to her association with the Symphony, Dr. Sturgis-Everett was an Associate Professor of Music at Eastern Illinois University where she was a member of the string faculty and of The Eastern Trio. She served on the faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp for 15 summers as well as teaching and performing summers at The Downeast Chamber Music Festival in Maine. In addition to the A2SO, Ms. Sturgis-Everett performs and records with R4, The River Raisin Ragtime Revue, a 13-piece ensemble specializing in early jazz of the Ragtime era heard throughout the midwest. Other professional activities have included performing in The Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra in Door County, WI, and teaching at The Chapin School for Girls and the Manhattan Conservatory Preparatory in New York. She continues to teach violin, viola and chamber music in her studio at home and has helped organize and teach in the Summer Piano Ensemble Camp launched by the Ann Arbor Area Piano Teachers.
Barbara's early years were spent in South Carolina. The daughter and granddaughter of pianists, Barbara began studying piano with her mother at the age of 4 and violin in a 4th-grade class. She was a scholarship student at the Reston and Brevard Music Centers and a 1st place winner of the Concerto Competition for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Barbara earned both her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music in Baltimore at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati where she was on the faculty of the Preparatory and Continuing Education Division. She is indebted to many teachers, especially Berl Senofsky, Henry Meyer, Walter Levin, Christine Dethier, Elaine Lee Richey, Derry Dean Drinkall, and Jess Casey.
Mallory Tabb
Violin / Viola
Mallory Tabb is an enthusiastic violinist and dedicated teacher. She has performed and taught in Oregon, Florida, and throughout the Midwest. She performs regularly with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (Assistant Concertmaster), the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (Assistant Principal Second Violin), and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (Tenured Section Member). She occasionally appears on stage with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician, in recent years Mallory has performed with members of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in the marathon performance events “Bach Around the Clock” (2016) and “The Complete String Quartets of Dimitri Shostakovich” (2015). She is currently a member of the string ensemble Quartet Felice, the first classical ensemble to appear in the Affinity Series at the Franke Center for the Arts in Marshall, Michigan.
A trained Suzuki instructor, Mallory has sixteen years of private teaching experience. In 2013 she joined the faculty of the University of Michigan String Preparatory Program where she continues to train dedicated young musicians. She also enjoys working with students of all ages through her private Ann Arbor studio, Soaring Strings.
Mallory holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Michigan where she studied with Stephen Shipps. Former teachers also include Leanne League (The University of Wisconsin Whitewater) and Marguerite Richardson (Jacksonville University).
For more information, please visit: www.mallorytabb.com
Daniel Thomas
Cello
Daniel Thomas enjoys a diverse and fulfilling musical career as an orchestral, solo, and chamber cellist while remaining in high demand as an admired educator. As a fellowship student throughout his education, Daniel earned his BM from the University of Wisconsin and MM from the University of Michigan. Since graduating, Mr. Thomas has won well over a dozen orchestral and pedagogical positions throughout the US. He currently is the principal cellist of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. He has also served as a regular substitute with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since 2002, and he previously was a fellow in the New World Symphony from 2003-2007. Mr. Thomas has recently been featured as a concerto soloist with the Jackson, Warren, and Royal Oak symphony orchestras, and he has performed as the guest solo cellist of over a dozen national Broadway tours. As a chamber musician, Daniel concertizes annually in the Strings on the Bay chamber music series, and he is frequently invited to perform in collaborative concerts and other notable chamber music series throughout the Midwest. Pedagogy has always been a huge passion for Daniel, and he remains devoted to producing exemplary cello students and giving masterclasses at universities throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, and beyond. Mr. Thomas has served as cello faculty at Eastern Michigan University and Spring Arbor University, and he currently teaches at Concordia University – Ann Arbor in addition to hosting a thriving private cello studio.
Timothy Michling
Oboe / English Horn | Principal Oboe | Gilbert Omenn Endowed Principal Oboe Chair
Timothy Michling is principal oboist of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing for A²SO chamber and educational ensembles. Tim also appears frequently with numerous other area ensembles, including the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, and the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra. Tim is an accomplished woodwind specialist/multi-instrumentalist, and, in addition to being an avid bagpiper and tin whistler, he was a member of the pit orchestra during the 2003-2004 North American Tour of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man," playing oboe, English horn, flute, piccolo, clarinet, and bassoon. As a performer and recording artist, he is equally sought after by classical, theatrical, folk, and rock ensembles.
A dedicated educator, Tim is a member of the music faculty at both Oakland University and the University of Michigan-Flint. He serves his fellow Ann Arbor Symphony musicians as chair of the Orchestra Committee, as an ex officio member of the A²SO board of directors, and has also served as delegate to the Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA). A dedicated arts advocate, he endeavors to be a positive voice for artists and the arts community; Tim believes ardently in the power of the arts to empower individuals and build stronger communities, and he remains passionately committed to community service and outreach.
Tim earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he studied the oboe with Nancy Ambrose King. In addition, he studied the oboe with Allan Vogel at the prestigious Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, where he earned his Artist Diploma. Tim also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Master of Public Administration degree from Wayne State University, and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from the Wayne State School of Medicine.
When not performing music, Tim conducts public policy research as a research associate at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. He previously worked on staff in the Michigan House of Representatives.
Kristin Reynolds
Oboe / English Horn
BILL AND JAN MAXBAUER OBOE CHAIR
Kristin Reynolds is an active professional performer and dedicated teacher. In addition to performing with the Ann Arbor Symphony, she regularly performs with the Toledo Symphony, the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Michigan Opera Theater and the Detroit Symphony. In addition, Ms. Reynolds serves as Oboe Professor and Chamber Music Instructor at Eastern Michigan University and has served on the faculties of The University of Michigan, Concordia University, and Hillsdale College.
A native of Southern California, Ms. Reynolds holds a Master of Music degree from The University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from California State University, Northridge. She spent two summers studying at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. Her primary instructors include William Criss (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and Harry Sargous (The University of Michigan), and she has also worked with John Ferrillo (Boston Symphony), John Mack (Cleveland Orchestra), Richard Killmer (Eastman School of Music), Elaine Douvas (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Juilliard School), and Linda Strommen (Indiana University).
In addition to presenting lectures and master classes across the United States, Ms. Reynolds has toured both nationally and internationally in orchestras and wind ensembles throughout Europe, Japan, and Scandinavia. She can be heard on the Caprice label performing with the Stockholm Wind Orchestra of Sweden, as well as on the Naxos label.
Elliott Ross
Clarinet / Bass Clarinet
Clarinetist and Ann Arbor native Elliott Ross has been a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony since 2006. Elliott has played with the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Flint Symphony Orchestras. An active teacher, Elliott maintains a studio in the Ann Arbor area. When not musically engaged, Elliott enjoys reading, Indian food, and stand up comedy.
Christian Green
Bassoon
Christian Green is an enthusiastic performer and adjudicator based in Southeast Michigan.
After High School, he deferred admission to college for one year to participate in the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange. While in Germany, he studied bassoon with Christian Kunert, solo bassoonist of Hamburg Philharmonic and the Hamburg State Opera. He auditioned successfully and earned a position in the Albert Schweitzer Jugendorchester and later in the Harvestehuder Sinfonieorchester for the season.
Christian received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan studying with Dr. Jeffrey Lyman. While at Michigan, Christian was honored to be a member of the 2010 Symphony Band China Tour. Upon completing his degree, he continued his studies at Northwestern University under the tutelage of Christopher Millard and David McGill. Currently he is pursuing a DMA at Michigan State University with Michael Kroth. He took part in masterclasses with Markus Weidmann, Steven Dibner, and Jeffrey McCray. Additional teachers include Robert Williams, Charles Ullery, Lewis Kirk, and Nancy Gores.
As an active chamber musician Christian is a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Reed Trio. The trio travels to schools during the school year giving performances and educating young people about these instruments. Christian is also the bassoonist for Chamber Artists of Southeast Michigan (CASM). CASM is a chamber collective that serves Southeast Michigan; please visit the website for more information: casmmusic.org. Christian subs often with the award winning Akropolis Reed Quintet. He recently joined them for two tours last year performing several concerts and included the premiere of Geryoneis at Sweet Briar College. Christian also performs with the Cut Time Players based out of Detroit.
Christian is currently principal bassoon of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and Oakland Symphony Orchestra (MI). He also performs with the Lansing Symphony, Rochester Symphony (MI), and the Michigan Sinfonietta. Christian maintains a private studio in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. He plays on a Fox 601.
Tamara Kosinski
French Horn
Tamara Kosinski is a professional horn player originally from Midland, Michigan. Her first experiences as a professional musician started in high school with her involvement with the Midland Symphony and Midland Music Society. She received her Bachelor Degree of Music with Teacher Certification from the University of Michigan in 1991. Though she primarily studied with Lowell Greer, Tamara also worked under the guidance of Gail Williams, former Associate Horn of the Chicago Symphony and current Professor of Horn at Northwestern University.
Tamara’s teacher Lowell Greer was a pedagogue of natural horn, and strongly emphasized its importance to her development as a horn player. She went on to perform on the natural horn with various period ensembles throughout the US and Europe including, The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Chanticleer.
Tamara can be found performing on three period ensemble recordings including: "Mozart Sinfonia Concertante" with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, "Mexican Baroque" with Chanticleer, and "Berlioz: Les nuits d'été, Op. 7 - Handel: Arias with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan, featuring esteemed mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.
Tamara is a current member of the Windsor, Ann Arbor, Saginaw, and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Kosinski subs frequently with the Michigan Opera Theatre and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.
Tamara has played on numerous concerts and two tours with the Detroit Symphony: a two-week tour of Europe and a week tour of Michigan. She also appears often with many other professional ensembles including the Grand Rapids, Flint, Midland, and Traverse City Symphonies respectively.
Tamara is an experienced chamber musician, having performed with the Detroit Chamber Winds, the Blue Lake Faculty Woodwind and Brass quintets, and the Kalamazoo Symphony Brass Quintet. As a part of the Kalamazoo Symphony Brass Quintet, Ms. Kosinski performed concerts in a multitude of venues throughout the city of Kalamazoo. A founding member of the Fourcor Horn Quartet, Tamara continues to have a passion for horn ensemble music.
Tamara has previously spent her summers as a faculty member of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan where she taught and performed for 15 years. Recently, she had the opportunity to perform in the Strings in the Mountains Music Festival in Colorado, alongside William VerMeulen and Tod Bowermaster.
Tamara Kosinski presides at the helm of a large studio of private horn students ranging from the ages of elementary to high school, though she occasionally teaches older students as well. Ms. Kosinski's 28 years of teaching experience has led to many of her more than 200 students achieving success in the music field, attending some of America's finest music schools including the University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, and Northwestern University. Her students have been featured professionally as performers and instructors throughout the US and Asia.
Katherine Cosgrove
Trumpet / Cornet
Katherine Cosgrove grew up in Brookfield, IL, a suburb of Chicago, where she studied with Gene Arnold and Matthew Lee, and played principal trumpet with the Protégé Philharmonic youth orchestra of Chicago. In 2010 she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Professor John Rommel. In 2012 she completed a Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan, under Professor William Campbell. During that time she was selected to perform at the University of Michigan International Trumpet Institute in France and Italy. Ms. Cosgrove was second trumpet with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra from 2011-2012 and currently plays second trumpet in the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. She performs frequently in the Ann Arbor Symphony Brass Quintet and continues to build her private studio here in Ann Arbor.
Ms. Cosgrove has participated in a number of prestigious summer music festivals and brass competitions, including the National Trumpet Solo and Ensemble Competition, The International Women's Brass Conference and Solo Competition, Summer Brass Institute and Festival of Menlo, CA, The Chosen Vale International Trumpet Seminar, The University of Michigan International Trumpet Institute and Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy.
In these and other settings she has worked with acclaimed soloists and renowned orchestral trumpet players and teachers. She is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, The International Trumpet Guild, and The International Women's Brass Conference.
Pioneer High School Choirs
The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School A Cappella Choir is one of four curricular and nine extra-curricular choral ensembles at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, the 2006 & 2011 National GRAMMY® Signature School. The A Cappella Choir has performed at the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Convention (2014), American Choral Directors Association Michigan State Convention (2014 & 2018), Michigan Music Conference (2013 & 2018), and Michigan Youth Arts Festival (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2017). In 2014 & 2015, they were selected as an Outstanding Choir and featured at the Gala Concert of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. The Pioneer Choirs have collaborated with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings.