A sampling of some of CYSO’s distinguished alumni:

Laurie Anderson
Performance Artist

Anthony McGill
Principal Clarinetist, New York Philharmonic

Gordon Peters
Former Principal Percussion, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Sheila Johnson
Co-founder of BET and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts

Austin Huntington
Principal Cellist, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Bird
Singer/Songwriter

Emma Gerstein
Flutist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Read the Alumni Interview

Robin Kesselman
Principal Bassist, Houston Symphony

Richard Davis
Bassist, Educator, Activist
Read the Alumni Interview

Emma Steele
Concertmaster of Royal Danish Orchestra

Ian Ding
Former Principal Percussionist, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Demarre McGill
Principal Flutist, Seattle Symphony

ORCHESTRA MEMBERS

Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields
Marilyn Sansom – Cello, Viola de Gamba

Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ben Peled – Violin
Julie Studebaker – Co-Principal Horn*

Annapolis Symphony Orchestra 
Sara Watkins Shirley-Quirk – Resident Conductor*

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
David Gerstein – Principal Cello

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Lisa Steltenpohl – Principal Viola

Berlin Concert Orchestra 
Alicia Lagger – Violin

Berlin Philharmonic
Allan Nilles – Viola

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Martha Babcock – Assistant Principal Cello
Joel Moerschel – Cello*

Century Chamber Orchestra (Osaka) 
Peter Seidenberg – Principal Cello*

Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Zac Hammond – Principal Oboe

Chicago Symphony Orchestra 
Arnold Brostoff – Violin
Oto Carrillo – Horn
Emma Gerstein – Flute
Daniel Gingrich – Horn
David Griffin – Horn
John Hagstrom – Trumpet
Mark Kraemer – Bass
Diane Mues – Viola
James Smelser – Horn
Philip Blum – Cello*
Leonore Glazer – Cello*
Richard Kanter – Oboe*
Samuel Magad – Co-Concertmaster*
Richard Oldberg – Horn*
Gordon Peters – Principal Percussion*

Cleveland Orchestra 
Frank Rosenwein – Principal Oboe
Scott Haigh – Assistant Principal Bass
Arthur Klima Jr. – Viola
Barrick Stees – Assistant Principal Bassoon
Richard Voldrich – Violin*

Columbus Symphony (OH) 
David Niwa – Assistant Concertmaster

Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Eunice Keem – Associate Concertmaster
Andrew Sandwick – Clarinet

Dayton Philharmonic
Jessica Hung – Concertmaster

Detroit Symphony
Ian Ding – Principal Percussion*
Abraham Feder – Assistant Principal Cello
Peter McCaffrey – Cello

Evanston Symphony
Daniel DiCesare – Tuba

Florida Philharmonic
John Dee – Principal Oboe*

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra 
Dan Sigale – Viola
Allan Steele – Principal Cello

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
Alicia Lagger – Principal Second Violin*

Houston Symphony
Kurt Johnson – Violin
Robin Kesselman – Principal Bass
Andrew Pedersen – Bass
William VerMuelen – Principal Horn

Indianapolis Symphony
Richard Graef – Assistant Principal Horn
Sherry Hong – Violin
Robert Bromel – Principal Bassoon*
Austin Huntington – Principal Cellist

La Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Puebla
Lauren Toner – Bassoon

Los Angeles Opera
Margaret Schultz Moores – Cello

Los Angeles Philharmonic
Lorin Levee – Principal Clarinet

Lyric Opera of Chicago 
Jean Berkenstock – Principal Flute*
Mark Brandfonbrener – Cello
William Cernota – Cello
Matthew Comerford – Trumpet
Brian Ferguson – Assistant Principal Bass
Michael Geller – Principal Bass
Michael Green – Principal Percussion
Dionne Hansen-Jackson – Assistant Principal Flute*
Neil Kimel – French Horn
Charlene Zimmerman – Principal Clarinet
Judith Zunamon Lewis – Oboe

Metropolitan Opera 
Barbara Jöstlein – Horn
Ronals Arron – Viola*

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Kathleen Collisson – Cello
Lisa Johnson Fuller – Violin
Jennifer Startt – Principal Second Violin

Minnesota Orchestra 
Norbert Nielubowski – Bassoon

Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Tim McGovern – Associate Principal Bassoon*
Paul Merkelo – Principal Trumpet

National Symphony Orchestra 
Rick Barber – Assistant Principal Bass
Jennifer Cline – Viola
Steven Honigberg – Cello
Charles Nilles – Bass
Sara Watkins Shirley-Quirk – Principal Oboe*
Rebecca Tobin – Second Chair Clarinet

New York Philharmonic
John Deak – Associate Principal Bass*
Anthony McGill – Principal Clarinet
Kyle Zerna – Percussion

Orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera
Rhett Del Campo – Principal Percussion*

Orchestre de Paris
Aimee Kreston – Concertmaster*

Oslo Philharmonic
Eileen Siegel – Principal First Violin

Phoenix Symphony
Frederick Chao – Cello
Katherine Kohler – Second Clarinet

Philadelphia Orchestra
Larry Grika – Violin*
Duane Rosengard – Bass
Angela Zator-Nelson – Associate Principal Timpani/Percussion

Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra
Michael Cox – Principal Trombone

Richmond Symphony 
Mary Boodell – Principal Flute
Mary Bowden – Trumpet

Rochester Philharmonic 
Stephanie Zimmerman – Horn
Howard Weiss – Concertmaster*

Saint Louis Symphony
Chris Carson – Associate Principal Bass
Thomas Jöstlein – Assistant Principal Horn
Robert Mottl – Assistant Principal Bassoon*

San Antonio Symphony 
Sharon Kuster – Principal Bassoon
Ron Noble – Bassoon
Danny Taubenheim – Associate Principal Trumpet

San Francisco Opera 
Bill Klingelhoffer – Co-Principal Horn

San Francisco Symphony 
Jill Rachuy Brindel – Cello
John Schoening – Viola

Santa Fe Opera
Joseph Johnson – Principal Cello

Seattle Opera
Michael Gamburg – Principal Bassoon

Seattle Symphony
Noah Geller – Concertmaster
Demarre McGill – Principal Flute

Symphony Orchestra Augusta 
Alex Liedtke – Principal Oboe

The Hague Philharmonic
Cary Koubek – Violin

The President’s Own
Brandon Eubank – Trumpet
Gina Guhl Fouch – Clarinet*
Trevor Mowry – Co-Principal Oboe

The Royal Danish Orchestra
Emma Steele – Concertmaster

Toronto Symphony
Joseph Johnson – Principal Cello
Susan Lipchak – Assistant Principal Viola

United States Navy Band
Jeffrey DeRoche – Percussion

Utah Symphony Orchestra 
Barbara Ann Scowcroft – Violin
Hanah Stuart – Assistant Principal Second Violin

Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Sandra Goldberg – Violin

Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Joe Klingelhoffer – Principal Trombone

Music Professionals

Solo Artists/Chamber Musicians
Laurie Anderson – Performance Artist
Andrew Bird – Singer/Songwriter
Richard Davis – Bassist, Educator, Activist
Alison Lowell – Performer and Educator
Anthea Kreston – Violinist, Artemis Quartet

Composers
Charlyn Bernal – Composer and Associate Director of Film & Television Music for The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Mark Camphouse –  Composer, Conductor, Educator

Boston University 
Eric Ruske – Horn Soloist and Professor

DePaul University 
Julie DeRoche – Clarinet & Chair, Department of Performance Studies

DC Youth Orchestra Program 
Elizabeth Schurgin – Executive Director

Hamilton Conservatory of the Arts (Canada) 
Lance Elbeck – Violin soloist and Professor

Michigan State University
Ava Ordman – Trombone Professor & Chair, Brass and Percussion

Oberlin College & Conservatory 
Peter Slowik – Director, Division of Strings & Professor of Viola

Peabody Conservatory of Music 
Sara Watkins Shirley-Quirk – Conductor*

Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Howard Weiss – Founding Music Director*

University of Illinois 
John Dee – Professor of Oboe
Tim McGovern – Professor of Bassoon

University of Missouri – Kansas City 
Terry Applebaum – Dean, School of Music*

University of Missouri – St. Louis 
Robert Mottl – Professor of Bassoon

Utah Youth Symphony 
Barbara Ann Scowcroft – Music Director

*Former Member/Position 

Other Distinguished CYSO Alumni

Sheila C. Johnson
Vice Chairman and owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, President and Managing Partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts