
THE ARTISTS
"Staunton Music Festival recruits musicians from around the world and attracts audiences from up and down the eastern seaboard and beyond."
- The New Criterion
Airi Yoshioka
Violin, Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Hailed by the Gramophone Magazine as “intrepid and brilliant”, violinist Airi Yoshioka has concertized throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Canada as a soloist, recitalist and chamber ...
Alberto Parrini
Cello
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Alberto Parrini is principal cellist of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and a member of the American Symphony and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He performs regularly with East Coast ...
Alek Fester
Historical Oboes
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Oboist Alek Fester specializes in performing music from the Baroque through Romantic eras on historical instruments. Alek is much sought after for his interpretations of Bach and ...
Alissa Smith
Viola, Baroque Viola
SPRINGFEST
Alissa Smith, violist, holds music degrees from the Australian National University and Juilliard, where she was a Teaching Fellow. Her chamber music experience has included recitals at Carnegie Hall; ...
Amy Nicole Broadbent
Soprano
SPRINGFEST
“With consummate poise, limpid clarity, and faultless intonation” (Washington Classical Review), soprano Amy Nicole Broadbent has garnered recognition as a dynamic and versatile musical force ...
Anders Hillborg
Composer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Composer Anders Hillborg gained his first musical experience singing in choirs and in various forms of improvised music. From 1976 to 1982 he studied composition and electronic music at ...
Andrew Parker
Horn
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Andrew Parker is a graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Industry, and is an active freelance musician in the Shenandoah Valley and Hampton ...
Andrew Willis
Fortepiano
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
For several decades Andrew Willis has explored the historical development of keyboard instruments and their performance practice while maintaining a commitment to the study, performance ...
Andy Lankford
Trombone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Andrew Lankford, Professor of Trombone at James Madison University, holds degrees from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and University of Kansas. His primary teachers include ...
Angela Young Smucker
Mezzo-Soprano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
When she’s not refereeing for her roller derby team or boxing a few rounds on the heavy bag, mezzo soprano Angela Young Smucker thrives in performance, arts administration, and education. She has ...
Anna Steinhoff
Cello, Viola da gamba
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Based in Chicago, Anna Steinhoff specializes in the baroque cello and viola da gamba. She is a member of Third Coast Baroque, the Haymarket Opera Company, Bella Voce Sinfonia and ...
Antti Tikkanen
Violin, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violinist Antti Tikkanen performs extensively around the world’s musical stages as a chamber musician, soloist or leading orchestras. Antti is a founding member of the internationally ...
Aria Cheregosha
Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violist and North Carolina native, Aria began her musical studies at the age of 7, and performed in both Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center by the age of 13. Aria holds a bachelor's degree from ...
Benjamin Gilmore
Violin, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Benjamin Gilmore studied with Natalia Boyarskaya at the Yehudi Menuhin School and with Pavel Vernikov in Vienna, and later with Julian Rachlin and Miriam Fried. During this time he won prizes ...
Brian Smith
Percussion
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised for his feline-like grace as a percussionist, Brian Smith delivers “committed and energetic” performances with a versatile repertoire including historical, contemporary, and ...
Camas Stredder
Trumpet
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Camas Stredder is an active freelance musician and music educator in Northern Virginia. She has performed with a number of ensembles including the Boise Philharmonic, Boise Baroque ...
Carl Donakowski
Cello
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Carl Donakowski was a finalist in the 1989 Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin. His recital performances have aired on WQXR New York and Südwestfunk Baden-Baden. As a chamber musician ...
Carsten Schmidt
Harpsichord, Piano, Conductor
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
SMF Artistic Director Carsten Schmidt enjoys a flourishing career as a pianist, harpsichordist, and conductor, and has performed widely throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. He has been ...
Chloe Fedor
Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violinist Chloe Fedor is known for her “lovely, plush, seductive tone” (New York Times), her “soulful, virtuosic” playing and “impeccable technical control” (Opera News). Chloe is ...
Christopher Talbot
Bass-Baritone
Springfest
Bass-Baritone Christopher Talbot is a sought-after soloist and ensemble singer specializing in renaissance, baroque, and 21st-century repertoire. Hailed for his “voice of warmth and strength” ...
Clifton Massey
Countertenor
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Frequently sought as a soloist and collaborative musician, countertenor Clifton Massey has participated in the Ojai Festival, Tanglewood, Oregon Bach Festival, and Early-Music Festivals of ...
Cody Halquist
Horn
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Cody Halquist has served as the Lecturer in Horn at the University of Virginia and Principal Horn of the Charlottesville Symphony since fall 2021. Originally from Rochester, NY, Cody has worked for ...
Corey Shotwell
Tenor
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Corey Shotwell is a tenor specializing in the performance of music from the 14th-18th centuries. Recent favorite engagements include a world premiere of David Lang’s writings at Carnegie Hall ...
Daniel Moody
Counterentor
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised for the ability to “pierce hearts” and “utterly silence a room” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer) countertenor Daniel Moody dazzles audiences and makes “a profoundly startling impression” (The ...
Daphna Mor
Recorder
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised as a ‘Recorder virtuoso’ and for her “astonishing virtuosity’ by The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, Daphna Mor enjoys a career as both a soloist and an ensemble player ...
Derek Chester
Tenor
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Derek Chester has quickly established himself as a preeminent interpreter of early music and oratorio repertoire. Chester holds voice degrees from University of Georgia and the Yale ...
Dominic Giardino
Clarinet
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Historical clarinetist Dominic Giardino enjoys a varied professional life exploring the intersections of history and performance. Dominic was first introduced to historically informed ...
Ed Matthew
Clarinets
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Ed Matthew has served as guest-principal clarinetist with Tafelmusik, Philharmonia Baroque, American Classical Orchestra, Pacific MusicWorks, Clarion Music Society, ARTEK, Grand ...
Edson Scheid
Violin
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Edson Scheid has been praised for his “polished playing” (The Strad) and for being a “virtuoso violinist” (The Boston Globe). His performance of Strauss’s song Morgen at Carnegie Hall alongside ...
Elisabeth Axtell
Horn, Natural Horn
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Elisabeth Axtell delights in sharing the period instrument ethos with audiences across the country. Her regular engagements include Handel & Haydn Society, Portland Baroque, Seattle ...
Elizabeth Roberts
Bassoon
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Elizabeth Roberts, Principal Bassoon and Director of Youth Education for the Charlottesville Symphony since 2001, joined the faculty at the University of Virginia the same year. She became ...
Emily Becher-McKeever
Lighting designer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Emily E. Becher, Associate Professor of Lighting Design at James Madison University, received her MFA in Lighting Design from the University Arizona Tucson and holds a BA in Theatrical ...
Eric Guinivan
Percussion, Composer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Eric Guinivan’s music has been performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia and has received notable honors from BMI, ASCAP, Chamber Music America, the ...
Erik Higgins
Double Bass, Violone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Erik Higgins, double bass, is a musician known for his versatility and fluency in many different styles and musical languages. After graduating from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in ...
Gabe Shuford
Harpsichord
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Harpsichordist Gabe Shuford performs throughout North America and abroad; he is the recipient of several awards, including the 2011 Baron Prize from Stony Brook University and second prize at ...
Gene Stenger
Tenor
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Hailed as an “impressive tenor” (New York Times) who sings with “sweet vibrancy” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Gene Stenger is one of the country’s most called upon Bach specialists who is also heralded ...
Geoffrey Burgess
Oboe, Baroque Oboe
SPRINGFEST
Since his student days in Sydney Australia, Geoffrey Burgess has had a passion for all things to do with the oboe. He has worked over the course of his career with leading ensembles in ...
Gesa Kordes
Viola, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Gesa Kordes performs with numerous chamber ensembles and Baroque orchestras including Ensemble PeriHIPsous, Baroque and Beyond, Muses’ Delight, Baroque at ...
Hannah Shaw
Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violist Hannah Shaw is a member of the London-based Eusebius Quartet and has recently appeared at such festivals as Open Chamber Music at Prussia Cove, Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival ...
Happenstance Theater
Theater
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Happenstance Theater, founded in 2006, is a professional award-winning company committed to generating original visual and poetic theatre. It features multi-talented performers who craft all ...
Heather Miller Lardin
Double Bass, Violone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Heather Miller Lardin is principal bassist of the Handel + Haydn Society and directs the Temple University Early Music Ensemble. Curious about all things historical bass, Heather designs ...
Heini Kärkkäinen
Piano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Heini Kärkkäinen studied piano at the Sibelius-Academy under Liisa Pohjola and continued her studies with Ralf Gothóni and Jacques Rouvier, among others. She won the Ilmari ...
I-Jen Fang
Percussion
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Described as an “intrepid percussionist” by Fanfare Magazine, I-Jen Fang has a career as a solo performer, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She joined the faculty of the Music ...
Igor Begelman
Clarinet
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Clarinetist Igor Begelman’s virtuosity and imagination have been praised by critics as “remarkable display of music making” and have earned him an impressive list of prizes, engagements and honors ...
Immanuel Davis
Flute, Baroque Flute
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Immanuel Davis is one of the most versatile flutists of his generation. Equally at home on modern and baroque flutes, Immanuel has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the ...
Ingrid Matthews
Violin, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violinist Ingrid Matthews is co-founder and Music Director Emeritus of Seattle Baroque Orchestra (1994-2013). Since winning first prize in the Bodky International Competition for ...
James Wilson
Cello, Baroque Cello
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Cellist James Wilson has performed throughout the world on Baroque and modern cello, appearing at famous venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Vienna’s ...
Jason Fisher
Viola, Baroque Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violist Jason Fisher is a founding member of A Far Cry. A Carnegie Hall Fellow and a Peabody Singapore Fellow, he has toured Europe and given concerts at Vienna Musikverein, Singapore Esplanade ...
Jeanette Zyko
Oboe
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Oboist Jeanette Zyko, praised by Fanfare Magazine and ArtsNash for her “refined playing” and “achingly beautiful lines,” enjoys an active career as a chamber and orchestra musician. A versatile ...
Jeannette Jang
Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violinist Jeannette Jang is a member of the Richmond Symphony; prior to that, she was a Fellow with New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL. In her early years, Jeannette studied with ...
Jeremy Loudon
Trombone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Jeremy Loudon is currently an active orchestral and chamber musician in central Virginia. After earning his Masters degree from The Boston Conservatory, Jeremy was a freelance musician in ...
Jonathan Schakel
Organ
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Organist and harpsichordist Jonathan Schakel earned a doctoral degree in performance practice at Cornell University, where he studied with Annette Richards and David Yearsley. He holds ...
Jonathan Woody
Bass-Baritone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Jonathan Woody is a versatile musician maintaining an active schedule as a bass-baritone soloist, chamber musician and composer across North America. Jonathan appears regularly with ...
Jordan Frazier
Double Bass
SPRINGFEST
Jordan Frazier has performed worldwide with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since 1993 and was appointed a member of the orchestra in 2006. He is currently Principal Bass of the Westchester ...
Joseph Gascho
Organ, Harpsichord
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Harpsichordist and conductor Joseph Gascho has performed across the world, from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to Paris, Tokyo and Taipei. Recent highlights include performances with ...
Judith Shatin
Composer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
A distinctive voice in American music, Judith Shatin is known for music that spans acoustic, electroacoustic and digital realms. Called “highly inventive on every level” by The Washington Post ...
Julie Bosworth
Soprano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
From medieval music to world premieres, Julie Bosworth revels in versatile singing. Recognized for having “the richest, most buttery tone” (Washington Classical Review), this “notably stylish and ...
Keiran Campbell
Cello
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Keiran Campbell began taking cello lessons at age 8 in his native Greensboro, North Carolina. After studying extensively with Leonid Zilper, former solo cellist of the Bolshoi Ballet, he received his ...
Keith Collins
Bassoon, Contrabassoon
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
C. Keith Collins is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical tastes range from medieval and baroque to the traditional music of his ancestral Appalachian homeland. Praised for his “mastery...
Kevin Stees
Tuba
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Kevin Stees, now in his 37th year as Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at James Madison University, leads an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor and music educator.
Kris Kwapis
Trumpet, Baroque Trumpet
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Kris Kwapis has enjoyed performing at the Staunton Music Festival since 2015 and regularly collaborates as soloist and principal trumpet with period-instrument ensembles across North America ...
Kristin Olson
Oboe, Baroque Oboe
SPRINGFEST
Kristin Olson enjoys performing on both modern and historical oboes. Her favorite composer has always been Mozart, so she’s especially excited to perform this early classical repertoire with ...
Kyle Miller
Viola, Baroque Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violist Kyle Miller made his concerto debut in 2005 with the Reading (Pennsylvania) Symphony Orchestra as ‘the dog’ in P.D.Q. Bach’s Canine Cantata, Wachet Arf! Afterward, Kyle studied ...
Luke Balslov
Trumpet, Baroque Trumpet
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Luke Balslov, a native of Long Island, New York, regularly performs around the country on both modern and baroque trumpets. In New York, Luke received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in ...
Margaret Owens
Oboe, Historical Oboes
SUMMER FESTIVAL
In demand throughout North America as a performer and teacher on historical oboes, Margaret Owens is a founding member of the chamber music group Kleine Kammermusik, whose 2017 ...
Mari Lee
Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Mari Lee is an artist dedicated to creating human connection through music. A violinist, creative, and entrepreneur, her works explore the relationship between audiences, performers, and composers ...
Maria Bissex
Costume Designer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Costumer designer Maria V. Bissex is delighted to join the Staunton Music Festival for the first time on this production of Handel’s Orlando. Maria is the owner of MVB Costumes based ...
Martin Davids
Violin, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Martin Davids founded and directs the Callipygian Players in Chicago, and is concertmaster of Brandywine Baroque, Third Coast Baroque, Bella Voce Sinfonia, and often leads Bach Collegium San ...
Mary Boodell
Flute, Baroque Flute
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Mary Boodell is the Principal Flutist of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia. Praised as one of the city’s “most versatile and venturesome musicians,” she has won acclaim for numerous chamber music ...
Megan Chartrand
Soprano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised for her “light, fleet soprano” and “soaring, diamantine high notes” (Opera News), Megan Chartrand feels equally at home singing early music, art song, chamber music and concert repertoire.
Megan Hurley
Horn, Baroque Horn
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Megan Hurley is passionate about symphonic literature and historical brass playing. She is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School, where she earned her Master’s degree in modern French ...
Meta4
String Quartet
Meta4, formed in 2001, is one of the most internationally successful Finnish string quartets. It won first prize in the International Shostakovich Competition in Moscow (2004) and the International ...
Min-Young Kim
Violin
SPRINGFEST
Philadelphia violinist Min-Young Kim is a founding member and first violinist of the Daedalus Quartet. She is also the concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and a frequent guest ...
Minna Pensola
Violin, Baroque Violin
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Violinist Minna Pensola is known as an intense performer, invigorating soloist, and energetic orchestra leader, and she is a regular guest at many international chamber music festivals. Pensola is ...
Molly Quinn
Soprano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Soprano Molly Quinn captivates audiences in a diverse repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to the Rolling Stones. Praised by The New York Times for her “arresting sweetness and simplicity”...
Natalie Rose Kress
Violin, Baroque Violin
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised by the New York Times for her "splendid playing," Natalie Rose Kress is a violinist based in Washington, D.C.. She performs as a core member of Relic Baroque Orchestra, Quartet ...
Nathanael Udell
Horn, Natural Horn
SPRINGFEST
Nathanael Udell is a graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, earning his Doctor of Music under the tutelage of the former principal horn of the Chicago Symphony, Dale ...
Nathaniel Lee
Trombone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Nathaniel Lee is the Lecturer of Trombone at the University of Virginia and serves as Principal Trombone of the Charlottesville Symphony. In addition to his duties at UVa and the Charlottesville Symphony, ...
Nicholas DiEugenio
Violin, Baroque Violin
SPRINGFEST, SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised as an “excellent” and “evocative” violinist (New York Times), Nicholas DiEugenio leads a versatile performing life as a chamber musician, leader, and soloist in music ranging from early ...
Nina Stern
Clarinets, Recorder
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Nina Stern has carved a unique and extraordinarily diverse career for herself as a world-class recorder player and classical clarinetist. Ms. Stern performs widely as a soloist and with orchestras ...
Paul Holmes Morton
Lute, Theorbo
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Over the past decade, Paul Holmes has become a plucked instrument specialist practicing disciplines from the European Renaissance to modern Americana. Perpetually inspired by music as a ...
Paul Max Tipton
Bass-Baritone
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a dignified and beautiful singer, bass-baritone Paul Max Tipton has soloed under such notable figures as Leonard Slatkin, Matthias Pintscher ...
Peter Spaar
Double Bass
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Double bassist Peter Spaar received his Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, as well as a Bachelor of Music from James Madison University. His former teachers include ...
Peter Walker
Bass
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Described as a “commanding” singer by a recent Boston Globe review, Peter Walker enjoys a varied career as a singer of early and classical music. Recent performances include bass solos in ...
Robin Bier
Contralto
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised for her “inimitable, resonant contralto” (Phindie) and “particularly moving singing” (Cleveland Classical), contralto Robin Bier enjoys a varied career of solo and ensemble singing ...
Roger Roe
Oboe
SUMMER FESTIVAL
An active chamber musician and recitalist, Roger Roe has played oboe and English horn with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra since 1995 and has served on the faculty of Indiana ...
Rosita Piritore
Composer
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Rosita Piritore is an Italian pianist and composer. She has a heterogeneous concert activity by performing in cities such as Milano, New York, São Paulo, Ravenna, Caltanissetta, and ...
Sheila Dietrich
Soprano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Canadian soprano Sheila Dietrich is a versatile and in-demand performer whose style and vocal technique shine in both concert and operatic roles. Ms. Dietrich received her Bachelor of ...
Sivan Magen
Harp
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Praised as “a magician” (New York’s WQXR) whose "brilliant sound and remarkable technical acumen shatter any stereotype of his instrument" (NY Times), Sivan Magen transforms the ...
Stephanie Corwin
Bassoon, Baroque Bassoon
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Stephanie Corwin enjoys performing and teaching music of the past four centuries on modern and historical bassoons. Her vocation has taken her throughout the US and abroad, simultaneously satisfying ...
Stephen Goist
Viola, Baroque Viola
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Stephen Goist enjoys a multifaceted career as an orchestral player, chamber musician, and historical performance specialist based in New York City. A graduate of The Juilliard School and ...
Timothy Nelson
Stage Director (Orlando)
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Timothy Nelson is active as a director in both North America and Europe. Recently Nelson directed "L'Incoronazione di Poppea" and “Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria” at London's Barbican Hall for the ...
Virginia Bolena
Organ
SPRINGFEST
Choral Director, collaborative pianist and organist Virginia Bolena enjoys the many dimensions of her full-time work as a church musician while also balancing work as a professional performer in ...
Wes Garlington
Voice
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Wes Garlington graduated Sarah Lawrence College May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Theatre, and Film. As well as an experimental musical theatre composer, Wes performs as ...
Zachary Wadsworth
Composer, Piano
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Zachary Wadsworth is a composer of “fresh, deeply felt and strikingly original” music (Washington Post) whose works have been heard around the world. For the 2023-24 season ...