Symphony Faculty Biographies
2012 faculty is listed below and subject to change.
Ricardo Castañeda
Program Director; Oboe,
Oak Park, Ill.
Mr. Castañeda holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Northwestern University, where he studied with Ray Still. He is principal oboist with the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra, and the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra. An active teacher, Mr. Castñeda is currently professor of oboe and English horn at Northern Illinois University. He has been a Birch Creek faculty member since 1998 and symphony program director since 2001.
Brian Groner
Conductor, Glenwood, Ill.
Brian Groner (Conductor) is Music Director of Wisconsin's Fox Valley Symphony and is also the Music Director of the Harper Symphony Orchestra in Illinois. He has been on the faculty of Northern Illinois University and Vanderbilt University, and served as Associate Conductor of the Nashville Symphony (1988-1991). As an active guest conductor, he has appeared on the podium for numerous ensembles including, The San Diego Symphony, The Czech National Symphony Orchestra (Prague), and The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He has worked with The Moscow Classical Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, The Nashville Ballet, and served as cover conductor on the farewell tour of the late Rudolf Nureyev.
Robert Hanford
Concertmaster, Evanston, Ill.
Mr. Hanford is concertmaster of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Chicago and a member of the Rembrandt Chamber Players. He also performs with the Sheridan Chamber Players (Chicago), and Richmond (VA) Chamber Players. Mr. Hanford is currently on the faculty of Chicago's Roosevelt University.
Sheila Hanford
Violin, Evanston, Ill.
Ms. Hanford has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera and the Plymouth Music Series. Ms. Hanford maintains a private studio in her home, works as a free-lance musician in the Chicago area, and currently performs with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra.
Betty Lewis
Violin, Wilmette, Ill.
Betty Lewis is an active violinist and violist in the Chicago area, performing with groups ranging from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to the orchestra for Beauty and the Beast. Ms. Lewis is also a member of the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra in Door County and teaches violin and viola at the Francis Parker School in Chicago.
Marcia Henry Liebenow
Violin, Peoria, Ill.
Ms. Henry is Concertmaster of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Music at Bradley University, where she teaches violin, viola and chamber music. She frequently performs throughout the United States, and is a member of the Concordia String Trio and the River City String Quartet. The CD of the Grieg Violin Sonatas that she recorded with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi was released in 2007 by Centaur Records.
EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks
Violin Associate Faculty, Providence, R.I.
Ms. Holmes-Hicks recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance at SUNY Stony Brook. She was a featured soloist at the 2009 Peoria (Ill.) Bach Festival. Ms. Holmes-Hicks was a Birch Creek student in 1998 & 1999.
Matthew Mantell
Viola, Orland Park, Ill.
Mr. Mantell is principal violist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony, and assistant principal violist with the Chicago Sinfonietta. He is also an adjunct professor at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL.
Emily Lewis Mantell
Cello, Orland Park, Ill.
Ms. Mantell is principal cellist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and is a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta. She maintains a private studio.
Alan Steiner
String Bass, Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Mr. Steiner is a former member of The Jerusalem Symphony (Israel), L'Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, and the Canadian Opera Company. He currently performs with the Lake Forest Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, and The Joffrey Ballet. Mr. Steiner maintains a private studio.
Jeremy Attanaseo
String Bass Associaate Faculty,Franklin Park, Ill.
Mr. Attaneseo is a private instructor at Maine South High School, Elk Grove High School and Evanston Township High School, and maintains a private studio. He performs with the South Bend Symphony, New Millennium Orchestra, and International Contemporary Artists.
Shannon Finney
Flute/Piccolo, Kansas City, Mo.
Ms. Finney is associate principal flutist with the Kansas City Symphony and is also a member of the chamber music ensemble, Summerfest. She has performed with several major US symphony orchestras and has toured internationally with the Chicago Sinfonietta.
Erin Horan
Oboe Associate Faculty, Assistant to the Program Director, Daphne, Ala.
Ms. Horan is currently the Education Director of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra,
Mobile, Alabama. Ms. Horan was a Birch Creek student in 1999.
Jennifer Gerth
Clarinet, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ms. Gerth is principal clarinetist with the Duluth Superior Symphony and a regular substitute with the Minnesota Orchestra. She performs with the Festival of the Lakes Chamber Music Ensemble and is on the faculty of University of St. Thomas and Augsburg College.
Ryan Golden
Clarinet Associaate Faculty, Minneapolis, Minn.
Mr. Golden earned his MM from the University of Minnesota. He performs with the Pavia Winds, Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra, First Unitarian Society Orchestra, and the Bloomington Civic Theater.
John Gaudette
Bassoon, Chicago, Ill.
Mr. Gaudette began his career with the Dallas Symphony, then moved to Canada where he spent 28 years with the Vancouver Symphony and CBC Radio Orchestra. Since 2003, Mr. Gaudette has performed with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Lake Forest Symphony, and is a permanent member of the Barossa Woodwind Quintet.
Jim Westhoff
Bassoon Performing Assistant, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mr. Westhoff holds a bachelors degree in music performance from the Peabody Conservatory, and masters degrees in performance and theory/composition from Wichita State University. He has held positions with the Annapolis Symphony, Wichita Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Kenosha Symphony. Since moving from Chicago to Ann Arbor last fall, Mr. Westhoff has performed with the Flint, Ann Arbor, Windsor, and Saginaw Bay Symphonies.
Laura Fairfield
Horn, DeKalb, Ill.
Ms. Fairfield performs with the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Illinois Philharmonic. She has performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera, Hamburg Sinfoniker, Honolulu Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Lake Forest Symphony, Rockford Symphony, and Mr. Jack Daniel's Original Silver Coronet Band. Ms. Fairfield currently teaches at Northern Illinois University Community School of the Arts.
Matthew Lee
Trumpet, Elmhurst, Ill.
Mr. Lee performs with the Illinois Philharmonic, the Chicago Brass Quintet, and the Millar Brass Ensemble. He teaches at De Paul University.
Kevin Wood
Trumpet, Associate Faculty, Kenosha, Wisc.
Mr. Wood performs with the Kenosha Symphony, Elgin Philharmonic Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Millar Brass Ensemble, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He teaches at Harper College and Carthage College.
Tom Stark
Trombone, Low Brass, Schaumburg, Ill.
Mr. Stark performs with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Trombone Consort. Mr. Stark is also adjunct instructor at Illinois State University (Normal) as maintains a private studio.
Cynthia Stark
Tuba Associate Faculty, Schaumburg, Ill.
Ms. Stark is the Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Elmhurst College and performs with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra.
Jodie DeSalvo
Piano, Naples, Fla.
Ms. De Salvo graduated from the Hartt and Manhattan schools of music as a student of such noted teachers as John Browning, Gary Graffman, Jascha Zayde and Nina Svetlanova. Upon winning the Artist International Competition in 1988, Ms. DeSalvo made her Carnegie Hall debut to critical acclaim with an encore performance two years later at Lincoln Center.
Robert Everson
Percussion, Oak Park, Ill.
Mr. Everson teaches percussion at Concordia University. He performs with the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Lake Forest Symphony, and the Illinois Philharmonic.
Faye Seeman
Harp, Palatine, Ill.
Ms. Seeman is principal harpist of the Chicago Sinfonietta and Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, teaches at Northern Illinois University and Wheaton College, and is the founder of the Kithara flute, cello and harp trio. She has four recordings to her credit, and commissioned an original score for the harp in memory of her father in which she performed in its world debut at Birch Creek.
Website: www.fayeseeman.com
