Our Leadership & Community

Lizzy Pedersen has been playing violin since the age of 3. Lizzy studied with Mihoko Hirata, Irv Eisenberg, Emma McGrath, Lina Bahn, and Edward Dusinberre. Lizzy holds a B.A. in Music from the University of Colorado Boulder with highest honors, and is a registered Suzuki teacher for Books 1 through 6. Lizzy has attended the Indiana University Retreat for Violin and Viola Teachers, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and completed training in Rolland String Pedagogy through Level 3. Lizzy has been teaching violin since 2009, and running Pedersen Violin since 2018. She now teaches violin and viola, and coaches in the Northshore school district.

Lizzy has served as concertmaster with Lake Union Civic Orchestra, Eastside Symphony, Octava Chamber Orchestra, and Jefferson Symphony. She has freelanced with groups such as Northwest Sinfonietta, NOCCO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Northwest Chorale, Rainier Chorale, Seattle Chamber Orchestra, Bellevue Opera, PLU Choral Union, Kulshan Chorus, Sound Ensemble, Great Bend Center for Music, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Emerald Ballet Theatre, and the Cheyenne Symphony.

Dr. Florie Rothenberg (she/they) is a dynamic and versatile clarinetist whose artistry resonates across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. A member of Symphony Tacoma, Tacoma Opera,and the North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO), where they were featured as a soloist in 2023, Florie brings a compelling musical voice to every stage they inhabit. Their work extends into a wide range of collaborations, with frequent appearances alongside Pacific Northwest Ballet, Auburn Symphony,and numerous Seattle-area ensembles, reflecting both their adaptability and artistic curiosity.

Beyond the concert hall, Florie’s creative reach includes film scoring and recording projects with Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Rainier Chamber Winds, and Gunnar Madsen of The Bobs. Florie’s debut album, Voices of Trees: Modern Works by Women Composers for Clarinet and Piano, created in collaboration with pianist and composer Rachel Matthews, stands as a thoughtful and evocative contribution to the repertoire, amplifying the voices of women composers through richly expressive performance.

Alison Pesacreta is a dynamic and accomplished trumpet artist whose career reflects both artistic distinction and a strong commitment to ensemble leadership. A commanding and expressive performer, she currently serves as Principal Trumpet of the Pacific Northwest Chamber Orchestra and performs with the Centralia College Jazz Band and Hilltop Brass Quintet, where her playing brings clarity, brilliance, and artistic vitality to each performance. Throughout her career, Alison has held numerous principal and section positions that speak to both her versatility and the trust she earns within ensembles. She has served as Principal Trumpet of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra and Second Trumpet with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra (NWSO). Her chamber experience includes playing principal trumpet with the University of Northern Colorado Brass Choir and with the University of Northern Colorado Brass Quintet, while her early leadership as Principal Trumpet of the Sioux City Youth Symphony helped establish the strong musical foundation that continues to shape her artistry today.

Anna Doak is currently a member of the Northwest Sinfonietta and serves as principal bassist and teaching artist for the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. She has performed with the Seattle Symphony, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra.  Anna is a founding member of the chamber ensemble Different Drummer and was awarded artist support grants by the Jack Straw Foundation in 2015 and again in 2020.

In addition to her classical training, Anna holds a BA degree in Jazz Performance from Cornish College of the Arts. She is also an active performer outside the classical sphere. Her credits include collaborations with Sub Pop Records, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Repertory and The 5th Avenue Theatres, as well as performances and recording projects with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Spirit of the West and The Dave Mathews Band. She has also performed on movie score soundtracks for Disney, MGM, United Artists, and IMAX.

Hsing-Hui Hsu is the music director and co-founder of the Emerald City Chamber Orchestra, a Seattle-based ensemble specializing in string repertoire. She has been a guest assistant conductor with the Seattle Symphony, and has also guest conducted the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, Saratoga Orchestra, Seattle Festival Orchestra, and Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra. She was a founding member of the Amazon Symphony Orchestra and served as Music Director, collaborating with other arts organizations in the Seattle area as well as charitable organizations such as Mary’s Place. Hsing-Hui is currently in her second season as assistant conductor of Harmonia Orchestra and Chorus.

Rosie Rogers was born and raised in Oregon, where she learned piano from her mom, Angèle. She began playing the bassoon under the tutelage of Lyle Dockendorff and Evan Kuhlmann and soon discovered a love for orchestra and chamber music. Rosie moved to Washington to study with Francine Peterson at the University of Puget Sound, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance. She then completed her Master’s degree at Lynn Conservatory studying with Whitney Crockett. 

Rosie performs regularly with groups around the Puget Sound including Symphony Tacoma, where she is currently acting second bassoon, Northwest Sinfonietta, and Rainier Symphony, where she appeared as a soloist in February 2026. Previously, she served as acting principal bassoon for a season with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México (OSEM) in Toluca. She has also reviewed opera as a freelance critic for Palm Beach Arts Paper and Bachtrack…

“Fierce, with graceful gestures and attention to detail.”-KlasikaPlus.cz

Dr. Yuchi Chou, a Taiwan-born conductor and pianist, shapes music with a voice that is both refined and deeply expressive, cultivating an international career marked by artistic vision and thoughtful leadership. Since her appointment as Music Director and Conductor of the Seattle Festival Orchestra in 2023, she has guided the ensemble with exhilarating energy and nuance, while also inspiring young musicians as Conductor of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Junior Symphony Orchestra since 2022. From 2022 to 2025, she served as assistant conductor to Dr. Anna Edwards with the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra…

Dr. Lorin Green (She/Her) is an arts leader, administrator, flutist, and educator in Seattle, WA. She currently serves as the Senior Manager of Community Relations & Partnerships for the Seattle Symphony where she acts as the bridge between the symphony and the community. Lorin co-edited the published anthology From Our Eyes & Ears: Writings by Musicians of Color, Volume 1- Black Voicesthat centers writings by musicians of color from various perspectives who chose to pursue music as a career path in the western classical music field. As a performer and published researcher, Lorin has been selected to present and perform at numerous conferences including the National Flute Association Annual Convention, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the League of American Orchestras Conference…

ANNA EDWARDS’ musical career progression as a violinist, educator, and symphony conductor has inspired her mission to encourage and promote musical diversity at the highest level from professional, educational, and collaborative music organizations across the country. She is a passionate advocate of music from underrepresented composers on the concert stage. The 2025-26 season marks the thirteenth season for Edwards as Music Director of the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, eleventh season as Music Director of the Saratoga Orchestra, and eighth season as Music Director of the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute. Currently, Edwards balances her time between conducting in the Pacific Northwest, serving as a guest conductor/clinician across the country…

With a career spanning four decades, Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte is a Canadian-American composer and flutist who loves to play, teach and create music, and focuses her work on social and climate justice. She has received accolades in each of these roles in Iceland, England, Europe, Russia, Mexico, and the United States. The London Symphony Orchestra recorded Dr. Bassingthwaighte’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra in 2023, and a full album is in progress for 2025. Other notable performers include members of the Scottish Royal Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Port Angeles Symphony, and the Beaverton Symphony, and soloists including Megan Lanz, Jill Felber, Claudia Anderson, and Steve Schermer...

Katie A. Berglof is one of the founding board members of Unbound Symphony and serves as personnel chair/manager. She is a widely recognized classical music journalist on symphony orchestra culture, institutional reform, and labor practices. Her work is distinguished by her advocacy for accountability, musician health and wellbeing, and fair labor rights within the classical music industry.

She is the founder of the orchestra journal Harpsichords & Hot Sauce and the founder of Courage Over Silence, a defense fund supporting musicians navigating harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Her work in musician’s dystonia awareness has been particularly influential. Over the past decade, she has publicly documented her own recovery while advocating for stronger integration between music and medicine.

A lifelong musician, Katie’s background spans music performance as a French horn player, music education in both private and public school settings, arts administration, union representation, human resources, DEI, and community engagement.

"simply first-rate" - The San Francisco Chronicle

A radiant violinist that delivers extraordinary performances imbued with imagination and insight, Denise Dillenbeck is “simply first-rate.” (San Francisco Chronicle) Celebrated for her work as a soloist, Dillenbeck offers “gripping and technically accomplished [interpretations]… at once soulful and well-reasoned,”  (The Oregonian) of both classic repertoire and breathtaking new masterworks. With her “long-lined phrases and unflagging focus,” (The Oregonian) Dillenbeck inspires and thrives in leadership roles as Concertmaster and within the region’s leading chamber ensembles. Through her board membership, volunteer work, and by modeling and mentoring empowered female roles, Dillenbeck enriches her communities with visionary thought leadership. 

Annie Chang-Center, a violist, violinist, and pianist, began her musical journey in Taiwan, performing piano for foreign dignitaries at six years old. After relocating to the U.S. at the age of thirteen, Annie thrived in a diverse international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. Among her many accolades, Annie made her piano solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony at eighteen under the baton of Maestro Herbert Blomstedt, marking the beginning of her career as a piano soloist with major symphony orchestras, including the prestigious Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Erika Fiebig is a Seattle native. She was invited to perform as Principal Cellist and section leader for Cascade Symphony during the 2025-2026 season. She performed as Solo Cellist in the virtuosic musical The Last Five Years at The 5th Avenue Theater/Union Arts Center. She regularly performs as Principal Cellist for the Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra and Salish Symphony. Erika is Assistant Principal of the Ballard Civic Orchestra, and plays with orchestras across the region including Federal Way Symphony and Yakima Symphony. As an actress she is the star of Erika and the Wolf, a children’s show featuring woodwind quintet and storytelling.

Kenya Shakoor is a photographer and multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Tacoma. Her work is a love offering; it is a contribution to the female gaze, rooted in a politic of care. City of Tacoma Council Member Jamika Scott describes Kenya’s work as photography and cinematography that “captures Black experience and existence in deep, yet soft and ethereal ways. Her work is savory and compelling and hard to ignore.”

In 2025, Kenya wrote, directed, and acted in a one-act play called Adjust Your Crown, an ode to a Maya Angelou quote. The play chronicles an unexpected moment of connection that turns into a layered conversation about everything from the cost of living to generational trauma and joy, reparations, and the current presidency.

From 2023 to 2025, Kenya served on the Tacoma Arts Commission, and in 2024, she served as Chair.

Dr. Kate MacKenzie is a bassoonist, educator, arts administrator, and advocate dedicated to fostering vibrant artistic communities. She works at the intersection of arts administration, policy, and economic development, serving on the board of the Lake Stevens Arts & Parks Foundation and the Snohomish County Arts Commission. She has played a key role in numerous arts initiatives, including founding the Lake Stevens Community Concert Band and supporting creative sector growth through the Cultural Arts Network of Snohomish County. As a bassoon historian, Dr. MacKenzie’s research focuses on the overlooked contributions of women in bassoon performance. She has presented lectures and workshops nationwide, including at the International Double Reed Society and the Meg Quigley Bassoon Symposium. Her work on performance anxiety and gender has been published in The Double Reed Journal (Understanding Performance Anxiety: An Analysis of Gender and Double Reed Musicians, Vol. 36 No. 2).

Founding Board President Bhavani Kotha was a winner of the 2019 National Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition and the National Federation of Music Clubs Carolyn Nelson Double Reed Award. She appeared as a soloist with the Seattle Festival Orchestra, North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO), and the Hart House Orchestra. Her solo engagements with the Hart House Orchestra included performing the Strauss Oboe Concerto on their European tour. Based in Seattle, WA she enjoys playing children’s concerts with Erika and the Wolf, coaching students at the Seattle Youth Symphony, and playing with orchestras all across the northwest as a guest musician. She recently performed with the Seattle Symphony as Principal Oboist.