Mary Riles, cello, received her BA in Classics and BM in Cello Performance from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and her Masters of Music from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. Located in Seattle, Washington, she provides private cello instruction and chamber coaching. Mary has performed with a variety of Seattle-area large ensembles, including NOCCO, Seattle Modern Orchestra, SMCO, the Sound Ensemble, and Thalia Symphony Orchestra. She loves the joys and depths of chamber music, and is also co-founder of an improv/composition group, Das Seattle Improv Orchester. Collaboration is her favorite part of music, and it’s a real pleasure to be a part of this wonderful new organization, Unbound Symphony.

Emma Pease Byron is a flute specialist, playing, teaching and writing about flute. She can be heard playing flute, piccolo and flute-like instruments, including pennywhistle, pan pipes and fife, around the Las Vegas Valley with ensembles like the Nevada Pops Ensemble and Vegas City Opera and in Montana as the piccolo chair with the Helena Symphony. 

Emma has been teaching student flutists since 1999. Her students have won top spots in the Clark County School District Honor Band, the Nevada All-State Honor Band, the Las Vegas Flute Club Young Artist Competition, Silver State Competition and earned music scholarships at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, University of Nevada-Reno, University of New Mexico and Central Washington University. In addition to teaching ages 3 - adult at Studio Flute, she also teaches the Preschool Music Adventures classes at the Silver Springs Recreation Center and is a flute clinician and parapro with the Clark County School District. Emma is a certified teacher through the Music Teachers National Association and the Suzuki Association of the Americans.

Emma's most recent article, about systematically developing a historical context for music study, was published in the Suzuki Association's Journal in spring of 2022. Emma is also on the board of the Nevada Music Teachers Associations and is the Junior Festival Flute Chair for the Las Vegas Federation of Music Clubs.

Shanyse Strickland is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer and arranger. Drawing from early experiences across a wide spectrum of genres, Shanyse has developed a distinctive voice on the horn that now defines her focused career.

Originally from Akron, OH, Shanyse has led a multi-faceted career through mediums of performance, composing and educating. She received a BA in Music Performance at Youngstown State University, along with a MM from Duquesne University and an Artist Diploma from Montclair State University. Some highlights of her career include playing trombone and flute for the reuniting Ohio Players, winning the 2016 International Horn Symposium’s jazz competition, performing at the 2019 and 2021 Heisman Trophy Ceremony aired on ESPN. She was the featured artist for the International Horn Symposium 57 in 2024, and performed for two national tours playing principal horn in the production of Into the Spider-verse. She actively plays with the American Composer’s Orchestra in New York and does freelance work in the area as well.

Shanyse has written and published over thirty-five original works, one of which was premiered by the horn section of the New Haven Symphony titled Moods. In early March of 2023, Shanyse’s piece titled Afrofuturism was selected to be performed at the Music by Women Festival at the Mississippi University for Women. The piece won multiple film awards in the greater Ohio area, including acceptance into the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (GCUFF). Shanyse’s work, When I’m Older was commissioned to be inserted in a book highlighting living Black composers that is accessible to beginning horn players in high school or middle school. Shanyse has written works for the Seattle Symphony horn section for their chamber music series, along with working alongside Danielle Kuhlmann, 4th horn of Seattle, and fellow member of the horn quartet Ghengis Barbie, who Shanyse also wrote and arranged music for.

As an educator and influencer, Shanyse has done numerous masterclasses, clinics and lectures across the country. She is currently taking over a sabbatical at Ithaca College as professor of horn for Spring 2026.

Elizabeth McDaniel has created a successful performance, teaching, and arts administration career in the Seattle area. Born and raised in southern California, Elizabeth attended UC Santa Barbara for a degree in Trombone Performance (2010-2014) and moved to Seattle to complete her Master’s degree in Orchestral Brass Performance at The University of Washington (2014-2016). Elizabeth plays with a variety of local performing groups including Puget Brass, Formation Wind Band, and Seattle Rock Orchestra and jumps at every chance to play chamber music.

She has established an effective private lessons studio teaching all ages and levels of experience. Elizabeth also coaches with Bellevue Youth Symphony and presents clinics in public and private schools. Elizabeth is the Managing Director of both Puget Brass and Formation Wind Band. In 2023, she established The Puget Brass Academy, a youth brass ensemble, serving middle and high school students in the greater Seattle area. When not playing trombone, teaching, or attending to arts admin duties, Elizabeth can be found with a book and a cup of coffee. Elizabeth lives in Lynnwood with her husband, two kids (ages 6 and 3), and dog named Xena.

Devin LaMarr is passionate about music education and music performance in her community. She received a full scholarship to study in the studio of Anne Martindale-Williams for her Master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University, and received her bachelor’s degree in cello performance from Lynn University, where she also received a full scholarship to study in the studio of David Cole. Other important teachers in Devin’s life have been Jonah Kim and Walter Gray. She has also performed in masterclasses with renowned cellists such as Mark Kosower and Brannon Cho.

Devin is also a dedicated chamber musician, having debuted with her quartet, the Kourdisma Quartet, at the Lyric Chamber Music Society in New York, in May, 2022 after winning first prize in Lynn University’s chamber music competition. Other competitions Devin has won include the Pittsburgh Concert Society Major Artist Auditions in 2023, which featured a performance on NPR radio as part of the prize, and the Navaroli Young Musicians competition, where she performed the Elgar Cello Concerto with the South Valley Symphony in her native California. She was also a finalist in the the Big Arts Classical Music Scholarship competition in Sanibel, Florida.

Dr. Gabriela Garza Canales (she/her/ella) is a percussionist, conductor, and arts administrator based in Seattle, Washington, and is honored to be part of Unbound Symphony’s inaugural performance!

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Gabriela has spent her life exploring a wide range of musical styles as a performer, including symphonic, band, pop, rock, funk, Latin, experimental, and contemporary music. That variety of experiences continues to shape the versatility and curiosity she brings to her work today.

Gabriela began her percussion studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) under the instruction of Dr. Noel Rafael Savón Favier before moving to the University of New Mexico, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance under Professor Scott Ney. She currently performs with several ensembles in the Seattle area, including the Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Northwest, and Thalia Symphony Orchestra.

She later earned a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of New Mexico under the mentorship of Dr. Jorge Pérez-Gómez. She subsequently moved to Seattle, where she recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Washington under the guidance of Dr. David A. Rahbee. Her doctoral research examined accessibility in community orchestras and its role in fostering more inclusive, welcoming, and empowering musical experiences for musicians. 

As a conductor and guest conductor, Gabriela has worked with a variety of ensembles, including the Poulsbo Community Orchestra, Whidbey Island Orchestra, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, Sammamish Symphony Orchestra, Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, the UANL Symphony Orchestra, and more.

Alongside her performing career, Gabriela is an arts administrator and is currently in her fifth year with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, where she serves as Director of the Seattle Conservatory of Music. She is an alumni of the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management program (2024) and recently earned a Nonprofit Management Certificate through the University of San Diego (2026).

Outside of music, Gabriela enjoys paddle boarding, biking, and exploring the outdoors, and can usually be found with a fiction novel close by.

Alyssa Gaines (she/her) is an active teacher, solo, chamber, and ensemble performer based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She has served as Artist Faculty at Morningside University (IA) and Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (WI). Alyssa has performed with many ensembles including the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Arts Express Orchestra, the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. She won 1st place in the 2021 San Francisco Flute Society's Artist Competition, was a quarterfinalist in the 2023 National Flute Association Young Artist competition, was named a National Finalist in the 2024 American Prize in Instrumental Performance - Professional Division, and has been a prizewinner in numerous other regional competitions. She has given recitals in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Arizona, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Alyssa earned a Master of Music degree in flute performance at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Professor Kate Lukas and dual Bachelor of Music degrees in flute performance and music industry from Middle Tennessee State University where she studied with Dr. Deanna Little. She was also selected as one of six flutists internationally to attend Trevor Wye's 'The Flute Studio' in Kent, England from 2014-2015. Alyssa is currently a Program Coordinator at the University of Arizona School of Music but is most proud to be known as “Mommy” to her two toddlers. 

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.

Alison pursued her studies in Music Performance in Trumpet at the University of Northern Colorado under Dr. Robert Murray and at Morningside College with Dr. Peter Wood. Her dedication to growth has remained constant throughout her career, with continued study under distinguished artists including Dr. Scott Meredith, professor of trumpet at Oklahoma City University, as well as Bill Pfund, former Professor of Trumpet at Northern Colorado, and Andrew Plamondon of the Spokane Symphony. She has also participated in the Rafael Méndez Brass Institute and performed in workshops with internationally recognized trumpet artists.

Known for her artistry, leadership, and collaborative spirit, Alison brings both strength and sensitivity to every ensemble she joins. Her work reflects a deep commitment to artistic integrity and to the shared experience of performance, making her a vibrant and inspiring presence on stage.

Ellie Yamanaka (she/her) is a freelance harpist based in Seattle, Washington who regularly performs with ensembles across the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West as an acoustic and electric harpist. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently principal harp of Everett Philharmonic, Great Falls Symphony, and a member of The Sound Ensemble.

As a freelancer, she has performed with many ensembles, including Auburn Symphony, Bremerton WestSound Symphony, Density512, Everett Chorale, Federal Way Symphony, Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO), Northwest Mahler Festival, Olympia Symphony, Orcas Choral Society, Philharmonia Northwest, Port Angeles Symphony, Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, Rainier Symphony, Saratoga Orchestra, Seattle Festival Orchestra, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Pro Musica, Solstice Symphony Orchestra, Songs of Black Folk Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Symphony Tacoma, Tacoma City Ballet Orchestra, Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma Opera, Theatre Battery, Washington Wind Symphony, Wenatchee Valley Symphony, and Yakima Symphony.

Ellie is passionate about environmental and climate justice, and whenever possible curates her creative output with a desire to create experiences that bring together music and environmentalism.

Esther Kwon is a Korean-American double bassist from Tacoma, Washington, and is currently a fellow at the New World Symphony. A passionate orchestral musician, she has performed at prestigious venues around the world, including the Elbphilharmonie, Benaroya Hall, and the National Concert Hall. Recent highlights include sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Lang Lang, Augustin Hadelich, and John Adams. She has also participated in interdisciplinary collaborations involving ballet, popular music, and illustration, exploring connections between classical music and other art forms.

Esther has performed chamber music through the Camphill Village Kimberton Hills chamber music residency program, where she received coaching from Paul Watkins and Steven Tenenbom. She has also attended festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Festival Napa Valley, Taipei Music Academy and Festival, and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

Coming from a musical family, Esther also assists her parents in teaching beginner group instrumental classes. She remains active in the Korean-American arts community in the Pacific Northwest, performing in recitals, choral concerts, and regional orchestras.

Esther earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati after transferring from the University of Washington. She holds dual degrees in music and psychology, reflecting her interest in intellectual disabilities and the human mind. She completed her Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music, where she studied with Donald Palma.

Portia Njoku, a composer, tubist, and music educator, holds a BA degree in Music Composition and Theory from UC Davis and a double MMus degree in Music Composition and Tuba Performance from CSU Sacramento. Ms. Njoku is a Music Lecturer in Tuba at UC Davis and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at both American River and Folsom Lake Colleges. Currently, Ms. Njoku serves the Chromatic Brass Collective as the Director of Finance and Treasurer. She also works to increase interest and awareness of the tuba to music fans of all ages throughout the Sacramento region.

Clarinetist Amy Hur has performed with leading ensembles across the United States, including the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Pegasus: The Orchestra, Parlando, Binghamton Philharmonic, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Lumo, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. In fall 2026, she will join the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra as Principal Clarinet.

An active orchestral and chamber musician, Ms. Hur has appeared as a fellow at renowned festivals including the Napa Valley Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival, and Spoleto Festival USA. Most recently, she served as Principal Clarinet of the Britt Festival Orchestra during the 2024 season.

Her artistry has been recognized through numerous honors, including awards from the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, the Yale School of Music Alumni Association Prize, the Music Teachers National Association Eastern Division Young Artist Award, and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Deeply committed to music education and community engagement, Ms. Hur previously served as a Teaching Artist with Yale School of Music’s Music in Schools Initiative, helping bring classical music to students in New Haven public schools. She also served as a teaching artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Negaunee Music Institute, collaborating with Chicago Public Schools. She is currently Adjunct Faculty in Clarinet Performance at University of Wisconsin–Parkside.

Ms. Hur earned her Bachelor of Music and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, and both her Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University.

She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University, where she also holds a Graduate Assistantship. Her principal mentors include Alexander Fiterstein, Kenneth Grant, Emil Khudyev, David Shifrin, Pavel Vinnitsky, Pascual Martínez-Forteza, Steve Williamson, and Todd Levy.

Laura Jesson (they/them) is a Los Angeles viola performer and is honored to be joining the Unbound Symphony. In the greater Southern California area, Laura is a performer with many groups, including serving as assistant principal viola with both the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra and the Westside Chamber Orchestra. They also perform with the San Luis Obispo Symphony, the Downey Symphony, the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles, and the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic. They are the sole viola player for the mixed instrument chamber ensemble HELIX Collective. In the summer of 2024, they performed with the International Pride Orchestra in New York. 

Laura’s work can be heard on the score of Universal Pictures’ Girls Trip and can be seen on the television shows The Fosters and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Laura enjoys playing for the Mission Opera, where professional and amateur singers perform side by side. Laura is also a featured performer with the Night Temple, where new film composers’ works are performed and recorded. Laura is an orchestral musician with several choirs, including the Choral Society, the Santa Clarita Master Chorale, and the Los Cancioneros Master Chorale. In addition to their performance career, Laura proudly serves as the orchestra manager and music librarian for the Downey Symphony and the music librarian for the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra. 

Laura studied with Roger Myers at the University of Texas, Austin, and with Donald McInnes at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. Additionally, Laura was a fellow at the Aspen Festival and School and a fellow two summers at the Music Academy of the West. Laura was the only violist chosen to be a Gold Coast Chamber Music Festival Emerging Artist.

In their free time, Laura is an amateur chorister with the West Coast Singers of Los Angeles, a coffee aficionado, and a frequent walker in many Los Angeles parks.

Rebecca Huffman started playing the violin at the age of 4 in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She learned to love orchestral music at St. Olaf College while playing in the orchestra, where she performed the Korngold Violin Concerto as a tour soloist with the orchestra, and earned a BA in Political Science & Women’s Studies.

After college, Rebecca moved to Washington state, working for non-profits providing shelter & resources for homeless people, as well as advocacy and legal advice for tenants, including Nativity House, Columbia Legal Services, Northwest Justice Project, and Compass Housing Alliance, most recently working as a data analyst for Downtown Emergency Service Center. She is a strong advocate for Housing First and Harm Reduction philosophies.

While working for non-profits, Rebecca has continued to perform violin, including playing with various community orchestras such as Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Seattle Festival Orchestra, and Northwest Mahler Festival, and playing in musical theatre productions. She also enjoys performing and recording the works of various local artists and composers.

Rebecca Lawrence grew up in Seattle, and following studies in Los Angeles, Paris, and Frankfurt, moved to Berlin in 2025. Her work with the double bass draws on more than four centuries of musical practice, bringing together historical awareness, contemporary experimentation, and a deep curiosity for sound.

Influenced by interests ranging from social movements and feminism to anthropology, ritual, and natural systems, she collaborates closely with leading composers in today’s European music scene. At the same time, a search for simple musical truth and harmony led her to study early music, which evolved into endless experimentation with the sonic possibilities of early instruments in contemporary contexts. 

Rebecca is a member of the Berlin-based Ensemble Kollektiv, and plays often as as a guest with a wide range of ensembles and orchestras, including Ensemble Modern, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the Basel Sinfonietta, the Folkwang Kammerorchestra, Klangforum Wien, Deutsche Kammerorchester Bremen, and others. 

In 2026, she’ll record her first solo album with producer Weston Olencki, supported by a grant from the Deutscher Orchesterstiftung, exploring the possibilities of contemporary improvised pieces and arrangements on historical instruments.

Shelly Devlin received her Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance and Education from the University of Iowa and her Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of Washington. She currently serves as adjunct trumpet instructor at Pierce College in Puyallup, Washington.  Since 2000, her private studio, Shelly Devlin Brass Studios, has taught 70 trumpet and horn students per week.  Shelly’s students have seen successful performances at recitals and statewide music festivals, and many of her students have had the honor of being accepted into All State, All Northwest, local youth symphonies, and college music programs.  Shelly has served as brass coach and clinician to Northwest Washington area schools, adjudicated Solo and Ensemble Festival for the Washington Music Educators Association, taught High Brass Techniques to undergraduate music majors at the University of Washington, served as brass coach for the Kitsap Youth Philharmonic, and conducted Brass Camps throughout the Puget Sound region.  

An active performer, Shelly currently plays principal trumpet with the Bremerton West Sound Symphony, flugelhorn with the Evergreen Brass, and trumpet with the Choppers Brass Quintet and the Choppers Brass Trio.  Shelly’s solo appearances include Telemann’s Sonata for piccolo trumpet and Handel’s Messiah with the Bremerton West Sound Symphony; Vincent Persichetti’s The Hollow Men with the Pierce College Orchestra; Adagio from Concierto de Aranjuez for flugelhorn with the Evergreen Brass; and McKee’s Centennial Horizon and Turrin’s arrangement of Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me with the Pierce College Concert Band.  Shelly’s recent solo recital appearances include works for trumpet and piano on the Marysville Chamber Music Series and works for trumpet and organ on the Silverdale Lutheran Church Friday Night Concert Series. Shelly formerly served as a trumpeter with Navy Band Northwest and has been sponsored on several solo tours to the Midwest. Current projects include the commission and recording of new trumpet and piano works by composers Gina Gillie and Nick Colletto. In 2025, she penned her own composition, A Rough Night at the Cantina, which had its premiere performance at the 2025 Wahington Trumpet Guild Festival. 

Erika Pierson grew up in the Seattle area, beginning cello at age 7. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree of Cello Performance from Indiana University and her Master’s of Music Performance from University of Michigan. Between her degrees Erika studied in Berlin, Germany, at the Hochschule der Künste, and then studied privately under Eileen Croxford, FRMC, in London, England. In 2001, she performed at the Manchester International Cello Festival. Her other main teachers have included Angela Sokol, Richard Aaron, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Markus Nyikos, Eileen Croxford and Erling Blondal Bengtsson.

Erika has given solo recitals in England, including a solo performance at St Martin in the Fields, London, in Germany, Spain, and in the United States. She has performed as featured soloist with orchestras in Berlin, Ann Arbor, and Everett, WA. On the less classical side of things, she has also performed with Mannheim Steamroller, Rod Stewart, the Walkmen, and Deltron 3030. Currently, Erika performs regularly as a rotating principal cellist in the North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO), gives frequent recitals as a soloist and a chamber musician in the Seattle area, and is an active freelancer in the Seattle community in orchestras including Lake Washington Symphony, Federal Way Symphony, Auburn Symphony, Seattle Metropolitan Orchestra and Seattle Chamber Orchestra. Erika is also a performing member of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle.

Taiwanese American oboist Dr. Rong-Huey Liu, a Marigaux Artist, is a California-based high demand multi-faceted artist. 

As soloist, she has performed concertos of Bach, Corigliano, Viet Cuong, Daugherty, Ferran, Kalliwoda, Lebrun, Marcello, Mozart, Navarro, Saul, and Strauss. Her Grammy consideration recording of Saul’s "Kiev 2014: Rhapsody for Oboe and Orchestra" and its world premiere performance garnered critical acclaim for "sublime playing and crisp performance, filled with quiet perseverance and passion." Her performance of the Lebrun Oboe Concerto with the Long Beach Symphony was commended for “radiant tone easily filled the cavernous Terrace Theater….played with consummate grace and musicality... .awesome technical display."

Rong-Huey was a guest artist of the Ojai Summer Music Festival, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Southwest International New Music Festival, Chamber Music Unbound, International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and the concerto soloist for the 2024 IDRS. At the Cactus Pear Music Festival, her Mozart Quartet was noted by San Antonio critics for "sweetness shaped by a sense of crisp articulation" and for leading a performance of Daugherty “Firecracker” with a razzle dazzle ...the audience was thrilled". 

As a Hollywood recording studio musician, Rong-Huey has collaborated with celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Andrea Bocelli, Carrie Underwood, Chris Botti, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Josh Groban, Paul Shaffer, Spinal Tap, The Who, and Weird Al. Her cinema credits includes A Jazzman’s Blues, Animaniacs, Disenchanted, Hocus Pocus II, Six Triple Eight, Star Trek movie, Star War VIII, True & Treason, to name a few. 

Rong-Huey holds Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. She is currently the oboe professor at California State University Fullerton, La Sierra University, Riverside City College, University of Redlands, and the Fresno Opera & Orchestra Summer Academy (FOOSA). 

Rong-Huey is the principal oboist for the Long Beach Symphony, Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, Riverside County Philharmonic and Redlands Symphony, Modesto Symphony (acting principal) and a frequent sectional oboe at Pacific Symphony.

Violist Aleida Gehrels is a Seattle based performer and recording artist.  A leading collaborator in cross-genre music, Aleida has toured with Macklemore and Queens of the Stone, and been featured live on KEXP radio with ODESZA, Maribou State, Queens of the Stone Age, and Jeremy Enigk.  Other recent highlights include an appearance performing on the hit Netflix show Love Is Blind, as well as concerts, tours, and recordings with The Swell Season, Father John Misty, Smokey Robinson, Apashe, Perfume Genius, Abney Park, Tyler Edwards, The Rumba Kings, The Dip, et al. Aleida frequently appears with Andrew Joslyn and the Passenger String Quartet and the Seattle Rock Orchestra, and is an active contributor to the rich PNW singer-songwriter community.

In addition to her work in contemporary music, Aleida maintains an active career as a classical violist.  She performs over 100 events annually with Arcobaleno Strings and has represented the city of Seattle as the violist of the Seattle-Bergen String Quartet, a touring ensemble focused on cultural diplomacy between the two sister cities. She is a musician and member of the artistic board for Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra and The Sound Ensemble, with whom she has been broadcast live on KING FM radio, has performed as violist for the viral Candlelight Concerts, and has worked with Seattle Chamber Orchestra, Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Bellingham Festival of Music, Village Theatre, North Corner Chamber Orchestra, Tacoma City Ballet Orchestra, Vashon Opera, and the Auburn, Federal Way, Yakima, and Tacoma Symphonies.

Aleida’s diverse musical interests stem from her rigorous classical training. She made her debut as a soloist at the age of 17, performing the Stamitz Viola Concerto with the Tucson Pops Orchestra.  She went on to achieve her Bachelors in Music with Hong-Mei Xiao at the University of Arizona and her Masters in Music with Roger Chase at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Upon completing her degrees Aleida embarked on a career as a chamber musician, touring all seven continents with the Beacon Street Strings on board luxury cruise liners.  She relocated permanently to Seattle in 2015 and has quickly become one of the most sought after freelance violists in the region. Aleida performs on a Chappuy viola from Paris, 1772. 

Samantha Epp was born and raised in Everett, Washington. After studying bassoon with Francine Peterson throughout middle school and high school, Samantha pursued a bachelors and masters degree in bassoon performance at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of Judith Farmer. Samantha is currently the principal bassoonist for the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with various groups including the American Youth Symphony, Orchestra Nova Los Angeles, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, Octava Chamber Orchestra, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, Washington Wind Symphony, and Solstice Symphony Orchestra.

When she’s not performing, Samantha likes to unwind by cross stitching, listening to film scores, and loves exploring new coffee shops and small towns in the area.