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Music School Festival Orchestra - Final Concert
August 11, 2025
Music School Festival Orchestra - Final Concert

Music School Festival Orchestra

Monday August 11, 2025

Amphitheater at 8:15pm

Join the Chautauqua School of Music's Festival Orchestra for their final concert of the season, including works by Torke, Tchaikovsky, and Bartok. 

MSFO Artistic & Music Staff

Timothy Muffitt, conductor  

Hannah Schendel, 2025 david effron conducting fellow  

Tianyu Liu, concertmaster

Blake Armstrong, principal second violin

Alison Wang, principal viola

Ewan Manalo, principal cello

Aidan Lobenstein, principal bass

Performance Pieces

Javelin, 1994 (9’) 

- Michael Torke (1961) 

 

Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 (22’) 

-Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)  

Conducted by Hannah Schendel


 10 minute pause


Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB123 (36’)  

-Bela Bartok (1881 – 1945)  

I. Introduzione: Andante non troppo – Allegro vivace 

II. Giuoco delle coppie: Allegro scherzando 

III. Elegia: Andante non troppo 

IV. Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto 

V. Finale: Presto  

MSFO Personnel

Violin I 

Tianyu Liu, concertmaster 

Maxwell Fairman 

Zihua Ma 

Caleb Frailey 

Kana Aihara 

Frances Norton 

Ian Jenson 

Pavlo Kyryliuk 

Jamily Lee 

Cecelia Santiago 

Noah Ghosh 

Rebekah Geller 

 

Violin II 

Blake Armstrong, principal 

Ophir Dahari 

Charlotte Fong 

Anna Sykes 

Evan Schuman 

Byron Laing 

Yvonne Lee 

Veronica Rokicki 

Paula Sastre 

Rhianna Lingle 

Cade Carter 

Jameson Darcy 

 

Viola 

Alison Wang, principal 

Chloe Kitsmiller 

Martha Mulcahy 

Josh Corwin 

Daniel Castorena 

Mira Vaughn 

Kamilah Brown 

Kate MacKenzie 

Ariana Mascari 

Alondra Damian-Noyola 

 

Cello 

Ewan Manalo, principal 

Benjamin Smith 

Milo Klise 

Lekai Li 

Myla Wyrick 

Ethan Hess 

Alexandra Dillulio 

Noah Vin 

Nathaniel Stone 

Layla Morris 

 

Double Bass 

Aidan Lobenstein, principal 

Stan Legan 

Carson Fast 

Paolo Garcia 

Zoe Harris 

Austin Beck 

Sunny Lin 

 

Flute 

Alex Lehmann 

Carter Reynolds 

Emma Westerfield 

 

Oboe 

Kearsen Erwin 

Celia Wojcik 

Erin Yun 

 

Clarinet 

Lauren Enos 

Hongbo Liang 

Caroline Weiss 

 

Bassoon  

Jason Capozucca 

Noah Eastman 

Heather Hippchen 

James Smelley 

 

Horn 

Lilah Costanzo 

Jordan Petan 

Louis Roy 

Amir Sharipov 

Cristina Vieytez 

 

Trumpet  

Dasara Beta 

Jordan Ku 

Elijah Leonard  

Kirk Morrison 

 

Trombone  

Griffin Rupp 

Elijah Van Camp-Goh 

 

Bass Trombone 

Iris Liu 

 

Tuba  

Parker Burkey 

 

Percussion 

Jose Diaz 

Will Morgan 

Connor Speakman 

Patrick Sorah 

 

Harp 

Beth Henson 

About the Music School Festival Orchestra

Each summer we enroll 81 of the most promising young instrumentalists from here and abroad to join us for an exciting summer of music making. Our students are typically 18 to 28 and enrolled in (or recently graduated from) undergraduate or graduate studies. 

The School of Music at Chautauqua considers orchestral work, private study, and chamber music each to be vital components of the program. The orchestra rehearses daily for the majority of the summer and performs its concerts in Chautauqua’s 4,400-seat outdoor Amphitheater. Other facets of orchestral study include sectionals, repertoire classes and mock auditions all run by our professional faculty. Topics covered include the psychology of auditioning, performance issues/anxiety, and instant feedback providing priceless insight into the professional road ahead. 

The chamber music program runs throughout the festival. Students receive regular coaching from our distinguished faculty and have multiple performance opportunities. Percussionists participate in a two-week chamber music residency with Michael Burritt, concluding with a percussion ensemble concert. Many of the ensembles mix with the opera conservatory, piano and even theater and dance programs to provide a wide and diverse offering of performing experiences. 

Private study rounds out the curriculum with each student receiving six private lessons with a member of Chautauqua’s world-renowned faculty. Master classes from both resident and guest faculty are part of the program as well. Climate-controlled practice cabins provide an ideal environment for the personal work that goes into a summer of artistic growth. 

2025 School of Music MSFO Faculty and Staff

Instrumental 2025 Faculty 

Jaren Atherholt, oboe 

Alicja Basinska, collaborative pianist

Aaron Berofsky, violin and chair of strings  

Bill Bernatis, horn 

Curtis Burris, bass 

Michael Burritt, percussion 

Cristina Cutts, tuba 

Eli Eban, clarinet 

Pedro Frenandez, chair of percussion 

Shannon Hesse, collaborative pianist 

Roger Kaza, horn 

Akiko Konishi, collaborative pianist 

Brian Kushmaul, percussion 

Owen Lee, bass 

Eric Lindblom, bass trombone 

Madeleine Olson, harp 

Nurit Pacht, violin 

Lynne Ramsey, viola  

Mark Robbins, horn 

Jeff Robinson, bassoon 

Richard Sherman, flute and chair of winds 

Matt Strauss, percussion 

Almita Vamos, violin 

Kathryn Votapek, chair of chamber music 

Felix Wang, cello 

Micah Wilkinson, trumpet and chair of brass 

Chris Wolf, trombone 

 

School of Music Administration 

Sarah Malinoski, Director, Chautauqua Schools of Performing and Visual Arts 

Samantha Minardi-Lopez, Manager of Student Services & Arts Education Business Coordinator 

Alyssa Shimmel, Administrative Assistant 

Becky Mack, Head Librarian

Mariana Mathewson Bernstein, Connections Coordinator 

Robert Bussell, Piano Technician 

Igor Gersh, Resident Luthier 

MSFO Work Studies

MSFO Student Librarians

Dasara Beta

Caleb Frailey


MSFO Manager

Paola Garcia


MSFO Percussion Manager

Jose Diaz


MSFO Donors and Scholarships

A. Chace Anderson Fine and Performing Arts Scholarship 

Peggy and Andy Anderson Family Scholarship Fund 

Barakat Scholarship 

The Michael L. Barnett Scholarship Fund 

Constance M. Barton 

Evie and Stacey Berger 

The Chuck Berginc Scholarship 

Alexander W. & Edna L. Bouchal Memorial Scholarship 

Ward T. Bower Memorial Scholarship 

Frederick Percival Boynton Scholarship 

Lowell and Frances Hyam Brentano Fund 

The Gladys Brooks Scholarship Endowment Fund 

Shirley Budke Memorial Fund for Blinf Students 

The Edwin L. Bullock Scholarship 

The Lillian B. Bullock Scholarship 

Anne S. Burden Music Scholarship 

The Carnahan-Jackson Scholarship Fund 

The Chautauqua Amateur Musicians Program (C.A.M.P) Scholarship 

The Chautauqua Golf Club Scholarship Fund 

Clark Scholarship Fund 

Joseph Clarke Scholarship Fund 

Clarkson Family Scholarship  

The William Cole/King Scholarship 

Beverly and Bruce Conner Scholarship Fund 

The Bettsy and Ellis Cowling Scholarship for MSFO 

The Daley Family Fund 

Elaine and Erroll Davis Scholarship for MSFO 

Diamond Jubilee Class of 1948 Scholarship 

Dietrich Family Endowment for Music at Chautauqua 

The Bina Edkin Eckerd Memorial Fund for the Fine and Performing Arts 

David Effron Conducting Fellowship 

The Michael and Jane Eisner Scholarship Fund 

Mary Cummings Paine Eudy Scholarship Fund 

The Falk Scholarship Fund 

Beverly and Marvin Fiegelman Scholarship Fund for the Performing Arts 

Genevieve Foote Findley Scholarship[ 

Ted and Deborah First Scholarship 

Dr. Stephen Fudell Memorial Scholarship Endowment 

The Harriet B. and Ralph T. Geller Memorial Scholarship 

General Scholarship Fund 

Jeffrey and Norma Glazer 

Glendorn Foundation Scholarship Fund 

The Alfred E. Goldman Scholarship 

The Jesie D. Grassie Class of 1882 Scholarship 

The Arlene Hajinlian Music Scholarship 

G. Thomas & Kathleen Harric Music Scholarship 

Harris Scholarship for Performing Arts 

Veda Hartman Memorial Scholarship 

Ruth Higby Have and Della and David Higby Music Scholarship 

Hebrew Congregation Music Award 

James Heegeman 

William and Pauline Higie School of Music Scholarship 

Robert P. Hiller Scholarship Fund 

Elke Kieserling Hoppe Scholarship 

Cyril T.M. Hough Memorial Scholarship Fund 

The Hultquist Foundation Inc 

Ruth M. Skinner Hutchins Scholarship Fund 

The Lucinda Ely Johnson Scholarship 

The Teresa M. Joyce. Ph. D., Scholarship 

The Max and Edythe Kahn Scholarship Fund 

Rebecca McCrea Kamen Cello Scholarship 

Thomas E. Kaufman Memorial Music Scholarship 

The Danny Kayne Music Scholarship Fund 

Konneker Scholarship 

Felicia and Andy Landis Memorial Fund 

The LaPenna-Koch Scholarship 

The Marilyn G. Levinson and Nathan Gottschalk First Chair Award for MSFO Endowment 

Craig J. Luchsinger Memorial Scholarship for Violin 

Ernie Mahaffey 

Sal and Kay Marranca 

Lillian W. Masters Scholarship Fund 

The Lucille J. McClure Memorial Music Scholarship Fund 

Samuel R. McClure II Brass Scholarship 

Everett and Sarah Holden Mc Laren Scholarship 

Hilda Jo Anne Milham Scholarship 

Milks Family Scholarship for Brass Music 

The Ralph J. Miller and Florence L. Miller Memorial Scholarship in Music 

The Elmer G. Molyneaux Scholarship 

The Mary Louise Molyneaux Scholarship 

Moore Scholarship Fund for Music 

Jack I. and Barbara J. Morris Memorial Cello Scholarshop 

Music School Festival Orchestra Chairs 

Music School Festival Orchestra Scholarship 

Lily Lee Nixon Fund 

Mr. And Mrs. Danford Nobel Scholarship 

The William F. Northrop Memorial Music Scholarship 

The Fayette S. Olmstead Foundation and Pittsburgh National Bank Charitable Trust Fund 

Mary Elizabeth Peffer Music Scholarship 

Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund 

Pennybacker Memorial Scholarship 

The Penrose Scholarship Fund 

Charles John Petre Memorial Fund Trombone Award 

William and Jane Pfefferkorn Scholarship for Music 

Robert and Mary Pickens Scholarship 

The Ernest W. and Jeannette McClure Poller Scholarship 

Av and Janet Posner 

Av and Janet Posner Music Scholarship 

Henry Rauch Memorial Scholarship 

The Douglas A. Raynow Memorial Scholarship 

The Reed Family Scholarship 

Joseph w. and Marilyn Hyder Richey Scholarship Endowment 

Jospeh H. and Florence A. Roblee Scholarshipp 

The Rotary Club of Jamestown Community Service Fund (RCJCSF) Scholarship 

Glen and Ruth Roush Scholarship Fund  

The Catherine Prussing Rodgers Scholarship 

The Josette and Ronald Rolley Scholarship 

Mary McQueen Ross Scholarship 

Elmer S. and H Lorraine Sachse Scholarship Fund 

The Sack Family Scholarship 

Ann and Isidor Saslav Violin Scholarship in Honor of Mischa Mischakoff 

James Scamman Memorial Scholarship 

The Henrietta W. Schlager Scholarship 

The Shreveport Friends’ Music Scholarship 

The Dr. William T. and Virginia W Smyth Fund 

Robert and Joan Spirtas Scholarship 

The Suzanne Gaider Sroka Scholarship 

Stephen Still and Terrie Tucker 

George and Marianne Strother Scholarship Fund 

Dan and Ann Sullivan 

Dessie B. Tichenor Scholarship Fund 

Barbara and Albert Turbessi Memorial 

Tustin Memorial Fund 

Glenn G. Vance Music Scholarship 

Nina T. Wensley Scholarship 

The Drs. Frits & Corrie Wiebenga Scholarship Fund 

The Rachel Wilder and Phil Lerman Scholarship 

Elaine Wolfe and Barry Silverman 

Jeffrey and Claudia Wood  

The John B. Yoder Music Scholarship 

Chadwick Young Scholarship


We are grateful for the generous support of the MSFO from the following donors and organizations, scholarship funds, and permanent endowment funds held by the Chautauqua Foundation, ensuring the continuation of classical music training at Chautauqua