Claire Chenette has been principal oboist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra since 2014. She also performs in varied settings as a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera, Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Wildup, and Nief Norf; and has been a regular guest with the San Diego, Pacific, and Chattanooga Symphonies, among others. An advocate for new music, Claire holds a curatorial role as a Contemporary Leader with the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and has been featured at cutting-edge venues such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series, the New York Philharmonic’s Biennial, the Big Ears and Ojai Festivals, among others. Claire is on faculty at the North Carolina Governor's School West, Nief Norf Summer Festival, and the Lucerne Festival Academy. Her recording with Wildup, “The Pieces that Fall to the Earth,” was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY award in the best chamber music/small ensemble performance category.

Claire also plays folk music and is passionate about interdisciplinary projects that blur genres and subvert traditional expectations of what classical music is and who it is for. Recent projects include collaboratively scoring the experiential theater production STYX tours for Luzerner Theater, developing a lecture recital/live sauerkraut demo: Culture is a Verb: Exploring the connections between fermentation, social change, and artistic practice, and co-writing a space-rock musical about reproductive freedom on Planet Chattanooga.

Jaren Atherholt is the newly appointed Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Principal Oboist of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. She previously served as principal oboist of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for eleven seasons. A native of Alaska, Jaren has performed to stellar reviews as a featured concerto soloist and has been guest principal oboist with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Detroit Symphony, as well as guest associate principal oboist with the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Symphonies. International engagements include principal oboe with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico and Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico City. Jaren spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival and currently performs each summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival. She has served on the faculty of John Mack Oboe Camp, Interlochen Arts Camp, the Wintergreen Music Academy, and the Vianden International Music School. Jaren plays Lorée oboes.

Ryan Yamashiro is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio, where he received a Master of Music Degree in 2019 studying with Barrick Stees. He received his Bachelor’s Degree of Art in Music Performance in the spring of 2017 from UCLA, where he studied with John Steinmetz.

When he is not crowing on reeds, Ryan enjoys drinking locally roasted coffee, climbing at the rock gym, and playing video games with his friends.

A Knoxville native, Zach Millwood began his bassoon studies with previous KSO principal bassoon D. Keith McClelland and served as Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra principal bassoon. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in bassoon performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with William Winstead. After graduation, he moved to north Texas, teaching dozens of bassoon, oboe, and flute students weekly in the world-class band programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

In May, 2022 Mr. Millwood joined the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra as 2nd bassoon, previously serving as acting principal bassoon and acting 2nd bassoon with the Orchestra. In addition to his performing time with the KSO, he has also served as Lecturer of Bassoon at the University of Tennessee and adjunct professor of bassoon at Maryville College, principal bassoon with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, and 2nd bassoon with the Symphony of the Mountains.

He also produces handmade bassoon and oboe reeds for musicians around the world through his business Tiger Reeds. An avowed woodworker and "Zach of All Trades", Mr. Millwood relishes the dichotomy of dirty fingernails and tuxedo tails. He also enjoys time at home with his two cats, Buddy and Mallory.

Benjamin Atherholt is Lecturer of Bassoon at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Programming Director for Lyrica Baroque, and Contrabassoonist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra performing each summer in upstate New York. His specialty as a Contrabassoonist has engaged him in performances with orchestras including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony, where he is featured on the 2013 Grammy Award winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck. A passionate educator, Ben frequently teaches as a featured guest artist in masterclasses and residencies across the country. Ben grew up in Houston, Texas and holds a B.M. in performance and composition from Oberlin Conservatory studying under the tutelage of George Sakakeeny and Jeffrey Mumford respectively.

Bernadette Lo is a highly accomplished collaborative pianist with extensive experience in both vocal and instrumental music. She has worked in the studios of renowned sopranos such as Carol Vaness, Cynthia Haymon, and Martina Arroyo. For several years, she served as one of the official accompanists for the Orpheus National Vocal Competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Bernadette Lo has concertized nationally with violist Hillary Herndon, with whom she has recorded several compact discs, including works by female composers such as Harrison and Decruck. She is regularly invited to collaborate with guest artists at events like the Tennessee Cello Workshop and UT Viola Celebration. Additionally, Bernadette has performed in recitals with acclaimed instrumentalists such as Dale Clevenger and David Griffin (both of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Ronald Barron (of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Joe Burgstaller (of the Canadian Brass). She has also served as a collaborative pianist for events like the International Horn Symposium, Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (SERTEC), and International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC).

Bernadette Lo received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, she holds the position of Visiting Professor of Piano at the University of the South at Sewanee and serves as a staff pianist at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Additionally, she serves as a repetiteur at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria in the summer.