Greg Shannon (Music Director, Percussion, Music Theory) graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1998 with a B.A. in Performance. Mr. Shannon has toured and recorded across the United States. In addition to directing the Percussion Ensemble and teaching percussion and music theory, Greg also directs the Music Division and the Power of the Arts Program.

Cynthia Woods (Orchestra Director and Conductor, Worcester Youth Orchestras and Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra) A violinist since the age of eight, Ms. Woods turned her attention to the podium in her early twenties at the University of Colorado-Boulder. From there she completed her education at The Hart School, eaming a Masters and Artist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting under the guidance of Harold Farberman.

Malcolm Halliday (Choral Director and Conductor, Worcester Children's Chorus and Worcester Youth Chorale) Mr. Halliday has had a multi-faceted career as a conductor, concert pianist, Organist, and church musician. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Master Singers of Worcester, Minister of Music at the First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury, and a member of the piano faculty at Clark University.

Rochelle Bard (Voice and Piano) A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, she is currently pursuing a Master's degree in voice at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She is a skilled pianist as well as an exceptional singer. Shelly's voice was heard this past summer at the Tanglewood Music Center.

Donald Becker (Suzuki Violin, all levels) Mr. Becker is the founder and director of the Suzuki Institute of Boston. He holds a B.M. Ohio State University School of Music and an M.M. from the Eastman School of Music. He studied with Dr. Suzuki and Yuko Mori for over three years in Japan and supervises PASOW's Suzuki violin teachers in using Dr. Suzuki's teaching points. He holds a teacher's diploma from the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan, and has studied at the summer program of the Kodaly Center of America. He is a candidate for SAA certification as a teacher trainer.

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Jonathan Clark (Trumpet) Mr. Clark holds a B.M. degree from Halit School of Music and a M.M. degree in performance from Manhattan School of Music. He frequently performs with numerous orchestras, musical theaters, and ensembles throughout the greater Boston area. Locally, Mr. Clark plays with the Worcester Symphony Orchestra and the Central Massachusetts Symphony. He has been director of the Cathedral of St. Patrick's Brass Ensemble in Norwich, CT, for the past fifteen years.

Lira Schmidt Cady (Harp) A graduate of Atlantic Union College, Mrs. Cady studied harp with Carl Swanson of Boston. As a member of the New England Youth Ensemble in 1977, she toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel. Lira has appeared locally with a number of ensembles, including the Thayer Symphony Orchestra.

Joel Cohen (Cello) Mr. Cohen has studied cello in California, Canada, and Holland. He was Principal Cellist with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra from 1979 to 1985 and in 1985 relocated to Vienna, where he performed with the Wienerkammer Orchestra and the Vienna Radio Symphony.

Narine Dolukhanyan (Violin, Suzuki Violin) Ms. Dolukhanyan began playing violin at the age of seven and graduated with high honors from the violin department of Tigranyan School of Music, Armenia. She played with the Chamber Orchestra of Yerevan University, the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches at The Suzuki Institute of Boston.

Christie Hagen (Old Time Fiddle, Irish Fiddle, Horn, Trumpet, Viola, Piano, Organ, Voice, Guitar, Saxophone) Ms. Hagen holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Evansville, Indiana, and a Masters Degree in Library Service from the University of Alabama. She also is a candidate for a Master of Music at Eastem lllinois University. She has played in a variety of college and community orchestras, chamber groups, and ensembles. She currently plays with Irish Bands in the Boston area.

Laurie Knorr (Violin, Suzuki Violin) Ms. Knorr is a graduate of Truman State University and the Suzuki School of Newton, where she studied with Susan Levine and Carol Sykes. Ms. Knorr is registered witl the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is also a member of the Intemational Suzuki Association and the Massachusetts Suzuki Music Schools.

Lisa Meola (Flute) Ms. Meola eamed her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Clark University and holds Advanced Provisional Certification in Music for Secondary Schools. She pursues continuing studies on flute with Doriot Anthony Dwyer. She performs in a variety of church and community settings in Worcester, including the Thayer Conservatory Flute Choir. She is a member of the New England Conservatory Metropolitan Flute Orchestra.

Steven Mossberg (Piano, Music Theory) Mr. Mossberg received his BA in music at Clark University, with a focus on Jazz Composition and Arranging. He spent three years playing throughout New England with the well-known jam band the Arthur Dent Foundation, as well as performing with various jazz, rock, and vocal ensembles.

Sheila Reid (Violin and Viola) Mrs. Reid received her Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University and Master of Arts in Teaching from Harvard University. She is a member of several ensembles, including Duo Divertimento (violin and classical guitar), The Classic String Trio, The Romantic Harp and Violin, and A Tribute to Women Composers (violin and piano).

Olga Rogach (Piano, Piano Accompanist) graduate with an M.M. from the St. Petersburg (Russia) Conservatory of Music. While in Russia, she was the pianist for the Literary Association of St. Petersburg and the All-Russian Theatrical Society. Since moving to the U.S. in 1991, Ms. Rogach has performed throughout New England both as a piano soloist and as a collaborative pianist with instrumentalists and vocalists. She is currently pianist for the Salisbury Lyric Opera Company, teacher and accompanist at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), accompanist for for the Clark University Opera Theatre Ensemble, and a Director of Music at the First Parish Church of Northborough.

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Mara Sindoni (Voice) Ms. Sindoni has appeared extensively in opera, in leading roles such as Aida and Tosca, as well as an orchestral soloist in Verdi's Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Ms. Sindoni is best known, however, for performances of contemporary chamber music and recital throughout the Northeast, as well as appearances on television and radio in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. She graduated from Swarthmore with M.A., from Boston University in Musicology, and from the New England Conservatory with a M.M. in Vocal Performance.

Pieter Struyk (Percussion) Mr. Struyk received his B.M. in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan and has studied with Michael Udow, Salvatore Rabbio, and Albert Merz. He has perfomed with many classical ensembles, including the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, and the Worcester Symphony Orchestra. He was also a member of the nationally known blues group Big Dave and the Ultrasonics from 1993-1999, performing on the Dave Letterman Show and in many other top venues.

Vladimir Vaskevich (Saxophone, Recorder, Clarinet) Mr. Vaskevich received his M.M. in Clarinet from Odessa State Conservatory in Odessa, Ukraine. He was the clarinetist with the Odessa Opera and Symphony Orchestras, the saxophonist, leader, and arranger for the Odessa Philharmonic and Music Entertainment Company, as well as a teacher at Odessa State Musical College.

Dr. Douglas Weeks (Trombone) Dr. Weeks has degrees in Music and Education from the Universities of New Hampsbire, Massachusetts, and Southern Maine. He holds a doctorate from Boston University. He is the Administrator of Music at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and performs with the Central Massachusetts Symphony, the Worcester Symphony Orchestra, the Concord Symphony, and the New England Brass Guild.

Joseph Weinberg (Jazz studies, Guitar) Mr. Weinberg received his BFA from the University of Arizona. He organized and performed at the Arizona Intemational Music Festival and at a variety of local venues throughout Arizona and in Boston, Massachusetts.

Talya Westbrook (Voice) received her B.A. in History and B.M. in Voice from Oberlin College Conservatory and her M.M. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has sung primary lead roles such as Frasqutiain Carmen and Susanna in Le Nozze de Figaro and has also performed with the Boston-based Chorus Pro Music Ensemble. In 1998, Talya was a winner in the Boston Leontyne Price Competition.

Audrey White (Orchestra Conductor, Worcester Youth Concert Orchestra) recieved her B.M. in Viola Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) where she studied viola with Marcus Thompson and her double Master's degrees in Viola Performance and Conducting Performance from the University of Massachusetts Lowell where she studied conducting with Kay George Roberts. She has also studied violin in Japan with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Ms. White is a member of the National Center for Afro-American Arts String Ensemble, she freelances on both violin and viola throughout New England, and is string faculty at NEC's Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education. Ms. White has been the conductor for the Worcester Youth Concert Orchestra since the fall of 2003.

Ron Wold (French Horn) studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music, San Diego State University, and the Pierre Monteux School. He has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Boston Chamber Ensemble, and the Nashua Symphony.

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