Dr. Cordova-Arrington serves as the Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Oregon and is a member of the University of Oregon Woodwind Quintet. Equally at home on the orchestral stage, and as a recipient of the William D. Ford Fulbright Grant, Jacqueline was the first American to study extensively with principal flutists of the Berlin Philharmonic Andreas Blau. Her training in Berlin initiated her success as an orchestral flutist, leading to performances with major orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Oregon Symphony.

Melissa Peña is Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Oregon. Prior to joining the Oregon faculty, Peña held the positions of Associate Principal Oboe/English Horn with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (2002-2011), 2nd Oboe with the Sarasota Orchestra (2001-2002), and Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Northern Colorado (2010-2012). Peña received her Master of Music degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois.

Korean-born clarinetist Wonkak Kim has captivated audiences around the world with his “excellent breath control” (The Washington Post) and “exuberant musicianship” (Fanfare). Kim appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at major venues throughout the United States such as Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and Constitution Hall as well as in Paris, London, Madrid, Ghent, Geneva, Seoul, Osaka, Costa Rica, and Brazil.

Professor of bassoon at the University of Oregon since 2000, Steve Vacchi enjoys performing everything from historical works on reproduction instruments to the latest in contemporary music. A member of the Eugene Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival, Oregon Wind Quintet, Douglas Detrick’s AnyWhen Ensemble, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (CA), he has performed with orchestras across the US. When not wine tasting, traveling, or distance swimming, he also enjoys performing on rare instruments like the contrabass clarinet and the heckelphone.

Associate Professor of horn, Lydia Van Dreel joined the University of Oregon faculty in 2006. Ms. Van Dreel maintains an active performing career as an orchestral, chamber, solo and recording artist. Lydia is a member of The Eugene Symphony Orchestra, The IRIS Orchestra (Memphis, TN), the UO’s Faculty Brass and Wind Quintets, and the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra. Before joining the Oregon faculty, Van Dreel held a ten-year tenured position as co-principal horn of the Sarasota Orchestra (FL). Lydia is a graduate of the Juilliard School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Carson Keeble is currently the trombone instructor at Oregon State University and Willamette University. Carson also performs regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and several other orchestras throughout the western United States. As a soloist and chamber musician Carson is a regular guest with Albuquerque’s Ensemble Music New Mexico and has recently performed in the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Figueroa Project, Seattle Symphony’s “Untitled” series and Santa Fe New Music. Carson has held membership in chamber ensembles throughout the United States including the Orebonians, Apollo Chamber Brass, and New Orleans Uptown Brass.

Pius Cheung is an Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Oregon. He was born in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver, Canada with his family at age 12. In his spare time he enjoys running and practicing chinese calligraphy.

Ian Kerr will join the University of Oregon percussion faculty in the fall of 2021. He previously held teaching positions at Pacific University, George Fox University and Portland State University where he taught percussion, music theory and music history. As an active orchestral musician, Ian has been Principal Timpanist of the Eugene Symphony since the 2013-14 season, serves as Principal Percussionist/Timpanist of the Oregon Mozart Players and is a frequent substitute with the Oregon Symphony performing as percussionist and Principal Timpanist. Participation in summer music festivals include Oregon Coast Music Festival, Sunriver Music Festival, Astoria Music Festival and the Oregon Bach Festival where he has served as Principal Timpanist. His orchestral experience includes collaboration with many top conductors and soloists such as Marin Alsop, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jeff Tyzik, Carlos Kalmar, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Andre Watts, Branford Marsalis, Inon Barnatan, Jeffery Kahane and Renee Fleming.

Hal Grossman is the Grand Award Winner of the Lima Young Artist Competition, Silver Medalist of the International Stulberg String Competition, and First Prize Winner of the prestigious International Cleveland Quartet Competition and the National Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. He has been enthusiastically acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for his “vibrant tone” and “superb technique”. His New York Debut at Carnegie Hall received exceptional reviews from the New York Times and he has performed for Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Mr. Grossman has toured North America, South America and Europe and he has also been heard on National Public Radio, WQXI-New York, and WFMT-Chicago. Formerly on the faculty at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Mr. Grossman Professor of Violin at the University of Oregon and on the summer faculties of the Aria International Summer Academy and ICT Young Artists Academy. He has also been on the summer faculties at Indiana University, Northwestern University, and the Interlochen Arts Camp.

Lisa McWhorter is currently Assistant Concertmaster of the Eugene Symphony. Lisa enjoys spending time with her two wonderful children, and, if there’s time, enjoys hiking with her dog and looking forward to practicing yoga and getting some extra sleep some day. She is happy living in Eugene after spending time in various parts of the U.S.

Violinist Della Natasha Davies graduated from the Swiss Zuercher Hochschule der Kunste with a Master’s degree of Violin Performance in July 2010, having been under the tutelage of Professor Zakhar Bron since 2004. She has taken classes from a wide variety of performers and teachers, including Aaron Rosand, Ani Kavafian, Almita Vamos, Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank, and Gilbert Kalish. In September of 2011, Della joined the Eugene Symphony. Since then, she joined Oregon Mozart Players in 2014, Oregon Ballet Theater in 2015, and performs regularly with Orchestra NEXT. Between 2001 and 2003 she held various chairs including Concertmaster and Principal at the New Jersey Youth Symphony and the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall. She has given recitals in New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Europe and China. Enthusiastic to share the gift of music, Della has taught violin since the age of 14 and enjoys teaching beginners, intermediate, and advanced violinists.

Matthew Fuller is currently Principal Second Violin of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, and is also a member of the Eugene Opera Orchestra, the Oregon Mozart Players, and the Oregon Bach Festival. In addition to playing the violin, Matthew has logged many hours in virtual space and has become an accomplished zombie hunter who tends to prefer sniper rifles to small arms and close combat. Matthew currently lives in Eugene with his wife, pianist Crystal Zimmerman, and their two cats, Frankie and Mini.

Julia has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral violinist throughout North America and Europe. A native of Eugene, she is currently Assistant Principal 2nd Violinist with the Eugene Symphony and also performs regularly with the Oregon Mozart Players, Eugene Concert Orchestra, and Orchestra Next. Julia has participated in music festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including the Round Top International Festival-Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, AIMS Institute in Austria, and Astoria Music Festival. Equally comfortable outside the realm of classical music, Julia has played fiddle since the age of five and regularly performs with country, rock, and hip hop groups throughout Oregon. Julia received her Bachelor of Music degree at Rice University and Master of Music degree at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Violinist and violist Dr. Holland Phillips currently serves as principal violist of the Eugene Symphony. She recently completed the Doctorate of Musical Arts in violin performance and musicology from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, with her dissertation, ’Tidens Fylde’: Temporality and Tradition in the Violin Works of Carl Nielsen.” Holland lives in Eugene with her husband, dog, and two cats.

Anne Ridlington, a Corvallis native, has a Bachelor’s of cello performance from Indiana University School of Music. She is currently the principal cellist of the Eugene Symphony and Assistant Principal of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, in addition to having a private cello studio. She lives in Corvallis with her husband Chris, one-year-old daughter Geneva, and two very large cats.

A Corvallis native, Noah completed his Bachelors Degree in Cello Performance at the UMKC Conservatory of Music in 2001. He then returned to Oregon as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Oregon. Noah performs regularly with the OSU Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players, the Eugene Symphony, the Camerata Musica Chamber Music Series in Salem, Chintimini Chamber Music Festival in Corvallis, and various Oregon ensembles. Noah is adjunct professor of Cello and String Chamber Music at Pacific University.

Tyler Abbott teaches double bass, jazz bass, and music theory at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, is a member of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, and regularly performs throughout the Northwest and nation as an orchestral bassist, jazz bassist, soloist, and chamber musician. Tyler also has a passion for old houses, carpentry, running, politics, economics, vintage stringed instruments, his family, and American folk music.

Hung-Yun teaches at Lane Community College and accompanies for the University of Oregon Choral Department and the Oregon Bach Festival Conducting Masterclass. She holds a Doctoral degree from the University of Oregon and a Master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory. In 2002 she was selected to participate in the International Rachmaninoff Piano Competition.

Laura Zaerr teaches both pedal harp and folk harp at the University of Oregon, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in music performance and composition. Laura is new mother, and spends all her time playing with her little boy. In her spare time she enjoys white-water kayaking.

Lance Miller is currently the Senior Audio/Video Supervisor for the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. He joined the staff at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance in 1998, and the faculty in 2009. Lance created and now directs the Audio Production Dept. which includes classes in Audio Production, Analog Recording, DAW Production Sequence, Plug-ins Design, and Data Sonification. Lance began as a wanna-be rock star, morphing that into a career sitting behind the console, not in front of it. His production and engineering work with various faculty members and other artists have been distributed worldwide by labels Naxos, Koch, Innova, Origin, 8Bells, SideCho, Soundspells, Bridge, Dowd Records, CDMUSA, SubPop and WindUp.

Brian McWhorter is music director for Orchestra Next and the Eugene Ballet Company. As an orchestral musician, McWhorter has performed with the Eugene Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra among many others. McWhorter’s discography spans many genres – from contemporary classical to orchestral, improvised music to pop and rock. To date, he has appeared on dozens of albums and his work with chamber music groups like Beta Collide and Meridian Arts Ensemble has brought him all over the world. As associate professor of music at the University of Oregon, his research is focused on the creative process, the art and design of practice, cross-disciplinary notions of nuance, and the socio-economic challenges that accompany a life in the performing arts. Born in Portland, McWhorter holds degrees in music from the University of Oregon and The Juilliard School.