$23,464.17

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PRINCIPAL HORN

William Caballero has been Principal Horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony since 1989. Formerly Principal and Co-Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera (1985-1989), Third Horn of the Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera (1984-1985), Acting Third Horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops (1982-1984), and Principal Horn of the Hartford Symphony (1982). He has also performed chamber music with Gil Shaham, Orli Shaham, Sir Andre Previn, Christoph Eshenbach, Andre Watt, and the Tokyo String Quartet. Mr Caballero studied horn at the New England Conservatory with Richard Mackey and Thomas Newell.

Presently, he is an Associate Teaching Professor of Horn at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ACTING PRINCIPAL VIOLIST

Principal Viola of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the seasons of 2018-2025, Tatjana Mead Chamis joined the orchestra in 1993, under the direction of Lorin Maazel, and in 2003, was appointed Associate Principal Viola, under Mariss Jansons.

Nominated in 2017 for a Latin Grammy for her performance of the Sonata for Viola and Piano, dedicated to her by the Brazilian composer/pianist, André Mehmari, Tatjana released an album of Brazilian music, titled Viola Brasil, in 2023. In 2024, Tatjana appeared as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony with Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, and with the PostClassical Ensemble in a program of Brazilian music at the Kennedy Center.

Tatjana is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Joseph dePasquale, and the student of Mikhail Boguslavsky, co-founder of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, with whom she began her viola studies, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PRINCIPAL OBOE

Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida was appointed by Lorin Maazel as Principal Oboe of the PSO in 1991. For two years prior, she was Associate Principal Oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti. Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Ricardo Muti.

DeAlmeida has been featured with the PSO in numerous concerto performances under the direction of Manfred Honeck, Lorin Maazel, Sir André Previn, Leonard Slatkin, and many others. Concertos by Leonardo Balada, Lucas Richman, and Alan Fletcher were commissioned for DeAlmeida by the PSO in 1992, 2006, and 2015, respectively.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNETICUT, PROFESSOR OF VIOLIN AND VIOLA, COORDINATOR OF STRINGS

Solomiya is a highly celebrated, Ukrainian-born soloist, chamber musician, and educator. She has made solo appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the Lviv National Philharmonic of Ukraine, among others. She has been featured at chamber music festivals worldwide, including Tanglewood, Ottawa Chamberfest, Bach Festival of Philadelphia, Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music, San Jose Chamber Music Society, Newport and Nevada Chamber Music Festivals, Emerson Quartet Festival, “Contrasts,” “Virtuosi,” and KyivFest, and she is Artistic Director of the Caspian Music Festival in Greensboro, VT. Dr.

Since 2010, Dr. Ivakhiv has served as Artistic Director of Music at the Institute (MATI) Concert Series in New York City, where her primary focus is to introduce audiences to Ukrainian classical music. At MATI, Dr. Ivakhiv presents programs featuring Ukrainian women composers, young Ukrainians, and newly commissioned works, as well as children’s events, book presentations, and a recent concert at Carnegie Hall celebrating MATI’s 25th anniversary.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Ivakhiv has led master classes and coached chamber music at Yale, Columbia, Penn State, University of Hartford Hartt School of Music, Boston Conservatory, Curtis SummerFest, University of Maryland, Bard College Prep, SUNY – Fredonia Universities, Oberlin, Guangzhou and Hunan Conservatories in China, and regularly collaborates with high schools in outreach programs throughout the United States.

Dr. Ivakhiv’s performances have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today, and her “crystal clear and noble sound” (Culture and Life, Ukraine) makes her “[one of the] major artists of our time” (Fanfare Magazine). She was recently named Honored (Merited) Artist of Ukraine, her native country’s highest cultural honor. She holds degrees from Curtis Institute of Music and Stony Brook University, where she studied with the late Joseph Silverstein, Rafael Druian, and Pamela Frank. Solomiya is Professor of Violin and Viola, Head of Strings at UConn, and faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Dr. Ivakhiv has been very active in organizing and performing benefit concerts to help displaced Ukrainian musicians, wounded civilians, and the “Tikva” orphanage in Odesa.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Ukrainian violinist Marta Krechkovsky joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2014-2015 season and most recently won a position as Assistant Concertmaster.

An active chamber musician, Marta Krechkovsky has appeared in New York’s concert halls such as Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and Bargemusic in Brooklyn, as well as Kitara Chamber Music Hall in Sapporo, Japan. A few chamber music highlights include performances with Yo-Yo Ma, Julian Rachlin, St. Lawrence String Quartet and Augustin Hadelich at the Grand Teton Music Festival.

Marta Krechkovsky became a prizewinner at Kocian International Violin Competition in Czech Republic at the age of 10 and was a top-prize winner at Canadian Music Competition in Montreal. As a soloist, Krechkovsky has appeared with numerous orchestras in her native Ukraine, including the Lviv State Symphony Orchestra.

Marta began studying violin at the age of six with her father, Orest Krechkovsky. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where she studied with Glenn Dicterow, and a professional studies degree in orchestral performance from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Glenn Dicterow and Lisa Kim.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ASSOCIATE-PRINCIPAL CLARINET, PRINCIPAL E-FLAT CLARINET

Victoria Luperi is an Argentine-American clarinetist, appointed associate principal clarinet and principal E-flat clarinet of the Pittsburgh Symphony by Manfred Honeck in 2016. A passionate chamber musician, she has performed at prestigious festivals such as Marlboro, Mimir, Mainly Mozart, and the Oregon Bach Festival.

Victoria serves as Artist Lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University and taught at the University of Texas, Texas Christian University, and Brandon University. She was a jury member at the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Victoria is a Vandoren and Buffet Crampon USA Artist and contributed to the development of Buffet Crampon’s "Tradition" clarinet model.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, CONCERTMASTER

David McCarroll was appointed concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2022, holding the Rachel Mellon Walton Concertmaster Chair. He has appeared as soloist with many orchestras, including the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich (Simone Young, Grafenegg), Hong Kong Sinfonietta (Christoph Poppen), and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Manfred Honeck). He regularly performs in major concert halls such as Konzerthaus Berlin, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, 92nd Street Y, and Carnegie Hall.

Also an active chamber musician, he served from 2015 to 2022 as the violinist of the renowned Vienna Piano Trio with whom he toured and recorded extensively.

Recent performances have included Stravinsky Violin Concerto at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Pittsburgh premiere of Schumann Violin Concerto, touring with Musicians from Marlboro, and performances of György Kurtág’s “Kafka Fragments” for violin and soprano.

In demand as a teacher, David is on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music. He has previously taught at Salzburg's Mozarteum University and has given masterclasses in violin and chamber music at Ravinia's Steans Institute, at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and at the San Francisco Conservatory.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PRINCIPAL BASS

Nicholas Myers was honored to be appointed Principal Bass of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by music director Manfred Honeck in 2022. Hailing from Cadillac, MI, Nick spent four seasons playing in the bass section of his home state’s Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which he joined in 2018 after his final year of graduate school.

Nick attained his high school diploma from Interlochen Arts Academy, his Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory, and his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where he was a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship. He considers himself very fortunate to have studied with primary teachers Lawrence Wolfe, Todd Seeber, Rex Surany, and Hal Robinson, being exposed to a broad variety of musical styles and philosophies. In between the school years, Nick had two meaningful summers each at the Pacific Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and the Tanglewood Music Center.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, SECOND VIOLIN

Pittsburgh-based violinist Cecee Pantikian, enjoys a rich and versatile career as an orchestral musician and chamber player – a testament to a reputation of being a performer of great musical sensitivity and possessing a coveted combination of virtuoso technique and colorful musicality.

Since 2020 Ms. Pantikian is a member of the second violin section of the Pittsburgh Symphony. As a sought-after orchestral musician, Ms. Pantikian has been invited to perform, among others, as a substitute violin with the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. Ms. Pantikian has also played on Broadway as substitute on Aladdin, Hello Dolly, Sponge Bob and adding to her repertoire as a first violin member of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular during the 2018 and 2019 holiday season.

Cecee Pantikian was a participant at a number of prominent festivals and academies which include the Pinchas Zukerman’s Young Artist Program of the National Arts Center of Canada, Itzhak Perlman’s Chamber Music Program, Verbier Festival, Artosphere Festival and the Miyazaki Music Festival. She has studied with such renowned musicians as Pinchas Zukerman, Patinka Kopec, Glenn Dicterow, Lisa Kim and Albert Markov.

Cecee Pantikian holds a B.M, M.M. and a Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She has studied with renowned musicians Pinchas Zukerman, Glenn Dicterow, Lisa Kim, Patinka Kopec and Albert Markov.

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, ARTIST LECTURER IN CELLO

Equally at home as a soloist and chamber musician Angela Park has performed throughout the North and South Americas, Europe, and East Asia. Notable appearances are concertos with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic, chamber music appearances at the Marlboro, Verbier, and Ravinia Festivals, and masterclasses at the New England Conservatory.

In recent seasons, Angela has performed with Helsinki Baroque, Anne-¬Sophie Mutter on her Virtuosi European Tour, Incheon Philharmonic, and has returned to the Marlboro Music Festival, Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music, Seoul Spring Festival, and Festival de los Siete Lagos in Argentina. She was awarded the Silver Medal at the Isang Yun International Competition, in addition to prizes at the Stulberg International Competition and the Young Tchaikovsky International Competition.

Angela is active as a baroque cellist, having played the Bach Suites in a baroque setup, and continuo with Helsinki Baroque, as well as for the Gamut Bach Ensemble Philadelphia. In addition to historical performance, she has a deep interest in the music of our times and is dedicated to playing the works of living composers, taking part in dozens of world premieres.

She currently resides in Pittsburgh, USA, where she is on the cello faculty at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music.

ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR AT PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BEAVER PA

Sharon Schaller has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Point Park University, and worked as a professional actress for many years. She has been a life-long musician and never gave up her passion for music. She now is the head of Musical Theatre at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, where she teaches musical theatre classes and works on shows in the Subscription Series as either a Music Supervisor, Music Director, Vocal Coach, Choreographer or Director.

Sharon is currently the Assistant Music Director at Park Presbyterian Church, and before that served as Music Director at College Avenue United Methodist Church and Monroeville United Methodist Church.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, CO-PRINCIPAL BASSOON

David Sogg joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as co-principal bassoon in 1989.  A graduate of Harvard College with a major in German literature, Sogg studied with the Boston Symphony’s Sherman Walt, Günter Piesk of the Berlin Philharmonic, and finally Norman Herzberg, to receive a Master of Music from the University of Southern California. 

Following two summer fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Center and before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony, David Sogg served as principal bassoon of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Omaha Symphony and Chamber Orchestra.  He has appeared on numerous occasions with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Project.  A proponent of new classical music, he has performed contemporary American, Chinese, French, and Russian pieces, including both “Andy Warhol Sez,” a piece written for him by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec, and “The Lunch Counter” written for him by opera and chamber music composer Susan Kander.

David Sogg has performed recitals, chamber music, and concerti in Charlotte, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Tallahassee, Tempe, and the Seattle area, as well as at Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music where he is a member of the performance faculty with students from Bulgaria, Venezuela, and across the United States.

VOCALIST

Mari Frazé-Frazénko began singing at the age of 7 when her parents sent her to the Peredvistia song workshop run by singer, music producer and teacher Iryna Dolya and composer Serhiy Petrosyan. Soon she started working as a recording artist and participated in various television programs. Later, she sang in the Dolya Quartet and participated in national and international competitions.

Her first solo single debuted in the fall of 2015. In 2018, she won 2nd prize at the famous international music festival in Poland (Rzeszow). In 2022, Mari and her husband Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko recorded the album Hurghada, working together ever since.