Musicians’ Voices: Adversity and Innovation in the Time of COVID

Musicians, teaching artists, artistic administrators, executive directors, youth orchestra directors, trustees, volunteers, operations staff, orchestra personnel staff, human resources staff, and anyone who wants to hear from orchestra musicians.

Even if you can’t attend the webinar live, register to receive a recording.

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Alex Laing
Principal Clarinet, The Phoenix Symphony

Alex Laing joined The Phoenix Symphony as Principal Clarinet in 2002. In addition to his work with The Phoenix Symphony, recent seasons have found him contributing his sound in a range of other projects including: as a soloist with the Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall; with Lawrence Brownlee (in the world premiere of Tyshawn Sorey’s Cycle of My Being); with Thomas Hampson (as part of his Song of America: Beyond Liberty project); with the Re-Collective Orchestra (in the 2019 soundtrack recording of Disney’s The Lion King); and as a member of Gateways Festival Orchestra. Alex is particularly excited about his most recent collaboration: joining the creative team for From The Top (FTT) the nationally broadcast radio show and platform for young musicians. He served as lead faculty for the 2019/20 YOLA National Institute and is on the board of directors for Gateways Music Festival and Arizona School for the Arts.

Alex has been recognized with a 2018 Sphinx Medal of Excellence and named one of Musical America’s Professionals of the Year for 2017.

A graduate of Northwestern University, he received his master’s degree in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, an artist’s diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam, and a certificate in nonprofit management from Arizona State University’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation.

Kristen Bruya
Principal Bass, Minnesota Orchestra

Kristen Bruya joined the Minnesota Orchestra as Principal Bass in February 2015. Prior to this, she was the Assistant Principal Bass of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2010 through 2014, and a member of Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s bass section from 2006 to 2010. She received an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Michigan, did extended studies at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and received a Master of Music from Rice University. From 2000-2004, she was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. 

Kristen loves collaborating in chamber music and has performed with various groups in the Twin Cities as well as with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival from 2013-2015. Kristen teaches privately, and has presented master classes at New World Symphony, Northwestern University, Peabody, Indiana University, and the University of Houston, among other schools. From 2011-14 she taught at the University of Toronto.

In her spare time, Kristen practices Bikram yoga, takes her dog on walks around Minneapolis’s beautiful parks, enjoys volunteer work in the Minneapolis community, and loves to cook and read. She resides in south Minneapolis with her husband, Andy Chappell, bass trombonist of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Jauvon Gilliam
Principal Timpani, National Symphony Orchestra

Jauvon Gilliam was named Principal Timpani of the National Symphony Orchestra in 2009. Jauvon has since performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Detroit and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and regularly performed as guest Principal Timpani of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

As an educator, Jauvon has taught clinics at universities and institutions across Canada and the United States, including the Interlochen Arts Academy, Aspen Music Festival and School, New World Symphony, and at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He is currently Co-Director of Percussion Studies/artist-in-residence at the University of Maryland, co-founder of the annual Washburgh Timpani seminar, and a timpani coach for the National Youth Orchestra of the USA.

A native of Gary, Indiana, Jauvon began his musical career playing piano, winning his first national competition at age eleven. He received a full scholarship in piano performance to attend Butler University but later changed to full-time percussion study. He graduated with honors with a degree in arts administration and then continued his graduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Jauvon received an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater in 2014.

David Kim
Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra

Violinist David Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.

Highlights of David’s 2020-21 season include appearing as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia and on tours of the Midwest and Florida; teaching/performance residencies and master classes at Manhattan School of Music, Bob Jones University, Prague Summer Nights Festival, and the Taipei Academy and Festival and continued appearances as concertmaster of the All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the USA and online at the Kahn Academy; as well as recitals, speaking engagements, and appearances with orchestras across the United States.

David has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, the University of Rhode Island, and Dickinson College. His instruments are a J.B. Guadagnini from Milan, Italy ca. 1757 on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra and a Michael Angelo Bergonzi from Cremona ca. 1754. David resides in a Philadelphia suburb with his wife, Jane, and daughters, Natalie and Maggie. He is an avid golfer and outdoorsman.

Lauren Roth
Concertmaster, Tucson Symphony Orchestra; Faculty, Prague Summer Nights

Lauren Roth is Concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and joined the faculty of the University of Arizona as an Assistant Professor of Violin beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. Prior to these positions, she was Concertmaster of the Canton Symphony. Lauren earned a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of William Preucil, and she was accepted into his prestigious Concertmaster Academy. She holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Washington in violin performance and Italian studies. Lauren spends summers teaching and performing around the world at various festivals including Prague Summer Nights, Marrowstone Music festival, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Youth Camp, and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO-USA). Outside of music, Lauren enjoys playing and watching sports, yoga, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Amanda Stewart
Associate Principal Trombone, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Amanda Stewart is currently the Associate Principal Trombone of the St. Louis Symphony, a position she began the fall of 2014. Born in Oakland, Maryland, she began playing the trombone at the age of six. She received her bachelor of music degree from The Juilliard School in 2004, studying with Joseph Alessi.

As an orchestral musician, Amanda has played with numerous orchestras. She was Principal Trombone of the San Antonio Symphony for eight seasons and Associate Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic for two seasons. She was also the Assistant Principal Trombone of the Lyric Opera of San Antonio for four seasons. 

As a soloist, Amanda has performed with both the San Antonio Symphony and the Deep Creek Symphony. As a chamber musician, she was a member of the San Antonio Brass Quintet, has toured with the critically acclaimed Burning River Brass, and is now a member of The Trombones of the St. Louis Symphony quartet. 

Amanda has taught master classes at universities and conservatories around the country including the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School. Amanda has taught privately at several universities, and is currently teaching at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. Amanda is an Edwards artist, performing on Edwards trombones.

Classical Movements is the premier concert touring company for the world’s great choirs and orchestras (youth and adult), in business since 1992 and working in 145 countries. In the midst of the cancellation of all tours due to COVID, Classical Movements has reinvented itself in the last year, until tours return. Three of these projects led us to work closely with top orchestral musicians from around the country, including presenting the first live concerts in the United States, as well as the Ossia! Orchestral Academy and our Inauguration Fanfare project in honor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

As we all prepare to fully return to the concert hall, we feel it is more vital than ever to hear directly from musicians and add their voices to the conversation about moving the industry forward and how COVID has changed us all. To that end, we decided to create a series of online conversations with musicians from across the country, and we approached the League about hosting one of these conversations.

Classical Movements – Moving the Music, Changing the World. www.classicalmovements.com