Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra |
Leah Kim, Director/Violin, Viola |
Ms. Leah studied Performance and Pedagogy at Juilliard, Peabody Conservatory, and National Conservatory in France.
Ms. Leah has been on the faculty of Temple University, West Chester University, Valley Forge University, Eastern University, Settlement Music School, and Peabody Conservatory, PrepWest Catholic High School. She was a director of string ensemble at Archbishop John Carroll High School, Lehigh Valley Performing Arts High School, and director of music at Rebecca Davis Dance Company. Currently Ms. Leah is the Director of Music at Villa Maria Academy High School, a violinist in Fairmount String Quartet, La Croix Quartet, and Director of Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and Chamberstrings Summer Camp. Ms. Leah’ music major students have gone on to play in the Philadelphia Orchestra, and to study at the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard Music School, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman Music School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Rice University, Cleveland Institute of Music, Boston College, Swarthmore, Berkley, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Columbia University, University of Hartford, Moravian University and Temple University. |
Jennifer Jie Jin,
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Jennifer Jie Jin has performed in music capitals in North America, Europe and Asia. She has appeared as a soloist with Bay Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She held principal cello positions with Bay Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music, Shepherd School of Music Orchestra (Rice University) and has performed with Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, New World Symphony, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet and Princeton Symphony. Ms. Jin was the member of Harrisburg Symphony and Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.
Ms. Jin is the founding member of Pyxis Piano Quartet/Trio, the cellist of Copeland String Quartet and a member of Delaware Symphony. Pyxis Piano Trio is in the 13th season of ensemble residence at Delaware Art Museum. Passionate about music education, Ms. Jin is the director of Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and Chamber Strings Summer Music Camp. She received the Ovation Award for inspiration and outstanding leadership in music education presented by Philadelphia Youth Orchestra in 2016. Her students won the top prizes in the competitions, performed in Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center and made National Youth Orchestra ( NYO & NYO2) and NAfME All-National Honor Orchestra, All- East Honor Orchestra, All State Honor Orchestra. Ms. Jin is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice University and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She studied with Norman Fischer and Desmond Hoebig. She has been invited to many American music festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Colorado, Taos Chamber Music, and International Festivals that include Pacific Music Festival, Beijing International Music Festival, the International Summer Academic Prague-Vienna-Budapest, the Amadeus Masterclass, Margess International Festival and Daniel Music Festival. Ms. Jin was the winner of several competitions in her native China including First Prize in the National Cello Duo Competition , Second Prize in National String Quartet Competition, the Bao-gang Elegance Art Award and the Excellent Performance Prize in the National Competition. An active chamber musician, Ms. Jin is the founder of the Tang-gu-la String Quartet, which toured England, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Australia, and China and received numerous honors, including performing for President Bill Clinton and appearing in the Oscar-winning Isaac Stern documentary “From Mao to Mozart.” |
Gareth Haynes,Conductor
Conductor, Composer, Pianist and Organist Gareth Haynes graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in classical composition in May of 2018, studying under Professor Jan Krzywicki and Dr. Cynthia Folio. Beginning in November of 2023, he is the Organist and Music Director at St. Matthew’s Parish in Conshohocken, where he is building a new music program.
Mr. Haynes’s performance experience includes the full range of brass and woodwinds, as well as piano, organ, harpsichord, and voice. As a teenager, he studied clarinet with Will Amsel and Gi Lee, and played with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. While in college, Mr. Haynes sang tenor with the University Concert Choir and Graduate Conductors’ Chorus, served as a staff singer at the Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany in Center City Philadelphia, and played sackbut with the Temple Early Music Ensemble. As a student, Mr. Haynes won two composition competitions hosted by the Network for New Music. Mr. Haynes currently directs the intermediate division of the Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra, a strings program based in Malvern. As a conductor, he has had opportunities to study with Maestro Miguel Romea, Dr. James Jordan, Dr. Timothy McDonnell, and Sir James MacMillan. Additionally, he accompanies violin students of Ms. Leah Kim-Tomilson and ‘cello students of Ms. Jie Jin, in which capacity he maintains a busy schedule of recordings, auditions, and performances. |