Thank you for taking part in the process to elect a new IDRS Board of Directors. The elected Directors will begin serving their terms in 2022.
Slate of Directors for the 2022 IDRS Board of Directors
Vote for the entire slate of candidates using the form below.
Eric Stomberg
Immediate Past President
Eric Stomberg maintains an active schedule with positions as Professor of Bassoon at the University of Kansas, Director of Music for Summer Programs at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Instructor of Bassoon at Interlochen Arts Academy, artist-faculty member of the Filarmónica Joven De Colombia, and as President of the International Double Reed Society. He has held orchestral positions with City Music Cleveland, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Stomberg has held guest residencies and masterclasses at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Florida State University, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and University of Iowa among many others. His recent festival participation includes the Asian Double Reed Association, Colombian Bassoon Festival, University of Costa Rica Double Reed Festival, Spanish Double Reed Association, and the Sarasota Music Festival. In addition to concerto performances Stomberg has been featured on numerous recordings including Victor Bruns: Music for Bassoon-Eric Stomberg and Friends and Jennifer Higdon’s Dark Wood (Naxos). Stomberg received the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Kansas.
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Sarah Roper
President
Solo Oboe of the “Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla”, Spain, since 1996. Sarah was born in New Zealand, grew up in the UK and studied the oboe at the Royal Academy of Music, London with George Caird and Celia Nicklin and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe, Germany with Thomas Indermühle, graduating with distinction. 2008-2009 Associate Principal Oboe of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, NZ and 1995-1996 Associate Principal Oboe of the “Orquesta Ciudad de Granada”, Spain. Guest Principal oboe with Klangforum, Vienna, SWR Orchester, Germany, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé and Royal Scottish National Orchestra among others. Sarah teaches oboe at “Fundación MpMusic” and forms part of the oboe department at the “Escuela Superior de Música de Alto Rendimiento (ESMAR)”. She has collaborated as professor of the Master’s degree in Orchestral Studies at the “Academia de Estudios Orquestales at the Barenboim-Said Foundation” in Seville and is regularly invited to perform as a soloist, chamber musician, to give masterclasses and to take part in competition juries, nationally and internationally. CD “Quartets for Oboe and Strings” in 2015 and the digital tracks "Fantasy for Oboe” by Malcolm Arnold in 2017 and world premiere recordings of “Cuarteto con Oboe” by Jesús Torres in 2019 and “Silentium Amoris” for oboe and piano by Jesús Torres with Ignacio Torner in 2020 with the Oboe Classics. Sarah is Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and is a Howarth of London LXV oboe artist. Sarah is a founding board member of ADCS (Seville Double Reed Society), President of AFOES (Spanish Double Reed Society) and formed part of the hosting team for IDRS 2018 in Granada.
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Ben Coelho
Vice President
Benjamin Coelho currently serves as the Professor of Bassoon at the University of Iowa. He has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, teacher and clinician in Australia, Europe, and the Americas. An enthusiastic proponent of new music, Ben has commissioned, performed and recorded many works by European, American and Latin American composers. He has released seven critically acclaimed CDs garnering praise from numerous national and international publications that have said: "Ben has such a gorgeous sound, such impeccable technique, and such sensitive musicality, that it is a real pleasure to recommend this album very strongly to all of you!" (Ronald Klimko, IDRS Journal), "His playing is unfailingly sonorous, expressive and alert, and he champions the pieces on this recording as if he believed in them without reservation." (Donald Rosenberg, The Gramophone), "Coelho is fantastic. His sound is brilliant, resonant, and strong, and he has a warm tone that blends superbly with the strings." (Schwartz, American Record Guide). Currently, he performs as the principal bassoon with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (Illinois/Iowa). Ben lives in Iowa City, IA with his beloved wife Karen and their wonderful daughters Liliana and Julia.
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Jeanine Krause
Secretary
Jeanine Krause brings people together with music for the refreshment of the spirit. Praised as “delightful and so refreshing” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), she performs on oboes and recorders with orchestras and as a soloist worldwide. Also a teacher and coach, Jeanine augments in-person experiences with innovative online learning, especially for oboe reed makers and historical oboists. In 2019, Jeanine established the European Division of Symphonie des Dragons, an oboe band founded in 2011 on the US East Coast by Gonzalo Ruiz and fashioned after Les Douze Grand Hautbois of Versailles. Her chamber ensemble, The Sprightly Companions explores conversant and expressive pearls of 18th Century repertoire. Jeanine has performed with many leading historical performance orchestras including the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, the Bach Ensemble, Mercury Baroque, Musica Angelica/Wiener Akademie and as a soloist with the Dallas Bach Society, L’Arpa Festante and the American Baroque Opera Company. Jeanine studied modern oboe at St. Olaf College with Rhadamas Angelucci and Merilee Klemp and at the University of Nebraska with William McMullen. She did further studies in musicology at Gutenberg Universität, in Baroque Oboe at Peter-Cornelius-Konservatorium with Matthew Peaceman and doctoral study in historical performance practice at Boston University with Marc Schachman, Joshua Rifkin and Martin Pearlman. Born in the USA, Jeanine dances Argentine Tango and lives in Germany with her son and a boa named Tiny.
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Esther Williams
Treasurer
Born and raised in London, Esther Williams began her musical journey at a young age, picking up the violin at four years old, opening up a lifelong passion to music. Fiercely independent and pro-active, she taught herself music theory, piano, guitar, recorder, alto saxophone and, by the time she was 16, was adept on eight instruments, including cor anglais, recorder (descant, treble and tenor), singing and the instrument that would define her journey: the oboe. Further advancing her talents, she studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, receiving tutelage from esteemed oboists such as John Anderson, Catriona Southall, Sarah-Jayne Porsmoguer, Murray (Sandy) Johnson and Gordon Hunt. Furthermore, Esther has participated in masterclasses from François Leleux, Sarah Francis, Ludovic Armin Cora, Albrecht Mayer, and is currently studying with the world-renowned oboist, Nicholas Daniel OBE. Owing to her versatility as a performer and distinct emotive sound, she is a highly sought-after freelance player, and has professionally performed across the UK and Europe, encompassing musicals, operas, marching bands, solo and orchestral work. Esther balances her musical career with a role in Finance at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). She also teaches at the Royal Hospital School, Richmond Music Trust, gives private tuition and has a small reed making business. Esther is currently a member of the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of 'majority' Black & ethnically diverse musicians, founded in 2015 by Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE. In addition to her performative duties, Esther also serves as a Woodwind Mentor for Chineke! Junior Orchestra, who recently reached the semi-finals on Britain's Got Talent 2020. Striving for racial equality within the classical music industry, Esther has spoken on numerous platforms to spark unity, which recently include the International Double Reed Society Symposium 2020. She also sits as a committee member for Freelance Musicians for Musicians Union, British Double Reed Society, and RAM’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Access and Participation committees, with the ultimate aim of ensuring inclusivity for musicians from all ethnic backgrounds. Continuing to expand her skills, Esther has undertaken her own research and has studied courses revolving around Black Classical Music composers/history. In addition, she is studying conducting with Tianyi Lu. In her spare time, Esther enjoys going to the gym, reading, hiking, swimming, boxing and painting.
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Yiu Song Lam
At large - Orchestra/Chamber (oboe)
Hong Kong-born Yiu Song-lam is a distinguished oboist who has worked in the music industry as performer, educator and entrepreneur. He is the Head of Winds, Brass and Percussion of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has been Visiting Professor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music since 2016 and was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) by the Royal Academy of Music for his significant contributions to the music profession. A graduate of the HKAPA, Yiu was awarded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship to study at the Queensland Conservatorium in Australia, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Rotterdam Conservatorium in Holland and at the Köln Musikhochschule in Germany, where he received the Diplom der Künstlerischen Abschlußprüfung with distinction. Yiu is the founding Artistic Director of Hong Kong Wind Kamerata and the Vice-president of the Asian Double Reed Association; he is highly regarded for his contributions in developing the double reed network regionally and internationally. He has worked extensively as soloist with renowned orchestras worldwide and has been invited to perform with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner and with the London Virtuosi on their Spain tour. He is frequently invited to perform at prestigious music festivals around the world. His students have won major prizes in many international competitions and have been appointed major positions at renowned orchestras across Europe and Asia. Yiu receives regular invitations to give masterclasses and adjudicate at international competitions. He has given masterclasses at top institutions worldwide. He has served as an adjudicator for the Muri International Oboe Competition in Switzerland, the IDRS Fernard Gillet-Hugo Fox International Oboe Competition, IDRS International Young Artist Oboe Competition, the Concours International Musique de Chambre in Lyon, France, and the prestigious Geneva Competition 2021. Yiu receives regular invitations to give masterclasses in Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, École Normale de Musique de Paris, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Lyon in France, Leipzig and Stuttgart Musikhochschule in Germany, and to adjudicate at international competitions worldwide such as the Muri International Oboe Competition in Switzerland, the IDRS Fernard Gillet-Hugo Fox International Oboe Competition, IDRS International Young Artist Oboe Competition, the Concours International Musique de Chambre in Lyon, France, and the prestigious Geneva Competition 2021. Yiu attributes his achievements to the efforts of his teachers and mentors, including Chan Kwok Cheung, Martin Gatt, Peter Cooper, Anthony Camden, Celia Nicklin, George Caird, Emanuel Abbühl, Christian Schneider, Thomas Indermühle, Lothar Koch and Maurice Bourgue.
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Monica Ellie
At large - Orchestra/Chamber (bassoon)
Bassoonist Monica Ellis is a founding member of the ground-breaking, Grammy nominated wind quintet, Imani Winds, who in their 25th season dazzles audiences with their dynamic playing, adventurous programming and commitment to new works and collaborations. A natural organizer, Ms. Ellis is the co-artistic and executive director for Imani Winds and their annual Chamber Music Festival and treasurer for their Foundation. Influential teachers include Mark Pancerev, of the Pittsburgh Symphony, George Sakakeeny at Oberlin Conservatory (BM), and Frank Morelli at The Juilliard School (MM) and Manhattan School of Music (PS). She has performed and recorded with dozens of world-renowned artists and organizations spanning genres and styles from the likes of Wayne Shorter to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. As a celebrated educator, Ms. Ellis has given masterclasses and solo performances across the country. Ms. Ellis is a frequent commentator on critical discussions regarding race, gender and entrepreneurship in classical music. She is an advisor to the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, serves on the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Education and IDRS Commissioning Committees and is a board member of Concert Artists Guild. In February 2021, Imani Winds released its GRAMMY NOMINATED 9th studio recording entitled BRUITS. Ms. Ellis is on the faculty at Manhattan School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music.
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Ravi Shankar Viana Domingues
At large - Associate Organizations
Professor at the Federal University of Paraíba, Ravi began his musical education at the Escola de Música de Brasília. After completing his Bachelor's degree in Music at the University of Brasilia, he received his Künstlerische Ausbildung from the Superior School of Music in Rostock, Germany, and later earned a Master's degree in Music Performance from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. He has been a member of several orchestras in Brazil and Germany, among them the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin, the Neuebrandenburger Philarmonie, the Orquestra Experimental de Repertório, Orquestra da Universidade de São Paulo, the Orquestra de Câmara da USP and Orquestra Sinfônica de Santo André. Ravi has also been a guest musician at the Junge Künstler Bayreuth Festival, the XII Amazon Opera Festival, the XV and XVII Virtuosi (Recife), and the Vertentes Arts Festival - Tiradentes International Arts Festival. He was part of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas on tour in Latin America under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel and won the competitions Young Soloists Eleazar de Carvalho and Young Soloists of the Experimental Repertory Orchestra and was Assistant Principal Oboist of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Minas Gerais from 2010 to 2016. He is currently a member of the Center for the Study of Musical Gesture and Expression at the School of Music of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where he completed his Doctorate in Music Performance, researching possible approaches for the timbral characterization and systematic development of the main oboe reed scraping styles in Brazil, through acoustic descriptors.
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Cynthia Hanson
At large - Business
Cynthia Hanson is the CEO of Forrest Music Inc. She holds a B.M. in Bassoon Performance from University of Colorado Boulder where she became a member of IDRS in 1984 and served as Secretary for KKY Music Fraternity. She completed 1 year of graduate study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1989. Today, she has a passion for the music business believing in the power of community and connection in the double reed community. Prior to owning Forrests Music, she was an employee of Forrests Music. She is a member of Musician's Union Local 6 and performs with a variety of orchestras throughout the San Francisco Area known affectionately as the "Freeway Philharmonic". She was inspired by her mentor, Peter Klatt, to continue the legacy of service and community held in the Forrests Music organization. Today she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Paul Hanson, children, and a menagerie of pets.
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Michael DiPietro
At large - Avocational
Michael A. DiPietro, MD has been a Pediatric Radiologist for 40 years at the University of Michigan where he is now Professor Emeritus of Radiology and Pediatrics. His “other life” began when he was drafted to play bassoon upon entering High School, stating that it later proved to be the best edict to which he ever acquiesced, although at first reluctantly. His teachers over the decades are IDRS members: Chris Weait, Robert Danziger, L. Hugh Cooper, and now Fernando Traba, Principal Bassoon Sarasota Orchestra. Michael was also influenced and inspired by other IDRS members who became good friends: Alan Goodman, C. Robert Reinert, and Loren Glickman. His major playing experience in the past 30 years was at University of Michigan as Principal Bassoonist x 20 years in Campus Symphony Orchestra and x 17 years in Life Sciences Orchestra. In Sarasota, FL Michael performs with the Sarasota-Bradenton Pops Orchestra, Anna Maria Island Chamber Orchestra, Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, and Suncoast Concert Band. As an avocational player he never felt unwelcome or that his voice was ignored in IDRS, yet he is pleased that the new “At Large (Avocational)” Board position has been established and is honored to be the inaugural holder of that position. He regards IDRS as a wonderful organization with its merging of full time, part time, retired, and avocational musicians who have much to give and support each other and shines as a paradigm that STEM is better as STEAM (A = Arts).
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