Meet The Performers

CSO Musicians

Robert Chen

Concertmaster since 1999

Robert Chen's activities as a soloist include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin, and the Bournemouth Symphony.

Patricia Dash

CSO Musician since 1989

Appointed to the CSO by Sir Georg Solti when she was just twenty-four, Patricia was born in Rochester, New York where she began her percussion studies at the age of nine. She received a diploma with honors and a certificate of merit from the Eastman School of Music’s Preparatory Department in 1979, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree with distinction from Eastman in 1983.

David Taylor

Assistant Concertmaster since 1979

Known to Chicago audiences as a versatile soloist, chamber player, and orchestral musician, violinist David Taylor joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as assistant concertmaster in 1979. Born in Canton, Ohio, in 1949, David began to study violin with his father at the age of four.

Susanna Drake

CSO Musician since 2006

Just prior to joining the CSO, Susanna performed regularly as a freelancer in San Francisco with the San Francisco Symphony, LucasArts Productions (recording movie soundtracks), the California Symphony and the Santa Rosa Symphony. She also has held various positions in other orchestras across the country.

Peter Conover

Librarian since 1998

Peter Conover joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as librarian in 1998 and was named principal librarian a year later. As an orchestral librarian, Peter has been involved with the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA), having served on the Publications Committee and as the editor of Marcato, MOLA’s quarterly newsletter.

Yuan-Qing Yu

CSO Musician since 1995

Yuan-Qing Yu joined the CSO in 1995 and a year later, Daniel Barenboim appointed her assistant concertmaster. An international award-winning violinist, Yuan-Qing leads an active life in music as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher and advocate of the CSO.

Michael Mulcahy

CSO Musician since 1989

Appointed by Sir Georg Solti, Michael is also principal trombone of Chicago’s Music of the Baroque and the Grand Teton Music Festival. His orchestral career began in 1976 as principal trombone of the Tasmanian Symphony. A year later, he attained the same chair with the Melbourne Symphony. He left Australia in 1981 to pursue a career in Europe, where he became solo trombone of the Cologne Radio Symphony.

Sarah Bullen

CSO Musician since 1997

Appointed principal harp of the CSO in 1997, Sarah held the same position with the New York Philharmonic from 1987 to 1997. She began her orchestra career in 1981 as principal harp of the Utah Symphony and has been critically acclaimed as a soloist throughout her career.

Oto Carrillo

CSO Musician since 2000

Prior to joining the CSO, Oto held positions in the South Bend and Southwest Michigan symphony orchestras. He is on the faculty at DePaul University and at the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific (SOAP Festival) in British Columbia, Canada.

Hermine Gagné

CSO Musician since 2003

Born in Montreal, Canada, Hermine began studying the violin at the age of four with Jacqueline S. David. At nine years old, she entered the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal and graduated in 2000 with honors. While pursuing a master’s degree under instructor Kathleen Winkler at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Hermine was awarded the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Prize for Highest Achievement in Music.

James Ross

CSO Musician since 1979

Jim joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1979. He made his solo debut with the Orchestra in 1986 in Milhaud’s Concerto for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra under Erich Leinsdorf. A member of the Grant Park Symphony from 1973 to 1978, he returned to that orchestra in the summer of 1993 as a soloist in Toru Takemitsu’s From me flows what you call Time.

Paul Phillips, Jr.

CSO Musician since 1980

Paul Phillips joined the CS0 at the invitation of Sir Georg Solti, bringing a wealth of experience acquired in Indianapolis and Detroit. He played in the Indianapolis Symphony for four years under Chicagoan Izler Solomon, and was a member of the Indianapolis String Quartet.

Kenneth Olsen

CSO Musician since 2005

Kenneth Olsen joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello in 2005. A native of New York, Mr. Olsen is a founding member of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), a group of talented young musicians from orchestras and ensembles all over the country.

Vadim Karpinos

CSO Musician since 2001

Vadim Karpinos was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001 by Daniel Barenboim. He has appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony and at Roosevelt University, where he has been an adjunct faculty member since 2005.

David Sanders

CSO Musician since 1974

David began playing cello at the age of fourteen in high school in Miami, Florida, and made his solo debut eighteen months later with the Miami Symphonic Society Orchestra. He was a scholarship student at the University of Miami and Florida State University summer orchestra festivals, the Eastern Music Festival, and the London Symphony Institute.

Lei Hou

CSO Musician since 1997

Active as a soloist and chamber musician in addition to her full-time duty with the CSO, Lei was a member of the National Symphony Orchestra from 1991-1997 where she was appointed by Mstislav Rostropovich, then music director of that orchestra.

Richard Graef

CSO Musician since 1968

Richard Graef holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University. He also attended the Aspen Music School and later traveled to Salzburg, Austria, to attend the Mozarteum Academy of Music.

Catherine Brubaker

CSO Musician since 1989

A graduate of the Juilliard School, Catherine was a student of William Lincer. Other teachers include Karen Tuttle and Masao Kawasaki. Catherine is a former member of the Dallas and Seattle symphony orchestras. She has served on the music faculty at Northwestern University, teaching orchestral repertoire for viola.

Mark Ridenour

CSO Musician since 1994

Mark Ridenour is assistant principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was appointed to this position by Daniel Barenboim in 1994. From 2003 until 2005, he served as the Orchestra’s acting principal trumpet.

CSO Support Personnel

CSO Managers

John Deverman
Director of Orchestra Personnel
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Anne MacQuarrie
Manager, CSO Auditions and Orchestral Personnel
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Chorus Managers

Carolyn Stoner
Manager
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Marjorie Johnston
Associate Chorus Manager/Librarian
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Civic Orchestra Manager

Yoo-Jin Hong
Manager, Civic Orchestra and Training Programs
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Stage Technicians

Kelly Kerins Stage Manager
David Hartge Stage Technician
James Hogan Stage Technician
Christopher Lewis Stage Technician
Patrick Reynolds Stage Technician
Todd Snick Stage Technician
Joe Tucker Stage Technician

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Strings - Bass

Stephen Lester

Bass

Stephen Lester has been a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1978. Before that, he played two seasons with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Chicago, Steve started his professional career playing with the Grant Park Symphony, while attending Northwestern University. Before joining the Milwaukee Symphony, he also played two seasons with the orchestra of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

A member of the faculty at Roosevelt University for nineteen years, Lester enjoys an active schedule of chamber and solo performances, as well as teaching. He also currently serves as chairman of the Orchestra Members Committee.

Besides enjoying traveling, either on his own or with the Orchestra, his hobbies and nonprofessional activities include: reading history, trying to find time to exercise, and traveling with his wife, Rachel, a violinist in the Orchestra.

September 2012

Biography provided by artist or artist’s representative