Vlog

Christopher Thibdeau has been recently appointed as the conductor of the Georgia Youth Symphony Philharmonia Orchestra. Previously, Christopher has served as the associate conductor of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra, the assistant conductor of the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, the cover conductor of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and the cover conductor of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra. As an educator, Christopher has presented workshops and educational concerts in New York, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, California and other areas across the US. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Alan Harris and a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Carl Topilow.

Beth Meyers is an active violist in the field of contemporary music. She is a founding member of the flute/viola/harp trio, "janus", and is committed to broadening the trio repertoire. In addition to her work with janus, Beth is an active soloist and chamber musician within and without of the field of contemporary music. Beth has worked with composers and artists including Meredith Monk, Bill Irwin, Theo Bleckman, Pierre Boulez, Harrison Birtwistle, Helmut Lachenmann, Martin Bresnik, and Steve Reich. A 2001 premiere of Steve Reich’s The Desert Music included Beth in both the premiere performance at Columbia’s Miller Theater as well as the Canteloupe recording. Beth was also a member of Alarm Will Sound for the U.S. premier of Harrison Birtwistle’s Theseus Game at Miller Theater (2003).

As an orchestral violist, Beth has played with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Heidelberg Opera Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, National Repertory Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, and the Lucerne Festival Academy. She has performed with ensembles including Anti-Social Music, the Theater of a Two-Headed Calf, Trollstilt, Ensemble Pampelmousse, the Audobon String Quaret, the Axis String Quartet, and the SEM Ensemble.

Beth's study of improvisation has found her at venues such as The Knitting Factory working with artists including Ralph Alessi, Kokayi, and Mark Helias. In 2000, she collaborated with jazz pianist and vocalist, Anna Johnson for her album One More Time In The Air (Oasis). Currently, she is violist and vocalist of "The Reasons", a hip New York band led by vocalist and guitarist, Clare Muldaur Manchon and featuring violinist Olivier Monchon and guitarist Lionel Loueke.

Beth is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where, under the direction of George Taylor and John Graham, she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. She currently lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and enjoys teaching pilates and the History of Jazz as part of her well-rounded free-lance career.

A passionate advocate for chamber music, Melissa Snoza currently performs with the Peninsula Music Festival and freelances throughout the Chicago area. Also an active educator, Melissa currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Flute at Carthage College, teaches a music entrepreneurship course at DePaul University, and maintains a private studio. As a member of 5HE, Melissa has presented workshops at Northwestern University, Yale, NEIU, UW-Milwaukee, and the Colburn Conservatory on arts entrepreneurship and creative programming, and contributes to the Entrepreneur the Arts blog.
Previous award credits include First Prize at the National Flute Association’s Orchestral Audition Competition, as well as being selected as a winner of Northwestern University’s Concerto Competition. She has been a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, has performed with the New World Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival, and was the only American flutist invited to the first Music Master’s Course in Kazusa, Japan. Melissa is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Northwestern University, with principal teachers including Bonita Boyd and Walfrid Kujala. Melissa is not only a well-known flutist and teacher in Chicago – she also makes a mean spread of Brazilian food and a mouth-watering chocolate pecan bourbon pie.