Meet our Personnel

Steve Schani is principal viola in the Civic Symphony. Steve says about himself: “My name is Steve Schani, and I am one of a kind. I like to do things that make me happy and don’t like to do things which aren’t fun. I’ve chosen to retire even though I still work all the time, and I was born to dance.” Steve calls Oshkosh home.

Steve Wilda plays tuba in the Civic Symphony. Of all the low brass instruments he plays, including euphonium and trombone, the tuba seems to provide the most opportunities. Steve also plays with the Green Bay City Band, Green Bay Packers Tailgaters Band, the Newtonburg Brass Band,  St Norbert Community Band, Yuletide Carolers and various brass ensembles throughout Northeast Wisconsin. Steve says that the Civic provides him with the opportunity to play with a group of musicians who just love to play. It’s also one of the few places where he gets the chance to play orchestral literature. For tuba, it usually means counting measures of rest rather than playing. However, he says “when I do get to play it can be pretty exciting.”

John Kolar plays the double bass in the Civic Symphony. He had a double bass in storage for many years that was in need of repair and adjustment. So, he took it to Larry’s String Workshop and then Larry suggested he attend a symphony rehearsal. They were apparently always in need of more basses. Fearing this all might be well over his head, he didn’t bring his bass to that first rehearsal. After hearing the orchestra and meeting members of the bass section, he knew there would be much to learn before he felt ready to join the group, but he became enchanted with the idea of being a part of the group.  He brought his bass to the next week’s rehearsal and played well enough in tune to be an acceptable walk-on with plenty of room to grow. John also plays guitar, baritone and tuba. In the past, John was a member of  The Dave Charles Quartet, The Directors Big Band, The Allouez Town Band, The De Pere City Band, The Diplomats, Wayne Shepardson’s Orchestra, The River City Six,  Kevin Van Ess & Talk of The Town, and The Packer Tailgaiter Band. Having been involved as a member of the orchestra since 2010 including several years of service as the head librarian as well as a board member, it has been and continues to be a such an important and rewarding part of John’s retired life. Playing in The Civic Symphony Of Green Bay is a way to continue to contribute to a this great community.

Bill Klumb plays principal horn in the Civic Symphony. He didn’t choose to play horn. During a junior high school open house, his mother told the band director that he played piano in grade school and possessed an unusual talent for transposing songs up and down the keyboard. Upon hearing this, the teacher suggested that he try playing French horn. He was open to the suggestion, however he had no idea what a French horn was. Apparently the teacher’s suggestion was a good one! Bill played all of the band and orchestra instruments as an instrumental music teacher. He still plays some trumpet and keyboard. Bill plays in the Green Bay City Band, Allouez Village Band, and the praise band at First United Church of Christ in Green Bay. Playing in the Civic Symphony, Bill enjoys sharing his talents and passion for producing a quality musical product for others to enjoy with other musicians who desire to do the same.

Darlene Bentz plays Principal 2nd violin in Civic Symphony. She became interested in violin when one day in 4th grade her grandfather arrived at her house with his violin he had found in the attic of his childhood home. Darlene couldn’t wait to begin orchestra in 5th grade. Her goal was to be better at violin than her orchestra teacher (he was a bass player). She started playing piano at age 5, added violin and then oboe. She continued to study all three instruments through high school, although she always knew violin was her favorite. Besides playing violin in Civic, she also maintains a private studio teaching Suzuki violin, teaches four days a week at Webster Elementary School of Integrated Arts, and plays with the Heritage String Quartet. The best part about playing in Civic Symphony is the variety of people she rehearses with every week. Everybody has a story to tell, where they have been, how they got there and why music is so important in their life.

Anne Elkins has played the violin in the Civic Symphony since 2006, which was when she moved to the area with my family. She began playing the violin at the age of 5 after seeing my two older sisters play and she wanted to be just like them. She also played the piano and has enjoyed singing in choirs throughout her life. Besides the symphony, she has played in string quartets, performed for weddings, receptions, parties, etc. Anne she also plays with the band, Good News, and teaches private violin lessons.

Anne shares that it is very fulfilling to be a part of a great organization like the Civic. She feels more connected to the community of Green Bay and loves performing great music with these talented and dedicated musicians. In the photo you’ll see Anne with her husband, Keith, and two youngest children, Kalie & Jakob.

Audrey Nowak plays violin in the Civic Symphony and is the Concertmaster. Audrey started playingin public school in 4th grade and she chose the violin because she thought the “shape of the instrument was so pretty.” Audrey also plays the harp and the hammered dulcimer. She plays with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, as well as various ensembles and bands in the area. Audrey share that “the amount of passion, energy, and pure joy that the musicians of the Civic Symphony bring to each rehearsal and each performance is captivating. I enjoy being a part of the process and I love playing music with my friends!”

Deirdre Rasmussen plays oboe and English horn in the Civic Symphony. When she was very small, she heard “Peter and the Wolf” and told her mom that the “duck” was her favorite. Later she chose oboe for band, without first starting on other instruments as most oboe players do. Band and orchestra were her “team sport” from then on. Deirdre also plays piano, recorder, Irish tin whistle, and she can play simple tunes on the viola as well! She also sings. Deirdre also performs in the St. Norbert Community Band, Recorders by the Bay, Renard Consort (a recorder ensemble in Appleton) and occasionally at church and friends’ churches. The Civic Symphony is very special because we definitely are all “among friends”. Deirdre says “it’s brought color into my life, and I’m thrilled that we are able to share the joy of music with each other and the rest of the community, particularly children.”

Margi Diny plays violin in the Civic Symphony. In 4th grade they had demonstrations of several instruments, and it appealed to her. Margi also plays piano and sings. Margi also performs at church and for weddings as well as in local theater groups. Margi is a freelance professional actor, and does commercials and other film work. About playing with the Civic Symphony, Margi says this: “First off, I LOVE being a part of, and being surrounded by, other instruments in live orchestral works. Secondly, it’s like being part of a family. And Seong is so expressive and appreciative to play under.”

Julie Brown plays in Civic Symphony as Principal Bassoon. Saxophone is her primary instrument but when she was 16, her high school band teacher asked her to learn to play bassoon. Her teacher was a fan of Percy Grainger who was a composer who always prominently featured bassoon in his compositions. Julie is a band teacher so she actually plays all band instruments plus piano! She plays alto saxophone in a group called Vento Winds in the Fox Valley area. Many of Julie’s students who play music in high school don’t always pursue music professionally, but she hopes they will keep music in their lives. Julie says “I love being able to tell my students about the volunteer ensembles in which I play as a real-life illustration of the magic that can happen if they keep playing and keep music as an important part of their lives!”

Adam Brown plays cello in the Civic Symphony. He was able to start learning a string instrument in 4^th grade, and at the time of sign-ups he was one of the last ones. He noticed that nobody else had signed up for cello, so thought that if he didn’t sign up, there might not be any cellos. He liked the idea of being able to sit to play all the time! Adam regularly plays violin, viola and bass as part of being a music educator. He also has played with church hand bell choirs. Adam is a member of the Heritage String Quartet of Green Bay. He was also in the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra, and currently conducts the Philharmonia orchestra of the Fox Valley Youth Symphony program in addition to his main job as Orchestra Teacher and Cello Instructor at Green Bay East High School/Fine Arts Institute. Performing in an orchestra made up of people volunteering their time feels like we’re all in it for the love of music and the love of making music in a group. The members support each other’s progress and Adam is “grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Civic.”

Mike Hogan was enamored with the musical Music Man as a kid and the song “76 Trombones” so to him playing the trombone seemed like a natural choice although his wife once asked him why he didn’t play something like the guitar, because she said no one ever asks someone to pull out the trombone and play a few songs around a campfire or at a party. That may be true but Mike has no regrets about choosing the trombone. Besides the trombone he plays piano and sings, performing with the Phoenix Brass, Brass Factory Big Band, UWGB chorus and singing in a local church choir. He enjoys the passion, camaraderie, and sharing the love of music playing in Civic Symphony. “I have met some wonderful people…knowing people are in this group because of their love of music makes it a special place.”

Rose Van Himbergen started playing the flute in 6th grade because she thought it was the prettiest and at that time her arms weren’t long enough to play the trombone.  Although she has 2 small children and a full time job, Rose takes time to play with Civic Symphony because she gets to play with dedicated musicians who choose to “give back” to the community through music. “You can feel the love when we play our concerts-it’s magical.”

Lynn Drewiske started playing flute in 5th grade when she discovered her mom’s old high school flute. This is her 10th year with the Civic Symphony. The opportunity to band together with like-minded musicians for the love and joy of music is what her soul desires. She wants to share that passion with the audience, and hopes the music will bring them joy.

Mindy Popke plays in the percussion section of Civic Symphony. The percussion instruments she plays vary from piece to piece. Most of the time she chooses to play the timpani (or the big soup kettles” as her mother likes to call them!). During middle school Mindy studied piano, and also sang alto in her high school choir and in college. At the moment she is pondering exploring a 120-bass accordion that she inherited from her grandmother. Playing in a volunteer orchestra for Mindy means making new friends and helping each other both in and outside of the orchestra.

When Civic Symphony first violin player Chris Williams started playing the violin at age 11, he didn’t care if it wasn’t considered a “cool”instrument. He says it has become “cooler” over the subsequent 40 years! He made the decision to keep music as an avocation rather than a vocation his senior year in high school. Though the violin is Chris’s main instrument he also has played the erhu (Chinese violin), mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass guitar, and keyboards, and he also sings. He has performed as a soloist with the Doctors in Recital for the past 4 years. He misses playing with the symphony during the summer as he loves getting together every week during the season with a group of others who love making music together.

Paul Oleksy is a very busy musician. Not only does he play the French horn with the Civic Symphony, he also plays horn with the North Winds Quintet and plays percussion in the Green Bay City Band as well as in the Allouez Village Band which he helps direct. Besides percussion he also plays piano and other brass. Paul doesn’t play his music to make money but rather because it is something he loves doing. He says without a volunteer orchestra he would never have been given the chance to play music at this level with so many like -minded and talented musicians. For him, a volunteer orchestra means he can continue to play, be challenged, and grow as a musician. He says, “Hard to imagine my life without that.

Sarah plays the violin in the Civic Symphony. She chose to take up the violin in 3rd grade when she saw a young girl playing one at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and she thought “if she can do that, I can do that.” Sarah adds that “the little girl was about my age and she was so good!” The funny thing is, she is still friends with this girl today and they have been good friends since high school. Sarah also started taking piano and guitar lessons but she shared that she just wasn’t able to keep up with practicing that much anymore; so has focused on the violin. Sarah has been playing at wedding ceremonies more recently, “which is a lot of fun and a nice way to earn extra money. I perform with a group called “Serendipitous Sounds” which features a variety of musicians.” About playing with the orchestra, Sarah explains that “being a part of the Civic Symphony is one of my ways of feeling that I am connected to Green Bay because it has given me an opportunity to give back to the community through my time and my talent. I have always been very grateful for the friendships I’ve made through the symphony. We have a wonderful group of people who come together to share in the joy that music brings to each of us! It is truly a special organization and I am glad to be a part of it for 5 years now.”

Andrew plays the cello in the Civic Symphony. He chose the cello in fourth grade primarily because his older sister played the violin and “it looked like a lot fun.” The after-school strings teacher was also his third grade classroom teacher and she helped to convince him to try out. Other instruments that Andrew plays include the violin, viola, double bass and piano. As a cellist, Andrew has had the opportunity to play in other area orchestras including the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra and Marquette Symphony Orchestra. Andrew shared that he loves being in the Civic Symphony and has this to say about the experience – “I truly enjoy music and each other’s company. It’s a unique connection I will always have to the Green Bay area.”

Rachel shared that she is excited to be playing bassoon with the Civic Symphony. She chose to play bassoon because she moved to a middle school that did not have orchestra. She tried to play the tuba (true story: her parents made her practice outside and the cows kept mooing! She asked her band director if there were any bass clef reed instruments (she’d played string bass previously) – no one else played the bassoon, so that was the only one! She “decided to give it a try and fell in love with the sound.” Rachel plays several instruments as a string teacher for the Appleton Area School District. She especially enjoys playing the string bass. Playing bassoon and string bass allows her to play with a large variety of groups, including the Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, St. Norbert Community Band, Appleton City Band, area swing bands, quintets, and jazz combos. She plays with a dance band out of Tigerton and conducts the New Horizons Orchestra in the Fox Valley. Rachel says about playing in a volunteer orchestra, “I get to make music with others that are as passionate about sharing their talents with the community as I am.”

Stephanie’s love for music started at an early age, when she began to play the piano. Later, at nine years old, she recognized an admiration for her older brother who was a pianist and violinist. He began teaching her lessons on the violin, but we quickly realized that the situation wasn’t working and she was able to continue lessons through high school and some college with different teachers.  Stephanie and her husband recently moved to the Green Bay area with their almost one year old. Her husband is a student and she is a stay at home mom and piano teacher. Stephanie learned about the Civic Symphony of Green Bay prior to moving here and knew she had to inquire more about it. As a new mother in a new community, she looked forward to being a part of something that would help her fill her need to pursue her love of music. Stephanie is a second violinist and “absolutely loves it!” Playing as a volunteer with the Civic Symphony helps her to stretch her skill level as a musician. It gives her the opportunity to meet many individuals in the community that have so much respect for and experience with music. It also allows her to share something that she is passionate about with so many people. Stephanie shares that she is “very grateful for these experiences in the Civic Symphony and looks forward to participating in the future.”

Susan plays contrabassoon and bassoon with the Civic Symphony of Green Bay, depending on what Maestro Graham needs for a given concert. She initially chose to play clarinet in the fourth grade, to be like her big sister. In sixth grade, she says “a few of us who clearly loved music were asked if we wanted to play bassoon. It was actually my competitive streak that made me strongly vie to be chosen (I had no idea what I was getting into!), but it ended up being the perfect choice for me. I love playing bassoon and am passionate about teaching bassoon at the Lawrence Academy of music in Appleton.” Susan also plays contrabassoon with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Lawrence University ViBE (Viking Bassoon Ensemble). Susan plays bassoon regularly with the Water Street Chamber Players, a wind quintet and piano ensemble formed in the fall of 2014, as well as with various orchestras in Northeastern Wisconsin as needed. She played bassoon in the Classical Music Festival orchestra in Eisenstadt, Austria, last summer and looks forward to playing again next year. Susan says about playing with the Civic Symphony of Green Bay, “it always brings to mind the joy of playing music together as a true team of musicians. Maestro Graham’s excellent direction, inspiring approach, creative choice of literature, and understanding manner, combined with the dedication and talent of the symphony’s members, result in expressive and energetic performances that I find to be extraordinary, and I believe that the audience does as well.”

Kimberly plays the oboe and will be having her Civic Symphony debut on English horn playing Holst’s The Planets. As to why she started playing the oboe, Kimberly says she “likes to think that it was the oboe that chose me.  I can recall my first day of 6th grade band.  The band director had placed names of instruments along the walls of the band room and asked that we make our way over to the instrument that we wished play. As I looked around, I did not see a place for the oboe.  You see, my aunt had played oboe in school and had given her instrument to me to use.  I approached the band director not knowing where I should go.  His reaction was one of surprise, as most students who take on the oboe get their start on another woodwind instrument.  Needless to say, I was able to get my start on the oboe and the rest is history.” In addition to the Civic Symphony, Kimberly plays with Vento Winds, the Fox Valley Community Band and on occasion with the St. Norbert Community Band.  A year or so ago, alongside fellow Civic Symphony members Janet  Stevens and Deirdre Rasmussen, they formed the Wildwood Oboe Trio and she also plays in a wind quintet with colleagues from the Fox Valley Community Band. Kimberly shared this about how it feels to be a member of the Civic Symphony: “I am so thankful for the opportunity to play in the Civic. To be able to collaborate with such talented musicians who come together to share their love of music with each other and the community is extremely special.”

McKenzie Healy has been playing in the violin section with the Civic Symphony of Green Bay since 2012. Her life as a musician began at age five when her Mom started teaching her piano. With her mom teaching private lessons, McKenzie grew up hearing music in the house all the time. She became intrigued by the violin and started taking Suzuki lessons at age ten. McKenzie has great memories of participation in Solo and Ensemble, recitals, girls’ choir, and the Green Bay Youth Orchestra! More recently, McKenzie became a certified Suzuki teacher and am now teaching violin at the Suzuki Music Academy of Green Bay (in the very same building she took lessons in for ten years!) McKenzie has six younger siblings, who are either already musicians or just starting music lessons. With nine people in the house, we own over 25 instruments! Together, as The Healy Sisters, we have a blast combining violin, cello, guitar, piano, and vocals in performances for events including: The Farmers Market on Broadway, “Dine on the Deck,” and most recently, the Talent Jam hosted at the Meyer Theater. Besides playing classical repertoire, McKenzie also arranges many of her own violin parts and enjoys playing Celtic and fiddle styles on her electric violin. In December of 2016, McKenzie received 1st place in NWTC’s student talent show with one of her fiddle compilations. She is studying Business Management at NWTC with an interest in combining that with music in the “Arts Management” program at UWGB. McKenzie enjoys the sense of community, support, and joy she gets by being a part of the Civic Symphony. She says “It is truly special to have met such wonderful, hardworking, people who come from all different backgrounds, to share this beautiful unifying gift of music.”

“I’m Joe Vetter and I play orchestral percussion, which means that I am trying to avoid the drum set unless it is absolutely necessary. Classical percussion covers everything from timpani to triangle. Very often it is a percussionist’s job to not play, but instead count rests until you have to do one solo cymbal swipe as I had to play in Dvorak’s New World Symphony in our 2016 season opening concert.” About why he ended up back in the percussion section, Joe says “I don’t remember why my dad brought a drum home for me to try, but at five years old I was suddenly marching in his band playing the bass drum. Since the instrument was bigger and heavier than I was, my mom took my younger brother out of his stroller, they placed the bass drum in it, turned the stroller around for an older boy to pull it and I was marching behind this genius set up hitting the drum on one and three.” At the age of eight Joe asked his parents to sponsor drum lessons. Four years later he joined the music school’s symphony orchestra and at 14 was hired to play his first paid gig at the Philharmonie in his hometown Berlin, Germany. Joe was accepted in junior college in 1981 and graduated just a few months before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. Joe played professionally and taught drums and percussion until the year 2000 when he moved to Green Bay to become a family man. After a 14 year hiatus Joe joined the Civic Symphony and his son Wolfgang also became a player in the percussion section. Joe offers that “the volunteer set-up gives us a unique father and son bonding opportunity. We also play in the Allouez Village Band.” Although Joe had Piano as a minor in college, his skills are, in his words, “rather lousy.” Joe says that “when I’m in the mood, I will pick up a campfire guitar and play the Irish folk song The Wild Rover for my wife Renee.”

Wolfgang “Wolfie” Vetter, plays percussion in the Civic Symphony. Wolfi is “a clarinetist first, singer second” and is a percussionist with thanks to his father because in October 2014, a bass drum part was needed to be played for a Mozart Overture. Since then, he’s been a regular in the Civic’s percussion section. And to clarify, Wolfi is not named after Mozart. His grandfather’s name is Wolfgang. On Wolfi’s second concert with the Civic, he actually played the vacuum cleaner! Wolfi attended his first summer camp at Blue Lake in Michigan and became the only minor in the Allouez Village Band in the summer of 2015, both as a clarinetist. The success motivated him to increase his practice time up to two hours each day, which earned him a spot in the Middle School Honors Performance Series and in June of 2016 he played at Carnegie Hall in New York. Wolfi plays in Green Bay West High School’s Marching Band, Pep Band, alto-saxophone in their Jazz Band and he was the only freshman in Concert Band 3 this Fall of 2016. UWGB’s clarinet professor Eric Hansen has accepted Wolfi as a student and he hopes to someday play clarinet in the Civic Symphony. After participating in several school musicals Wolfi was cast as a singer by Daddy D’s Production and will participate in “Guys and Dolls” at the Riverside Ballroom.

Greg Sauve plays trumpet in the Civic Symphony. He chose the instrument in the 6 th grade because he liked the sound and could visualize himself playing it. His early inspirations were Al Hirt, Rafael Mendez and Bobby Hackett. Great also plays the guitar. In college he alternated gigs, playing guitar in a rock band one night and trumpet in a polka band the next. Great started playing trumpet in the Two Rivers City Band as a Junior in high school and has been involved with community groups ever since. He also plays in the Bay Brass Quintet and the St. Norbert Community Band. He was a member of the old Packer Band for 21 years, and has been the director of the Green Bay City Band for 28 years. Greg was a band director in Ashwaubenon for 39 years before retiring 5 years ago. Since retirement he has spent more time playing trumpet and guitar, giving lessons, judging solo/ensemble and band contests, and traveling the world competing in field target competitions. Greg has always enjoyed orchestral music, and Civic is a great opportunity to perform the repertoire with a fine group of dedicated musicians and a superb conductor.

Barb Fondow comes from a very musical family. She grew up listening to her mother and grandmother practicing piano and playing everything from Chopin and Mozart to show tunes. Six of her seven siblings all play musical instruments. Barb picked the French horn because she wanted to play something different than her older brothers. She has been playing since 5th grade and most of her siblings also still play in various groups in Door County. Barb has been a Civic Symphony member since it started in 1996. Back then, she read an article in the Press Gazette looking for brass players and she called Gerry Mattern. He said come to the first rehearsal and she’s been a member ever since. Barb says of being in the Civic Symphony, “It is a pleasure playing with so many talented musicians and making wonderful music. The fact that we are mostly all volunteer speaks highly of the mission of this organization. I have also enjoyed over the years playing with my former high school music teacher, Chuck Mahnke, who recently retired from performing with the Civic Symphony. He was a great musical influence on my siblings and I during our early musical years.” Over the years Barb has played with various church groups and subbed in several local city bands. These days, she is mostly busy working part time and helping care for her 5 granddaughters.

In the Civic Symphony, Rebecca Proefrock plays viola, however, she plays violin as well. She chose the viola, as she states it “after throwing my violin across the room when I was 7. Rebecca said “I didn’t like the sound of the string notes, and rather than say, “dear parents, the overtone series is giving me a headache,” I threw the violin instead!! It worked – I was allowed to switch to the more mellow viola.” Rebecca is also a professional soprano, and plays piano as well as violin and viola. She plays with various regional symphonies as well as for private parties and weddings. As far as her time in the Civic Symphony, Rebecca shares that she enjoys playing music and creating musical beauty with her friends.

Lauren Pritzl plays the piano in the Civic Symphony. She started playing piano when she was 8 years old. At the time she was also taking voice lessons and said that her teacher was also an amazing piano player; she wanted to play just like her and that’s how it all started! In the past, Lauren played bassoon throughout college at St. Norbert College. In high school she played the alto saxophone and clarinet in pep band and marching band. A few years ago Lauren started her own business called ‘Lauren’s Studio of Music’. (You can find it on Facebook.) In her studio, she teaches private piano and voice lessons to students of all ages. She’s a rehearsal pianist for a local theatre group, has performed for many solo and ensemble festivals in the area, plays piano for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Suamico, and during the school year she accompanies students’ voice recitals. About her Civic Symphony experience, Lauren says “playing in a volunteer orchestra means that the members are really there for the music. Music brings people together, whether it’s the performers on stage who have built a relationship with each other throughout the rehearsal process, or the audience members who may feel like they are in another world while listening, a world that the performers created for them. We all go to the same place during the performance and to me, that’s what creating music is all about!

Anna Barker plays the viola in the Symphony. She started playing the viola in 4th grade. Anna shares that her “thought process was pretty straight forward when it came to choosing to play viola. I didn’t have a desire to play the violin because it was too high pitched for my liking, however I thought too many people played the cello. Viola was the happy medium and I realized not many people played it, so why not!” Anna also plays piano and sings, and says she says she is currently “attempting to teach myself ukulele… but that’s still a work in progress!” Anna has been performing on special occasions with her parish choir at St. Bernard’s in Appleton for the past 10 years. About playing in a volunteer orchestra, Anna shares that “it has been such a wonderful, inspiring, and joyous experience!  It is such a blessing to have so many talented musicians dedicate their time towards creating beautiful music and then share it with the community in a gorgeous venue.” This is Anna’s first year with the orchestra and she says she has learned a lot from this experience. She said that she missed being a part of something bigger than herself, with people who have “a mutual passion for creating music.”

Timothy Kiefer plays bass trombone in the Civic Symphony. He has been more and more interested in the supporting role of bass instruments over the years and the bass trombone has always been his favorite of the section. Timothy also plays euphonium and tuba. To get more playing time, he is joining the Vento Winds in Appleton and is excited about this new playing opportunity. When asked about playing with the Civic Symphony, Timothy shared this: “The fact that everyone is in the room simply because they love to play music is a pretty big win” and he adds that it gives him opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have and that means a lot!

Timberly Kazmarek Marbes started playing clarinet when she was ten years old. In 1992, she was one of only two clarinetists accepted into the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. Timberly is a graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she studied music education and clarinet performance. She has been a member of the critically acclaimed Keystone Wind Ensemble for the past 25 years. Timberly’s favorite piece is Aaron Copland’s Concerto for Clarinet, which she hopes to be able to perform live with orchestra someday. She can be heard playing with the St. Norbert Community Band, the Green Bay City Band, the Sheboygan Symphony, and various small ensembles, musicals, and other groups in northeast Wisconsin. Timberly enjoys photography and traveling, and lives in Ashwaubenon with her husband Dan.

Seong-Kyung Graham, a native of Korea, received her Bachelor of Music degree from Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul before moving to the United States in 1989. After earning her Master of Music degree at the University of North Texas, she pursued additional graduate studies in conducting at the University of Illinois and the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.

Ms. Graham has a wide range of conducting experience with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choirs. The orchestras she has guest-conducted include Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Symphony Chamber Orchestra, All Star Symphony Orchestra in Appleton, WI, Concert Orchestra at University of Cincinnati, Starling Showcase Orchestra in Cincinnati, and Illini Orchestra at University of Illinois.

She was previously the music director of the Bradley Chamber Orchestra at Bradley University and the Ripon College Orchestra and the assistant conductor of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra at Lawrence University.