Our Advisors

Advisory Board Member Details

James Blachly

• Co-founder, Make Music NOLA
• Music Director, Experiential Orchestra
• Music Director, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra
• Founder and Former Senior Advisor, Comprehensive Resource for the Orchestral Music by Black Composers

David Caines Burnett

• Violinist, The West Village Quartet
• Violin teacher, Harlem School of the Arts
• Violin teacher, Celia Cruz Performing Arts High School
• Violin teacher, Arts Connection
• Violin teacher, Langston Hughes Middle School
• Personnel Manager, Soulful Symphony
• Former violin teacher & conductor, Juilliard MAP Program
• Former violin teacher, Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Dr. Tanya L. Carey

• Past President, Suzuki Association of the Americas
• Professor Emeritus, Western Illinois University
• Artist Teacher, DePaul University CMS
• Artist Teacher, Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts
• Artist Teacher, Music Institute of Chicago
• Former Artist Teacher, Wheaton College

Aaron Dworkin

• Professor of Arts, Entrepreneurship and Leadership, University of Michigan
• Former Dean, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
• Founder, Sphinx Organization
• Founder, ArtsForce
• Member, National Council on the Arts
• Member, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
• MacArthur Fellow

Anthony Elliott

• Professor of Cello, University of Michigan

Henry Fogel

• Former President & CEO, League of American Orchestras
• Former Dean, College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University
• President of Board of Directors, Chicago Opera Theatre
• Board Member, Cedille Chicago
• Advisory Board, Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College
• Executive Committee, Avery Fisher Artist Program
• Board Member, Chinese Fine Arts Society

Mariana Green

• Strings and Orchestral Teacher, Boston Arts Academy
• Teacher, Chamber and Ensemble Coach for ProjectSTEP
• Founder and Director of Four Strings Academy Summer Program

Philip Greenberg

• Artistic Director and Conductor, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra
• Artistic Director and Conductor, Royal Music Festival, Cahors, France
• Former Artistic Director and Conductor, Crested Butte Music Festival
• Former Artistic Director and Conductor, Festival L’Ete Musical Valee du Lot, France
• Former Music Director and Conductor, Savannah Symphony
• Former Music Director and Conductor, Fresno Philharmonic
• Former Music Director and Conductor, West Michigan Symphony
• Former Resident Conductor, Detroit Symphony

Sheila A. Jones

• African American Network Coordinator, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Patron Services Supervisor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• International Human Rights Lecturer
• Classical Visual Artist and Vocal Coach
• Mezzo Soprano Soloist
• Recruiting & Training Chair, Chicago Symphony Orchestra League’s Docent Program

Lee Koonce

• President & Artistic Director, Gateways Music Festival, Eastman School of Music

Edward Kreitman

• Director, Western Springs School of Talent Education, Naperville
• Suzuki Violin Teacher Trainer, Suzuki Association of the Americas

Garrett McQueen

• Orchestral bassoonist
• Creator & Co-host of the podcast, TRILLOQUY
• Director of Artist Equity, American Composers Orchestra
• Board Member, American Composers Forum
• Advisory Board, Black Opera Alliance
• Advisory Board, Gateways Music Festival
• Advisory Board, International Society for Black Musicians

Diane Monroe

• Violinist and composer
• Advisory Board, Opus 118-Harlem Center for Strings
• Advisory Board, Community Music Works
• Advisory Board, Mid-Atlantic Chamber Music Society
• Advisory Board, Orchestra 2001

Toni-Marie Montgomery

• Dean, Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

Lee Newcomer

• Owner, Performers Music, Chicago

Chi-chi Nwanoku

• Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Services to Music
• Founder, Artistic & Executive Director, Chineke!
• Founding member, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Endymion Ensemble
• Principal Double Bass, Chineke!
• Professor of Double Bass and Historical Performance, Royal Academy of Music
• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Awadagin Pratt

• Concert pianist
• Professor of Piano and Artist-in-Residence, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Arnold Steinhardt

• Violinist, Guarneri String Quartet
• Professor of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music
• Professor of Music, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
• Artist-in-Residence, University of Maryland School of Music
• President, Board of Directors, Opus 118-Harlem Center for Strings

Almita Vamos

• Professor of Music, Roosevelt University
• Violin Faculty, Music Institute of Chicago

Dr. Juliet White-Smith

• Professor of Music/Viola, Ohio State University
• Artist-Faculty, Brevard Music Festival
• Yamaha Certified String Educator
• Past President, American Viola Society
• Former Faculty, University of Northern Colorado
• Former Faculty, Western Michigan University

Mike Wright

• Founder and Chair, International Society of African to American Music, UK
• Acoustician and Member, Institute of Acoustics
• Music Researcher and Composer

Dr. Barbara Wright-Pryor

• Past President, Chicago Music Association, Branch #1 of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.
• Member, Advisory Board of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University
• Chairperson, Performing Arts Committee, Advisory Council of South Shore Cultural Center
• Member & Contributor, Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College Chicago
• Program Annotator and Lecturer, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Archivist/Historian, African American Network Alliance, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Member, Artistic Planning Committee, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Former classical music critic and columnist, Chicago Crusader