2026 Kent Blossom Music Festival Program Guide
Presented by The Kulas Foundation
2026 Kent Blossom Music Festival
Celebrating 58 Years
A Partnership Between ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University and The Cleveland Orchestra
58th Season
Kent Blossom: Art, Music and Theatre
Since the inauguration of Blossom Music Center as the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra in 1968, ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University has participated in helping to develop Blossom’s role as a center for professional training in the visual and performing arts.
Advanced training programs in art and music were established in 1968, and a similar program was created in theatre the following year. Participants in the three Kent Blossom programs divide their time between the university’s residential campus in Kent, Ohio, and special performing/presentation facilities at Blossom Music Center, as well as occasional performances at other select locations in Northeast Ohio. In 1971, Porthouse Theatre was opened on university property adjacent to the original Blossom grounds, and in 1975, Eells Art Gallery was constructed near Blossom’s main gate.
Each summer, the Kent Blossom arts programs (organized within the university’s College of the Arts) bring together some 200 young professionals in art, music and theatre, and a resident faculty of 70 (including ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì faculty, members of The Cleveland Orchestra and major international artists). Through the production of more than 100 exhibitions, concerts, performances and lectures, their creative experiences are shared with an audience of nearly 20,000 each year.
Kent Blossom Music Festival
In the five decades of Kent Blossom Music Festival’s service to the national and local community, over 2,712 talented young musicians have been afforded the opportunity to hone their skills.
Each summer, advanced young artists from around the globe gather together with principal members of The Cleveland Orchestra, and major guest artists for five weeks of intensive chamber music study and performance at the professional level. A unique program is specifically designed for these students, who are at the threshold of their professional careers, to interact with world-renowned mentors in a training environment.
Since its founding in 1968 by George Szell and Louis Lane, the success of Kent Blossom Music Festival has been illustrated by the many professional affiliations of its alumni. Instrumental alumni have become members of such well-known and award-winning chamber groups as the Emerson, Borromeo, Miami, Audubon and Telegraph string quartets and the Imani Winds. In addition, alumni have become principal and section members of the New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, Baltimore, Metropolitan Opera, San Diego, Indianapolis, Houston, Detroit, Dallas, Cincinnati, Atlanta and San Francisco orchestras. Currently, 17 Kent Blossom Music Festival alumni perform with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Kent Blossom Music Festival Administration
- JILLIAN SOKSO
Interim Dean, College of the Arts
(effective July 1, 2026) - TONY HARDIN
Director, Hugh A. Glauser School of Music; School of Theatre and Dance - RICARDO SEPULVEDA
Director and Associate Lecturer, Kent Blossom Music Festival - ISAAC TERCEROS
Artistic Director and Assistant Professor, Glauser School of Music - JEN CRABTREE
Director of Communications, Marketing and PR, College of the Arts - MADI GETZ
Marketing and Communications Specialist, College of the Arts - THOMAS MCCAULEY
Marketing and Communications Specialist, College of the Arts - AIMEE MILLER
Box Office Manager, College of the Arts - SAMUEL ROBERT
Recording Arts Technician, Glauser School of Music - ALLISON SMITH-HERNANDEZ
Associate Director of Advancement and External Relations, College of the Arts - NICOLE BROWNELL
Senior Director of Philanthropy, College of the Arts - JAMES ALLIO
Administrative Assistant, Kent Blossom Music Festival - GRACE BURDORFF
Administrative Support, Kent Blossom Music Festival - PATRICIA TERCEROS
Administrative Support, Kent Blossom Music Festival - DANILO ENRIQUE VIQUEZ POVEDA
Administrative Support, Kent Blossom Music Festival - EMILEE SANOR
Special Assistant, Glauser School of Music - BLAINE VESELY
Piano Technician - BENJAMIN BURROUGHS
Festival Intern
Kent Blossom Music Festival Faculty
Kathryn Brown
serves as Head of the Keyboard Division at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Brown has performed with ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Cavani String Quartet, members of the Lincoln Center Chamber Players, and The Verdehr Trio.
Ivan Chan
was the bronze medalist of the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and the first violinist of the acclaimed Miami String Quartet from 1995-2011. In 2003, he was appointed chairman of the string division at the KBMF. Currently, Mr. Chan serves as associate professor of chamber music, violin and viola at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Alan DeMattia*
joined the horn section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 1984. DeMattia earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree as a horn major at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University and a Master of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Tanya Ell
joined the cello section of The Cleveland Orchestra in February 2007. Ms. Ell previously was a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, beginning with the 2003-04 season, and was appointed acting assistant principal cello of that orchestra in 2004. She holds a bachelor of music degree from the Juilliard School, and a master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Mary Kay Fink
joined The Cleveland Orchestra’s flute section in 1990. Before coming to Cleveland she was a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; the Madison Symphony, where she was principal flute; and the New York Philharmonic, where she was acting piccolo.
Taichi Fukumura
is the current Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, appointed by Franz Welser-Möst, and music director with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Fukumura is the Second Prize–winner of The Mahler Competition 2023, a four-time recipient of the Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award, and recipient of the Concert Artists Guild Richard S. Weinert Award.
Margaret Griebling-Haigh
is a self-taught composer who is proud to be a member of a family that includes three generations of composers. She has won many awards for her compositions and has received numerous commissions throughout the United States.
David Alan Harrell*
has been a member of the cello section of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1995. He was a scholarship student at KBMF in 1991 and 1992.
Benny Kim
is an internationally known and acclaimed violinist. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School in 1986. Benny spends most summers playing chamber music with friends at different festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, Bravo!-Vail Valley Music Festival, and Chamber Music Northwest.
Donna Lee^
is Professor of Piano at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University. Lee earned her doctorate from Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, a master’s from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Stanley Konopka
has been a member of The Cleveland Orchestra viola section since 1991 and was appointed assistant principal viola in 1993. This is his 25th season at KBMF.
Scott Lee
is one of the most exciting and unique violists to emerge in recent years. He studied with Michael Tree at the Curtis Institute of Music and at The Juilliard School with Paul Newbauer. Lee is an active chamber musician.
Charles Paul
joined The Cleveland Orchestra in January 2022. He previously served as a member of the double bass section of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Paul holds degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.
Jeffrey Rathbun*
serves as assistant principal oboe of The Cleveland Orchestra. This season will be his 22nd on the faculty of KBMF. Rathbun was a scholarship student at KBMF in 1985 and 1986.
Frank Rosenwein*
joined The Cleveland Orchestra as principal oboe at the beginning of the 2005-06 season. He was a scholarship student at KBMF in 1999.
Ricardo Sepulveda^
is the director of the Kent Blossom Music Festival. He holds two degrees from ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University where he studied chamber music and performance under the tutelage of the Miro and Miami String quartets. His primary teachers include Sandy Yamamoto, Cathy Meng Robinson and Ivan Chan.
Jonathan Sherwin
joined The Cleveland Orchestra bassoon section in 1997. Mr. Sherwin holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Northwestern University.
Stephen Tavani
joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2018 as Assistant Concertmaster. Tavani holds an Artist Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music studying under Ida Kavafian and Arnold Steinhardt. Tavani also has studied at both the Colburn Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Isaac Terceros^
is Founder, Music Director, and Artistic Director of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic in Bolivia. He also serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestras at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University. He has conducted throughout the Americas and Europe and completed doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Robert Woolfrey
joined the clarinet section of The Cleveland Orchestra in November 2008. Woolfrey studied with David Shifrin at Yale University where he received a master’s degree in music. This will be his 13th season at KBMF.
Amy Zoloto*
became full-time bass clarinetist with The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2021-22 season. She is a graduate of DePaul University and a 1997 KBMF alumna.
* Alumni of the Kent Blossom Music Festival
^ ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University Faculty
2026 Kent Blossom Music Festival Young Artists
Flute
Parv Gosai
Ashburn, Virginia
Claressa Castro
Schertz, Texas^Sponsored by Michelle Worthing
Oboe
Maxxwell Mejia
Mahwah, New Jersey^Sponsored by Janet Sessions
Anne Crites*
Guys Mills, Pennsylvania
Aditya Pandey
Middletown, Kentucky^Sponsored by Janet Sessions
Clarinet
Brahin Ahmaddiya
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Edie Flunker
Forth Worth, Texas
Grant Karhu
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Bassoon
Maya Silver*
Newton, Massachusetts^Sponsored by the Richard D. Worthing Memorial Scholarship for Kent Blossom Music
Austin Vitello
Clarence Center, New York^Sponsored by Kent Rotary Foundation
Wilson Lu
New York, New York^Sponsored by Will Hubin
Horn
Joey Joyce
Kensington, Maryland^Sponsored by Carl Farinacci
Ryan Peterson
York, Pennsylvania^Sponsored by Will Hubin
Tayvis Mayfield
Canal Fulton, Ohio^Sponsored by Jeanna Pisegna
Piano
Cesar Blas*
Norma, Oklahoma^Sponsored by CAF
Guoanni Annie Qin
Cleveland, Ohio^Sponsored by Theresa Dye Schoettler
Kevin Takeda
Cleveland, Ohio^Sponsored by Theresa Dye Schoettler
Violin
Aaron Tseng*
Leawood, Kansas^Sponsored by David and Janet Dix
Alvaro Molina*
Aguachica, Colombia
Park Eunchae
Yongin, South Korea^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Alivia Gaskins
Carmel, Indiana^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Hiu Wai Lam
Hong Kong, China
Claire Laux
Kent, Ohio^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Sophia Perez-Monroe*
Overland Park, Kansas^Sponsored by Barbara J. Feldmann
Lyra Lenigk
Schenectady, New York^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Julieta Grosso
San Juan, Argentina^Sponsored by CAF
Qiufan Chen*
Shanghai, China^Sponsored by Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Sean Ellis
Phoenix, Arizona^Sponsored by Will Hubin
Camila Bosch
Bogota, Colombia^Sponsored by CAF
Viola
Chung-Wen Lee*
New Taipei City, Taiwan^Sponsored by Michelle Worthing
Christopher DeShields*
Brunswick, Ohio
Mingkun Wang
Chengdu, China^Sponsored by Will Hubin
Gerson Rodriguez
Cúcuta, Colombia^Sponsored by CAF
Wesley Lim
St. Louis, Missouri
Quinn Wilson
Mazomani, Wisconsin
Cello
Kevin Nguyen
Norfolk, Virginia
Pablo Elizalde Niño
Pasadena, California^Sponsored by CAF
John Lee*
Overland Park, Kansas^Sponsored by Jim Williams
Kwabena Owusu
Solon, Ohio
Ada Ortan
Avon, Ohio
Mitchell George
Tallahassee Florida^Sponsored by Robert and Susan Conrad
Double Bass
Sonja Swettenham
Ontario, Canada^Sponsored by David and Janet Dix
* Retuning young artists
Support Kent Blossom Music Festival
Gifts to Kent Blossom Music Festival support student opportunities, artistic programming and the festival’s continued role in advanced music training.
For more information, contact Kent Blossom Music Festival at 330-672-0397.
Special Acknowledgments
Kent Blossom Music Festival would like to thank the Kulas Foundation for presenting and supporting the festival’s 58th season. The Kulas Foundation’s generous support allows the festival to engage with internationally-renowned artists, to present exceptional concerts, and to provide extensive educational opportunities for the young artists participating in the program.
Kulas Foundation’s commitment to the festival positively impacts the Northeast Ohio community, showcases remarkable talent, and inspires future generations of classical musicians.
Special thanks to ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University’s President Todd A. Diacon, Ph.D., as well as Senior Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley, Ph.D., for their continued support and investment in Kent Blossom Music Festival!
A special thanks to Diane Petrella, former dean of the College of the Arts for her unwavering support of the Kent Blossom Music Festival over the past five years.
Kent Blossom Music Festival gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our host families who welcomed our students into their homes and those who provided funding for our students to stay on-campus in the residence halls:
A special thanks to Nelson Burns for hosting our faculty members this season.
A special thank you to David and Sherry Joy for hosting and opening their home to celebrate the annual 4th of July picnic.
A special thanks to Belleria Pizza and Italian Restaurant for providing meals for our young artists.
A special thanks to Bent Tree Coffee for their generous coffee donation.
A special thanks to Daisy Pops for their generous cake pops donation.
Your support and friendship are irreplaceable.
Thank you, our patrons and guests, for joining us!
- Nelson Burns
- David and Janet Dix
- Barbara Feldmann
- Will Hubin
- David and Sherry Joy
- Jeanna Pisegna
- Janet Sessions
- Theresa Dye Schoettler
- Danna and Erik Sundet
- Jim Williams
- Michelle Worthing
2026 Kent Blossom Music Festival Young Artists Donors
The Kent Blossom Music Festival gratefully acknowledges all foundations, individuals and corporations for their generous contributions. This list reflects donations received from June 23, 2025 through June 12, 2026.
2026 PRESENTING SPONSOR
The Kulas Foundation
THE KENT BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL LEGACY PROGRAM FOR PLANNED GIVING
Ms. Barbara J. Feldmann
Dr. Wilbert N. Hubin
Mrs. Nora D. Marovitz
Ms. Jeanna M. Pisegna
Dr. Denise A. Seachrist
Mrs. Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Mrs. Michelle I. Worthing
FORTISSIMO ($5,000 +)
Campo 25 Foundation Inc. upon the recommendation of Richard Levitz
Corporacion Andina de Fomento
Janet E. Dix, Ph.D. and Mr. David Dix
Dr. Wilbert N. Hubin
Rotary Foundation
Theresa Dye Schoettler
Mrs. Janet Sessions
Mrs. Peggy Daugherty Shaffer
Mrs. Michelle I. Worthing
CRESCENDO ($1,000 - $4,999)
Band of Angels
Dr. Susan H. Conrad and Mr. Robert Allen Conrad
Dr. Carl Farinacci
Ms. Barbara J. Feldmann
Shawn and Kirk Gordon
Olive Lee
Ms. Jeanna M. Pisegna
Mr. Jim Williams
SFORZANDO ($500 - $999)
Jim Angiulo
Chestnut Society
Mrs. Nora Marovitz
Ms. Jeanna Pisegna
Nathaniel Robinson
MOLTO ($250 - $499)
Mr. Alan DeMattia
Martin Lazo
Mr. Craig Wilde
ESPRESSIVO ($100 - $249)
Ms. Donna DiBiase
Dr. Thomas Janson
Christine Janicki
Ms. Jodi Kanter
Dr. George Kinnebrew Jr.
Dr. John Lozier
Miss Nancy McKnight
Ms. Marlene Morgan
Ms. Tess Motz
Mr. David Roberts
Ms. Theresa Rosenthal
Glenn Steffen
DOLCE ($20 - $99)
Miss Joyce Allen
Mr. Brian Ames
Mrs. Nicole Brownell
Mr. Tom Dziekonski
Ms. Paula Falcone
Mr. Mark Glickman
Lieutenant Joseph Hendry Jr.
Aditya Sahani
Mr. Vincent Stigliano
Vincenzo Volpe
Dr. Mark Whitmore
Kent Blossom Art Intensives
Kent Blossom Art Intensives (KBAI) have a rich history as a pioneering and immersive visual art experience for its participants. Each summer, the program offers two-week studio experiences similar to an artist residency for students and individual artists under the direction of ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì faculty, alongside visiting artists, designers and craftspersons. Works created by the participants are exhibited in galleries on the Kent Campus.
Since the inception of the program in 1968, the School of Art has hosted an exciting and impressive array of visiting artists who lead workshops, demonstrations, critical conversations with participants and give public lectures on their art. KBAI alternates between these disciplines: ceramics, drawing, glass, jewelry/metals/enameling, painting, print media and photography, sculpture and expanded media, and textiles.
For more information about Kent Blossom Art Intensives, visit www.kent.edu/kentblossomart.
Porthouse Theatre
Each summer, Porthouse Theatre, originally known as Kent Blossom Theatre, offers a professional season produced by major directors and designers together with members of Actors’ Equity and advanced students selected through nationwide auditions. Through this format, the 500-seat theatre, owned and operated by ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University’s School of Theatre and Dance on the Blossom Music Center grounds, provides summer theatrical entertainment for Northeast Ohio and serves as a national center for professional theatre training. For more information, call 330-672-3884.
Program Sponsors
Kent Blossom Music Festival recognizes the following program sponsors and partners:
- The Cleveland Orchestra
- The Kulas Foundation
- CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
- Ohio Arts Council