Ms. Freeman is the director of the Maryland Talent Education Center and she is very active as a performer, teacher and entrepreneur. She is currently on the faculty of the preparatory division of the Peabody Institute where she teaches violin and group classes. She created, and currently directs, the Suzuki string program at the first charter school in the state of Maryland, the Monocacy Valley Montessori Public Charter School. In addition to her administrative and teaching positions, she is the principal viola for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and a member of the National Philharmonic. Ms. Freeman is also the founder and CEO of Molto Legato, LLC a company which is involved in the field of new media for the classical music industry. This includes filming and producing DVDs, like May I Help You Tune, featuring Ronda Cole. Her newest project is the creation of a new interactive web portal called ClassicalMusicCity.com, which is designed to provide information, resources and networking for and about classical music for parents, students, teachers and performers.
Dr. Yoon Young Bae, violin, viola, chamber music
BM Seoul National University; MM and DMA Peabody Conservatory. At
Peabody, Bae studied with Victor Danchenko. Her concerto performances
include those with the KBS Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, SNU
Orchestra, and Aspen Youth Artist Orchestra. Bae has given recitals at
Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vina-del-mar Concert Hall,
Kumho Art Hall, and Sunje Art Hall. Awards include the fellowship from
the Sylvia Friedberg Foundation, the Dr. Luis Sigall Foundation, the
Embassy of Korea, the Korean-American Foundation, and the Sejong
Foundation.
Amy Oswald, violin
Amy Oswald began her violin studies as a Suzuki student at the age of four. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Utah and her Master of Music degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She has performed professionally as a violinist with the Utah Chamber Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Redlands Symphony Orchestra, San Bernardino Symphony and most recently as a substitute member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Amy did her Suzuki teacher training with Ronda Cole at the Suzuki Institute of the Greater Washington Area. She currently resides in Frederick, Maryland.
Dana Rokosny, violin/viola
Dana Rokosny received a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College and a Master of Music from Rice University's, Shepherd School of Music
in Houston, TX. Also, she spent a year studying at the Cleveland
Institute of Music before she was offered a faculty position at the Maryland
Talent Education Center. During her studies, Dana traveled extensively
and gained many honors as a violist. She has toured Russia (including
Siberia), Armenia, Ireland and Spain with various orchestras. Also, Dana
has participated in numerous music festivals including, Aspen Music Festival as
a fellow, National Repertory Orchestra in Brekenridge, CO, National Orchestral
Institute, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Meadowmount String Academy and the
Indiana Summer String Academy- all maintaining leadership roles in orchestra
settings. In the fall of 2009 she was a part of the Lucerne Music Festival.
As part of the Lenaro Quartet, Dana was a semi-finalist in the renowned
Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. In 2002, she won the Ithaca College
Concerto Competition, and in 2005, premiered a Viola Concerto written for her
while at Rice Univ.
Jessica Sammis, cello, chamber music
Jessica
Sammis is an active freelance cellist and instrumental teacher
throughout Washington, DC. She serves as assistant principal cello in
the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and has performed in the Eclipse
Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and at the Kennedy
Center. While in college, Jessica won the Union League Civic and Arts
Foundation Competition, Northwestern’s Thaviu String Competition, and
was a finalist for both the Montgomery Symphony Cello Fellowship and
the National Symphony Orchestra Competition. She has attended the Music
Academy of the West, the Sarasota Music Festival, the Meadowmount
School of Music, and Bang on a Can. Additionally, she participated in
masterclasses for Lynn Harrell, Janos Starker, Carter Brey, and the
Takacs Quartet, among others. Jessica holds degrees in cello
performance from Northwestern University (B.M., 2006) and the Eastman
School of Music (M.M., 2009). Her former teachers include David Hardy,
Andres Diaz, Hans Jensen, and Steven Doane.
As a cello teacher,
Jessica has worked at the Hochstein School of Music (Rochester, NY), as
a MERIT Program mentor for the Music Academy of the West, and as a
chamber music coach at the Meadowmount School of Music. In 2009,
Jessica judged the Maryland State Music Teacher’s Association “Strings
Plus” chamber music competition
