Artistic Team

Member of the 2018 class of the prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (League of American Orchestras), Raúl Gómez-Rojas inspires audiences and artists of all ages and backgrounds to use music as a vehicle to connect, pursue excellence, and spread joy. Lauded as a “visionary conductor” (Oregon ArtsWatch), Raúl has built a reputation as an insightful leader that “captivates both performing musicians and audiences alike,” and whose “positive attitude and enthusiasm make him a joy to be with” (C. Mumm, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, NY).

In high demand as a guest conductor, Raúl is equally at home on stage and in the pit, leading professional orchestras in the USA and Latin America, new music ensembles, youth, and community groups, and collaborating with a vast array of guest artists across many genres and disciplines. Recent highlights include performances with the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, 45th Parallel Universe, Fear No Music, Third Angle New Music, Tilikum Chamber Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oregon International Ballet Academy, jazz violinist Regina Carter, Steward Copeland, Boyz 2 Men, Lyle Lovett, The Tenors, Kermit Ruffins, Rick Springfield and more.

In his seventh season as Music Director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Raúl leads a team of 12 conductors serving over 500 students in 12 ensembles. He has led the organization to new artistic heights while creating “concert programs that any forward-looking orchestra should envy.” (Willamette Week). Raúl’s skills to “inspire children and young adults to make music to the best of their ability are astonishing” (D. Seldis, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra).

Since coming on board with MYS, Raúl has augmented programming to include a partnership with FearNoMusic’s Young Composers Project entitled “The Authentic Voice,” through which MYS commissions, performs, and records full orchestra works by local young composers. Forever committed to music education, access, and outreach, Raúl has led the growth of MYS’s free Beginning Strings program as well as a conservatory-like stepped music theory curriculum available to students in all 12 MYS ensembles.

A native of Costa Rica, Raúl received full scholarships for graduate studies at Louisiana State University in violin/viola (MM) and conducting (DMA), and was a Conducting Fellow in the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival (2011). Beyond the podium, his work extends to frequent engagements as a violinist/violist, clinician, public speaker and, since 2020, as a Contributing Host and Producer for On Deck with Young Musicians on All Classical Portland. Raúl also currently serves as Music Director of YMA: Young Musicians and Artists and Guest Conductor with Oregon Ballet Theatre.

Awarded composer, conductor and trumpet player. Giancarlo has been recognized as one of the most exceptional artists formed in “El Sistema” from Venezuela. His compositions have been performed in scenarios such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Disney Concert Hall in L.A, Radio France Theater in Paris, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Berlin Konzerthaus in Berlin, Vienna Concertgebouw in Vienna among others. Giancarlo’s music is performed around the world by groups and soloists as Laurentius Dinca (Violinist of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Carol Jantsch (Principal Tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra) and U.S. Marine Band which performed one of his pieces in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Some of his works have been recorded under the EMI Classics, Genuin and Euroarts labels and also has been recognized as “best seller” in Europe becoming mandatory works in international Wind Band and soloist competitions. He has been recognized with a gold medal at the Global Music Awards in San Diego ‑ California (USA) as a composer in 2016. As a conductor, he has performed with many orchestras and chamber music groups as Simón Bolívar Orchestra (Venezuela), Paris Symphonic Orchestra (France), Orchestra Valentiana (France), Twin Ports Wind Orchestra (Minnesota) among others. In 2018 he moved to Portland to be part of the teaching artist staff of Bravo Youth Orchestra and conductor of BRAVO Community Orchestra. Giancarlo recently completed his work "Euphantasy" commissioned by the renowned French Euphonist Bastien Baumet for the new album "Radiance” recorded by the Air Force Band of Lisbon in Portugal. His last work “Tuba Sonatina” commissioned by Carol Jantsch was premiered at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference 2019 in Iowa. On September 2019 began as principal conductor of Reed College Orchestra. On July 4, 2023 Giancarlo's new piece "Latidos Vinotinto" was premiered in Venezuela in a national broadcast. This piece was commissioned by the Venezuelan Soccer Federation to celebrate its new image and the sponsorship of Adidas, as well as a unique new partnership with El Sistema, where Giancarlo remains a leading figure. Giancarlo led MYS' Sinfonietta Orchestra since 2019, and will conduct Concert Orchestra starting in Fall 2023.

Adam Eccleston is an award winning soloist and orchestral flutist performing in notable venues as Carnegie Hall and The Kurhaus in Germany. He is the Artist in Residence Emeritus for All Classical Portland radio station and is a radio host and producer for the station. A firm supporter of arts education, Adam works extensively with social change organizations such as, BRAVO Youth Orchestras, and is a faculty member of the Global Leaders Program. A native of New York City, Adam grew up in Germany studying with Eric Lamb and Thaddeus Watson at Hochschule für Musik in Frankfurt. He currently holds two masters degrees and is a Powell Flute Artist.

Violinist Kevin A. Lefohn maintains an international career as recital soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and pedagogue. He currently holds a faculty teaching position at Pacific University and is a Faculty Artist at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Acqui Terme, Italy. He has held faculty teaching positions at the University of Otago, the University of Oregon, and the University of Portland. He was the founding director of New Zealand’s Marama Strings Project at the University of Otago and founder and Artistic Director of the renowned Queenstown Violin Summer School and Chamber Music Festival.

As an executive arts administrator, he has served as Manager of Artistic Planning for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and as Executive Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

He studied with Dorothy DeLay, Piotr Milewski, and Kurt Sassmannshaus at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, Kathryn Lucktenberg at the University of Oregon, and with members of the Emerson and Tokyo String Quartets.

He is the founder of virtuosity.online, an international online learning platform connecting professional musicians, university faculty, studio teachers, and students of all levels throughout the world. Maintaining a Portland-based and online private teaching studio, his students include prizewinners of international competitions, soloists, chamber musicians, and professional orchestra musicians throughout Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States.

Born in Belem, Brazil, Eri Nogueira began her violin studies at age 10 at Carlos Gomes
Music Conservatory with Mr. Alexander Serafimov, and later on with Mr. Serguei Firsanov. In
1994, Eri received the “Honorable Mention” prize at the “Young Musicians Competition” in
Piracicaba, Brazil. Eri performed several annual solo recitals during her studies at the
Conservatory and joined the Teatro da Paz Symphony Orchestra in 1997. Upon graduating,
Eri pursued her bachelor’s and master’s degree in violin performance with Mr. Jerrold
Rubenstein, at Antwerp Conservatory, in Belgium.

In 2006, Eri returned to her hometown and began teaching and coordinating the violin and
chamber music departments at Carlos Gomes Conservatory and Vale Musica Foundation,
an “El Sistema” inspired program, for underserved children. Concomitantly, Eri performed as
assistant concertmaster at Theatro da Paz Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, Eri became a
member of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Minas Gerais and Sesi Minas Chamber Orchestra
in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She also taught violin at after-school programs for underserved
children during that time. In 2012, Eri moved to Portland, opening a private music studio,
becoming a teaching artist at Oregon Bravo Youth Orchestras, and a member of Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra, Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and concertmaster of
Willamette Falls Symphony.

Shortly after earning a Master’s in Education degree from Portland State University in 2018,
Eri Nogueira joined the faculty team of Lake Oswego Middle School and Lake Oswego High
School as orchestra director. She also coordinated and taught at the Lake Oswego
Elementary Strings after-school program. Under her direction, the high school orchestra
program won the district league in 2019 and 2022. The middle school program won 3rd
place at the Music in the Parks Festival in 2019 and first place in 2022. In 2022, Eri was
nominated for the 2022 LifeChanger of the Year.

Currently, Eri Nogueira teaches general music at Palisades World Language School and
maintains her playing artistry by performing with various ensembles in Oregon and
Washington. Eri has great interest in nature, traveling and culinary.

Erica Boland, nêe Mehlhorn began studying violin through the Suzuki Method at the age of 3 under the tutelage of Susan Kempter in Albuquerque, NM. Erica decided to pursue a degree is music at the University of Texas at Austin where studied with Dr. Eugene Gratovich, and began teaching with the UT String Project Program. Erica graduated with a Bachelors of Music Studies with High Honors and received her K-12 teaching certification. Erica continued her musical studies at the University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, AZ. Erica studied violin with Dr. Louise Scott and worked as a graduate assistant to the Suzuki training program and the NAU conductor, Victor Liva. She performed with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and served as Principal Second Violin for a portion of the 2001-2002 season. Erica also directed the Flagstaff Junior Orchestra for 2 years during her studies. Erica graduated with a Masters in Music with Distinction and completed her long-term teacher training in the Suzuki Method Books 1-4. After her graduate degree, Erica moved back to Albuquerque, NM where she opened her own violin studio, taught Orchestra in the Albuquerque Public Schools, and taught sectionals with the Albuquerque Junior Symphony. Erica enjoyed performing at weddings and other functions with the Empire String Quartet. In 2014 Erica moved with her family to Portland, Oregon where she continues to teach and perform violin. Erica is a member of the American String Teachers Association, Suzuki Association of the Americas, and the Oregon Suzuki Association.

Christopher Brown is an acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader, and educator who seeks to be a voice within the advocacy of Jazz music and American culture. And through the expansive range of groups that he has assembled and/or performed with—which span from duos to Jazz big bands to military marching bands and orchestras—his musical and personal experiences have led him towards an interest in synthesizing the principles of Jazz with the day-to-day practicalities of life. However, given that businesses shape the global market economy that everyone lives and participates in, is why he has found it useful to integrate business philosophies with that of music to help develop himself and his band. Which as he likes to say, “we’re all in the same business…the people-trusting-people business. No people, no business.” 

The Early Years

Born and raised in Portland, OR, Christopher began his life in music at age five with piano lessons before adopting the saxophone and drums by age 12. And throughout the rest of his time in middle school and high school, he’d go on to garner numerous local, state, and national awards. The first of his three most noteworthy accomplishments during this period began with the recruitment of a bassist and a saxophonist one fall afternoon for the purposes of creating a quick recording to submit to Down Beat Magazine. The recording was later mentioned in Down Beat the following spring as being the top high school small group for 1995. The second accomplishment came when he was afforded the opportunity to perform with Wynton Marsalis at the Alladin Theater in Portland, Oregon. And lastly, he was cast as an extra in the 1993 movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” starring Richard Dreyfuss

Military

After his completion from high school, Christopher’s enlistment into the U.S. Marine Corps as a drummer for four years, afforded him the opportunity to strengthen his networking skills, beginning with his association with Ellis and Jason Marsalis while stationed in New Orleans. But after one short year in New Orleans, the Corps sent him to Parris Island, SC where at the recommendation of Ellis he began working periodically with bassist Delbert Felix, formerly of the Branford Marsalis Quartet. And from that association he caught the attention of the legendary jazz bassist Ben Tucker, with whom he worked on and off with for three years. And finally, right before his discharge from active duty, he was afforded the opportunity to perform with Jazz legends Buddy Defranco and Terry Gibbs at the Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, SC.

Following his discharge in 1999, he’d take a two-year break in service before re-enlisting in the 63rd NJ Army National Guard band, where he’d eventually conclude his 20 years of military service with the 234th Army National Guard Band in Clackamas, OR.

Education

Upon Christopher’s release from active duty in 1999, he moved up north from South Carolina to eventually settle in New Brunswick, NJ for the following 13 years. And it would be during this phase of his life where the true foundation of his understanding of music would begin to cement via Rutgers University and the streets of NYC. But it would ultimately prove to be the relationships that he developed among the faculty within the Jazz program at Mason Gross School of the Arts that would serve as the most important launching pad for so many of his past and present successes. Following his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Jazz Studies/Performance from Rutgers in 2004 and 2006 respectively, he’d go on to teach both the introduction to Jazz historiography and Jazz theory course for four years before returning home to Portland, OR in 2012. And lastly, he has had the pleasure of teaching as an artist in-residence within Wells Fargo’s “NJPAC Jazz For Teens” program (NJ), Mt. Hood Jazz Camp (OR), Mel Brown Jazz Camp (OR), Litchfield Jazz Camp (CT), Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute (NJ), Montclair Jazz Camp (NJ), and the International Summer Music Camp (Brno, Czech Republic).

Awards

Aside from having won the top high school small group award in 1995 through Down Beat Magazine, he was selected in 2002 to represent the U.S. in a Rutgers University sponsored performance in Fukui, Japan, in addition to being awarded the Pee Wee Russell scholarship from the NJ Jazz Society in the same year. Following that, he was also selected twice as the drummer for the intercollegiate all-star big band's performance at the NJ Music Educators Association annual convention (2003/2005). Also, his recording with Rutgers' Scarlet Knight Jazz Bones (led by Conrad Herwig), helped them take home the 2011 International Trombone Association's “Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition” award. And lastly, he was given the 2007 Artist of the Year award (following Esperanza Spaulding) through Portland State University’s “Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute.”

Other Accomplishments

In addition to his main passion as a drummer, he has also kept up his proficiency on the alto saxophone over the years, which consequently resulted in him having performed live with the great Ralph Peterson Jr. Quintet (2002) on channel six in NJ for one of their segments called “New Jersey Talking,” as well as having headlined as a saxophonist for both the 2007 PDX Jazz Festival (OR) and the 2010 Cathedral Park Jazz Festival (OR). And lastly, he served as the principle saxophonist in the 63rd NJ Army National Guard Band from 2001-2012.

Altogether, since Christopher’s enlistment in the Marines, and subsequent move to the North East, he has had the pleasure of performing and or recording with many of the world’s top recording artists, such as: Beyonce, Esperanza Spualding, Liv Warfield, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Ray Charles, Jimmy Heath, Ralph Bowen, Ralph Peterson Jr., Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre, Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Charles Fambrough, Benny Golson, Bobby Watson, Craig Handy, Orrin Evans, Terry Gibbs, Buddy Defranco, Vincent Herring, Javon Jackson, Stanley Cowell, Wess Anderson, Antonio Hart, Paul Bollenback, David Sanborn, Geoff Keezer, Onaje Allen Gumbs, James Genus, Don Alias, Don Braden, Victor Goines, John Benitez, Anthony Wonsey, Jim Rotondi, Valerie Ponomarev, Delbert Felix, Ben Tucker, Virgil Jones, Vic Juris, Boris Koslov, John Stubblefield, Darren Barrett, Jon Gordon, Roseanna Vitro, Lonnie Plaxico, John Cowherd, Kenny Davis, Carla Cook, David Leibman, Ronnie Mathews, Sean Jones, Marquis Hill, Arturo O’Farrill, Randy Brecker, Chuck Israels, George Colligan, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, John Pattitucci, Kamasi Washington, and Mel Brown.      

Aside from Christopher’s first big musical break coming in the form of a month long European tour with Roy Hargrove’s Quintet in the summer of 2006, he has also spent some more time in front of the camera between commercials for Master Card and the History Channel, re-enactment scenes on the Maury Povich show, Beyonce’s “Count Down” video, and the big budget film “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

The Composer/Bandleader

Since Christopher’s move back home to Portland in 2012, a large part of his focus has been on the continual exercising of his leadership acumen within the area of band leading. And given that this is a lot like running a business or organization, he has been able to use his band as a metric for musical and organizational excellence for other bands, organizations, and businesses to emulate. Therefore, like any leader who has to be rooted in themselves and their vision, Christopher has been intentionally using his band and the music they play as an instrument for challenging existing beliefs around “normalcy,” as applied to personal and organizational growth within schools, public performances, and private seminars. And what better way to have this all too important conversation than through the lens of music.

Kenji Bunch is one of America’s most engaging, influential, and prolific composers. Through an expansive blend of classical and vernacular styles, Bunch makes music that’s “clearly modern but deeply respectful of tradition and instantly enjoyable.” (The Washington Post) Deemed “emotional Americana,” (Oregon ArtsWatch) and infused with folk and roots influences, Bunch’s work has inspired a new genre classification: “Call it neo-American: casual on the outside, complex underneath, immediate and accessible to first-time listeners… Bunch’s music is shiningly original.” (The Oregonian) Hailed by The New York Times as “A Composer To Watch” and cited by Alex Ross in his seminal book The Rest Is Noise, Bunch’s wit, lyricism, unpredictability, and exquisite craftsmanship earn acclaim from audiences, performers, and critics alike. His interests in history, philosophy, and intergenerational and cross-cultural sharing of the arts reflect in his work. Varied style references in Bunch's writing mirror the diversity of global influence on American culture and reveal his deft ability to integrate bluegrass, hip hop, jazz, and funk idioms. Rich, tonal harmonies and drawn-out, satisfying builds characterize Bunch’s work and easily lend themselves to dance and film. Over sixty American orchestras have performed Bunch’s music, which “reache(s) into every section of the orchestra to create an intriguing mixture of sonic colors.” (NW Reverb) Recent works include commissions and premieres from the Seattle Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the Lark Quartet, the Britt Festival, Music From Angel Fire, Chamber Music Northwest, the Eugene Ballet, and the Grant Park Music Festival. His extensive discography includes recordings on Sony/BMG, EMI Classics, Koch, RCA, and Naxos labels among others.Also an outstanding violist, Bunch was the first student ever to receive dual Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in viola and composition from The Juilliard School and was a founding member of the highly acclaimed ensembles Flux Quartet (1996-2002) and Ne(x)tworks (2003-2011). Bunch currently serves as Artistic Director of Fear No Music, and teaches viola, composition, and music theory at Portland State University, Reed College, and for the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

A native of Los Angeles, percussionist Kevin Schlossman moved to Portland in the summer of 2016. Since then, he has had the pleasure of playing regularly with the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera, the Vancouver Symphony, and the Salem Symphony, among others. He has also had the distinct privilege of working with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, and LA Chamber Orchestra.

Kevin received his Bachelor’s Degree in performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and his Artist’s Diploma from the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. And ardent proponent of both chamber and 20th century percussion music, he was a founding member of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles’ first conductor-less orchestra, and a member of the Smoke and Mirrors Ensemble. He can be heard as a soloist on their second album, Vanish. During his tenure as a student, Kevin attended the American Institute of Musical Studies Graz, the Round Top Festival Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, where the Aspen Times remarked that his, “timing and wit had to be seen to be believed.”

The varied career of violinist Paloma Griffin Hébert includes collaborations with musicians throughout North America and Europe, as well as orchestral, educational, and popular music activities. Formerly the assistant concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony, Paloma was also a member of the Portland new music ensemble fEARnoMUSIC, which she led as Artistic Director from 2011-2014. She has served as a guest concertmaster for the Eugene Symphony and a tutti violinist with Norway’s Kristiansand Symfonieorkester. Paloma's solo appearances include concerts with the Oregon Symphony and the Fresno Philharmonic. As a member of the band Pink Martini, she performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Paloma is the director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony's advanced string ensemble, Portland Camerata. She maintains a private studio of violinists of all ages, and in 2021, began teaching violin and chamber music at Reed College. Paloma has coached for summer chamber music workshops at Oregon State University, Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and Portland Summer Ensembles. 

Darian Todd is a violist, violinist, and educator, who has been performing and teaching in Arizona and Oregon since 2008. Currently the orchestra teacher at Lake Oswego Junior High School and District Program Coordinator for Elementary Strings in the Lake Oswego School District, Mr. Todd is excited to begin his role as conductor of the Portland Chamber Strings with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Mr. Todd strives to provide students with the tools and skills necessary for an evolving and changing musical world; instill practices that create independent musicians; foster a love of life-long musicianship and sharing; and build a community of musicians who support their colleagues and respect their audiences. Mr. Todd has studied and worked with string pedagogues including David Rife, Dijana Ihas, Fritz Gearhart, Leslie Straka, and Lillian Manis, and holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Music in Music Performance with an emphasis in Violin and Viola Pedagogy from the University of Oregon. Through partnerships with Young Musicians and Artists, the Oregon Music Educators Association, and local symphony orchestras, Mr. Todd works to initiate more active involvement of students and parents in the artistic communities where he teaches, and advocates for the importance of music in our schools.

Brittany Newell is an alum of MYS and her education includes a BM in Music Education and a BA in Mathematics from the University of Washington, as well as a Masters in Music Performance. For ten years she directed the orchestra programs at two large and diverse public high schools in Seattle. During her time in these positions, ensembles performed at the National ASTA Festival, won the league contest for the large strings division, performed at the state contest, the National Orchestra Festival, and performed in venues such as Lincoln Center in New York City, the Colburn School in LA and Benaroya Hall in Seattle. She was awarded with the Outstanding Educator Award in 2016. Brittany currently directs the orchestra program at St. Mary’s Academy, maintains a small private studio and serves as the concertmaster of Tualatin Valley Symphony. She holds a Professional Oregon Teaching License with endorsements in Music and Advanced Mathematics.

Multifaceted and talented Marian Gutierrez-Curiel has a music career that spans performance and education. From her early career touring the world as a violinist with Venezuela’s famous Simón Bolívar Orchestra, she has progressed to being a youth ensemble conductor, a strings teacher, and a program director.

She currently lives in Portland, Oregon where since 2019 she has been conductor of the beginning string ensemble of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. At BRAVO Youth Orchestras, she is the Program Strings Coordinator and manager of the BRAVO Community Orchestra.

Her career as a violinist began at the age of 9 in the conservatory of the small coastal city of Coro, Venezuela, and after a few years, she joined the State Symphony Orchestra playing important works of the classical and Latin American repertoire and participating as a soloist on several occasions. At age 12 she was accepted to the National Children’s Orchestra of Venezuela, and then in the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela doing international tours in the United States and Europe.

In 2001 she was accepted into the Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela where she had the opportunity to play on important stages such as Carnegie Hall (USA), Berlin Philharmonie (Germany), Royal Albert Hall (England), and international festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, the BBC Proms festival and the Salzburg Festival. She has also shared the stage with international conductors and soloists such as Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, John Corigliano, John Williams, Gustavo Dudamel, Martha Argerich, Natalia Gutman, among others.

She moved to the United States in 2017, continuing her musical career as part of the first violins and the production team of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, sharing the stage with figures from the Latin American scene, as well as participating in the production of several relevant events and projects in the city.

Since her arrival in Portland in 2018, Marian’s musical work has been highly valued locally, allowing her to continue developing her career and broaden her professional skill set. In 2020 she was a panelist for All Classical Portland’s “Recording Inclusivity Initiative”, a project that addresses equity and access for classical music composers of color and musicians from underrepresented communities. In 2022, Marian was awarded the CBDNA Mike Moss Conducting Study Grant.

Marian strongly advocates for social change through music, following the example of Maestro Abreu. As an educator and program director, she creates supportive learning environments and helps her students develop skills to benefit them in music and in life.