Nolan Petote is a freelance musician and teacher based in Pittsburgh. He has performed numerous times with the orchestras of Charleston (SC), Albany (NY), South Florida, Wheeling, Westmoreland, and Johnstown and is an active chamber musician with the Bel Suono Ensemble. Nolan maintains a large private clarinet and saxophone studio at two locations in the Pittsburgh area and through teaching online lessons. He is also the woodwind coordinator of the Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra and director of the PYCO Wind Symphony. Nolan holds a Masters in Music Performance and Advanced Music Studies Degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelors of Music Performance Degree from Duquesne University.
Mr. Parasky graduated from Boston University with a Master of Music in Music Education and earned an undergraduate degree in Music Performance from Duquesne University. His private flute students have successfully auditioned for various honor ensembles, soloist competitions and workshops at the local, regional, national, and international level. He is an adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University (flute choir) and Westminster College (applied flute). Dan is a flute choir enthusiast and is a four-time guest conductor of the Mid-Atlantic High School Flute Choir. He conducted the 2021 National Flute Association's High School Flute Choir and is jointly conducting the 2022 NFA High School/ Collegiate Flute Orchestra with Nicole Chamberlain.
Matt Klumpp began his career as a pianist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While at IUP, Matt studied piano with Dr. James Staples, composition with Mr. Daniel Pierlongo. In 2012 Matt received a Masters of Music with an Emphasis in Collaborative Piano from Duquesne University. While at Duquesne he studied piano with David Allen Wehr and Yeeha Chiu, as well as jazz piano with Ronald Bickel. Matt has performed with the Westmoreland Symphony, the Joan Chambers Concert Series at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, and as an accompanist with the Newlonsburg Music Academy, the Pittsburgh Flute Academy, and for the annual seminars by renowned flutist Bernard Goldberg. From 2009 – 2010, Matt hosted the Keystone Klassics Radio show on WCNS in Latrobe. An active jazz keyboardist as well, Matt is a member of the band Protégé, produced by Studio E Entertainment. Through Studio E Entertainment Matt has given performances with Gary Racan, former lead singer of the Vogues and co-owner of the company, as well as for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.
Originally from near Muncie, Indiana, Rick graduated in 1979 from Ball State University (Music Perf/Music Ed). After one semester of graduate studies at the University of Iowa, he was offered a position as principal trumpet in the Veracruz Symphony Orchestra in Veracruz, Mexico. Since returning to the U.S., Rick has won positions in many different orchestras and festivals including Quad Cities, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Binghamton, NY; Tucson, AZ; Sun Valley, ID and Bedford Springs, PA. Moving to Pittsburgh in 1990, Rick has played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra many times. Highlights include: performing Mahler's 6th Symphony in Carnegie Hall with Loren Maazel; the PSO Pops under Marvin Hamlisch; the Pittsburgh Opera under the direction of Anthony Walker as well as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Charles Barker.
Philip VanOuse is a graduate of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music (B.M.) and Carnegie Mellon University (M.M.) and is the principal tuba player for the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet Orchestras. He is a longtime member of Eastern Watershed Quartet, the Pittsburgh Ceremonial Brass and is bass trombonist with the Tuesday Night Big Band. He is an active clinician of low brass and serves on the faculties of Slippery Rock University, Duquesne University and the Carnegie Mellon precollege program.
Dan Blumenfeld holds a BFA plus a certificate in music education from Carnegie Mellon University where he earned School of Music and University Honors. He also holds an M. Ed. in Music Education from Duquesne University. While at CMU, Dan studied trumpet performance under the tutelage of Neal Berntsen, second trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He won the Harry G. Archer Award from the Carnegie Mellon School of Music for Most Outstanding Junior and won the same award the subsequent year for Most Outstanding Senior. Dan currently directs the band program for the Intermediate School in the Franklin Regional School District.
Nick Nutter graduated from Penn State University with an undergraduate degree in music education and holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from Duquesne University. While attending Penn State he performed with various ensembles included the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Centre Dimensions Jazz Ensemble, and numerous Jazz Combos. Outside of teaching, Nick is an active musician in the Pittsburgh area performing with “The Wally Ginger's Orchestra,” “Murphy's Music Center Big Band,” and pit orchestras for many stage productions. Nick currently directs the band program for the High School in the Franklin Regional School District.
Amaya Williams is a Senior in the Music Education program at Duquesne University, where she studies violin under Rachel Stegeman. During her time at Duquesne, Amaya has been actively involved in the university chapter of the American String Teachers Association and has performed with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra and the Duke's Music Baroque ensemble. She also works with Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra (TRYPO) as a Program Assistant. Outside of her musical endeavors, Amaya is a Resident Assistant at Duquesne, where she is a liaison between students and the residence life community on campus. Amaya wants to support young musicians to reach their full potential and is thrilled to begin her private teaching career with NMA.