Return: Get Involved / Conference & Summit / 2025 National Conference

Wednesday, March 19

12:00 - 5:00 PM: Pre-Conference Workshops ($)

• National Teachers Orchestra - Kira Omelchenko
• Phyllis Young's Dramatic Approach to the Teaching and Playing Strings - Benjamin Whitcomb, Karen Becker, Christine Crookall, Linda Jennings, Tomasz Rzeczycki, Laurie Scott, & Shu-Yi Scott
• To Repertoire, and Beyond! Reading Sessions with Curriculum in Mind - George Nicholson & Matthew Rotjan
• Teaching Bass for the Non-Bassist At All Levels - Bob Phillips & Jason Heath
• State Leadership Workshop (invitation only)

5:30 - 8:00 PM: Meet the Intersectional Affinity Group Facilitators - Grand Hall Foyer

The DEI committee invites ASTA attendees of historically excluded and underrepresented identities to participate in the affinity social gatherings. These meet-and-greet events are designed to provide a platform for attendees to have a dedicated space to connect within affinity groups among the diverse coalition of ASTA membership. The DEI committee requests these events be reserved for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled members of the ASTA community. We invite all allies to join us for the facilitated roundtable session in the conference.

5:30 - 6:30 PM: Newcomer's Welcome - Grand Hall Foyer

Are you new to ASTA or is this your first ASTA National Conference? Join us to connect with others who are new to the community, grow your network, and meet the ASTA Board of Directors.

6:30 - 7:30 PM: ASTA Welcome Experience - Grand Hall Foyer

Take this opportunity to meet your colleagues, reconnect with friends, and enjoy a performance by the ASTA National Teachers Orchestra.

7:30 - 9:00 PM: ASTA University & College Student Mixer - Baker

Hosted by the Student Advisory and Mentorship Committees

Attending the 2025 ASTA National Conference? Join us on Wednesday night for a time to socialize, network, and support each other! Enter to win a FREE registration for the 2025 Virtual String Teachers Summit or 2026 ASTA National Conference in San Francisco – and MORE!

Thursday, March 20

8:00 - 9:30 AM: Thursday Keynote

A Conversation with Yumi and Joe: Our Inspiration and Purpose for “Workin’ on a World”

Yumi Kendall is a distinguished cellist and classical music ambassador, whose voice and vision are paving the way for future generations.

Since 2004, Yumi has been Assistant Principal Cello of The Philadelphia Orchestra. She won her position at age 22, during her final year of studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she now serves on the cello performance faculty. Over the past two decades, as a performer and pedagogue, Yumi has inspired, informed, and connected countless people as a passionate proponent of classical music. More recently, as a speaker, podcaster, and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree program, she has catalyzed conversations to help people and organizations thrive.

She has performed with the Marlboro Festival, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society; has been featured as a soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, among others. In 2023 Yumi launched the podcast Tacet No More with her longtime friend, Philadelphia Orchestra colleague Joseph Conyers. Their podcast raises provocative yet optimistic inquiries to shake up the status quo and reimagine the next era of classical music.

Yumi discovered the joy and connective power of music at a young age. She began studying cello at age five following the Suzuki approach; her grandfather was violinist and pedagogue John Kendall, who introduced Suzuki education to the United States and trained teachers from around the world. Together with her violinist brother Nick Kendall—a member of the Grammy- and Emmy-winning ensemble Time for Three—Yumi’s childhood was steeped in delightful music-making experiences. The energy of her early Suzuki days remains an ongoing source of inspiration as Yumi continues her journey as a performer and educator.

She is forever thankful to her mentors along the way, including John Kendall, Nancy Hair, Carol Tarr, Alice Vierra, David Hardy, David Soyer, and Peter Wiley.

Citizen musician, entrepreneur, and youth advocate, Joseph H. Conyers - Principal Double Bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra - has spent the whole of his career as a multi-faceted 21st-century artist whose innovative work in music education and access has been recognized internationally. Additionally, Joseph was named Education and Community Ambassador for The Philadelphia Orchestra in a newly endowed position in 2024. Awards for his many celebrated initiatives include the Sphinx Organization’s Medal of Excellence – the organization’s most prestigious recognition, the Theodore L. Kesselman Award from the New York Youth Symphony, the C. Hartman Kuhn Award - the highest honor bestowed upon a musician of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Musical America’s 30 Top Professionals, the Artist Teacher Award from the American String Teacher’s Association, and high honors from the International Society of Bassists. In 2015, Joseph was the inaugural recipient of the 2015 Young Alumni Award from his alma mater, the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Hal Robinson, former principal bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Edgar Meyer.

In 2021, Joseph’s broad-ranging career was featured on PBS in Jim Cotter’s Articulate featuring his work as Founder and Vision Advisor of Project 440 – an organization that helps young people use their interest in music to forge new pathways for themselves and ignite change in their communities.

A 2004 Sphinx Laureate, Joseph has been a bass soloist with numerous orchestras and has for several years been an artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

He’s the Music Director of Philadelphia’s historic All-City Orchestra which for over 70 years has showcased the top high school musicians of the School District of Philadelphia, and he serves on the board of the prestigious Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Joseph is the co-host of the podcast, Tacet No More, with his colleague, Yumi Kendall – Asst. Principal Cello of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The podcast is a landing pad for positive discussions about the classical music industry and the belief in the power of music to better humanity. A frequent guest clinician and public speaker presenting from coast to coast, Joseph, also a sought-after pedagogue with former students in orchestras across North America and Europe, serves on the double bass faculty of the Juilliard School.

12:00 - 1:30 PM: Exhibit Hall Grand Opening - Grand Hall

Come visit our incredible vendors in the Exhibit Hall! Be sure to walk through and see the latest products to help you in your daily teaching. Also, visit college booths throughout the conference!

1:00-4:45 PM: Eclectic Styles Mini-Jams - Baker

5:00 - 5:45 PM: Intersectional Affinity Space - Inman/Kennesaw

The DEI committee invites ASTA attendees of historically excluded and underrepresented identities to participate in the affinity social gatherings. These meet-and-greet events are designed to provide a platform for attendees to have a dedicated space to connect within affinity groups among the diverse coalition of ASTA membership. The DEI committee requests these events be reserved for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled members of the ASTA community. We invite all allies to join us for the facilitated roundtable session in the conference.

5:00 - 6:00 PM: Jam Session - International North

Come participate in and learn more!

8:00 - 9:15 PM: Evening Concert: ARKAI - Centennial Ballrooms

The genre-defying electroacoustic duo ARKAI took the stage…Like any exceptional musical performance, it hit like a gale force of humanity. It also showcased how human creativity has always embraced new technology with stirring and inspiring results.  –GRAMMY.com

ARKAI is an award-winning electro-acoustic duo that has captivated audiences around the world with their creative imagination and cutting-edge string music. Transforming the beautiful tones of the violin and cello into epic soundscapes that resemble a rock band backed by a full orchestra, ARKAI’s signature sound has led them to hundreds of shows around the world including esteemed engagements at GRAMMYs On The Hill, Carnegie Hall, Abu Dhabi Culture Summit, US Air Force Academy, and TED Talks. Other highlights include opening for GRAMMY and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste, collaborations with celebrity photographer David LaChapelle for Milan Design Week, and joint recording projects with viral piano sensation Tony Ann and Decca Records. They recently opened and performed with Tony Ann at the legendary Troubadour club in LA for back to back sold out shows.

For two artists who graduated from the elite Juilliard School, having a successful career in music wasn’t a given. They were outsiders within a classical world steeped in competition and preconceived notions of success, yet they defied odds and challenged industry norms by paving a career that both honors tradition and champions innovation.

8:00 PM: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ($)

Head up to Atlanta Symphony Hall and watch Robert Spano conduct the ASO with this amazing program!

• Aaron Copland, Appalachian Spring Suite
• Jennifer Higdon, Harp Concerto
• Ralph Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 5

Composer Aaron Copland captures the American wilderness in his quintessential ballet score Appalachian Spring, evoking rugged mountains, boundless prairies, and a spirit of hope and possibility. Music Director Laureate Robert Spano wields the mighty forces of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to bring Copland’s evocative score to life, culminating in the stirring variations on the Shaker tune "Simple Gifts." Maestro Spano ends the concert with Vaughan Williams' Fifth Symphony, a balm written on the eve of war, packed with delicious tonal ambiguity, abundant melodies and spacious serenity. Also on the program, ASO Principal Harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson performs the GRAMMY-winning Harp Concerto by Atlanta School composer Jennifer Higdon.

Friday, March 21

10:00 AM - 4:45 PM: Wellness Lounge - Baker

12:00 - 1:30 PM: Exhibit Hall Mix & Mingle - Grand Hall

Come join your friends and colleagues for appetizers and conversation in the Exhibit Hall – and get more time with our conference exhibitors!

1:30 - 2:15 PM: Long-Term Achievement in Research Award Presentation - Kennesaw

5:00 - 6:30 PM: String Research Poster Presentations - Grand Hall

5:00 - 6:30 PM: Intersectional Affinity Space

The DEI committee invites ASTA attendees of historically excluded and underrepresented identities to participate in the affinity social gatherings. These meet-and-greet events are designed to provide a platform for attendees to have a dedicated space to connect within affinity groups among the diverse coalition of ASTA membership. The DEI committee requests these events be reserved for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled members of the ASTA community. We invite all allies to join us for the facilitated roundtable session in the conference.

6:30 - 8:00 PM: Conference Celebration

Let's come together as a music community!

8:00 - 9:15 PM: Evening Concert: ARKAI - Centennial Ballrooms

The genre-defying electroacoustic duo ARKAI took the stage…Like any exceptional musical performance, it hit like a gale force of humanity. It also showcased how human creativity has always embraced new technology with stirring and inspiring results.  –GRAMMY.com

ARKAI is an award-winning electro-acoustic duo that has captivated audiences around the world with their creative imagination and cutting-edge string music. Transforming the beautiful tones of the violin and cello into epic soundscapes that resemble a rock band backed by a full orchestra, ARKAI’s signature sound has led them to hundreds of shows around the world including esteemed engagements at GRAMMYs On The Hill, Carnegie Hall, Abu Dhabi Culture Summit, US Air Force Academy, and TED Talks. Other highlights include opening for GRAMMY and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste, collaborations with celebrity photographer David LaChapelle for Milan Design Week, and joint recording projects with viral piano sensation Tony Ann and Decca Records. They recently opened and performed with Tony Ann at the legendary Troubadour club in LA for back to back sold out shows.

For two artists who graduated from the elite Juilliard School, having a successful career in music wasn’t a given. They were outsiders within a classical world steeped in competition and preconceived notions of success, yet they defied odds and challenged industry norms by paving a career that both honors tradition and champions innovation.

9:15 - 10:15 PM: Jam Session - International North

Come participate in and learn more!

Saturday, March 23