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2026 VSTS

New Music Reading Session Clinicians

K-12 String Orchestra

Studio & Chamber Music

2026 VSTS

New Music Reading Sessions Schedule

Monday, July 13

12:00-12:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Music by Women Composers

Jennifer Drake is the conductor of the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestras, and the Serenata Orchestra. In addition to being a conductor, she plays the viola, so that tells you much of what you need to know. She lives in Idaho, where she grows her own potatoes, drives a VW van, and is a mediocre Crossfitter. She has been to Milledgeville, Georgia where she played a chamber music concert and rode a jet ski, but not at the same time. She owns two not exactly Corgis, Fergus and Cameron. She could insert a bunch of big, serious, and impressive projects she’s done, but thinks you might rather know that she had to learn how to make balloon animals as part of a short lived and embarrassing career as a children’s birthday entertainer during college.

1:00-1:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Grade 1-2

Charilyne Rojas has served as the Young Performers Orchestra conductor and Communications Director for the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra since 2021. She is also an active musician, clinician, and adjudicator in the DFW area. A GDYO alumna herself with a lifelong passion for music and teaching, she also directs alumni activities and social media (follow us @greaterdallasyo!) Ms. Rojas loves supporting organizations dedicated to music education and arts advocacy/accessibility.

2:00-2:45 PM ET

Studio (Solo & Chamber Music): Music by Historically Excluded Composers

Praised by Classical Voices of North Carolina for “making the violin seem easy, almost as child’s play,” violinist Sophia Han is a versatile performer and passionate educator. Han has appeared as guest soloist with orchestras across the United States and toured with artists including Michael Bublé, Audra McDonald, Stephen Curtis Chapman, and the rock band STARSET. Currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin at Florida State University, Han previously served as the Associate Professor of Violin and Viola at Southeast Missouri State University, and is also highly sought after as an adjudicator, clinician, and masterclass presenter nationwide.

Jovonie Tejero-Holmes is a cellist, conductor, and educator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the founder of the Tejero-Holmes Foundation, which provides free music education and mentorship to BIPOC students, including the Rising Youth Orchestra, where he serves as conductor. He is a cello professor at the College of Southern Nevada and is pursuing a PhD in Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University. His work centers on representation, access, and culturally relevant pedagogy.

3:00-3:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Grade 3-4

Dr. Beth Neitzert is the director of orchestras at the Huron School District in Huron, South Dakota. Neitzert holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Huron University, a Master of Music in Music Education from Boston University, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Boston University. She is an active clinician and adjudicator within South Dakota and performs regularly as concertmaster of the LyricWood Orchestra at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. Neitzert is currently a member of the South Dakota ArtsEd Alliance, Past-President for the South Dakota String Teachers Association and a member of the American String Teachers Association.

Tuesday, July 14

12:00-12:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Eclectic Styles

Duane Padilla is an award-winning violinist and educator whose work bridges classical and jazz traditions. A graduate of Northwestern and Yale, he has performed with leading orchestras and chamber ensembles and earned multiple Hawai‘i music awards with The Hot Club of Hulaville and the Mana Music Quartet. Duane teaches at Punahou Music School and has served on the ASTA Board, sharing practical, creative approaches that inspire musicians worldwide through engaging online sessions and festival presentations today.

1:00-1:45 PM ET

Studio (Solo & Chamber Music): Music by Women Composers

Qiao Chen Solomon is an internationally acclaimed violinist, violist, and conductor whose work as a recording artist is distinguished by expressive depth, technical refinement, and thoughtfully curated programming. Born in China and based in the United States, she has built a multifaceted career spanning performances and recording projects across North America, Asia, and Europe. A dedicated educator and advocate, Solomon serves as Professor of Music and Director of Strings and Orchestral Studies at Agnes Scott College, where she teaches violin and viola and conducts the college orchestra.

Erin Little is a Los Angeles–based music educator and cellist with over 16 years of teaching experience in public and independent school settings. She serves as the music specialist and orchestra director at Sinai Akiba Academy, where she teaches elementary general music and directs beginning and intermediate string ensembles. She works with Elemental Music as the Prelude conductor and program director. Dr. Little holds a B.M. in Music Education from Michigan State University, an M.M. in Music Education from the University of Michigan, and both an Ed.M. and an Ed.D. in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

2:00-2:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Grade 5-6

Joel Schut is Director of Orchestras at Grand Valley State University and Music Director of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony. He previously served on faculty at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the Crane School of Music SUNY-Potsdam, and in the Michigan public schools. He is an active clinician for all-state, regional, and honor orchestras, and a passionate advocate for school music programs throughout the country.

3:00-3:45 PM ET

K-12 String Orchestra: Music by Historically Excluded Composers

Natalie Frakes is a musician and educator who believes deeply in the power of music as a vehicle for social change. Her diverse experience spans public school orchestra leadership, teaching artistry with El Sistema-inspired programs, and conducting youth orchestras. She is currently the Director of Orchestras at Niles West High School. She holds degrees from Wayne State University and Longy School of Music.