CHICAGO SINFONIETTA - Key Persons
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- Services Manager Ext 1554
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Co - Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice President, Talent, Methode Electronics, Inc
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- Instructor of Horn at Northeastern Illinois University
Anna Mayne joined the Chicago Sinfonietta as Second Horn in 2018. She also holds the Fourth Horn position in the South Bend and Illinois Symphony orchestras, is Principal Horn of the Southwest Symphony in New Mexico, and enjoys playing in pit orchestras for Chicagoland theaters.
Anna is Instructor of Horn at Northeastern Illinois University where she teaches Applied Horn, Brass Methods, Brass Ensemble, Music Appreciation, and Music Theory. She is on faculty at Elmhurst University and Harper College. She is a Brass for Beginners® Teaching Expert and maintains private horn studios in Chicago, La Grange, Northbrook, Elmhurst, and Arlington Heights.
Anna holds music performance degrees from Northwestern University, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. Her principal teachers include William Barnewitz, Dale Clevenger, Robert Ward, and Gail Williams.
When she is not playing or teaching, Anna enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, cooking, Zumba, and long-distance running. She completed four marathons in the last year, including a 50K ultramarathon last June.
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Co - Founder, KV 265
Bettiann has been a stalwart supporter and leader for the Chicago Sinfonietta since the very beginning. She served on the Board of Directors early in the orchestra's history and as chair of various committees and initiatives throughout her long and ongoing association with the Sinfonietta. Bettiann, and her husband Ed, have been instrumental in supporting our concerts, recordings, tours, and educational programs. We would not be here without their generous and ongoing support.
Audrey was recruited to the South Side Friends by its founder Betty Wilkens and began her work on behalf of the orchestra as a member and leader of this critical support group. She founded the Magical Holiday Breakfast ten years ago, the delightful fundraising event presented every December by the Friends at Navy Pier which has raised well over $250,000 in support of the orchestra's educational and concert programs since its inception. Audrey chaired the Sinfonietta's 20 th Anniversary celebration in 2007 at the Civic Opera House and turned it into the elegant Ball that it has now become. She continues to support the orchestra through her leadership and volunteering.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
- PRESIDENT
- President and CEO Ext 1553
Noted as a "business heavyweight" by Crain's Chicago Business, executive Blake-Anthony Johnson has, throughout his career, extended the artistic, commercial, and technological boundaries of what a cultural institution can be in the 21 st century through creative leadership, commitment to innovation, and progressive vision. With a focus on community-centric, multi-disciplinary, and educational initiatives that enable institutions to provide equitable access and public service to all, Johnson has been universally recognized and applauded for his civic engagement & transformational leadership. He is the first African American executive to guide a nationally renowned orchestra and serves on numerous boards and panels throughout the country by invitation. Recent honors include being named a 2023 Harvard Business School Club Chicago Fellow and attending Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, being named a recipient of the 2023 Black Men in Excellence Award by the Black Professionals Network, one of MusicalAmerica.com's 2022 Top 30 Professionals of the Year, Chicago Tribune's 2022 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music, and a member of Crain's Chicago Business magazine's Class of 2022 40 Under 40. Johnson has served as President & CEO of the award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta, an acclaimed cultural leader in the field and powerful champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, since April 2022, following two years as Chief Executive Officer.
Co-Chair of the City of Chicago's DCASE Cultural Advisory Council, Mr. Johnson facilitates directional change in Chicago's cultural policy through multiple initiatives, expanding access and participation in the arts. He serves in various roles, most recently as part of the City of Chicago Tokyo-Osaka delegation with World Business Chicago and mayoral delegations, promoting trade, investment, and building partnerships with senior federal government officials and business leaders. A Chair of the Toronto Sister City Committee, he is a committee member of Chicago Sister Cities International, a division of World Business Chicago - the city of Chicago's public‑private economic development agency. Johnson serves on The Sir Georg Solti Foundation U.S. Board of Directors (one of the country's foremost organizations dedicated to assisting young American conductors in the early stages of their careers) and is a member of the League of American Orchestras' EDI Orchestra Management Committee. Johnson also serves as a Trustee and Advisory Board Member for several organizations across the country that focus on the arts, eliminating intergenerational poverty, criminal justice reform, and healthcare, including The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage; Chicago Live Artistic Advisory Committee (Navy Pier); Vanderbilt University's Dean Advisory Circle for the Blair School of Music; AIRIE: National Advisory Committee; and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music in partnership with the San Francisco Symphony Emerging Black Composers Project Evaluation Committee. A champion of arts education, Mr. Johnson is member of the Recording Academy and on Faculty at Roosevelt University's Chicago Conservatory of Performing Arts, in addition to being a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business & the Kellog School of Management of Northwestern University.
Known for his innovative ideas for advancing the arts, since joining Chicago Sinfonietta, Mr. Johnson has expanded the organization's reach and community programming. He launched the Artist-in-Residence initiative, expanded the fl agship Freeman Fellowship program, and most recently led complex negotiations, establishing a historic partnership with Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, the orchestra's new home and performance venue beginning the 2023-2024 season, in addition to Naperville's Wentz Concert Hall. He also launched the orchestra's first annual fund to great success, extending the funding base beyond Chicago by 36%. In addition to music and audience diversity, Johnson has also expanded economic diversity, designing and introducing the nationally acclaimed Pay-What-You-Can Program in fall 2021. Praised by The New York Times, the program has inspired classical organizations throughout the nation, resulting in numerous organizations adopting the practice.
In 2019 he was responsible for the overall management of security, travel, and logistics of 48 antique string instruments, and artistic planning of 16 lecture recitals with numerous community collaborators for the successful Louisville, Kentucky, community collaboration of the world-renowned Violins of Hope: The Violins of Hope Project - an international community program of hope, peace, and respect comprising more than 30 educational and inspirational events, exhibits and performances honoring the Jewish people whose lives were taken during WWII.
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chief Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Sustainability Officer, BHSH System
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Director, Health Care Service Corporation
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- Orchestra Personnel Manager
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Co - Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President of Global Reflections & Inclusive Leadership Practice, UniWorld Group, Inc
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Managing Partner, Yardstick Management
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- Social Science Research Council Fellow
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- President, R. M. Chin & Associates
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- Development Associate Ext 1559
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- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Co - Chair of the Development Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Cleveland Clinic
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
Jeff Handley is a highly sought-after percussionist in Chicago. He is principal percussionist and Education/Outreach Program Director with Chicago Sinfonietta and Fulcrum Point New Music Project. Other ensembles he performs with are the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony, and Tower Brass.
Mr. Handley was recently heard with Andrea Bocelli, Peter Cetera, Dennis DeYoung, Carrie Underwood, Mannheim Steamroller, and in productions of Les Miserables, Spamalot, Wicked, Color Purple, Mary Poppins, and Shrek at the Cadillac Palace Theater. He recently spent January 2012 in Mexico City with the touring production of Mary Poppins.
An active clinician and educator, Mr. Handley received his Masters of Music Performance degree in 1988 from DePaul University.
John Burson is a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta and is principal trumpet at Light Opera Works. Mr. Burson has performed with many organizations in the Chicago area, including the Lyric Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Lake Forest Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Chicago Philharmonic, Millar Brass Ensemble, and Tower Brass of Chicago. He can be heard on recordings with the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Millar Brass Ensemble.
John McAllister has been a free-lance musician in the Chicago area for more than 30 years, performing on alto, tenor, and bass trombone, as well as sackbut, euphonium, and tuba in a variety of ensembles and musical styles.
In addition to being a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta he is also a member of the Millar Brass Ensemble. He has been featured as a soloist locally with the New Black Music Repertory Ensemble and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Opera Theater, and numerous other area orchestras; in musical theater productions at the Oriental, Chicago, Shakespeare, Paramount, Auditorium, Steppenwolf, and Goodman Theaters; on sackbut in early music performances with Chicago Opera Theater, Rook, and Bella Voce; and with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Community Big Band, and other jazz ensembles.
He earned a Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Generalist
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chairman & Chief Investment Officer, Pacific Gate Capital
- Co - Chair, Capital Campaign Committee
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- Director of Development - Individual Giving & Special Events Ext 6739
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- Director of Operations Ext 1561
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Co - Chair, Capital Campaign Committee
- Vice President of Investor Relations, Illinois Tool Works
Known for her skill creating works of musical wit and whimsy, Chicago-based composer and orchestrator Michelle Isaac writes music of an eclectic nature, a mix of intricate and imaginative storytelling and humor grounded in a mastery of orchestration. With a focus on the narrative and empathetic powers of music, in addition to the classical sphere, Ms. Isaac's interests lie in the film and video game worlds, and she often incorporates cinematic elements into her pieces. Ms. Isaac is currently Chicago Sinfonietta's inaugural Project Inclusion Freeman Composing Fellow (2020-21), receiving mentorship from Music Director Mei-Ann Chen, composers Jennifer Higdon, Joel Thompson, and Kathryn Bostic.
Her work has been heard around the country, with notable performances including Chicago Sinfonietta at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and at Chicago's Symphony Center, the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University Wind Ensemble, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Percussion Ensemble. Her latest orchestral commission, Moshe's Dream, was previewed at Chicago Sinfonietta's 2021 Ball and will receive its public premiere in May 2022. The work is inspired by a dream her ninety-nine-year-old grandfather had about her starting a klezmer band and includes many Jewish folk idioms. Her most recent song cycle Hope! (2020), premiered in April 2021 by Nick Ward, baritone, and Daniel Baer, piano, recounts the personal story of a young non-speaking individual with autism.
In addition to her work as a composer, Ms. Isaac is an accomplished percussionist and a pianist. She earned her Master of Music in Composition from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where she studied with Stacy Garrop and Kyong Mee Choi, and her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the College of Saint Benedict. She resides in Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Music Director
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- Director of Human Resources
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- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Co - Chair of the Development Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior VP & Chief Diversity Officer, Wintrust Financial Corporation
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, US Bank
Michelle joined the Chicago Sinfonietta Board of Directors in 1995 and became the chair in 2001. She served as chair until 2007. Michelle has been, and continues to be one of the orchestra's most creative thought leaders and consistent and generous supporters. She was instrumental in hiring the new CEO Blake-Anthony Johnson. The Sinfonietta launched some of its most important initiatives under Michelle's leadership including Project Inclusion, the chamber music series, and the SEED Program that serves high-school age student-musicians. Michelle is the Principal of Cambium LLC.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Engagement Manager
Miguel A. Garica, a Chicago native, began his music studies at Gallistel Language Academy, a Chicago Public School. Through the encouragement of his first music director, Miguel would continue pursuing his musical studies under the direction and mentoring of various CPS music educators and internationally renowned artists alike in programs including CPS All-City Ensembles, Merit School of Music and Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Miguel studied Arts Education and Business at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Throughout his undergraduate career, Miguel had the unique opportunity of working in various capacities at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. An Administrative Assistant to the Director of Creative Engagement, Miguel's arts administration career began developing in the community engagement programs at the Auditorium. This position led to an exciting opportunity coordinating Hands Together, Heart to Art - a unique performing arts day camp for children who have experienced the death of a parent. While holding this position, for over 5 years, Miguel continued pursuing his career as an arts administrator in similar positions with various Chicago arts organizations and the Chicago Park District.
Miguel was honored to be selected as a fellow of the Chicago Sinfonietta's 16-17 Project Inclusion Administrative Freeman Fellowship. Continuing to develop as an artist and arts administrator, Miguel seeks to inspire diverse audiences through the arts by providing audiences with impactful opportunities to discover and explore the artistic individual they truly are and can continue to be.
Miguel is currently the Marketing and Engagement Manager at Chicago Sinfonietta, a position that continues to champion a mission of equity in the accessibility of the arts to students like himself.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education & Community Engagement Ext 1552
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- Director of Marketing & Patron Services Ext 1564
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Head of Retail Strategy, BMO Harris Bank
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- Founder
- Founding Music Director
Maestro Freeman was, for 24 years, the Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, a post he held since his founding of the orchestra in 1987.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Maestro Freeman established himself as one of America's leading conductors. In 1996, he was appointed music director and chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague, a position he held simultaneously with his Chicago Sinfonietta post. From 1979 to 1989, he served as music director of the Victoria Symphony in Canada, principal guest conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic in Finland, associate conductor of the Dallas and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, and music director of the Opera Theatre of Rochester, New York.
A recipient of the Mahler Award from the European Union of Arts, Freeman led more than 100 orchestras in over 30 countries. As one of America's most successful recording conductors, he has approximately 200 releases to his credit. His nine-LP series tracing the history of Black symphonic composers from 1750 to the present garnered a great deal of attention on the Columbia label in the mid-1970s. In collaboration with pianist Derek Han, he has recorded all the piano concertos of Mozart (nine CDs with the London Philharmonic), Haydn (two CDs with the English Chamber Orchestra) and Beethoven (three CDs with the Berlin Symphony). Freeman has been involved in more than a dozen televised orchestra productions in North American and Europe. He has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and has received rave reviews for his recordings. The December 2000 issue of Fanfare magazine proclaimed Maestro Freeman "one of the finest conductors which our nation has produced." Freeman led several recordings by both the Chicago Sinfonietta and Czech National Symphony, including his landmark three volume African Heritage Symphonic Series for Cedille Records.
Dr. Freeman received his Ph.D. from Eastman School of Music and studied on a US Fulbright Grant in Berlin. He has garnered a number of awards, including the top prize in the Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition and honorary doctorate degrees from Dominican and Loyola Universities.
In 2005, Maestro Freeman was designated a HistoryMaker, having been nominated by the DuSable Museum of African American History, for his outstanding contributions to African American life, history, and culture.
Maestro Freeman's talent was summarized in the following quotation from Robert Marsh, longtime music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times: "Freeman conducts performances which are remarkable for their beauty and communicative force. He brings the sound of the Chicago Sinfonietta to the heights of angels."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Director of Development - Corporate, Foundation, & Government Relations Ext 1560
Phil Engel served as President of CNA Insurance until he retired in 1999. A long-time supporter of and subscriber to Chicago Sinfonietta, Phil joined the board of directors in 2007 and served until late 2019 when he stepped down. Throughout his tenure Phil served as an officer of the board and as an important thought leader. He chaired the search committee that selected Mei-Ann Chen to succeed Maestro Paul Freeman.
Job Titles:
- Director of Institutional Advancement Ext 1558
In his debut performance as a soloist, Robert Everson was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "a most outstanding performer," the Chicago Sun Times has called him a "Master Timpanist" and the Chicago Classical Review said of a recent performance with the Chicago Philharmonic: "Spectacular timpani playing". Although soloing on the timpani is relatively rare, he has done so many times, playing Darius Milhaud's Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra with the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Chicago String Ensemble, and the Illinois Philharmonic. With the Sinfonietta, he has also performed Georg Druschetzky's Concerto for Oboe and Eight Timpani, Russell Peck's Harmonic Rhythm, and the world premiere of Jiri Gemrot's Concertino for Flute, Bagpipes and Timpani. He has performed the Phillip Glass Concert Fantasy for Two Timpanists with the San Francisco Ballet. Most recently he has performed Michael Daugherty's Timpani Concerto "Raise the Roof" with the Chicago Philharmonic.
Job Titles:
- Critic for the Chicago Sun - Times
Roger began his work on behalf of the Chicago Sinfonietta in 1987 as one of the original members of the Board of Directors, a position he held until 2005. During his tenure he served as a member of the Executive Committee as both Secretary and Treasurer. Roger also served as chair of the Gala and both raised and personally contributed significant funds that enabled the orchestra to grow and flourish. He is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Vice President / Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Community Impact Officer, CommonSpirit Health
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers ( PwC )
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO and Founder, InQUEST Consulting
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Civic Leader
Tara served as the chair of the Chicago Sinfonietta board from 2007 - 2010 and stepped down from the board at the end of her term. She was an Executive Vice President at Health Care Service Corporation during this period and helped increase the company's support of Sinfonietta during her time on the board. She retired from HCSC in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary of the Executive Committee
- Elections Vertical Strategy Leader, Amazon Web Services
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Executive Committee
- Director, Billing and Meter Reading Process, Nicor
Weldon served as a founding member of the Sinfonietta's board and as an officer and president of the organization during his long tenure. He and his wife Shirley have been long-time supporters of the Sinfonietta, even after his work took him to Washington, DC a number of years ago. Weldon served as the president and chief executive officer of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and is currently a Principal at Blank Rome in Washington, DC.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Civic Leader