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We are excited to welcome the following new staff members to the BYSO family! David Abraham, Joseph Bozich, Miriam Eckelhoefer, Saralyn Klepaczyk, and Kara York.

David Abraham, Operations Manager: A native of Portland, OR, David Abraham is a percussionist earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, while previously earning degrees from Central Michigan University (MM) and Portland State University (BM). He is devoted to honoring traditional repertoire, while seeking new ways to explore percussion as a performer and teaching artist. David is a founding member of All of the Above contemporary chamber music ensemble which was ensemble-in-residence at the 2017 Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy and has also made several appearances at Carnegie Hall. David most recently served as the Director of Percussion at West Clermont Local Schools in Cincinnati, OH. Prior to that, David had interned with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, concert:nova, and Bang on a Can where he focused on production, stage management, and marketing. He is a huge sports fan so be sure to catch him in the hallways for a little sports talk!  

Saralyn Klepaczyk, Community Programs Manager: Saralyn is a bassoonist by training and has a variety of arts administration experience, particularly operations/production, library services and patron services, from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Celebrity Series of Boston. Saralyn graduated from the University of Michigan with her B.M. in Bassoon Performance. She spent some time at BU and is currently pursuing a certificate in Arts Administration. In the Community Programs Manager role, Saralyn's work will include the day-to-day management and production of ICP as well as our work with the BEAM consortium and other community initiatives. She is most excited about working with our ICP students and families and to expand her ensemble operations experience.    

Miriam Eckelhoefer: Director of Chamber Music: Miriam Eckelhoefer has a multifaceted career as a performer, teacher and administrator. An active freelance musician, Ms. Eckelhoefer has performed with orchestras and in festivals throughout the United States, Canada, England, France, Italy, and Holland. Ms. Eckelhoefer served as Director of Preparatory and Continuing Studies at the Longy School of Music, Assistant Director of Ensembles at the Neighborhood Music School and co-founded Elm City ChamberFest in New Haven, CT. An avid educator, she has taught cello and coached chamber music throughout her career. She holds degrees from SUNY at Stony Brook, Yale University, and University of Notre Dame, and her principal instructors include Colin Carr, Aldo Parisot, Karen Buranskas, Irene Sharp, and members of the Tokyo and Emerson String Quartets.  

Joe Bozich, Artistic Advisor and Conductor: Conductor and composer Joseph Bozich has been called “quite musical and effective” (Classical Voice North Carolina), and brings experience with both symphonic and operatic repertoire to his craft. The 2019 season sees him return as Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master for the Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s productions of Gianni Schicchi and Die Liebe der Danae. He serves an an assistant conductor with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and is a teaching assistant for the HRO and opera conducting course at Harvard. He recently served as Assistant Conductor for the New Philharmonia (Newton, MA) and a conducting fellow at the Eastern and Miami Music Festivals. His award-winning compositions have been heard in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston, Seattle, and Ann Arbor. He holds a Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Kenneth Kiesler and composition with Bright Sheng.

Kara York, Marketing Manager: Kara York started in her role as Marketing Manager with BYSO this summer. Kara's background in music performance combined with her training and professional experience in performing arts marketing make her an ideal addition to the BYSO team. Kara, originally from North Carolina, is an oboe player who studied Music Performance at University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  She holds a Master of Arts in Arts Management from American University and she completed her thesis on experiential marketing in the performing arts. She has had experience in a number of performing arts organizations including Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Washington Ballet, and the North Carolina Symphony.