Jason Seber
Music Director and
Conductor, Symphony Orchestra
(Staff member since 2005)
Jason Seber is thrilled to be part of the Louisville Youth Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary celebration this season, his fourth year as Music Director. Under Mr. Seber’s direction, the LYO has reached many great artistic achievements. His innovative and challenging programming has engaged many of Louisville’s talented young musicians. Youth Orchestra members have had the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional artists, conductors, and composers such as Kit Armstrong, Zade, Robert Franz, Jason Weinberger, and Joan Tower. They have also had the opportunity to perform with the Louisville Orchestra, Walden Theatre, and Music Theatre Louisville. This year LYO musicians will work with violinist Caroline Goulding, pianist and host of NPR’s “From the Top” Christopher O’Riley, Jorge Mester (Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra), and composers Joseph Schwantner and Jason Thompson (an LYO alum) in premieres of new works. The Symphony Orchestra will be one of five youth orchestras in the country participating in the League of American Orchestras and Meet the Composer’s “Ford Made in America” project, giving the Kentucky premiere of Schwantner’s “Chasing Light…”

Prior to coming to Louisville, Mr. Seber served as Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, where he conducted regularly on subscription and run-out concerts. He was also Assistant Conductor for the National Repertory Orchestra in 2005, and for the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestras, leading many classical, opera, and educational programs at both institutions. He served as Music Director of the Euclid Orchestra in Cleveland from 1996-2003 and as Director of Orchestras at Strongsville High School (OH) for five years. Mr. Seber has recently guest conducted the Louisville Orchestra in their Making Music, OrKIDStra, and holiday series, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (SC), Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony (OH), and Ashland Regional Ballet (OH). This season, he will be returning to conduct the Louisville Orchestra, as well as a performance with the Cleveland Pops, the United States Figure Skating Team, and Peter Cetera that will be broadcast nationwide on NBC Christmas Day.

In addition to his position with the Louisville Youth Orchestra, Mr. Seber is also the Director of Orchestras at the Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) and duPont Manual High School in Louisville. This season the YPAS Philharmonia will be performing at the Orchestra America National Festival in Indianapolis (sponsored by Music for All and Yamaha) and with the Louisville Chorus in a performance of Haydn’s The Creation. Mr. Seber has been a guest conductor and clinician for many high school and middle school orchestra festivals and clinics throughout Ohio, New York, Indiana, and Kentucky. He enjoys sharing his love of music with kids of all ages, and is a strong advocate of great music education programs in schools and communities.

Mr. Seber earned his BME and BM in violin from the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, studying violin with Dr. Julian Ross and conducting with Dwight Oltman. He went on to earn his MM in orchestral conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Carl Topilow. He has had the privilege of working in conducting masterclasses and workshops with such eminent conductors as Kenneth Kiesler, Louis Lane, Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, David Roberston, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Thomas Wilkins. He has attended the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Maine (with Michael Jinbo), the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Brevard Music Festival.

 


Richard Ryan

Conductor, Repertory Orchestra
(Staff member since 2009)

Richard Ryan is the Assistant Principal Bass of the Louisville Orchestra. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in music performance and won his position with the LO at the age of 20. During his time at IU, Richard studied conducting at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Youth Orchestra has always been a large part of Richard Ryan's life. He played in youth orchestra for eight years in middle school and high school. He was also the principal bass of the Arizona Regional and All-state orchestras, the Disney Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, and the National High School Honors Orchestra.

Working with young musicians of a high caliber has always been a goal for Mr. Ryan, and he is delighted to be working with the talented students of the Repertory Orchestra.

 


Christopher Lerner

Conductor, Concert Orchestra
(Staff member since 2000)

Chris Lerner received his bachelor of music degree in violin performance from the University of Louisville. He has been a registered Suzuki teacher since 2001, and is proud to have studied under Peter McHugh from University of Louisville.

Mr. Lerner has been Director of the Presto! Strings Program for the Louisville Youth Orchestra, Director of Sonatina Strings Program for the Louisville Youth Orchestra, Conductor of the Serenade Orchestra for the Louisville Youth Orchestra, and the Conductor of Concert Orchestra for the Louisville Youth Orchestra. Mr. Lerner served two years on the faculty for Kentucky Country Day School strings program and is currently teaching strings at Louisville Collegiate School. Last but not least Mr. Lerner has organized “ The Lerner School of Music” in which he teaches 42 string students.

 


Elise Kotheimer

Instructor, Presto!/Allegro Strings
(Staff Member since 2007)
Elise Kotheimer started her musical training on the violin when she was three years old and began training on the piano at the age of seven. She participated as a member of the Louisville Youth Orchestra for five years, where she served as concert mistress of the Repertory Orchestra and assistant concert mistress of the Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Kotheimer won the McDowell Music Teacher’s Competition in 2001, and the McCauley Chamber Music Competition in 1999. She has studied under the guidance of accomplished teachers including Peter McHugh, Patrick Rafferty, Cheri Kelley and Hiroko Driver.

Ms. Kotheimer received her Bachelor of Music degree in violin and her Masters of Arts in Teaching Music from the University of Louisville. She taught at the Boaz Performance Studio from 2002 – 2006, where she taught students between the ages of five and sixteen. In the spring of 2007, she completed her student teaching with Eva Rouse at Ballard High School. Ms. Kotheimer became a certified Suzuki teacher in 2001 and has taught privately for six years.

 


Mark Tate

Coach, Percussion Ensemble
(Staff Member since 2004)
Mark L. Tate received a Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from the University of Kentucky as a student of David Davenport. He was the first percussionist to receive a performance degree from this university.

Mark received a Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. His major teacher was Richard O’Donnell, Principal Percussionist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. While in St. Louis, he also studied with John Kasica and Tom Stubbs of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He performed frequently with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joining them in 2 east coast tours that included performances in Carnegie Hall. He was also a percussionist with the Might Mississippi Concert Band, Gateway Festival Orchestra, Springfield (IL) Symphony, and staff percussionist at the Westport Playhouse. While in St. Louis he taught drums and percussion at Clayton Academy of Music, Drum Headquarters and was a teaching assistant at Washington University.


Mark began performing as a percussionist with the Louisville Orchestra in 1983. He has also performed as percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a percussionist with Louisville Chorus, the Louisville Choral Arts Society and the Derby City Brass Band. Mark also serves as percussionist with Musical Theatre of Louisville and the Broadway Series at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Mark is a frequent free-lancer with various churches and chamber groups in the Louisville area and is also the drummer for the Dixie Jazz Cats and the Memphis Red Hots, a western swing band.

Mark is the percussion instructor at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, IN, and Georgetown College in Georgetown. He serves as percussion coordinator for the marching bands at both New Washington High School in New Washington, IN and du Pont Manual in Louisville. Mark also teaches concert percussion at Eastern High School in Louisville and both marching and concert percussion at Oldham County High School, in Buckner, KY, Henry County High School in New Castle, KY and Atherton High School in Louisville. In addition he coaches percussion ensemble at Crosby Middle School and the “Junkyard Hawks” at Hite Elementary, both in Louisville. He maintains a full service studio in his home, specializing in concert percussion instruction for students in the area band programs. He services, as the percussion coach/percussion ensemble director for the Louisville Youth Orchestra. And is also the founder of the Louisville Institute of Drumming and creator of the percussion group Stick-Click.

 


Melody Welsh-Buchholz
Executive Director
(Staff member since 1985)
Melody Welsh-Buchholz brings a rare combination of talents to the position of Executive Director of the Louisville Youth Orchestra. She is both a professional musician and an accomplished arts administrator. Ms. Welsh-Buchholz holds a Bachelor of Music Education (1977) and a Master of Music (1981 - emphasis in multiple woodwinds). She has had a successful teaching career at St. Francis School and Anchorage School in Louisville and at Clarksville Middle and High School in Clarksville, IN. From 1978 to 1980 Ms. Welsh-Buchholz served as the local KMEA (Kentucky Music Educator's Association) chairperson for the annual Solo/Ensemble and Band/Orchestra Festival. Ms. Welsh-Buchholz currently teaches privately and performs professionally with the Broadway Series, Derby Dinner Playhouse and the Louisville Orchestra along with her duties at the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

Ms. Welsh-Buchholz has been on the staff of the LYO since 1985. From 1985-1987 she served as the Wind/Brass Coach and Librarian. From 1987-1990 she served as the Operations Manager. From 1990 to the present she has held the position of Executive Director. During her tenure as Executive Director the Louisville Youth Orchestra's budget has doubled, patron donations have risen by 80% and the orchestra's membership has increased by 40%.

 


Kara Hubbard

Music Librarian and
Co-Production Manager
Symphony and Repertory Orchestras

(Staff Member since 2007)
Kara Hubbard has been an enthusiastic volunteer with the Louisville Youth Orchestra since 2000 and is thrilled to now be a member of the LYO staff. As a lifelong musician and avid musical enthusiast, Ms. Hubbard has developed a deep appreciation for the positive impact music has had on so many children’s lives.

Ms. Hubbard received her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Louisville in 1994. Since then, she has devoted her time to her family and to volunteer work with various nonprofit educational organizations. In the spring of 2007, Ms. Hubbard also accepted a technology position with the library staff at North Oldham High School.

 

 


Jessica Hubbard

Co-Production Manager
Concert and Serenade  Orchestras
Percussion Ensemble

(Staff Member since 2009)
Jessica Hubbard



 

 

 

   

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