Instrumental Reps
The instrumental representatives are imperative in selecting works from composers that are simultaneously challenging, engaging, and playable. Each instrumental rep is an excellent performer and deeply involved in performing new music.
Chelsea Oden, woodwinds
Chelsea is a Ph.D. student in Music Theory at the University of Oregon. She has studied clarinet for 18 years with a recent focus on contemporary chamber music. She has performed with Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (ECCE), the Pacific Northwest Contemporary Orchestra, and for Esteli Gomez's residencies with the Oregon Composers' Forum since 2014. Chelsea holds a B.A. in Music Education with emphases in Composition and Performance from Adams State University. She enjoys composing programmatic works for mixed chamber ensembles. As a theorist, she studies the film music of Thomas Newman, introspection in narrative film, and relationships between music and dance.
Andrea Kennard, brass
Hailing from the east coast of Florida, Andrea Kennard is a Master’s student in horn
performance at the University of Oregon. From a young age, she had an inclination towards music and after brief stints on both the violin and piano, she ultimately fell in love with the horn. As a Duckwitz Talent scholarship recipient at Stetson University, Ms. Kennard had the opportunity to play principal horn in both the Stetson University Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater Orchestra, and was featured as a soloist on the Schumann Konzertstuck as part of the university’s Schumann Festival in 2010. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s in Music, she entered the Arts Management Graduate program at the University of Oregon, ultimately leaving it to pursue her true passion; horn performance.
Since 2016, Ms. Kennard has been the recipient of the Close Fellowship, allowing her to complete her Master’s in Music on a full ride. While at the University of Oregon, she has been an active musician in the School of Music and Dance as Associate Principal horn of the UOSO, the OWE, the Graduate Brass Quintet, and Teen Angst. She has maintained her interest in arts administration and is currently the Executive Assistant for the Delgani String Quartet, the Artistic Administrator for the Pacific Artists Collective, and works on the production team for the UO School of Music and Dance. She plans to continue her studies in Chicago at the culmination of her graduate requirements and intends to pursue a career as an orchestral and chamber musician. While not busy making music, she enjoys running after her rambunctious terrier named Dragon and attempting to master the fine art of baking French Macarons.
Simeon Brown, strings
Simeon Brown has been playing the violin for 17 years. During those years he has played in numerous symphonies, quartets, and ensembles in California, Texas, and Oregon. He also trained at the internationally acclaimed Idyllwild Arts Academy and was personally coached by Martin Chalifour, principal violinist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Recently, he spent a summer studying at the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina where he had the opportunity to perform onstage with Itzhak Perlman. Simeon has also taught beginning violin students for 4 years. Simeon is now pursuing his Master’s in Music Performance at the University of Oregon.
Kathie June Hsieh, percussion
Kathie June Hsieh is a percussionist, composer and music educator. Kathie is a well versed percussion that is knowledgeable in orchestral, chamber, and solo performance styles. She has performed with the Eugene Symphony, Newport Symphony, and orchestraNext.
As a composer, Kathie has premiered pieces at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and at the University of Oregon. As an educator, she has taught musicians of all ages and abilities in California and Oregon. As of recent, she has served as the assistant director of the University of Oregon Percussion Ensemble.
She is currently employed at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon as their head Front Ensemble Tech for marching band. In 2014, Kathie was awarded the "Grand Winner" position of the National Musician's Showcase and performed a solo concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. Kathie is featured as a percussionist in a recently released CD, Snow Queen, by Kenji Bunch.
Kathie has received a bachelors degree in percussion performance as well as music education from the University of Oregon, where she is now pursuing her master's degree in percussion performance. Kathie is currently living in Eugene, Oregon studying from professors Pius Cheung and Sean Wagoner.