Musicians

The Washington Island Music Festival is led this year by artistic directors Stefanie Jacob, Scott Tisdel, and administrative director Teresa Drews.

Teresa Drews, Director of Education and Piano Department Chair at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, is excited to spend her 9th summer as a festival musician in 2018. An active performer in the Milwaukee area, she often collaborates with WCM faculty and fellow Washington Island Ensemble members.  Most recently Ms. Drews and Meaghan Heinrich (along with Mayfest alum Libby Garrett) have formed the group “Nice Girls Playing Chamber Music” which performs in the Milwaukee area. Ms. Drews received a B.M. degree, with honors, from Northwestern University and an M.M. degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. She has studied with Sylvia Wang, Ann Schein, and Seth Knopp and performed in master classes by David Burge and Menahem Pressler. A committed music educator, Ms. Drews now oversees a group of over 90 musicians and educators who provide services in four WCM locations and in several community partnership sites. In the past, Teresa has maintained a large piano studio and has taught general music and piano at several Milwaukee area schools.

Stefanie Jacob made her solo debut with the Boston Pops at age 17 and her Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1984. An avid chamber musician, she was twice awarded Second Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and received Indiana University's Leo Weiner Prize for Chamber Music. Ms. Jacob has soloed with both the Milwaukee Symphony and the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Waukesha and Manitowoc Symphonies; she has recorded for the Arundax, CRI, Fleur de Son, Equilibrium, and the Wisconsin Conservatory labels. A graduate of Harvard and Indiana Universities, Ms. Jacob taught at the University of Tampa from 1985-87, and since then at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, where she is a founding member of the school's resident Prometheus Trio. She is a recipient of the Milwaukee Civic Music Association's award for Excellence in Studio Teaching, as well as the Conservatory's Faculty Award.

Now the Milwaukee Symphony's Associate Principal Emeritus (but a continuing proud member of the Orchestra) Scott Tisdel served as associate principal cellist of the MSO and principal cellist of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra from his 1987 arrival in Milwaukee until recently. He has appeared as soloist with both ensembles, as well as with the Waukesha and Manitowoc Symphonies and the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra.

Prior to his arrival in Milwaukee, Mr. Tisdel served as principal cello of the Florida Orchestra in Tampa and was a member of both the Oakland and San Jose Symphony orchestras in California.

He is the founding cellist of the Prometheus Trio, in residence at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and coaches chamber music at the Conservatory while teaching private lessons at home in Shorewood. Mr. Tisdel has recorded for Arundax, CRI, Fleur de Son, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Oris Records.

Oboist and co-founder of the Washington Island Music Festival, Stephen Colburn performed as Principal Oboist of the Milwaukee Symphony and served with distinction from 1966 until his recent retirement. During the past seasons he has continued his performing career as principal with the Chicago Master Singers, DuPage Chorale and Ars Viva (Chicago) orchestras. He has also appeared as guest principal with the Lake Forest Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic. He is currently Co-Artistic Director of the Chicago Double Reed Festival. Previous engagements include principal of the Santa Fe Opera and Grant Park Music Festival. Stephen Colburn’s solo engagements include the American premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Oboe Concerto at the Ojai Festival in California and the Oboe Concerto by Lukas Foss with the Milwaukee Symphony. Mr. Colburn was founding Music Director of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra as well as Music Director of the Racine Symphony. Teaching positions include Visiting Prof. atLawrence University, Adjunct Prof. at UW-Milwaukee, and woodwind coach of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Regarded as an “inventive conversationalist” (Chicago Classical Review) on her instrument, violinist Hannah Christiansen has performed with groups including Ensemble Dal Niente, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and the International Contemporary Ensemble. Hannah’s particular interest in nonstandard notation and extended technique has led her to hold positions as Artist in Residence at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University; she has also guest lectured on extended techniques for the violin at the University of Chicago. With percussionist Joe Bricker (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra), Hannah designed and runs From Scratch, an education program to introduce young musicians to contemporary music early in their careers. Hannah holds a degree in French Language and Literature from Oberlin College in addition to her violin studies at Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, and DePaul University, and her major teachers are Milan Vitek, Gerardo Ribeiro, and Janet Sung.

Sara Colburn, soprano, is thrilled to return to the Washington Island Music Festival this summer! Sara holds tenure as a full-time member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, and has performed in over one hundred different opera productions, including world premieres by John Adams and Philip Glass.  She has also performed with many leading ensembles in the San Francisco Bay area, including American Bach Soloists and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.  An active chamber musician and guest artist, Ms. Colburn has performed at the Boston, Berkeley, and Bloomington Early Music Festivals, and has recorded on the Bridge, Focus, and Harmonia Mundi labels. She earned masters degrees from Indiana University in voice and early music. She has also studied at the Sorbonne, and holds undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University in French and in voice.  Sara’s concert appearances include Galatea in a semi-staged performance of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, the Mozart Requiem, and Charpentier’s Te Deum and Messiaen’s Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine at the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming.

Kristin Gordon received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education (2014) from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and her Masters in Music Education (2020) from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Her career began in Sharon, Wisconsin where she taught Pre-K through 8th grade general music, directed two choirs, and began a musical theatre program. In 2019 she joined the music staff at Kenosha Unified School District where she teaches K-5 general music, directs the 4th-5th Grade Choir at Prairie Lane Elementary, and is one of the directors for the KUSD Elementary All-City Choir.

Gordon was recognized for excellence in education with The Service Above Self Award from Sharon Community School presented by the Fontana Rotary Club in 2019 and with a KUSD Spark Award in 2023. In 2017 she was a guest clinician for the Freeport School District World Arts Festival Elementary Mass Choir. At Highland Community College, Freeport, Illinois, she served as assistant music director for Summersets 42 & 43. In addition she has adjudicated for IHSA choir contest.

Currently, Gordon plays flute in the Freeport Concert Band and participates in the Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church Choir and Handbell Ensemble. Kristin and her husband, Ben, reside in Racine, Wisconsin.

Nathan Hackett is a longtime violist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Philomusica String Quartet. At the MSO this season Nathan performed in several live streamed chamber music programs as part of their “Reimagined Season”.  In years past Hackett has been engaged as a substitute with the Chicago Symphony, Principal Violist of the Namdo Festival in Gwanju Korea and Principal Violist and chamber musician with the Woodstock Mozart Festival. Additional orchestral work includes, Principal Violist with both the Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra. His quartet, now in its 12th season, does a series at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Wisconsin Lutheran College where they are in residence. The Philomusica has been featured on live broadcasts for WFMT in Chicago and has performed at Yale University. This is Nathan’s 18th year with WIMF. 

Julian Hagen, a fourth generation Islander, was raised in a musical family during a magical, musical time here on the Island. Songwriter, singer and all-around musician, this popular Island entertainer knows how to draw his audience in with his delightful, Island-flavored music and his warm sense of humor. Julian performs often with his multi-generational family and Door County friends in the area and elsewhere. He has his own recordings of originals mixed with covers and has been part of recording compilations with other artists. 

Prior to moving to Milwaukee, Ben Haimann completed his Master's degree in music performance at the University of South Carolina. He received degrees in music education and music performance from The Ohio State University in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A native of Lombard, Illinois, Ben began his musical studies at age nine playing drum set and taking private percussion lessons. During the summers of 2014 and 2015, he served as the Teaching Assistant and Counselor for the Instrumental Music Program at The North Carolina Governor’s School East where he coached the percussion ensemble and spent time conducting the wind ensemble. While studying at Ohio State, Ben was awarded the prestigious Presser Foundation Scholarship. He served as a graduate assistant for the University of South Carolina percussion studio and was the percussionist for the Spark Collective, a graduate quintet focusing on community engagement through music. Ben was fortunate enough to win the concerto competition at the University of South Carolina and performed Kevin Puts’ Marimba Concerto No. 1 with the University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra in 2019. Currently, Ben performs as the drummer for Tally Ho Brass and Blaskapelle Milwaukee. In his free time, Ben enjoys practicing marimba, making coffee, and hanging out with his wife, Sabrina, and dog, Lila.

An enthusiastic supporter and choral participant of the Music Festival since its first year, Cindra has been MC and Co-Director of the popular “Under the Big Top”/”Top of the PAC” since 1999. (She’s looking forward to its new location and returning to a tent this year!) A Washington Island native, she brings her own special charm and is a favorite performer, whether it be at the Red Barn, TPAC, Trinity Lutheran Church Choir, or Island Players production. Cindra is an active community member and has served on numerous local boards and committees, in addition to working full-time at the Sievers School of Fiber Arts.

Dr. Laura McLaughlin is on faculty at Carroll University and is a founding member and executive director of Lakeshore Rush NFP, a classical chamber ensemble based in Chicago. Laura can be heard on Lakeshore Rush’s debut album, Moving Parts, out now on Albany records. She has performed in Italy, Belgium, Canada, and across the United States. Dedicated to new music, Laura has commissioned and premiered works by Beth Bradfish, Griffin Candey, Dane Crozier, Amos Gillespie, Jonathan Hannau, Joshua Hintze, Pierre Jalbert, Laura Schwendinger, Chris Thomas, and Roger Zare. Her articles “Tips from the Pros” and “Interview with John Bruce Yeh” were published in the Clarinet Journal, and her “12 Progressive Etudes: For E-flat Clarinet” were published in 2020. Her primary teachers include Dr. Linda Bartley, Dr. Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and Dr. Kimberly Cole-Luevano. When she’s not performing, Laura can be found cycling across Wisconsin with her fiancé Jeremy!

Sabrina Raber is a performer, educator, composer, and entrepreneur based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
 
Sabrina currently serves as Community Program Manager for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO). She is also the Music Director for the MYSO Chamber Flute Ensemble and Flute Chorale. In addition to her conducting role, she serves as the private flute teacher for MYSO's Prelude Wind Ensemble, is a faculty member at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and instructs a small private flute studio. 

In 2019, Sabrina was a fellow for the Global Leaders Program, where she earned an Executive Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship, Teaching Artistry, and Organizational Management. Sabrina was the first to receive the Master of  Music and Community Partnership degree at the University of South Carolina. She did her undergraduate work at The Ohio State University. Sabrina’s teachers include Jennifer Parker-Harley and Katherine Borst-Jones. 

Marlee Sabo is the Co-Founder of the Washington Island Music Festival and is proud to have participated as solo artist in every season since its inception.

Ms. Sabo received a B. Music from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and M. Music with Honors from Indiana University School of Music. She was awarded a Performer’s Certificate from the Akademie Mozarteum in Salzburg and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart, Germany as well as receiving a German Government Grant (DAAD) for further operatic study. Ms. Sabo has performed in Europe as soloist in the Salzburg Festspiel, the Stuttgart Staatstheater and on German television. She has soloed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (with whom she has recorded), Atlanta Lyric Opera, opera companies in Indiana and Illinois and in Chicago at the Grant Park Music Festival. In Milwaukee Marlee has been soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony, Florentine Opera, the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra and many other organizations. As Artist Faculty member at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Ms. Sabo performed numerous solo recitals, premiered new music and taught college undergrad and graduate degree courses in German Lieder, French Mélodie, Oratorio, French, German and Italian Diction, 20th Century Art Song and Opera Workshop.

As soloist at the Washington Island Music Festival, Ms. Sabo has sung art songs across the standard repertoire as well as songs in all the Scandinavian languages, Bach cantatas, Chamber repertoire, Narrations and appeared as soloist in the world première of Eric Ewazen’s Island Songs and Landscapes .

John Shawger joined the Virginia Symphony as 4th horn in the fall of 2015. He served as principal horn for the VSO’s 2016-17 season, and has performed as guest principal horn with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Filarmonica de Jalisco, Guadalajara. John has also performed as an extra musician with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Milwaukee Symphony. Originally from Milwaukee, John completed his undergraduate degree in horn performance at Northwestern University in Illinois, also earning a minor in computer science. He continued his studies in the Masters program at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. While attending the Colburn School, John performed regularly on the Colburn Chamber Music Society series, collaborating with clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas and pianist Jon Kimura Parker. In the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, John has performed as a chamber musician with Virginia Symphony colleagues, and with the Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players. John’s principal teachers include Andrew Bain, Gail Williams, and William Barnewitz.

Emmy Tisdel is a doctoral student in the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, where she studies with Tim Kantor. She will be joining the Tucson Symphony Orchestra as a member of the second violin section beginning in Fall 2022. Emmy has been selected as a P.E.O. Scholar for the 2022-23 academic year, and is also a former University of Arizona Doctoral Fellow. Within the University of Arizona, Emmy is a member of the Graduate String Quartet, the Cabrini Quartet. Emmy graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a Bachelor’s degree in Music, from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with a Master of Music, and from Schulich School of Music at McGill University with an Artists’ Diploma and a Graduate Diploma in Music Performance. She is a co-founder of Ensemble Urbain, a conductorless chamber orchestra based in Montreal; she is a faculty member for the SA’ Oaxaca strings international music festival, which provides free chamber music tutoring to students based in Mexico; and a member of Austin Camerata, an interdisciplinary chamber music organization based in Austin, Texas. Former teachers include Jinjoo Cho, Kenneth Goldsmith, David Bowlin, Samantha George, and Katie Brooks.

Soprano Alison Vernon has sung opera, concerts, recitals, and oratorios in Europe and the United States. In addition to singing professionally, Alison also teaches, most recently at Northwestern Illinois University and before that at Central Methodist University. She has collaborated with Eric Ewazen and premiered his song cycle "Summer Journey" with the Washington Island Music Festival. Alison and her husband Charles (a professional trombone player) spend their summers on Washington Island. Alison is also Director of Music at Countryside Church in Palatine, Illinois.

Heather Zinninger plays Assistant Principal Flute with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She previously played Principal Flute with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and has performed as a guest with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and New World Symphony. Heather regularly performs chamber music with Milwaukee Musaik, where she also serves on the artistic board. Her summer festival appearances include Midsummer's Music, Lakes Area Music Festival, Tanglewood, Music Academy of the West, and National Repertory Orchestra. Heather grew up in Louisville, KY and studied with Leone Buyse at Rice University, Bonita Boyd at the Eastman School of Music, and Tallon Perkes at Interlochen Arts Academy. As an educator, Heather teaches lessons, coaches chamber music, and presents workshops and masterclasses. When not playing the flute, she enjoys hiking, gardening, advocating for animal rights, and maintaining a vegan recipe website called Flutes and Veggies.

Cellist Adrien Zitoun is a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Present Music and the Philomusica String Quartet. Mr. Zitoun teaches at the Wisconsin Lutheran College, coaches the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestras, and has a handful of dedicated private students. He also received the 2017 CIVIC MUSIC Certificate of Excellence for Studio Music.

In 2001, as a member of the Eusia String Quartet, he was awarded the Gold medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the Music Pen club award in Japan for the best Chamber music recording in 2006 for their recording of music by Britten, Purcell and Takemitsu.

 In his native land of France, Mr. Zitoun studied cello at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon with Yvan Chiffoleau. In the United States, Mr. Zitoun earned his Artist Diploma and a Masters of Music from Indiana University where he studied with Tusyoshi Tsutsumi and Janós Starker.

Douglas Anderson has been a soloist for the Grace Lutheran Church Bach Cantata series in River Forest, IL since 1978. He has performed solo roles with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, including the title role in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneus, Monteverdi’s Orfeo, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass, St. Matthew Passion, and Cantata 82. Dr. Anderson has performed as baritone soloist with the Grant Park Festival, and the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. Additional solo appearances include Mahler, Symphony No. 8, Vaughan Williams, Five Mystical Songs, and Sea Symphony, and Brahms Requiem. In 2012, he was bass soloist for a presentation of Bach, Cantata 94 during the year-long 800th-anniversary celebration of St. Thomas Kirche in Leipzig. Dr. Anderson is Professor of Neurological Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center and Stritch School of Medicine and the 2010 winner of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Synthes Skull Base Surgery Award. He is an avid cross-country skier and completed the three day, 100 mile, 2013 Arctic Circle Ski Marathon in Greenland.

Mitchell Shiner is a drummer, vibraphonist, and composer based in Milwaukee, WI. Mitchell graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies. Shiner studied under Professors Steve Houghton, Michael Spiro, Wayne Wallace, and Dr. David Baker. Mitchell is on faculty at The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and serves as the Chair of Jazz and Contemporary Music. At WCM, Mitchell teaches percussion lessons to students of all ages. Through the WCM Connections program, he teaches a World Percussion curriculum to high-need students in the Milwaukee Public School district. Shiner directs Jazz combos and ensembles for middle- and high-school students, and classes for lifelong learners. Mitchell is a bandleader and composer. “Mitchell Shiner Latin Vibes” has been featured in concert by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and in 2022 released “Latkes Con Salsa: A Latin Jazz Hanukkah.” Shiner leads “Match Stick,” a tour-de-force fusion band, playing exclusively genre-bending original material for an electric quartet. For more information, please visit www.shineymusic.com.