Columbus Symphony To Begin 2021-22 Season With Seven New Full-Time Musicians

After more than 400 applications and four weeks of in-person auditions to screen in excess of 200 hopefuls, the Columbus Symphony will begin the 2021-22 season with seven new, full-time musicians in its ranks. Spurred by a series of retirements in the previous season, the CSO set to work screening some of today's most talented musicians and is excited to debut its exceptionally gifted new class beginning with the Renée Fleming season-opening special concert event at the Ohio Theatre on Saturday, September 25.

The new, full-time Columbus Symphony musicians are as follows:

Autumn Chodorowski, violin

Originally from Woodstock, IL, Autumn Chodorowski is also principal second violin of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, having had the privilege of joining the orchestra at the Sun Valley Music Festival in 2020. She previously served as associate principal second violin of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Chodorowski holds a Bachelor of Music from The Glenn Gould School, a Master of Music from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Autumn was a fellowship recipient at the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Round Top Music Festival, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, and Spoleto Festival USA. In addition, Autumn serves on faculty at the Community Music School at Webster University in St. Louis.

Zhe Deng, violin

Zhe Deng has served as a section violinist for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Since 2016, he has also been a regular substitute violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, he collaborated with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Concert Orchestra in 2017 after placing first in the violin concerto competition. From 2017-19, Deng gave solo performances at the China National Centre for the Performing Arts, The Concertgebouw, and Carnegie Hall. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati (CCM).

Gyusun Han, violin

Violinist Gyusun Han was born and raised in South Korea and received her bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the Korea National University of Arts. She achieved her second master's degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts. Han made her debut as a soloist at the Universal Arts Center in Seoul at age 10. She has appeared as a soloist with the KNUA Symphony Orchestra and the Hyundai Youth Orchestra in Korea. In the US, she has performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the CCM Philharmonic and Concert Orchestras. As a chamber musician, Han is a founding member of the Ensemble Feliz (Korea).

Spencer Ingersoll, viola

Ingersoll graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) where he received his master's degree and was also part of the Intensive String Quartet Seminar. His quartet, the Onyx String Quartet, won the senior division of the WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition at Davidson College in North Carolina. Orchestrally, Ingersoll was a member of the New World Symphony from 2018-21 and is also a substitute for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with his alma mater, the Las Vegas Academy Philharmonic Orchestra, as part of their 25th anniversary celebration in the Smith Center. Over the summer, Ingersoll attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, Sarasota Music Festival, Spoleto Festival, Kneisel Hall, and was a three-time viola fellow at the Music Academy of the West. He has also participated in the String Quartet Seminar while at the Music Academy of the West under the tutelage of the Takács Quartet.

Alice Risov, viola

Originally from Detroit, violist Alice Risov has served as section viola in the Flint Symphony Orchestra and assistant and acting principal viola for the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in several festivals and programs, including the Montecito International Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and National Orchestral Institute + Festival. Risov graduated in 2020 with both a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from the University of Michigan. She completed one year of her master's degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music before beginning this position with the Columbus Symphony.

Lydia Roth, flute/piccolo

Roth has performed frequently with the Columbus Symphony as an associate musician in addition to holding the position of principal flute with Symphony in C and appearing as a substitute musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. As part of Curtis on Tour, she performed Mozart quartets throughout California as well as in London for a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In addition to maintaining her own private studio, Roth has also led masterclasses for Play on Philly, Philadelphia Musical Alliance for Youth, Philadelphia All-City Orchestra, and the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in flute performance from the Curtis Institute of Music and Lynn Conservatory and has spent summers studying and performing at the Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and Lake George Music Festival.

Hugo Souza, principal oboe

Souza has performed extensively throughout Brazil, North America, and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. He had the honor of performing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, as a guest artist at Music@Menlo, and with the ensemble Pentaèdre in Montreal. He also has performed with the American Ballet Theatre and American Symphony Orchestra. Souza earned his bachelor's degree in oboe performance at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), and continued his studies in the US, earning his Master of Music from SUNY Purchase. He is also a doctoral candidate at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. Souza is on faculty at Capital University's Conservatory of Music.

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