Each year the Lakes Area Music Festival draws over 200 professional artists from the nation's best orchestras and opera companies. Get to know our 2026 roster!
Christian Reif
Conductor
Music Director
José Luis Gutiérrez
Assistant Conductor
Mittelsächsisches Theater
Ziwei Ma
Conducting Fellow
Justin Bruns
Violin
Atlanta Symphony
Cynthia Burton
Violin
Charlotte Symphony
Rebecca Edge
Violin
Des Moines Metro Opera
Ann Fink
Violin
St. Louis Symphony
Sarah Grimes
Violin
Minnesota Orchestra
Ingang Han
Violin
Jacksonville Symphony
Beatrice Hsieh
Violin
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Eunice Kim
Violin
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Hanna Landrum
Violin
Minnesota Orchestra
Charlie Lin
Violin
St. Louis Symphony
Jessica Ling
Violin
Hannah Linz
Violin
Utah Symphony
Kayla Moffett
Violin
Washington National Opera
Ben Odhner
Violin
Minnesota Orchestra
Hugh Palmer
Violin
Utah Symphony
Gabriela Peña-Kim
Violin
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Elina Rubio
Violin
Utah Symphony
Kumiko Sakamoto
VIolin
Thalea String Quartet
Alexandra Switala
Violin
Milwaukee Symphony
Benjamin Thacher
Violin
Louisiana Philharmonic
Wyatt Underhill
Violin
San Francisco Symphony
Chase Ward
Violin
Christopher Whitley
Violin
Thalea String Quartet
Natalie Yu
Violin
The Florida Orchestra
Maia Zander
Violin
Malibu String Academy
Steven Zander
Violin
Los Angeles Freelance
David Auerbach
Viola
Minnesota Orchestra
Georgi Dimitrov
Viola
Milwaukee Symphony
Alejandro Duque
Viola
Milwaukee Symphony
Andrew Francois
Viola
St. Louis Symphony
Lydia Grimes
Viola
Minnesota Orchestra
Benjamin Magruder
Viola
Rochester Philharmonic
Zoë Martin-Doike
Viola
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Alexander Peña
Viola
Hawaii Symphony Orchestra
Leonid Plashinov-Johnson
Viola
San Francisco Symphony
Samantha Rodriguez
Viola
Milwaukee Symphony
Marlea Simpson
Viola
Minnesota Orchestra
Lauren Spaulding
Viola
Thalea String Quartet
Jarrett Threadgill
Viola
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Alex Cox
Cello
Thalea String Quartet
Robbie Erhard
Cello
South Dakota Symphony
Austin Fisher
Cello
Tesla Quartet
Kevin Kunkel
Cello
Oregon Symphony
Scott Lykins
Cello
South Dakota Symphony
Sonia Mantell
Cello
Minnesota Orchestra
Nicholas Mariscal
Cello
Cincinnati Symphony
Patricia Ryan
Cello
Trio Zenia
Peter Thomas
Cello
Milwaukee Symphony
Erik Wheeler
Cello
Minnesota Orchestra
Nils Aardahl
Bass
Kansas City Symphony
Matthew Abramo
Bass
Nashville Symphony
Aleck Belcher
Bass
St. Louis Symphony
Brittany Conrad
Bass
Bass, Milwaukee Symphony
Matthew Frischman
Bass
Bass, Minnesota Orchestra
Casey Karr
Bass
Baltimore Symphony
Andrew Keller
Bass
Utah Symphony
Emily Krajewski
Bass
Winnipeg Symphony
Paul Macres
Bass
Louisiana Philharmonic
Jason McNeel
Bass
Charlotte Symphony
Paris Myers
Bass
Milwaukee Symphony
Kyle Sanborn
Bass
Minnesota Orchestra
Kayla Burggraf
Flute
Kansas City Symphony
William Cedeño
Flute
South Dakota Symphony
Brook Ferguson
Flute
Colorado Symphony
Greg Milliren
Flute
Minnesota Orchestra
Matthew Roitstein
Flute
St. Louis Symphony
Ebonee Thomas
Flute
Dallas Opera Orchestra
Dwight Parry
Oboe
Cincinnati Symphony
Kevin Pearl
Oboe
Milwaukee Symphony
Joseph Peters
Oboe
North Carolina Symphony
Henry Ward
Oboe
Buffalo Philharmonic
Jay Shankar
Clarinet
Milwaukee Symphony
Aaron Apaza
Bassoon
North Carolina Symphony
Joshua Elmore
Bassoon
Fort Worth Symphony
Jessica Findley Yang
Bassoon
Minnesota Opera
Emma Plehal
Bassoon
South Dakota Symphony
Kai Rocke
Bassoon
Oregon Symphony
Ted Soluri
Bassoon
Dallas Symphony
Fei Xie
Bassoon
Minnesota Orchestra
Darcy Hamlin
Horn
Milwaukee Symphony
Daniel Hawkins
Horn
Dallas Symphony
Brett Hodge
Horn
Omaha Symphony
Adedeji Ogunfolu
Horn
Pacific Symphony
Jaclyn Rainey
Horn
Minnesota Orchestra
Dominic Rotella
Horn
Richmond Symphony
Jessica Valeri
Horn
San Francisco Symphony
William Cooper
Trumpet
Atlanta Symphony
Tetsuya Lawson
Trumpet
Houston Grand Opera
Ansel Norris
Trumpet
The Florida Orchestra
Graham Taylor
Trumpet
La Crosse Symphony
Evelyn Carlson
Trombone
Kansas City Symphony
Kirk Ferguson
Trombone
Milwaukee Symphony
Nicholas Platoff
Trombone
Houston Symphony
Samuel Schlosser
Trombone
San Francisco Opera Orchestra
Evan Williams
Trombone
National Symphony
Andrew Chappell
Bass Trombone
Minnesota Orchestra
Ilan Morgenstern
Bass Trombone
Vancouver Symphony
Robyn Black
Tuba
Milwaukee Symphony
Derek Fenstermacher
Tuba
New Jersey Symphony
Ben Poirot
Tuba
Rockford Symphony
Jason Haaheim
Timpani
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Michael Jarrett
Percussion
Atlanta Symphony
Bradley Loudis
Percussion
President's Own
Erich Rieppel
Timpani
Minnesota Orchestra
Kevin Watkins
Percussion
Minnesota Orchestra
Emily Melendes
Harp
Calgary Philharmonic
Connor Buckley
Piano
Resident Artist
Adam Golka
Piano
New York City
Mary Jo Gothmann
Piano
Minneapolis Freelance
Timothy Lovelace
Piano
University of Minnesota Faculty
Katerina Burton
Soprano
Andrea Ross
Broadway Singer & Actress