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FACULTY
Jason Lim. Artistic Director. Conductor Chamber Orchestra, Conducting.
Recognized by the Denton-Record Chronicle as one of “2012’s Most Fascinating People,” the career of conductor Jason Lim is on the rise. Lim was born in Penang, Malaysia and began his formal training in viola performance when he won a scholarship to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with Alice Waten. He commenced his studies at the Canberra (Australia) School of Music, and completed his bachelor’s degree with honors at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. Jason received his Master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of North Texas.
Known for his fine technique in performances and innovative programming, Jason began his conducting studies in Australia: first as an apprentice with the Canberra Youth Orchestra, and later as an Assistant Conductor with the Ku Ring Gai Philharmonic Orchestra in Sydney, a position that was awarded in conjunction with winning 1st Prize in the New South Wales Ministry of Arts Conducting Prize. Most recently, Jason won 1st prize in the 2021 The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming and in 2020, Jason was selected by the Texas Commission on the Arts into the Texas Touring Roster Inclusion. In 2016-2017 Jason was the 1st Prize Winner of the American Prize Competition for professional conductors. In 2015 Jason was the 2nd Prize Winner. Additionally, In 2016 Jason received the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for excellence in performing American Music. In 2013 Jason made his European conducting debut with the Academic State Concert Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in Kiev and in 2014 appeared as guest conductor with the Zabrze Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jason has also appeared as guest conductor with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra and Johnstown Symphony Orchestras and has appeared as guest conductor with choruses around the globe. In addition, Jason's work extends to other art mediums such as visual arts and dance notably with collaborations with prominent dance choreographers like Bill Evans. Jason has also appeared as guest conductor of the Denton Bach Society and the American Baroque Opera Orchestra.
A champion of new music, Jason has conducted at conventions including SEAMUS Y2K (the acousma tex conference) and the North American Saxophone Alliance. In 2001, he was a guest conductor with the Composer’s Forum Orchestra which he conducted world premiere performances of aspiring young composers. In 2012 Jason commissioned the world premiere of BREATH by Brad Robin. During his tenure as Music Director of the NOVA Ensemble, Jason led the group in its first commercial recording in 2000 on the “Equilibrum” label. Jason conducted the world premiere performance of Brian Bavelander’s Distant Visions for orchestra and pre-recorded tape.
In 2010, Jason was among eight conductors selected to participate at the Ithaca International Conducting Workshop under the tutelage of Gustav Meier. Jason has also attended the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Maine. Jason remains an active performing violist, having performed with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony of Malaysia, Australian National Opera Orchestra and Texas Baroque Ensemble. Jason was also a member of the University of North Texas Graduate String Quartet.
Jason is known for his commitment to community and a strong believer in education while dedicating his talents working with young musicians, and conducting orchestra workshops in Asia and the United States. He served as conductor and educator for 10 years with the Abilene Summer Music Festival in conjunction with Hardin Simmons University, the Pan American Music Festival in Edinburgh Texas, as well as the Penang State Orchestra Workshop in Penang, Malaysia and serves as Artistic Director of the Summer Music Intensives in McKinney, TX since 2015. Jason’s mentors include distinguished conductors: John Farrer, Nicholas Braithwaite, Henryk Pisarek and Max McBride. Jason currently also serves as Artistic Director of the Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra and is also Artistic Director of the Summer Music Intensives in McKinney, Texas.
Currently, Jason is the Artistic Director and conductor of the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra a group he founded in 2012. In 2014 the orchestra was awarded second prize in the Professional Orchestra division of the American Prize Competition and third prize the previous year. Thanks to Jason’s commitment to education, the group pioneered a unique mentorship program that gives talented high school students the opportunity to perform side-by-side with professional musicians.
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Kevin Garza, Symphony Conductor, Chamber Music, Music History and Conducting
Kevin Garza is the Director of Orchestras at Williams High School in Plano ISD. He holds a B.M. in composition from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and a M.M. in orchestral conducting from Southern Methodist University. He studied conducting with Paul Phillips as the Assistant Conductor of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, trombone with Carl Lenthe, piano with Alfred Mouledous, and composition with Elliott Bark, Don Freund, and Aaron Travers.
As a conductor, Mr. Garza was selected to be a conducting fellow at the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute in 2018. In the spring of 2021, Mr. Garza served as the Interim Conductor for the East Texas Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. In their 2023-2024 season, he joined the Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra as their new Symphony Orchestra conductor.
For three years, Mr. Garza was heavily involved with the New Albany High School Band Program, both as a teacher and composer. He was also active as a trombonist, performing as a member of the Louisville Winds and Brass Band of Louisville, the latter in which he performed as a soloist. Mr. Garza continued to teach low brass both in southern Indiana and later in Dallas, where for a few years he gave masterclasses and clinics to a handful of school districts in addition to maintaining a private lesson studio in Forney and Mesquite. He has also been a faculty member at the Rockwall School of Music.
In his current work at Williams, Mr. Garza conducts three string orchestras and a full symphony orchestra comprised of students with 4 to 5 years of experience. The orchestra program earned a sweepstakes at UIL Contest in 2022 and 2023 under his direction.
When not poring over scores or chattering on about Bach, Mr. Garza enjoys cooking, coffee, reading, and visiting friends and family.
Ben Mitchell, Conductor of Sinfonietta, Double Bass, Chamber Music
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Ben Mitchell began his double bass journey at age 10, mentored by Jack Unzicker, Gudrun Raschen, and Jeff Bradetich. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University, where he studied under Dr. Gene Moon and Mr. Carlos Gaviria.
During his education, Ben served as principal double bass for the Longview Symphony and the Orchestra of the Pines. He was also honored with admission to the prestigious Round Top Music Festival for two summers and had international performance opportunities in Europe and China.
Today, Ben is teaching double bass lessons to a studio comprising 30 students, many of whom have achieved All-State level success over multiple years. He continues to perform with the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra, substitutes in various local orchestras, and showcases his versatility with both upright and electric bass in the Frisco Jazz Band and Classic Jazz Trio. Beyond music, Ben enjoys hiking, video games, cooking, and exploring the world alongside his wife, Angie.
Yulia Petkevich, Violin, Chamber Music, All State
Yulia Petkevich, a violinist born in Moscow in 1990, started her musical journey at the Edvard Grieg Music School. From 2005 to 2009, she studied at the Gnesin College of Music under Professor Vladislav Igolinsky. In 2005, Yulia graduated from the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music under the guidance of Alexander Dogadaev, the Dean of the string department. During her studies, she was inspired by exceptional professors like Dora Schwarzberg, Gerhard Schulz, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Philippe Graffin, Anna Kandinskaya, Victor Tretyakov, Natalia Lihopoi, and Yair Kless. She also spent two years studying with Professor Michael Vaiman from the Cologne High School of Music. Yulia participated in various international festivals and summer courses in Germany, Sweden, Italy, and Berlin. She achieved recognition in several international violin competitions, both in Russia and across Europe.Miss Yulia is current;y, Principal 2nd violin with the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra.
Catherine Beck. Violin, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Music.
Catherine Beck is a violinist and violist in DFW. She received her Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance at Texas Christian University where she studied with Ronald Houston and Elisabeth Adkins. Catherine is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Viola Performance at Southern Methodist University where she continues to study with Ronald Houston. She currently has a private studio in Arlington, McKinney, and Fort Worth, and is a violist in the McKinney Philharmonic.
Outside of teaching, Catherine performs classical, pop, and jazz music in the DFW metroplex, and enjoys playing celtic and fiddle music with friends.
Michael Fang. Viola, Chamber Music, Viola Choir.
Violist Zefeng(Michael) Fang began to play violin when he was four years old. Later, he studied viola with Wing Ho, who was the President of the Chinese Viola Society and Chairman of the Viola Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Dr. Fang hold Doctoral of Musical Arts at Michigan State University. Previously, he holds Bachelor degree at Lynn University, Master degree at Cleveland Institute of Music and studied with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey. Dr. Fang has performed in Severance Hall in Cleveland Ohio, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Liaoning Grand Theatre, and has been featured on Jining Television. Dr. Fang is the winner of the South Florida Young Artist Solo Competition, attended Primrose Viola Competition in 2008 and Viola Congress in 2012.
Dr. Fang had working experience with many orchestras including Erie Philharmonic, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, Mckinney Philharmonic Orchestra, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, and Richardson Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Fang currently is violin and viola instructor at FCA Frisco and Prosper, Previously He taught the CMS and Warner Elementary School.
Dr. Fang had master classes with Kim Kashkashian, Pinchas Zukerman James Dunham, Wayne Brooks, Robert Vernon, Carol Rodland, Hsinyun Huang. Principal teachers including Jeffrey Irvine, Lynne Ramsey, Wing Ho, Ralph Fielding, Eric Nowlin.
Danny Jordan. Viola, All State, Chamber Music, Music History.
Violist Danny Jordan is a current resident of The Colony, TX. They recently have returned to the Dallas area after completion of a Master of Music Degree in Viola Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Mark Jackobs. Lauded by audiences as “outstanding,” with a “sound that enraptures,” past awards and accolades include Finalist in the Meadows School of the Arts Concerto Competition, Meadows Scholar Award, Finalist in the 2022 New World Symphony Audition Tour, National Merit Scholar Award, and two-time winner of the Meadows School of the Arts Honors Chamber Music Competition. Prior to their admission to the Cleveland Institute of Music, they completed a Bachelor of Music Degree in Viola Performance from Southern Methodist University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Jordan has extensive solo, chamber, and orchestral performance experience in some of the most prestigious concert halls in Texas and Ohio, including Jones Hall in Houston, the Meyerson Symphony Center, Moody Performance Hall, Severance Hall, and Winspear Opera House. Solo performance experience includes multiple public recital performances in and around Cleveland, Dallas, and Houston, including a performance as a featured soloist for Cleveland Repertory Orchestra’s 2022 Benefit Recital. Orchestral experience includes performances with Houston Youth Symphony, Meadows Symphony and Opera Orchestras, San Angelo Symphony, Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra, Texas Music Festival Symphony Orchestra and Cleveland Repertory Orchestra, with experience performing as principal viola in the Meadows School of the Arts, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Cleveland Repertory Orchestras. Jordan has performed under the baton of phenomenal conductors such as JoAnn Falletta, Hans Graf, Carlos Kalmar, Sey Ahn, and Phillip Mann. Chamber Music experience includes performances alongside the Escher Quartet and the formation of two full-time string quartets, as well as performances in masterclasses for the Pacifica, Dover, and Elias Quartets.
In addition to their performance experience, Jordan is an avid educator, working with violists and violinists of all ages in individual and group settings for the last decade. Their students have earned entry into a variety of ensembles and programs, including Houston Youth Symphony, Cleveland School of the Arts, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and various All-Region Ensembles across the state of Texas. In addition to their work in classical music, Jordan also spends time tutoring in Spanish, as well as various maths and sciences. In their free time, they enjoy cooking, hiking, playing with their dog Alfie, and making music with their closest friends. Jordan performs on a viola made by Alan and Sarah Balmforth in Seattle, WA in 1999.
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Emmanuel Kwok. Cello, Cello Choir, Chamber Music.
Native of Hong Kong, Tsun-yuet Emmanuel Kwok has appeared as a soloist in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He has performed over 30 world premieres of contemporary music and made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in June 2023. Currently, Kwok is a member of the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra and Dallas Chamber Symphony. He also regularly plays with orchestras and ensembles, including the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, and the Texas Cellos. He has previously served as principal cellist of MPO, a member of the Hong Kong New Philharmonic, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Kwok has received awards, including 1st prize in the Hong Kong Music Festival and 2nd prize in the National Competition of Asia. In addition to his classical performance, he worked with worship ministries and pop singers in Southeast Asia and recorded more than ten albums as a solo cellist; in 2021, he also worked with RedSeaMusic (CA, USA) to produce music videos.
Kwok is currently a teaching artist at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Program and a faculty at Tarrant County College. He also teaches privately and serves as faculty of Prime Music Institute in Plano. Kwok is a registered Suzuki cello teacher and served as full-time cello faculty at Greenville Suzuki Strings from 2021 to 2023, and Fort Worth B Sharp Youth Music Program from 2015 to 2020; during his doctoral student life, he served as a teaching assistant of internationally renowned cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi, where he taught a wide range levels including students from music minor to graduate performance major. He was also the assistant director of TCU Cello Ensemble. Besides, Kwok has also taught as cello faculty at professional music summer institutes, including Texas Cello School, Clear Creek Music Festival (OR), TCU Summer Cello Academy, and Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra Summer Music Intensive.
As a recitalist and soloist, Kwok is invited for solo and chamber recitals frequently in Dallas-Fort Worth area; and solo appearances with orchestras, including Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, The Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra, Mansfield Philharmonic, Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra, Coppell Community Orchestra, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Art Academy Orchestra, and Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra. In the season of 2023-24, Kwok's major cello projects included Dvorak Cello Concerto with Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, and Bach Suites at the Art Exhibition by Arts & Music Guild of McKinney.
Kwok believes in Authentic Christianity and the philosophy of Authentic Music Performance. As a musician and scholar, Kwok holds memberships of The National Society of Leadership and Success, Pi Kappa Lambda International Music Honor Society, and Golden Key International Honor Society. Kwok is also a regular Mu Phi Epsilon Concert Series member.
Kwok finished his Master of Music in cello performance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts at Texas Christian University School of Music, majoring in cello performance with a cognate in music theory. He had the privilege of coaching by cellists Johannes Moser, Lynn Harrell, Steven Isserlis, Vagram Saradjian, Dmitri Atapine, Maja Bogdanovic, and Li-Wei Qin.
Ms. Hsun Chen. Cello, All State, Chamber Music.
Ms. Chen was born in Taiwan and began her musical studies at the age of four and continued studying until receiving her master’s degree. Recently, she just received the Performer’s Diploma in Cello Performance from the Meadows School of the Art at Southern Methodist University, where she studied with renowned soloist Andrés Díaz.
As an orchestra member in Taiwan, she has toured including Hong-Kong, Italy, and Israel. In addition, she has won several cello competitions and has been recognized for her achievements. In the past few years, Ms. Chen has appeared at the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival “Re-Imagined”, Round Top Festival Institute, National Orchestral Institute+ Festival, and Cremona International Music Academy in Italy. She’s passion for music has led to numerous solo and chamber music performance opportunities in masterclasses for Gary Hoffman, Thomas Landshoot, Uri Vardi, Jérôme Pinget, Paul Katz, Diotima String Quartet, Dover Quartet, Escher Quartet, and many others.
Ms. Chen is Suzuki Certified Teacher in Suzuki Cello Books 1 and 2. And she is currently building a studio in Dallas, Texas. Besides teaching, she has been a piano accompanist of Dallas Philharmonic Choir since 2018.
Nestor Zayas. Double Bass, Chamber Music, All State
Mr. Zayas obtained a DMA and master’s from Florida State University and a bachelor’s from the University of Georgia and has performed internationally as guest artist with orchestras and ensembles in south and central America and USA.
Mr. Zayas has also been faculty of several summer music camps, including Brevard Music Camp, Lake Murray music Camp, the Florida State University Orchestra Camps, University of West Florida Orchestra Camp, Okaloosa-Walton College Summer Camp, and clinician to various middle school and high school locations at Plano and Frisco ISDs for All Region and UIL orchestra music materials.
He is an active free-lance performer, often performing with the Plano Symphony, Irving Symphony, and McKinney Philharmonic. He is a member of the International Society of Double bassists and the Cello Society.
Mr. Zayas has participated at master classes with world renown, performers such as Edgar Meyer, Gary Karr, and Francois Rabbatt, Jeff Bradetich, Francesco Petracci, Jorma Katrama, Thomas Martin, Giuseppe Ettore, Marcos Machado, Milton Masciadri, as well as cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Joseph Kuipers.
Zayas was faculty member at the University of West Florida (Pensacola) teaching cello and double bass and assistant conductor of the Runge String Orchestra.
Mr. Zayas currently maintains a busy Studio teaching Cello and Double bass students in the Plano and Frisco areas and recently obtained his Suzuki Certification up to level 6 on Violin and viola.
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Anthony Nagid. Music Theory, Jazz Orchestra.
Anthony performs over one hundred and fifty times a year across the D/FW metroplex's most prestigious music venues, clubs and educational institutions. Anthony is a resident of McKinney, Texas where he is the founder of the McKinney Piano Dojo and producer of The Vintage Piano Hour Show. In 2015 he won the Grand Prize at the McKinney Repertory Theater's 'McKinney Has Talent' competition and since 2018 has been a artist grant recipient through the McKinney Arts Commission. Anthony's past professional experience was with Carnival Cruise Lines as a keyboardist and shipboard music director. He graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a degree in music composition and was a student of the jazz piano studies program at The University of North Texas.
