February 2026 Cecelia Scholar: Tess Varley

Tess Varley is a Philadelphia based violinist who performs with a number of orchestras and ensembles. She is currently Acting Principal Second Violin of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Delaware Symphony. 

Recent orchestral engagements include performances with the Philly Pops, Symphony in C, the Allentown Symphony, and as guest Principal Second of the Reading Symphony. Previous leadership positions include Concertmaster of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra with conductor […]

2026-01-21T12:25:06-05:00January 21st, 2026|

January 2026 Cecelia Scholar: Arlet Tabares

Arlet Tabares is a Cuban French horn player pursuing her DMA at Temple University. She has performed with the San Antonio Orchestra, Symphony in C, the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador and the Orquesta del Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana.
She is a founding member of Havana Horns and has appeared on several recordings, including Mozart y Mambo with Sarah Willis (Alpha Classics 2020) and the Cubadisco Award-winning Libre de Pecado by Beatriz Márquez (Colibrí 2018). Upcoming releases […]
2026-01-05T10:10:01-05:00January 5th, 2026|

December 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Meghan Woodard

Meghan Woodard enjoys a rich career as an oboist, oboe professor and scholar based in the Greater Philadelphia area. Meghan is a sought-after orchestral and chamber musician on oboe, English horn, and Baroque oboe. She regularly performs with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and is a member of Revolution Winds—an internationally-performing woodwind quintet known for musical activism and recent residencies at the Aruba Symphony Festival and Drexel University. […]
2026-01-05T10:39:23-05:00November 20th, 2025|

November 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Zora Evangeline

Praised by South Florida Classical Review for her “vivacious” playing, harpist Zora Evangeline is a dynamic and multi-faceted musician. She currently studies at Boyer College of Music at Temple University, where she studies with Elizabeth Hainen, Principal Harpist of The Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to her studies, Zora has a vibrant freelance career. She frequently performs with professional orchestras across the nation including the New World Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Allentown Symphony, and Maryland Symphony, and has attended several prestigious music festivals including Orford […]

2025-10-22T13:17:37-04:00October 22nd, 2025|

Sept./Oct. 2026 Cecelia Scholar: Sarah Connors

Clarinetist and bass clarinetist Sarah Connors is obtaining her Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance at Temple University as a student of Paul R. Demers. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory/Composition and Clarinet Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying with Bixby Kennedy, Romie de Guise-Langlois, and Salvatore Macchia.

Sarah can be heard on the album “Synchronous,” recorded by Greg Spiridopoulos and the UMass Wind Ensemble, and the upcoming. An avid supporter of new music, she […]

2025-09-22T14:04:48-04:00September 22nd, 2025|

April/May 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Tessa Ellis

Tessa Ellis has been preoccupied with the sound of the trumpet since she first heard the instrument as a four-year-old. Inspired by a lifelong drive to create new and nuanced sounds, her work spans orchestral, chamber, and experimental music. Recent highlights include tours with Hans Zimmer Live, Star Trek: The Cruise, and performances with Seraph Brass, the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra, Kennett Symphony, and the Delaware Symphony. She is a founding member of the Arcana New Music Ensemble and frequently collaborates across
genres with […]

2025-04-23T13:10:29-04:00April 23rd, 2025|

March/April 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Melissa Brun

Melissa Brun is a professional cellist and freelance teaching artist.  Holding a Bachelors of Music and a Performers Certificate from SUNY Purchase College Conservatory, she has recently been on faculty at Millersville University, UArts, and currently hosts her own private studio.  She has performed and soloed with various orchestras and choral associations in the Philadelphia area, and manages the Chester County Youth Orchestra.  Non-classically, she is a founding member of the chamber-folk sextet, The Sound Accord, and a former member of Irish […]

2025-03-07T07:13:40-05:00March 1st, 2025|

February 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Sarah Connors

A Massachusetts native, Clarinetist Sarah Connors is obtaining her Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance at Temple University as a student of Paul Demers. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory/Composition and Clarinet Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying with Bixby Kennedy, Romie de Guise-Langlois, and Salvatore Macchia. She has participated in masterclasses with Steve Cohen, Alicia Lee, Philip Paglialonga, and Welsey Ferriera. Sarah can be heard on the album “Synchronous,” recorded by Greg Spiridopoulos and the UMass Wind […]

2025-01-29T12:04:28-05:00January 29th, 2025|

Janurary 2025 Cecelia Scholar: Shannon Merlino

Philadelphia-area native Shannon Merlino began violin lessons at nine years of age. Immediately upon receiving her rental instrument (and before having had a lesson), she declared that she would become a professional musician, and the rest, as they say, was history. Dr. Merlino completed her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance at Rutgers University as a student of Matthew Reichert and Lenuta Ciulei. She received her Master of Music degree in violin performance as a scholarship student at the Mannes College […]

2025-01-03T15:07:49-05:00January 1st, 2025|

November 2024 Cecelia Scholar: Faith Wasson

Faith Wasson is an international performing artist, having performed throughout Europe and North America as orchestral, chamber musician and soloist. She manages her own chamber music series, Flute with Faith & Friends, featuring an array of diverse repertoire and instrumentation. As classical music artist in residence, Faith presents the classical performance series at the Media Arts Council.  She is the piccolo/3rd flutist with the Southeastern PA Symphony of which she is also the chamber music series curator. Faith teaches flute, piccolo and chamber music online […]

2024-10-16T12:13:47-04:00October 15th, 2024|
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