Finally, those mysterious new faces on the stage for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra have been revealed. Four musicians won auditions in September and have been added to the KSO roster. Bio information and photographs were furnished by the KSO.
Flutist Johanna Gruskin joins the core orchestra of the KSO as Principal Flute, replacing Nicholas Johnson. She was previously principal flutist of the Young Musician’s Foundation Debut Orchestra and has also performed with the San Antonio Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and the New World Symphony. She attended the Colburn Conservatory, the New England Conservatory (Master of Music), and the Eastman School of Music (Bachelor of Music). Johanna is originally from Duluth, Minnesota.
Brian Winegardner continues his career with the KSO as Second Trumpet after having won a one-year position as Second Trumpet for the 2015-16 season. He was previously the Principal Trumpet with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance with High Honors, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance from the University of Miami.
Violinist Elise Blake joins the KSO for a one-year, full-time appointment as a core musician in the Knoxville Symphony. She has previously performed with the Annapolis, Baltimore, Delaware, Harrisburg, Maryland, Richmond, Roanoke, and Virginia symphonies, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the IRIS Orchestra, and the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. Originally from New England, Elise holds a Masters of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. She completed her undergraduate training at Boston University’s School of Music.
Violinist Zofia Glashauser joins the KSO for a one-year, full-time appointment as a core musician in the Knoxville Symphony. She is the Concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, the Assistant Concertmaster of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Zofia is also a very active chamber musician, playing violin with the acclaimed Michigan City Chamber Music Festival and the South Bend Symphony String Quintet. Ms. Glashauser was born in the beautiful and historically rich city of Krakow, Poland.
