Symphony orchestra rosters are generally very stable, but it is inevitable that both professional ambitions and personal needs produce some turnover of player personnel. Amazingly, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra survived the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown and an uncomfortable labor dispute mostly intact. Only four core positions had to be filled for the 2021-22 season, but two were principal chairs in the woodwind section and two were core cellists replacing personnel taking a leave of absence.
Devan Jaquez (Principal Flute) received his music education in the Los Angeles area, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree of Art in Music Performance in the spring of 2017 from UCLA and a Master of Music Degree in 2019 from the Colburn Conservatory in downtown Los Angeles, studying with Jim Walker. Prior to winning the flute position with the KSO, Jaquez worked as a freelance musician playing in Los Angeles as well as playing many studio recording gigs for a broad range of artists, from scores for UCLA Film students to Warner Bros. Studio. He was a finalist in the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Competition and a 2020 instrumental fellow of the Music Academy of the West (MAW).
Justin Cummings (Principal Bassoon), a native of Fresno, CA, was previously a bassoon fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, as well as performing with a number of orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Phoenix Symphony. He received his Bachelor’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Master’s of Music from the Colburn School.
Adam Ayers (core cello), a native of Wisconsin, began studying the cello at an early age and later attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree studying with Uri Vardi. Ayers received a Master’s Degree at Indiana University studying with Peter Stumpf. He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2016-2019 as a section and principal cellist. Adam has performed with the Madison and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras and teaches a “virtual” studio of young cellists remotely.
Sarah Miller (core cello), hailing from Long Island, NY, received her Undergraduate Performance degree and Master’s Performance degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Miller began studying at the age of four at a local Suzuki school and later trained in the Precollege division at the Manhattan School of Music with Deborah Park. She has been a member of the Akron Symphony Orchestra since 2018. In the past, Sarah has held positions with numerous other orchestras, including Principal Cellist in the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra and Assistant Principal Cellist in the South Shore Symphony. Sarah substitutes with many regional and national orchestras, such as the New World Symphony, the Charleston Symphony, and the Cleveland Playhouse Square Theatre orchestra, among others.
