Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Dennis O'Boyle joined the second violin section of the Pittsburgh Symphony in the fall of 2000 under Music Director Mariss Jansons and attained the position of fourth chair in 2003. In 2011 he was formally appointed assistant principal second violin after serving the previous three years as acting assistant principal 

Before arriving in Pittsburgh, Dennis O'Boyle spent three years in Florida as a fellow in Miami Beach's New World Symphony and subsequently as principal second violin of the Florida Orchestra, Tampa Bay. 

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Dennis O'Boyle has been active in the musical life of the city, participating in many and varied chamber music performances around town. Recent notable appearances include performances of Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" with Attack Theatre of Pittsburgh, annual appearances in the Chamber Music Concert of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival, and frequent performances in the Chatham University Chamber Music Series. O'Boyle also teaches privately and coaches chamber music and sectionals with the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. In addition, during the summer he is a member of the prestigious Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming. 

From a musical family, Dennis O’Boyle began studying the violin at the age of three with his mother and grew up surrounded by the sounds of string playing from her numerous students as well as his four sisters, who all went on to become professional musicians. O'Boyle spent his early childhood in Lincoln, Nebraska, but later the family spent five years in Peru and Chile, which was formative in cultivating his continuing passion for world travel. 

Dennis O'Boyle holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, as a student of Oswald Lehnert. He earned his Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Ik Hwan Bae. O'Boyle performs on a violin made by Gioffredo Cappa in 1690.  He lives in Squirrel Hill with his wife, Anna Wukich, and their two sons, Henry and Michael. 

Bronwyn Banerdt joined the cello section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2014.  She made her solo debut with Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2002 and has since appeared in concert throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and southern Africa. Notable solo appearances include performances with the Houston Symphony, Albany Symphony and the world premiere of Poem for Cello & Orchestra by Michael Kamen. At age 15, Banerdt was personally invited by the world-renowned composer John Rutter to perform the solo from his “Requiem” in Carnegie Hall. Banerdt was awarded Grand Prize at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Bronislaw Kaper Awards, and she has also captured top prizes at the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition and Kingsville Music Competition.  

Equally passionate about chamber music and orchestral performance, Bronwyn Banerdt has co-founded two uniquely focused chamber music ensembles with other members of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The Clarion Quartet specializes in “Entartete Musik”—music written by oppressed composers—and seeks to bring light to artists whose legacies would be silenced. The Pittsburgh Cello Quartet offers an eclectic mix from classical to pop and rock in unique arrangements for four cellos. Banerdt has collaborated with renowned artists such as Kim Kashkashian and Mitsuko Uchida, and members of the Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard, Borodin and Orion string quartets. She has performed at numerous chamber music festivals including Marlboro Music and Music from Angel Fire. Before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Banerdt was a member of the prize-winning Trio Terzetto and performed as a substitute with many of the great orchestras of the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Banerdt serves as artist lecturer in chamber music at Carnegie Mellon University.   

A native of Los Angeles, Bronwyn Banerdt earned her bachelor’s degree at age 19 from the USC Thornton School of Music, where she studied with Ronald Leonard. She subsequently studied at The Curtis Institute of Music with David Soyer and received her master’s degree from The Juilliard School with Richard Aaron.  

Bronwyn Banerdt plays a Montagnana model cello made by Mario Miralles in 1998.  

Zsche Chuang Rimbo Wong, from Hong Kong, made her concerto debut at Severance Hall and was critically acclaimed as a performer whose “prodigious technique and powerful ability to project was as stunning as her expressive playing” (ClevelandClassical.com). She participated as principal violist for many professional organizations as well as festivals around the globe such as Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein and Pacific music festivals. Wong performs regularly as a substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra and A Far Cry, among many others.

As an avid chamber musician, Wong has participated in the Perlman Music Program, Norfolk School of Music, Music from Angel Fire, Taos, SLSQ seminar, Yellow Barn (YAP) among others.

After Wong’s undergraduate studies at the Cleveland Institute, she received an artist diploma from the Curtis Institute studying with Hsin-Yun Huang and Roberto Díaz. Wong received the Curtis ArtistYear fellowship in the following year. With her fellowship, she dedicated one year of service to help the underserved-community through music in Philadelphia. Her project partners included Project HOME and Penn Memory Center. Wong’s fellowship not only provided enjoyment, emotional relief and genuine care to the older adult population, but also helped many individuals to regain focus, sense of direction in society and community building skills through various creative music projects.

Wong received her Masters of Music degree from the school of music at Yale University in 2019 before moving immediately to Pittsburgh for a long-term position with the Pittsburgh Symphony. In addition to her musical activities, she enjoys cycling, baking and spending time with her cats Whisky and Dumpling. Since the whisky-drinking part is fairly straightforward, she loves experimenting with various ways of wrapping and eating dumplings.

Shannon Fitzhenry began her violin studies at the age of two, and made her solo debut when she was fourteen with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Fitzhenry has soloed with the Hilton Head Symphony, the Miami Summer Festival Orchestra, Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto Orchestra, and the Peabody Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Fitzhenry has received fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival, the Tanglewood Institute, and Spoleto Festival USA. She has held numerous Concertmaster positions, including Concertmaster of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Andris Nelsons, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and the Peabody Symphony Orchestra.

After graduating from the Peabody Conservatory in 2018, Ms. Fitzhenry was appointed Concertmaster of El Paso Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Principal Second Violinist of Symphony in C and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.

Ms. Fitzhenry currently resides in Pittsburgh as a 2022 Season musician with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.