For immediate release:
July 20, 2023
Contact: Julie Goetz, Director of Communications
(412) 905-9058
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY APPOINTS ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER AND TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE BRASS SECTION; PROMOTES ASSISTANT CONDUCTORS
PSO ALSO WELCOMES 11 NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PSO First Violin Justine Campagna Appointed to Assistant Concertmaster Michelle Hembree Appointed Second Horn Douglas Rosenthal appointed Associate Principal Trombone
Assistant Conductors Moon Doh and Jacob Joyce Promoted to Associate Conductor
PITTSBURGH—Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck and president and CEO Melia Tourangeau are pleased to announce the appointment of three musicians. Pittsburgh Symphony first violinist Justine Campagna has been appointed Assistant Concertmaster, effective immediately; she will also be Acting Associate Concertmaster until that vacancy is filled. In addition, Michelle Hembree has been appointed second horn, and Douglas Rosenthal has been appointed associate principal trombone, both of whom will join the Pittsburgh Symphony at the start of the 2023-2024 season. The Pittsburgh Symphony also announced today that assistant conductors Moon Doh and Jacob Joyce have been promoted to associate conductor.
With these appointments, a total of seven musicians have won prestigious auditions with the Pittsburgh Symphony in the 2022-2023 season. Previously announced appointments this season were second violins Boxianzi (Vivian) Ling, Regi Papa and Carolyn Semes, and oboist Samuel Nemec. Also previously announced were Joshua Samuel Carr, trumpet, and Drew Collins, bass, who won auditions as Paul J. Ross Fellows for two years, beginning with the 2023-2024 season.
”It is a joy to announce the appointment of three musicians to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In her five years with the Orchestra as first violin Justine Campagna has been a fantastic and memorable musician, and we look forward to her leadership as assistant concertmaster. Michelle Hembree and Douglas Rosenthal are exceptional musicians who we know will make significant contributions to the PSO’s concerts and recordings,” said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “We are also thrilled to have 11 new members of the board of directors. We are grateful that these generous and outstanding civic and volunteer leaders have joined us in an unwavering belief in the bright future of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Heinz Hall for many generations to come.”
Together with Pittsburgh Symphony board chair Anthony L. Bucci, Melia Tourangeau and the Pittsburgh Symphony are also delighted to announce the appointment of 11 new members of the board this year. The new directors are Michele R. Atkins, non-profit consultant and community volunteer; Wendy Herlands Barensfeld, business leader and teacher; Alexa Forte, shareholder, Dentons; Julie Gulick, president and CEO, Bally Design; Christopher J. McComish, chief executive officer, S&T Bank; Abby Morrison, volunteer and care manager; and Christine Toretti, businesswoman and civic leader. The new members of the board ex officio are Dr. Quintin B. Bullock, president, Community College of Allegheny County; Father Paul R. Taylor, president, Saint Vincent College; Dr. Michelle L. Patrick, president, Robert Morris University; and Dr. Wayne Walters, superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools.
| ABOUT THE MUSICIANS |
Justine Campagna, assistant concertmaster/acting associate concertmaster. Justine Campagna joined the Pittsburgh Symphony as first violin in the 2018-2019 season. Prior to joining the Pittsburgh Symphony, Campagna held the position of associate concertmaster of the Kansas City Symphony for four seasons, where she also performed numerous times as soloist. She previously held the position of concertmaster with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Mansfield Symphony, and the National Philharmonic, as well as associate concertmaster of the Akron Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as guest concertmaster and soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and guest concertmaster with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Campagna frequently performs with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, and has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and Verbier Festival Orchestras. She holds an artist diploma in Concertmaster Studies from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Michelle Hembree, second horn. Michelle Hembree most recently served as acting assistant principal/utility horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she was acting principal horn of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and principal horn of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. She holds the position of utility horn of the Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. As a soloist, Michelle was named a 2017 Yamaha Young Performing Artist, and has won numerous collegiate instrumentalist competitions. Hembree holds a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business.
Douglas Rosenthal, associate principal trombone. For the past 11 years, Douglas Rosenthal has held the position of assistant principal trombone in the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, D.C. This is the designated orchestra for the Washington National Opera as well as ballet, musical theater, chamber music, and other in-house productions and presentations at the Kennedy Center, including the annual star-studded Kennedy Center Honors. Rosenthal has performed as a guest musician with symphonies across the country, including Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, National, St. Louis, and more. Rosenthal is also a specialist in the bass trumpet, a prominent orchestral instrument of Richard Wagner's four-opera epic Ring cycle, which Rosenthal has performed on numerous occasions. Rosenthal holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University. He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a fellow of the New World Symphony.
| ABOUT THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
New directors:
Michele R. Atkins, CFRE, retired from full time employment in July 2013 in order to devote more time to her volunteer activities, including service on four Boards of Directors, including as Chair of the Carlow University Board of Directors. She is also serving as a consultant to several nonprofits as they build their governance and fundraising capacity.
Wendy Herlands Barensfeld has for many years been devoted both to the family business (Ellwood Group) as a director and as a member of the executive committee, and also to the health of her community. She has been an elementary school teacher throughout the region and served as a volunteer leader in the Riverside Beaver County School District. Using her Master of Arts in Landscape Studies as a springboard, she has led several community rejuvenation efforts in Ellwood City, including a major Main Street project, and also founding the Farmers’ Market. Barensfeld also holds an undergraduate degree in art history from New York University and worked in arts administration.
Alexa Forte is shareholder and National Practice Group Leader of the Dentons U.S. Immigration Group. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of immigration law, Forte focuses her practice on employment-based immigration, advising domestic and international companies regarding temporary and permanent visas for their foreign national employees. She also assists employers with federal compliance issues in the contexts of corporate restructuring and government audits. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.
Julie Gulick is president & CEO of Bally Design, named to this role in April 2019. Bally Design is a leading industrial design company that helps companies identify growth opportunities and develop products, interfaces, and experiences that delight customers. Gulick is an active member in Pittsburgh Symphony Inc.’s Jack Heinz Advisory Board and has served on the board of LifeX Greenhouse.
Christopher J. McComish is chief executive officer of S&T Bank, serving in this role since August 2021. Previously he was senior executive vice president of consumer banking of TCF Bank, where he led all consumer banking lines of business as well as business banking and wealth management. Prior to TCF Bank, he served as president and chief executive officer of Scottrade Bank, the banking subsidiary of Scottrade Financial Services, Inc. and as head of personal banking and then as chief operating officer for personal and commercial banking at BMO Harris Bank. Currently, McComish serves on the Board of Bank of Administration Institute (BAI) and as a Board member of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund.
Abby Morrison has been a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Jack Heinz Advisory Board for many years and has enjoyed the Orchestra since childhood. She currently acts as a personal assistant and care manager and has worked as a proofreader and copy editor in the Washington, D.C., and Ithaca, New York, areas.
Christine Toretti is an accomplished businesswoman, philanthropist, and civic leader, committed to the advancement of women. In 1984, Christine was named the first female director of S&T Bank, and today she is in her fourth year serving as chairman of the board. Another board service has included a directorship of EQT Corporation, leadership in many nonprofit organizations, including The Andy Warhol Museum and the NCAA Foundation. She is former president of the Foundation for IUP and vice chairman of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher education. In 1983 she took on the role of chief financial officer of her family's firm, S. W. Jack Drilling Co, and upon her father's passing in 1990, she took on the role of president and chief executive officer for a decade.
New members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Board, ex officio
Dr. Quintin B. Bullock is president of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), a multi-campus institution serving more than 30,000 students. Before joining CCAC, Dr. Bullock served as president of Schenectady County Community College in New York, and as as provost of Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia. President Bullock holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Prairie View A&M University and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center: Dental Branch. Dr. Bullock serves several boards, including Vibrant Pittsburgh, Caring Place Foundation, Partner4Work, the Buhl Foundation, Pittsburgh Public Theater and the Allegheny Conference for Community Development.
Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., Ph.D., is president of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He began his appointment as president on July 1, 2019, and previously served in other administrative roles dating to 1999. Under his leadership as executive vice president in 2017, the College successfully launched the Forward, Always Forward, $100 million campaign to make significant improvements across all areas of campus life. Father Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Saint Vincent College in 1987, a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1991, a Master of Arts degree in mathematics from Duke University in 1993 and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Boston College in 1998. He entered the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community in 1987 and was ordained a priest in 1992, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. He is active in pastoral ministry and serves on several boards.
Dr. Michelle Patrick is the president of Robert Morris University (RMU), named to that role in July 2022 following her service as interim president and Dean of the RMU School of Business. Her transformative leadership, characterized by change and innovation, brought RMU national recognition with the MBA program ranked No. 15 in the nation by Fortune Magazine. As president, Dr. Patrick has emphasized the importance of organizational culture and a singular focus on the student experience. These guiding principles have helped RMU to grow enrollment, defying industry-wide trends in higher education. Prior to joining RMU, Dr. Patrick had served as dean at West Chester University, where she revitalized the online MBA program, earning its first ranking by U.S. News and World Report. Dr. Patrick holds a Ph.D. in marketing from Kent State University and is widely published on the topic.
Dr. Wayne Walters is superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. Dr. Walters has worked his entire professional career, more than 30 years, for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the second-largest public school system in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent of 6-12 schools, assistant superintendent of professional development and special programming, and, most recently, has served as interim Superintendent since October 1, 2021. Dr. Walters holds a Doctor of Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master in Music Education and Technology from Duquesne University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance and Music Education from Carnegie Mellon University.
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