You enter a beautiful hall -- acoustically perfect -- where musicians are getting ready to rehearse.  You hear the noise of individual warm-ups  for a few minutes until the the tuning note sounds. The room quiets. They take a familiar, collective breath -- just a second of silence before sound pours from the stage. They start to play, and it's effortless, like they've done this a million times. There are dozens of rehearsals ahead of them. The concert has been planned for months. By the time that night comes, they will have prepared an impeccably polished performance. The lights in the hall will dim, the audience will take their seats, and everything will go as planned...

That's not us.

And instead of wishing that it were, we celebrate the edge and energy that come with limited resources. We schlep our own music stands, print our own programs, and play on tight schedules and short notice. We don't have a performance hall.  We rarely play with the same people twice. Our performances come together at the last minute, so they feel a little more like jams than concerts.  We think that's an exciting, interesting way to make music - and it's a lot of fun. 

Ad Hoc is  a musical ensemble based in Rochester, NY that plays mostly, but not exclusively, classical music, and it aims to meet two needs. First, it gives early-career musicians a chance to play good music with their peers, be part of a musical network, and be highlighted in the community . Secondly,  Ad Hoc presents concerts that are accessible in more ways than one - by making concerts affordable, by creating  unique, meaningful educational programs, and by designing our programs to be smart, but also comfortable and user-friendly. We try to be a lab for new concert ideas, something we think is a win-win for audiences and musicians.
  
 Check out what we're doing, and come join us some time. We'd really like you to see you there.

Members: past, present, and in between...

Mike Alexander, horn

Eury Alvarez, oboe

Timmothy Baker, violin

began studying the violin at the age of ten under the tutelage of Ms. Toni Hassel. He went on to attend Sanders Middle School and W.J. Keenan High School with Mr. Freddie Grace as his instructor. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in August of 2004 with a BM in Violin Performance, and the Eastman School of Music in May of 2008 with a Master's in Violin Performance and Literature. He has held positions as Assistant Concertmaster of the University of South Carolina Symphony and Chamber Orchestras for three consecutive years, and Assistant Principal Second Violin of the South Carolina Philharmonic for two years. As an assistant at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts during the Summers of 1996 and 97, Mr. Baker taught students, and coached chamber music as well. He has also been a Guest Conductor and Clinician for several high school groups while attending the University of South Carolina. In addition, Mr. Baker performed with the USC Jazz Strings at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) International conference in Anaheim, California in January, 1999. Darol Anger (founding member of Turtle Island String Quartet) performed with the group as guest soloist. 

Mr. Baker has performed in master classes with Charles Castleman, David Kim, Donald Weilerstein and Vadim Gluzman. His past teachers include Anne Ezell, Freddie Grace, William Terwilliger, Jerri Lucktenburg, Ryan Kho, Charles Castleman and Zvi Zeitlin. In addition, Timmothy enjoys composing and has had several works for String Orchestra premiered by groups in South Carolina. While at Eastman, Mr. Baker studied composition under Mr. Carlos Sanchez Gutierrez. A member of The Well-Tempered Trio, Mr. Baker Placed alternate in the MTNA Collegiate Chamber Music Regional Competition. He was a prizewinner in the South Carolina Young Artist Scholarship Competition, helping finance his undergraduate education. Mr. Baker currently performs with the Greece and Penfield Symphony Orchestras here in Rochester, NY.

Sean Barela, bassoon

Lauren Becker, horn

Melissa Birkhold, bassoon

Rachel Bottner, cello

Catherine Branch, flute

Catherine Broyles, flute

Adrienne Caravan, violin

Lauren Cauley, violin

Vic Chavez, clarinet

Adrian Demian, violin

Jon Dozois, horn

Wendy Eisenberg, guitar

Nina Elhassan, clarinet

Tara Fayazi, tuba

Austin Fisher, cello

Michael Franz, bass

Michael Fuller, bass

Erin Futterer, horn

Norman Gonzalez, flute

Matthew Gray, horn

Eliana Haig, viola

Sandra Halleran, cello

Kieran Hanlon, bass

Sandra Herrera, clarinet

Sandra was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado and began playing clarinet at the age of twelve, although her love of music began with piano lessons at the age of seven.  She graduated from Eastman School of Music in May of 2009 with a Masters degree in clarinet performance, where she studied with Robert Dilutis and Kenneth Grant.  Prior to coming to Eastman, she earned her Bachelor's degree at Colorado State University where she studied with Dr. Charles Lawson.  She also had the opportunity to study with Abby Raymond while attending the University of Denver.  In June 2010 after a successful audition, she was offered a position as a musician in the U.S. Navy and is very excited to begin her journey with them in fall of 2010.

Dana Huyge, viola

Samantha Inman, flute

Kirsten Jerme, cello

Byron Johns, horn

Janna Karatas, violin

DeYeon Kim, cello

JiSun Kim, cello

Che Ho Lam, violin

Kate Lemmon, flute

Tiffany Valvo Lopez, clarinet

Siu Yan Luk, piano

Claude Lumley, horn

Daniel Lyons, percussion

Carson Moody, percussion

Johnny Ng, viola

Julia Nilsen, cello

Hannah Osgood, horn

Lori Osgood, horn

Erin O'Shea, flute

Matt Osika, trumpet

Matt Osika holds both a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music where he studied trumpet with Douglas Prosser and James Thompson; conducting with Mark Davis Scatterday.  Currently, he serves as the K-4 music, choir, and band instructor for the Sodus Central School District in Sodus, NY, and maintains a private trumpet studio in Fairport, NY.  In addition to teaching, Matt is the Principal Trumpet, Principal Composer/Arranger, and Board President of Ad Hoc (an "ephemeral" chamber orchestra) in Rochester, NY.  

Melanie Pozdol, violin

Andrew Psarris, trumpet

Ryan Reiss, clarinet

Jaycee Ripley, trumpet

Patricia Rolland, oboe

Teddy Sainphor, viola

Juli Schenk, bassoon

Patrick Shelc, viola

is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music with Carol Rodland. His past teachers include Phil Ying, Marilyn Seelman, and Paul Murphy. An avid orchestral player, Mr. Shelc has held principal positions in both the Eastman Philharmonia and the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and he was also a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra for five years. He has given Solo recitals in Atlanta, Rochester, and Brunswick, Maine. Mr. Shelc's dreams include going abroad to study in Germany and learning how to play the didgeridoo. He performs on a Bronek Cison viola made in 1994.

Sonya Shelton, piano

Terry Smith, oboe

Jessica Smithorn, oboe

Jessica is the official baker of Ad Hoc.  She is happy to whip up batches of citrus, pistachio, marble, or coffee cupcakes to delight everyone’s tastebuds.  In her spare time, she plays the oboe and can frequently be seen scraping reeds, always in pursuit of the perfect reed.  She recently graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature.  While at Eastman,  she studied with Richard Killmer and was a founding member of the Argestus Wind Quintet.  Jessica also received a fellowship to study abroad at the Banff Centre for Creativity in Alberta, Canada in 2006, and she joined the UMKC Liberace Winds (Graduate Fellowship Wind Quintet) upon her return to the States.  She received a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Arts Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she studied with Barbara Bishop.  She currently lives with her wife and cat in Rochester.

Rebecca Smithorn, conductor

Rebecca is the founder, artistic director, conductor, personnel manager, accountant, publicist, stage manager, and crisis hotline representative of Ad Hoc.  She believes that she serves a great, noble, and deeply relevant art, that apples are under-appreciated as ingredients in savory contexts, and that the widespread disappearance of penmanship courses is unfortunate. She loves very strong coffee, the poetry of Walt Whitman, The Simpsons, virtuosic banjo playing, the thoughtful and talented musicians she has the privilege of conducting, her Siamese cat, and her wife. She occasionally hikes waterfalls and makes a killer cheese soufflé.  She is a first-generation musician, grew up in St. Louis, went to school in Kansas City, conducted for a while in Columbus, and is now in Rochester, where she spends her days in the development department of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jessica Spies, horn

Yixuan Song, violin

Anna Steltenpohl, oboe

Curtis Swike, trombone

Becky Taylor, flute

Chris Teal, percussion

Benjamin Thomas, bass

Marta Tiesenga, saxophone

Nikola Tomic, Trumpet

Kevin Tompkins, violin

Clay Zeller-Townson, bassoon

Emily Tsai, violin

Andrew Wang, cello

Eddy Wang, violin

Cameron Wilkens, piano

Malcolm Williamson, trombone

Colleen Wolf, horn

Colleen Wolf  holds the Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan; she holds the Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she also received the prestigious Performer's Certificate.  Ms Wolf is the horn teacher at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance, where she also serves as the Brass Chamber Music coordinator and coach.  She is a founding member of several ensembles including Fem Vindar [a woodwind quintet], Plymouth Brass Quintet, and Twenty21, a contemporary music ensemble.  She lives in Fairport with her husband, Ned, and sons Declan and Fintan.

Gregory Wood, bass

Jessica Wooldridge, bassoon

Yusheng Xue, saxophone

Aaron Yarmel, violin

Aaron Yarmel began studying the violin at the age of 5, and recently
completed his violin performance degree requirements at the Eastman
School of Music as a student of Zvi Zeitlin.  He is currently studying
at the University of Rochester as a Take 5 Scholar.  He has appeared
as a soloist with the InterHarmony International Music Festival
Orchestra, the Penfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Rochester
Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.  He has received chamber music
instruction from Donald Weilerstein, Peter Salaff, Edward Dusinberre,
Stephen Picard, András Fejér, and Warren Jones.  Aaron has been the
concertmaster of both the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Philharmonia, and the principal second violininist of the
Music Academy of the West Festival Chamber Orchestra.  He has also
performed with the New World Symphony.  While at Eastman, Aaron was selected to perform with faculty members Zvi Zeitlin and Oleh Krysa in the David Oistrakh Centenary Celebration.

Ryan Yarmel, bass

Ad Hoc Advisors

Jeremy Cooney

Ruth Ferguson

John Fetter

Barbara Hull

Linda Josephs

Mark Kellogg

Stephen Kennedy

Mark Powell

Greg Sandow

Casey Springstead

Markand Thakar

Brenda Tremblay

Ad Hoc  * 28 Lawn Street  * Rochester, NY 14607
info@adhoc-music.org
585-454-3878