Charleston Symphony Fellowship
General Description
The Charleston Symphony Fellowship is an intensive professional development and mentorship program for advancing talented individuals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in classical music. Since the fellowship’s founding in August 2021, it has been the Charleston Symphony’s avenue of pursuit in directly addressing institutional barriers and issues of representation, by building a direct career pipeline.
The fellowship comprises two divisions: an Executive Fellowship for arts administrators working daily as an integral part of the CSO administrative team and an Orchestral Fellowship for string musicians, rehearsing and performing as a member of the Charleston Symphony.
In addition to their organizational role, all fellows participate in career-applicable enrichment workshops in topics such as: Personal or Organizational Identity, Leadership, Molding a Compelling Vision, Philanthropy, Marketing, Interview and Job Search Preparation, Issues & Strategies of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Health & Wellness, Audition Preparation, Mock Auditions, Masterclasses with guest artists and conductors, Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, Philosophies of the Community Embedded Musician, etc.
Fellowship Divisions
Orchestra Fellowship
The Orchestral Fellowship employs up to five string musicians from a national audition for up to two full seasons, as members of the Charleston Symphony via participation in all applicable services and performances. Participating fellows perform in the CSO’s Masterworks Series, Pops Series, Education & Community Engagement Programs, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Series, Chamber Series, Summer Series, in addition to engagement with members of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Executive Fellowship
The Executive Fellowship is a partnership with the College of Charleston. Two currently enrolled College of Charleston students are awarded positions on the CSO staff and participate in a 24-month cross-departmental rotation to receive robust experience working closely in areas of marketing, advancement, operations, and more.
Current Fellows
Paulina Flores, Viola
Paulina Flores is a violist from Altadena, California. She began studying viola at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music with Rachel Fabulich. Paulina continued her studies with the esteemed Donald McInnes at Idyllwild Arts Academy. She has performed with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, with whom she played in the Berlin Philharmonie, the Musikverein, and the Elbphilharmonie. Masterclass teachers include Roger Meyers, Caroline Coade, Jonathan Moerschel, Melissa Reardon, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and Mai Motobuchi.
During the summers, she has played in the Orvieto Musica Chamber Festival in Italy, Festival Napa Valley Orchestra. the Spoleto Music Festival Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra. Paulina graduated with a BM in Viola Performance and a Post-Graduate Studies Certificate in 2022 from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is currently in her last year of her master’s degree at the University of Southern California with Yura Lee. In fall of 2023, Paulina will begin her fellowship position with the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina. Paulina plays on a Douglas Cox viola awarded to her by the Virtu Foundation. Besides playing classical music, Paulina enjoys rock climbing, collaging, and reading.
Laura Herrera, Violin
Venezuelan violinist Laura Herrera began her musical studies at the age of 7 at “La Casa de la Cultura” in Carora, Venezuela. She was a member of “El Sistema” in Venezuela and served as the Concertmaster of the “Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil Pedro León Torres.” In 2017, she attended the Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated with honors in 2018. She then pursued a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts-Roosevelt University under the guidance of Almita Vamos and MingHuan Xu, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2022. Ms. Herrera has participated in well-known music festivals such as Interlochen Arts Camp, Chautauqua Music Festival, and Arthosphere Festival and has taken part in masterclasses led by renowned violinists, including Ilya Kaler, Robert Chen, Nancy Wu, and Jun Iwasaki.
Currently, she is in her second year of a master’s program in Violin Performance with Benny Kim at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where she holds a prestigious position as part of the Graduate String Quartet Fellowship. Ms. Herrera joined the Kansas City Symphony sub list in the fall of 2022 and was recently recognized as one of the recipients of the 2023 KC Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Competition.
Timothy Ryan Parham, Violin
Timothy is a violinist currently based in Durham, North Carolina. He grew up in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and started studying violin at 5. From 2017-2021, Tim studied violin at Ithaca College in New York as a member of Susan Waterbury’s Studio. During his time at IC, he had the opportunity to play an extensive amount of chamber music as well as participate in leadership roles as a member of their Orchestra. In 2020, Tim was selected as a finalist for the IC School of Music’s Concerto Competition. Tim also holds a Masters of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Joseph Maile of the Telegraph Quartet. Tim also played with a number of regional ensembles such as Cornell University Contrapunkt, Opera Ithaca, and the San Francisco Philharmonic. He also participated in the 79th season of the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina.
In the fall of 2023, Tim relocated to North Carolina to begin playing with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle as a member of their Durham Fellowship String Quartet. Tim most recently had the opportunity to perform alongside the Verona Quartet and Balourdet Quartet for the COT’s season opener at the Carolina Theater of Durham. He is extremely grateful to be making music with the Durham Fellows, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, and Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
Olivia Salas, Bass
Olivia Salas is a dynamic bassist, songwriter, music educator, and arts advocate. Equally at home in the concert hall and in the recording studio, she was appointed the Principal Bassist of the Savannah Philharmonic in 2023 and earned her first GRAMMY nomination in 2021 for her songwriting and bass playing contributions to Leon Bridge’s latest album, Golddiggers Sound. She is a graduate from Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Double Bass Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience; and she holds a Master of Music in Double Bass Performance from UCLA. She has worked with musicians from critically acclaimed ensembles such as the San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and Vienna Philharmonic.
In addition to her performance pursuits, she is interested in the beneficial effects of music, and she has contributed to publications of neuroscience research focused on the potential of music to serve as an alternative treatment of various attentional disorders. Olivia has spent the last several years as a music educator and an advocate for access to music in historically underserved communities. Notably, she works as a Teaching Artist and Education/Curriculum Coordinator for the LA Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) program.
Amani Zouehid, Cello
Amani Zouehid is a cellist currently based in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was born and raised in Venezuela under a blending of Arabic-Venezuelan culture. Zouehid begun her musical studies at 7 in the Venezuela program “El Sistema” which provided her cost-free access to music and a space to build fruitful relationships with many diverse people. In 2018, Amani moved to the States and pursued a Bachelor of Music in Violoncello Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi. During her time there, she had the opportunity to play with the regional orchestras in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as with different chamber music groups. During the summer, she has participated in the National Repertory Orchestra, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and Eastern Music Festival. In 2023, Amani was one of the winners of the William T. Gower Concerto Competition.
In recent years, Amani has been teaching a small cello studio, where her philosophy emphasizes fostering a deep understanding of the instrument while encouraging students to express their unique voices. In the spring of 2024, Amani was selected as the upcoming cello fellow for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Inclusion Fellowship, showcasing her commitment to diversity and inclusivity within the classical music community.
She continues her studies at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as Violoncello Graduate Assistant under the mentorship of Icelandic cellist Sæeunn Thorsteinsdóttir.
Alumni
Former Orchestral Fellows
- 2023 Megumi Terry (Violin) – Director of Education and Community Engagement, Tallahassee Symphony
- 2023 Najette Abouelhadi (Cello) – Fellowship Graduate
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2023 Luis Primera (Bass) – One-Year Contract, Charlotte Symphony
- 2023 Sofia Schutte (Violin) – The Orchestra Now
Former Executive Fellows
- 2023 Jailan Willians – House and Venue Manager, Charleston Gaillard Center
- 2024 Hailey Yasinski – Arts Industry Coordinator, South Carolina Arts Commission
Sofia Dorante Schutte, Violin
Sofia Schutte was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and began her violin studies at the age of 5 at the Emil Friedman Conservatory and School. At age 12, she moved with her family to San Jose, Costa Rica, where she continued her studies at the National Music Center and the pre-college division of the University of Costa Rica School of Music with Caterina Tellini. At age 16, Sofia moved to Faribault, Minnesota to study with renowned pedagogue Sally O’Reilly at Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School Pre-Conservatory Program.
Sofia has been a winner in American Protégé Concerto Competition, Young Soloists of Costa Rica, the University of Costa Rica Concerto Competition, Thursday Musical Scholarship Competition (High School and College Division), Schubert Club Scholarship Competition, Grand Prize recipient in the Mary West Competition, and 2020 MTNA national competition. Sofia has performed in venues across the US, Costa Rica, and Europe, and has participated in summer festivals including Interlochen, Sewanee, Indiana University String Academy, Bravo Summer String Institute, Bowdoin, Pienza Music Festival and Virtuoso & Belcanto in Italy and most recently was a 2022 Diversity Fellow at Classical Tahoe.
Sofia has taken part in orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra, the Heredia Symphony Orchestra and Classical Tahoe. Co-founder of the Duo Avila, a violin and piano duo that aims to promulgate music by women and BIPOC composers through recital programming and community outreach. Sofia Schutte holds a BM degree from the University of Minnesota and is currently attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Professor Simon James.
Najette Abouelhadi, Cello
Moroccan-Italian cellist, Najette Abouelhadi is an active orchestral musician with a passion for community connectivity and inclusion based in New York City. Najette previously held positions with Chicago Sinfonietta, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and as the 2021 Artist-in-Residence at the Cliff Dwellers Club. Her love of orchestra started at the age of seven, and she has since gone on to be principal cellist of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Najette holds both a Graduate Performance Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree from Peabody Conservatory at the Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Alan Stepansky.
Luis Primera, Bass
Luis Primera is a native of Venezuela where he began playing the double bass at age 14. In 2008 he became in a member of Latin American Academy of Double Bass where he studied with Felix Petit. He served as the Principal bass with the Carabobo Orchestra of Venezuela (2008-2013) and tutti section in Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (2010- 2016) conducted by Gustavo Dudamel where He toured to the United States, South America, Middle East, and Europe as Tutti bassist per 6 years. Since 2016, Luis Primera has been living in Los Angeles CA, where he got his Performance Diploma at the Colburn school as student of Peter Lloyd in 2020. Mr. Primera currently finishing his last year Professional study certificate at the Colburn School where serves as Principal Bass in the Colburn Orchestra and he is recently becoming the newest fellow member of Charleston Symphony Orchestra in the bass section.
During his time in Los Angeles, He has been member of American Youth Symphony since 2017, and playing as substitute with San Diego Orchestra, Hawaii Orchestra, Billings Orchestra, and sphinx Orchestra. As soloist, he has performed Nino Rota’s “Divertimento Concertante.” With orchestras in Venezuela. He was a semi-finalist in the International Society of Bassists Competition in 2015 and Europe BASS Competition in 2016 in the solo- category. In his path with chamber music groups, He was invited to join to play with the Faure Quartet in their tour in USA where he performed Vaung Williams quintet and Schubert quintet.
He has performed during the last years with the fabulous conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel Valery Gergiev, Thierry Fischer, Rafael Payare, Esa Pekka Salonen, Claudio Abbado Michael Tilson Tomas, Stephane Deneve, and Miguel Prieto. He has participated in masterclasses with Timothy Cobb, Alex Hanna, Kevin Brown, Edicson Ruiz, Klaus Stoll Lawrence Wolfe, Arnold Steinhardt and Scott Pingel.
Megumi Terry, Violin
A recent MM graduate of Florida State University, Megumi Terry performs as a tenured member of the Tallahassee Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Northwest Florida Symphony, and Panama City Symphony Orchestras. Having toured throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe, Ms. Terry has collaborated with artists such as The Killers, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Train, and has performed on The Today Show. In addition to her notable collaborations, Megumi made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and has soloed with the Utah Philharmonic, Southwest Symphony, The Orchestra of Southern Utah as well as the BYU Symphony and Philharmonic. Currently pursuing a doctorate at Florida State University, Terry is the concertmaster of FSU’s flagship symphony orchestra, and is a member of its resident quartet, the Burgin String Quartet. In addition to her professional achievements in the Gulf region, Ms. Terry is a prize winner of the Stradivarius Competition and regularly performs as a section violinist with the Utah Symphony.
Megumi is passionate about music and social action and has created multiple interactive programs with her quartet to bring music to underserved communities. She also serves as the education coordinator for the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and plays in the symphony’s quartet-in-residence, Mina String Quartet, to highlight female composers and bring music to all of the elementary schools in the county.
Dauren Zhumash, Viola
Dauren Zhumash, born in 1994. Born and raised in a family of engineers in the city of Almaty. At the age of six I began playing violin. The violin teacher was Zhanbyrbayeva Anar Asanovna. At the age of 16, I began to take lessons from Bagaudinov V.G. in the viola class. In 2012 I graduated high school and went to study to the Moscow State Conservatory. At the conservatory I studied in the class of associate professor Shubina L.V. In parallel with my studies, I began a career as orchestral musician. I played in such orchestras as: the Concert Symphony Orchestra at the Conservatory, the Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow State Orchestra conducted by P. Kogan and the Moscow Philharmonic.
In 2018 ended with honors at the Moscow Conservatory and started playing at the Almaty Philharmonic the same year. In 2019 I entered the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a master in the class of Professor Yury Bashmet. This year, I also began working at the Kolobov Opera House “New Opera”. A year later, I began studying at Columbus State University in Georgia, in the class of Dr. Katrin Meidell. At this time, I am actively involved in concert activities and career growth.
Jailan Williams, Executive Fellow
Jailan Williams is an artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and podcaster from Florence, South Carolina. He currently serves as the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s new Inclusion Fellow working in External Relations. He says part of his mission with CSO is to “assist in creating a more inclusive/diverse environment in the world of classical music.” As an Inclusion Fellow, Jailan looks to gain the education, skills, experience, and professional development needed for him to succeed and further his career in music. In May 2021, Jailan graduated from the College of Charleston, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Arts Management, with a concentration in the music industry and a Minor in Music. His future career plans include being a producer/musician full-time, he plays electric bass, trombone, and piano. Other plans include owning a recording studio and record label.
Additionally, he is the co-founder and co-host of his podcast, JusMusic. Jailan has experience with music production as he co-produced his first single, “Losing Grip” available on all streaming platforms and has done production for several independent artists.
Partners
College of Charleston
Arts and Cultural Management Program Faculty
&
Office of Institutional Diversity
The Charleston Symphony Inclusion Executive Fellowship (CSIEF) was developed in partnership with the College of Charleston’s (CofC) School of the Arts in alignment with its own diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives, and with support from key field experts Dr. Karen Chandler (Associate Professor, Arts Management) and Dr. Renard Harris (Chief Diversity Officer). Kate Keeney, former Program Director of Arts Management noted, “We are grateful to the CSO for making such a significant investment in emerging arts managers who together will advance diversity and inclusion in the field.” Keeney continued, “Subsequently, it will be organizations like the CSO that will be successful in attracting these bright leaders in the future. The CSO Fellowship prioritizes mentorship, provides funding, and offers exceptional learning opportunities for our students—ingredients that will result in meaningful exchange and most importantly change in the arts management field.”
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College of Charleston is a nationally recognized, public liberal arts and sciences university. Founded in 1770, the College is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life and affordability.
The College’s five-course Graduate Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management prepares a global market of arts leaders in the creative economy through immersive experiences with diverse artists, arts and cultural institutions, and their communities. Based in the College’s School of the Arts, the Arts Management Program offers this one-year, 15-credit curriculum of live and online classes, and includes coursework in: executive and fiscal leadership; data and cloud information systems; arts education and advocacy; social justice engagement in the arts; strategic planning and evaluation; and managing institutional resources. Students may also complete the certificate as degree-seeking students in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA) programs. The College of Charleston is also home to an undergraduate degree in Arts Management—one of the largest programs at the College and one of the few undergraduate programs in the Southeast.
Dr. Renard Harris, Vice President of Access and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer