Violinist Micah Gangwer joined the Charleston Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Concertmaster in the fall of 2012.
Yuriy Bekker is a critically-acclaimed violinist and conductor, and an impassioned community ambassador. Bekker has been a mainstay of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for 17 years. He has led the CSO as Artistic Director since 2021 and concurrently leads as Concertmaster (2007) and Principal Pops Conductor (2016). Bekker previously served as the orchestra’s Acting Artistic Director from 2010-2014 and has a long history of dedication and vision for the CSO. In 2011, he was given the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award from the city of Charleston to honor his cultural contributions to the community.
Asako Kremer, a native of Tokyo, Japan, moved to the US in 1996 and received her Master’s degree from the Mannes College of Music. Then Ms. Kremer received a full scholarship at the University of South Carolina to serve as a graduate assistantship in performance. She has appeared with many Orchestras and Chamber ensembles in the southeast and has been very active as a private violin teacher in Charleston. Asako has been a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since 2003 and currently serves as the assistant principal second violin.
Alexander joined the Charleston Symphony in November 2012. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Alexander Boissonnault started playing the violin at age 3 and quickly displayed an affinity for the instrument. Before his graduation from high school, Mr. Boissonnault appeared as a soloist with the Orquestra Filarmonica do Espirito Santo in Victoria, Brazil, and Orchestra del Teatro Regio in Torino, Italy. In 2007, at age 17, Mr. Boissonnault was invited to appear on the NPR program “From The Top”, performing the Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Buffalo Philharmonic. Mr. Boissonnault continued his studies at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, studying under Alexander Kerr, former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.
Mr. Boissonnault has participated in numerous music festivals, including the Encore School for Strings, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany, where he was Concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra. In his spare time, Alexander enjoys biking, reading, and hiking.
Jan-Marie Christy Joyce is in her 25th as Principal Violist with the Charleston Symphony, where she has appeared frequently as soloist. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied under Stanley Konopka, Assistant Principal Violist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Sadie Nichols completed her Viola Performance studies at Indiana University (Bachelor’s Degree) under Atar Arad and University of Maryland (Master’s Degree) under Katherine Murdock of the Mendelssohn quartet & Michael Tree of the Guarneri Quartet. She currently plays as Assistant Principal with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 2001.
Benjamin Mekinulov started his cello studies at the age of 6 with Professor Feng Hew, continued his studies for a couple years with Professor David Ying, and is currently attending the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music, studying cello performance with the renowned professor, Dr. Melissa Kraut.
Cellist Damian Kremer, a native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has performed throughout the world as a soloist and as a chamber and orchestral musician. Mr. Kremer studied cello at Michigan State University
When Christian began studying the bass at age 9 he wanted to be different from his other musical siblings by playing jazz. His teacher David Yavornitzky, principal bassist of the Utah Symphony, convinced him to start with some classical fundamentals—years later Christian still hasn’t gotten around to doing much jazz. As a teenager, Christian made his big debut as a winner of the Utah Symphony’s Salute to Youth concerto competition. Years later, in college at BYU, Christian won the school’s concerto competition, and then, while attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for a Masters Degree, he won that school’s concerto competition. After completing a Master’s Degree with Scott Pingel (Former Charleston Symphony Principal), Christian extended his studies one year to earn a Professional Studies Certificate. In 2021 he attended the National Orchestral Institute and Festival in Maryland and in 2022 he played in the Music in the Vineyards festival in Napa Valley. In California he was a regular substitute with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony.
Regina Helcher-Yost is Second Flute of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Flute/Piccolo of the Colorado Music Festival, Adjunct Professor of Flute at Charleston Southern University and core flutist for Chamber Music Charleston.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh is currently the Principal Flute of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 2004.
Kelly Mozeik joined the Charleston Symphony as principal oboe in 2022. She is also the second oboist in the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra as of May 2024. Kelly also serves on faculty at the College of Charleston. Prior to this appointment, Kelly served as second oboe in the Greenville Symphony and performed as principal oboe with the Augusta Symphony for the 2021-2022 season before winning the title in 2022. Kelly has been invited as a guest musician with notable ensembles across the country, including the Atlanta Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Louisiana Philharmonic, and the New World Symphony.
Originally from Snellville, GA, Kenny Bader is joining the Charleston Symphony as Second oboe and English Horn in 2024. Prior to this appointment he served as Principal oboe of the York Symphony Orchestra for the 2023-24 season, and Second oboe and Utility English horn of the Bozeman Symphony for the 2022-23 season. Additionally, he has had the pleasure of performing with numerous orchestras including the North Carolina Symphony, the Charlotte Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Savannah Philharmonic, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and many others. He holds a master’s degree from Temple University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia where he studied with Jonathan Blumenfeld and Dr. Reid Messich, respectively.
Charles Messersmith, Principal Clarinet, began playing the clarinet at the age of eight. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and received a Bachelor of Music degree (while studying with Franklin Cohen) in 1991. He then went on to receive his Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music while studying with David Breeden (San Francisco Symphony). After graduation, he became the Principal Clarinet of the Augusta Symphony and performed there for four years. In 1998, he was appointed by national auditions to the Second Clarinet position with the Charleston Symphony, and in 2005 to the Principal Clarinet position.
Along with regular performances with the CSO, he performs in Charleston with local, national, and internationally renowned chamber musicians, as well as for Piccolo Spoleto Festival programs in the spring. In the summer, he performs at the Wintergreen Music Festival in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He has been featured numerous times as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony.
Mr. Messersmith is a D’Addario artist.
Allen comes to Charleston with impressive experience as Principal Bassoon of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra and as a frequent guest with the Charlotte and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with John Clouser, Principal Bassoon of the Cleveland Orchestra, Allen was the recipient of the George F. Goslee Prize for outstanding artistry. He has also appeared with the Spoleto Festival USA, Colorado College Summer Music Festival (where he won the concerto competition), Chautauqua, and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.
Joining the Charleston Symphony in the 2024-25 season, Clarinetist Hank Landrum is excited to assume the role of Second Clarinet. In addition to his position in the CSO, Hank also holds the Third/Utility Clarinet position with the Chicago Sinfonietta. Other orchestral engagements have included appearances with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, New World Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and more. Hank has spent his summers and winters holding positions and fellowships with Spoleto Festival USA, Sunflower Music Festival, Buzzard’s Bay MusicFest, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, Aspen Music Festival, and the National Repertory Orchestra.
Katherine St. John just completed her 26th season with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra having started in the 1992-93 season.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Beth has served as Principal Timpanist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since the 1994-95 season.
Brandon Nichols has served as Principal Horn of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since 1991, having been a member since 1989
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Anne Holmi has been hornist in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since the 1996-97 season.
Chris Lindgren joined the Charleston Symphony as Principal Trombone during the 2018-19
season. Prior to that, he held the 2nd Trombone position with Symphony in C, performing in
Camden, New Jersey. He has also performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the
Charlotte Symphony, and was featured as a soloist with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. During
the summers of 2017-2019, Chris was a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Verbier,
Switzerland. He also attended the Aspen Music Festival during the summers of 2015 and 2016
and was the trombone fellow in the Aspen Chamber Symphony in 2016.
Tom Joyce has been with the CSO since 1995 as a trombonist, and since 2010 as the Personnel Manager.
Antonio Martí was appointed Principal Trumpet with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina in May 2015.