Orchestra Clinicians
Erin Barnard is a music educator and violinist/violist teaching private lessons and working with ensembles since 2006. Erin plays viola and violin and graduated from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor of Music in 2006. She completed her Masters Of Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017. Erin has her National Board Certification, a WI Master Teaching License and was a 2017 Kohl Fellow.
Erin has nineteen years experience teaching all levels of strings. She has conducted for WYSO, volunteered with Wisconsin School Music Association in many capacities and served on the Board of Wisconsin String Teachers’ Association. She currently sings and plays bluegrass fiddle in Soggy Prairie and The Sorry Mountain Band.
Erin has nineteen years experience teaching all levels of strings. She has conducted for WYSO, volunteered with Wisconsin School Music Association in many capacities and served on the Board of Wisconsin String Teachers’ Association. She currently sings and plays bluegrass fiddle in Soggy Prairie and The Sorry Mountain Band.
Betsy Jacobson-Holtz earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from Luther College in 1992 and her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2000. With over 30 years of experience, she teaches private lessons in violin, viola, and cello.
Mrs. Jacobson-Holtz began her Suzuki violin studies at four and has studied with master teachers such as Sarah Hirsch, Mark Bjork, and Cindy Marvin. Her performances have taken her internationally to Germany, Austria, Canada, Hungary, and Norway.
From 1992 to 2009, she served as an orchestra director for the School District of La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she taught both elementary and high school orchestras, ultimately focusing on middle school for the last twelve years. After relocating to Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2013, she remained active as an educator, adjudicator, and violinist with organizations like Penn Strings, the East Stroudsburg University Concert Chorale, and the Anthracite Philharmonic.
Since 2013, Mrs. Jacobson-Holtz has led middle school orchestras for the Neenah Joint School District in Wisconsin, where the program has flourished, leading to the hiring of an additional teacher. She is also Program Director of the Neenah Joint School District Suzuki Program, providing free after-school Suzuki lessons and group classes to Neenah residents.
This fall, she was honored to be named the Neenah Joint School District 2024 Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Mrs. Jacobson-Holtz began her Suzuki violin studies at four and has studied with master teachers such as Sarah Hirsch, Mark Bjork, and Cindy Marvin. Her performances have taken her internationally to Germany, Austria, Canada, Hungary, and Norway.
From 1992 to 2009, she served as an orchestra director for the School District of La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she taught both elementary and high school orchestras, ultimately focusing on middle school for the last twelve years. After relocating to Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2013, she remained active as an educator, adjudicator, and violinist with organizations like Penn Strings, the East Stroudsburg University Concert Chorale, and the Anthracite Philharmonic.
Since 2013, Mrs. Jacobson-Holtz has led middle school orchestras for the Neenah Joint School District in Wisconsin, where the program has flourished, leading to the hiring of an additional teacher. She is also Program Director of the Neenah Joint School District Suzuki Program, providing free after-school Suzuki lessons and group classes to Neenah residents.
This fall, she was honored to be named the Neenah Joint School District 2024 Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Stephan Wucherer has been teaching Orchestra in the Wisconsin Public Schools for 20 years. Currently Mr. Wucherer is the Director of Orchestras at Stevens Point Area High School and teaches the 5th and 6th Grade Orchestra classes at several Elementary Schools. He is also the Music Director of the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony, the conductor of the Youth Symphony's top performing group and a founding member of the organization. For the past 18 years Mr. Wucherer has worked with groups for the Rock Infused Orchestra String camp in Neenah acting as conductor, cello coach and bass coach, with a focus on non-traditional music.
Mr. Wucherer attended UW-Oshkosh for his Bachelors of Music in Cello Performance and went on to attend Butler University in Indianapolis for his Master’s of Music. He also holds a Master’s of Education from Marian University in Fond du Lac. As a performer, Mr. Wucherer has a wide resume of over 30 years, performing with many orchestras throughout the state including the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, The Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, and The Water City Chamber Orchestra and the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Wucherer also spent three years as the Music Director of the Waupaca Area Orchestra, giving numerous performances at the Gerold Opera House in Weyauwega.
Mr. Wucherer attended UW-Oshkosh for his Bachelors of Music in Cello Performance and went on to attend Butler University in Indianapolis for his Master’s of Music. He also holds a Master’s of Education from Marian University in Fond du Lac. As a performer, Mr. Wucherer has a wide resume of over 30 years, performing with many orchestras throughout the state including the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, The Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, and The Water City Chamber Orchestra and the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Wucherer also spent three years as the Music Director of the Waupaca Area Orchestra, giving numerous performances at the Gerold Opera House in Weyauwega.
Matthew Sheppard, a Chicago-based conductor and educator, brings passionate artistry and innovation to leading orchestras, students, and audiences to transformative experiences across the Midwest. He is the Artistic Director of the award-winning Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, Music Director of the Danville Symphony Orchestra, and Director of the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago.
Sheppard has guest conducted orchestras in North and South America, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Paraguay, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, and the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony. In 2022-23, he was visiting faculty at Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music, serving as Guest Resident Conductor of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and teaching conducting.
As a teacher, Sheppard inspires students to nurture a deep love and understanding of music and performing. His courses on conducting, musicianship, and active listening have been highly received at Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois, and he is sought after as a clinician and coach to young musicians across the Midwest. Sheppard serves as past-president of the IL Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (IL CMP) Committee as it encourages teaching with intention, and performing with understanding.
Sheppard has guest conducted orchestras in North and South America, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Paraguay, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, and the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony. In 2022-23, he was visiting faculty at Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music, serving as Guest Resident Conductor of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and teaching conducting.
As a teacher, Sheppard inspires students to nurture a deep love and understanding of music and performing. His courses on conducting, musicianship, and active listening have been highly received at Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois, and he is sought after as a clinician and coach to young musicians across the Midwest. Sheppard serves as past-president of the IL Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (IL CMP) Committee as it encourages teaching with intention, and performing with understanding.