2025 Winter Musicians – Jackson Hole Chamber Music

GET TO KNOW Our 2024 Winter Musicians

Celebrated for his “commitment to stellar sound and control” by Quebec’s La Tribune and “gorgeous sonority” by the South Florida Classical Review, saxophonist Matthew Koester enjoys a diverse career as an educator, chamber musician, and soloist in a variety of musical settings. He has recently appeared with the New World Symphony, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and the Grammy Award-Winning PRISM Quartet. Matthew joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music faculty in 2021, teaching applied saxophone and chamber music.

As a founding member of the Aero Quartet, he received a Gold Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and top prizes at the New Orleans Chamber Music Festival and Music Teachers National Association Competitions. Aero engages audiences and communities through neighborhood concerts, K-12 school visits, university masterclasses, and chamber music series appearances, including the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Chesapeake Music in Easton, MD, and Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts broadcasted on Chicago WFMT Radio. The quartet recently recorded its debut album on the UK-based label Orchid Classics to release in spring 2022.

Matthew values collaboration with friends and colleagues and regularly performs commissioned works. Recent premieres include chamber music by George Lewis, Arturo O’Farrill, HK Gruber, and Gala Flagello. He earned solo prizes at the Prix Orford Musique in Montréal, the MTNA National Young Artist Competition, and appears on the Naxos label’s American Classics series with conductor James Judd and XAS label with the PRISM Quartet. Matthew has enjoyed performing with conductors Teddy Abrams, Stéphane Denève, and Juano Mena. In addition to his role at the Mead Witter School of Music, he visits the Conservatoire de musique de Rimouski’s annual Symposium de Saxophone and is a frequent masterclass clinician at universities across the US.

A native of Albuquerque, NM, Matthew is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. His primary mentors include Timothy McAllister, Eric Lau, Glenn Kostur, and Andrew Bishop.

Matthew is a Conn-Selmer Endorsing Artist and plays on Selmer Paris instruments and mouthpieces.

Rebecca Racusin

violin

Bjorn Ranheim

Cello

Jennifer Ross

Violin

Jennifer Ross

Violin

Jennifer Ross enjoys a well-earned reputation as a respected violinist and educator. Her orchestral career began at the age of 19 as Associate Concertmaster of the Honolulu Symphony. She then became a member of the Cincinnati Symphony before being named Principal Second Violin of the Pittsburgh Symphony—a post she held for 20 years.

Reflecting her deep commitment to teaching, Jennifer presents innovative workshops at festivals, universities and conservatories nationwide. She serves as Artist in Residence for Orchestra Studies at the National Orchestral Institute and is active in the Sphinx Organization, supporting diversity and inclusion in classical music. Ms. Ross appears regularly on the chamber music stage in series and festivals across the country, collaborating with celebrated artists including Yefim Bronfman, Pinchas Zukerman, Jaime Laredo, and Lynn Harrell. She has been heard on NPR’s Performance today from the Grand Teton Music Festival, where she performs each summer. Jennifer holds the Principal Second Violin chair of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and is a proud founder and Co-Artistic Director of Jackson Hole Chamber Music. Ms. Ross is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.

Ben Ullery

Viola

Ben Ullery

Viola

Praised by the Chicago Tribune for his “febrile intensity,” violist Ben Ullery enjoys a multifaceted performing career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader and educator.In 2023 he was chosen by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel for the position of Associate Principal Viola of the LA Philharmonic and previously held the position of Assistant Principal in the same orchestra since 2012. In addition to his appearances with the LA Phil, Ullery has performed across the country and abroad in the role of Guest Principal Viola with the Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Australian Chamber Orchestra.

An active solo performer, he has recently given recitals at Festival Mozaic and La Sierra University where he
premiered his own arrangement for viola of Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 1. Ullery is currently planning his first
full-length duo album with acclaimed pianist Dominic Cheli which will feature works of Paul Hindemith, Rebecca Clarke, and Lillian Fuchs.

As a chamber musician, he has been in high demand in the Los Angeles area and at festivals and concert series in
the US and Europe. In addition to having performed over 50 chamber works on the LA Phil’s chamber music series
in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Ullery has appeared at the Mozaic, Music in the Vineyards, Mainly Mozart, Emerald City, Music at Millford, Leksand, Grand Teton, and Aspen festivals, among others. He has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today as well as local broadcasts on KUSC in Los Angeles and Minnesota Public Radio. As a
recording artist, he has been featured on releases on the Bridge and Albany record labels.

An enthusiastic teacher, Ullery is on the teaching faculty at the Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles where
he teaches orchestral repertoire as well as coaching the Colburn Orchestra’s viola section. Many of his former
students have gone on to hold positions with top orchestras in the US, Europe, and Asia. He has given
masterclasses at the Aspen Music Festival, California State University Fullerton, Azusa Pacific University, and the Shanghai Orchestra Academy.

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Ullery earned a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Oberlin
Conservatory, and later studied violin at New England Conservatory and viola at the Colburn School.

Richard Scerbo

conductor