Sandra Doneski, NYSO Chorale Conductor

Sandra Doneski has had the pleasure of teaching music to students in Kindergarten through graduate school and conducting choral ensembles of varying ages and voicings.   She is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Gordon College, where she teaches courses in music education methods, supervises student teachers and conducts the Gordon College Children’s Choir. She founded the Children’s Choir in 2000 to give children in the community an opportunity to grow as musicians and music education majors an opportunity to develop as teachers and conductors. Sandra has also served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, where she was Associate Conductor of the Children’s Choir Program.  Under her guidance, NEC implemented choral programs for early elementary and middle school students that focused on vocal pedagogy and building musicianship.   She is a graduate of Gordon College and received her Master’s and Ph.D. in Music Education from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. Dr. Doneski’s research interests include the development of children’s and adolescents’ singing skills, music classroom pedagogy, the acquisition of aural understanding and its relationship to music literacy, and curriculum development and assessment in music education.

Walter O’Keefe, Conductor of Intermezzo Orchestra

Walter “Randy” O’Keefe joined the NYSO staff in 2004 as the director for Intermezzo Orchestra. Mr. O’Keefe has been the Music Department Head and Director of Bands for the Masconomet Regional School District since 1990.  During his tenure at Masconomet, his jazz ensembles and concert bands have won several state and regional awards and traveled extensively.  He earned a BA in Music Education from Ohio University in 1982 and his MM in Trumpet Performance from the University of Notre Dame in 1987 with additional studies in Music Education at the Hartt School of Music.  Mr. O’Keefe has been the principal trumpet of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra since 2001 and recently retired after twenty years as the principal trumpet and featured soloist for the 567^th Air National Guard Concert Band of the Northeast.  At the state and district level, Mr. O’Keefe has served as a trumpet adjudicator for Northeast Junior District, the Ensemble Manager for the Massachusetts All State Jazz Ensemble and the Concert Chairperson for the Massachusetts All State Music Festival. 

Abigail Haynes, Conductor of Prelude String Ensemble

Abigail Haynes is a graduate of Gordon College in Massachusetts.  She holds the Bachelor of Music in vocal performance.  While at Gordon she was a member of the Gordon Symphony Orchestra and played violin in the Gordon Chamber Music Program led by James Buswell and Carol Ou. Her solo debut as a violinist was with the Salem Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001.  She has been teaching violin and voice lessons privately since her time at Gordon.  She was raised as a Suzuki violin student and is currently studying in a long term Suzuki teacher training program at the Hartt School of Music.  Abigail has also sung with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood's Ozawa Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, and New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall.  She was a soprano soloist in the Lubbock Chorale performance of Handel's Messiah in 2004 and performed a voice recital with her husband Matthew for the community of Lubbock, Texas in 2006.  She currently lives in Amesbury.

Marissa Scarano, Assistant Conductor of Prelude Strings

Marissa Scarano has been performing and teaching for more than 20 years.  Marissa is credentialed through the Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada) and the Suzuki Association of America.  Marissa has traveled all over America employing her talent in contemporary genres and has spent time in Nashville as a studio musician.  An important part of her  commitment is to express her love of music through teaching a new generation of musicians. 

Heather Kent, Director of Flute Choirs

Heather Kent is the Founding Director of NYSO's Flute Choir Program which was conceived in 2001.  Under her leadership, it quickly expanded from an eight member choir to three choirs of varying levels.  Ms. Kent is a dedicated teacher who has performed in numerous solo, orchestral and chamber settings throughout the years.  Greatly influenced by her own principal teachers, Doriot Dwyer, Leone Buyse and Philip Kaplan, she remains committed to maintaining the art of flute playing.  She was educated in Boston with a BM and MM in Flute Performance and taught for a number of years through Gordon College, Wenham, MA.  Many of her students have successfully entered into regional and national programs, master degree programs and competitions at several levels.  She has founded two chamber ensembles and two additional flute ensembles, one performing at Symphony Hall as part of a Flute Choir showcase.  Ms. Kent has been invited in as guest conductor, guest clinician and Guest Artist for several flute pedagogy workshops.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the nationally recognized James Pappoutsakis Flute Competition where she has also acted as a Chair of events and as one of the preliminary adjudicators. Additionally, she has adjudicated the Massachusetts All-State auditions and several other area events, including The Greater Boston Flute Association (GBFA) where she served as President, Vice President and sat on the Advisory Board.  Ms. Kent is an active member of the National Flute Association and has recently begun to write for the GBFA Gazette and other flute publications and local newspapers.  Aside from an active flute schedule, Heather enjoyed several years as an on-air Host, producer and Program Director for Classical Radio.

Holly Osgood, Conductor Junior Flute Choir

Miss Osgood is a musician, flautist, and teacher who lives and works in the North Shore area.  She completed her undergraduate studies in music education at Gordon College in Wenham, where she performed with several ensembles, including the Gordon College Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Flute Quartet, and College Choir.  She recently earned a Master of Education, with a concentration in teaching and learning in the arts, from Lesley University.  Miss Osgood is a music educator in the Marblehead Public Schools, where she teaches music to students in kindergarten through grade 3.  In addition to maintaining her own studio she continues to play flute in a small ensemble of colleagues from Marblehead and at her church in Hampton Falls, NH, where she also directs the Children’s Choir.