Where We Trained:
Summer Festivals/International
For many GRSMA musicians, summer festivals played a formative role in their journey to the Grand Rapids Symphony. After highlighting U.S. festivals in our Winter 2026 issue, we now turn our attention to international festival experiences in this Spring 2026 newsletter!
SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN (GERMANY)
GRSMA oboist Ellen Sherman waits for her turn to speak with conductor Leonard Bernstein during a rehearsal break at Schleswig Holstein.
”Spending two summers at the Schleswig Holstein music festival with musicians from all over the world was a huge learning experience, both musically and personally. We worked with Leonard Bernstein and Sergiu Celibidache, both iconic giants in the orchestra world. We rehearsed and then toured throughout many cities in Germany and France. All of those opportunities contributed to the musician that I am today. I’m so grateful for those experiences, and of course I am grateful to be here, too.” Ellen Sherman, oboe.
BERLIN OPERA ACADEMY (GERMANY)
GRSMA trumpeter Thomas Hubel participated in the Berlin Opera Academy.
“I trained as a fellow in the Berlin Opera Academy for one summer before winning a job with the Des Moines Metro Opera, where I played two seasons prior to joining the Grand Rapids Symphony. Being immersed in the vibrant classical music scene in Berlin was extremely eye-opening and motivating for me. Some performance highlights include “Salome” (Strauss), “Pelleas et Melisande” (Debussy), “Bluebeard’s Castle” (Bartok), and “Suor Angelica” (Puccini). Now in Grand Rapids, I always look forward to collaborating with Opera Grand Rapids whenever we have the chance!” Thomas Hubel, trumpet.
MOZARTEUM SUMMER ACADEMY (AUSTRIA)
GRSMA violinist Kimia Ghaderi at Salzburg's Mirabell Gardens, on her way to a rehearsal at the Mozarteum Summer Festival.
“During my years of training, I attended several international summer music festivals which included the Domaine Forget Chamber Music Session (Quebec/Canada) and the Beijing International Music Festival (China). However, one of the most impactful experiences I had was at the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, where I had the opportunity to take public masterclass lessons with acclaimed violinist Pierre Amoyal, observe other masterclasses given by string and piano faculty, and perform as part of the festival and for a chamber music series at the Salzburg Baroque Museum. My experiences at the Mozarteum and other summer festivals were hugely beneficial to my development as an artist and personal growth, and were an important part of my preparation for a professional career.” Kimia Ghaderi, violin.
VERBIER MUSIC FESTIVAL (SWITZERLAND)
GRSMA flutist Yukie Ota experienced the joy of performing in the Alps at the Verbier Music Festival.
“I attended the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. Both programs offered intensive orchestral and chamber music training, including coachings with faculty. Through these experiences, I grew significantly as a musician. But especially meaningful to me was meeting musicians from around the world, as that allowed me to learn about different cultures and share musical perspectives from many countries, in addition to performing in many different countries, which were particularly valuable experiences to me.” Yukie Ota, flute.
PACIFIC MUSIC FESTIVAL (JAPAN)
“While I was pursuing my graduate degree in the 1990s, I attended the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. The orchestra played in Hiroshima on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bomb in an internationally televised concert. It was an incredibly moving experience that I will never forget.” Beth Colpean, harp.
BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS (ALBERTA/CANADA)
GRSMA horn player Paul Austin with renowned horn pedagogue Frøydis Ree Wekre, canoeing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
“A turning point in my training occurred when I was in Banff’s Resident Artist program in the 1990s and learning from Frøydis Ree Wekre. Spending three weeks in the mountains and being immersed in horn playing, without the distractions of cell phones or television, was an experience that I will never forget and one that I continue to call upon whenever I play the horn.” Paul Austin, horn.
CANARY ISLANDS (SPAIN)
GRSMA oboe/English horn player Kathleen Gomez (second from left) at the Canary Islands for their summer opera season.
“When I was studying at the University of Michigan in the 1970s, the college orchestra went to the Canary Islands to perform five operas. It was a wonderful experience, and I remember performing “Anna Bolena” (Donizetti) and “Simone Bochanegra” (Verdi). As the English horn player, I was not involved in all of the opera productions, so I had extra time to explore the island. Being the English horn player on this trip gave me a vision of how it would be to play in a professional orchestra.” Kathleen Gomez, oboe/English Horn.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS (GUATEMALA)
“While in school, I had the privilege of attending several summer festivals. They not only helped me grow as a musician, but they also allowed me to travel the world. I was in my late teens and early 20s, so this kind of travel would have never been an option if it weren't for these amazing festivals. One notable summer was when I was selected to perform as a member of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. The organization flew us all to Panama to rehearse, and then we all piled into buses and drove up the entire length of Central America over several weeks, stopping to perform in different countries along the way. Musicians from all over the Americas were in the orchestra, so it was extra special to, for example, perform in Guatemala alongside my Guatemalan colleagues. I think of that summer often, and I'm grateful for all the amazing friends and teachers I met during that summer and during all my other summers spent at festivals. It was the embodiment of music being the international language.” Brigid Babbish, bassoon.
L'ORCHESTRE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE (QUEBEC/CANADA)
“One summer I played in L'Orchestre de la francophonie which was a mix between a training orchestra and summer festival in Montreal, Canada. I don't speak French, but they advertised that non-French speakers were welcome. On the first day, they made an announcement that all important information would be said in both French and English, but then the conductor started rehearsal and it was 90% in French! My stand partner was in the same boat as me linguistically, so we got really good at guessing where to start whenever we stopped in rehearsal.” Andrew Plaisier, cello.
VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INSTITUTE (BRITISH COLUMBIA/CANADA)
“I had the special opportunity to attend wonderful music festivals while I was a student, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute. This was an opportunity which provided a training experience with the musicians and conductors of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. As a student, playing along with professional musicians offered me priceless insight into the real world aspects of performing you don't always get in lessons. I also met so many wonderful people during these festivals, some of whom I am still in touch with so many years later.” Ryan Bassett, double bass.
DOMAINE FORGET (QUEBEC/CANADA)
“I was very privileged to attend the bass class at Domaine Forget in 2015. That summer was pivotal for me, and the concepts I picked up there were, and continue to be, essential to my improvement, particularly after taking several years away from playing to train in lutherie, finish my DMA, and pay off significant student debt. I am here largely because of my summer festival experience, and I owe Domaine in particular a significant debt of gratitude.” Robert Johnson, double bass.
GRSMA musicians are pleased to bring the experiences that we learned at these summer festivals to our jobs in the Grand Rapids Symphony.