Ji-MYung Kim, concertmaster

Violinist Ji Myung Kim has been internationally recognized as an artist of true versatility. A native of South Korea, Kim came to the US when he was fourteen years old to study violin under C.J. Chang and Robert de Pasquale in Philadelphia. Ever since then Kim's virtuosity has dazzled his audiences around the world including the Queen of Denmark, the prime minister of Japan, and two former Presidents of South Korea. Career highlights include the critically acclaimed NYC debut in Lincoln Center performing and premiering his own cadenzas to Mozart's fifth violin concerto with the New York Classical Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing with Classical Note Philharmonic for the General Counsels of United Nations headquarter in New York.

As an avid chamber musician, Kim has collaborated with artists such as violinist Pamela Frank, violist Atar Arad, cellist Peter Wiley, jazz bassist Chuck Israel, as well as with the members of Tokyo, Orion, and Verona quartets. After being appointed by the government of South Korea to serve as the ensemble leader of Presidential House “Chungwadae” Art Concert Series for 2 years (2007-2009), Kim was invited to Japan to participate in “Complete Haydn String Quartets” Project with D’Amici String Quartet. Kim has also appeared as the concertmaster for the New York Symphony Orchestra and K-Radio Philharmonic and was an active member of the acclaimed New York Classical Players (NYCP). After his move to Illinois, Kim has been serving as the concertmaster of Heartland Festival Orchestra in Peoria, as well as Daejeon Sinfonietta in Korea.

Kim is the founder and the leader of Ensemble D'Amici, debuted onto the international music scene back in 2019 with concert engagements in San Francisco, CA, Knoxville, TN, Bowling Green, KY, Decatur, IL,  as well as in Seoul and Daejeon in Korea. In the summer of 2022, Ensemble D’Amici was invited to perform in Sejong, Ulsan, and the prestigious GMC (Gumnanse Music Center) in Busan, Korea. The ensemble is preparing its third season of US-Korea tour with invitation to perform at the 23rd Daejeon International Music Festival in the summer of 2023.

Currently, Ji Myung Kim is the Instructor of Violin and Viola at Eastern Illinois University and is an artist of Leo Management in New York. Prior to his appointment, Kim has served as a faculty at Western Kentucky University and New York School of Music and Art. As a guest artist and clinician, Kim has been invited to SUNY Fredonia, Southeast Missouri State, Boston University, Western Michigan, Murray State, Grand Valley State, and Western Illinois University to hold master classes/recitals as well as music appreciation lecture. Since 2015, Kim has also been serving as an adjudicator for the New York International Artists Competition and the East Coast International Competition and became the recipient of 2017 Grace Meng U.S. Congress Award for his excellence in the field of Music and Art in the New York region. Kim's pedagogical expertise has been proven through his students' successes including first prizes in New York International Music Concour, National Artists Competition, as well as Northern New Jersey Orchestra, Manhattan Pre-college, and New York Youth Orchestra auditions. 

Kim lives in Champaign, IL. and plays on a 2007 Pierre Dalphin made in Geneva, Switzerland

More information can be found on his website: www.kimjimyung.com

Diane Wuthrich, Principal Viola

Diane enjoys an active musical life of performing and teaching. Graduating summa cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2005, she went on to receive her Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Following her education, she joined the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in 2007— where she also performed, coached chamber music and taught private lessons. Since returning to Central Illinois in 2009, Diane has sought to strengthen the musical community through excellence in performance and instruction. She frequently performs chamber and orchestral music with a number of regional ensembles. Diane and her husband Daniel reside in Morton, IL with their four children, Lana, Leia, Asher and Ila.

About the HFO: “I love the camaraderie that we have. Because we share a passion for music and we’ve invested a lot of ourselves in honing our skills as individuals, it’s very rewarding to come together to rehearse and perform. The end product truly is greater than the sum of its parts! I also appreciate the camaraderie of the viola section in particular. Though our part in the orchestral texture is very important and would be greatly missed if it were not there, our part is usually not very glamorous, and sometimes it’s downright dull. So most of us deal with that by enjoying other aspects of the music, paying more attention to what’s going on around us, and keeping a good sense of humor through it all. Maybe that’s why the violists tend to be known as the friendly group in the orchestra.”

Barbara Hedlund, Principal Cello

Barbara is a Broadway veteran, recipient of multiple awards. She enjoys an active career as orchestral & chamber musician, solo and recording artist, orchestral and college administrator, music editor and publisher, university professor, competition adjudicator, young artist scholarship sponsor and mentor. Barbara is particularly fond of her work as an Urbana Public Arts Commissioner. As an adoptee, she is involved with ALMA (Adoptees Liberty Movement Association) who helped her find her birthparents. 

About the HFO: “There have been many events, soloists, and memories since the HFO was founded. They cover a wide gamut from artistic side to production aspects. Then once that's all done, I sit down and play my instrument. 
Joy comes from audience response and continued support, getting to know our patrons, sponsors, host families, staff and families, personal artistic satisfaction, and the esprit de corps resulting from a positive, successful working environment intertwined with a fast-paced concert preparation period.”

Brad Pfeil, Principal Bass

Brad received a Bachelor of Music Education and Performance degree from the University of Michigan and Master of Music Education degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.  He is currently an orchestra director at Neuqua Valley High School, a Grammy Award winning school in Naperville, IL. Brad taught previously in Las Vegas, Nevada where he performed actively as a double bassist in addition to teaching at Las Vegas High School, Fremont Middle School and Keller Middle School. Brad was principal double bass of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, played in Phantom, and was conductor of the Henderson Civic Symphony. He has also performed with numerous orchestras and artists including the Michigan Opera Theater, Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Flint Symphony, Peoria Symphony, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli and Styx. Brad is past president of the Nevada Chapter and the Illinois Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Brad has spent the past eight summers as a conductor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp with three of those years conducting the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra.  

 About the HFO: “I enjoy the camaraderie of this ensemble and this community. It has been a pleasure getting to know members of the community. It is an honor to preform with these dedicated musicians and I always look forward to the repertoire that Maestro Commanday selects. The guest artists have provided me with many rewarding musical experiences.”

rebecca Johnson, principal flute

Dr. Johnson frequently performs and presents at conferences and festivals, such as the Music by Women International Festival, the International Double Reed Society Convention, the National Flute Association’s annual convention, and the College Music Society’s National Convention. Her award winning trio, Trio Village, actively commissions new works for flute, oboe, piano trio, and is working to promote diversity in classical music.

 Dedicated to serving the flute community, Dr. Johnson has been involved in the National Flute Association throughout her professional career, and is currently serving as the organization’s President.

Evan Tammen, Principal Oboe

Originally from the small town of Thawville, Illinois, Evan completed his undergraduate in oboe performance at Illinois Wesleyan University and his Master's at the University of Illinois. Growing up, his initial intent was to play horn, but he was convinced that his embouchure was better suited to the oboe than to a brass instrument. Coincidentally (or not), his small elementary school did not have an oboist at the time... 

Evan is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois, where he works full time as a development officer. He also teaches oboe at Illinois College and the Conservatory of Central Illinois. Evan's wife is a fellow oboist, and she works for the University of Illinois School of Music. She is the superior reed-maker, so he often pilfers from her reed case.

About the HFO: "I love playing in the Heartland Festival Orchestra -- the musicians are dedicated, disciplined, and amazingly talented, and Maestro Commanday creates a nutritive and friendly atmosphere that lends itself well to honest music-making. One of my most memorable HFO concerts was Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The piece is truly epic and full of raw excitement. My wife and I were so inspired by the performance that a few months later, we paid our respects to Orff's grave in Bavaria (and enjoyed some beverages in the monastery's beer garden afterwards)."

David Gresham, Principal Clarinet

Clarinetist Dr. David Gresham, professor of clarinet at Illinois State University, is highly active as a performer, having appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in over 35 countries and all across the United States.
Recent concerto performances include performances at the Red Note New Music Festival of Roger Zare’s Bennu’s Fire for clarinet and wind ensemble (February 2020), and the world premiere of Sydney Hodkinson’sEmbers: an Incanation for clarinet and orchestra (February 2019). He gave the United States or New York premieres of several other concerti as well, including works by David Rakowski, Osvaldo Golijov, and Yevhen Stankovich. He made the premiere recording of David Maslanka’s Desert Roads for clarinet and band, released by Albany Records, and presented Desert Roads at the 2009 International ClarinetFest in Porto, Portugal. He recorded Mozart’s clarinet concerto with the Kiev Camerata in Kiev, Ukraine, for the Troppo Note/Cambria recording label, and has performed many of the other standard concerti with various orchestras.

Dr. Gresham frequently performs solo recitals at home and abroad, including at the Shanghai Symphony Recital Hall in Shanghai, China, in October of 2019, and at the 2018 International ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium. He has given recital tours of Japan, Chile and Argentina, and the United States, in addition to presenting five recitals at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York City.

Michael Dicker, Principal Bassoon

He has earned degrees from UCLA, The University of Michigan, and The Juilliard School where he was the recipient of the Juilliard Alumni Scholarship in Performance. His performing career began with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. He served as Principal Bassoonist with the National Repertory Orchestra, the Colorado Philharmonic, and the Wichita Symphony. His European experience includes the Belgian Radio Symphony in Brussels, and the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen (Gelsenkirchen) as Associate Principal Bassoon. Michael has taught at Wagner College, Wichita State University, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Musikschule Bochum (Germany), Orvieto Musica (Italy). He has presented masterclasses in the United States, Europe and Asia. Michael has been a member of the faculty of the Illinois State University School of Music since 1986, he serves as Principal Bassoonist of the Heartland Festival Orchestra and he has served as Principal Bassoonist of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra since 1987. Michael is married to Judith Dicker, Assistant Prof. of Oboe at Illinois State University. Their daughter Erica is a professional violinist and daughter Talia is a professional cellist.

About the HFO: “I am particularly fond of my collaboration as a soloist with David Commanday in the performance of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto for 'Make It Mozart' ” (HFO’s 2014-15 Season).

Tricia Jöstlein, Principal Horn

An active freelance musician, Tricia Jöstlein frequently performs as an extra musician with the St. Louis Symphony and serves as Adjunct Professor of Horn at Webster University. She holds positions as Principal Horn of Winter Opera St. Louis and the Heartland Festival Orchestra.  She previously held posts as Principal Horn of the Omaha Symphony and the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, as well as positions with the Honolulu and Richmond Symphony Orchestras. 

Born and raised in central Nebraska, Ms.Jöstlein completed high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She earned a Bachelors of Music at Rice University, followed by graduate studies at the University of Michigan. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and fellow musician, Thomas, and their sons, Klaus and Max.

Stephen parsons, Principal Trombone

Stephen Parsons is Director of the School of Music at Illinois State University. He holds a D.M.A. in Trombone Performance from the University of Kansas, where he studied with Stephen Anderson. He has also studied at the Tanglewood Institute with members of the Empire Brass Quintet and with Milton Stevens of the National Symphony Orchestra. Before coming to Illinois State, he served as Trombone Soloist and Assistant Principal Trombonist with the United States Army Field Band in Washington D.C. While in Washington, he performed with the Field Band's Brass Quintet and also served as that organization's clinician for both high school and college settings. He is a member of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Heartland Festival Orchestra, and has performed with the Tulsa Philharmonic, the St. Louis Symphony, the Opera Theatre of St Louis, Sinfonia da Camera, the Prairie Ensemble and the New Sousa Band.

Other than music, his favorite activities are visiting his children and playing with his grandchildren.

Andy Rummel, Principal Tuba

He is the Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Illinois State University in Normal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education, a master’s degree in music performance from Illinois State University and a doctorate in music performance and literature from the University of Illinois. Prior to his return to Illinois State University he was the principal tubist in the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Andy is a native of Delavan, a small, rural town in Tazewell county. He is the youngest of 7 kids and all his siblings were involved in either band or chorus in the Delavan schools. “We could sign up for band starting in the 5th grade and I wanted to follow in my brother’s footsteps and play tuba. Our school was small and only owned a sousaphone, typically used for marching. When filling out an interest form to help choose our eventual instrument, I wrote “sousaphone” in all three blanks provided. My band director at the time (now a dear friend and mentor) tells me that the only two reasons she let me start on sousaphone is because I knew what it was and I spelled it correctly! “

About the HFO: “I always enjoy my performances with the HFO, but the concerts with Time for Three and the performance with country artists Rachel Potter and Patrick Thomas are my favorites. I was unfamiliar with Time for Three prior to their performance and quickly became a huge fan. To be honest, the Country Legends concert is perhaps one of my favorite performances I have ever participated in. The singers were great, the arrangements were quality, and it was a very, very entertaining concert. Let’s do it again!”

David Collier, Principal Timpanist

Dr. Collier is Professor of Percussion and Director of Percussion Studies at Illinois State University. Dr. Collier received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Florida State University, his Masters in Music from Indiana University and his Doctorate in Percussion Performance and Electronics Music from the University of Illinois. Dr. Collier is also active as a freelance percussionist and has performed with artists such as Mitzi Gaynor, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Tommy Tune, Roger Williams, Shirley Jones, and Bobby Vinton. Dr. Collier loves all genres of music and has recently returned to his roots as a jazz drum set player. Outside of music he enjoys reading, cooking, taking very long walks and going to the gym. Most of all he cherishes time with his wife Karen (who is a violinist, pianist, organist and painter) and his daughter Arianna.

About the HFO: David has been Principal Timpanist for the HFO since the beginning with his first performance being the staged production of Stravinsky’s "L’Histoire du soldat". He performed the timpani concerto "Raise the Roof", on October 14, 2017, as part of our Classic Rumble Concert.

Kevin Nichols, Principal Percusssion / Drum Set

Dr. Kevin A. Nichols is an Associate Professor of Music at Western Illinois University. He has received degrees from the University of Iowa, Northwestern University, and Illinois Wesleyan University. As a freelance percussionist, Nichols has supported such notable artists as Marie Osmond, Evelyn Glennie, David Amram, Jim Rattigan, Turtle Island String Quartet, Avanti Guitar Trio, and the Tunkul Percusiones México. In addition to the Heartland Festival Orchestra, he regularly works with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Knox-Galesburg Symphony, Quad Cities Symphony, Galesburg Symphony Chorus, and McDonough County Choral Society. Equally active on the drum set, he is a member of the Hopper Jazztet, Peoria Heritage Ensemble, Post6 Big Band, and the rural rock band Iron Orchard. Dr. Nichols is an Educational Artist for the Avedis Zildjian Cymbal Company and Remo, Inc.

In the summer of 2017, he was in residency in San Jose, Costa Rica. During the rich cultural experience, he was able to present clinics and lessons on a variety of topics including marching percussion, orchestral percussion, and drumset.

About the HFO: “I wholeheartedly cherish every performance that I have had with the Heartland Festival Orchestra. The collegiality amongst the members is second to none. The creative process while preparing such a diverse spectrum of literature is addictive. Whether it is the tambourine parts from The Nutcracker, helping the orchestra swing harder with the music of Dean Martin, or just adding extra finesse on the snare drum part to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, every performance is musically satisfying…. and The Blend’s coffee helps the driving.”

She has been commissioned to write several harp ensemble pieces including Sea for the Illinois Summer Harp Class and Creatures for the High Cascade Harp Retreat. An advocate for new music, she is chair of the American Harp Society Young Composers Project and is the principal harpist of the Cleveland Chamber Symphony.  She is the author of The Young at Harp, a method book for beginning harpists and has given improvisation, arranging, and creative teaching workshops throughout the US and Canada. Julia studied with Jocelyn Chang (Cleveland, OH), Susann McDonald (Indiana University) and Ann Yeung (University of Illinois).

Sarah Gentry,ConcertMaster EMERITa

Sarah is Professor of Violin at Illinois State University, a position she has held since 1992. She has also held concertmaster positions with Opera Illinois, Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, Sugar Creek Music Festival, and served as Associate Concertmaster for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra from 1992-2000.

About the HFO: “I had the privilege of serving as the musicians’ representative on the HFO board for 3 years. I remember that at after my first board meeting, I was totally in awe of the myriad talents of our board members and their passion for the HFO. It is the energy and drive of the board members, donors, and volunteers that make the HFO such a success. What a wonderful group of supporters the HFO has! It has been an honor to be a member of this orchestra!”