Jennifer Arnold is a violist and arts consultant based in Zuid-Nederland, recently appointed to the viola section of Orkest Phion. She is a founding member of the U.S.-based advocacy organization Black Orchestral Network and has built a career at the intersection of performance, leadership, and education. From 2005 to 2020, Jennifer was a member of the Oregon Symphony viola section, and she continues to perform with ensembles including Gateways Festival Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony, and Chineke! Orchestra, organizations deeply committed to diversifying the classical music field. She is also a member of the Portland-based string quartet Mousai Remix, part of the 45th Parallel PDX collective, where she also serves as a Board Member.

In addition to her performing career, Jennifer has held significant leadership positions in arts administration. She served as Director of Artistic Planning for the Richmond Symphony and continues to contribute as its Artistic Advisor. She is the 2025 recipient of the Cleveland Institute of Music Alumni Award, where she also currently serves as Program Director for Summer Programs, Career Advisor, and Faculty Advisor to the Black Student Union.

A passionate educator and advocate, Jennifer taught at the Sphinx Performance Academy from 2008 to 2023 and served as President of the Oregon chapter of the American String Teachers Association for five years. She is in demand as a clinician and mentor, most recently working as viola coach for the Sinfónica Azteca/Orchestra of the Americas Group Mexico Residency. In the 2025–26 season, she will lead masterclasses at the Atlanta Music Project and the American String Teachers Association National Conference in San Francisco.

Jennifer’s career reflects her dedication to artistry, equity, and community, both on and off the stage. You can follow her on Threads and Instagram at @24caratviola.

Cellist Patrice Jackson has established herself as a dynamic soloist and charismatic performer. Described by The Detroit News as a “big-toned, boldly projected soloist” and praised by the Hartford Courant for her spontaneity and effortless musicality, Jackson captivates audiences with artistry that combines virtuosity and warmth.

Winner of the Sphinx Competition Senior Laureate Division, Jackson also received Yale University’s Aldo Parisot Prize for exceptional promise. She has since appeared with major U.S. orchestras, including those of Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra, and made her international recital debut in South Africa in 2002.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, she studied with legendary cellists Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, Joel Krosnick, and Bonnie Hampton. She currently performs on an Alberto Blanchi cello. In addition to her classical career, Jackson has performed with renowned artists including Alicia Keys, Kanye West, J. Cole, and Stevie Wonder, showcasing her versatility across genres.

Jackson now serves as Associate Professor of Cello at Berklee College of Music, where she mentors young artists while continuing to appear as soloist and chamber musician across the country.

Dr. Patricia Weitzel is the Assistant Professor of Double Bass and String Chamber Music Coordinator at Penn State University. She has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and clinician in over a dozen countries, including China, Brazil, Germany, and the United States. Before joining Penn State, she taught at Columbus State University, Augustana College, Grinnell College, and others, and was a member of the Des Moines and Quad City Symphonies. Currently, she is the principal bass of the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and maintains a global private studio. During the summer, Dr. Weitzel serves as Dean of Faculty and Artistic Affairs and teaches at the Sphinx Performance Academy, held at the Juilliard School and the University of Colorado-Boulder, and performs at the Wintergreen Music Festival. A passionate advocate for inclusion and excellence in the arts, she is the former Membership and Marketing Chair of the International Society of Bassists, where she contributed significantly to international outreach and inclusion efforts.

Shantanique Moore serves as Principal Flute of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Her playing has taken her to stages across the United States and abroad, including performances with the Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Seattle Symphonies, the Chineke! Orchestra in London, and others. As a teacher, she is dedicated to helping students grow in both skill and confidence, encouraging them to develop their own artistic voices.

Away from the stage, she enjoys Pilates and wellness practices that bring balance and energy to her daily life.

Clarinetist Alisha Zamore grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Initially, she began her musical studies on piano when she was 5 years old but switched to clarinet at the age of 9. She studied under Atlanta Symphony Orchestra clarinetists, Alcides Rodriguez and Laura Ardan. Alisha completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Rice University under the tutelage of Richie Hawley. In 2023, Alisha was awarded the prestigious Rice University Mrs. L.F. McCollum Fellowship in outstanding achievement, promise, and performance. She also won the Most Outstanding Instrumentalist award at the 2022 Sphinx Orchestral Partners Audition. Additionally, Alisha was a finalist for the 2021 Shepherd School of Music Concerto Competition and the 2021 Music Academy of the West Duo Competition. She has spent her summers at the Aspen Music Festival, Orchestra of the Americas, Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Music Center, and Peninsula Music Festival.

Weston Sprott is Dean of the Preparatory Division at the Juilliard School and a trombonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. His work includes performance, education, administration, and thought leadership. He is an active speaker, writer, and consultant for diversity and inclusion initiatives in classical music, regularly presenting at conferences and contributing to musical publications. Weston enjoys an exciting career that includes orchestral, chamber, and solo performances. He has performed with several of the world's leading orchestras and music festivals and has been a featured soloist throughout the United States, Europe, South Africa, and Asia.  He has been recognized as “an excellent trombonist” with a “sense of style and phrasing [that] takes a backseat to no one." 

A dedicated and tireless teacher, Sprott holds faculty positions at The Juilliard School and Bard College. He regularly serves on the faculties of numerous summer programs and appears frequently as a guest teacher at conservatories, universities, and other leading programs such as the New World Symphony and The Orchestra Now. 

He is an active speaker, writer, and consultant for diversity and inclusion efforts in classical music. He is a recipient of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and the Atlanta Symphony Talent Development Program's Aspire Award. He is the Board Chair of the Friends of SICMF, a member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble’s Artistic Advisory Board, and a member of the Avery Fisher Artist Program's Recommendation Board. For more information, please visit www.westonsprott.com.