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Huifang Chen Music Director, Symphony Orchestra Conductor As a dynamic, diverse musician, Huifang Chen enjoys a dual career as a performer and an educator. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and her Masters of Music Degree from the University of Miami in violin performance. She was a long time member of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra from 1994 until its demise in 2003. In 2006, she became the Orchestra Director at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, and is also on the faculty of the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. She plays as concertmistress of two local orchestras including Ars Flores Symphony Orchestra and the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia. She is the founder and the violinist of the chamber ensemble Dynamic Strings. As an international violin soloist, she has appeared with many orchestras around the globe. She was the winner of the 1999 Young Concert Artist of the Year awarded by the National Concert Hall of Taipei, Taiwan and a Concerto Competition Winner at the University of Miami in 2003. As a recording artist, she is on dozens of award winning CDs. Chen has recorded with many top pop artists including Barbara Streisand, Gloria Estefan, the Bee Gees, Jon Secada, Ricky Martin and Julio Iglesias. Ms. Chen has been broadcast on National Public Radio, and the Public Broadcast System. She has performed the National Anthem multiple times at the Miami Dolphin football games and appeared on the live international television broadcast of the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2006, her first solo album "A Musical Journey" was released. As a private violin instructor, her students have repeatedly auditioned successfully for the Florida All State Orchestra. Melissa Lesniak, PhD Executive Director, Concert Orchestra Conductor Symphony Chamber Coach & PreStarter Strings Coordinator Dr. Lesniak received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Business minor from Indiana University in Bloomington where she studied with Mimi Zweig. In 2005, she received her Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Miami , where she was a teaching assistant, teaching String Techniques and Elementary String Classes. She also coordinated the first and second annual ExtraordinaryStrings High School Chamber Music Festival. Dr. Lesniak has presented sessions on string pedagogy at state and national conferences, is a published author, and has participated in numerous music festivals, including the Henri Mancini Institute in Los Angeles, CA. She is also a regular performer and studio teacher in South Florida. Dr. Lesniak joined GMYS in January 2004 as the Concert Orchestra conductor . In August 2005, she became the first Executive Director for GMYS, where among other duties, she instituted the new GMYS Pre-Starter Division.
Vivian Jauma String Orchestra Conductor, & Strings Chamber Coach
Vivian Jauma is a native of Puerto Rico who studied in the Conservatory of Music
until she moved to Jacksonville, Florida in the 1990’s. In Jacksonville,
she graduated from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts receiving a National
String Orchestra Award for outstanding dedication and violin performance.
She also was a member of the Jacksonville Youth Symphony for many years and was
a concerto competition winner who performed with the Jacksonville Symphony
Orchestra. She has attended various music Festivals throughout the
Americas including the Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Eastern Music
Festival in North Carolina, and the Trujillo World Opera Competition in Peru.
Mrs. Jauma received a full scholarship to attend the Florida
State University to attain a K-12 Instrumental Music Education Degree. At
Florida State, she performed in the Philharmonic, Symphony, Chamber and Opera
Orchestras. During her internship she directed the prestigious Coral Reef
High School Orchestras until she acquired her current position as director of
Chorus, Orchestra, and Keyboard at Arvida Middle School. During her first year
at Arvida, she was nominated for Rookie Teacher of the year, and her Orchestra
received a superior rating at district evaluations. As a violinist, she
has performed with the Symphony of the
Americas, Encore Chamber Players, Arabesque Chamber Ensemble, and A Touch of
Class Strings. She has performed on MTV, Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for
his wedding and other occasions, and is a freelance musician throughout the
South Florida tri-county area. Mrs. Jauma is currently the
Secretary of the Florida Orchestra Association and is also an adjudicator for
the Dade-County district solo and ensemble evaluations. She teaches
private violin lessons and is starting her third year at Arvida Middle School.
Mrs. Jauma began her work with GMYS in the Fall of 2005 as the String Orchestra
Director. Besnik
Hashani
A native of Kosovo Mr. Besnik Hashani started his violin studies in his hometown of Pristina. After graduating from the Music High School of his native city, he attended the Academy of Music of the University of Pristina. The troubled winds of war brought him to Miami where he pursued a degree in Music Education at Florida International University School of Music. He is currently working as a music teacher at F.C. Martin K-8 center, where he works with three different orchestra levels and two choruses. Mr. Hashani has been much in demand as an adjudicator and has adjudicated for the Florida Orchestra Association's all state orchestra selections, Solo and Ensemble MPA's, and for the honors orchestra selections in the Miami-Dade County school system. Eugene
Timmons
Eugene Timmons is currently the Director of Bands and Orchestra in the
Miami-Dade Public School System. He earned his B.S. from Winston-Salem State
University & M.S. from Nova Southeastern University. He has served as the
Department Chairman of the Fine Arts Department. For a span of over sixteen
years, Mr. Timmons was the Music Director and saxophonist for the popular music
group, KC and the Sunshine Band.
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