Olin Studio

Gabriel Colby

Born in Avon, Connecticut, Gabriel Colby started his musical studies on piano at the age of five.  Mr. Colby was already very familiar with private study and performance when he discovered trombone in 5th grade. After participating in an All-State (Connecticut) music festival conducted by Anthony Maiello (Professor of Conducting at George Mason University) in 2005, his life took a turn toward music.  Recently he was principal trombone of the Kennedy Center Summer Institute Orchestra (Summers ’08, ’09).  Mr. Colby was also a co-winner of the United States Coast Guard Band Concerto Competition where he went on to perform in Leamy Hall accompanied by the Coast Guard Band.

Currently Gabriel is Principal Trombone of the Peabody Concert Orchestra under Maestro Hajime-Teri Murai.  He also has a passion for chamber music and is in the Brass Roots Quintet, a group that is soon to be featured on the Kennedy Center Stage and will be soloing with the National Honor Band of America in the Spring 2010. Gabriel studied with George Sanders of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, while attending High School. He now continues his musical pursuits at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University studying privately with James Olin (Co-Principal Baltimore Symphony.)

Benjamin Cross

Benjamin Cross began playing trombone at the age of ten, and started studying privately with Philip McClelland at fifteen. Benjamin has been a member of the Kardon-Northeast Settlement Jazz Ensemble, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Brass Ensemble, and was principal trombonist in Philadelphia Sinfonia. He has participated in District, Region, All-State, and All-Eastern Band. He has performed in multiple venues throughout the Philadelphia area, including the Electric Factory, the annual Flower Show, and the Kimmel Center. In 2008, he was accepted to the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. Benjamin is currently working toward his Bachelor's of Music, studying with James Olin at Peabody Conservatory.

Kristoffer Danielsen

Kristoffer Danielsen is a senior at the Peabody Conservatory studying tenor trombone with James Olin. Additionally, he has studied with Steven Kellner and at U Mass Amherst with Mathew Gaunt. An active performer at Peabody, he plays both trombone and euphonium in various large and chamber ensembles and can be heard playing principal euphonium on Peabody Wind Ensemble's latest NAXOS recording project, Trendsetters. Kris has performed with the Moscow Ballet at Baltimore's Lyric Opera House, in Boston Symphony Hall, and at Disney World. He has also performed at masterclasses presented by Ronald Barron and Chris Dudley. When Kris isn't at school in Baltimore, he resides in the lovely Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts and enjoys literature, hiking, and playing cards.

Edward Lonsinger

A native of Northern Virginia, trombonist Edward Lonsinger has enjoyed success as a soloist, chamber musician, and classical performer, playing with such groups as the North Carolina Symphony, the New England Symphonic Ensemble, the Washington Summer Opera Theatre Company, the Altoona Symphony, Nittany Valley Symphony, State College Choral Society, the Washington Mormon Choir and Orchestra, the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra, and the Capital Wind Symphony. He has also performed with Jazz greats Michael Davis, John Fedchock, Dave Taylor, Wycliffe Gordon, and George Roberts.

Edward is currently pursuing a Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, under the tutelage of James Olin. Edward also earned a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Trombone from Peabody, where he was awarded the 2008 Richard Franko Goldman prize in performance. He has been principal trombone in both the Peabody Concert and Symphony Orchestras, as well as a member of the Peabody Trombone Trio, the Peabody Brass Trio, and the Trombody Peabones Trombone Choir.

Edward earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from The Pennsylvania State University, where he studied with Mark Lusk, and Velvet Brown. While at Penn State, Edward was a member of the Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, The Emerson Brass Quintet, and The Penn State Trombone Choir, each garnering success at the regional, state, national, and international levels. After graduating from Penn State, Edward spent time in North Carolina, studying trombone and wind conducting with George Broussard and Scott Carter, where he formed and conducted the East Carolina Trombone Choir.

When he isn’t playing his trombone, you can find Edward exploring cities along the east coast, or dining out with friends. He enjoys running, cooking, and crossword puzzles.

Graham Middleton

Graham Middleton is a trombonist and low brass educator with extensive experience in solo, chamber music, and orchestral literature.  He is currently pursuing a Graduate Performance Diploma at The Peabody Institute and is on Faculty with the Peabody Preparatory. Graham received Masters of Music degrees in Trombone Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan, where he served as the trombone studio Graduate Student Instructor and taught trombone lessons and trombone methods classes.  While in Michigan, he was the Principal Trombone with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra and Second Trombone with the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra. He was the Low Brass Instructor at Adrian College and the Flint School for the Performing Arts, and previously served as Adjunct Instructor of Low Brass at Kenyon College.

He received his Bachelors of Music from Northwestern University were he was a student of Michael Mulcahy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  His other principal teachers and mentors have been: James Olin, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; David Jackson, University of Michigan; Andrew Millat, Columbus Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Dudley, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; and Milton Stevens, National Symphony Orchestra.   His has performed with the Delaware Symphony, West Michigan Symphony, Columbus Symphony Orchestra (OH), Ohio Light Opera, Springfield (OH) Symphony Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, and Idyllwild Music Festival. He was a featured soloist on the Music in Mid-Ohio radio broadcasts.

Graham has also worked in the field of brass instrument manufacturing, and performs on a custom trombone he built while employed as Director of Handslide Production at the S.E. Shires Company.

Kristin Stauffer

Kristin Stauffer is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania where she began playing the trombone about 10 years ago. In high school she participated in many honors festivals for Orchestra, Jazz, Chorus and Wind Ensemble. Today she enjoys playing the trombone as a sophomore at Peabody in all its forms and is in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra as well as her own chamber brass quintet and other groups. She is a Music Education and Performance major and hopes to teach music eventually. When she's not playing the trombone, Kristin enjoys reading, traveling the short distance home to be with her family, or drinking coffee.

Huai-En Tsai

Jing Irene Wu

Born in China and soon moved to Japan, Jing Irene Wu began studying the piano at the age of 5. After moving to Hong Kong a year later, she continued her piano studies throughout elementary school, joined the Yip’s Children’s Choir, Hong Kong’s leading children’s choir at the age of 11, and began learning the trombone when she was 14. Ms. Wu came to the United States for study abroad when she was 16. As a sophomore, she was the principal trombonist of Lutheran High School concert band and jazz band in Little Rock, Arkansas. When she moved to Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, she was the principal trombonist of the school orchestra, concert band, jazz band, and world music combo.

When Ms. Wu was a sophomore in high school, she was selected to be in the Arkansas all-region band as the 2nd trombone. Next year she moved to Massachusetts, and was selected to be the 2nd trombone in Massachusetts all-district orchestra. In her senior year, she was the principal trombonist of that orchestra. She appeared as soloist with the Belilios Public School concert band in their 20th anniversary concert in Hong Kong when she was 16.

Currently, Ms. Wu attends the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University as a senior for the Bachelor of Music degree. She has studied with James Olin, Haim Avitsur, and Christopher Dudley. Ms. Wu is co-principal of the Peabody Concert Orchestra, and has played in the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and the Peabody Wind Ensemble . She has also played extensively in chamber groups such as brass quintet, trombone quartet, and brass trio.

Ms. Wu hopes to promote classical music to the world, especially Asia. During Ms. Wu’s free time, she enjoys cooking and reading.