Symphony Youth Orchestras

Dr. Lucy Lewis enjoys an active career as an orchestral conductor and performer, soloist, chamber musician, and teaching clinician, and has appeared in these roles throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and Africa. Just having received early tenure and promotion at California State University San Bernardino, Dr. Lewis is Associate Professor of Orchestral Music Education, and coordinates the string area, directs the orchestral studies program, facilitates the string chamber music program, and teaches applied violin and viola, string methods, and string pedagogy, and maintains a small private studio. Previously, Dr. Lewis served as the director of the Loma Linda Academy String Program & Symphony Orchestra, and has also been on the faculties of the Preucil School of Music, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory Preparatory Department, Southwestern and Lake Michigan Colleges, the Citadel Dance & Music Center, and the Fischoff Chamber Music Association’s Mentor Program.

During her time as Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestral Studies Program at California State University, San Bernardino, the program has more than doubled in size. Dr. Lewis’s innovative season programming has featured the CSUSB Opera Theatre Program, Concert Choir & Chamber Singers, Vocal Jazz Program, and Brass Ensemble, in addition to multiple guest artists. An avid supporter of the development of young musicians, Dr. Lewis founded the CSUSB Young Artist Competition that provides finalists with the opportunity to perform as featured young artists with the orchestra. She also annually commissions new works by the faculty and students of the CSUSB Composition Program, which are performed by the orchestra every spring. Dr. Lewis is frequently engaged as an orchestral clinician and has guest conducted orchestras in California, Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Maine, and Colorado. On tour, she has led orchestras to perform in Hawaii and Florida, and in September of 2019, the CSUSB Orchestra traveled to South Korea upon the invitation of Dr. Se-Ung Lee, honorary chairman of the Shin-Il Cultural Foundation Board of Directors, and the administration of Seoul Cyber University, to perform in the Seoul Arts Center IBK Chamber Hall. The CSUSB Orchestra's tour to Korea was covered by the CSUSB Magazine, the CSUniverse, and the Korea Times. CSUSB also produced a documentary film, the first of it's kind for the university, covering this experience, entitled "Flight to Harmony." Dr. Lewis is the director of the CSUSB Orchestra, Piano, and Chamber Music Summer Camp, has been a guest clinician for several honor orchestras, and has served as an adjudicator for the San Bernardino County Music Educators Association, California American String Teachers Association, and Forum Music Festivals. As an orchestral violinist and violist, Dr. Lewis currently performs with the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Coachella Valley Symphony, Redlands Symphony Orchestra, Desert Symphony, Temecula Valley Symphony, and Sea Coast (formerly Dana Point) Symphony.

Dr. Lewis is a graduate of Andrews University where she received Bachelor of Music degrees in music education and violin performance as a student of Carla Trynchuk, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and a minor in bilingual education, magna cum laude. While at Andrews University, Dr. Lewis directed the string program at the Ruth Murdoch Elementary School and completed her student teaching under Roberta Guaspari (about whom the Grammy award winning movie “Music of the Heart” was made) at the Rivereast Elementary Public School, Central Park East I & II Public Schools, and the Opus 118 Harlem School of Music in East Harlem, New York City. Dr. Lewis also holds a Master of Music degree in violin performance, summa cum laude, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Piotr Milewski, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in violin performance and pedagogy, summa cum laude, from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Scott Conklin, and was a recipient of the String Area Henry & Parker Pelzer Fellowship Award. At the University of Iowa, Dr. Lewis also completed a cognate area in viola performance and pedagogy with Christine Rutledge, and a cognate area in orchestral conducting with William LaRue Jones. Dr. Lewis has completed additional conducting studies with Stephen Zork, Alan Mitchell, Claudio Gonzalez, and most recently, with John Farrer and Howard Williams at the London Conducting Workshop at the Royal Academy of Music.

Dr. Lewis holds professional memberships in the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), the California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA), the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the California Chapter of the American String Teachers Association (CALASTA), the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), the Suzuki Music Association of California, Los Angeles Chapter (SMAC-LA), the Chamber Music of America Association (CMA), the American Viola Society (AVS), Pi Kappa Lambda (National Music Honor Society), Sigma Alpha Iota (International Sorority for Women in Music), Pi Lambda Theta (National Education Honor Society), Alpha Mu Gamma (the International Languages Honor Society), the San Bernardino County Music Educators Association (SBCMEA), and the International Adventist Musicians Association (IAMA).

Veronica Manzanera is an Inland Empire based oboist and conductor. Having just completed her Bachelor of Music degree, she is currently a student at California State University, San Bernardino pursuing a single subject credential to teach music K-12 in schools. After finishing the credentialing program, Maestra Manzanera plans to further her education by pursuing a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting. During her undergraduate career, Maestra Manzanera performed as principal oboist in both the CSUSB Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra, and had the opportunity to go on tour and perform at the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea with the CSUSB Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her performance opportunities during her degree studies, Maestra Manzanera was also invited to conduct the CSUSB Symphonic Band, CSUSB Chamber Singers, and the CSUSB Symphony Orchestra, studying conducting with Dr. Nicholas Bratcher, Dr. Lesley Leighton, and Dr. Lucy Lewis, respectively. Maestra Manzanera has received additional conducting training through taking part in the Sofia Symphonic Summit where she participated in master classes led by Simeon Pironkoff, and conducted the world premier of Ya Leili Ya Lian by William Blacklaw, performed by the Sofia Philharmonic. In December of 2022, Maestra Manzanera was one of two conducting students chosen to guest conduct the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, marking her national conducting debut.

Dr. Susan Barnes is a distinguished conductor and educator based in Southern California. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching, Learning, and Technology from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting and Historical Performance Practices

from Claremont Graduate University.

Since founding the string program in the Rialto Unified School District in 1996, Dr. Barnes has remained a leader in music education. She currently directs the choral and orchestral programs at W. A. Carter High School in Rialto, where her student ensembles consistently earn accolades

through performances at local and regional concerts and music festivals. She also serves as adjunct faculty with the College of Education at California State University, San Bernardino.

Dr. Barnes is deeply committed to bringing the joy of music performance to the young people of San Bernardino County. As the conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony's new Overture Orchestra, she is honored to help expand access to high-quality music education and ensemble

experience for developing musicians in the region.

An active freelance violinist and violist, Dr. Barnes performs with several local orchestras and chamber ensembles and is a founding member of the Fisher String Quartet in San Diego. Her performance credits include appearances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with the Jackie Evancho Touring Orchestra, the Orchestra Collective of Orange County, and the Claremont Symphony. She also participated in the West Coast premiere of Voiceless Mass, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning work by Raven Chacon.

A sought-after conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Dr. Barnes regularly collaborates with youth, community, and semi-professional ensembles throughout the country. Her lifelong dedication to musical artistry and education continues to inspire and empower the next generation of

musicians.

Susan Felix is a violinist and educator in the Inland Empire. She is the Orchestral Program director and Music Appreciation instructor at Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California. Having received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance degree, she is currently pursuing a Single Subject Credential at California State University, San Bernardino. After finishing the credentialing program, Ms. Felix plans to further her education by pursuing a Master of Arts in Education degree and a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting degree.

As a member of the Inland Empire, Ms. Felix participated in local orchestras such as the San Bernardino County Honor Orchestra and Symphonie Jeunesse during her K-12 education. During her time at CSUSB, Ms. Felix served as a first violinist and concertmistress in the CSUSB Symphony Orchestra; she also participated in CSUSB’s Concert Choir, and String Chamber Music and Collaborative Piano programs. Locally, Ms. Felix has performed with the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra as a guest student musician, has performed with the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, and

participated in the west coast premiere of David Lang’s Crowd Out which was performed at the world-renowned Walt Disney Concert Hall. Internationally, she had the opportunity to travel to Seoul, South Korea to perform with the CSUSB Symphony Orchestra in the world-renowned Seoul Arts Center IBK Chamber Hall in a sold-out concert.