Performer Bios
Sound of the Season 2024

Jocelyn Kirsch, Violin

Violinist Jocelyn Kirsch is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was introduced to music by her five older siblings who played folk music and taught her how to fiddle. As she entered her teen years, she discovered the world of classical music and fell in love with the beauty of it. She studied piano under the guidance of her older sister, Danica Holets.

When Jocelyn was 15, she began to play violin more seriously. She joined the Albuquerque Youth Symphony during her junior year of high school and began taking private lessons with Ruxandra Marquardt of The Santa Fe Symphony. Now fully devoted to the violin, she began winning competitions such as the Castro Concerto Competition, a contest that included the opportunity for her to perform Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 at Popejoy Hall. After winning first place in the senior division of The Santa Fe Symphony’s annual concerto competition for young musicians, she was booked to perform on the orchestra’s annual Sounds of the Season concert. She will perform the Allegro aperto portion of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K.219.

In addition to playing with chamber groups and her church worship team, Jocelyn teaches private lessons in violin and piano to younger musicians. She is also a visual artist, with her work frequently sold on Etsy and at local markets.

 

William Waag, Conductor
Santa Fe Symphony Youth Orchestra

William Reece Waag is in his sixth season as Conductor of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony.

A passionate music educator, he also works as a guest clinician and mentor in music classrooms across Northern New Mexico. William’s recent guest conducting engagements include the Albuquerque Philharmonic, Seattle Rock Orchestra, The Santa Fe Symphony, El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra, Albuquerque Youth Symphony, Reading Orchestra, and Honor Orchestras in New Mexico.

William has held a variety of conducting and teaching positions ranging from elementary and secondary schools to colleges, public and private institutions in four states.

He has led wind ensembles, jazz bands, symphony orchestras, music education courses, music theory, special education and pre-school music. Above all these, William’s passion is for conducting youth symphonies. Previously with Kittitas Valley Youth Orchestra (Washington) and Anchorage Youth Philharmonic (Alaska), William is so pleased to be guiding the Santa Fe Youth Symphony to creative collaborations and expanding every aspect of the youth symphony experience.

William received an MM in Orchestral Conducting from Central Washington University, and a BM in Music Education from Boise State University. Originally from Boise, William loves exploring the mountains in all seasons with ski poles in one hand and espresso in the other. In his free time, he can be found traveling the New Mexico highways in his 1972 Volkswagen bus.

He is currently signing up students for classes and private lessons through The Santa Fe Symphony Youth Project. If you’ve not yet registered your child for ensembles, classes, or lessons yet, William says to give him a call. He’d love to get your budding musician enrolled in whatever sessions are the right fit for your student. For more about our Youth Projects, click here.

 

Laurie Rossi, Guest Conductor

Laurie RossiLaurie first conducted The Santa Fe Symphony in 2014 as part of the Annual Gala Conducting Opportunity. Since then, she has been a guest conductor for the Christmas Pops concert every year. She has also conducted the Santa Fe Concert Band at the annual Pancakes on the Plaza event on July 4th. After her first Symphony conducting appearance, “I was so hooked on that experience that instead of returning my rental tux, I took it in and asked if I could pay for it and if they could alter it permanently,” Laurie says.

Laurie’s coaches have been Gregory W. Heltman, Founder of The Santa Fe Symphony; William Waag, Associate Artistic Director and Conductor of The Santa Fe Youth Symphony; and Dana Winograd, Principal Cello of The Santa Fe Symphony.

As a member of The Symphony’s Board of Directors, Laurie serves as Vice Chair of the Events Subcommittee and is a member of the Community and Education Committee and the Development Committee. She is Program Director for the Symphony’s highly successful Adopt-A-Musician Program, which, since 2023-2024, has reached its goal of having every musician in the orchestra adopted by the time each season opens.

Laurie is also a regular volunteer at Symphony events as well as at the administrative office.
In her spare time, Laurie loves to travel, knit, and ride in hot-air balloons.