Guest Artists

Christine Grossman - Viola

Born to a musical family and raised in New York City, Christine Grossman began playing the violin at the age of five, piano at the age of ten, and viola at sixteen. She received both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School where she studied with Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Past teachers also include Roberto Diaz, Karen Ritscher, Patti Kopec, Isaac Malkin, and Dorothy Roffman.

Before moving to Kansas City, Ms. Grossman previously held positions with the Pacific Symphony, Delaware Symphony, and was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL.

An avid chamber musician, Ms. Grossman was formerly in the California Quartet, based in San Diego. Other performances and festival appearances include Portland Chamber Music Festival (ME), Laguna Beach Music Festival (CA), Great Lakes Music Festival (MI), Festival Mozaic (CA), Emerald City Music Festival (WA), Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival (WA) and Missouri River Festival of the Arts in Boonville, MO.

Ms. Grossman served as the Principal Violist with the Kansas City Symphony from 2008 until 2019. She enjoyed several solo appearances with the orchestra, including Berlioz’ Harold in Italy, an arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody featuring solo viola as Freddie Mercury, and most recently, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.

Ms. Grossman was the viola professor at the International Center for Music at Park University in Parkville, MO, from 2013 until 2019. She also teaches violin and viola privately.

In January 2018, Ms. Grossman was featured as an “Artist to Watch” in KC Studio Magazine.

Julie Coucheron- Piano

Born in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Coucheron began playing the piano at age four. She earned her Bachelor and Master’s Degree with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the age of 32, Ms. Coucheron has established an international career, winning awards and prizes in Italy, Germany, UK and in the United States.

Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Claude Frank, Emanuel Ax, Chee-Yun Kim, Christopher O’Riley, Steve Miller Band, Yo-Yo Ma, and Elton John, and has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, performing in halls like Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

Ms. Coucheron has performed with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic; Jena Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Philarmonic and the Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra in Kiev.

Ms. Coucheron regularly performs at festivals such as the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Bergen International Music Festival, Amelia Island Music Festival, Madison Chamber Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics and at La Jolla Summer Fest. She is Artistic Director of the Fjord Cadenza festival in Norway ,the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in Oslo, Norway and Georgian Chamber Players in Atlanta, GA.

In addition, Ms. Coucheron also performed during the 2003 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Ms. Coucheron enjoys a close collaboration with her brother, the Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony, David Coucheron, and together they have released two recordings, ‘Debut’ and ‘David and Julie’ on the Naxos label.

In addition to her busy concert schedule, Ms. Coucheron is a sought after teacher and pedagogue. In August 2014, she was appointed Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the top 50 state schools in the United States.

Ms. Coucheron has given masterclasses and taught at schools such as the New England Conservatory, Emory University and Mercer University.

Ms. Coucheron enjoys a various and wide range of styles and repertoire emerging from her highly trained classical background to the more contemporary and popular music. Recent collaborations include performances with the Steve Miller Band and Elton John.

Susie Yang - Violincello

Susie Yang made her solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. The performance was broadcast on PBS in Chicago and the classical radio station, 98.7 FM. She has appeared as a soloist with many other orchestras in the greater Chicago area as well, such as the Midwest Young Artists Orchestra, Highland Park Strings, Fox Valley Symphony, and the Skokie Valley Symphony.

As an avid chamber musician, she won a top prize in the Senior Division of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and has participated in the Juilliard Quartet Seminar and the Beethoven Intensive Quartet Seminar at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has collaborated with many of the top chamber musicians in the world, such as Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, the Borromeo Quartet, and the Peabody Trio. Susie was also a fellow of the New World Symphony from 2016-2018 and was a rotating principal under music director, Michael Tilson Thomas. After winning the concerto competition, she performed the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the New World Symphony in 2007. In April 2016, she performed the same concerto as a classical subscription soloist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. This past February, she performed Golijov’s “Mariel” with the Tulsa Signature Symphony in Oklahoma.

Susie has performed as a soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician at many music festivals,including Sarasota, Schleswig-Holstein, Music Academy of the West, Spoleto Italy and USA, Taos, Yellow Barn, Britt Festival, Artosphere, Crested Butte, Missouri River Festival and Festival Mozaic. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Susie holds degrees and numerous scholarship awards from The Juilliard School and New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Andre Emelianoff and Laurence Lesser.

Susie moved to Kansas City in the Spring of 2010 to join the Kansas City Symphony as Associate Principal Cello. She is a passionate music teacher and holds a private studio of cellists. She is also on the faculty and Board of the Heartland Chamber Music Festival. She has soloed with the Kansas City Symphony, as well as the Northland Symphony and Heritage Philharmonic. Susie and another cellist in the Kansas City Symphony formed a cello duo called 2CellosKC and they perform for many schools in the area, as well as wineries and restaurants around the city.

Jessica Nance - Viola

Jessica Nance has been a member of the Kansas City Symphony since 1995 and is currently Acting Principal Viola. She also performs chamber music in Kansas City with Summerfest Concerts.

Before moving to Kansas City, Jessica was Principal Viola in the Michigan Opera Theatre and the Windsor (Ontario) Symphony, and performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

She attended the University of Michigan, where she studied with Yizhak Schotten.

Jessica is married with two children and in her free time enjoys running and kayaking.

Noemie Golubovic - Violincello

Born in Paris, France, Noemie Golubovic completed her bachelor and master’s degree at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon, as well as a master’s degree in Orchestral Performance at the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Alan Stepansky. She also studied with Anne Gastinel, Qang Tu, Edouard Sapey-Triomphe and Matthieu Lejeune.

Ms Golubovic has attented numerous music festivals including the European Union Youth Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Academy, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the French Youth Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Ms Golubovic has recently performed for a United Nations benefit concert in New-York and won Manhattan School of Music’s Fuchs chamber music competition.

Since 2019, Ms Golubovic is a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Wichita Symphony. She often performs as a substitute with the Kansas City Symphony

Ms Golubovic plays a french cello made by Sylvestre in 1869, and appeared with The Opus 76 Quartet as guest 'cellist for the 2020/2021 season.

Kaydee Gabel -Harpsichord

Kaydee Gabel is a pianist, and violinist in the Kansas City area. Kaydee earned her Bachelors of Music (BM) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and went on to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) until the pandemic hit in 2020. During her time at UNL, she participated in the UNL Symphony Orchestra, various chamber music ensembles, and UNL University Singers.

She currently runs her own private studio teaching piano and violin in Kansas City and Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She is also the Music Director at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church, accompanist for Grace United Methodist Church in Lee’s Summit, and is the Principal 2nd Violinist of The Westwood Ensemble.