Our Staff

Leadership

Gabriel Lefkowitz

American violinist and conductor Gabriel Lefkowitz has captivated audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad in a dynamic and multi-faceted career as a performer, creator, and educator.

Bio

Gabriel is the Concertmaster & Resident Conductor of The Louisville Orchestra, Music Director of the Louisville Youth Orchestra, Artistic Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Louisville, and is active as a soloist, guest conductor, guest concertmaster, chamber musician, and teacher. A progressive musician of the 21st century, Gabriel is also a composer who has written the music for several video games, composed several full length albums of original music, and was the featured violin soloist on the soundtrack for the film Harriet (Focus Features).

At The Louisville Orchestra, Gabriel serves as Resident Conductor in addition to his role as Concertmaster. He can be seen on the podium in concert series including the LO’s statewide In Harmony Tour, Pops, Films, Music Without Borders, OrKIDStra, and more.

Gabriel is Founder & Artistic Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Louisville, with 2025-2026 marking the third season of this dynamic professional ensemble, featuring three performances of chamber orchestra repertoire.

Starting with the 2025-2026 Season, Gabriel assumes the post of Music Director of the Louisville Youth Orchestra, where he will lead and oversee the artistic efforts of the region’s premiere youth oriented arts non-profit and its nearly 500 students, and where he will conduct the organization’s top ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra.

As former Artistic Director & Conductor of the Louisville Civic Orchestra (2020-2025), Gabriel led the organization to new artistic heights and civic distinction for its high quality performances, diverse programming and audience engagement, and fundraising/outreach initiatives on behalf of homeless shelters, cancer support networks, and healthcare workers.

Gabriel has conducted ensembles around the country and abroad including Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston and a vast array of youth orchestras including those of of Boston, Taiwan, Knoxville, Central Kentucky, and Juilliard’s Pre-College division.

During his 9-year tenure as Concertmaster of The Louisville Orchestra so far, Gabriel has led over 200 different programs from the concertmaster chair and has performed the violin concerti of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Bach, Vivaldi, and others. In October 2019, Gabriel performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon with LO music director Teddy Abrams, Jim James, and several LO colleagues to promote the orchestra’s new album The Order of Nature.

In 2011, at the age of 23, Gabriel became one of the youngest concertmasters of a professional orchestra in the U.S. when he was appointed Concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. During his 6-year tenure with KSO, Gabriel performed the concerti of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Korngold, Mozart (No. 3), and others. He also founded the KSO’s still beloved and wildly successful Concertmaster Series (then called Gabriel Lefkowitz & Friends) at which he performed over 30 recitals (16 different programs with no overlapping repertoire) over the course of 5 seasons.

Recent guest engagements include concerto performances of Brahms (Brevard Philharmonic), Stravinsky (Monteux School and Music Festival Orchestra), Florence Price No. 1 (McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra – the Ohio premiere of this work), Mozart No. 4 (Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra), Mozart No. 5 (Oak Ridge Symphony), Philip Glass No. 1 (Ocala Symphony), and performing as guest concertmaster with the Phoenix Symphony, Brevard Music Center, Britt Festival Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Nu Deco Ensemble.

Under the alias Green Forge Studio Gabriel has composed the soundtracks for multiple video games, including the recent releases Aces & Adventures and Pop-Up Dungeon. He also created music for the multi-million dollar theme resort Ancient Lore Village in East Tennessee. His concert music has been performed by the Phoenix Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, and the Dubuque Festival Orchestra. He has released four original albums (and one Christmas album!) to YouTube, and his music has been enjoyed by over a million users on the platform, in addition to being licensed by a multitude of content creators, podcasters, and Twitch streamers.

Gabriel holds a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University where he studied music and economics, and a Masters from The Juilliard School where he studied violin with Joel Smirnoff and Masao Kawasaki. He has studied conducting with pedagogues including Michael Jinbo, Markand Thakar, Larry Rachleff, David Effron, and others.

Matthew Vanover

Matthew Vanover has devoted his life career to service in the non-profit music and education sector. Matthew brings his nearly twenty-years experience supporting sustainable arts education programming.

Bio

Matthew joined LYO in Summer of 2023 after a five-month long nationwide search. After graduating at the University of Evansville with degrees in music, Matthew went on to lead several church music programs oriented toward community engagement, growth and support for community music educators. Matthew came to LYO after leading more than forty artistic and administrative staff members at the Immanuel School of Music in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region. Immanuel School of Music is a full-featured private music school providing private instruction and a graded string orchestra program to more than 700 students. The schools outreach program, Mozart Strings, sends string music educators into 20 area elementary schools to provide entry level music eduction to approximately 350 third-grade students. LYO’s partnership with Matthew stems from a shared desire to see LYO continue to grow upon the organization’s six decades of success.

Matthew is an accomplished pianist, organist and conductor whose musical journey began at a very young age in rural Western Kentucky. After a difficult childhood losing his father to cancer at the age of seven, music became a forever faithful friend. Owing much of his success to his educators, Matthew moved toward the non-profit music education space in a desire to provide today’s children many of the same outlets that were so beneficial to him as a child. As an arts administrator, Matthew is able to influence lives a countless students and help move entire communities toward more engaging music education.

Matthew lives in the Greater Louisville area with his family. Matthew’s wife, Jessica, is a public school music educator at Painted Stone Elementary School in Shelby County. Their son, Charles, is the life of the party! All together, the Vanover’s are avid Cincinnati Reds and Bengals sports fans.

Conducting Staff

Gabriel Lefkowitz

American violinist and conductor Gabriel Lefkowitz has captivated audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad in a dynamic and multi-faceted career as a performer, creator, and educator.

Bio

Michele Barbosa

Michele was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil and holds a Bachelor of Music Performance in Violin and Music Education from the University of Kentucky and a Masters degree in Music Education from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Bio

Michele has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician across North America, South America and Europe. In Brazil, Michele was an active orchestra musician in the main orchestras of Sao Paulo, including the Experimental Repertoire Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Michele participated in acclaimed international festivals of Brazil, such as Campos do Jordao International Festival and Santa Catarina International Festival, and performed in several venues throughout the Czech Republic and Italy.

Michele is the Orchestra Director at the Youth Performing Arts School, holds a private teaching studio, and regularly performs with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, chamber groups around Louisville, and other regional orchestras in KY. During her free time, she shares her love for cooking, hosting dinner parties with her husband, friends, and even with her 17-year old cat, Elly.

Misaki Hall

Misaki Hall is a conductor and violinist based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bio

Ms. Hall currently serves as rehearsal assistant of the Louisville Orchestra and conductor of the Kling Chamber Orchestra, one of the state’s string orchestras. As a guest conductor, Misaki has conducted the Louisville Civic Orchestra, Louisville Youth Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and Orchestra Northern Arizona. In January 2025, she received the placement of first-prize winner in the International Conductors Workshop and Competition in Atlanta and will perform as a guest conductor with the Gwinnett Symphony later this year as a result. In the fall semester of 2023, she served as lecturer and sabbatical replacement for the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra and graduate orchestral conducting program. In the summers, Misaki has attended the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival as a conductor, violinist, and orchestra assistant from 2022 to 2025.

As an instrumentalist, Misaki enjoys playing in various ensembles and genres of music. She has performed as a solo jazz violinist with the Count Basie Orchestra as well as the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and plays as section violinist in regional orchestras of Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee. She also plays synthesizer in her psychedelic-rock band, DOOM GONG.

Misaki obtained her bachelor’s degree in violin performance and master’s degree in conducting from the University of Louisville School of Music. Originally from Radcliff, Kentucky, she was a student at the Hardin County Schools and holds fond memories of commuting to Louisville Youth Orchestra rehearsals from 4th to 12th grade.

Carl Kling

Carl Kling has been active in music education since 1993. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Texas Wesleyan University (Fort Worth, TX) and a Master of Music Degree in Conducting and Clarinet Performance from Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX).

Bio

Additional postgraduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington, IN) round out his formal education. Carl’s career path has offered opportunities to work with students at all levels, from beginners to advanced collegiate education in Texas, Missouri, and Kentucky.

Carl is currently the Director of Bands at Ballard High School, a position held since 2015. In that capacity, he is responsible for guiding the Ballard Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Bruin Marching Band. He guides the Musical Orchestra through its annual performances with an ‘all school’ cast and crew. Prior appointments include Fern Creek High School, Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville), Cleburne, Crowley, and Georgetown High School in Texas. His ensembles have performed across the county, in London (New Year Celebration 2008), the Kentucky Music Educators Association, and the Nebraska Music Educator Association.

As a performer, Carl has been a contributing member of numerous ensembles, including the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, Fort Worth Concert Band, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Brazos Chamber Orchestra (founding member), Fabulous Forties Jazz Orchestra, Cleburne Community Chamber Players, Carnegie Players (Musical Theater), and The Louisville Winds. In addition to his new appointment with the Louisville Youth Orchestra, Carl serves as the Conductor and Musical Director of the Derby City Brass Band – a British-style brass and Percussion Ensemble with a 20-year tradition of serving the Louisville region.

Carl’s interest in chamber music developed in undergraduate school and has been a driving force in his philosophy of music education. While at Cleburne High School, he cultivated a thriving Chamber Winds project with more than 95% voluntary student participation in the study of orchestra wind literature and performance. The serenades of Mozart, the wind works of Richard Strauss, and the brass works of Gabrielli formed the basis of their instruction and development.

Carl’s musical influences have been shaped by many dear friends, colleagues and mentors, including Donald Beckie & James Campbell (clarinet), Ray Cramer, Steven W. Pratt, John Whitwell, Kevin Sedatole, and Steve Erich (conducting), and many others.

Carl resides in Louisville and is supported by his friends and family, including his daughter Elizabeth and son Mark.

Chris Lerner

Chris Lerner received his bachelor of music degree in violin performance from the University of Louisville, where he was proud to have studied under Peter McHugh.

Bio

He continues to promote the Suzuki method with his private studio. In addition, Chris has benefited from working with fellow conductors Deanna Tham, Jason Seber, Robert Franz, and Doug Elmore at the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

Mr. Lerner is in his twenty-first year as the Director of Strings for the middle and upper school string programs at Louisville Collegiate School and his second year as Fine Arts Director. In addition to teaching daily string classes, Mr. Lerner enjoys arranging classic rock and roll tunes for his middle and upper school classes. He also leads middle and upper school rock bands. In 2013, Mr. Lerner received Louisville Collegiate School’s Katherine McCracken Davis Distinguished Teaching Chair. In addition, Mr. Lerner has judged large ensemble contests for Jefferson County, Kentucky, and conducted the middle and high school All-County Orchestras in Jefferson County. He also conducted the East Tennessee Orchestra festival in Tennessee in the fall of 2019. Recently, he received the opportunity to judge the violin sections for KMEA All-State Orchestra and conducted the High School Honors Orchestra for District 3 in Bolingreen, Kentucky. Over the past 23 years, Mr. Lerner has filled many roles for the Louisville Youth Orchestra: Director of the Presto! Strings Program, Director of the Sonatina Strings Program, Conductor of the Serenade Orchestra, Conductor of the Concert Orchestra, and Conductor of the Camerata Orchestra. Mr. Lerner was also excited to be a part of the fiftieth and the recent sixtieth anniversary of the Louisville Youth Orchestra. In his spare time, Mr. Lerner enjoys teaching a studio of fourteen violin and viola students, playing video games with his kids, and maintaining his ‘01 Wrangler.

Mr. Lerner currently lives in Louisville with his wife, Erin Fry Lerner, his two sons, Bobby(14) and Stash(12), and his daughter Hazel (9 years).

Mitsuko Martinez

Ms. Mitsuko Martinez is a passionate music educator and clarinetist with over 13 years of experience teaching band in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Bio

Mrs. Martinez currently teaches middle school band at South Oldham Middle School and serves as the Middle School Band Chair for KMEA District 5. Ms. Martinez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Elmhurst University, where she studied clarinet with Gail Crosson and conducting with Judy Grimes. She earned her Master’s degree in Wind Band Pedagogy from the University of Louisville, studying conducting with Dr. Fred Speck and Dr. Kimcherie Lloyd, and clarinet with Dr. Matthew Nelson.

A strong advocate for student-centered, skill-focused instruction, Ms. Martinez creates engaging learning environments where young musicians build confidence, independence, and joy in their musical growth. She has taught in diverse settings, including service learning trips in Australia and Jamaica, and performed internationally with the Hachioji Community Band in Tokyo.

She remains an active performer with the Louisville Concert Band under Dr. Fred Speck and is actively involved in school and district leadership, contributing to a variety of educational and community initiatives.

Ms. Martinez is thrilled to support the mission of the Louisville Youth Orchestra and looks forward to helping students connect, collaborate, and thrive through music.

Mark Tate

Mark L. Tate received a Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from the University of Kentucky as a student of David Davenport.

Bio

Mark was the first percussionist to receive a performance degree from this university. Mark received a Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy from Washington University in St. Louis MO, studying with Richard O’Donnell, Principal Percussionist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. While in St. Louis, he also studied with John Kasica and Tom Stubbs of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He performed frequently with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joining them in 2 east coast tours that included performances in Carnegie Hall. He was also a percussionist with the Might Mississippi Concert Band, Gateway Festival Orchestra, Springfield (IL) Symphony, and staff percussionist at the Westport Playhouse. While in St. Louis he taught drums and percussion at Clayton Academy of Music, Drum Headquarters and was a teaching assistant at Washington University.

Mark began performing as a percussionist with the Louisville Orchestra in 1983. He has also performed as percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and the Broadway Series at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. He currently serves as percussionist with the Louisville Chorus, the Louisville Concert Band and the Louisville Civic Orchestra. He frequently free- lances as a percussionist with various churches, ensembles and chamber groups in the Louisville area.

Mark is the percussion instructor at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany IN. He also services as the percussion coordinator and percussion ensemble director for the Louisville Youth Orchestra. He maintains a full service studio in his home, specializing in concert percussion instruction for students in area band programs. He also coaches and coordinates percussion sectionals at many of the areas high schools and middle schools,

Mark has an avid interest in the history of southern Americana music and its influences on culture. Favorite styles include blues, rock, country, and jazz.

Mark is the LYO representative for the Fund for the Arts 5×5 and TAG Visiting Artist in Residence program. Using his “Percussion Around the World” presentation, he demonstrates percussion instruments and techniques from around the globe to explore different cultures through the use of music, movement, visual arts, geography, math and history.

Beginning Strings

Matthew Lane

Matthew Lane is an Educator, Violinist, Conductor, and Luthier based in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined LYO as a middle school student in 1996 and continued through his Senior Year of High School.

Bio

He studied Anthropology and Music at Centre College where he graduated in 2006. Following an apprenticeship, Mr. Lane opened the St Matthews location of Lane & Edwards Violins while continually planting and teaching beginning strings classes throughout the Greater Louisville area. In these capacities, Matt has had the privilege of working with students through many wonderful organizations including The Oldham County Schools Arts Center, The Virginia Chance School, The Louisville Youth Orchestra, Montessori School of Louisville, The Louisville Collegiate School,The Louisville Suzuki Association, and more. Mr. Lane is also cofounder of the Concentus String Quartet, past Concertmaster of the Louisville Philharmonia Orchestra, and a past Conductor of the Kling Chamber Orchestra, a non-profit with a core mission to bring orchestral performances into nursing and care facilities. Matt lives in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville with his wife, Elizabeth, three children, as well as two cats, and is extremely excited to be returning to the LYO as the Director of Beginning Strings!

Janell Deckard

Janell began learning violin when she was 7. Growing up in a military family meant she lived in many states and had six violin teachers.

Bio

Janell enjoyed one year with the Cascade Premiere Orchestra near Seattle, but then health issues began. At age 15, she had reconstructive surgery for a foot injury. Physical therapy to relearn to walk and run resulted in Fibromyalgia.

When she was 16, she was privileged to start violin lessons with Oleg Zukin from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Eventually, violin was paused for several years. Much of her late teens to early twenties were spent in a wheelchair. For a while, she was not strong enough to lift a violin bow.

Recovery was slow. Countless hours were spent watching videos of concerts and masterclasses while she practiced building endurance to stand. When migraines allowed, she read numerous violin and music books. In 2007, an old violin from Oleg Zukin made it easy for Janell to play again and restart lessons!

Since 2009, Janell has lived near Fort Knox. In 2012, a Chaplain requested Janell start an Orchestral Group for the Fort Knox Main Post Chapel Traditional Service. As the Orchestra Director, she prepares music for whatever string/wind/brass instruments play each Sunday. Youth and adult musicians have skills ranging from beginners to current/previous members of the Army band!
Teaching violin in person and online to three nieces and a few friends brings Janell joy! It began in 2020 when her oldest niece wanted to learn violin.

Janell continues her music education by watching an array of teachers on iClassical Academy and Tonebase Violin/Cello/Music, plus online courses by Zlata Brouwer, Vivien Hoffman, and Antal Zalai.

Playing cello and viola are Janell’s newest pastimes! She stays busy coordinating a variety of Chapel ministries. When weather permits, she likes to mountain bike with her Dad!

Mozaliel DeSant'Ana

Born in Brasília, Mozaliel Sant’Ana graduated from Brasília School of Music with a focus on the violin under the guidance of Professor Karla Oliveto.

Bio

Subsequently, Mr. DeSant’Ana obtained a bachelor’s degree in music with a specialization in viola from the University of Brasília, studying with Dr. Glêsse Collet and Dr. João Machado. Following undergraduate studies, he joined the viola class led by Alexandre Razera.

Mozaliel Sant’Ana has participated as a student in various International Festivals, including Campos do Jordão, Gramado in Concert, Sesc de Música (Pelotas), CIVEBRA and also has attended masterclasses with violists Nikita Gersukov (Auner Quartet) and Kate Hamilton (University of Nevada). Mozaliel is also certified by the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) in teacher training courses.

Formerly serving as a violist in the Brasília Philharmonic Orchestra, he also collaborated as a guest musician with other orchestras such as the National Theater Cláudio Santoro Symphony Orchestra (OSTNCS) and the Marilia Philharmonic Orchestra.

Currently studying with Dr. Kevin Nordstrom at University of Louisville for a Master’s Degree in Viola Pedagogy, Mozaliel is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant for both Strings and Music History Faculty. He is dedicated to both the field of musical performance and music education actively participating in social projects, music schools, and teaching privately.

Aimee Quinn Reed

Aimee Quinn Reed was born and raised in the Louisville area. She began studying violin at age four with Hiroko Driver Lipman and has now recently graduated from the University of Louisville where she studied with Jennifer Ross and Dr. Geoffrey Herd for a BA in Violin Performance and an MM in String Pedagogy.

Bio

Aimee has completed her certification training twice for Suzuki violin books 1-10: once with Dr. Timothy Durbin during her undergraduate studies and again with Kirsten Marshall in her graduate student years. Aimee currently teaches violin, viola, and piano privately as well as performing for weddings and other such events. She is employed at the Oldham County Schools Center for the Arts and teaches classes for the Louisville Youth Orchestra’s Presto! Strings in the Shelbyville/Simpsonville area.

Aimee has performed frequently with the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra as well as the Louisville Philharmonia during the summer months. She also provides multi-genre string music for weddings and other events all throughout the year with her family trio “Quintrilogy”. Aimee has learned to improvise and has honed her harmonizing skills while playing the violin on the worship team at Heritage Christian Fellowship where she attends weekly. Aside from playing the violin, Aimee has studied piano, viola, harp, hammered dulcimer and always enjoys trying new and different instruments at any opportunity!

Franzeli Sharp

Franzeli Sharp’s love for the violin began at age six when she started Suzuki Violin lessons.

Bio

Ms. Sharp was granted a scholarship to the University of Louisville to study violin in 1996. She holds a BA in Music. Her teaching career began in Elizabethtown, Kentucky in 1996 with individualized lessons for children ages three through fourteen. In 2001, she started teaching in Louisville and decided that teaching the Suzuki Method was her choice as a career.

Franzeli has held violin teaching positions at Wheeler Elementary, Golden Tree Middle School, Waldorf School of Louisville and the Arts Institute at Indiana University Southeast. She currently teaches Suzuki Violin at the University of Louisville’s String Preparatory Center, where she has taught since 2001, and teaches Suzuki Violin at Sanders Public Elementary Schools through the University of Louisville Weisburg Endowment Program.

Franzeli has completed and registered Suzuki Teacher Training from Introductory levels through Book Ten with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, she has observed classes to review training and has taken teacher training twice for Books 2-4 and Book 8. Franzeli’s short term teacher trainers and mentors who have influenced and inspired her teaching include; Linda Steig, Kimberly Meir-Simms, Moshe Neuman, Edmund Sprunger, William Starr (observation), Sherry Hofmeister (childhood private teacher), Carol Hughes, Roger Steig, Dr. Timothy (Terry) Durbin and Hiroko Driver-Lippman. Franzeli has been a Suzuki Mom since her daughter started to play the violin in 2003.

Administrative Staff

Denver Pascua

Denver Pascua is a passionate music educator and performer with a strong commitment to fostering young talent.

Bio

Denver holds a dual-major in Music Education and Music Performance from the University of Kentucky and further honed his expertise with a Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he dual-majored in Music Performance and Music Teaching & Learning. Denver’s dedication to music education shines through his diverse roles, including serving as a Counselor and Ambassador at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, where he inspired young musicians, and as a Brass Instructor at Central Music Academy. Additionally, he shares his love for music through private lessons and freelance performances, bringing energy and expertise to every opportunity.

When he’s not teaching or performing, Denver enjoys staying active and challenging his mind. An avid chess player, he loves strategizing his next move, while weightlifting and roller skating keep him on his toes—literally! His enthusiasm for music, education, and life’s playful balance makes him a dynamic and inspiring presence in any arts community.

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Our Staff

Leadership

Gabriel Lefkowitz

Matthew Vanover ​

Conducting Staff

Gabriel Lefkowitz

Michele Barbosa

Misaki Hall

Carl Kling

Chris Lerner

Mitsuko Martinez

Mark Tate

Beginning Strings

Matthew Lane

Janell Deckard

Mozaliel DeSant'Ana

Aimee Quinn Reed

Franzeli Sharp

Administrative Staff

Denver Pascua

Matthew Vanover