Staff Directory

Marna Bestul holds a Bachelors degree in English and Creative Writing and a minor in Music from Carthage College, Kenosha, WI.

While at Carthage, she held a position as a student assistant in the administrative offices of the music department and served a music librarian for the choral ensembles and a student coordinator during audition times through the school year.

She was a member of the Carthage Choir for all four years of study, during which time she studied under conductors Weston Noble and Eduardo Garcia-Novelli and participated in several domestic and one international tour.

A past violist and pianist, Marna currently focuses her musical talents in vocal performance and is an active member of the Master Singers of Milwaukee.

Besides singing and music in general, Marna loves to spend time reading, traveling, and working on her writing portfolio. She also loves to travel to her hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin, to visit family and spend some time outside in the countryside.

She and her husband, Paul, currently reside in Cudahy.

MYSO alumna Sonora Brusubardis has been a coach for MYSO’s String Orchestra North for the last five years. In addition to her role as a MYSO coach, she is a violin instructor for MYSO’s Progressions Program and the organization’s Community Artists Coordinator. In 2018, Sonora became certified to teach Suzuki violin and viola, and in 2020, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in violin and viola performance. She currently has a studio in the Summit area teaching violin, viola, and beginner piano to students of all ages.

Programs

String Orchestra

Progressions

Progressions Director Tiffany Chang was most recently an orchestra teacher in the Wauwatosa School District, and prior to that, taught orchestra in the school district of Beloit, Wisconsin. Ms. Chang received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree at the UW-Madison and is certified to teach instrumental music. She has played in a variety of groups, including the Beloit-Janesville Symphony, Manitowoc Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra, and was a founding member of the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra and has served as coordinator and violin coach for WSMA Honors Orchestra.

Programs

Progressions

Madeline Clyne grew up in Upstate New York and holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and English from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Since graduating, she has dedicated her career to youth development, first as a college counselor for first-generation, low-income students in Milwaukee Public Schools, and now as the Program Coordinator for MYSO.

As a proud alumna of the Empire State Youth Orchestra, Madeline believes that music education can transform individuals and communities for the better. She began playing the violin at age four, but her love for music (and her leadership skills!) truly blossomed when she joined ESYO. She was a member of the Amherst Symphony Orchestra for all four years of college, and in Milwaukee, she has played with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s community orchestra.

Outside of work and music, Madeline can be found taking modern dance classes or salsa dancing around town, growing veggies in her community garden plot, tinkering with her sewing machine, or hanging out with her cat.

Daniel Duffy has enjoyed serving as Music Director of MYSO’s Philharmonia since 2014 and joined the MYSO administrative team as Artistic Administrator in 2020.

Mr. Duffy retired as director of instrumental music at Waukesha West High School in 2020. His public school teaching career spanned 35 years and included successful music programs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Prior to his appointment at Waukesha West, he served as Associate Director of Bands at Kansas State University.

His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University and a Master’s degree in Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he served as a Graduate Conducting Associate.

Passionate about the achievement of excellence through musical performance, Mr. Duffy served on the board of directors of the National Band Association Wisconsin Chapter, was the NBA Wisconsin All-State Band Coordinator, and served as percussion section coach of the Wisconsin School Music Association State Honors Band and Orchestra.

Mr. Duffy’s performance groups have received critical acclaim at regional and national events since 1985. Ensembles under his direction have performed at three WMEA State Music Conferences, eight National Band Association Wisconsin State Conventions, and four NFL half-time shows for the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. He also coordinated performance tours in Boston, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Orlando, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Programs

Philharmonia

Serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Inc., Linda Edelstein takes the leadership role in strategic planning, donor cultivation and fundraising, financial and managerial controls, and serves as vice president of the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (MYAC). Ms. Edelstein leads a team of more than fifty full- and part-time administrative and artistic staff and oversees more than 40 program offerings serving nearly 1,000 students from up to 14 counties, 60 cities and more than 200 schools in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. She manages a budget of approximately $3 million, with endowment and reserves of more than $7.5 million.

Together with the Managing Director of First Stage, she provides administrative leadership for MYAC, including but not limited to budget, fundraising, personnel, security, scheduling, and public relations, and serves on the MYAC Board of Directors.

Previously, Ms. Edelstein held numerous positions at the United Performing Arts Fund from 2005-2012, culminating in Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she oversaw an annual budget of more than $10 million, fund allocations of over $8.3 million, and worked with the UPAF President and community leaders to frame the annual campaign process and engage the community for the benefit of the arts. Prior to her work at UPAF, Ms. Edelstein was the Executive Director of the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra (now Wisconsin Philharmonic) for seven years, at which she created the organization’s “Success Through Music” program engaging children from diverse backgrounds to discover their potential through music education.

Ms. Edelstein holds an Executive MBA from Marquette University, a Master of Music from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was an Irving S. Gilmore Fellow at Yale and regularly performed professionally throughout southeastern Wisconsin as an oboist and English hornist with Milwaukee’s finest organizations, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Edelstein has also worked as a music faculty member at UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Hartland Music Center, Yale University, and in a private studio. She volunteers her time on the boards for the Elmbrook Rotary Club (President 2017-18), Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras (Secretary), Frankly Music (Governance Chair), and the Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras.

Maria Fuller is thrilled to be joining the MYSO team as Donor Experience Coordinator! Maria graduated from Viterbo University with her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in arts administration and a minor in music. While in school, she was an active member of several Viterbo choirs and studied voice under Dan Johnson-Wilmont. After graduating, she moved to Milwaukee to pursue a career in nonprofits and fell in love with this great city.

Maria was previously the volunteer manager at SecureFutures and brings a passion for community-building, fostering relationships, and arts advocacy. Growing up playing piano and violin, Maria was a member of a youth symphony program in her middle school years and has personally experienced the profound impact of quality music education. She is excited to bring her passion for the arts and her mission-driven mindset to the team at MYSO!

In her spare time, Maria enjoys hiking, cooking with friends, reading, all things outdoors, and singing with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.

Music Librarian Nicole Gabriel (She/They) was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music History & Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she continues to pursue a coordinated Master of Music History and Library Sciences. Nicole began her musical studies at the age of 5, studying violin under the tutelage of Steven Rindt and Kathy Kolb, and also studying viola under the tutelage of Mary Pat Michels. Nicole continues their studies on viola at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under the direction of Claudia Lasareff-Mironoff, where she has received a certification in viola performance.

As an active performer, Nicole prioritizes music by women composers as well as newly composed works by UW-Milwaukee composition students. They have been a featured performer on Reinaldo Moya’s Duende for Viola Quartet, as well as having performed actively with the UW-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. When not performing, Nicole spends their time writing original music for video games and podcasts.

Nicole is also an alum of MYSO, having performed on both violin and viola in the String Orchestra, Sinfonia and Philharmonia. They are excited to return to MYSO as Music Librarian and hope to inspire a curiosity for music among MYSO’s musicians.

Michael Gauger is MYSO’s Philanthropy Officer – Foundations and Institutional Giving. Michael’s job is to tell MYSO’s story — a story of nurturing, challenging, and inspiring young musicians, a story of lifelong impact on students, audiences, and our community – to raise grant funding for our programs.

Michael has been honored to work in the public interest, first in daily journalism and then in philanthropy. He joined MYSO in October 2021 after 11 years as a grant writer for community health and hospital programs for Ascension Wisconsin Foundations. Earlier, he worked for 20 years as a copy editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Milwaukee Journal.

Outside philanthropy, Michael writes and edits for scholarly publications in American history and political science. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications-journalism and a master’s degree in history, both from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also attended graduate school in history and political science at UW-Madison and the University of Michigan.

Connie Kling currently serves as MYSO’s HR Director in partnership with Lauber Business Partners.

She is a trusted Human Resources senior leader with over 15 years of broad-based HR experience, as well as several years of operational experience. Prior to working with the MYSO family, Connie worked in the financial services and health insurance industries. In 2019, she retired from Northwestern Mutual.

Connie is passionate about helping organizations make sure they have the right people in the right roles, at the right time, and at the right cost to effectively deliver business results. She attributes much of her success to the fact that she isn’t a traditional HR professional. Her success is based on the guiding principle to first understand the business strategy and goals; and then use this information to work with leaders to develop and implement a people strategy that will help ensure they have the talent needed to be successful.

Connie is thrilled to help MYSO realize its vision to nurture, challenge, and inspire young people through music.

Tara Kozik joined MYSO in September 2021 as Chief Financial Officer. Tara brings an in-depth background of finance, accounting, and process improvement expertise to MYSO. She has held many global finance leadership roles for GE and Honeywell and founded her own consulting business focusing on interim and project-based finance. Her career has focused on financial management, budgeting, analytics, and process streamlining for businesses and clients around the world. She has lived and worked overseas and has managed teams across many cultures.

Philanthropy Operations Manager Emma Kunz joined the MYSO team in January 2021.  Originally from Minnesota, she moved to Wisconsin following her graduation from St. Olaf College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in dance and participated heavily in the school’s two dance companies, Veselica and Companydance, as well as the Ballroom Performance and Competition Team. Most recently, she worked as the Front Office Receptionist and Administrative Assistant at a private school in Pewaukee for 3 years before finding her way to MYSO.

Throughout middle and high school, she played flute with her school band and continues to play regularly at her church. Being involved in choir, band, and dance her entire life, she has a passion for the arts and making them accessible to young people. She believes it was the performing arts that shaped her into the person she is today, and she can’t wait to share that with the staff and students at MYSO!

She currently lives in Oconomowoc with her husband and two beautiful rescue dogs, a greyhound and a Bernese mountain dog mix. In her free time, Emma enjoys dancing, reading, cooking, and crewing her husband’s sailboat in the summer.

Patrick Morrow joined the MYSO staff in 2023 as Equipment Manager after over 20 years of experience in percussion repair and instrument maintenance. He plays drums and percussion in numerous regional theaters including Milwaukee Rep, Skylight Music Theater, Fireside Dinner Theater, First Stage and Chamber Theater. He has also toured the country with a couple first National tours of Broadway shows, and toured the world in various rock & roll bands.

Chief Philanthropy Officer Joe Phillips is a dedicated professional with a specialization in philanthropy and community development. Joe is responsible for overseeing all of MYSO’s fundraising efforts, ensuring they align with the organization’s mission and vision.

Joe has garnered recognition throughout his career for his thoughtful approach to philanthropic advising and his unwavering commitment to aligning donors’ goals with organizational needs. His congenial nature and insightful perspectives have been pivotal in enhancing his team’s approach to fundraising. Joe is deeply passionate about creating an inclusive and empowering environment, with a focus on the professional growth and development of his colleagues. He values the synergy of mutual respect and shared aspirations, aiming to make a meaningful impact in the philanthropic sector. He has developed numerous training programs, integrating elements of philanthropy, philosophy, data science, and theology.

Serving as an Alderman in Wauwatosa, Joe is dedicated to championing community development and the transformative power of collective action to cultivate vibrant and resilient communities. Joe is motivated to nurture environments where people love to live and work, believing in the importance of creating spaces that foster community, well-being, and a sense of belonging.

Joe holds a Masters in Theology from Trinity International University and a BA in Sociology from the University of Minnesota. He is married with children. When not immersed in his professional and civic duties, Joe indulges in his interests, which include playing the bass, enjoying baseball, reading, and cooking.

In every aspect of his life, Joe strives to embody Mother Teresa’s idea of doing small things with great love, believing in the profound impact of compassionate actions.

Artistic and Music Director Carter Simmons has provided leadership for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) for more than 30 years. He conducts the organization’s Senior Symphony and Chamber Orchestra and leads MYSO’s impressive artist management team and faculty who serve thousands of students each season.

As a conductor he has collaborated on projects leading the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Philharmonic among others.  In 2017, Simmons was appointed Music Director of Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony, a professional orchestra which provides free concerts for its audiences. Simmons has led performances throughout the United States, in China, and across Europe most recently in the legendary Royal Concertgebouw. A former President of Milwaukee’s Civic Music Association, Simmons currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras.

Born outside Washington, D.C., his training included participation at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Eastern Music Festival, and lessons at the Tanglewood Music Center. Simmons is grateful to his teachers Dr. John R. Locke, Robert Gutter, Larry Rachleff, and Professor Thomas L. Dvorak, and he feels honored to have the opportunity to lead these wonderful MYSO musicians.

Programs

• Senior Symphony
• Chamber Orchestra

Amber Storm joins MYSO as Office Manager, and brings a lifelong love of classical music combined with a career in community engagement. She has spent the last 15 years in Milwaukee learning about our community and how to uplift its members. 

She worked in outreach for REI Co-op, in development for Radio Milwaukee, Inc, storytelling for Bayview Printing Company, blogging and freelance writing, and most recently, in public education at Golda Meir School. 

Amber brings enthusiasm for the arts, as a piano and cello player since first grade and throughout school. When her own children joined MYSO, so was encouraged to pick up the cello for the first time in 25 years, and joined the Milwaukee Community Orchestra in the past year. She is excited to be a part of an organization that gives access to music to so many students in the Milwaukee area! 

Bailey Strasser joined the MYSO staff as an equipment manager in 2023.

Bailey is a jazz musician who has been playing the trombone for the past 15 years. He is a MYSO alumnus who took part in the Jazz Program throughout his middle and high school years. He still plays his trombone today and does anything to get opportunities to still play in the community primarily through local jam sessions and gigs.

Bailey graduated at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in Inter Strategic Communications emphasizing in Public Relations and Multimedia Communications, a minor in music, and received a certificate in recording. He has taken part in many music activities such as jazz ensembles and combos, wind ensembles, stage crew, marching band, and pep bands. He also has experience with being a sound engineer and has produced an EP.

Bailey loves to write his own music, traveling, spending time with family, and is an avid Wisconsin sports fan.