THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES SEVEN NEW MUSICIANS WHO WILL JOIN THE ORCHESTRA AT THE START OF THE 2024/2025 SEASON

Seattle, WA — The Seattle Symphony announces seven new musicians who have their official start with the orchestra at the beginning of the 2024/2025 season. New appointments include Cameron Daly as the John & Carmen Delo Associate Principal Second Violin, Katie Liu as Associate Principal Viola, Carson Keeble as Second Trombone, Jacqueline Audas and Ji Yeon Lee as First Violins, Wayne Lee as Temporary Section First Violin and Ursula Steele as Viola. The Seattle Symphony is thrilled to welcome these exceptional musicians for a season where every note tells a story.

CAMERON DALY | ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL SECOND VIOLIN

The former first violinist of the Callisto Quartet, Cameron has performed at notable venues worldwide, including Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Ravinia, and the Caramoor Center. He has given masterclasses at distinguished conservatories including Rice and CIM, and recently departed a residency at Yale University, where the Callisto Quartet taught undergraduate chamber music. Cameron is an alumnus of institutes and festivals including Ravinia, Taos, Tanglewood, and Aspen, and has performed as soloist with the Yale Symphony, and as concertmaster of the Yale Philharmonia and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. Cameron holds degrees from Yale College (B.A. Global Affairs, cum laude with distinction in the major) and the Yale School of Music (M.M. Violin Performance), studying with Wendy Sharp, Ani Kavafian, and the Brentano Quartet. He has previously held positions as a software engineer at Qualtrics, and as a violinist in the Naples Philharmonic and the New Haven Symphony.

Cameron Daly’s position is generously underwritten as the John & Carmen Delo Associate Principal Second Violin.

KATIE LIU | ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL VIOLA

Katie Liu started violin at 5, but permanently switched to viola in her senior year at Princeton University, where she majored in Operations Research and Financial Engineering, and minored in Computer Science and Musical Performance. She received her M.A. at Yale School of Music and M.M. at the Colburn School, working in the corporate world (asset management and fintech consulting) before shifting fully to her viola pursuits. Prior to her position with the Seattle Symphony, Liu was Principal Violist of the American Youth Symphony and Section Violist at the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

CARSON KEEBLE | SECOND TROMBONE

Carson Keeble joins as Second Trombone following an appointment as Acting Principal Trombone with the Oregon Symphony. Over the course of his career, Carson has held positions with The Santa Fe Opera, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Eugene Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed as a guest with numerous other orchestras in North America and beyond. As a chamber musician, he’s been a regular guest with Albuquerque’s Ensemble Music New Mexico, and was a member of the Apollo Chamber Brass and the New Orleans Uptown Brass Quintet.

JACQUELINE AUDAS | FIRST VIOLIN

Jacqueline Audas joins the First Violins, bringing experience performing as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician across the U.S. and in Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. Recent engagements include performances with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, the Baltimore Symphony and in the Aspen Music Festival. Audas is the founder and artistic director of the nonprofit Classical C.A.R.M.A. (Concerts Aiming to Raise Money and Awareness). She earned her music degrees from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.

JI YEON LEE | FIRST VIOLIN

Ji Yeon Lee started playing the violin at the age of 4 and made a successful debut with the Indianapolis Symphony at age 15. She has been an active soloist as well as a chamber musician traveling around the world with her quartet. She has also taken part in music festivals such as Taipei Music Academy and Festival, Aspen Music Festival, International Great Mountains Music Festival, Banff Music Festival and Ishikawa Music Academy. Ji Yeon received her bachelor’s degree from Korea National University of Arts, where she graduated top of her class. She received her master’s degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Before joining the Seattle Symphony, she held the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin at the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra.

WAYNE LEE | TEMPORARY SECTION FIRST VIOLIN

Wayne Lee has enjoyed a prolific career worldwide as a member of the Formosa Quartet and the Manhattan Piano Trio, with performances at Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei. Formerly on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has also taught at NYO Canada, the University of Houston, the Formosa Chamber Music Festival, and the Taipei Music Academy and Festival.

URSULA STEELE | VIOLA

Ursula Steele is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and artist diploma. Among her many accomplishments was winning the Kuttner Quartet Scholarship, an intensive chamber music residency that included mentorship from the Pacifica Quartet, and a quartet residency at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany. In 2023, she played with the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. Most recently, she was a violist in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

The Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has won five Grammy Awards, 27 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts, and through the Seattle Symphony+ streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.

BENAROYA HALL

Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle and surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. Opened in 1998, Benaroya Hall is the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. It has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Benaroya Hall has three versatile performance venues, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, all renowned for their pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit benaroyahall.org.

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