The Ethos West Chamber Orchestra boasts some of the finest classical and jazz musicians in the northern Colorado region. They say they're excited to play together on challenging works that stretch their usual boundaries. The orchestra's personnel and instrumentation are determined by the repertoire, so each concert offers a different roster of players and features different soloists. A typical Ethos West concert employs twenty to thirty players. Below is the lineup of the conductor, soloists, and orchestra personnel for our next concert -- or if it's too soon for that, our most recent one. (For the corresponding concert program, see the Concert Schedule or Program Archives.)

	DR. RON HOLLEMAN, Ethos West's conductor and music director, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in instrumental conducting from the University of Iowa. He moved to Colorado in August 1999 after retiring from Oak Park-River Forest High School in Illinois where he served as Music Department Chair and Conductor of Orchestras and Jazz Ensembles. His wind ensembles, symphony orchestras, and jazz bands appeared at state, regional, and national music conventions, and he was a frequent guest conductor/clinician for musical groups throughout the area. In addition to teaching, he founded and served as music director/conductor of the Ethos Chamber Orchestra, an acclaimed professional ensemble of the Chicago area -- Ethos West is the successor to that group. Besides directing Ethos West, Ron plays trumpet and flugelhorn with the Just Jazz Quintet (which he co-founded in 2000 with drummer Chuck Landgraf). He also freelances throughout the northern Colorado area with both classical and jazz groups, and teaches private trumpet lessons to students of all ages. In 2007, Ron was guest conductor for the Fort Collins Symphony's June concert leading off the Taste of Fort Collins. In addition, he was one of five recipients of a 2007 Arts Alive Fort Collins Fellowship Award, accompanied by a monetary stipend, recognizing artistic innovation, integrity and quality. The Arts Alive fellowship was the impetus for Ron to complete his third-stream orchestral composition Shambhala Suite for Jazz Quintet and Strings. This suite of five dances, inspired by Buddhist concepts and personalities, had its world premiere at Ethos West's 2008 spring concert (see this PDF for Ron's notes about the five movements).
	BECKY KUTZ OSTERBERG -- CELLO Mrs. Kutz Osterberg received her Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Southern California as a student of Ron Leonard, former principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She earned a Master of Music in Cello Performance and completed the coursework for a Master of Music History from the University of Akron in Ohio. She has performed in over 15 professional orchestras throughout the United States and is currently a member of the Fort Collins Symphony, the Greeley Philharmonic and Ethos West. In addition to her classical orchestral and ensemble experience, Mrs. Kutz Osterberg performed in more than 60 different cities in the United States while playing cello in John Tesh's "National Discovery Tour." The tour culminated in the recording of a PBS special broadcast performance. Since moving to Colorado 3 years ago, she has also established a private teaching studio in Fort Collins. In addition to her performing and teaching, Mrs. Kutz Osterberg is the Orchestra Personnel Manager for the Cheyenne Symphony and the Librarian for the Fort Collins Symphony. When she is not performing, teaching or working, she usually can be found on the soccer field, enjoying time with her husband, friends and family, or drawing and painting.
	MATTHEW ARAU -- SOPRANO SAXOPHONE Matthew Arau attended Lawrence University where he studied jazz with Ken Schaphorst and saxophone with Steven Jordheim. Since 1997, he has taught music in Loveland, Colorado, first as the band director at Walt Clark Middle School, and since 2005 as band director at Loveland High School. Matthew completed his masters degree in music education in 2004 and has had professional articles published in the Saxophone Journal and Bandworld magazine. As a saxophonist, he shares the front line of the Just Jazz Quintet with Ron Holleman, performs with the Northern Colorado Winds saxophone quartet and saxophone choir, and teaches private saxophone lessons.
VIOLIN    Jean Currey, concertmaster    Harmony Tucker, principal second    James Anderson    Evelyn Bruxvoort    Leanne Griffey    Carla Hager   VIOLA    Jim Dailey    Sue Temple   CELLO    Lisa Eakins    Becky Kutz Osterberg   BASS (Classical)    Yvonne Myers     BASS (Jazz)    Ken Wacker   SAXOPHONES    Matthew Arau   TRUMPET    Ron Holleman   FLUGELHORN    Ron Holleman   PIANO    Bob Montgomery   DRUMS    Chuck Landgraf