Upper Strings
Melinda Meuwissen – Violin
Mats Wogstad – Violin
Laney Tomaro – Violin
Natalie Jahnsen – Violin
Willow Buckner-Gaudynski – Violin
Willow joined EMSO in 2025 after encouragement from her friend, and EMSO oboist, Haley Martin. She played violin for 10 years in school, starting in 1st grade, and even dabbled in upright bass for a year. After putting the violin away during college, she didn’t pick it back up for a decade—but now she’s dusting
Caleb Bevilacqua – Violin
Caleb joined EMSO in 2025. He began playing violin in 5th grade and later attended the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a performing arts high school. He also plays violin in a folk band with Seamus Donelan. Caleb’s primary instrument is a carbon fiber violin made by Mezzo-Forte in Germany. With Minnesota’s extreme weather and
Katherine Gallop-Strom – Violin
Dayle Quigley – Violin
Beth Stewart – Violin
Beth learned to love good classical music from her dad, who often played pieces for her and her siblings from his cassette tape collection. She fell in love with the violin when she saw another elementary school student play one and she started in the fourth grade. She played all through middle and high school and