Upper Strings
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
Ana Frometa – Violin
Cecilia Alexander – Viola
Cecilia joined EMSO in 2024 and loves being part of the orchestra. She grew up in the Twin Cities area and now live in Minneapolis with three rambunctious cats. She works as a legal advocate for victims of domestic violence in the metro area. Outside of the orchestra, Cecilia love crocheting, reading, swimming, and watching
Becky Drath – Violin
Becky joined EMSO in 2024. She has played violin for 54 years. Becky is an Insurance Advisor and lives in River Falls, WI. Prior to that she lived in Eau Claire for 32 years and grew up in Holmen, WI. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, making cards, scrapbooking and gardening. She and her
Eugenia Meltzer – Violin
Eugenia Meltzer grew up in Champaign, Il. As a child, her summers were spent at Illinois Summer Youth Music and later Meadowmount. She studied violin with Paul Rolland and Endre Granat, getting her Bachelor’s at the University of Illinois. She then got her Masters in Music at the University of Wisconsin where she studied with