Faculty
Marie Daniels, Artistic Director
Marie Daniels is a violist devoted to sharing her passion for music as a performer, teacher and entrepreneur. From 2018 to 2023 she was assistant principal of the Bremen Philharmonic and joined the Frankfurt Opera und Museum Orchestra in the fall of 2024.
With a passion for teaching, in 2012 Marie founded The Woodlands ChamberFest, an annual week-long workshop teaching young students communication, collaboration and leadership through chamber music, which was adopted as an educational program of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in 2013. From 2016-17 Marie taught music to 3rd graders in the Bronx as a Teaching Artist for the New York Philharmonic. For over a decade Marie has enjoyed sharing her expertise through her Viola Tips with Violamad videos on YouTube, which continue to inspire viola fans around the world.
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In addition to being seen and heard with the Philharmoniker in the concert halls and Theater of Bremen, Marie performs regularly in the Philharmoniker's chamber music series as well as with various orchestras, such as the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the Münchener Rundfunkorchester. Since the Bremen Philharmoniker's collaboration with Orchester des Wandels (OdW) in 2020, Marie has become an active member of her orchestra's "Climate Group", helping to plan events and concerts to raise awareness and funds for OdW's sustainability projects, as well as donating her time to maintain the OdW's website.
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Marie was a 2015 recipient of Juilliard's Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant for demonstrating outstanding artistry and achievement in leadership, entrepreneurship, and breadth of engagement. Marie holds a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and currently resides in Bremen. She enjoys biking and running, training regularly for marathons and triathlons, and loves everything pink.
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Katie Hyun
A winner of Astral Artists’ National Auditions, Katie Hyun has been described as “a virtuoso by any measure” by The Berkshire Review. Her debut recital in Philadelphia showcased virtuosic works on both the Baroque and modern violins. She has appeared as a soloist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Bay Atlantic Symphony, NOVUS Trinity Wall Street, and the Busan Sinfonietta and Incheon Philharmonic in South Korea, among others. She has appeared at numerous festivals including Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Festival, Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, Bravo! Vail, Tippet Rise Arts Center, Mostly Mozart, American Bach Soloists, OBX Chamber Music Series, Crescent City Chamber Music Festival, and NYinCC in South Korea. Katie currently serves as the concertmaster of NOVUS Trinity Wall Street while frequently appearing with the Manhattan Chamber Players, the Lenape Chamber Ensemble, Trinity Baroque Orchestra and Seraphic Fire.
Katie was a founding member of the award-winning Amphion String Quartet, which won the Concert Artists’ Guild auditions in 2011, and a spot on the roster of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS Two Program. The quartet’s debut CD was featured among The New York Times’ “Best of 2015.” Her collaboration with tenor Brian Giebler, "A Lad's Love", was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2021.
Mitch Lyon
Cellist Mitchell Lyon approaches music making with a zeal for harnessing the unique power of musical experience. Mitch is a founding member of Empire Wild, a genre-bending crossover trio and Ambassador Prize Winner of the 2020 Concert Artist Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition. Last season the trio delighted audiences with their signature mix of original songwriting and unique arrangements at venues across the country including a stop at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center and a concert on the Harriman-Jewell concert series in Kansas City as well as an extensive midwestern tour. Passionate about community engagement and education, Mitch has been on the Teaching Artist Faculty of the New York Philharmonic since 2014, visiting schools across all five boroughs of NYC and scripting and performing interactive concerts for thousands of students. He frequently leads workshops for students of all ages and abilities, most recently at The Juilliard School Extension Division and Peabody Preparatory Institute.Mitch regularly spends summers as an artist faculty member at the Preucil School of Music and the Charles Ives Music Festival at WCYO. In past summers, Mitch has performed at Caroga Lake, Fontainebleau, Finchcocks, and Norfolk. An alumnus of Juilliard (B.M., M.M.), Mitch’s primary teachers have included Bonnie Hampton and Timothy Eddy along with masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Mark Kosower and Andres Diaz. Away from the cello, he can be found cooking, reading something geeky or plotting his next hike.
Abigail Monroe
Cellist Abigail Monroe has established herself as a sought-after solo performer, chamber musician, and large ensemble collaborator throughout the United States and internationally. Her musicianship has been praised for “add[ing] a rich, resonant layer to the ensemble, enhancing the overall texture and emotional depth of the performance.” (For All Events).
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Having formerly served as Principal Cellist and a Regular Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Ms. Monroe now holds positions in many symphony orchestras nationwide, including the West Michigan Symphony, Missouri Symphony, and Orchestra Iowa, and has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Orchestra San Antonio, Des Moines Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Mik Nawooj, and Northwest Indiana Symphony, among many others. Festival appearances have included the Mendocino Music Festival, Miami Music Festival, Grand Canyon Music Festival, Lily Rock Chamber Music Festival, Crescent City Chamber Music Festival, and Festival de Febrero in Ajijic, Mexico.
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She is also cellist of the award-winning San Francisco Bay Area-based new music group, Ensemble for These Times, is a regular collaborator with the Manhattan Chamber Players, and has recently been appointed as cellist of the Lott String Quartet, the Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of New Orleans.
Recent solo engagements have included numerous World-Premiere performances of music by living composers with Ensemble for These Times, and concerto performances with the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra and the New Mexico Philharmonic.
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Ms. Monroe holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Hannah Watson
Originally from central Illinois, Hannah Watson moved to Houston to attend Rice University for her bachelor’s degree in violin performance, studying with Kathleen Winkler. Subsequently, she attended Indiana University, where she completed her Master of Music degree in performance. During her time at IU, she completed a secondary focus in string pedagogy.
Upon graduating with highest honors, Hannah returned to Houston and began a rich freelancing career that combines both of her professional passions: teaching and performing. Hannah has enjoyed serving through various musical outreach programs, such as collaborating in the development of Houston Symphony’s School Residency Program, serving as an instructor and coach for Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s Academy for Professional Musicians, and teaching for Houston Youth Symphony in several capacities. Hannah enjoys maintaining her teaching studio where she most directly nurtures her students’ love of music, encourages excellence in their art, and help them grow individually. Her students consistently place with high rankings in competitive environments such as solo performances, youth orchestras, and TMEA Region and All-State.
Hannah is a versatile performer, and plays with several orchestras such as Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet and Mercury Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed with artists such as the Eagles, the Who, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cece Winans and others.