Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra Alumni

We plan on featuring GNOYO alumni biographies listed here from time to time.  If you would like to be featured in this spot, please complete our alumni form on the site and let us know!  We'd love to hear what you've been doing since your time with GNOYO!

Lauren Nimelstein

Lauren Nimelstein was a member of the GNOYO Symphony for five years, serving as principal bassoonist for almost three years.  She is now attending the University of North Texas in Denton, TX.  She is majoring in Biology, minoring in chemistry, and plans to earn her biomedical criminalistic certification.  She has completed a minor in music and spent a year playing with the UNT Symphonic Band, UNT Symphony Orchestra, various woodwind quintets, and a semester with the Greater Fort Worth Community Band.  She taught bassoon lessons at Carroll Middle School in Southlake, Texas for a year, and is an active member of the UNT Forensic Science club, Regional Hillel of North Texas, National Scholars Honor Society, and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.  She is hoping for a GNOYO reunion concert in the future.

Kevin Stephens Jr.

Kevin Stephens Jr. attended Isidore Newman school and participated in GNOYO from 2000-2006 as a percussionist.  He is currently a freshman at Yale University, class of 2010 as a prospective pre-med/physics major.  He is currently in the Yale Symphony Orchestra as a result of the music education he received from GNOYO.  Although Kevin was in Baton Rouge during the Katrina semester, he was still able to participate in GNOYO.

Robyn Barthel

Robyn Barthel was the Principal Clarinetist in the GNOYO Symphony from 2000-2003.  She is currently a junior at Louisiana State University, majoring in history.  Robyn is Clarinet Section Leader in the LSU Tiger Marching Band, a member of the LSU Wind Ensemble, and a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity.  Robyn was a counselor at Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan in the summer of 2006.

Sean McDonald

Sean McDonald was a founding member of GNOYO and served as principal violist for four years. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2003 with a BS in Finance and a minor in History. Sean is now working in Baton Rouge as a commercial real estate appraiser.

Kelly (Genevay) Michot

Kelly (Genevay) Michot was a founding member of GNOYO. She played in the French Horn section for three years. She received her bachelors degrees in both history and music education at LSU, where she was a member of the Tiger Marching Band, Symphonic Winds, and Wind Ensemble. Kelly recently completed her MME from the University of Southern Mississippi in August 2006. After teaching in Mandeville for two years, she moved to Pineville (Alexandria) where she teaches band and music appreciation at Tioga Jr. High. Kelly was married in September 2006 and has a Shih Tzu puppy and hopes to find some performance venues in central LA! One of Kelly's fond memories is hearing the sound of "horses' hooves" clacking down the hall during a sectional. She said, "When we went out into the hallway, we saw that it was a bassoonist (those wacky double reed players!) and other students clacking coconuts together, a la Monty Python." She hopes more folks get added to the alumni page soon-She would love to see what everyone has been up to!

Sarah (Shelton) O'Neill

Sarah (Shelton) O'Neill was a founding member of GNOYO and served as concertmaster for four years (95-96 to 98-99). She graduated cum laude from Loyola New Orleans in 2003 with a BM in violin performance as a student of Valerie Poulette. While at Loyola, she occupied a spot in the 1st violin section of the chamber and symphony orchestras, was an assistant teacher at the GNOYO Summer Festival, attended the Brevard Music Festival, and played in master classes led by Elmar Oliveira, Dylana Jensen, and Peter Winograd. Sarah is currently pursuing an MM in violin performance from UNT, where she studies with Philip Lewis (modern violin) and Cynthia Roberts (baroque violin), and is a member of the UNT chamber, symphony, and baroque orchestras. Some of Sarah's fondest memories are of the Northshore concerts (especially the infamous Burger King Detour, orchestrated by Sarah and Stacey DeMichiel, which resulted in Fairlie's crown).  She hopes that there is a Reunion Concert in the future.

Juan Marshall 

Juan Marshall joined GNOYO in September 2000.  He graduated from high school in 2003, but continued to play viola in the GNOYO Symphony until 2005.  Juan is currently pursuing a degree in music education at Loyola University New Orleans, where he is a member of the chamber and symphony orchestras on violin and viola.  While at Loyola he has joined the BSU, the Pack Pride Committee, the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, volunteered at the GNOYO Summer Festival, and attended the Eastern Music Festival.  Juan has fond memories of GNOYO Summer Festivals, "because it was the one time where we got to play music everyday. And to see the music come together at the end of the week was always so enjoyable." He also thought it was great meeting people that came from other parts of the country to be at the Summer Festival. He hopes to see a reunion concert sometime in the near future.  

Matt Barbier 

Matt Barbier is in the final year of his BM in trombone performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and is the principle trombone of the CIM Orchestra. He was a brass player in GNOYO from 2000 until 2003.  During his time at CIM he has had the opportunity to study with Richard Stout, Steve Witser, Glenn Dodson, Dave Kirk, and John Ilyka. Matt is the substitute trombonist with the Euclid Civic Orchestra, has premiered several works by composers such as Dan Visconti, Caleb Burhans, Chris Serena, and Paul Skrinip, and has played in master classes led by the American Brass Quintet and Joggs Wigam. In addition to trombone, Matt is studying electronic music and composition.  He said, "GNOYO was fun! Hearing Mollie Pate and Vance Wolfe play when they coached sections, and sitting next to Nathan Bark showed me the level that I need to be playing at, at all times. Being around professional coaches really raised the bar in terms of my own expectations."  One of Matt's GNOYO memories is playing Symphonic Metamorphosis.