ABT Orchestra

Othello clarinet/sax section!!! #ABT

@chadsmithwoodwinds killin’ this gritty sax solo in the ballet Othello. 4 more performances left at Koch Theatre!!! Come hear/see this exciting ballet!!

This week we’re excited to feature ABT violinist Emily Bruskin Yarbrough. Violinist Emily Bruskin has performed as soloist with the Virginia, Pacific, Utah, Nashville, Norwalk, Boise, Dayton, and Wichita Symphonies and has given recitals in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the American Academy in Rome, the Kennedy Center, and Boston’s Jordan Hall. Sought after for her passionate, imaginative playing, she is featured as soloist on Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s upcoming recording of Eric Sawyer’s violin concerto and has also recorded John Harbison’s Double Concerto and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. A founding member of the renowned Claremont Trio, Ms. Bruskin has made critically acclaimed recordings on the Bridge, Arabesque, BMOP/Sound, American Modern, Tria, and Ongaku labels and has commissioned works from Gabriela Lena Frank, Nico Muhly, Mason Bates, Kinan Azmeh, Jessica Meyer, Kati Agócs, Sean Shepherd, and Judd Greenstein. Ms. Bruskin has appeared at the Chamber Music Northwest, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, La Jolla, Bard, Norfolk, Rockport, and Cape Cod festivals and has given masterclasses at New England Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Columbia University, and Duke University. Ms. Bruskin is a 1st violinist in the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, where she has also served as Guest Concertmaster. She is an Associate Musician in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and performs regularly with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Bruskin was Concertmaster of the Broadway shows Aladdin, Frozen, Anastasia, New York, New York, and Cinderella. Grand prize winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award, Ms. Bruskin received BBC Magazine’s Critic’s Choice Award and the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist Award. Her teachers include Donald Weilerstein, Ron Copes, Naoko Tanaka, and James Buswell. A graduate of the Columbia-Juilliard joint program, Ms. Bruskin holds degrees in Neuroscience and in Music. Ms. Bruskin was a serious ballet student as a child and is thrilled to now get to perform with ABT’s fabulous musicians and dancers.

Today we are excited to feature cellist Emily Brausa in our Musician Spotlight. New York City cellist Emily Brausa has performed around the world in a wide range of ensembles and settings. Recent highlights include sharing the stage with Harry Connick Jr. at the Metropolitan Opera, touring the Midwest with Five for Fighting (including two concerts in her native Kansas), performing and teaching at the 2025 Composer’s Conference at Avaloch Farm in New Hampshire, presenting cello quartets with Rostam, and recording Elliott Carter’s Cello Sonata with pianist Teddy Robie. In 2023, Emily founded Rockaway Chamber Music, a collective dedicated to bringing classical music to her home community of Rockaway Beach, NY. A graduate of The Juilliard School (BM, MM), she is a member of both the American Symphony Orchestra and the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra. When she’s not commuting on the A train to perform on Broadway or alongside Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall, Emily can often be found surfing or cruising the Rockaway peninsula on her vintage 1969 Schwinn.

The next musician featured in our “Musician Spotlight” is Co-Principal French Horn, Zohar Schondorf. Zohar Schondorf has built a distinguished career as a horn player, performing with leading orchestras and ensembles across the globe. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he began as Associate Principal Horn of the Haifa Symphony before becoming Principal Horn of the Israel Symphony/Opera Orchestra. In the United States, he joined the American Symphony Orchestra in 2012 as Principal Horn, and also holds principal positions with the Westchester Philharmonic and co-principal chairs with American Ballet Theatre and Orchestra Lumos. Schondorf has appeared with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic, Encores, New York City Ballet, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He is a member of Sylvan Winds and Zephyros Winds, and his Broadway credits include Spamalot, The Little Mermaid, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, The Phantom of the Opera, and Camelot. 📷 Matt Dine @omd17

🎶 Musician Spotlight 🎶 We are excited to feature our Principal Piccolo player, Diva Goodfriend-Koven, in this week’s Musician Spotlight! Diva Goodfriend-Koven is a highly respected and experienced member of New York City’s freelance music community. She currently serves as Principal Piccolo of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and was an Associate Musician on flute and piccolo with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for over 30 years. Her performance credits include the New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, and American Composers Orchestra. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Windham Chamber Orchestra, performed extensively in chamber music, and held seats in three Broadway productions. Diva is an original member of the Bard Music Festival Orchestra, a founding member of the contemporary ensemble Locrian Chamber Players, and a member of the eclectic trio Furiant. Her performances are featured on numerous recordings, commercial films, Met Opera HD broadcasts, and Lincoln Center Live with the New York Philharmonic. She also released her own CD, Good Friends, and has appeared with artists including Sting, John Legend, Diana Krall, and Willie Nelson. Beyond performance, Diva has contributed to labor advocacy, serving on orchestra negotiating committees, as a former member of the Local 802 Trial Board, and currently on the Local 802 Executive Board. She has taught and coached many talented flute and piccolo students and led masterclasses at institutions such as Carnegie Mellon, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes School of Music. “I cherish the pursuit of excellence and beauty, and love performing with my wonderful colleagues. I try to bring fun, humor, and deep care for the music and everything I do.”

Come hear ABT Principal Oboist Liam Boisset perform live at the Baand Together Dance Festival at the Koch Theater! Enjoy five performances, beginning tonight and running through Saturday, August 2. In the meantime, here’s a short clip of Liam performing the Marcello Oboe Concerto—a taste of what’s to come!

We’re thrilled to launch our Musician Spotlight series with none other than our newly appointed Assistant Principal Cellist, Madeline Fayette! Please join us in congratulating Madeline and welcoming her to the ABT Orchestra family. Cellist Madeline Fayette, praised for her “charisma… lovely tone and phrasing,” is a dynamic performer and educator committed to engaging audiences through innovative programming and community outreach. She currently serves as Assistant Principal Cellist of the American Ballet Theatre and is a member of the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Riverside Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Princeton Symphony, and the New York Classical Players, as well as with adventurous ensembles such as Cantata Profana, Experiential Orchestra, and Heartbeat Opera. Her cross-genre appearances include Hello, Dolly! on Broadway, Jazz at Lincoln Center with the Joey Alexander Trio, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with Japanese Breakfast. A passionate educator, Ms. Fayette was Teaching Artist-in-Residence at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival and is Co-Director of the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival. She has appeared at major festivals including Bravo!, Yellow Barn, Sarasota, and Kneisel Hall, collaborating with leading artists such as Lucy Shelton, Donald Weilerstein, and the Cassatt Quartet. Ms. Fayette holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and was a Fellow in Ensemble Connect, a prestigious post-graduate program of Carnegie Hall and Juilliard. She performs on a 2014 catalpa-wood cello crafted by Edward Maday.

We’ve just wrapped up a fantastic season at the Metropolitan Opera House! After a well-deserved break, the company—along with the ABT Orchestra—will return to New York City this fall for performances at the David H. Koch Theater, beginning October 15. Be sure to purchase your tickets early, and stay tuned in the coming weeks as we launch our Artist Spotlight series. Each week, we’ll introduce you to a different member of the orchestra so you can get to know the incredible musicians behind the music.

@gillianemurphy ’s last ballet!!! 🩰 Brava!!!! 👏👏👏👏

ABT Clarinets! Jon Manasse and Shari Hoffman. 👏 👏

One of our favorites on the podium, David LaMarche!