The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra Appoints Six New Musicians

Following auditions held this month, the RI Philharmonic Orchestra has awarded five violin positions and one trumpet position.



Francesca Anderegg is a violinist who has earned renown for her elegant and passionate performances, noted for her “astonishing assurance” (Chicago Sun-Times) and "virtuosic panache" (The New York Times). Her four albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the country and praised for their “stunning virtuosity” (Fanfare Magazine), “lustrous tone” (The Strad Magazine), and “riveting listening experience” (Second Inversion). Ms. Anderegg recently moved to the Boston area after serving as Associate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. While in Minnesota, she worked with many of the state’s top arts organizations: she frequently performed and toured with the Minnesota Orchestra, and won a one-year position after a successful audition. She also was a guest musician with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and received a fellowship from the McKnight Foundation. Since relocating to Boston, Ms. Anderegg has been in demand as an orchestral musician, regularly performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops. Last season, she was invited to appear as guest concertmaster by both the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Louisiana Philharmonic. Anderegg holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and master's and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, where her dissertation focused on cultural diplomacy during the Cold War. Her major teachers include Robert Mann, Ronald Copes, and Naoko Tanaka. An enthusiastic educator and mentor of young musicians, Anderegg has taught in the summers at Interlochen, Brevard, and the Sarasota Music Festival. 

Chiung-Han Tsai received his bachelors degree from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Paul Biss. Mr. Tsai's musical journey began in Taipei under Hsiang-Yu Liu, followed by studies with Tuan-Cheng Chang at Guting Elementary School and later with Professors Yao-Tsu Lu and Chin-Hung Chen at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University. Mr. Tsai is currently working towards his masters degree at New England Conservatory under Ayano Ninomiya and Paul Biss. Mr. Tsai has garnered international recognition, receiving First Prize and the Artistic Director's Special Award at Italy's 30th "Città di Barletta" International Young Musicians Competition. His competitive achievements include Honorable Mention at the Summit Music Festival's Mary Smart Concerto Competition, First Prize in the 2020 Liszt Piano & Strings International Competition (Taiwan preliminary), and First Prize at the 2018 Hong Kong International Youth Performance Arts Festival. Mr. Tsai has appeared as a soloist in multiple recitals and prizewinner concerts throughout Taiwan. His artistic development has been enriched through participation in prestigious music festivals, including Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Summer School, Summit Festival, and Heifetz Festival, where he performed alongside distinguished artists such as Melissa Reardon of the Borromeo String Quartet. Mr. Tsai has benefited from masterclasses with renowned violinists, including Alexander Kirov, Yossif Ivanov, Dmitri Berlinsky, Reto Kuppel, Isaac Malkin, Oleh Krysa, Christina Khimm Rosand, Nai-Yuan Hu, Ilya Kaler, Nicholas Kitchen, Shumel Ashkenasi, Yoo Jin Jang, and Hagai Shaham, consistently receiving accolades for his performances. His chamber music prowess earned him First Prize in the National Student Music Competition's High School Quintet Division. His international appearances include performances at the Beverly Hills International Music Festival, Staunton Augusta Art Center in Virginia, and numerous prestigious venues across Taiwan and Boston.

Sabine Gross is a Boston-based freelance violinist and educator. She is excited to be joining the Rhode Island Philharmonic! A passionate orchestral violinist, Sabine frequently plays with orchestras such as the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and she also performs regularly at weddings and other events all across New England. Additionally, she has performed as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin in Symphony Hall for the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and has served in numerous other principal roles for the Boston University Symphony Orchestra, Boston University Chamber Orchestra, and Oberlin Orchestra. Sabine is also a dedicated teacher and enjoys working with students of all ages. She teaches violin at Kingsley Montessori in Back Bay, coaches chamber music for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, and teaches violin and music theory to a private studio of about 30 students. Previously, she was an Aural Skills instructor for undergraduate students at Boston University. Sabine is a graduate of Boston University's School of Music, where she earned a Performance Diploma and a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance. She also attended Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies. Sabine's principal violin teachers include Bayla Keyes, David Bowlin, Dennis O’Boyle, and Pablo Ardiles. She is also extremely grateful for the guidance of Lucia Lin and Isabel Trautwein. Sabine is from Pittsburgh, PA. In her spare time, she enjoys playing board games and hanging out with her cat, Tobi.

Theo Ramsey enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, orchestral violinist, and teacher. Their favorite musical activities include playing in a chamber orchestra and listening to very quiet sounds. Much of Theo’s career centers around premiering and recording new and experimental chamber music. Since 2018, they have played violin and viola with the Chicago-based new music ensemble Dal Niente. They have performed as principal second violin on the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW series and as a guest musician with International Contemporary Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, and other new music ensembles around the US. In 2025, they joined the Grossman Ensemble, in residence at the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition (University of Chicago). A dedicated orchestral player, Theo was co-concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a frequent concertmaster during their fellowship with the New World Symphony. They are a first violinist with the New Bedford Symphony and also perform with the Knights, the Boston Lyric Opera, and other orchestras throughout the Northeast. Album releases during the 2025-26 season include a collaboration between the Knights and Jeffrey Kahane and an album of new works by Augusta Read Thomas with the Grossman Ensemble.

Canadian violinist Dr. Sophia Szokolay is celebrated for her “stirring and singing tone” (Martha’s Vineyard Gazette), captivating audiences across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Based in Boston, she combines a vibrant performance schedule with a deep commitment to pedagogy and musical scholarship, teaching violin and chamber music at Brandeis University. Sophia appears regularly with ensembles such as the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, Delirium Musicum, Palaver Strings, and A Far Cry. She is a passionate advocate for new music, having premiered works by György Kurtág, James Lee III, Shulamit Ran, and JörgWidmann. This season, Sophia will give the North American premiere of her grandfather Sándor Szokolay’s Violin Concerto with the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, and the debut of Collective Voices, a set of new commissions for violin and piano exploring cultural identity and migration, at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. Sophia earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The New England Conservatory where she served as Donald Weilerstein's teaching assistant and taught an undergraduate course on Bartók’s string quartets. She previously studied at The Juilliard School with Catherine Cho and with Miriam Fried. Beyond music, she enjoys distance running and cycling, and is training for the 2026 Boston Marathon.

Andrew Harms holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with a concentration in German Studies, as well as degrees from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and Missouri State University. Andy is an active performer, teacher, and researcher. Andy currently plays with the Vermont and the Bangor Symphony Orchestras. From Fall 2026, he will serve as Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Maine-Orono, and has been Artist Faculty of Trumpet at Colby College since 2022. Andy also enjoys writing and researching. He currently writes program notes for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, has published several pedagogical articles as well as articles on music in propaganda and musical life in West Germany for the ITG Journal.