Aria Posner is a sophomore at the Cleveland Institute of Music pursuing a degree in Cello Performance with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Currently, she is a part of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as well as multiple chamber ensembles at CIM. Aria was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra for five years (2014-2019), having served as principal cellist for three seasons. She was also a part of the Franklin Pond’s Fall into Spring Chamber Program, where she was a member of the Lykos Cello Quartet and the S4zando String Quartet. Most recently, S4zando won the college division of the Franklin Pond Virtual Chamber Competition. Aria has traveled to several international music festivals including the Sitka International Cello Seminar, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival.

Aria first soloed with orchestra at age 10 with the MYSO chamber orchestra. Most recently, in March of 2019, Aria was a winner of the Alpharetta Symphony Orchestra concerto competition and performed the first movement of Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor. She was also a soloist with the Atlanta Community Orchestra as the 1st place winner of the Ruth Kern Concerto Competition in 2013, and a soloist with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the SOA Concerto Competition in 2013. In 2014 Aria was a featured soloist with the EJCO at Lincoln Center. Other honors include master classes with Paul Watkins, Peter Oundijan and Steven Isserlis.

Aria is an active participant of the CBH Strings fundraising concert series and in 2016, she founded the Concert to Cure performance series, a series of concerts that raise money to support the Ovarian Cancer Institute. In addition to music, Aria enjoys spending time with friends and family as well as hiking, reading, and baking.

Cooper Johnson

Cooper Johnson is a junior at the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester, as a Percussion Performance Major and Audio Engineering Major. Cooper studies with Professor Michael Burritt primarily, and also takes lessons with Charles Ross and Rich Thompson. Cooper grew up in Waco, Texas, attending Midway High School. During his time there he studied with Todd Meehan for classical percussion and J.P. Gagaza for rudimental snare drum. Cooper was a member of the Waco Youth Symphony Orchestra, Midway Symphony Orchestra, and participated in the high school’s theater productions as a pit percussionist. Summer music applications include marching snare drum with the Madison Scouts in 2018 and attending the Eastman Music Horizon program in 2017. Cooper is now a member of the award winning Eastman Percussion Ensemble, and plays drum set in a Rochester local rock band “Cat Theater”.