CTS Staff

WHITNEY CLAIR 

Director of Operations

*Joined CTS in 2014.

Whitney Clair holds the positions of principal trombone of the Erie Philharmonic, principal trombone of the Sarasota Opera, and second trombone of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia. She also performs with other orchestras including the Jacksonville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, and Charleston Symphony, among others.

Whitney grew up in Rochester, New York, and currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida. She received a Bachelor of Music degree in trombone performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her primary teachers include Mark Kellogg, Dr. John Marcellus, and Mark Salatino.

Ian Striedter

Recording Engineer

*Ian joined us many times as a Participant since 2013, and has been on our staff since 2024.

Ian Striedter is a New York based audio engineer, producer, and videographer specializing in classical and acoustic music. He is the chief engineer at Bridge Records, where he provides post-production services for commercial releases and manages digital distribution. Ian is credited on critically acclaimed albums released on the Bridge, Avie, Centaur, Naxos, and Sono Luminus record labels including premier recordings by composers George Crumb, Michael Daugherty, Michael Torke, Fred Lerdahl, and Nico Muhly.

Ian studied at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University earning Bachelor of Music degrees in trombone performance and Recording Arts and Sciences as well as a Master of Arts in acoustics. He went on to earn a Master of Music in trombone performance from the New England Conservatory as well as a Master of Music from Bard College through a fellowship with The Orchestra Now.

Collaborative Pianists

YING-Ho Joanna HUang

*Joanna joined the CTS family in 2024.

A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Ying-Ho Joanna Huang began her musical journey by studying the piano at 5 and the horn at 9. She is a recent graduate of Doctor of Musical Arts in collaborative piano from the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). Previously, Joanna received her Artist Diploma in collaborative piano from CIM in 2020. In 2018, she graduated with her master’s degree, double majoring in horn and collaborative piano from CIM, studying with Richard King and Anita Pontremoli. 

During her time at CIM, Joanna performed numerous recitals, orchestra concerts, chamber music performances, New Music Ensemble, and greater Cleveland community outreach performances as a horn player and a collaborative pianist. She has received academic honors and twice received the Cleveland Heights Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon Rosa Lobe Award - one of the Dean Awards in accompanying, “recognizing the highest level of artistic achievement in the collaborative piano department.” Joanna has worked with members of the Emerson String Quartet, St. Petersburg String Quartet, The Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, and Canton Symphony Orchestra. She won first prize of CIM’s 29th Annual Darius Milhaud Performance Prize Concert in 2023, and she had the honor to perform in the masterclass of Michael Tilson Thomas in 2022.

Kimberly Russ Olka

Pianist Kimberly Russ Olka celebrates a diverse musical career. Before moving to Cincinnati, she spent 14 years as the resident pianist for the Seattle Symphony at the invitation of Maestro Gerard Schwarz. Additionally, Kimberly is the principal keyboardist for the nationally televised PBS series, All Star Orchestra.

She is continually in demand as soloist and orchestral pianist, performing with Cincinnati Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Kentucky Symphony, and Lexington Philharmonic, among others. An active recording artist, Kimberly can be heard on recordings, Pokemon Re-Orchestrated: Double Team! (YouTube, iTunes, and Loudr); Pura Vida, with Peter Ellefson, trombone (iTunes); Short Stories, with Melia Watras, viola (iTunes); and Bhavani’s Oboe, with Bhavani Kotha, oboe (Naxos). Soon to be released is a solo recital album with her husband, Chris Olka, principal tuba of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops.

Kimberly is the founder and director of Harmony for Heroes, a non-profit music outreach program for our veterans, military, first responders, and their families. Harmony for Heroes is inspired by her son who served in the United States Marine Corps.

Staff Trombonists

Mary Tyler - Trombone

*Mary joined CTS first as a participant in 2014 and our staff in 2018.

A native of Gainesville, Florida, Mary Tyler is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University. She has performed with the Ars Viva, Oistrakh, Northbrook, Lexington, and Berkshire Symphony Orchestras, as well as Phoenix (Boston) Orchestra, and Gainesville Chamber Orchestra. In 2005 and 2007, Ms. Tyler was the winner of the American (formerly Eastern) Trombone Workshop’s National Classical Solo Competition, hosted by The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”. 

An avid chamber musician, Ms. Tyler is a member of Axiom Brass and has performed with the Triton Brass Quintet. She was a founding member of the Obsidian Brass Quintet, and with that group was a winner of the International Brass Quintet Competition, a finalist at the Alice Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and semi-finalist at the Plowman, J.C. Arriaga, and Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions.

Ms. Tyler is a student of Michael Mulcahy, Timothy Higgins, Douglas Wright, Christopher Davis, and Randall Hawes. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University in 2011 and her Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, where she was a student of Toby Oft. Ms. Tyler is an alumna of the Tanglewood Music Center, Lake George Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Cleveland Trombone Seminar, Alessi Seminar, and Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar.

In her spare time, Mary enjoys knitting sweaters, baking spectacular desserts, and running half marathons.

Graphic Design

Julie A. Cajigas

*We've enjoyed Julie's designs for the seminar since its inception in 2012.

Julie Cajigas is a professor of practice in The University of Akron School of Communication and a faculty fellow for the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences. She teaches public relations (graphic design and writing), social media, and journalism, and advises the Buchtelite student publication and the PRSSA chapter. Cajigas is the recipient of UA Achievement Awards for Outstanding Teacher and Outstanding Mentor, and the PRSSA Davis Young Award for Exceptional Mentors.

Cajigas has also received the Faculty Champion award from the University of Akron EX[L] Center for Community Engaged Learning and is an ACE Scholar. Cajigas’ research interests include social media, interpersonal communication in a social media context and cyberbullying.