Meet Our Team
Our tight-knit team of seven designs and delivers musiConnects' education programs, creates our concert season, and carries our mission into all aspects of their musical lives. Our six part-time Resident Musicians ("RMs") and full-time Executive Director, Nancy Galluzzo, are supported in this work by a nine-member Board of Directors - comprised of community leaders and musiConnects parents - and four associate faculty members.
Resident Musicians
Biographies (from top left)
Betsy Hinkle, violin, founded musiConnects in 2007 and served in directorship roles until 2017. Equally at home on the concert stage and in community, Betsy has performed throughout New England with ensembles such as Emmanuel Music and Boston Ballet, and as a founding member of the Boston Public Quartet (previously musiConnects' ensemble-in-residence). Betsy has received numerous honors for her work - including the META Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Barbara C. Harris Award for Social Justice - and in 2017 delivered the alumni address at New England Conservatory's commencement ceremonies. Betsy holds a M.M. in Performance - with a Music in Education concentration - from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo Quartet; as well as a B.A. from Florida State University. A native Floridian, Betsy lives in Roslindale with her husband and two children, and loves cooking, baking, and gardening.
David Rubin, violin, joined musiConnects in 2016. He currently serves as Artistic Director, teaches violinists in the Roslindale Community Program & Residency Program, and co-facilitates mC2, a peer leadership group for advancing students. After the musiConnects season ends, David travels to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he teaches high school violinists at Superior String Alliance's Camp Vivace. David's teaching practice is informed by a two-year fellowship at Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI, and pedagogy training under Mimi Zweig at Indiana University's Summer String Academy. As a performing artist, David's work is widely exploratory, ranging from projects on gut strings and historical instruments to contemporary chamber music like Kurtág's Kafka Fragments. In traditional orchestral music, David performs as a proud member of the New Bedford Symphony and a frequent guest with other ensembles throughout New England. From 2016-2019, he was a member of the Lucerne Festival Academy & Lucerne Festival Alumni, performing under noted conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Chailly, and Susanna Mälkki in concert tours to Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), Berlin (Berliner Festspiele / Philharmonie), and Paris (Paris Autumn / Philharmonie). Other concert highlights include performances at Spoleto Festival USA, Music from Salem, and Emmanuel Music's Bach Institute, and chamber music broadcasts for Wisconsin Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago. David holds degrees from Lawrence University and Boston Conservatory, with additional study at the Banff Centre and Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Kevonna Shuford, viola, joined musiConnects in 2020, teaching violists and violinists in the Residency Program and co-facilitating mC2, a peer leadership group for advancing students. A vibrant violist with a passion for collaboration, Kevonna holds a B.M. from New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Martha Katz. A native of Florida, Kevonna established a youth string program at Faith's Place Center for Arts and Education. An avid orchestral musician, she served as principal viola under the baton of Valery Gergiev, and had the pleasure of working with Janine Janse, Denis Matsuev, Emmanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, and Christoph Eschenbach. Kevonna has additionally had the opportunity to perform for distinguished artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Paul Katz, Dmitri Murrath, and Clive Greensmith in masterclass settings. As a member of the National Youth Orchestra (2016), Kevonna greatly enjoyed traveling to new places via performances at major concert halls throughout Europe and the US, including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Carnegie Hall; now, she is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys taking walks or rollerblading around Boston.
Joshua Addison, violin, joined musiConnects in its inaugural year as second violinist of the Chittick String Quartet, and returned in 2011 as a founding member of the Sumner Quartet (previously musiConnects' ensemble-in-residence). Joshua currently serves as musiConnects' Associate Director, and teaches young violinists in the Residency Program & Roslindale Community Program. Joshua has been active with musical outreach programs in Chelsea and Lawrence, Massachusetts, and was a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council's META Fellowship in 2015; he previously taught for the BYSO Intensive Community Program's residency at the Haley School in Roslindale. As a performing violinist, Josh has worked with several orchestras throughout New England, and appeared as soloist with the Keene Chamber Orchestra, where he served as concertmaster for five years. Joshua holds a B.A. in History from Boston University and a M.M. in Performance from University of California, Los Angeles. His primary teachers include Movses Pogossian, Guillaume Sutre, Daniel Phillips, and Rohan Gregory.
Rachel Panitch is a violinist, composer, improviser, and teaching artist. As a musiConnects Resident Musician, Rachel leads the All-Play and Harmony Strings curriculums, and teaches violin in the Roslindale Community Program. Throughout her career, Rachel has been an artist-in-residence in neighborhoods, in schools, and in Zion and Acadia National Parks. Rachel uses her violin and voice to tell and translate stories, with playing that has been called "fearless," bridging aural and written musical traditions. Rachel performs classical music with the Cardamom Quartet, is a dance fiddler with French Roast, and weaves stories with Thread Ensemble (an improvisatory trio of violins, voices, and vibraphone) and with Grammy award-winner Bill Harley. Rachel's music has been featured on a PBS Utah Bucket List episode, and the National Park Service's 100 Years of Arts in the Parks video series. Rachel specializes in teaching improvisation and fiddling, and works regularly with a number of music education organizations and schools around Massachusetts and Rhode Island in addition to musiConnects. In 2009, Rachel founded Rhode Island Fiddle Project, a free music program teaching traditional fiddle and dance music to students, inspired and incubated by Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI. She was chosen as a Jubilation Fellow, a national award recognizing "individuals with exceptional talent for helping young people feel fully alive through rhythm." Rachel holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Vassar College and a M.M. in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory.
Elizabeth Cook, cello, joins musiConnects in the 2021-22 season, teaching young cellists in the Residency Program and Roslindale Community Program. Elizabeth grew up in North Carolina, where she studied cello at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with cellist Zvi Plesser. She went on to obtain degrees from Mannes College, SUNY Purchase, and The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where she studied with renowned cellists such as Marcy Rosen, Brooks Whitehouse, Julia Lichten, and Michal Korman. Elizabeth has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses with artists such as Gary Hoffman, Peter Wiley, Paul Watkins, Zuil Bailley, 8th Blackbird, The Orion String Quartet, David Finckel and Wu Han. In 2018 Elizabeth was awarded the Gloria Miner Fellowship at the 2018 Sitka International Cello Seminar, and performed as soloist with the Western Piedmont Wind Symphony in the “Music Beyond Borders” concert series which highlighted the stories of refugees. Elizabeth's passion for social change has driven her to serve in many different places all over the world, such as Sounds of Palestine, a music program for refugee youth in Bethlehem; and Children of Cambodia, a sponsorship program for orphans in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Elizabeth has spent a total of six years in Palestine and Israel where she both studied and taught cello to marginalized youth, including those living in refugee camps. In 2021, Elizabeth created and co-organized the first Palestinian Cello Choir, which gathered 30 cellists from all over Palestine to perform together in a concert tour.
Betsy Hinkle, violin, founded musiConnects in 2007 and served in directorship roles until 2017. Equally at home on the concert stage and in community, Betsy has performed throughout New England with ensembles such as Emmanuel Music and Boston Ballet, and as a founding member of the Boston Public Quartet (previously musiConnects' ensemble-in-residence). Betsy has received numerous honors for her work - including the META Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Barbara C. Harris Award for Social Justice - and in 2017 delivered the alumni address at New England Conservatory's commencement ceremonies. Betsy holds a M.M. in Performance - with a Music in Education concentration - from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo Quartet; as well as a B.A. from Florida State University. A native Floridian, Betsy lives in Roslindale with her husband and two children, and loves cooking, baking, and gardening.
David Rubin, violin, joined musiConnects in 2016. He currently serves as Artistic Director, teaches violinists in the Roslindale Community Program & Residency Program, and co-facilitates mC2, a peer leadership group for advancing students. After the musiConnects season ends, David travels to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he teaches high school violinists at Superior String Alliance's Camp Vivace. David's teaching practice is informed by a two-year fellowship at Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI, and pedagogy training under Mimi Zweig at Indiana University's Summer String Academy. As a performing artist, David's work is widely exploratory, ranging from projects on gut strings and historical instruments to contemporary chamber music like Kurtág's Kafka Fragments. In traditional orchestral music, David performs as a proud member of the New Bedford Symphony and a frequent guest with other ensembles throughout New England. From 2016-2019, he was a member of the Lucerne Festival Academy & Lucerne Festival Alumni, performing under noted conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Chailly, and Susanna Mälkki in concert tours to Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), Berlin (Berliner Festspiele / Philharmonie), and Paris (Paris Autumn / Philharmonie). Other concert highlights include performances at Spoleto Festival USA, Music from Salem, and Emmanuel Music's Bach Institute, and chamber music broadcasts for Wisconsin Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago. David holds degrees from Lawrence University and Boston Conservatory, with additional study at the Banff Centre and Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Kevonna Shuford, viola, joined musiConnects in 2020, teaching violists and violinists in the Residency Program and co-facilitating mC2, a peer leadership group for advancing students. A vibrant violist with a passion for collaboration, Kevonna holds a B.M. from New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Martha Katz. A native of Florida, Kevonna established a youth string program at Faith's Place Center for Arts and Education. An avid orchestral musician, she served as principal viola under the baton of Valery Gergiev, and had the pleasure of working with Janine Janse, Denis Matsuev, Emmanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, and Christoph Eschenbach. Kevonna has additionally had the opportunity to perform for distinguished artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Paul Katz, Dmitri Murrath, and Clive Greensmith in masterclass settings. As a member of the National Youth Orchestra (2016), Kevonna greatly enjoyed traveling to new places via performances at major concert halls throughout Europe and the US, including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Carnegie Hall; now, she is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys taking walks or rollerblading around Boston.
Joshua Addison, violin, joined musiConnects in its inaugural year as second violinist of the Chittick String Quartet, and returned in 2011 as a founding member of the Sumner Quartet (previously musiConnects' ensemble-in-residence). Joshua currently serves as musiConnects' Associate Director, and teaches young violinists in the Residency Program & Roslindale Community Program. Joshua has been active with musical outreach programs in Chelsea and Lawrence, Massachusetts, and was a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council's META Fellowship in 2015; he previously taught for the BYSO Intensive Community Program's residency at the Haley School in Roslindale. As a performing violinist, Josh has worked with several orchestras throughout New England, and appeared as soloist with the Keene Chamber Orchestra, where he served as concertmaster for five years. Joshua holds a B.A. in History from Boston University and a M.M. in Performance from University of California, Los Angeles. His primary teachers include Movses Pogossian, Guillaume Sutre, Daniel Phillips, and Rohan Gregory.
Rachel Panitch is a violinist, composer, improviser, and teaching artist. As a musiConnects Resident Musician, Rachel leads the All-Play and Harmony Strings curriculums, and teaches violin in the Roslindale Community Program. Throughout her career, Rachel has been an artist-in-residence in neighborhoods, in schools, and in Zion and Acadia National Parks. Rachel uses her violin and voice to tell and translate stories, with playing that has been called "fearless," bridging aural and written musical traditions. Rachel performs classical music with the Cardamom Quartet, is a dance fiddler with French Roast, and weaves stories with Thread Ensemble (an improvisatory trio of violins, voices, and vibraphone) and with Grammy award-winner Bill Harley. Rachel's music has been featured on a PBS Utah Bucket List episode, and the National Park Service's 100 Years of Arts in the Parks video series. Rachel specializes in teaching improvisation and fiddling, and works regularly with a number of music education organizations and schools around Massachusetts and Rhode Island in addition to musiConnects. In 2009, Rachel founded Rhode Island Fiddle Project, a free music program teaching traditional fiddle and dance music to students, inspired and incubated by Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI. She was chosen as a Jubilation Fellow, a national award recognizing "individuals with exceptional talent for helping young people feel fully alive through rhythm." Rachel holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Vassar College and a M.M. in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory.
Elizabeth Cook, cello, joins musiConnects in the 2021-22 season, teaching young cellists in the Residency Program and Roslindale Community Program. Elizabeth grew up in North Carolina, where she studied cello at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with cellist Zvi Plesser. She went on to obtain degrees from Mannes College, SUNY Purchase, and The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where she studied with renowned cellists such as Marcy Rosen, Brooks Whitehouse, Julia Lichten, and Michal Korman. Elizabeth has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses with artists such as Gary Hoffman, Peter Wiley, Paul Watkins, Zuil Bailley, 8th Blackbird, The Orion String Quartet, David Finckel and Wu Han. In 2018 Elizabeth was awarded the Gloria Miner Fellowship at the 2018 Sitka International Cello Seminar, and performed as soloist with the Western Piedmont Wind Symphony in the “Music Beyond Borders” concert series which highlighted the stories of refugees. Elizabeth's passion for social change has driven her to serve in many different places all over the world, such as Sounds of Palestine, a music program for refugee youth in Bethlehem; and Children of Cambodia, a sponsorship program for orphans in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Elizabeth has spent a total of six years in Palestine and Israel where she both studied and taught cello to marginalized youth, including those living in refugee camps. In 2021, Elizabeth created and co-organized the first Palestinian Cello Choir, which gathered 30 cellists from all over Palestine to perform together in a concert tour.
Faculty, Roslindale Community Program
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Elizabeth Stefan, viola, teaches young musicians in musiConnects' Roslindale Community Program, after previously serving as Program Director (2016-20), longtime Resident Musician (2012-20), and founding violist with the Sumner Quartet. In addition to maintaining a private studio of violin and viola students, Elizabeth has taught in schools with Making Music Matters, held faculty positions with Community Music Center of Boston, and received a META Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. As a performing violist, Elizabeth is a founding member of Phoenix, an innovative, Boston-based orchestral ensemble. Elizabeth holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, where she completed an Arts Leadership Certificate with a focus on contemporary orchestral issues, and received the Robert L. Oppelt Viola Prize for the class of 2009; and a M.M. from New England Conservatory, where her principal teacher was Dmitri Murrath.
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