Peter and the Wolf

Singer, actor, composer, author, and advocate for the arts and humanity Jason McKinney has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center, and famous opera houses and concert venues on 4 continents. He has performed sacred music in places of worship for 25 years, and is currently the Music Director at Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, NC. He is originally from Milwaukee WI, educated in Judaica at Hillel academy, and learned authentic New Orleans’ Jazz while earning a Bachelor’s degree from UNC School of the Arts. Previous international tours include Porgy and Bess, and his original works “Moments with Paul Robeson” and “Frederick, a Musical Narrative”. 

Peter Shanahan is an accomplished orchestral flutist and dedicated educator based in North Carolina. He has performed extensively with regional orchestras, including the Western Piedmont Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Asheville Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and Piedmont Opera. Recently, he toured as Principal Flute with the World Ballet Company during their regional production of Swan Lake.  Peter also performs as the flutist for the Greensboro Symphony Wind Quintet. 

Committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians, he co-founded and teaches at the Winston-Salem Flute Academy alongside his wife, Lissie. His collegiate teaching experience includes previous appointments as Instructor of Flute at Guilford College, Carolina University, and Radford University. Peter holds degrees from Indiana University (Bloomington) and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Oboist Matthew Covington is a native of North Carolina and has been immersed in classical music all his life, beginning with singing and hearing his mother play violin. He followed this passion for music to UNC-Greensboro where he studied oboe with Ashley Barret. Matthew currently holds positions with orchestras across NC, including the Greensboro Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, Carolina Philharmonic, Fayetteville Symphony, and Piedmont Wind Symphony; he also enjoys engaging in many types of chamber music. 

Ronald Rudkin, saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist was Director of the Jazz Program and Professor of Music Theory at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for over four decades and retired in 2023. An active jazz and classical musician, Mr. Rudkin has performed regularly with his own jazz groups and dance band, plays clarinet with the Winston-Salem Symphony and Music Carolina, and has appeared with the North Carolina, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Western Piedmont Symphonies. Mr. Rudkin has performed with a diverse mix of celebrities from the worlds of jazz and entertainment and as a jazz clinician has conducted workshops across North Carolina.

Brianna Cantwell is a bassoonist and arts administrator serving as Executive Director of Piedmont Wind Symphony. She earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, studying with Saxton Rose and Dr. Stephanie Patterson, and her Master of Arts in Music Leadership from the Eastman School of Music under the direction of Rachel Roberts. An active freelance musician, Brianna regularly performs with regional ensembles including the Winston-Salem Symphony, Carolina Philharmonic, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Salisbury Symphony, Music Carolina, and Piedmont Wind Symphony. Her professional experience spans performance, nonprofit leadership, and arts marketing, with previous work supporting University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Symposium, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. 

A native of Los Angeles, French hornist Joe Mount is an active professional musician, and has been a member of the French horn section of the Winston-Salem Symphony since 1986. He is also a member of the Greensboro Symphony, and the Giannini Brass. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of Music Carolina. Joe holds an MA in Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, an MM from the UNC School of the Arts in Chamber Music. He also has a BM in Music Education from Wright State University. His teachers include Michael Hatfield and Fredrick Bergstone.

Beverly Naiditch is an accomplished arts administrator and percussionist based in North Carolina. She formerly served as Director of Operations for the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, where she managed artist logistics and festival operations for one of the country’s premier summer music programs. An active performer, she is Assistant Principal Percussionist with the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral work, Beverly maintains an active career as a freelance percussionist throughout the Triad