Search ends in new concertmaster

youngstown symphony orchestra

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Rachel Stegeman of Pittsburgh has been appointed concertmaster of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra.

Her selection, announced by the YSO and Music Director Randall Craig Fleischer, is effective through the 2016-17 season and follows a year-long search.

Stegeman replaces Calvin Lewis, who relocated to California prior to the 2014-15 season.

The concertmaster can be described as the captain, a chief soloist who also serves as the liaison between the conductor and the orchestra who helps set the musical tone. The leader of the first violin section, the concertmaster sits immediately to the conductor’s left, and takes over in his absence.

Stegeman, a native of Washington, D.C., began her violin studies at age 8. She played with the National Symphony and Kennedy Center Orchestra as well as many other local orchestras, performed in a string quartet at the White House and traveled to Rome to perform for the pope.

She later won orchestra auditions that led her to California, both with the Pacific and Sacramento Symphonies, and would go on to become assistant concertmaster with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In Los Angeles, Stegeman performed in many live broadcasts, including playing with the Academy Award Orchestra.

As a full-time studio violinist, Stegeman performed in more than 800 major film soundtracks and 50 television shows.

A very versatile musician, Stegeman has recorded classical music, chamber music, jazz, pop R&B, contemporary jazz, easy listening, rock heavy metal and movie soundtracks for more than 100 labels worldwide.

She is the adjunct professor of orchestra audition training, applied violin and chamber music at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music.

In addition to her duties with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, Stegeman is the concertmaster of the Wheeling Symphony, associate concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and associate concertmaster of Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra.

In the last three years, she and husband, Charles Stegeman, have created Stegeman Violin Boot Camp, a music festival dedicated to practice and performance techniques for young violinists and violists.

Stegeman studied music performance at Catholic University in Washington. She holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in violin performance from Duquesne University. Her instrument is an Italian H. Fagnola violin from 1923.