LEAVENWORTH, WA
Who Are We?

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Steve Keene, Trumpet     email: steve@iciclebrass.org Mr. Keene is currently instructor of trumpet at the Woods House Conservatory in Wenatchee. He has performed throughout the Northwest with such groups as the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Brass Ensemble, Tuxedo Junction Big Band, and many other ensembles. He was Principal Trumpet with Seattle's Northwest Chamber Orchestra from 1980 through 1995, and a Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Brass Band Northwest. He was the Wind Faculty Co-ordinator of the Midsummer Musical Retreat for 15 years and has performed with the Leavenworth Summer Theater as both orchestra conductor and trumpeter. Originally from New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, he has also performed with the New England Brass Quintet and the Soviet Emigre' Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. Steve studied trumpet with Manny Laureano of the Minneapolis Symphony, Armando Ghitalla of the Boston Symphony, and Mark Gould of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He earned bachelor's degrees from the University of Northern Colorado in both Music Education and Trumpet Performance, where he studied trumpet with William Pfund. He earned a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where his primary teacher was David Greenhoe. Steve also served as Director of Bands and brass instructor on the faculties of West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Dickinson State University in North Dakota, and as a trumpet instructor at Western Washington University. He also currently works as a white water raft guide in his spare time. :-)       Kristin Umbarger-Keene, Trumpet     email: kristin@iciclebrass.org Kristin was drawn to the Wenatchee Valley in 1997 by its beauty and similarity to her hometown of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Kristin attended the University of Kansas earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1992, and a Masters degree in Trumpet Performance from Arizona State University in 1994. As a freelance musician, Kristin has performed at Disneyworld, on various cruise ships and with numerous jazz and classical ensembles over the years.. Currently, Kristin is a full-time teacher, working as the Music Specialist at Vale Elementary School in Cashmere, WA and the fifth grade band director, at Cashmere Middle School.   (top of page)     Annie Chalmers, Horn     email: annie@iciclebrass.org Annie received her Bachelor of Music Education degree in instrumental music education from the University of Idaho in 2003. In college, Annie was leader and member in many ensembles, including first horn in University Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Orchestra. She was also a member of the top auditioned jazz choir, world music choir (Jazz Choir I), "Sound of Idaho" Marching Band, African Marimba Ensemble, Jazz Band III, and was a founding and four year member of Barefeet Brass and Student Woodwind Quintet Now, in Central Washington, she plays horn in the Wenatchee Valley Symphony and has performed in the Idaho-Washington Symphony. She enjoys playing in the pit orchestras for musicals at Cashmere High School, Wenatchee High Schools and with the Music Theater of Wenatchee. Besides horn, Annie plays trumpet in the Wenatchee Big Band, and she and husband, Kent, a trumpet player, founded and direct the Cashmere Community Band. Annie is currently the band director at Icicle River Middle and Cascade High Schools in Leavenworth, WA. In her free time (ha, ha, ha), she enjoys spending time with her husband, hiking, and gardening.   (top of page)     Jason Thornton, Trombone email: jason@iciclebrass.org Jason is a graduate of Ohio State University and a member of the Wenatchee Symphony. He coaches trombone for the Icicle Creek Youth Symphony and has a teaching studio at the Woods House Conservatory in Wenatchee.   (top of page)     Christian Shimer, Tuba     email: dhris@iciclebrass.org Chris grew up in California, and played in bands at Disneyland and with other organizations in the Los Angeles area. After moving to Leavenworth to work as an engineer for the Chelan County P.U.D. at the Rocky Reach dam, Chris missed his music and became a founding member and first conductor of Musikapelle, the Leavenworth town band. Chris has also played with the Wenatchee British Brass Band and other ensembles in the area.