Staff

jherrard hardeman - music director

An eloquent communicator known for his thoughtful and revelatory interpretations, American conductor Jherrard Hardeman is a rising star in the symphonic and chamber music stages. In April 2023, he was named Assistant Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic and Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Hardeman studied Orchestral Conducting under internationally renowned conductor David Robertson at The Juilliard School. 

Amongst the orchestras with which he has appeared are: the Seattle Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Grosse Pointe Symphony, the Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and the Longy Conservatory Orchestra. An innate leader, Hardeman has also formed and/or conducted orchestras at such distinguished prestigious institutions such as: The New England Conservatory of Music, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and AVANTI! Summer MusicFest.

A champion of new music, Jherrard Hardeman has conducted works by John Adams, Valerie Coleman, Missy Mazzoli, Chad "Sir Wick" Hughes, James Cohn, Jessie Montgomery, Rick Robinson, Zhou Tian, Cynthia Van Maanen, John Corigliano and has also been known to conduct his own compositions.

Passionate about music education, Maestro Hardeman is on the conducting faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and continues to work as a guest conductor for all ensembles in the Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony and the Dearborn Youth Symphony programs. Jherrard has also been an orchestral adjudicator at the inaugural National Heritage Academies East Regional Music Festival.

Barbara Brown - RPO Vice president of Education

Vice President of Education Barbara Brown joined the RPO in 2008, and was named Director of Education in 2012. She was promoted to Vice President and given oversight of a new department in 2021. Her department is responsible for the management and implementation of all of the RPO’s educational concerts and activities. Additionally, she oversees and coordinates all aspects of the RPO’s community engagement programs, including the RPO Care & Wellness Initiative, Around the Town Concerts, and summer parks concerts. Barbara and her team oversees the development and rollout of OPUS, from ideation to program pilots.

Barbara earned a BA/BM in Saxophone Performance and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Washington. In 2008 she completed an MM in Saxophone Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where she was also awarded a Performer’s Certificate. In addition to her duties with the RPO, Barbara still performs in the area with the Vertex Saxophone Quartet.

Dr. Chisato eda marling - RPo manager of education and community partnerships

Dr. Chisato Eda Marling joined RPO in February 2022 as the Manager of Education and Community Partnerships. She is also the instructor of Saxophone at Eastman Community Music School and a founding member of the Vertex Saxophone Quartet.  She started playing piano at age 3 and saxophone at age 8. She holds the Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan, the Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Minnesota, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature with a minor in Musician's Wellness and Arts Leadership Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Chisato is a Vandoren Performing Artist.

SARA BETH LANE - RPYO and Education Projects Manager