Johnson has performed with the San Antonio Symphony since 1983, and was Concertmaster for the Mid-Texas Symphony. He was Operations Manager for Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and is on the adjunct faculty at St. Mary’s University.

While Johnson has been in the Symphony of the Hills for the past 10 years, serving as Associate Concertmaster with Long Zhou and then Daniel Kolbialka, he is looking forward to getting to know more of the “wonderful mix” of people that make up the orchestra.

“There are the community members, current and retired San Antonio Symphony players, many school music teachers that want the chance to play their instruments, as well as some of their former students! They are all wonderful people and so enthusiastic.”

The Concertmaster’s role is working out bowings for the strings prior to rehearsals, then making suggestions and tweaks during rehearsal. At the performance, he tunes the orchestra and leads the first violins.

“Plus I get to play solos, which is a fun thing for me. Leadership is less about words and more about example. You want to be respected for your playing, and have people emulate that. My primary interest is in playing. I like making the sound.”

Dr. Eugene Dowdy, Conductor and Artistic Director, considers this “a big step for the Symphony of the Hills.”

“Dr. Kobialka is going to be missed, but everyone is going to love Phil’s playing. He is going to be a great leader for the orchestra.”

Johnson can’t wait.

That little cello has taken her around the world. She has performed in China, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Japan, and across the United States. Qiqi holds a Doctorate in Cello Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Masters from Yale School of Music, and Bachelors from the Bard Conservatory of Music. She also earned a BA in German Studies.

She arrived in Texas three years ago when she began performing with the San Antonio Symphony. Today, as Cello Instructor at the University of Incarnate Word, Qiqi is now helping students appreciate her favorite instrument.

“It is different playing at home and playing in front of people,” said Qiqi, who enjoys both teaching and performing. “When I prepare students for auditions, I tell them what is going to happen on stage, what kind of physical reaction they will have, and how to prepare for that. In general, I would like them to enjoy the music.”

While she is drawn to new music and contemporary composers, and has even had a piece written for her, Qiqi loves the classical repertoire. She values her role in Symphony of the Hills.

“It attracts musicians from all over the area, including San Antonio and Fredericksburg,” she said. “It makes the area more united. I thank everyone for supporting Symphony of the Hills.”

She also embraces her role as Principal Second Violinist.

“Second violin, in my opinion, along with the viola section are what make the difference between a good orchestra performance and a great one. If you have incredible depth in phrasing in interior lines, it raises the entire level of the performance the audience is hearing.”

Nor is playing second easier.

“That is a misconception. In fact, in Mozart symphonies and operas, the second part is much more difficult. Maybe less flashy, but no less difficult. Learning to play second in a string quartet is revered in the world of music.”

As Assistant Conductor, Lee’s role is to be ready to step in as needed.

“I study and prepare as though I were to be called on to take over rehearsals or, in unforeseen circumstances, perhaps a concert. At this point, I look on it as an understudy. There are a lot of orchestra members with conducting experience, and that is why I was so honored to be asked.”

She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, with graduate studies in Music Education and Conducting. Her conducting experience includes Schreiner University Chamber Ensemble, Hill Country Youth Orchestras, Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, and the Kerrville, Northeast, and Houston ISDs.

“When I retired we decided to move to a place a little more like home,” he said. “We ended up in Kerrville because it had a symphony and a lot of other neat stuff.”

That was in 2013. Mary, who plays violin, joined the Symphony right away, while David had to wait for an opening in the woodwinds section. He’s been a member ever since.

“I’ve done a lot of gigs playing in pit orchestras,” he said. “For musicals, you always need to play three or four instruments. If you can play oboe, clarinet, and sax, it opens up so many opportunities.”

He has had some notable opportunities outside the classroom, performing in shows with Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Donna Summer, Marvin Hamlish, Tommy Tune, Harry Connick Sr., and Mannheim Steamroller. At age 27 he played a clarinet solo with the Boston Pops.

“When I started this endeavor, I never wanted to just teach; I never wanted to just play. I’ve been able to do both all these years. I love teaching. I love playing.”

He feels strongly that musicians need to keep their musical chops up.

“When you go to school, you work hard to master your instrument. I think it is terrible that when guys decide to teach, they put their horn in the case and never pick it up again. It’s tough to tell kids you should do this when you don’t do it yourself.”

David still helps out in the classroom, assisting high school band directors at Kerrville and Boerne. He has also served as adjunct faculty at Schreiner University, University of Texas Pan American, and Plymouth State College.

“It keeps me in the game and I just enjoy doing it. I still love to teach, and I still love to play as much as I can.”

And he still loves Kerrville–the town, the people, the weather, and, of course, the symphony.

“Most people, if they do not go to a symphony, it is because they are ‘afraid’ of classical music,” he said. “The strength of the symphony here is that the board and conductor are very sensitive to what people in the community want to listen to. So when they program, they tend to music that is uplifting and exciting. When the audience walks out of there, they enjoy the fact they went to a symphony concert. That is a ‘win win’ for the community and the orchestra.”

It was natural that his childhood goal was to be part of a big band on the circuit. So when he had an opportunity to join the Ice Capades during his junior year in college, Eychner was tempted. But he was in college, majoring in music, taking Air Force ROTC, and had just met the girl who was to become his wife, Judy.

He opted to continue that journey. After Bachelor and Master degrees in Music Education from the University of Nebraska, Eychner was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. Through 22 years of active service where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Eychner was able to pursue music as a “fun hobby.” He directed stage bands and choirs, played in pit orchestras around the world, and did some studio recording.

After leaving the Air Force, Eychner moved to Kerrville in 1989, where he has served as Executive Director of Mount Wesley Conference Center and the Hill Country Arts Foundation, and headed up the initiative to bring Texas Public Radio to the Hill Country. He also taught music as Adjunct Faculty for Schreiner University, and currently is Board Chair of the Hill Country Youth Orchestras.

He still plays lots of music. Eychner possesses that rare ability to blow his trumpet on all sides of the musical tracks. He is a trained classical player, but also thrives in big bands, Dixieland groups, and various jazz combos. He was a founding member in the Sentimental Journey Orchestra, as well as area jazz favorites Harry and the Hightones.

“Both are fun,” he said of the antipodal musical styles. “The thing I enjoy most is the folks I play with. We all get along, so it’s a family affair. Some are really phenomenal. Everybody knows what to do, so you are playing with folks that are top drawer and complement each other.”

Of course, she boasts a sound classical musical background, with a Bachelor of Music Education from Abilene Christian University and studies at the Eastman School of Music. She performs with a spectrum of groups, from dance halls in Austin, to regional orchestras across Texas, to the Edinburgh International Harp Festival in Scotland.

For that, she performs Celtic harp and accordion in the duo Chaski, with flutist Adrienne Inglis.

“Chaski is a nontraditional flute and harp duo,” Norton explained. “We have a wide portfolio of styles, with a fair amount of Celtic music plus Andean and folkloric music.”

They often collaborate with musicians and dancers to perform at festivals such as the Celtic Spring program in Arkansas, have recorded five CDs, and been featured on the soundtrack of an IMAX film.

Amidst all her world travels, Kerrville remains her spiritual center. For one thing, she grew up here.

“When I come to Texas it feels like coming home,” said the current Austin resident. “It really is a great music community, and I’m near family. As it turned out, you can craft a music career from almost anyplace these days–it doesn’t have to be New York or Los Angeles. There is a wonderful circuit around Texas of smaller orchestras.”

For another, she cherishes the Symphony of the Hills and her place in it.

“I find the Symphony of the Hills so fulfills its mission to the community. It is that blend of really skilled local players and some of us who come in and fill in the gaps. The effect is an orchestra that is deeply part of its community. Sitting in the orchestra, you can really feel it. It is a joy to play.”

Something new last season was the addition of a second harp player, Emily Jumes. Norton relishes her role as mentor.

“Having a second harpist adds to my joy tremendously,” she said. “It is fun to see her confidence grow, and having a harpist or two opens up the world of repertoire.”

She offers a play on that country music lyric, “if you want to play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.”

Her version: “You’re not going to play Debussy if you don’t have a harp in the orchestra!”

“It’s just me being in the moment,” she said. “No matter what I am doing with music, every single part of it is going through me, and there is not any part of it I don’t like.”

Growing up in a home with a father who listened to every genre of music and a mother who was her first piano teacher, Karen gained an appreciation of all types of music.

Her lifelong immersion in performing music began in Rhode Island, where, at age 12, she started attending a youth orchestra on Saturday mornings.

“What kid gives up Saturday morning cartoons?” she asked. “That was my very first love of being a performer, that feeling of sitting with the entire company and everybody playing at the same time.”

She went on to major in Music Education at the State University of New York and earn her Master’s at the University of Buffalo.

Karen brought that passion to Kerrville 22 years ago, first as Orchestra Director for Hill Country Youth Orchestras; then teaching band at Ingram ISD; then elementary music, choral, and orchestra at Kerrville ISD. She got involved in the local theater community as well, and in serving as Worship Director at several area churches.

Most significant, she was in the very first rehearsal of what would become the Symphony of the Hills.

“The orchestra had so much community support, even then,” she said. “We could not have done this without the contributions of Schreiner University and Jay Dunnahoo. Jay made everyone feel welcome, as we figured out how to play together. There is still that community feeling in our orchestra.”

When you watch her, whether perched on stage at a Symphony concert or sitting in on violin with her husband’s band at a local club, you can be sure of one thing: Karen Billingsley will be in the musical moment.