The following people have been recognized by the GSO for their outstanding contributions to the growth of the ensemble, and are permanently written into our organization's bylaws.
Emeritus members can request to participate as performers in our end-of-semester concerts at any time despite no longer being active members, and emeritus conductors can similarly request to conduct pieces.
GSO Emeritus Members
Name |
Membership |
Inducted |
Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Eng | 2005-2007 | retroactive | GSO Founder and President (2005-2007) Inspired by Video Games Live and the Japanese touring Final Fantasy orchestras, violist Michelle recruited six UM Repertoire Orchestra players in Fall 2005 to form the Gamer Symphony Orchestra at the University of Maryland and bring the art form of video game music to a younger generation of concert-goers. In her honor, a viola solo has been added to "Prologue" from Final Fantasy IV, one of the GSO's earliest arrangements, for the GSO's 10th Anniversary rendition of the piece. After she graduated, she recorded videos of some of the GSO concerts before the group's Twitch stream was established. |
| Greg Cox | 2006-2009 | retroactive | GSO Conductor (2006-2009) Greg was the GSO's first Conductor, leading the group musically during its early years. He has arranged some of the ensemble's instantly recognizable pieces, including "Groove" from Katamari Damacy and "Korobeiniki" aka "The Tetris Opera", which has since become a staple of the Video Games Live repertoire. After graduating, Greg was invited back to UMD in Spring 2011 to guest conduct another one of his classic arrangements, "Still Alive" from Portal at the GSO's 5th Anniversary concert. |
| Peter Fontana | 2007-2011 | retroactive | GSO Conductor (2009-2011) Peter followed in Greg's footsteps to improve the GSO's musicality further as the group grew to over 100 members. Before becoming a Conductor, he was a flautist and Choral Director, where his high calibre of musicianship showed in his beautiful and smooth flute playing and his methodical and clear conducting style. He was invited to and performed in the choir during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Rob Garner | 2005-2013 | March 2012 | GSO President (2007-2011) Rob was the GSO's longest standing President and arranged a wide trove of pieces for the GSO over his time in the ensemble. Additionally, he helped get the group more exposure by reaching out to OverClocked Remix and Video Games Live, getting some of GSO's arrangements and performances featured on their site and in their concert series respectively. After graduating, he helped co-found the Washington Metropolitan GSO where he serves as one of their major spokespeople and continues to play his flugelhorn and trumpet. |
| Chris Apple | 2007-2011 | April 2012 | GSO Music Director (2007-2010) Chris was the GSO's first Music Director as well as the founder of the GSO Chorus. He was the progenitor of vocal recruitment for the ensemble and arranged the GSO's first a cappella piece, "The Promised Land" from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which has since been archived. He moved on to co-found the Washington Metropolitan GSO where he serves as their Treasurer, continues to arrange pieces, and offers his tenor voice in concerts. |
| Kira Levitzky | 2008-2013 | Sept. 2013 | GSO Conductor (2009-2013) Kira was GSO's longest standing Conductress and built up the GSO's relationship with the School of Music to allow usage of the University's percussion equipment during rehearsals and concerts. She led the group during its first off-campus performance at the Smithsonian in Spring 2012. She moved on to found the Baltimore GSO as well as return to UMD in Spring 2016 to guest conduct the finale piece of the GSO's 10th Anniversary concert. |
| Alexander Ryan | 2009-2014 | Sept. 2014 | GSO President (2011-2013) Alex Ryan oversaw the process of getting the GSO to perform at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the "Art of Video Games" exhibit in Spring 2012 as well as ratifying the first version of the GSO's Constitution in Fall 2012. In addition to being an accomplished trumpet player and bass voice, he arranged the GSO classic, "Objection!" from the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series. He was invited to and performed in the choir during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Kyle Jamolin | 2010-2014 | Feb. 2015 | GSO Choral Conductor (2011-2014) Kyle led the GSO Chorus to new heights as the section grew to over 30 members during his time. With his background in church and chorale music, he trained many singers to improve their vocal quality and unify their sounds. On top of that, he led a few small ensembles including the ever requested "Snake Eater" from Metal Gear Solid 3. After graduating, he was invited back to UMD in Spring 2015 as a guest tenor soloist for "Coronation / Baba Yetu" from Civilization IV. |
| Kevin Mok | 2011-2015 | Aug. 2015 | GSO Conductor (2012-2015) Kevin helped the GSO in a multitude of ways alongside being a Conductor. During the GSO's transition to becoming a primarily undergraduate ensemble, he served as the acting Orchestra Manager as well as a stand-in bass guitar player while the member recruitment process was being reformed. He returned to UMD in Spring 2016 to guest conduct "Dancing Mad" from Final Fantasy VI at the GSO's 10th Anniversary concert. |
| Joel Guttman | 2010-2014 | Aug. 2015 | GSO President (2013-2014) Joel was an outreach chair well before attending the University of Maryland. He went to the GSO's Fall 2008 concert as a teenager and was inspired to start a similar ensemble at Magruder High School. Since then, he has helped found over 10 other GSOs at colleges, high schools, and even some community orchestras while serving as an Officer-at-Large, Vice President, and ultimately President. He oversaw the reformation of the membership eligibility and election policies. He was invited to and performed in the choir during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Jasmine Marcelo | 2011-2015 | Oct. 2015 | GSO Vice President (2014-2015) Jasmine was a long standing soprano voice and helped with some Choral Director duties alongside being Vice President, when the Chorus had more music to learn than a usual semester due to two different concert setlists in Spring 2015; one at UMD and another at the GSO's second appearance at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as a part of the "Watch This! Revelations in Media Art" exhibit. |
| Jesse Halpern | 2011-2016 | Aug. 2016 | GSO Treasurer (2015-2016) Jesse's service to the GSO truly knows no bounds. He overhauled the Treasurer position to streamline the process and put the GSO on better footing with all of its money handlings, including all university contacts and financial accounts. Perhaps most importantly, he worked out all the paperwork to establish the GSO as a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization, one the GSO's largest long-term goals. After graduating, Jesse continued to offer his services through the GSO's Twitch stream, which he helped start in Fall 2014 and has aided in improving its quality ever since. |
| Jonathan Hansford | 2013-2017 | Sept. 2017 | GSO Choral Conductor (2015-2017) Jonathan created an air of calm during his years as a tenor voice and as Choral Director, bringing the GSO's musicality to the next level. He was also very active in giving arrangers feedback as well as working on his own arrangements, including the beloved, "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye" from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky and "Sogno di Volare" from Civilization VI. He was invited to and performed in the choir during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Marin (formerly Matthew) Chin | 2013-2019 | Dec. 2017 | GSO Music Director (2016-2017) Marin raised the GSO's musical calibre to greater heights with her extremely detailed and directed feedback to help arrangers improve their pieces as well as leading the Music Committee with a stern hand. As a well-versed percussionist and arranger, she crafted a stable, educational, and inclusive environment for the GSO with her wide variety of projects, culminating in her pièce de résistance, "Mario's Musical Mayhem", an homage to the Super Mario franchise. She was invited to and performed as a percussionist during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Austin Hope | 2012-2018 | May 2018 | GSO Webmaster (2015-2018) Austin's six years in the GSO were filled with dedication. He helped out in many areas that weren't required in his officer role description, particularly in logistics; aiding the GSO in transporting its drum set to and from Stamp and working with other officers to set up before and clean up after rehearsals. On top of being a talented cellist, as Webmaster, he refined the GSO's website and was an important voice in many administrative decisions. He was invited to and performed in the choir during the GSO's Kennedy Center concert in Spring 2018. |
| Suzanne DeMeritte | 2015-2018 | May 2018 | GSO Treasurer (2016-2018) With Jesse's foundation and smooth transition, Suzanne pushed the Treasurer position even further by spearheading new funding initiatives as well as enhancing old relationships and forging new connections with online vendors, ensuring the GSO's financial longevity even in times of intense pressure. Alongside her crazy busy architecture curriculum, she offered her sweet soprano voice to the GSO and like Jesse, worked tirelessly to make the transition to the next Treasurer as smooth as possible. |
| Michael Mitchell | 2014-2018 | May 2018 | GSO Conductor (2016-2018) From his humble beginnings as a bass clarinet player, Michael offered a fun and dare we say, "meme-worthy" presence during his time in the GSO alongside "partner-in-crime", Leanne Cetorelli. In addition to having a strong and clear conducting style, he arranged a few small ensembles specifically showcasing different clarinet voices such as, "Clock Town" from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and "New Bark Town" from Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal. |
| Leanne Cetorelli | 2014-2018 | May 2018 | GSO Conductor (2015-2018) From her humble beginnings as a bass clarinet player, Leanne offered a fun and dare we say, "meme-worthy" presence during her time in the GSO alongside "partner-in-crime", Michael Mitchell. She went on to lead the group during some of its most memorable performances including the Fall 2016 musical celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon and the Spring 2018 concert at the Kennedy Center. |
| Alexander Yu | 2015-2018 | May 2018 | GSO President (2017-2018) Alex's accomplishments in the GSO take many forms. He created a lighthearted atmosphere with his small ensembles, notably "Miror B's Theme" from Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, inspiring many others to create their own small ensemble arrangements. As Vice President, he led the charge for major internal organizational reforms. As President the following year, he overhauled the entire GSO Constitution to make it up-to-date. Lastly, his master project: he oversaw the entire three-year process to get the GSO to perform on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Spring 2018. |
| Erin Estes | 2015-2019 | July 2019 | GSO Webmaster (2018-2019) Alongside Jason Kuo and Albert Chu, Erin worked to redesign the GSO's website to create a better online presence, taking in member feedback and responding quickly on what needed fixing. On top of being a talented violinist, she worked hard to develop an electronic ballot system that would streamline the election process, even after graduating from UMD. |
| Bethany Riege | 2015-2019 | February 2020 | GSO Secretary (2018-2019) Beth was an incredibly dedicated member of the orchestra. Through her leadership in the viola section, a legacy of GSO viola excellence was established. Additionally, Beth contributed to the orchestra’s arranging community in terms of advice for string parts as well as her arrangement of “Scape Main” from Runescape. After completing her role as Secretary, she volunteered to find and train a new Technology Director while performing the tasks of this role in an interim capacity. Beyond her musical and administrative contributions, Beth was a remarkably kind member who always made everyone feel welcome as a part of the orchestra family. |
| Hojin Yoon | 2016-2020 | August 2020 | GSO President (2019-2020) From high-energy small ensemble performances to the preservation of GSO election integrity, Hojin's work in the GSO was vast and varied, and it's undeniable that he put his heart and soul into this organization. Hojin brought an incredible positivity and passion to rehearsal every week. His exceptional dedication and enthusiasm kept the GSO going across his years of officership and through the difficult Spring 2020 semester. Hojin truly encapsulated the spirit of the GSO! |
| Sami Louguit | 2018-2020 | August 2020 | GSO Member (2018-2020) Sami Louguit's legacy in the GSO can be characterized by his tangible enthusiasm for musical performance and his dedication to sharing that fun energy with all the other members of the orchestra. This is best exemplified by Sami's prominent participation in small ensemble comcerts; his contributions to the orchestra's small ensemble concert performances were unparalled. Sami has arranged and performed in countless small ensembles. One such ensemble, "Don't Think Twice", was even performed as part of a GSO panel at MAGFest 2020 and at the JASA Momiji Cafe. Sami was also responsible for arranging a number of fantastic main concert pieces such as "Song of the Ancients" and "A Beautiful Song". A great musician and friend, Sami has always been extremely supportive to other members during rehearsals and GSO events. |
| Samuel Harley | 2016-2020 | August 2020 | GSO Conductor (2018-2020) Sam worked hard as conductor to increase the musicality of the GSO and its performances by working tirelessly both in rehearsals and working with Matt to establish an auditioning process for prospective members. Sam also arranged beautiful pieces for the orchestra that were both amazing to listen to and play, and was a wonderful presence who made everyone in the orchestra feel welcome. He even continued to serve after his time as conductor was technically over, working through the pandemic to train the new conductors. |
| Matthew Evanusa | 2017-2020 | August 2020 | GSO Conductor (2018-2020) Matt was an incredible conductor who helped increase the quality of GSO performances immeasurably, adding an audition process along with his co-conductor Sam and working on musicality tirelessly during rehearsals. He also brought passion and joy to every aspect of the orchestra, from making every rehearsal entertaining to arranging several beautiful and memorable pieces that were enjoyed by players and concert attendees alike. Matt even continued to serve after his time as conductor was over, helping to train the new conductors remotely even through setbacks caused by the pandemic. |
| Nicole Benner | 2018-2020 | August 2020 | GSO Social Director (2019-2020) In her time as Social Director of the GSO, Nico revitalized the social atmosphere of the orchestra. Through her efforts, she was able to improve the variety, quality, and overall participation for social events. Beyond creating and hosting countless socials, Nico made significant musical contributions through her involvement in small ensembles. Most notable are her arrangement and mandolin performance of "Rito Village" as well as her status as an original member of the GSO recorder ensemble. As an exceptional violinist, Nico brought her skill and unrivaled enthusiasm to numerous small ensembles and each of her main concert performances. |
| Austin Starnes | 2016-2020 | August 2020 | GSO Treasurer (2018-2020) Austin's contributions to the GSO cannot be understated. As a Treasurer for two years, Austin did outstanding work with submitting budget applications, advertising Giving Day, and acquiring discounts, allowing the GSO to reach new heights with more ambitious projects, such as having double main concerts. Outside of the usual duties of the Treasurer, Austin also provided key input in designs and documentation the GSO still uses today. In his last year, he put the entire GSO on his back; with his sharp eye for detail and strong rapport with venue contacts, he enabled the GSO to succeed even with a massive and unavoidable 40% budget cut during 2020. |
| Nicholas DeGraba | 2017-2020 | March 2020 | GSO Music Director (2018-2020) From his countless quality arrangements to his engaging Gaming 4 Life Smash Bros commentary and even his virtual performance video edits, Nick contributed many projects and experiences to the GSO. His "Dangerous Dinner,” "Baby Park," and a capella "Sunshine Secret" arrangements, to name a few, filled concert halls with smiles and cheers alike. His unrivaled passion and effort constantly improved the GSO's musicality and sound, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when morale was at its lowest. A talented performer, creator, and leader - Nick will forever be remembered for being strong, dedicated, and capable when the GSO needed him most. |
| Ciara Donegan | 2018-2022 | September 2022 | GSO Music Director (2021-2022) Ciara served dutifully as Music Director, helping guide the GSO through its toughest years in recent memory and resurrect it to beyond its pre-pandemic performance quality. Additionally, Ciara is a prolific and talented arranger for the GSO, currently holding the record for the shortest main concert piece "Parasailing," with a runtime of 1 minute 27 seconds. She was a crucial musical resource and major force in keeping club spirit alive, whether through organizing numerous virtual and in-person small ensembles, hosting several arranging workshops, or being a cheerful, open presence in meetings, not to mention giving us a shout-out in her appearance (and win!) on Jeopardy. |
| Rachel Wattanarungsikajorn | 2018-2022 | February 2023 | GSO Conductor (2020-2022) GSO would not be the same without Rachel. From the moment she joined, she strove to grow and improve our community, from reorganizing and popularizing the GSO Discord server to help it become the crucial organization communications platform it is today, to instituting auditions for choir as Choir Director to elevate our musicality to new heights, to arranging numerous small ensemble and main concert pieces that were performed at events both within and outside GSO, to, finally, never giving up as conductor over two difficult years and navigating us from a 30-member pandemic group to a 120-member sold-out performing ensemble. With her tenacity, passion, and dedication to the GSO, Rachel has undeniably made us who we are today. |
Page was last modified: May 09 2023