About Us

Janice Carr – Violin

Janice Carr, Violinist, has been an active performer of orchestral and chamber music for over thirty years. Her musical training includes Bachelors Degrees from both Youngstown State University and Michigan State University in Violin Performance and Music Education. She also earned a Masters Degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki Education from Ithaca College. Throughout her performing career, Janice has performed as a member of numerous professional symphony orchestras including: the Toledo Symphony, Flint Symphony, Canton Symphony and the Youngstown Symphony. In Central New York, Ms. Carr has performed as concertmaster of both the Auburn Chamber Orchestra and the Oswego Opera Orchestra. Ms.Carr performs professionally with the Candlelight String Quartet and as a free lance musician. Janice performs on a beautiful 1904 Stefano Scarampella, Italian violin.

Suzanne Stephenson – Cello

A graduate of Indiana University, Suzanne Stephenson holds degrees in Music, Education, and Violin Making and Repair. Her cello teachers include Walden Bass, Greg Wood, Einar Holm, Helga Winold and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. Suzanne has performed in the orchestras with the Three Irish Tenors, Olivia Newton John, Manhattan Transfer, Clay Aiken, and the New York Touring Productions for Peter Pan and Miss Saigon. She also performs with the Candlelight String Quartet and the Aphrodite Ensemble. She is a member of the Onondaga Civic Symphony and has performed as a soloist on and is principal cellist.

Michelle Wilcox

Holds bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Postdam. She has a Master’s in Music Education from Ithaca College with an emphasis in Suzuki pedagogy. Michelle has performed in the Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Utica Symphonies and frequently performs in the Colgate, and Hamilton College orchestras. Currently, she is a member of the Catskill, and Clinton Symphonies and the Delta String Quartet. She resides in Manlius, New York where she teaches a private studio and performs throughout the Central New York area.

Deborah Cunningham – Pianist and Organist

An active performer in Central New York for over thirty years. She holds masters degrees in music education and piano accompaniment from Syracuse University, and studied at the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts & Humanities. As a collaborative keyboardist, Deborah frequently performs with Symphoria, and has also performed with Symphony Syracuse, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, the Skaneateles Festival, the Utica Symphony Orchestra, the Syracuse Children’s Chorus, and various local theater companies. Ms. Cunningham serves as pianist and organist for Christ Episcopal Church in Manlius, and as staff accompanist and instructor of applied piano at Le Moyne College.

Amy Cirmo – Violist

Holds a Masters in Viola Performance from the Crane School of Music at Potsdam College and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the Hartt School of Music. She has studied viola performance with Steven Tenenbom of the Orion String Quartet, Scott Nickrenz of the Spoleto Festival, and John Lindsey of the Crane School of Music. An active performer in the Central New York Area, Amy has performed as principal violist of the Colgate University Orchestra. She also performs regularly with the Utica Symphony, Catskill Symphony, Mohawk Valley Choral Society and Hamilton College Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has performed many quartet concerts and has played several solo recitals to benefit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. In addition, she is an active freelance musician throughout New York State.

Meghan O’Keefe – Violinist

A Boston native now residing in Syracuse, NY. Discovering a love of music at a young age, she began violin lessons at the age of four with Trudy Larson, later studying with Bonnie Bewick Brown of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Miss O’Keefe went on to study Music Education at Syracuse University, graduating in 2014. She continued her studies at Syracuse University, completing a Masters Degree in Violin Performance in 2016. Throughout her time at Syracuse University, she had the opportunity to study with renowned teachers, Peter Rovit of Symphoria, Dr. Peter Povey of Sewanee College and Logic Pro X, and Harumi Rhodes of the Takacs Quartet.

Miss O’Keefe teaches 4th grade strings and 7/8 Orchestra in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District. In the Fall of 2016, Miss O’Keefe became Concert Mistress of the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra and performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the orchestra in 2018 and the Bruch Violin Concerto in 2023.

She also is a member of the Colgate Symphony Orchestra and substitutes with the Binghamton Philharmonic, Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, Clinton Symphony Orchestra, and the Catskills Symphony Orchestra.

When she is not teaching or practicing, she loves to travel, read, and explore all that NY State has to offer!