Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra

WIO Music Directors

Artistic Director

SARAH OFTEDAHL is a middle school orchestra teacher in Mukwonago, and previously taught middle school and elementary orchestra in Sheboygan. She is delighted to grow with the musicians in WIO within the role of Artistic Director as they explore music together.

An avid believer in continuing education and cultivating students’ musical independence, Mrs. Oftedahl has taken several workshops in CMP, or Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance, a teaching model to help enrich students’ musical experience and pursue greater personal connections to the music addressed. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Music Education, Instrumental Emphasis, from UW-LaCrosse (2002). Additionally, she completed her Master’s Degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music (2008), and a Kodaly Certificate through Silver Lake College (2019).

Mrs. Oftedahl, a violist, has performed with several symphony organizations, including the Sheboygan Symphony, Oshkosh Symphony, Manitowoc Symphony, and Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. Her favorite type of music to play is string quartet music, and she helped form the Jubilate String Quartet out of the Sheboygan area. She has a husband and three children, and enjoys spending time traveling, gardening, and making memories with her family.

Founding Artistic Director Emerita

ANNE MARIE PETERSON grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Arizona State University before transferring to Northwestern University to complete her Bachelor and Master degrees in Viola Performance/String Pedagogy. Before moving to Wisconsin Anne Marie taught Suzuki Violin and performed with several ensembles in the Chicago area. Anne Marie earned Certification in Instrumental Music from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with additional graduate studies at Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1986 Ms. Peterson became an orchestra teacher for the School District of Elmbrook. She served two terms as State Chair for Orchestra and crafted articles for the educational journal “Wisconsin School Musician”. Anne Marie and her talented students regularly performed and presented at state and national conferences and festivals. In June 2011, Ms. Peterson retired from public school service and subsequently was invited to join the faculty of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, with significant support from Mr. Jian Sun, Anne Marie and colleagues Siew-Eng Goh and Benjamin Leon founded the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. We “opened the doors” to a wonderful community of musicians of all ages and skill levels in February 2016.

Senior Music Consultant

SIEW ENG GOH holds a licentiate in Music (Major in Violin and Theory) from the London Royal School of Music. Mrs. Goh has won many first prizes in solo and chamber music competitions. Siew Eng played the violin and viola for the Radio and Television Malaysia and was Concertmaster for the Penang Philharmonic Orchestra. She was on the faculty of the Green Lane Convent School and taught violin and viola in a private studio for 7 years before her immigration to the United States. Mrs. Goh studied the Suzuki Method in England and at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point. Siew Eng joined the West Suburban Suzuki Academy in 1983 and currently maintains a private studio.

WIO Principal String Leaders: (front) Julie Nolan, Principal Cello; (left to right back) Amy Andrews, Principal 2nd Violin; Thomas Spitz, Assistant Principal 1st Violin ; Stephanie Keller, Principal Viola ; Josh Kimball, Principal Bass; Eric Bate, Concertmaster: Roxanne Carloni, Assistant Principal Cello

Concertmaster

KRISTEN TAN (ON LEAVE) graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education and Violin Performance. She has taught in the Franklin and West Allis school districts and is currently Orchestra Director at North Middle School in Menomonee Falls. Mrs. Tan also maintains a small private lesson studio.

She has performed as a member of the Wisconsin Philharmonic and Concord Chambers orchestras as well as various other small local ensembles. Mrs. Tan also serves as handbell choir director at Forest Park Presbyterian Church in New Berlin.

When not making music, she enjoys traveling with her family around the United States. As a family they have reached their 50th state last summer!

Kristen is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the musicians of WIO. This has been a family affair, and it is her hope that she can persuade a few other family members to join the orchestra on stage in the near future!

Acting Concertmaster

ERIC BATE is a native of Brookfield, Wisconsin, violinist Eric Bate has a passion for the orchestral world of classical music. He has so far played with a total of ten different professional orchestras and counting. Eric currently holds posts as section violinist for both Orchestra Iowa and the Illinois Symphony, and substitute violinist for the Minnesota Orchestra. Previous posts include Assistant Concertmaster of the La Crosse Symphony and section violinist of the Green Bay Symphony.

Throughout his career, Eric has had the honor of playing in concert with some of the top names in the classical music world, such as Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, Lynn Harrell, and Zuill Bailey. He also enjoys dabbling in Irish fiddle and improvising in rock bands, including a 5-year tenure as the violinist in a church worship band.

Eric studied violin performance at the University of Minnesota under Sally O’Reilly, and continues his studies privately with Alex Kerr, former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Eric plays on a beautiful Amedee Dieudonne violin.

Assistant Principal 1st Violin

THOMAS SPITZ has been a violinist for 34 years; a music educator for 13 years; and a member, musician, faculty, and principal of WIO since its inception (with a small hiatus). Tom helped found and grow the Intermezzo ensemble for WIO in its early years, and has enjoyed the community and camaraderie brought by all WIO's members. When not thinking, playing, plotting, or planning music-related things, Tom spends time with his wife, son, and pets. Every now and then Tom enjoys dabbling in Legos, gaming, software engineering, home improvement, camping, daydreaming, and finding fun little coffee spots around town.

Principal 2nd Violin

AMY ANDREWS is a native of Fond du Lac. She has two bachelors of science degrees from UW-La Crosse in piano pedagogy and music education, where she studied with Dr. Mary Tollefson and Dr. David Phipps. Amy is currently teaching orchestra at New Berlin West, and has also taught orchestra in Menasha (up by Appleton), her hometown of Fondy, Brookfield and West Allis. She is a Master Adjudicator for District and State Solo/Ensemble Festivals, held by the Wisconsin School Music Association. Amy is an active performer on violin, viola and voice, and has performed with the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Choristers and Vic Ferrari and their Symphony on the Rocks. Until recently, she had been taking a break from teaching and worked at the Kwik Trip in Butler, where she was the Lead Bookkeeper and worked five days a week at 5am. Her husband Chris is the Director of Information Technology for a printing company in Waukesha, and their son Patrick earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from UWL in 2024; he’s a third-generation graduate and earned the fifth degree from UWL in her immediate family. She and Chris have three spoiled cats - Winni, Pizzi and Sissi, and Amy has a near encyclopedic knowledge of the TV show The Golden Girls. #thankyouforbeingafriend and #seeyounexttime!

Principal Viola

STEPHANIE KELLER is a passionate violist and educator from southeastern Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2017, studying viola under Professor Alvaro Garcia. During her time at UW-Parkside, she performed with the UW-Parkside Symphony Orchestra and La Camerata, a chamber ensemble specializing in Baroque and Pre-Classical works. After graduation, she continued playing with the UW-Parkside community orchestra until 2020, when she relocated and found a new musical home with the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra.

Stephanie is currently the Orchestra Director for grades 7-12 at New Berlin West Middle/High School, where she also serves as an advisor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Previously, she directed the orchestra program at Cudahy Middle School from 2018 to 2020.

Beyond teaching and performing, Stephanie enjoys crocheting, waterskiing, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Principal Cello

JULIA NOLAN Julie Nolan has taught K4-9th grade orchestra and general music students in Wisconsin public and private schools since 1995. Currently, she is the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade orchestra director at Atwater and Lake Bluff Elementary Schools in Shorewood, WI. She taught previously in Hartford, West Bend, and Menomonee Falls schools, as well as running a private piano and string studio for many years.

Julie has served as cello coach for the Washington County Youth Orchestra, and has been a counselor and coach at the UW-Whitewater Strings Camp.

She received her bachelor degree in Music Education from UW-Whitewater (1995) and a masters degree in Music from UW-Madison (2003) with an emphasis in String Development.

Julie was recently honored as a 2021 recipient of the Shorewood School District Excellence in Teaching Award. She is an active member and President Elect for WI-ASTA. As a member of NAfME, and WMEA/WSMA she has participated in many state conferences and workshops.

She currently resides in Menomonee Falls with husband Tim and children Emily, Ryan, Carlin, and Josephine. Outside of school she enjoys participating in the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra, and spending time reading and gardening.

Assistant Principal Cello

ROXANNE CARLONI has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Instrumental Music from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Hired in 1979 to start the string program in the Mukwonago Area School District, she spent her entire career there, directing elementary, middle school and high school orchestra and teaching lessons. After 40 years in Mukwonago, Roxanne retired in 2019.

In retirement, Roxanne has continued to have a small role in Mukwonago coaching solos and duets for Sarah Oftedahl’s students at Parkview Middle School as they prepare for solo and ensemble each spring. She also directs the handbell choir at Ascension Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. A lymphoma survivor, Roxanne has been involved in yearly fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night campaign since 2000. A member of WIO since February 2024, Roxanne is happy to serve as the assistant principal in the cello section.

Principal Double Bass

JOSHUA KIMBALL is the director of orchestras at Eisenhower High School in New Berlin. Josh has been an educator for 10 years in three different states. In addition to teaching and performing, Josh enjoys playing card games, watching sports, and traveling. In the summer Josh teaches at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and relaxes as much as possible. Josh really enjoys the opportunity to work with the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra and is a vital part of team WIO.

Music Librarian

GABRIELLE ETES Gabrielle will be our new Music Librarian. For any music related needs, or questions, feel free to reach out to her at gabrielle.etes@gmail.com. Gabrielle is a returning member from the 2018 season after going to college at UW-Eau Claire majoring in Music and Fine Arts administration. Her primary instrument is the French horn.

Orchestra Manager

CASEY KLEPP Casey Klepp, by day, is the Executive Director of a company that provides guidance to insurance startups who target positive disruption of an archaic industry, leveraging bleeding edge technologies and philosophies to create innovative products that enrich their customer's lives. By night, he is an aspiring amateur musician that has always held a passion for studying and performing music as well as supporting others along their musical journeys. He has had the opportunity to study Piano, Violin, and Viola while performing with a number of symphonies and other musical groups. One of his first teachers is in the orchestra - Julie Nolan - and he is ecstatic to get the opportunity to work with her. He is excited to be taking on the position of the Orchestra's Manager and hopes to bring a creative energy to the position, supporting the mission of WIO while helping to enable a positive and satisfying experience for all of its musicians. When he is not working or playing Viola with WIO, he enjoys flying to new and exciting locales, horseback riding, and spending time with family and friends. Please feel free to reach out to Casey at casey.klepp@wiorchestra.org