Sebastian Grand, YOBC Music Director
Conductor, Symphony Orchestra
SEBASTIAN GRAND is Music Director of the Delaware County Symphony, PA and the McLean Symphony, VA. He holds Assistant Conductor positions with the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey and the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, and frequently appears as Guest Conductor for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Mr. Grand was the founding Music Director of the Guernsey Sinfonietta, which he conducted for eight years, and he has participated in numerous international conducting competitions, most notably as a finalist in the first Erich Bergel Conducting Competition in 2022. Passionate about music education, he was appointed Music Director of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County in 2024, and directs the Grand School of Music in New Hope, PA, overseeing instrumental tuition for over 200 students. Mr. Grand has worked as a coach and accompanist for the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and held adjunct faculty positions at Lafayette College and George School.

Raised in Guernsey, UK, Mr. Grand is a first-class graduate of the Joint Course between the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). He received a Master’s with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Notable awards include three Hargreaves Prizes and the Procter- Gregg Prize at Manchester University, the Clifton Helliwell Memorial Prize at the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Dorothy Bryant Award at the Royal Academy of Music. Sebastian also works as a concert pianist, and has performed as concerto soloist in both North America and Europe.

Blair Higgins
Conductor, Prima Strings
Conductor, Concertino
BLAIR HIGGINS is a charismatic educator and musician. Driven by her passion to inspire others, she has been teaching middle school orchestra in NJ and PA public schools since 2018. She received her bachelor’s degrees in music education and violin performance from the Honors College at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She was recognized with the award of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities in 2017.

She currently teaches middle orchestra at North Penn school district, in addition to conducting t Prima Strings and Concertino at the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County and is assistant director to the Chester County Youth Orchestra. Although classically trained, she specializes in Irish fiddle music, and, when not performing in local musicals, weddings, and corporate events, she can be found in one of greater Philadelphia‘s Irish pubs playing at traditional seisiúns.

Karl Krelove
Conductor, Concert Winds
KARL KRELOVE is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area. After graduating from Hatboro-Horsham High School he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance from Temple University. In 1969 he joined the US Army Field Band with which he performed for three years as first clarinetist and clarinet soloist. On leaving the army he spent the next 35 years teaching and performing as a freelance clarinetist in the Philadelphia area. Retired in 2007 after 30 years of teaching music in the Neshaminy School District, Mr. Krelove, who still performs with several area orchestras, has continued teaching and coaching clarinetists in Lower Bucks County and is proud to have the opportunity to work with students in the YOBC program.

David Pimentel
Conductor, Ripieno
HECTOR DAVID PIMENTEL-CEDRE, or Dahveed as he is known, currently serves as strings teacher in the North Penn School District, where he has directed the grades 7-9 string orchestras at Pennbrook Middle School since 2008.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dahveed began his violin studies at the age of 5 at the Conservatory of Music’s “Programa de Cuerdas”. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin performance at Penn State University, and two Master’s Degrees: one in Viola Performance at Temple University and the second in School Administration at Touro College (New York City).

As a performer and music educator, Dahveed has had the privilege to study with many outstanding instrumental and orchestral directors. In NY and PA – Karen Dreyfus, Sidney Curtiss, James Lyon, Donald Hopkins, Raymond Page, Luis Biava, Douglas Meyer, Michael Jinbo, Joseph Primavera, Becky Brown, and Nancy and Jerry Bidlack. His lifetime of orchestral and quartet performances include performances and international tours, participating with Lower Merion, Bucks County, Symphony in C, Bridgeton, Lansdowne, Lower Merion, Altoona, Johnstown, Puerto Rico Chamber, Operaworks, Blue Hill Troupe, Liederkranz Chamber, Hunter College, North Carolina School of the Arts, Long Island Youth Symphony, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and the Young People’s Philharmonic.

Dahveed looks forward to a wonderful year of working with the amazing string students of the Ripieno string ensemble, as well as the amazing professional staff at YOBC!

Joe Shonis
Conductor, Wind Symphony
Conductor, Concert Winds
JOE SHONIS has had the privilege of working with several music programs from across the country. With over 35 years of experience, his background includes being a conductor, director, performer, adjudicator, visual designer or consultant for concert bands, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, marching bands, percussion ensembles, indoor programs, college bands and drum corps. His groups have consistently received superior ratings at the high school, middle school and elementary level. Individual students he has instructed have also been successful at the county, district, regional and all-state level.

Caleb Thompson
Conductor, Philharmonia
Caleb Thompson is a dynamic performer on the podium, communicating energy and depth in his music. His resume includes concerts with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the University of North Texas Opera Theater, the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Chamber Orchestra. He served on faculty at the Philadelphia International Music Festival from 2020–2022, where he conducted multiple performances with the festival orchestras. During the 2023–2024 academic year, Mr. Thompson acted as Assistant Conductor for the University of North Texas productions of Cendrillon by Jules Massenet and Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. Additionally, he directed the world premiere of Canticles from the Ends of the Earth by Dr. Kirsten Soriano. As an alumnus of Cairn University in Bucks County, Mr. Thompson is excited to be making music in the Bucks County community. In addition to performing with Philharmonia, Mr. Thompson is on faculty at Cairn University, where he directs the Cairn University Symphony Orchestra.