31-May-2013
Paris 1922: All That Jazz
Concert Date: 31-May-2013 The French capital during the 1920s was the most exciting musical center in the world. All kinds of musical sounds and styles entertained Parisians during that decade inc..
More info...Administration
Jenny Krueger, Executive Director
Jenny Krueger moved to Lafayette and joined the Acadiana Symphony family as second flutist in 2005, and most currently serves as executive director. Ms. Krueger has been in the professional symphony orchestra business for 22 years, with musical credits that include prize winnings in regional, national and international competition, as well as appearances with many highly acclaimed conductors throughout Europe and the United States.
With musical training in performance and education (K-12) at the University of Denver, New Mexico State University, and Mannes Conservatory of Music, in New York, Ms. Krueger has enjoyed more than 15 years of teaching experience, in public and private sectors, for pre-school children to post-graduate candidates.
A member of Leadership Lafayette's class XXIV, Ms. Krueger currently serves on the Education Division Committee.
Susannah Montandon, Conservatory Director
Lana Carver, Marketing Director
Lana Carver received a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA. She has been a finalist in both the regional and state NATS vocal competitions, most recently placing 1st in advanced women at the state-wide competition in March 2011. Some of Lana’s roles have included Liesel in The Sound of Music; Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz; Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitor; Carmen Ghia in The Stoned Guest; Rosa Budd in The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos. Lana has taught private voice lessons for 4 years, and is experienced in children’s chorus, as well as adult vocal ensembles. Lana is continuously striving to become a better performer and strives to share her passion for vocal music with those around her. Lana joined the ASO staff in June 2010.
Andrea Pattison, Ticketing Manager
Andrea was born and raised in New Orleans and moved to Lafayette where she attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1998. Andrea was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance. Andrea is an avid athlete, participating in marathons yearly. Andrea joined the ASO staff as Ticketing Manager in March 2011.
Jim Archer, Accounts Manager
Jim moved to Louisiana in the mid-80’s after serving as Deputy Treasurer for his home county government in Iowa. With a degree in accounting, Jim went to work in the oilfield services industry while attending ULL’s continuing education programs. Jim has also completed the Dale Carnegie program for public speech and human relations in Lafayette, LA. Jim joined the ASO staff in January of 2010 as accounting manager.
Tonio Cutrera, Operations Manager
Tonio Cutrera has functioned as the operations manager for the ASO for more than 25 years. During his term, he has produced several hundred concerts and related events for the Acadiana Symphony. He is also principal percussionist for the Acadiana Symphony and is a founding member of the orchestra. In addition to his work with the ASO, Mr. Cutrera is a professional jazz drummer and is the marketing director and sales manager for a Lafayette-based software development company. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Timothy Gaffga, Youth Orchestra Director & Prep. Orchestra Director
Timothy Gaffga studied String Education with Dean Angeles at Loyola University, New Orleans. For the past 10 years, he has been the orchestra director of elementary, middle and high school orchestra programs the public schools of Clark County, Nevada, and Fairfax, Virgnina. He has also performed in semi-professional and regional orchestras such as the ABACO Orchestra (associated with the University of Maxmilian Ludwig, Munich Germany), The Las Vegas Philharmonic, Las Vegas Chamber Players, the Arlington (Virgina) Philharmonic and the Washington Conservatory Orchestra. He has performed with artists such as Hilary Hahn, Andrea Bocelli, Burnadette Peters, Valentina Lisitsa, Nathaniel Rosen and Vanessa Williams. Mr. Gaffga is registered to teach Suzuki and has attended national music educator conferences consistently over the span of his teaching career. He is excited to participate in, teach and learn in the community of musicians in the Southern Louisiana area.
Lee Cooke, Symphony Chorus Director
Dr. Lee Cooke makes his home in Lafayette. Lee has served Asbury United Methodist Church as Director of Music and Worship Ministries since 1991. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Louisiana College and also holds degrees from Southwestern Seminary and the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He has conducted choirs of virtually every configuration and has coordinated choir camps, choir tours, festival concerts, and mission trips since 1977. This spring, he is an adjunct instructor at ULL in choral music and has guest conducted for Chorale Adadienne. At Asbury, Lee is responsible for worship planning and conducts the Alpha Omega youth choir and the Asbury Adult Choir. His choirs tour frequently and have televised Christmas concerts on Lafayette television stations. Lee has produced several recordings, the latest Messiah selections in 2008. Lee is married to Jan Lowery Cooke and is father of one son, James Cooke (married to Monica), and one step-daughter, Cori Webre (married to Brooks). He is the proud grandfather of Joseph Lee Cooke and enjoys golf, cooking, gardening and tending to Alpha Yorkie, Macie.
Emil D. Ivanov, Librarian
Emil started playing the violin at age of five. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Louisiana State University and a Master’s Degree from Rice University. His principal violin teachers include Blagorodna Taneva, Kevork Mardirossian, Borislava Iltcheva, Sergiu Luca. Emil has participated in numerous master classes given by such artists as Sergiu Luca, Ifrah Neeman, Kevork Mardirossian, Michael Frischenschlager, Jorja Fleezanis, Shmuel Ashkenazi, Ilya Kaler, and Paul Kantor. Emil holds prizes from several violin competitions such as Pancho Vladigerov and Dobrin Petkov.
Currently Emil performs as an Assistant Principal Second Violin of Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and has been an active member of Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Louisiana Sinfonietta since 2003. Emil is also a violin instructor at the Acadiana Symphony Conservatory of Music.
Jennifer Tassin, Education Director
Mrs. Jennifer Tassin received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and a Bachelor of Music Education in Percussion from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA. She was selected for Louisiana State Intercollegiate Honor Bands on piano, and received the only piano position at the National Intercollegiate Honor Band held at North Texas State University. Jennifer studied with Mrs. Francis G. Bulber and Dr. Terry Mahady at McNeese State University and Dr. Russell Hirshfield and Mr. Ken Green at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA.
With performance and education degrees, Jennifer has taught more than 10 years in the public and private school sector for Prek3 through 12th grades. She currently resides in Lafayette, with her husband, Paul, and their 3 young boys-Evan, Alex, and Joshua. She began working for the Acadiana Symphony in June 2012.
