Renan Proença, percussionist, began his studies in 2009 at the Tatuí Conservatory in Brazil and then, continuing his studies, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in music at the University of São Paulo and Master's degree at Stony Brook University. During this period he performed in several orchestras with several names in the Brazilian music scene such as Lenine, Zeca Baleiro and Gilberto Gil. He is currently studying for a Doctoral in Performance at Stony Brook University in New York.

Eric Higashide is a clarinetist based in Long Island, New York.  While in high school, Eric was selected as one of the winners for the 30th Annual Young Musicians Chamber Music Competition at Lincoln Center, and was the principal clarinet for COS’ 2012-2013 year.  Eric then went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Clarinet Performance under the tutelage of Ayako Oshima at SUNY Purchase College.  During his time at Purchase, Eric has served as the Principal Clarinet for the Purchase Symphony Orchestra, and the Purchase College Opera’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro”. 

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Dr. Gloria Shih is recognized for her diverse abilities as pianist and as a collaborative artist. She has worked with members of the Emerson String Quartet, members of the Meridian Arts Ensemble, and members of the Metropolitan Opera. Her performances have included venues such as Carnegie’s Weill Hall, Merkin Hall and Oji Hall in Tokyo. She has received critical acclaim for her performances throughout Asia, Europe and North America, including engagements in Philadelphia, North Carolina, Westchester, California, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota, Southampton, England, Japan, and South Korea. As an active chamber musician, she founded Gracieux Trio in 2003. The trio won critical acclaim for the debut album and the second CD, and has been giving concerts and master classes regularly in Taiwan and Japan. 

Gloria Shih holds a Masters Degree from Mannes College of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. Her main teachers were Lilian Kallir, Gilbert Kalish, Christina Dahl, Seymour Lipkin, the Orion String Quartet, and the Emerson String Quartet.

Dr. Shih serves Collaborative Pianist for the voice department of Hofstra University and is the Majors Program Director of the Children’s Orchestra Society.

Charles Stacy is a composer and producer from NYC. As a freelance composer for award-winning artist collective Found Objects, his pieces vary from short film scores to video games to full orchestral symphonies. Hailed by The Boston Globe as “A cross between film score composer extraordinaire John Williams and the late György Ligeti”, his work spans many styles and media. Charles began his musical studies with the violin at the age of 4 and began formal studies in composition at 11 with Michael Dadap. His first symphony, “The Milky Way”, was premiered in June 2012 by the Children’s Orchestra Society. 

Olivia Martinez first started violin at a young age of 7.  She trained learning violin and viola with a classical background with various teachers such as Ms. Young Sook Han and Lori Berkowitz. At the age of 16 she was awarded to be the first COS Discovery Winner at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Olivia then went on to complete her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst studying with Michelle LaCourse. Continuing her classical musical education she completed her Masters in Music Performance at Mannes College of Music, in New York under the tutelage of Karen Ritcher. After graduating she played with various classical orchestras and chamber groups within the New York area. Olivia currently teaches at The Brearley School and COS.

 Throughout her time performing classically she has also branched out to other venues, performing with groups such as the Youngbloods Jazz Ensemble. Olivia also has performed with SiSe, a Latin/Rock band, and recorded on their first album. She has also worked on numerous albums with a Hip-hop group BR & Timebomb. Currently, along with being an active Grammy member Olivia Martinez tours and records with Sweet Little Bloodhound a Brooklyn, NY based Country/Rock band that performs throughout the states.

Taiwanese-American violinist/conductor Kevin Shue has been hailed by Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times as "…a promising violinist with a rich, full sound, true musical sensitivity, and considerable technique." Mr. Shue has performed as a soloist in sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Mr. Shue has also worked closely with members of the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland, Philadelphia Orchestras, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.  Mr. Shue has won numerous violin competitions both abroad and at home. Some of his performance highlights include private performances for the Presidents of Taiwan and the Philippines, as well as a world tour for the renowned Mandarin Pop Singer, JJ Lin. A devoted music educator and youth orchestra conductor, Mr. Shue currently serves on the faculty of John Bowne High School & the Children’s Orchestra Society. Mr. Shue is also a member of the American String Teacher Association, National Association for Music Education, and New York State School Music Association. Mr. Shue received his Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY Stony Brook and Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music. His principal teachers have included Hiroko Yajima, Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, Sheila Reinhold, members of Emerson String Quartet. as well as conducting studies with Timothy Long and Susan Deaver. Mr. Shue performs on a French violin by Joseph Gaffino circa. 1744.  Mr. Shue frequently serves as a guest clinician and competition adjudicator around the tri-state area.

Yoon Sang Timothy Cho is a devoted conductor in New York City. He was appointed the position of Music Director and Conductor for Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (New Jersey) in 2016. Mr. Cho holds the post as the Artistic Director for Amadeo Philharmonic Society. At the young age of 25, he made his sold-out Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the New York Premiere of the Opera, Seonbi: The Noble and Wise Man, leading the production to a “tremendous success” (Newdaily) with his “artistry of the highest standard… [and] masterful conducting technique” (Asia Today). He has been part of countless world-premieres as he strives to promote contemporary works of talented and enterprising composers such as Hung Ping Chang, Sunbin Kim, Yu-Chun Chien, Jae D. Seo and others. Mr. Cho has been invited to work as a guest conductor with several orchestras on the East Coast and has been featured numerous times with Union City Philharmonic Orchestra for their annual New York Winter Festival at Carnegie Hall. Other notable orchestras inviting him as a guest conductor include New York Classical Symphony Orchestra and K-Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Recently, he has become the Assistant Conductor of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Cho is passionate about music education serving on the faculty of the Children’s Orchestra Society and New York Classical Youth Orchestra. Additionally, working closely with youth orchestras i.e., California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and New York International Youth Philharmonic.

Mr. Cho began his career in San Jose, CA studying with Byung-Woo Kim with several award-winning violin performances with San Jose Young Artist Concerto Competition, California Young Artist Concerto Competition. He has toured with the San Jose Youth Symphony as the concertmaster in various countries throughout Eastern Europe and South America. In pursuit of a musical career in violin, he moved to New York for his bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance at Manhattan School of Music under Isaac Malkin. During his time at MSM, he worked tirelessly to perform with local orchestras such as Queensboro Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble 212, Ensemble du Monde. This led to an invitation to play with Berkshire Bach Society by the legendary harpsichordist, Kenneth Cooper. Mr. Cho also has worked with several emerging producers and bands which include performances with Young the Giant alongside Grouplove on their East-Coast tour, 2012 at the House of Blues, Electric Factory, Terminal 5, 9:30 Club. He was also featured in Lawrence Trailer’s Declaration EP (2012) album, produced by Dave Clauss. 

Mr. Cho’s conducting career began at Manhattan School of Music where he was mentored by David Gilbert, Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, and George Manahan. Currently, he is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Manhattan School of Music.

Michael Dadap was born in the Philippines to a family of musicians. His early music interests were as a jazz and folk guitarist before becoming interested in classical guitar. He studied philosophy at theUniversity of the Philippines; and, in 1971 he moved to New York City to study music theory and classical guitar at Mannes College of Music, and composition and conducting at Juilliard. In reviewing COS Young Symphonic Ensemble (YSE) at New York’s Town Hall on May 3, 1993, music and dance critic Bert Wechsler dubbed Michael Dadap a “fine, sensitive musician  who is obviously also a mighty orchestra builder…a teacher. What drives Mr. Dadap’s work is his faith in the children’s capacity to learn and his energy, patience, and special talent in communicating his love for music to the children.”

Mr. Dadap has recorded six CD albums for the classical guitar. His “Intimate Guitar Classics” for solo guitar was the featured album in February 1990 on The New York Times classical radio station, WQXR. Mr. Dadap performs as the Dadap-Ma Duo, in the United States, Asia and Europe. He also travels annually to the Philippines to concertize, teach, and give workshops on Philippine Folk Instruments orchestra called the Rondalla.

Mr. Dadap became the first recipient of the “2000 Artist of the Year Award” sponsored by the Flushing Council on the Arts in Queens. In December 2006, he received the “Philippine Presidential Award” in the Philippines’ Malacanang Palace in recognition of his remarkable achievements as a virtuoso musician, composer, music teacher, proponent of Philippine traditional music, and for promoting Philippine culture and causes through his work. Since his successful Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1974, Mr. Dadap continues to concertize in the United States, Europe, and the Far East.

He resides in Queens, New York, with his wife, COS Executive Director, Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma. Their two children, Daniel and Laura are also accomplished musicians.

Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma collaborated with the Lark Quartet, cellist Hai Ye Ni and Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Stephanie Chase, and has performed in chamber music concerts with faculty and friends of the Children's Orchestra at the Alice Tully and Merkin Hall, the United Nations, the 92nd Street Y, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, Wave Hill, and toured Europe, Asia and the United State with the Dadap Ma Duo. A graduate of Radcliffe & Harvard Medical School, she works with children with developmental disorders in the Bronx at the Kennedy Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and teaches violin, viola and chamber music with the Children's Orchestra Society, and lectures internationally on music and healing.

Born in Paris to Chinese parents, Yeou-Cheng Ma gave her first public performance at age seven, and played piano with her brother Yo-Yo Ma for over a decade. She was winner of the French National Competition "Royaume de la Musique" and played Mendelssohn Concerto with the Denver Symphony Orchestra at the age of 10. Her major violin teachers were her father, Dr. H. T. Ma, Firmin Touche, Koji Toyoda and Arthur Grumiaux.  Her work as Executive Director of the Children's Orchestra Society has been recognized by St. Joseph's College in West Hartford, with a doctorate in humanities honoris causa, the New York Public Advocate Award for leadership and advocacy for Asian American Youth, and the Francis Riker Davis Award from the Brearley School for outstanding community service.