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Leadership & Staff
Leadership
Anne-Marie McDermott
Caitlin Murray
Anne-Marie McDermott
Artistic Director
Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott has been Artistic Director of the Bravo! Vail Music Festival since 2011. She enjoys performing, recording, commissioning, and planning a tremendous variety of music encompassing many centuries and styles. She is currently working on recording the complete Mozart Concertos with the Odense Symphony in Denmark and all of Haydn’s Piano Sonatas for release on Bridge Records. This summer she is looking forward to presenting all nine of Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas (which she has recorded) together with pianists Anna Geniushene and Ilya Shmukler, whom she discovered while serving as a jurist for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Last summer she premiered a new concerto by Chris Rogerson, commissioned for her by Bravo! Vail in honor of her 10th anniversary. She will premier an expanded version of the work with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in April 2024. Anne-Marie has been devoted to chamber music her entire career and performs regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where she has been a member since 1995. She is the Artistic Director of two chamber music festivals: one at the McKnight Performing Arts Center in Oklahoma; the other in Ocean Reef, Florida.
Her discography also includes Bach’s English Suites and Partitas (named Gramophone Magazine’s Editor’s Choice), Gershwin’s Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra with the Dallas Symphony and conductor Justin Brown, plus recordings devoted to works by Haydn, Chopin and Schubert. Plans are in place to record all of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos with Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria and the conductor Carlos Miquel Prieto. She has performed concertos with dozens of American orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. International ensembles include the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi, and the Taipei and Vancouver Symphonies. With the latter she and the late conductor Bramwell Tovey premiered Poul Ruders’ Piano Concerto. Other conductors with whom she has collaborated include Stéphane Denève, Michael Francis, James Gaffigan, Alan Gilbert and Jaap van Zweden.
Anne-Marie has curated and performed several composer-focused projects including: the Complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas and Chamber Music, a three-concert series of Shostakovich’s chamber music, as well as a series of recitals devoted to Haydn and Beethoven Piano Sonatas. She has performed and premiered dozens of works by living composers, among them, Clarice Assad, Stephen Hartke, Chris Rogerson, Roberto Sierra, George Tsontakis, and Charles Wuorinen.
A proud alumna of Young Concert Artists, Ms. McDermott enjoys nurturing young pianists, and participating both as a juror and performer in festival such as Piano Jacobins in Toulouse, where she will make a return visit in fall 2023.
Caitlin Murray
President & CEO
Caitlin Murray has served as Bravo! Vail’s Executive Director since 2018. During that time she has led the organization through the challenges of the pandemic and maintained the presence of world-class music in the Vail community. She is deeply committed to Bravo! Vail’s mission to enrich people’s lives through the power of music.
Caitlin has been associated with Bravo! Vail for over a decade, previously serving as the Vice President of Development. Throughout her tenure she has played an integral role in innovative projects which have led to major programmatic advancements and an ongoing elevation of the Festival’s artistic excellence. She has previously worked as Director of Leadership Gifts at Colorado Public Radio, as well as an Account Executive at Westword newspaper in Denver. Caitlin is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history.
Caitlin’s love for music began at a young age and she studied violin in her youth. She and her husband Dan enjoy living in the Vail Valley by hiking with their dog Porky, snowboarding, and biking. They love to travel and take in as many concerts as possible wherever they are.
Administrative
Mark Fenstermacher
Hannah Ploughman
Jaimee Stock
Tiona Whilby
Mark Fenstermacher
Chief Financial Officer
Mark Fenstermacher joined Bravo! Vail as Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration in June 2024. With a history of leadership in the non-profit sector since 2004, Mark's career embodies a commitment to shaping impactful environments and fostering excellence.
In his previous role as the Chief Financial Officer of Clayton Early Learning in Denver, CO, Mark implemented financial strategies that empowered educational initiatives, a realm he's dedicated the past decade to refining. Prior to that, Mark also served as CFO of the Vail Mountain School from 2012-2017 where he spearheaded many transformational capital improvement projects. His passion for mission-driven organizations was first sparked during his tenure at the Vail Valley Foundation, where he served as CFO 2004-2012.
Mark began his career in corporate finance at T. Rowe Price and then Vail Resorts, laying the foundation for his subsequent non-profit endeavors. He is a graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Accounting. Mark enjoys spending his free time snowboarding, hiking, and reading.
Hannah Ploughman
Executive Assistant
Hannah Ploughman is a singer, educator, and longtime enthusiast of Bravo! Vail. Currently working as a teacher in the Music Makers Haciendo Música program, she happily accepted the offer to work as an Executive Assistant for the company.
Hannah grew up in the Vail Valley and began teaching for Bravo! when she was in high school in one of the first iterations of the After School Piano Program. She received a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado. During this time, she also taught Elementary Music in Poudre School District. Hannah loves to travel and perform and has had the opportunity to sing opera and choral music in Germany, France, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Creating meaningful connections and inspiring musical curiosity is something that resonates deeply with her personal and career values. She believes that music has the unique power to provide us with a high-level cognitive skill, while also connecting us emotionally and intellectually to the world around us. It is such a joy to be back in her hometown and to have the opportunity to share her passion for music with her students and her community.
Jaimee Stock
Staff Accountant
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Jaimee also spent time living in Arizona before finding her home in the beautiful Vail Valley. She finds constant inspiration in the power of community—especially when people come together through music and shared experiences.
Prior to joining Bravo! Vail, Jaimee has spent over ten years building her career in finance within the luxury hospitality industry, consistently prioritizing exceptional service for both guests and her behind-the-scenes team. Her experience across various aspects of accounting has led her to implement new systems, collaborate on developing and streamlining processes, and train senior leadership to enhance their financial knowledge. She is committed to gaining knowledge in all areas of an organization to enhance her support and motivate her fellow team members.
Drawn to the natural beauty and the vibrant energy of the mountains, Jaimee is captivated by the outdoor lifestyle and enjoys snowboarding, hiking, biking and golfing.
Tiona Whilby
Human Resources and Volunteer Coordinator
Tiona Whilby is an artist born and raised in Jamaica and moved to the valley at a very young age. With a profound love for having a meaningful impact, she dove into the musical arts through the Violin and later found expression through dance. She has been part of programs such as Celebrate the Beat and FirstNotes.
Seeing music as a medium for emotional connection and understanding, she is committed to sharing this enchantment with the community, ensuring its impact reaches beyond the stage. She enjoys snowboarding, reading, writing and listening to music with her cat, Anbu.
Artistic
Shannon Murray
Jacqueline Taylor
Shannon Murray
Artistic Liaison
Shannon Murray, a Denver, CO native, discovered her love of arts administration in 2016 while working as the International Chorus Coordinator for Opera Classica Europa. She holds bachelor's degrees in music education and classical vocal performance from the University of Northern Colorado. An avid traveler, she has had the opportunity to perform in venues across the world including St. Peter’s Basilica, the historic Shubert Theater in New Haven, CT, and many castle ruins throughout Germany, France, and Holland. Through these experiences, she has gained a deep reverence for the connection music offers to the communities it touches. After having joined Bravo! Vail as the 2022 Operations Intern, she is ecstatic to be back in the Vail Valley contributing to some of the most breathtaking live music out there. Aside from being a music fanatic, Shannon is also an avid houseplant-keeper, visual artist, and video game player.
Jacqueline Taylor
Director of Artistic Planning
Jacqueline Taylor discovered her passion for classical music administration starting in 1983 while working as the Orchestra Manager for the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School, where she studied trumpet. She eventually became the Managing Director of Performing Arts at the 92nd Street Y, under the tutelage of her mentor, Omus Hirshbein, followed by six years as the Executive Director of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In 2002 she and Omus founded and ran the concert series, Free for All at Town Hall. Since joining Bravo! Vail in 2010, her son now plays the horn, her husband rides a Pinarello bicycle, and she is a giant fan of 6 pm concerts.
Education & Engagement
Aileen Pagán-Rohwer
Emily Waldman
Aileen Pagán-Rohwer
Senior Director of Education & Engagement
Aileen Pagán-Rohwer has served in a variety of roles throughout her career including educator, performer, administrator and community collaborator. Having spent over 35 years building relationships with performers, presenters and educators, Aileen brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication, and persistence to bringing performers and audiences together.
First and foremost as a teacher and administrator, she was the founding director and cello instructor with Cultural Art Strings, a program under Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization in rural Manchester, Michigan that did not have a strings program. She has additionally held roles as a private cello instructor with the Chelsea Center for the Arts, Toledo Symphony School of Music, and in the cities of Cleveland and Houston. Additionally, she initiated and led a mixed strings class (violin, viola, cello, bass) at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor upon discovering that allowing a child to choose their voice will result in a higher retention rate and commitment.
As a performer, she has worked as a cellist with the Houston Symphony as a fellow, the Memphis Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Akron Symphony and in various chamber music capacities throughout the United States.
In administrative capacities, with organizations such as Chamber Music Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan, Riverfolk Music and Arts and most recently Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates (GLPAA) as executive director from 2015-2021. Her extensive non-profit skills include strategic planning, financial administration, grant writing, and community collaborator.
Some of the highlights of her career in establishing community collaborative programs include supporting the careers of emerging, developing and established musicians through the artist management services at GLPAA, expanding the Caravan Educational Outreach programs connecting professional musicians with GLPAA to underserved youth programs throughout the Midwest Region as well as reaching senior living communities, initiating the GLPAA Neighborhood Concerts during the pandemic taking live music directly to driveways, backyards and gardens, and launching the GLPAA Stone Chalet Concert Series.
With Riverfolk Music and Arts, Aileen is credited with launching the Blacksmith Shop Concert Series, a monthly live music performance in a historic blacksmith shop, the Riverfolk Community Orchestra, Live from Riverfolk livestream series during the pandemic that reached over 10,000 online views, and the Riverfolk Passport to Manchester tour focusing on expanding the history of the rural town to include the many cultures that passed through the land and pairing those cultures with food, music and art presentations.
In her spare time, Aileen enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, gardening and spending time with her three sons, husband Robert Rohwer and new lab puppy Clover. Although moving to Colorado had never crossed her mind, the opportunity to serve another community with the robust cultural offerings of Bravo! Vail, utilizing her bilingual background, and fulfilling the needs of its educational and engagement goals was an easy sell for this longtime Midwest gal.
Aileen holds a bachelor of music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master of music from Rice University Shepherd School of Music both in cello performance under the guidance of Norman Fischer.
Emily Waldman
Education & Engagement Programs Coordinator
Emily Waldman is a violinist with a passion for teaching and community. Emily began her violin studies at age three and began teaching private violin lessons that implemented the Suzuki method when she was just sixteen. Since then, she has maintained a successful private studio and received her Suzuki certifications at the University of Denver with Kathleen Spring. During her time at the University of Denver, Emily also held the position of Orchestra Director at Fox Hollow Elementary School where she taught young students of all levels how to play their instruments. In addition, Emily has worked on the administrative side of the arts, spending a summer interning at Opera Steamboat where she learned the ins and outs of how a summer music festival functions. A Denver native, Emily enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time outside with her dog, Finn, and her partner, Reyn. Making the move from the city to the beautiful mountain town of Vail has been an incredible experience for Emily!
Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. She has performed internationally across Europe including in Italy, France, and Spain, and has spent time studying abroad at the Malmö Academy of Music in Malmö, Sweden.
Institutional Advancement
Linda Stamper Boyne
Kim Camuñez
Jason Denhart
Jackie Ernst
Ian Grask
David Judd
Emily McPherson
Parker Owens
Beth Pantzer
Christy Pierce
Henry Smith
Nancy Stevens
Jonny Stevens
Linda Stamper Boyne
Project Manager & Communication Specialist
Linda Stamper Boyne joined Bravo! Vail in January 2019 after 10 years with East West Hospitality in a variety of roles including lead concierge, group sales manager and reservations sales consultant. For seven years she wrote a humorous, human interest column for the Vail Daily while raising her two sons. Before moving to the Vail Valley in 1996, she worked in public relations in Denver for a non-profit, a PR agency and for the government. She is originally from Oregon and is a graduate of University of Denver with a degree in communications. Linda has deep appreciation and love of the arts and enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling.
Kim Camuñez
Careerwise Apprentice, Project Coordinator
Kimberly Sarahi Camuñez is a senior in Battle Mountain High School. An adventurous and kind-hearted person with the determination to experience new opportunities and live life to the fullest.
Kim was born and raised in Colorado with all of her loved ones nearby.
She has always felt a deep connection to music no matter the genre. Music deeply inspired her and shaped her into the person she is today. She fell in love with the violin and has now been playing for seven years.
In her free time Kim enjoys reading, writing, spending time with friends and family or going on walks.
Jason Denhart
Vice President of Philanthropy
Jason Denhart joined Bravo! Vail in April 2018. Prior to this, he served as the executive director for the Merwin Conservancy on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Prior to moving to Maui, he spent 19 years in the Vail Valley and served in multiple positions in the Vail nonprofit community, including a prior stint at Bravo! Vail from 2002 to 2008. His Vail nonprofit leadership experience includes his role as development and special events officer at The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis (now Can Do Multiple Sclerosis); associate director of development at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival; senior director of development at the Vail Valley Foundation; and director of development and communications for the Eagle Valley Land Trust.
Jackie Ernst
Vice President of Development
Jackie Ernst is an experienced and versatile fundraiser who joins Bravo! Vail from Seattle Symphony, where she served as Director of Individual Giving. Her experience includes fundraising positions and leadership roles with Seattle Opera and the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Jackie has also worked as a consultant with a wide range of organizations with missions spanning the nonprofit sector, including arts and culture, environment, education, and social services. Jackie's fundraising career began at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Aspen, Colorado and she is thrilled to return to Colorado and join the Bravo! Vail team. Music has always been an important part of Jackie's life. She has played piano, trombone, and focused on choral singing, most recently performing for several seasons with the Seattle Symphony Chorale. She is a graduate of Grinnell College.
Ian Grask
Development Manager
Ian Grask joined Bravo Vail in May 2024. Ian has been a resident of the Eagle River Valley since 2021. He previously lived in Chicago, IL where he worked in corporate finance and volunteered regularly for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. Ian is passionate about the arts. He works part-time for the Gerald Ford Amphitheater and volunteers with the Vail Dance Festival. Don’t be surprised to see Ian around The Amp! He began playing the cello in 6th grade and continued through high school graduation. Ian is a graduate of the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business with a BBA in Finance.
In his free time, Ian enjoys skiing, touring, biking, hiking, backpacking, camping, and recently fly fishing. When stuck inside, Ian also enjoys recording music with his roommate and reading Stephen King novels.
David Judd
Director of Business Intelligence & Systems
David Judd has been with Bravo! Vail since 2013. Previously, David worked as Bravo! Vail’s Implementation Specialist to Tessitura for Ticketing and Fundraising and in the implementation of N-Scan, Tessitura's Ticket Scanning product. David spent 8+ years as a Tessitura Implementation Specialist working with more than 50 different arts organizations. Before working with Tessitura, David spent 7 years with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, ending his tenure there as Information Systems Manager. David describes himself as a "recovering CPA", having graduated with a degree in Accounting from Harding University and spending the first 8 years of his career in various accounting and finance roles. David lives in the suburbs of St. Louis, MO with his wife. He has two grown children, one old cat, and his pug, Bugsi. When David is in Vail, he is likely to be with Bugsi cruising around town. When not working, David enjoys playing golf, camping, riding his motorcycle, and singing.
Emily McPherson
Development Associate
Emily McPherson is a composer, pianist, saxophonist, and artist living in Breckenridge, CO. She enjoys composing music and teaching piano lessons through the National Repertoire Orchestra Scholarship program. She holds her Bachelor of Music in Composition from Bowling Green State University (2016) and her Master of Music in Music Composition and Technology from Pennsylvania State University (2022) where she taught Intro to Music Technology and oversaw all composition department related events.
Collaboration lives at the center of her work and consistently works with persons in non-adjacent disciplines such as architecture, videography, art, performance, poetry, etc. She is currently working on a piano consortium, titled UNSOUND to be completed in 2024. Emily is passionate about meeting new people and forming lasting relationships. She enjoys hiking, camping, and creating art in any form in her time off.
Parker Owens
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
With over a decade of expertise in nonprofit arts management, leadership, branding, media strategy, and organizational messaging, He brings the magic of live experiences to the next level by reinvigorating trusted brands to become modern, sought-after product. Parker has been with Bravo! Vail Music Festival since November 2021.
Prior to joining the Bravo! Vail team Parker served as the Chief Marketing Officer for the Colorado Symphony, helping lead the organization’s audience development initiatives, brand communications, market research, pricing, promotions, and customer relations management from 2013 to 2021. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota.
Beth Pantzer
Database Manager
Beth Pantzer joined Bravo! Vail in November 2012. Originally from Central New York, she first moved to the Vail Valley in 2011 to serve as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Eagle River Youth Coalition. Before moving to the Valley, she worked as a journalist at various newspapers across the country both in sports and news departments. Beth graduated from Castleton State College in Vermont with a degree in Communications-Journalism and received a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management from Denver’s Regis University. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, biking, hiking, and triathlons, as well as traveling and photography.
Christy Pierce
Communication & Grants Specialist
Christy Pierce is an independent writer and consultant, specializing in fundraising and communications for nonprofit organizations in the arts, humanities, and education sectors. Her 20-year career includes roles with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Baltimore, Nashville, and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. Prior to starting her own business, Christy was Senior Associate with Project Partners, a firm serving nonprofit organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Weaving together her love of the arts with mentoring, Christy has also enjoyed teaching arts management courses at the University of North Texas and the University of Alabama. She received her master’s degree in arts management from American University in Washington, DC, and her BFA in Music with a violin concentration. A native of Pittsburgh, Christy currently lives in Tuscaloosa with her son Corbin and husband Brad, a chemistry professor at the University of Alabama (although originally from Loveland, CO!). She has been honored to work with Bravo! Vail since 2019 and is inspired each time she hears the breathtaking music of the Festival in its gorgeous natural surroundings.
Henry Smith
Digital Media Associate
Henry Smith is a University of New Mexico graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a concentration in International Management.
While in school, Henry immersed himself in various outside organizations including the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He was responsible for roles including Risk Management, Sergeant at Arms, and Community Service Chair. Henry also founded the Mental Health Chair in 2021 after the pandemic, providing further needed help to his fraternity brothers. Throughout most of his college experience, he was a Digital Marketing Intern for a consulting company in Chicago, IL. This is where he developed a passion for content creation and developing strategies to help organizations portray their influence positively and effectively. In this role, he strove to assist companies in building their social media presence through specialized content creation, consistent engagement, and analytical reviews and looks forward to continuing to develop this passion and skill to assist Bravo! Vail in growing its team and audience.
Henry spends his free time snowboarding, hiking, gardening, and cooking. He also keeps an active hobby in electronic music production, specifically Bass Music and Dubstep. He has always been passionate about music, learning new instruments like the guitar and percussion since childhood.
Nancy Stevens
Sales Manager
Nancy Stevens joined the Bravo team in 2002 as the seasonal box office manager, complementing her winter employment as a Vail Village ski school supervisor. Nancy transitioned to a year round Sales Manager position with Bravo! in 2015 and maintains her passion for skiing as a part-time instructor. She moved to Vail in 1975 after receiving a bachelor's degree in History and German from East Carolina University. She volunteers for Vail Rec District running races throughout the summers. Nancy's three children, McKenzie, Jonny, and Maddie, have all worked in the Bravo! box office. Nancy's loyal ticketing staff has graduated into marketing, development, and office manager positions within the Bravo! Vail organization. Now an empty-nester, Nancy resides in West Vail with her husband Jerry. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys squash, pickleball, skiing, and hiking.
Jonny Stevens
Assistant Patron Services Manager
Jonny Stevens is a Vail native who has been with Bravo! Vail for 15 of the last 19 Seasons. Since graduating from CU Boulder Business School with a degree in Business Administration and emphases in Marketing and Information Management, he has focused on e-commerce and sales. In his spare time he enjoys running, skiing and playing pickleball with his family.
Operations
Jake Cacciatore
Elli Monroe
Jake Cacciatore
Technical Director
Jake Cacciatore is a lifelong musician and works in the Entertainment Industry as an event production professional. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell with a focus on Sound Recording Technology. Jake has worked in theater, higher education, touring and logistics, systems design and installation, as well as studio recording and mixing, and is an expert in the technical audiovisual arts. He has a wide range of experience in the arts, media, and professional event planning. He has been a Colorado transplant since 2013 and resides near Denver. When he isn't travelling the world, you can find him working and playing in the vibrant local music scene and enjoying life in the foothills of the Rockies. Jake is a new member of the Bravo! Vail team and looks forward to bringing his expertise and enthusiasm for music to the Technical Director position.
Elli Monroe
Director of Artistic Operations
Elli Monroe- Director of Artistic Operations - began working with the Bravo! Vail Festival in 2008. Prior to her time in Vail, she directed operations for the Capitol Theater in Macon, Georgia. Elli holds a Masters Degree in Arts Administration from Florida State University's College of Music, and a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Denver. Elli lives just outside of Boulder, CO with her family and enjoys playing bluegrass and the great Colorado outdoors.