Seven New Musicians and a New Appointment

Several new musicians who won positions in the Seattle Symphony have their official start in the 2024/2025 season, while one existing musician celebrates a new appointment.  

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Sayaka Kokubo joined the Seattle Symphony in 2007. Beginning this season, she assumes an exciting new role and title in the orchestra: PONCHO Principal Viola. She continues to play the instrument she was originally loaned from Hiroshi Iizuka and made use of while attending the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, participating in competitions and taking orchestral auditions; she bought it after winning her Viola position with the Symphony. 

Newly appointed John & Carmen Delo Associate Principal Second Violin Cameron Daly has appeared as Concertmaster with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the Yale Philharmonia and the Yale Symphony Orchestra. A Yale graduate with a Bachelor’s in Global Affairs and Master’s in Violin Performance, he’s played violin with the Naples Philharmonic and the New Haven Symphony, is a chamber musician and former member of Callisto Quartet, and has performed in notable venues ranging from the Palazzo Stauffer in Cremona, Italy, to NYC's Lincoln Center.  

New Associate Principal Viola Katie Liu started violin at 5, but permanently switched to viola in her senior year at Princeton University, where she majored in Operations Research and Financial Engineering, and minored in Computer Science and Musical Performance. She received her M.A. at Yale School of Music and M.M. at the Colburn School, working in the corporate world before shifting fully to her viola pursuits. Prior to her position with the Seattle Symphony, Liu was principal violist of the American Youth Symphony and section violist at the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. 

Jacqueline Audas joins the First Violins, bringing experience performing as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician across the U.S. and in Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. Recent engagements include performances with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, the Baltimore Symphony and in the Aspen Music Festival. The founder and artistic director of the nonprofit Classical C.A.R.M.A. (Concerts Aiming to Raise Money and Awareness), Audas earned her music degrees from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins’ University and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. 
 
Another First Violin addition, Ji Yeon Lee started playing at 4 and made a successful debut with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at 15. Along with her soloist appearances, the South Korean-born violinist is an active chamber player who travels internationally with her quartet. Before winning a position with the Seattle Symphony, Lee was Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra.  

New Viola Ursula Steele is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and artist diploma. Among her many accomplishments was winning the Kuttner Quartet Scholarship, an intensive chamber music residency that included mentorship from the Pacifica Quartet, and a quartet residency at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany. In 2023, she played with the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. Most recently, she was a violist in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.  

Carson Keeble joins as Second Trombone following an appointment as Acting Principal Trombone with the Oregon Symphony during its 2023/2024 season. Over the course of his career, Keeble has held positions with The Santa Fe Opera, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Eugene Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed as a guest with numerous other orchestras in North America and beyond. As a chamber musician, he’s been a regular guest with Albuquerque’s Ensemble Music New Mexico, and was a member of the Apollo Chamber Brass and the New Orleans Uptown Brass Quintet.    

This season also sees Wayne Lee added as Temporary Section First Violin. Lee is currently the member of two internationally acclaimed chamber ensembles: the Formosa Quartet (since 2012) and the Manhattan Piano Trio (since 2008). 

A big congratulations to all our new (and newly appointed) orchestra members!