Dr. Philip Baldwin

Artistic Director and Conductor, Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra

Dr. Philip Baldwin is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Spokane Youth Symphony and Violin Professor and conductor of the Whitworth University Symphony Orchestra. Baldwin earned a D.M.A. at Ohio State University, receiving the Distinguished Dissertation Award for work on the violin sonatas of William Bolcom. As a fellowship recipient, Baldwin attended the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina and studied under distinguished teachers Paul Vermel, Kate Tamarkin, and Donald Portnoy, and trained with Wayne Toews at the Saito International Conducting School.

Dr. Baldwin serves as the concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Coeur d’Alene Symphony, is a former member of the Spokane Symphony, and has performed with the Tacoma, Canton, and Columbus symphonies. As a guest conductor, Baldwin has appeared with the members of the Spokane Symphony, conducted the WMEA Junior All-State Orchestra, and twice directed the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp.

Dr. Baldwin is the past president of the Washington chapter of the American String Teachers and director of the Birch Bay String Teachers Workshop. Dr. Baldwin has presented lectures at eight ASTA National conventions, the Texas and Arkansas Music Educators Association conventions, and at two International Short Story conferences on the intersection of music and literature.

Dr. Roberta Bottelli

Conductor, Spokane Youth Philharmonic

Dr. Bottelli teaches cello and chamber music at Whitworth University, cello and music theory at Holy Names Music Center, and is a coach in the Spokane Symphony’s Young Musician Education Program. Dr. Bottelli earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, in 2013 and often adjudicates for the Washington State Music Educators’ Association, coaching and critiquing cellists, chamber music groups, and high school and middle school orchestras, and was the Marketing and Development Director for the Spokane Chamber Music Association.

Dr. Bottelli is the third chair cellist in the Spokane Symphony and has performed as a soloist with the Lake Chelan Bach Fest orchestra, the Pacific Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and the Mid-Columbia Symphony. Roberta was the principal cellist of the Lake Chelan Bach Fest orchestra and the Mid-Columbia Symphony and has performed with Vancouver New Music and Victoria’s Aventa ensemble. As the Director of Strings at Whitworth University (2001-2005), Dr. Bottelli conducted the String Orchestra, eventually building the program to include the performance of full symphonic works.

Dr. Bottelli enjoys collaborating as a chamber musician, was the founding cellist of Trio sTREga and the Cerberus Trio, and is currently the cellist for the Riverside String Trio.

Jerilynn Harris

Conductor, Spokane Youth Sinfonietta

Jerilynn Harris is the director of orchestras for the Odyssey Program at the Libby Center in Spokane Public Schools, conducting the 5th-8th grade orchestra and teaching 4th grade music. Jerilynn graduated with honors from Pacific Lutheran University in 2008, teaching in the Bethel School District and performing as a cellist with Symphony Tacoma and the Auburn Symphony and as a freelancer with various bands and recording artists.

An active participant in music education professional development and advocacy, Jerilynn has served as president of the Mountain Region Music Educators Association, secretary for the Washington chapter of the American String Teachers Association, Orchestra Curriculum Officer on the board of the Washington State Music Educators Association, and is the Northwest representative to the National Association for Music Education‘s Council for Orchestral Education.

Jerilynn is resident faculty with the Birch Bay String Teachers Workshop, has conducted the Rainbow City Orchestra, and was named a Jambassador for the American String Teachers Association for the 2025-2026 school year.

Jerilynn’s passion for string teaching and playing keeps them busy as a presenter, clinician, adjudicator, and jam enthusiast. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Jerilynn is a member of the band Betsy Rogue, a Spokane trio known for their vocal harmonies, instrumental versatility, and string arrangements.

Hannah Reitz

Conductor (One-year Appointment), Spokane Youth Strings

Hannah Reitz enjoys a varied career as violinist, violist, conductor, and educator. Committed to working with the next generation of musicians, Hannah is in-demand as a clinician and coach, having worked with various youth orchestras and honors ensembles around the country. Recent appointments include assistant conductor of the Bellevue Youth Symphony, guest conductor of the 2024 Rhode Island Senior All-State Orchestra, 2026 SJMEA junior festival and NEMEA festival.

As a new transplant to Spokane, she joins the Spokane Symphony’s first violin section after previously serving for three years as music director of Illini Strings at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and assistant director of the University of Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra, a coordinator and lead teacher with the Illinois Community Music Academy, and Assistant Director of the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her time in Illinois, Hannah was a Resident Artist of Violin/Viola and Lecturer at the University of New Hampshire, Assistant Director of the UNH Youth Symphony Orchestra, cover conductor for Symphony New Hampshire, and Adjunct Professor at Doane College in Nebraska. As a violinist and violist, Hannah has performed with the Pierre Monteux School Festival, AIMS in Graz Festival Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Lincoln Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Symphony New Hampshire, Sinfonia da Camera, and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.

In recent seasons, she has been featured in chamber and orchestral performances with Awadagin Pratt, Chen Yi, and Yo-Yo Ma. Outside of music, Hannah loves to spend time with her husband and two dogs (Béla Barkdog and Queen Charles) in the outdoors, play frisbee, and cook large feasts for friends.