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. 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 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.
Spokane Youth Strings conductor, Dr. John Marshall, is the Director of Orchestra/Professor of Cello at Eastern Washington University. In addition to teaching at EWU, Dr. Marshall performs over 70 concerts a year as principal cellist with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and as a cellist for various Candlelight concerts. During the summer, Dr. Marshall teaches cello and chamber music at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.
Dr. Marshall holds degrees from three of the most prestigious music schools in the country: a BM from Indiana University, an MM from Yale University, and a DM from Northwestern University. At these schools, Dr. Marshall studied with some of the most distinguished cellists in the world: Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, and Hans Jensen. Dr. Marshall strives to combine the varying strengths of these three pedagogues into his own teaching methods. Dr. Marshall’s doctoral dissertation focused on compositions for two cellos and orchestra.
Dr. Marshall has conducted the Strings of the Spokane Youth Symphony since 2009 and often finds Monday evenings to be his favorite night of the week. He loves to see Strings alumni grow and move up through the SYS orchestras, becoming more sensitive and thoughtful people as they progress on their instruments.