Meet the Artist in Residence Class of 2025! This year’s class represents a delightfully diverse range of instruments, styles, and genres.
Program supported in part by Cathy Bernard/Bernard Family Foundation♪ and Carol & Joe Danks♪
In-kind support provided by Seasons 52
Class of 2025
January: Hasan Imam Hamdani, guitar
HASAN IMAM HAMDANI is a composer and guitarist who leads the collaborative global music ensemble Imam Collective. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in production and guitar performance from Berklee College of Music. His mentors include Indian classical sarod master Alam Khan, South African guitarist Derek Gripper, and blues musician Jeff Lockhart. Hamdani has performed worldwide and is a passionate educator, conducting workshops and directing ensembles throughout the DMV. He is excited to participate this year in Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop. Originally from Pakistan, Hamdani now resides in Elkridge.
Paired with AIR donors HelenLouise Pettis♪ and Dale Rosenthal & Michael Cutler♪
February: Maximilian Jacobs, violin
MAXIMILIAN JACOBS is a versatile violinist who blends his diverse musical interests into original compositions and improvisations. Embracing the DMV jazz scene, Jacobs performs swing, straight-ahead jazz, klezmer, bluegrass, and blues at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Creative Alliance, An Die Musik, and his local favorite, Cat’s Eye Pub. Equally at home playing classical music, Jacobs holds a section violin position with the Great Falls Philharmonic in Virginia. In 2024, he earned a Master of Music in Violin Performance under Professor Irina Muresanu at the University of Maryland. Jacobs' international appearances include operas with the Prague Summer Nights Festival, a tour of Poland performing ballet premieres, and teaching at the Cayman Arts Festival. He lives in Baltimore.
Paired with AIR donors Victoria J. Perkins♪, Tina & Art Lazerow, and Karen Lefkowitz & Al Neyman
March: Qi Yu, guzheng
QI YU is a guzheng (Chinese zither) player and audio/video engineer. She began the guzheng at six, training in traditional and modern Chinese music. Yu later received master’s degrees in world music and recording arts from Northern Illinois University, expanding her repertoire to include new music, world fusion, blues, rock, Latin jazz, and electronic music. She has collaborated with PanZheng Duo, Hiraeth Quartet, Costas Colectivo, and others. In 2019, she received a Grammy nomination for her work as an assistant recording engineer on Nathalie Joachim and Spektral Quartet’s album, Fanm d’Ayiti. Yu lives in College Park.
Paired with AIR donors Richard & Melba Reichard♪, J. Alberto Martinez & Anna Pigotti, and Myrna Sislen
April: Jack Gruber, piano
JACK GRUBER is a jazz pianist and composer with a distinctive mix of jazz and pop, video game, and anime music influences. A product of Washington, DC’s thriving jazz scene, Gruber, the son of two musicians, is committed to using music to transcend societal barriers and express his humanity. Earning his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, he has performed at notable venues including Warner Theatre, Keystone Korner, Minton’s Playhouse, DC JazzFest, Tri-C JazzFest, and Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival. Gruber received the Best Solo Award from the Pennsylvania Jazz Collective’s Idol Competition and the Best Soloist Award from the Cleveland Tri–C Jazz Festival. He is currently working on his debut album. Gruber lives in Silver Spring.
Paired with AIR donors Karen Deasy♪, Jamie & Jessica McIntyre♪, Steven & Irene White♪, and Ava Kaufman
May: Marcel Penzes, trombone
MARCEL PENZES is a trombonist and teacher whose musical style weaves together the sounds of New Orleans with Pan-American jazz. A Montgomery County native, Penzes grew up attending Strathmore performances, which sparked his interest in the trombone and led to his acceptance into Strathmore’s Young Musicians Training Residency. He credits his mentors from that time for guiding him into the DC music scene. Penzes has performed at The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, DC JazzFest, The Anthem, Audi Field, Keystone Korner, the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Rubell Museum DC. Residing in Cantonsville, Penzes is pursuing his master’s in jazz performance at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University.
Paired with AIR donors Daniel & Sarah Gallagher♪, Ellen & Michael Gold♪, and Bayo & Funke Oyewole♪
June: Gabby Cameron, banjo
GABBY CAMERON is a songwriter and banjo player whose work incorporates bluegrass, old-time, jazz, and classical music to explore how narratives can foster human connections. In 2022, she won the International Bluegrass Music Association Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award, and she was invited to study in 2023 and 2024 under Béla Fleck at the Blue Ridge Banjo Camp in Brevard, North Carolina. Hailing from Raleigh, Cameron resides in Baltimore City and is pursuing her PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland.
Paired with AIR donors Hope Eastman & Allen Childs♪, Jean & Michael Hoyt♪, Linda & Van Hubbard♪, and Carolyn & Marty Shargel♪
2025 AIR Mentors:
Cathy Fink (vocals/guitar/banjo)
Seth Kibel (saxophone/clarinet)
Dante’ Pope (percussion/vocals)
Josanne Francis (steelpan)
Photos by Margot Schulman
♪ Strathmore graciously thanks our Artist in Residence Champions for their multi-year commitments and their above-and-beyond support of the AIR program.
Become an Artist in Residence!
Applications open every year in the fall for the next year's class.
Become an Artist in Residence!
Applications open every year in the fall for the next year's class.
More to Explore
News Alumni Spotlight
Elijah Balbed, Bumper Jacksons & Be Steadwell
Alumni
Frédéric Yonnet, Chelsey Green, Invoke, and Christylez Bacon are just a few of the incredible artists who have passed through the program.
Book an Artist
Hire a Strathmore Artist in Residence for your next celebration.
SUPPORT YOUNG ARTISTS
Your generous support has a lasting impact on young artists in our community. Together, we help fuel their creativity, give them confidence, and support them when it matters most.
