Meet Our Musicians
Gene Chieffo
When Gene Chieffo visited the Hampton Roads area in 2014, he stopped by La Bodega in Downtown Hampton. He saw CDs and brochures for the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. This orchestra stayed on his mind when he moved to the area in 2019. He immediately applied to be a substitute in the orchestra. Four years later, Gene serves as our Executive Director.
Music has been a part of Gene’s life from the very beginning. He started clarinet lessons in 6th grade with his great-grand uncle, Michael Guerra, a highly acclaimed clarinetist and saxophonist in Philadelphia for much of the 20th century. Guerra was in the audience at the first-ever Philadelphia Orchestra concert in 1900 and was the solo saxophonist when the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances in 1942.
Gene is retired from two careers: he was a clarinetist in the Army Band for 20 years and was a high school teacher for 15 years. Now, he is semi-retired, serving as an adjunct professor at Christopher Newport University. He enjoys playing orchestral music, with Beethoven and Stravinsky being his favorite composers. He spends his free time playing in a few groups in the region, gigging here and there.
ClarinetCamiel Sims
ClarinetA founding member of the Hampton Roads Philharmonic, Camiel Sims has found joy in collaborating with other musicians and building relationships through the arts. A musician since the 4th grade, Camiel enjoyed learning about playing the clarinet from an early age.
Camiel loves playing various genres but says that pieces from the Romantic era are her favorite. She has developed a great career in higher education administration at Virginia Peninsula Community College, specifically as a dual enrollment coordinator. Outside of work and the Hampton Roads Philharmonic, she enjoys gardening, baking, and traveling to see Major League Baseball games when she’s not watching her teenage boys swim and play baseball.
Mark Hendrickson
Mark Hendrickson had a very successful career in the United States Navy, serving the country as a Naval Flight Officer flying in an E-2C. Although his professional career took him to the armed forces, he returned to his roots in retirement and joined the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. Mark, a trombone player, also enjoys playing euphonium and cello and started his musical talent by playing in the fourth-grade band. “I still remember loving that band, although, in all honesty, I don’t think we sounded very musical,” Mark said.
Mark says he really didn’t have much time to play between college graduation and retirement, and he did not own a horn to be able to play during his own time. “When pondering how to spend my retirement, I knew I wanted to get back into music. So I scratched some money together and purchased a really fine trombone, a Bach Stradivarius. Not the same guy who made the famous violins.” Mark was surprised at how much came back to him, and he started to seek opportunities to play.
Mark found the Hampton Roads Philharmonic through a quick internet search and sent in an audition tape. A few years later, he got the call that a position was available. “There are a lot of trombone players in the area, and spots can be hard to get,” he says.
When asked what types of music he likes to play, Mark says besides classical music, he likes to play band music, folk, jazz, hymns, and Christian rock through this church band. “I love it all,” he says.
Apart from the Hampton Roads Philharmonic, he plays in other amateur music groups, with the orchestra being the only classical group he plays in. “Playing with such fine musicians under our talented conductor is a real honor.”
Trombone
Mike’s love for music started when he took up piano as a child, which later led to him playing in the school band going back to the 4th grade. He is also a retired saxophonist in the United States Air Force, where he had the opportunity to serve in four bands across 30 years. He began his career working with the Langley Air Force Band, located in Hampton. In that role, he performed protocol events for special guests and dignitaries, troop morale events, played in high schools, and public relations events performing concerts.
In our orchestra, Mike plays the bassoon, saxophone, clarinet, and flute. He enjoys playing classical, jazz, musicals, and pop.
Bassoon, Saxophone, Clarinet, and FluteMike Marshall
Emily Judd’s career is out of this world. Working for NASA Langley Research Center as an aerospace engineer, she designs space missions for human exploration. However, classical music brings her back to Earth as a musician with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. A multi-talented musician, Emily started playing piano and singing in the school choir in elementary school. In 5th grade, she joined her school band on the horn and eventually learned trumpet for the jazz band in middle school. She also picked up piano along the way, all of which she currently performs for our orchestra.
When she moved to the area after college, Emily sought out community music ensembles online and came across the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. After she was able to sub with the group, she found her passion and joined when a permanent spot opened up in the horn section. We asked what sorts of music she likes performing, and Emily said she enjoys a variety of styles within the classical realm, from Renaissance dances to complete symphonies. “Many soundtracks also have awesome horn parts, so I’ve also enjoyed playing medleys from musicals and films.”
Horn, Trumpet, and PianoEmily Judd
Joanna Pearson
CelloA piano player at age six, Joanna Pearson has had a love for music from a very early age. However, it was a visit from a cellist that came and performed at her school a few years later before she found her true passion. “I fell in love with the instrument’s beautiful sound,” Joanna says.
Invited to play with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic as a founding member, Joanna is a proud member of our cello section. She enjoys playing all types of music but says chamber music is particularly her favorite. She has also been a 911 Dispatcher for over 15 years.
Cathy Francis
Cathy Francis has lived and breathed music her entire life. The Chesapeake Public Schools music educator grew up surrounded by classical music, with her mother playing that in her home. In the third grade, she began learning about and playing music, and she has never stopped! The flute and piccolo player went on to get her Bachelor’s degree in Flute and Music Therapy, followed by a Master’s degree in Music Education and Wind Band Conducting.
Cathy got involved with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic when asked to fill in for a Flute II/Piccolo player at the last minute before a concert. That one performance led to her continuing to be involved today, where she says she enjoys playing piccolo in the orchestra the most. When asked what type of music she enjoys playing, she says a wide variety, particularly orchestral, band, jazz, chamber, and popular music.
Flute and Piccolo
Christian Van Deven
Christian Van Deven is a freelance musician who joined the Hampton Roads Philharmonic after learning about us from friends. He has studied trumpet since age 11 and obtained his Music Education degree from Old Dominion University. A horn and trumpet player, he discovered our orchestra after he was asked to play third trumpet in a concert and played the remainder of the season before taking on the permanent horn position! He says he likes performing all kinds of music! Because our orchestra plays a wide variety of music, performing with us is exciting!
Horn and Trumpet
Chelsey Hamm
Dr. Chesley Hamm began her musical journey in fourth grade, when she started playing percussion in band. She later began playing horn in ninth grade and has continued making music ever since.
Dr. Hamm got involved with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic after moving to the area to teach at Christopher Newport University and finding HRP online. She says she especially enjoys engaging with the community through performance, and her favorite HRP concert is the Young Artists Competition, which features talented young musicians from throughout the Hampton Roads area.
Outside of HRP, Dr. Hamm serves as Director of Music Theory and Assistant Professor at Christopher Newport University. Her hobbies include board games, trivia, yoga, podcasting, Dungeons & Dragons, and spending time with her five-pound chihuahua, Chewy.
Horn
Janet Nelson
Violin & Piano
Janet Nelson first became a musician at age 8 and plays both violin and piano. She became involved with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic after a friend from another orchestra encouraged her to join.
Janet says what she enjoys most about performing is the satisfaction of practicing hard and hearing the pieces all come together. Outside of HRP, she volunteers, plays golf, enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, and loves to travel.
Laurie McNemar
Violin
Laurie McNemar began playing violin in fourth grade and has continued making music ever since. She became involved with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic through friends in the music community.
Laurie says what she enjoys most about performing is the joy of expressing the composer’s messages and emotions through music. Outside of HRP, she enjoys volunteering with therapeutic riding in her free time.
Margaret Mastbrook
Violin
Margaret Mastbrook first became a musician while in junior high school in Arlington, Virginia. Since then, music has remained an important part of her life, and she has performed with many community orchestras in Virginia, California, and West Virginia.
Margaret became involved with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic after a dear friend, Chris Evans, introduced her to the orchestra. She says what she enjoys most about performing is playing beautiful music with others. Outside of HRP, Margaret plays with a local string quartet, performs at weddings, and plays with her church’s Praise Band.
Shea Matthews
Cello
Shea Matthews first became a musician in fifth grade and plays cello with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. Shea became involved with HRP through a friend, Anna Moyer.
Shea says what they enjoy most about performing is being responsible for creating beautiful sounds. Outside of HRP, Shea works as an engineer and also participates in karate.