Kiri Loehmann
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | KIRI@CYS.ORG
Kiri Loehmann has spent the last 20 years working as an arts administrator, board member, violinist, and teacher. Her experiences in orchestra management include eliminating a planned deficit, increasing contributed income, creating an alumni network, and completing a music director search. As an educator and arts administrator, she has worked for Education Through Music in New York City, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra as its General Manager and Artistic Administrator, and Portland Youth Philharmonic where she was Executive Director. From 2009-2015, she served on the board of Music for Autism.
Her passion for music began at age three when she started learning the violin and piano. She has garnered many accolades, including first prize in The Juilliard School violin competition, recognition from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and orchestral pieces commissioned by the Gemini Youth Orchestra (NY) and the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (NJ). She attended the Aspen Music Festival for six summers and served as concertmaster of the New York Youth Symphony for three years, performing at Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Loehmann graduated with high honors from Princeton University in music theory/composition, Japanese, and environmental studies. She has performed with many ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, Opera San Jose, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and Opera New Jersey. In the Bay Area, she is a tenured member of Symphony San Jose and Santa Cruz Symphony. In her spare time, she enjoys interviewing high school seniors as part of Princeton University’s Alumni Schools Committee.
BRIAN MCKEE
OPERATIONS MANAGER| BMCKEE@CYS.ORG
Dr. Brian McKee, CYS Operations Manager, is an arts administrator, bassoonist, and teacher based in Monterey County. Prior to coming to CYS, he served as Program Director at Youth Orchestra Salinas, an El Sistema-inspired youth orchestra program, where he managed operations, event production, and served as a woodwinds instructor. A San Francisco Bay Area native, he moved back to California from Denton, Texas, where he served as Academic Counselor for Graduate Studies at the University of North Texas College of Music and was a teacher and performer around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He maintains an active performing career and has appeared with several ensembles in Northern California, including the Santa Cruz and Monterey Symphonies, Ensemble Monterey, and the choral-orchestral ensemble I Cantori di Carmel. From 2019-2022 he held the position of Principal Bassoon in the Monroe (Louisiana) Symphony Orchestra and also played in the Lone Star Wind Orchestra in Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, International Double Reed Society, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. Recent performance credits include recitals given at the 2024 International Double Reed Society Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona, and at the 2023 conference in Bangkok, Thailand. As a young student, he was a member of the nearby Peninsula Youth Orchestra, where he was a concerto competition winner and went on several international tours.
Brian maintains a private studio, and some of his other recent teaching engagements include ensemble coaching at Youth Orchestra Salinas, masterclasses and guest artist appearances at California Orchestral Academy (COA), Festival de Música Orquestal (FESMO) in Mexico, University of Texas at Arlington, Bocal Majority Double Reed Camp, and Centro Nacional de la Música in Costa Rica. Other music festival appearances include the National Music Festival in Chestertown, Maryland, Hot Springs Music Festival in Arkansas, and the Talis Festival and Academy in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. He can be heard on the Grammy-winning album "American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom" (BFM Jazz, Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album - 2019) by John Daversa. He is also heard on "An Open Book: 25 Preludes for Piano and Orchestra" by Jorge Mejia (Sony Music Latin, 2018 Latin Grammy Nominee), as well as "One for All," an album recorded by the Barcelona Clarinet Players and the Lone Star Wind Orchestra (GIA Publications, 2019). He holds degrees from the Frost School of Music at University of Miami (D.M.A.), Arizona State University (M.M.), and University of Oregon (B.M.), and studied bassoon with Gabriel Beavers, Albie Micklich, and Steve Vacchi.
His doctoral essay, "A Pedagogical Exploration of Selected Art Songs by Franz Schubert Transcribed for Bassoon" explores his transcription process of four art songs taken from Franz Schubert’s song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, and notes musical similarities paralleling vocal performance and lyrical bassoon playing characteristics.
V. LEONE RIVERS
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR | LEONE@CYS.ORG
Violet Leone Rivers is in her fourth year as the Operations Coordinator at CYS. Leone received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from UC Davis, where she specialized in Percussion Performance. She studied with Chris Froh. She has performed with numerous UC Davis ensembles, as well as Symphony d’Oro Rancho Cordova and Camerata California. She served as Manager for the UCD Concert Band, Music Librarian for the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh, and conductor for the UCD Campus Band. She has premiered pieces in the UC Davis Graduate Composers Concert, and performed in a masterclass with Mayumi Hama. During the pandemic, Leone guided hundreds of 8-80 year olds through the technical aspects of Zoom rehearsals and virtual performances. As of July 2021, she helped put together six virtual concerts, and coached the percussion section of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band for three more! For in-person rehearsals, she helps with rehearsal planning and setup, making sure they run smoothly and safely.
SUSAN SANTOS
FINANCE SPECIALIST | Susan@cys.org
On June 1, 2023, Susan Santos Joined CYS to manage their accounting operation. She has over 25 years of extensive and diverse experience in finance and administration. Before joining CYS, she held a position of Accounting Controller at Ariosa Diagnostic, a division of Roche. Prior to that, she served on the senior leadership team of eProsper, Inc. as VP of Operations, Finance and Administration for 5 years and helped the company transition from start-up to acquisition. Susan was Director of Finance and Corporate Controller for 7 years at Corventis, Inc., a developer of wireless cardiovascular device that was acquired by Medtronic . Prior to Corventis, she spent 4 years and held the same position at EndoTex Interventional Systems, a medical device developer of less-invasive solution to treating carotid artery disease that was acquired by Boston Scientific. Susan has served as CFO, Director of Finance, and Corporate Controller for multiple start-up, multinational, privately and publicly held companies across a range of industries including life sciences, technology, and manufacturing, managing general and cost accounting, internal and external financial reporting, budgetary control and administrative functions, tax and regulatory compliance, ensuring “diligence-readiness” for mergers, acquisitions and IPOs and audits, leading and coordinating financial planning and analysis, and performing worldwide consolidations and foreign currency transactions. Susan holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of the East, Philippines.
NICOLE JEANS
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR | NICOLE@CYS.ORG
Nicole joined the CYS administrative staff in 2024. She holds a bachelor's degree in Social Justice Reporting from Ashford University. Before joining CYS, Nicole served as Chief of Staff at a nonprofit counseling agency that offers services to individuals and families. With extensive experience supporting nonprofit organizations, Nicole excels in coordinating complex schedules and streamlining office operations. As a strategic operations manager, she brings a wealth of expertise in enhancing business performance.
