The Musicians
Peggy Greb - Flute
Flutist Peggy Greb has been the principal with the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra since its inception 37 years ago, and has been the featured soloist with them many times, most recently performing the Mozart Flute & Harp Concerto in May 2022. She will also be giving the premiere performance of Robert Schultz's Terraces for flute and orchestra with Edgewood in March 2025.
Peggy is also principal piccoloist for the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, and played with Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh for over 10 years.
She attended the Chamber Music Conference and Composers Forum of the East for over 30 years and performed in the premier of numerous new works for chamber ensembles.
Peggy is a full-time real-estate agent with RE/MAX Select Realty and mom to 3 kids (and 3 cats).
Amelia van Howe - Oboe
Amelia Van Howe is a freelance oboist and English Hornist in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where she is in high demand as an orchestral performer. She has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, Butler Symphony Orchestra, and the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra among others.
Along with her oboe endeavors, she also serves as the Ensembles Librarian for Duquesne University and as a librarian for the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. Amelia is also a small business owner; managing her reed making business (Sunshine Reeds) which averages 200 reeds per month and provides high quality oboe and English Horn reeds to both amateur and professional oboists.
She earned her Artist Diploma and Master of Music degrees in oboe performance from Duquesne University where she studied with Scott Bell and her Bachelor of Music in oboe performance from Michigan State University where she studied with Jan Eberle.
Amelia shares her townhome with her husband Roberto, their dog Xena, and their rabbit Figaro. In her (very limited!) spare time she enjoys reading science fiction novels, solving word puzzles, and throwing rocks as a member of the Pittsburgh Curling Club.
Kira Bokalders - Clarinet
Clarinetist Kira Bokalders maintains a dynamic music career playing with some of the Pittsburgh Tri-State region's finest ensembles, including the Pittsburgh SRagtime Orchestra with acclaimed jazz pianist Tom Roberts.
In addition to performing, Kira maintains an active private teaching studio in the Pittsburgh region. Her students have gone on to win chairs in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, PMEA Regional and All-State bands, and also enter into a number of prestigious performing arts secondary schools and colleges.
She has studied with Michael Rusinek and Thomas Thompson, of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Mitchell Estrin, at the University of Florida; Theodore Oien, formerly of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Ferdinand Steiner, of the Mozarteum Orchester in Salzburg, Austria; and Phil Shapiro, formerly of the Miami Symphony.
Originally from South Florida, Kira is a proud Florida Gator who enjoys running, traveling, seeing movies, and spending time with her husband, clarinetist Ryan Leonard and their cat Tinks.
Imymphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, and Wheeling Symphony. Since graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with an M.M. in Performance, she has participated in the Pierre Monteux School, Aspen Music Festival, and most recently Opera Steamboat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Always looking to push the boundaries with eclectic and creative engagements, Kira has performed in a number of progressive, immersive stage productions, including Candide and Ainadamar with Quantum Theatre and several productions of Bricolage's Midnight Radio. Her latest project is performing in the
Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra with acclaimed jazz pianist Tom Roberts.
In addition to performing, Kira maintains an active private teaching studio in the Pittsburgh region. Her students have gone on to win chairs in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, PMEA Regional and All-State bands, and also enter into a number of prestigious performing arts secondary schools and colleges.
She has studied with Michael Rusinek and Thomas Thompson, of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Mitchell Estrin, at the University of Florida; Theodore Oien, formerly of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Ferdinand Steiner, of the Mozarteum Orchester in Salzburg, Austria; and Phil Shapiro, formerly of the Miami Symphony.
Originally from South Florida, Kira is a proud Florida Gator who enjoys running, traveling, seeing movies, and spending time with her husband, clarinetist Ryan Leonard and their cat Tinks.
Image provided by Alisa Garin Photography.
Steve Ehrin - Bassoon
Steve is a freelance musician in the western Pennsylvania area. He is a member of the Butler County and Johnstown Symphony Orchestras and has played with many of the other regional symphony orchestras in the area. In addition to his orchestral work, he is an active chamber musician as the bassoonist with the Bel Suono Ensemble in addition to Windfluence. Steve is a graduate of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University. Besides his work as a performance artist, he is a dedicated professional musical instrument repair technician specializing in woodwind and brass instruments.
Deborah Jenness - Horn
Originally from western New York, Deborah Jenness is a dynamic performer and educator in the Pittsburgh region, where she calls home. She has performed extensively in the area with groups such as the Wheeling Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra, River City Brass Band, Butler County Symphony, Westmoreland Symphony, Academy Chamber Orchestra, and Resonance Works. Deborah has also shared the stage with renowned artists, including Dee Snider, Andrea Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, Celtic Woman, Kenny Rogers, and Sutton Foster.
Deborah is especially passionate about chamber music. She is active with two Pittsburgh-based ensembles, Windfluence and The Brass Roots. She can also be heard on Aeolian Winds’ “Holiday Classics'' album.
Deborah has attended the Pierre Monteux School, The Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the National Music Festival, where she performed the Corno Obligatto part for Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. She holds degrees from Youngstown State University and Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied under Bill Slocum and Stephen Kostyniak, respectively.