Rosie Weiss, Violin
Rosie Weiss is a versatile violinist, fiddler, and studio musician. She’s assistant concertmaster of the Billings Symphony, co-founder & artist-in-residence of Chamber Music Boise, and performs with the Boise Philharmonic, Bozeman Symphony, and Palm Beach Symphony. She’s adjunct violin faculty at Rocky Mountain College and maintains a private violin and fiddle studio in Boise, Idaho & Billings, Montana.
As a founding member of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra, she served for three seasons as assistant and associate concertmaster, performing across Russia, Europe, and China. She has shared the stage with conductors and artists such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Valery Gergiev, Gerard Schwarz, Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, and Daniil Trifonov. She’s appeared as guest soloist with the Billings Symphony, Great Falls Symphony, Glacier Symphony, and Battle Creek Symphony. And most recently, with the Henry Mancini Orchestra at Festival Napa Valley.
Growing up in Billings, her primary mentors included Laura Dalbey, Vikki Payne, Randy Tracy, and John & Janny Kirk. Rosie received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Frost School of Music, University of Miami.
Samantha Inez, Viola
Samantha Inez is a violist, educator, and arts administrator based in Billings, Montana. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Montana and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Jonathan Vinocour, current Principal Viola of the San Francisco Symphony. During her graduate studies, she was an active participant in the Bay Area’s Viola Project, premiering numerous new works for solo viola and contributing to the advancement of contemporary viola repertoire. As a performer, Samantha has appeared as a featured soloist with the Billings Symphony and currently serves as its Principal Viola. She also serves as Youth Programs Manager for the Billings Symphony, where she oversees and develops educational programs that provide meaningful musical opportunities for young musicians throughout the region. In addition to her work with the Symphony, Samantha is the owner of Samantha Inez Studios LLC, maintaining a private viola studio dedicated to cultivating the next generation of young violists.
Cody Byrum, Cello
Cody Byrum is a cellist and educator who has performed throughout the United States and internationally, including France, Ecuador, and Spain. Cody currently serves as the principal cellist of the Billings Symphony, and he has additionally performed in orchestras such as the Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, and Richmond Symphony. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, and the Billings Symphony.
As an avid chamber musician Cody regularly performs in a variety of ensembles. He has previously been a guest chamber artist with both the Billings Symphony and BrightMusic Chamber Ensemble, and while at Indiana University he performed in numerous doctoral chamber recitals, faculty-student recitals, and IU cello choir performances. Cody is also an active educator, teaching as the adjunct instructor of cello at Rocky Mountain College, as well as the cello instructor at Stafford Music Academy. He was previously a teaching assistant at the Fresno Summer Opera Orchestra Academy, and cello faculty at the Sinfín Armonía music festival in Ecuador.
Cody received his Bachelor of Music with distinction from the University of Oklahoma, and his Master of Music from Indiana University. He is currently finishing his Doctor of Music degree at Indiana University, researching the chamber music of Ernö Dohnányi. His primary teachers include Emilio Colón and Jonathan Ruck.
