CAMP DIRECTOR & CELLO FACULTY

Jenaesha Iwaasa Browder is an alumni of the Rice University Shepherd School of Music. From Rice she earned both a Master’s degree in cello performance and a Bachelor’s degree double majoring in cello performance and music theory for which she received a Distinction in Undergraduate Research and Creative Work award. She has performed as a chamber musician and soloist in Canada, Italy, and throughout the United States including a guest performance on NPR’s “From the Top.” Jenaesha enjoys performing in a variety of styles and genres. She is a founding member of the string quartet Quartetrachord and performs regularly as a solo artist and with the Wenatchee Valley Symphony.
Her love of performing is matched by a deep passion for education and outreach. Jenaesha conducts her local youth symphony in addition to teaching both privately and collegiately through Wenatchee Valley College. She strongly believes in the importance and power of music in communities, often volunteering and consulting in schools to provide quality education for young cellists.
Outside of her training in cello and music theory, Jenaesha also works as a collaborative pianist and studies the violin. She enjoys arranging and composing across a wide variety of styles from cello etudes to string ensemble video game soundtracks to sacred music including contributing to an interfaith hymn concert series. 

CAMP DIRECTOR & VIOLIN FACULTY

Nashville-based violinist Hoi Ting Davidson holds a BM from the Eastman School of Music and a MM from the University of Texas at Austin where she was concertmaster and concertino soloist with the UT Symphony Orchestra.

As an active chamber musician she performs with the conductorless Kinetic Ensemble recently named Best Chamber Orchestra 2023 by the Houston Press. She is also a member of the River Oaks Quartet, known for it’s regular performances as part of the internationally acclaimed Candlelight Concert series; the Dover Quartet’s Artosphere Festival Orchestra and Quartetrachord, which performs their own compositions and arrangements in addition to works of the classical genre. 

Her performing career has led her across Europe, China, and throughout the US including concerts as lead violinist for Two Cellos’ tour, the SXSW Amazon Prime promotion of the TV series “Good Omens,” and a recent gala for former Vice President Pence.

In addition to performing, Davidson is a certified Suzuki pedagogue through the Suzuki Association of the Americas and teaches on faculty at the Paganini School of Music. She also composes and arranges music including for her upcoming tour: The Hymn Project.

VIOLIN FACULTY

Violinist Andrew Dunlap earned his MM in Violin Performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Paul Kantor and his BM in Violin Performance from University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, studying with Renee Jolles and Charles Castleman.

A versatile musician, Andrew performs styles of music within the classical genre and beyond. He has collaborated with popular touring artists such as country singer Clay Walker, singer-songwriter Meredith Andrews and the heavy metal band 'Disturbed.' In 2015, Andrew toured with the Andrew Alden Ensemble, a new music group premiering and recording modern soundtracks for classic silent films. Andrew frequently performs classical, pop, and jazz with Divisi Strings as well as other ensembles in the Houston area.

Violinist Andrew Dunlap champions the exploration of all music and sound worlds. He engages with classical music through radio, television and live performances across the world as a soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician. Andrew also enjoys experimenting with other genres of music and composes his own works in the classical genre and beyond.

VIOLA FACULTY

Austin Simmons, originally from Arlington, Texas, began playing viola at the age of 10. He earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he studied with Ivo-Jan van der Werff. In 2022, Austin Joined The U.S. Army Strings, stationed at Fort Myer, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. As a member of The U.S. Army Strings, Austin provides musical support for the leadership of the United States and fosters connections between the Army and the American people. In service of this mission, Austin enjoys performing at a wide array of local, national, and international events. He especially enjoys playing at the White House and engaging in educational outreach.

GUEST CONDUCTOR

Cami Gates is a music educator, conductor, and cellist from Bellingham, Washington. She earned her undergraduate degree in Music Education from Western Washington University in 2016, after which she moved to Houston, Texas, to begin her teaching career.

In Houston, Mrs. Gates served as the assistant orchestra director at Klein Forest High School, where she led five orchestras to Sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sightreading. She then took a position at Ross S. Sterling High School, where she doubled orchestra enrollment and once again guided her ensembles to Sweepstakes honors in 2021. During her time in Texas, she also participated in conducting workshops and competitions across the U.S., studying under esteemed pedagogues such as Donald Schleicher, Larry Rachleff, and Markand Thakar.

Since 2022, Mrs. Gates has been teaching in Washington state and earned her Master’s degree in Music Education from Eastern Washington University. As the orchestra director at Redmond High School, she has led her ensembles to numerous achievements, including multiple Superior Ratings at local festivals, a first-place finish at the 2023 WIAA-WMEA State Solo and Ensemble (Large Strings), overall first place at the 2024 Director’s Choice New Orleans Festival, and three first-place awards at the W-ASTA State Festival. Most recently, in 2025, the Redmond Philharmonic Orchestra earned a second-place finish at the prestigious ASTA National Orchestra Festival under her direction.

Outside of her professional life, Mrs. Gates enjoys spending time with her husband, Evan, their two dogs—Baker and Raven—and their circle of family and friends. She also loves baking, songwriting, and playing guitar.