Conductors
Dr. Ghyas Zeidieh
NUYS (2025)
Dr. Ghyas Zeidieh, a Syrian conductor and cellist, is an active musician and educator from the Iowa and Illinois region. He is known for his dynamic presence as both a performer and educator. A recipient of multiple conducting awards including the Hector Berlioz, Max Bruch International, and UK International Music Competitions. Dr. Zeidieh has built a career at the intersection of artistic excellence and community engagement.
He has previously held positions as Assistant Professor of Orchestral Studies at Coe College, Director of Orchestra Activities at Kirkwood Community College, and Music Director of the Cedar Rapids Community Orchestra (IA). His leadership with the Cedar Rapids ensemble earned recognition from city, county, and state officials for its impact on the local arts scene.
Currently, Dr. Zeidieh serves as Artistic Director for the Cache Valley Symphonic Society, Cache Youth Orchestras, Mount Logan Symphony, and the Cache Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the string faculty at Utah State University. As a committed educator, he has taught at Western Illinois University and worked with a wide range of youth orchestras throughout the Midwest. His training includes certification in the Suzuki Method, and he remains passionate about making music education accessible to all ages.
Since 2010, Dr. Zeidieh has been affiliated with the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire, contributing as a Playing for Peace participant, counselor, and camp director.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa, as well as degrees in Music and Dentistry from the Damascus Conservatory and University.
For more information, please visit www.g-zeidieh.com
Jaquell Hubner
NUYPS (2024)
Jaquell Hubner began her musical journey with the cello at the age of five. She pursued her passion for music at Brigham Young University - Idaho, where she studied Music Education with an orchestral emphasis. Jaquell has played in numerous orchestras, traveling across many states and Europe. Currently, she is the director and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Cello Festival in Rexburg, Idaho and Bozeman, Montana. She is a former member of the Northern Utah Youth Symphony and is excited to be a part of helping it grow.
Jaquell is currently performing in community orchestras and doing freelance work around the area. Some of that includes playing in wedding quartets in Utah and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She also had many opportunities to play with the Idaho Falls Symphony while going to school. As a recent graduate, Jaquell is excited to share her love of music with each and every student. She has a deep love for teaching and is dedicated to helping others through music.
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Caleb Saunders
NUYV(2026), NUYCO(2026)
Caleb Saunders is a conductor, educator, collaborative pianist, cellist, and vocalist dedicated to inspiring musicians through artistic excellence and meaningful music-making. He currently serves as Director of Choirs at Weber High School, where he directs five choral ensembles, teaches AP Music Theory, and serves as music director for the school's musical theatre productions. Under his leadership, his students have consistently earned Superior ratings at State Festivals, received invitations to perform with universities throughout Utah, and the Weber High School Chamber Choir was selected to present a featured concert at the 2026 Utah Music Educators Association Conference.
Saunders earned a Master of Music in Conducting with a specialization in Collaborative Piano from the University of Oregon. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Music Education/Piano Performance and Spanish Teaching from Weber State University, where he graduated magna cum laude and was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate.
An active conductor and performer throughout the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest, Saunders has worked with organizations including the Salt Lake Vocal Artists, American Festival Chorus, Eugene Symphony and Chorus, Oregon Bach Festival, and Northern Utah Singers. He has also served as collaborative pianist for the Utah All-State Choir and was honored to conduct the Northern Utah Youth Symphony's Spring Concert and the orchestra's 157th Anniversary Golden Spike Celebration.
Saunders is a published composer of choral and piano music whose works and recordings are available through calebsaundersmusic.com and all streaming platforms. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and three young boys.
Sarah Kateifides
NUYWE (2024)
Sarah has taught music for over 15 years. She received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia and a Master of Music Education through Southern Utah University. Before moving to the US Sarah taught band in Australia at the elementary and secondary level. Working collaboratively with staff and administration she was able to build a strong and sustainable program. Sarah loves working with young musicians and creating meaningful and beautiful music.
Staff
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Heather Lyman
NUYS Managing Director (2024)
Heather Lyman has always had a love for music. She was so excited when she was able to start on the clarinet at 11 years old. When she was 13 she transferred to the oboe and fell in love with the unique sound of the instrument. Through high school she played in many honors bands, honors orchestras, and chamber groups. She was named one of the top oboists in the state of Michigan her senior year and her Woodwind Quintet was named top chamber ensemble. She was accepted into the BYU School of Music on scholarship where she studied oboe performance. She performed regularly with the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra and Wind Symphony, along with numerous woodwind quintets and trios. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Woodwind Performance. While studying oboe she discovered both her love for teaching and her love for oboe reed making. Heather has taught privately for the past 20 years. Her students have gone on to study music at BYU, USU, SUU, Weber St., and Harvard, many on scholarship. She also started a reed making business-Mountain West Oboe which sells oboe reeds and cane. She currently has customers from New York to Seattle and many places in between.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, her husband Mark and her two daughters Anna and Tia. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, and painting. She is also a die-hard Detroit Lions and LA Dodgers fan.
Candace Gunn
Woodwinds Specialist (2024)
Candace Gunn is an avid oboist and music educator from Morgan, Utah. She received a Bachelor degree of Instrumental Music Education from Brigham Young University in 2021, where she studied the oboe with Dr. Geralyn Giovannetti.
After graduating from BYU, Candace became the director of bands, orchestras, and Irish folk band at Merit Academy, a charter school in Springville, Utah. She learned the accordion and Irish whistle, which she played with the students in the band. As a folk ensemble, they built a diverse and exciting repertoire of over 30 memorized tunes, performing regularly at school and community events. While at Merit, she was also awarded grants from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and the Springville Arts Commission to assist her growing music program.
Since 2024, Candace has served as the band and choir director at Alice C. Harris Intermediate School in Tremonton, Utah. In January of 2025, she established the Morgan Irish Band, which has performed at various community events.
Always a lifelong learner, Candace has been an active member of the Utah Bandmasters Association and the Utah Music Educators Association since 2018. She joined the Northern Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble as the Woodwind Specialist in 2025, where she enjoys coaching dedicated youth musicians.
In addition to teaching, Candace currently plays the oboe in the Wasatch Winds, Draper Philharmonic, Cache Symphony Orchestra, and Morgan Valley Chamber Orchestra. She has also previously performed with the Pleasant Grove Orchestra, the Utah Valley Chamber Orchestra, and the South Jordan Sounds of the Season Orchestra. Whether teaching or performing, Candace is passionate about sharing the beauty and impact of music with others.
Tanner Chipman
Brass Specialist (2024)
Tanner Chipman has always loved music, but he found his passion for music at the age of 12 when he first picked up the French Horn in beginning band. Since then, he has participated in many competitions, and won numerous awards, including Instrumental Music Sterling Scholar, and the Marine Corps “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence. He has played in a wide variety of ensembles, including the Condie Brass Quintet at the University of Utah and our very own Northern Utah Youth Symphony. During high school, he picked up the trombone and mallet percussion, both of which he has excelled at. Now, Tanner is pursuing his Bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education at the University of Utah.
Being an alumni of the Symphony, Tanner is excited to come back and teach students not just to become better players, but to love the group as much as he does.
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Josie Anderson
NUYCO Managing Director (2020)
NUWE Managing Director (2024)
Josie has spent most of her life in music - starting in Musikgarten (first as a student, later as a teacher), taking piano, violin, and viola lessons for over twelve years, and teaching myself the organ, which she has played in church for the past eight years. For the last eleven years, she's also worked with NUYE and have been teaching piano and music since 2019. Josie's love of instruments extends far and wide. She enjoys dabbling with guitar, zither, and many other unique instruments (22 of which currently live in her music room).
Josie serves as the NUYCO and NUYWE manager, as well as Assistant Manager and Music Librarian for NUYE (though she's also been known to appear as a dancing chicken or triangle-playing dinosaur at a concert or two). Outside of music, Josie enjoy gardening, sewing, cooking, and spending time with my family and animals.
Dirk Pace started his musical training on cello in 4th grade, adding string bass and baritone to his instrumental lineup in Jr. High. He continued with multiple performance groups on these instruments through High School and college, naturally leading to a Bachelor of Music degree in Education from Brigham Young University and many fond memories of performances in various renowned venues, including but not limited to the Rose Bowl (Los Angeles), the Cotton Bowl (Dallas), Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe), and Romney Stadium (Logan).
After some time teaching band in Ely, NV and orchestra in Fayetteville, NC his career took him away from public education but not from community performing. I have continued performing on the cello with various groups in Cumberland County, NC, Salt Lake and Cache Counties, UT.
Dirk Pace
Lower String Specialist (2023)
Rebecca Johnson
Upper String Specialist (2026)
Rebecca Johnson is a recent graduate of Utah State University, where she earned degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education. During her time at USU, she performed extensively with the university's symphony orchestra, participated in numerous chamber ensembles and string quartets, and appeared in a variety of performances throughout Northen Utah.
A dedicated educator and performer, Rebecca maintains a growing private violin studio and is passionate about helping students develop strong technical skills, musical artistry, and a lifelong appreciation for music. She will complete her student teaching this fall at Sky View High School, where she looks forward to expanding her experience working with secondary orchestra students and learning more about building and sustaining successful string programs. Her experiences as a performer and educator have strenghtened her commitment to providing meaningful musical opportunities for students and community members alike.
Sara Hurd
Percussion Specialist (2023)
A versatile and passionate musician, Sara Hurd is a seasoned percussionist and pianist. Sara learned piano at a young age and has been a go-to accompanist for choirs, soloists, and small groups. Sara has sung with choirs for most of her life and conducted choir for a church congregation for several years. She also sang at Brigham Young University under the baton of Mack Wilberg, one of the most well-known choral arrangers of the 21st century.
With a rich percussion journey that began in junior high and extended through high school, her time at Brigham Young University, and beyond, Sara has developed a deep love for collaborative performance. At BYU, she had the privilege of playing with the Percussion Ensemble, the Wind Symphony, and the Panoramic Steel steel drum band. Sara also played snare and tenor drums in drum lines throughout high school at Pleasant Grove High School and through all four years at Brigham Young University. She played percussion and sang in the choir for three years with the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus, and played handbells for three years with the Utah Valley Handbell Ringers, honing her skills and contributing to dynamic ensembles.
Currently, Sara performs with the New American Philharmonic and the Ogden Concert Band, while also serving as the Percussion Specialist for Northern Utah Youth Ensembles. Her dedication to music and experience across various groups reflect a lifelong commitment to rhythm, harmony, and community through music.
Sara has six children, all of whom she encourages to pursue music as long as they love it as much as she does. She runs operations and development for a tech startup.
Board of Directors
Doris D’Asto - Chairman, Grant Manager
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Heather Lyman - NUYS Manager
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Josie Anderson - Secretary, NUYCO Manager & NUYWE Manager, Asst. to Managing Directors, Librarian
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Jake Krebs - Bookkeeper
Naomi Miles - Grocery Card Fundraiser​​
​​Susanna Melson - Board Member
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​Sara Hurd - Board Member
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Julie Farr - Board Member
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