SUITE ELEGANCE

Jen Singleton Richeson 
Principal Violinist

Jen Richeson started learning the violin at age 3 through the Suzuki method. She has studied with Margery K. Henke (conductor/performer), Benny Kim (performer), & Marcia Ferritto (performer). A performer since 4 years of age, Jen has been a part of many orchestras, ensembles, & rock bands around Northeast Ohio & several in the D.C. Metropolitan area, & earned both a B.A. in Music & an M.Ed. in Counseling from KSU. She has taught private lessons on multiple stringed instruments to over 40 students, and formerly directed the Plain Local Orchestra Program. Jen has enjoyed working with Suite Elegance since 2002 while teaching and pursuing a career as a Counselor.

Violinist 

Damon D. Conn, orchestral conductor and director of Twinsburg City School’s Orchestras, received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University in 1994. Originally a native of Uniontown, Ohio, he began studying the violin in the 5th grade in the Lake Local Schools orchestra program. As a student, he was assistant concertmaster of the Akron Youth Symphony and participated in both Region and All-State Orchestras. Upon Graduation from BGSU, he began his career teaching orchestra in Spartanburg, South Carolina where he was coordinator of the orchestra program for Spartanburg School District One.  He served as member at-large on the executive board of the South Carolina Music Education Association and was a judge and sectional coach for many orchestra events. He performed in the first violin sections of the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra and the Greater Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra where he performed with artists including Aaron Rosand, Mark O’Conner, Sharon Isben, Marvin Hamlisch, Awadagin Pratt, and Chick Corea. He has performed under the baton of many great conductors including Keith Lockhart, Robert Spano, and Samuel Adler. In 1997 he appeared on national television on Kathy Lee Gifford’s “We Need a Little Christmas” special where he performed with Kathy Lee Gifford, Kenny Rodgers, Micheal W. Smith, and Ce Ce Winans.

 In 2002, after his two children, Haven and Abigail were born, Mr. Conn made the move back to his hometown of Uniontown, Ohio to be closer to family. It was at this time that he accepted the position as orchestra director for the Twinsburg City Schools. Mr. Conn is currently in his 10^th year directing the Twinsburg City School’s Orchestras and his 17^th year of teaching.  During this time, the Twinsburg orchestra program has grown from 120 students to over 320 students participating.  Under Mr. Conn’s direction, both high school and middle school orchestras have received numerous superior ratings at OMEA large group contests including being accepted to perform in Walt Disney World in 2005, 2008, and 2011.  From 2004 through the present, he has served as Orchestra Director for Neil Zaza’s “One Silent Night” performances at PlayHouse Square which also includes several of the Twinsburg orchestra students. He is currently serving his sixth year as co-director of the Akron Youth Philharmonic and performs in the first violin section of the Tuscarawas Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mary Bontrager

Violinist

Mary Bontrager is both a musician and a music educator. She began her study of music at the age of 2 with Suzuki violin lessons at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. While growing up, Mary played in many orchestras, including the Northwest Ohio Youth Orchestra and the Lima Youth Symphony. Mary has both a Bachelors in Music Education from Bluffton University and a Masters in Music Education from Wright State University.

Mary has extensive teaching experience both in the private studio and in the classroom. In 1996 she began teaching music at Lake Center Christian in Hartville, Ohio. While on staff there she founded the school’s orchestra. She currently homeschools her three children, teaches a studio of private students, directs the Living Water Orchestra, and is both a teacher and an administrator of the CLM homeschool group.

Through the years Mary has performed in many orchestras including the Lima Symphony, Springfield Symphony, WSU Chamber Orchestra, and WSU University Orchestra, of which she was concertmaster. Mary is now the concertmaster of the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. She also performs with the Canton Players Guild, Cantate Singers of Wooster, and many other local churches and musical organizations.