Jason Cherne was the Philharmonia’s Concertmaster from 2019 to 2021. At five, he fell in love with music and instruments. Gifted his first violin and lessons by his grandparents at age nine, he has played ever since, stating, “The violin has shaped my life.”
He played with Symphonette in fifth through seventh grades, after which he auditioned for and earned a chair with the Philharmonia. Graduating from Glynn Academy in 2021, he began pursing his degree in music performance for violin at Georgia Southern University. After two years there, he is transferring to the University of North Florida.
In between, he has been building his professional reputation from Statesboro to Savannah and across the Golden Isles with private gigs, shows in schools, performing with quartets, at churches and at community events. His ultimate goal: play with the pit orchestra at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
Emily Hutchins was the 2021-2022 Concertmaster. Her musical journey began at the end of sixth grade when she mentioned in passing to her chorus teacher at Glynn Middle School, Mary Pipkin, that she wanted to learn to play the violin. Ms. Pipkin sent her home for the summer with a book and violin and told her to “see what you can do.”
What she did is taught herself how to play well enough to join the orchestra at Glynn Middle at the start of her seventh grade year. Ms. Pipkin recommended Emily for Symphonette the next year, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. Her GIYO rehearsals were partnered with private lessons from GIYO alumna Stephenie Powell, who helped Emily prepare for the audition of a lifetime during the summer of 2021, resulting in her earning the coveted first violin, first chair.
Currently, Emily is pursuing her bachelor’s in geology at Valdosta State University. Violin still plays a part in her life as she can often be found playing at church services, weddings or just for fun with her favorite duo partner, Stephenie.
