Camp Con Brio
String Camp of the Rockies
2026 MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP FACULTY
Jill Fischaber
MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR
Jill Fischaber is a recently retired orchestra director of 30 years. She taught for most of her career at. Altona Middle School where she taught 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Orchestra and the Altona Pops Orchestra (a group that only performs popular music). She taught in the St. Vrain Valley School District for over 20 years. Prior to joining the staff at Altona Middle School, Mrs. Fischaber was the orchestra director at Longmont High School and Longs Peak Middle School. She also taught orchestra in the Adams 50 school district from 2002-2004 and general music in the Jefferson County School District from 1996-2002.
Mrs. Fischaber graduated with a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1996 and received her Master’s in Music Education with an emphasis in orchestral conducting from the University of Colorado in 2002. While at the University of Colorado she studied conducting with Akira Endo. She has performed as a violinist in the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, The Rocky Mountain Orchestra, Metro State College of Denver’s Symphony Orchestra and the Niwot Timberline Symphony.
Mrs. Fischaber currently resides in Longmont with her husband, Curtis, and their three children, Oliver, Ellery and Daphne. All three of her children performed with her orchestras at Altona Middle School.
LEANNE GRIFFEY
VIOLIN I INSTRUCTOR
Leanne Griffey is the Orchestra Director at Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School in Fort Collins, Colorado. This is her 13th year at Kinard and her 26th year as a Music Educator. Before coming to Kinard, Leanne taught Orchestra and Choir for six years in various public schools in Greeley, Fort Collins, and Williamsburg, Virginia. She has also taught private violin, viola, and voice lessons throughout her career. Leanne received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has completed graduate coursework in Conducting and Performance. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board for the Colorado Chapter of American String Teachers' Association.
When Leanne is not teaching, she is often performing on violin, viola, or voice. She has performed with many Orchestras including the Fort Collins Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Richmond (VA) Symphony, and the Williamsburg (VA) Symphonia. Currently, she is Concertmaster for the Greeley Chamber Orchestra and the Health & Wellness Orchestra of Fort Collins, and is a member of the string quartets, Bellacordia and Quartet Con Brio.
Leanne is married to Kevin and together they have a daughter who a bassist and almost a high school graduate. It’s not unusual to find Leanne out running and later baking. The Griffey family also loves to ski! They find adventure in many places far across the oceans, but one of their favorite places is Breckenridge for its beauty, snow, and because their crazy calico cat, Penelope, can tag along there. Leanne and her family are also avid concert-goers and enjoy listening to a wide variety of musical styles.
TBD
VIOLIN II INSTRUCTOR
XARENY POLANCO
VIOLA INSTRUCTOR
JOSHUA GREINER
CELLO INSTRUCTOR
Joshua Greiner is from Fort Collins, Colorado where he learned a love for the outdoors through mountain biking, hiking, camping, skiing, and disc golf. Joshua started learning the cello in seventh grade and has been in love with all things Orchestra ever since.
Joshua received his Undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in Music Education, Cello Performance, and Cello Pedagogy in December 2019. He has experience teaching students across Northern Colorado from beginners to advanced, state recognized ensembles. In addition to teaching, Joshua has performed with the CSU Symphony and CSU Sinfonia during his time at CSU and has since performed with his quartet throughout Northern Colorado as well as with the Greeley Chamber Orchestra.
This year is Joshua’s fifth year teaching Orchestra at Preston Middle School. His goal is to provide as many opportunities for students to grow as individual players, as leaders, and together as an Orchestra. In addition to directing Preston Middle School's Orchestras, Joshua has served as an Assistant Director of Colorado State University's Middle School Outreach Ensemble and has been a director of the Northern Colorado Youth Orchestra since its founding in 2020.
LINDA TASHMA
STRING BASS INSTRUCTOR
Chue Yeng Vue
INSTRUCTOR
Chue Yeng Vue (he/him) holds music degrees from Colorado State University and Arizona State University. As Director of Orchestras at Westview Middle School in Longmont, Colorado, he serves over 150 students daily across multiple orchestra classes. Vue is also a private viola instructor and maintains an active studio. His students frequently win positions in honor groups such as District Honor Orchestra, Colorado All State Orchestra Festival, and Western States Honor Orchestra.
As a violist, he has performed with Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, and Stratus Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Vue currently serves as Principal Viola of Longmont Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2017. Vue has had the opportunity to perform with such artists as the Trans Siberian Orchestra, Michael Buble, Jonas Kauffman, Audra McDonald, Andre Bocelli, Reba MacIntyre, and the Harlem String Quartet.
As a product of the public schools, Mr. Vue believes in the power of music education in schools as a tool for equity and opportunity. He is a child of Hmong refugees who fled Laos during the Vietnam War. Vue chose the viola and began learning how to play it in secondary school. Mr. Vue believes that the orchestra classroom should be a place where all students have access to great musical experiences regardless of their life situation, social and economic status, and ability level.
In his free time he enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, camping, staying active, and spending time with his French Bulldogs, Bubba and Chuckie.
JONATHAN WEST
CAMP DIRECTOR
Jonathan West is a Colorado-based music educator. While growing up in Colorado Springs, Jonathan began playing the cello with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association, and the horn in his public school band program. While at Pine Creek High School, Jonathan participated in Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, pit orchestra, chamber music ensembles, and was Drum Major for the Pine Creek Eagle Marching Band during his senior year.
While studying for a Bachelor of Music Education degree at The University of Northern Colorado, Jonathan studied cello with Gal Faganel. As a member of the University Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Russel Guyver, the ensemble collaborated with internationally renown soloists such as Rachel Barton Pine, Peter Stumpf, and Robert deMaine. Jonathan also regularly performed in chamber recitals and joined the Campus String Orchestra on viola.
At the outset of his teaching career, Jonathan served as a teaching assistant during the inaugural years of the UNC String Project, a weekly after-school program for beginning string students in the fourth and fifth grades. This program helped solidify Jonathan’s love for teaching. He ran a small private lesson studio with cellists and violists. As a young conductor, Jonathan was one of five students selected for the Colorado Music Educator Association's 2019 Conducting Clinic and participated in a master class with Larry Livingston. Jonathan has also served as a guest teacher and conductor for the Parker Performing Arts School Orchestra Program and for the Youth Orchestra with Avanti Music Academy.
Jonathan is currently teaching 5th through 8th grade orchestra at Creighton Middle School in the Jeffco School District, along with beginning string classes in five Lakewood area elementary schools.
KATHERINE GARRAMONE
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Katherine Garramone has been a cellist for twenty years. She has been the Orchestra Director at Parker Performing Arts school in Parker, Colorado since 2020. Katherine discovered her love for music through her own public school orchestra experience in Mapleton Public Schools, with Kelly Benson as her Orchestra Director. While Katherine played the cello in her school orchestra program, and participated in the Front Range Youth Symphony; it soon became not enough for her. She found Camp Con Brio as an Intern, and has never left. Katherine has been with the camp for 10 years, in various roles.
Katherine earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in the Performing Arts from the University of Northern Colorado. She earned a Minor in Special Education and Music Education. During her time in college, Katherine had to leave the music school to have surgery on her left arm due to nerve damage. The nerves become too tight in her elbow from over-utilization and long hours of practicing. This made it impossible to play cello and major in music. This would have been the end of her dream of teaching, but she knew her love of music and her love of teaching could not be stifled. Katherine has been teaching for five years and continues to impart her love for music onto her students.