Artistic Leadership
Harry Marenstein
Music Director & Conductor
Harry J. Marenstein began his affiliation with the North Shore Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) in 2016 as Principal Guest Conductor and was named Music Director in 2018.
In that time, NSSO has expanded its concert season to five concerts annually to include pops repertoire, and annual collaborations with youth music groups and Spot-On Entertainment. Guest artists welcomed to the stage during Mr. Marenstein’s tenure include Erik Ralske (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), David Grossman (New York Philharmonic), prize-winning violinist Sarah Ma, and Grammy-nominated jazz harpist Brandee Younger.
Since becoming Music Director, Mr. Marenstein has also led numerous NSSO audiences through “Guided Tours” of great orchestral works, including Wagner’s prelude to “Tannhäuser”, Smetana’s “Vltava”, and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5. An advocate for all periods of music, particularly that of living composers, Mr. Marenstein has led performances and premieres of works by Hilary Purrington, Beata Moon, James Barry, Conrad Pope, and Peter Gilbert, to name a few. From 2016-2022, Mr. Marenstein was the conductor of the Youth Symphony of the Gemini Youth Orchestras, leading them in performances at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, and the Five Towns College Performing Arts Center.
Mr. Marenstein attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was a student of Carl Topilow and Louis Lane, earning the Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting, and continued his studies with Harold Farberman and Gustav Meier. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree in violin performance from the State University of New York at Geneseo, where he studied with Richard Balkin. He has conducted numerous ensembles both in and outside of the United States, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pleven Symphony, the New Symphony Orchestra (Sofia), the Lautremont Festival Orchestra, Anti-Social Music, Reizen Ensemble, and the Musica Bella Orchestra of New York. Mr. Marenstein joined the faculty of Nassau Community College (SUNY) in 2005, where he teaches in the music program, holding the rank of Professor. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.
Susan E. Deaver
Music Director & Conductor Emerita
Susan Deaver completed 25 years as North Shore Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor in June 2016 and successfully established NSSO as one of Long Island’s foremost community orchestras. Credited with innovative programming, she made great strides in organizing and securing the future of NSSO including the orchestra’s residency at Plainview Old Bethpage JFK High School, and the important establishment of the Friends of NSSO, which now is a vital part of the orchestra’s successful organization. In addition, she established NSSO’s Young Artist Award Competition and founded the orchestra’s Artist-in-Residence Program. A champion of new music, she conducted premiers of orchestral works written for the North Shore Symphony Orchestra.
She made her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the Long Island Youth Orchestra, and has conducted at Tilles Center, Staller Center and Adelphi University’s Performing Arts Center. In January 2028 she will guest conduct Division V Orchestra at the Nassau All County Festival at Tilles Center. Guest conducting engagements have included LISFA in 2025, Division IV Orchestra at the Nassau All-County Festival, the Island Chamber Symphony, the Bronx Opera Chamber Orchestra, the Gemini Orchestra, the Seoul Symphony of New York, two premieres of guitar concertos at the Long Island Guitar Festival, and at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Ms. Deaver participated in Tanglewood’s Conducting Seminar Classes and the conducting seminars of the American Symphony Orchestral League. She has conducted in Scotland, England, Spain and Germany where she was selected to conduct at the International Master Class in Orchestral Conducting sponsored by the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin. In Korea she guest conducted the Pusan Festival Orchestra and the Masan City Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Deaver was the conducting instructor for actor Freddie Highmore for Warner Brothers’ movie August Rush.
Susan Deaver is on the Music Faculty of Stony Brook University where she is the conductor of the University Orchestra, and at the Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Division as flutist, chamber music coach and conductor. She is the Co-Founder of the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival. Her Bachelor's and Master's degrees are from the Manhattan School of Music where she received her Doctorate in Musical Arts.
Executive Officers
Alyssa Cherson
Co-President
Alyssa Cherson, the principal horn of the North Shore Symphony Orchestra, is a vibrant presence in the Long Island music scene. She has been playing with the NSSO since 2017. She currently works in the administrative offices of the Mineola School District in their payroll department. Alyssa is deeply committed to making music accessible to a variety of audiences as well as nurturing the next generation of musicians. She frequently serves as a guest artist and brass section coach for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and Gemini Youth Orchestras. She also has experience teaching private lessons to young horn players. Through mentorship and performance, she shares her knowledge and affection for music to instill in young brass players the joy and significance of musical expression. Alyssa holds a master's in music performance and a performance certificate from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University-Bloomington. She holds a bachelors of music performance degree from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. She has studied with renowned mentors such as Jeffrey Nelson, Dale Clevenger, Kelly Drifmeyer and Julia Pilant. Alyssa is honored to join the NSSO Board of Directors and looks forward to helping support the future endeavors of the NSSO in this new capacity.
Susan DelGiorno
Co-President
Susan DelGiorno is a distinguished classical music executive and arts administrator with over 25 years of leadership experience spanning the commercial recording industry, higher education, and non-profit arts organizations. She currently serves dual leadership roles: by day, she coordinates student recruitment, guest artist clinics, and student performances for the Adelphi University Department of Music; by night, she serves as the Executive Director of Gemini Youth Orchestras (GYO), driving the strategic growth, operations, and organizational management of Long Island’s youth music program.
An elite producer, Susan has helmed several hundred commercial recordings, earning numerous Grammy Award nominations, Billboard charting positions, and top Amazon classical chart spots—most notably via her wildly successful Bach Guild Big Box digital series. Her portfolio includes collaborations with luminaries such as Thomas Hampson, Susan Graham, Anne Akiko Meyers, Leonard Slatkin, Alan Gilbert, the London Symphony Orchestra, and composers like John Corigliano and Libby Larsen.
Trained as a clarinetist, Susan earned her Bachelor of Science in Music from Hofstra University, where she studied under the esteemed Naomi Drucker. She remains a passionate performer in orchestral and chamber settings, is a highly sought-after player among Long Island’s community ensembles, and has been a member of the North Shore Symphony Orchestra for longer than she’d care to admit. Susan resides on Long Island with her husband George, their daughter Joy, and their beloved pets.
Alex Levine
Alex Levine graduated from Queens College CUNY with a B.A. in Mathematics and Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences with an M.S. in Operations Research. He has spent 40 years in the commercial insurance industry and currently works in the National Casualty Practice at Willis Towers Watson. Alex is a cellist in the NSSO having studied privately for about 10 years following graduate school and has been a member of NSSO since 2004.
Treasurer
Catherine Colquhoun
Secretary
Catherine Colquhoun, violin, received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Science degrees in Music Education from The Hartt School, University of Hartford, and from Queens College, respectively. In 2008, Ms. Colquhoun was interviewed by The Strad about Hartt’s music education program and her teaching aspirations. The interview was featured in the magazine’s supplement entitled Degrees 2009: International Courses For String Players and Teachers. Ms. Colquhoun has taught orchestra on Long Island for over 18 years, sits on the advisory board for the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival, and has served on the board of the Long Island String Festival Association as an orchestra chairperson, the Nassau Secondary Festival Vice President, and is currently serving as Program Editor. In March 2025, Ms. Colquhoun performed in the conductors’ orchestra for Rising Stars NY presented by And Other Duties and the Music Conservatory of Westchester. Conducting candidates from around the world attended and were coached by Timothy Redmond, Karen Ní Bhroin, and Marin Alsop. Ms. Colquhoun also performs with Luminous Sounds, Inc., a Long Island based professional string ensemble with notable performances including: NBC’s Today Show Wedding, The Knot Dream Wedding, and performing alongside the legendary Judy Collins. Luminous Sounds released its debut album in June 2018 entitled Songs Of Our Youth which is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.
Theodore Jospe
Chairman in Memorium
Ted Jospe received his bachelor’s degree from University College of Arts and Science, New York University, and his M.B.A. in healthcare administration from George Washington University. He served as an Army Captain with tours of duty at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and various assignments in Vietnam. Ted retired as President and CEO of Southside Hospital in 2003, a position he held for 31 years. He has been an active faculty member of the Stony Brook University School Health Technology and Management since 1974 and currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health facility operation and management. During his career, he has had numerous board affiliations and memberships, including the Hospital Association of New York State, the League of Voluntary Hospitals, the North Shore-LIJ Health system, Southside Hospital, the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, the Suffolk County Board of Health, the Long Island Association, the Harbor Country Day School Board of Education, and the Long Island String Quartet. He was a violinist in the North Shore High School Orchestra, the Hofstra Symphony as a high school student, and the NYU Symphony Orchestra. After a forty year hiatus, he resumed playing four years ago, and has been a member of the NSSO for the past four seasons.
William Farber
President Emeritus
John C. Stevenson
President Emeritus in Memorium
Board of Directors
Kay Bromberg
Past-President
Kay Bromberg has been a member of the Violin II section of the NSSO since 1982. Although not a music major, she pursued her musical interests as an undergraduate in the chamber orchestra at Oberlin College and as a graduate student in an orchestra at the University of Michigan. In addition to having played in an informal string quartet for over 25 years, she spent many years as a fiddler for traditional Scottish dances. After retiring from her day job as the Administrative Director for the Rockefeller Family Fund, she continued work as a Program Officer for environmental grantmaking at the Tortuga Charitable Foundation. She currently serves on the board of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, a local environmental group.
Amal Abeysekera
Amal Abeysekera currently works at Hofstra University as an Assistant Professor of Finance. Prior to joining Hofstra, he served as finance faculty member at The University of Oklahoma. He received his PhD in Finance from The University of Oklahoma in 2020 and a Bachelor of Science in finance degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka in 2014. Prior to moving to USA, he was a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka where he played both the violin and viola. He joined the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka in 2003 and was as a member of the Players’ Committee of the orchestra. He was also the librarian of the orchestra for a period of ten years till he moved to the states in 2015.
Director
Zachary Butterfield
Zach is a Strings teacher at Islip High School. Over his tenure he has doubled the size of the orchestra, created a chamber orchestra for advanced players, developed an all-electric string ensemble, advised the Tri-M music Honor Society, conducted school musicals, and received Gold with Distinction at NYSSMA Majors.
Before becoming an educator, Zach was the Publicity Director for Herbert Barrett Management where he worked with Anonymous 4, the Mingus Big Band, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and many other soloists, conductors, vocalists, and orchestras. He began his work in management with an internship at Staller Center, and by serving on the Board of the University of Vermont Lane Series for the Performing Arts.
As a musician Zach has performed with the Vermont Philharmonic, Vermont Big Band, Stowe Theatre Guild, Burlington Concert Band, and for countless school musicals. He greatly enjoys the dedication and camaraderie of the NSSO.
Audience Development & Publicity
Janice Chen
Fundraising Committee
Janice Chen, the principal oboe of the NSSO, is a science teacher at North Shore High School. She graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in History and Science and later graduated with an M.A.T. in Biology from Brown University. She has studied oboe with Delight Immonen of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Lynn Jacquin of the New England Conservatory, and Jerry Roth of the New York Philharmonic. She was a member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, the Bach Society Orchestra, and the C.W. Post Orchestra prior to playing with the NSSO.
Karl Huth
Karl Huth has been occasionally playing trombone and bass trombone, but mostly counting rests, with NSSO since 2018. Originally from Alaska, Karl appreciates living in a climate where his lips rarely freeze to his mouthpiece.
Karl and his wife, NSSO violist Leah Master, live in Huntington with their four talented daughters. A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia University School of Law, Karl is a practicing attorney and founder of the Huntington-based law firm Huth Reynolds LLP. Karl is a member of NSSO's Fundraising Committee.
Grants & Fundraising Committees
Jonathan Weber
Jonathan is a member of the viola section and has been playing with the NSSO since the 2015-2016 season. He has been playing music in some capacity since the age of 8, and hopes to continue until he can no longer hold up his instrument. A native of Merrick NY, he attended Stony Brook University where he had the privilege of playing in the University Orchestra as a non-music major under the baton of Dr. Susan Deaver. His many years with the orchestra have made some of his favorite memories as an adult non-professional musician.
Director
Lisa Leonardi
As NSSO librarian and assistant concertmaster, Lisa is honored to play under the baton of Harry Marenstein for the past 9 years. She received her Bachelor of Music Ed from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a Master of Music from Syracuse University. She has forty-six years of experience as a music educator, the last thirteen as orchestra director in Huntington High School.
She has an extensive leadership record in county and state music organizations, having held many positions in the Suffolk County Music Educators and Long Island String Festival Associations. Lisa is a past president of the Long Island String Festival Association as well as
the past president of the NY chapter of the American String Teachers Association. She has guest conducted student orchestras all over NY state, been the NY All-State Orchestra Chairperson for three years and taught at the NYASTA string camp for ten years. She was also
the violin NYSSMA manual revisionist for fifteen years and orchestra music review editor for The School Music News. String students can place blame at her doorstep for making two-octave scales a requirement for string players all over the state. She was a NYSSMA adjudicator for twenty-five years, the last eighteen as an All-State judge. She has performed with multiple community orchestras for forty years. Most recently, she has been a cellist in the Symphonic Pops Orchestra and principal violist of the Jackson Heights Orchestra for eight years.
Librarian
Sean Rosenberg
Double bassist who joined the NSSO in 2024. Sean holds a degree in Music Performance and Music Business from William Paterson University, where he studied under legendary bassist Rufus Reid. Professionally, he works in sales enablement at Adobe and focuses on local arts advocacy.
Director