About Forest CIty Strings
Forest City Strings was created during the tail end of the COVID-19 lockdown when a group of musicians was starved for connection and community. What started as collegiate colleagues performing at the new (to Cleveland) Candlelight concerts evolved into a community of musicians and friends who support, show up for each other, and genuinely enjoy creating and sharing musical experiences together.
Each member of the collective has their own individual skill set and various full-time/part-time jobs, but we all find music as a space for community and connection. While all the members are classically trained musicians, we have all expanded our musical skills to incorporate techniques essential to pop, hip-hop, classic rock, reggaeton, and salsa: both the dancing and edible kind.
We know that the most important part about sharing music is having fun, so if we are having fun on the stage, you are most likely having fun in the audience!
Listen to Forest City Strings
the collective 🔥
Sam Petrey ~ Violin
OG Stomping Ground: Cleveland Heights, OH
Education: BM & PC, DePaul University - MM, San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Yo-Yo Ma
Desert Island Song: The Wind That Shapes the Land by Unleash the Archers
Secret Superpower: Guessing people's age
Alternate Universe Career: Food truck owner & chef
Headbanger or Ballad: Headbanger
Musical Hot Take: Heavy Metal has the best fans! 🤘
Erin Reidhead ~ Violin
OG Stomping Ground: Frederick, MD
Education: BM, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Desert Island Song: Copland's Appalachian Spring ⛰️
Secret Superpower: Multitasking!
Alternate Universe Career: Nurse 🏥
Headbanger or Ballad: Almost anything by Queen and the last movement of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony
Musical Hot Take: Unhappy people write the best music
Laura Shuster ~ Viola
OG Stomping Ground: Cleveland Heights, OH
Education: BM, Cleveland Institute of Music - BA, CWRU - MM, Peabody Institute
Favorite Musical Icon: Brian Wilson
Desert Island Song: “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell
Secret Superpower: Your secret is always safe with me! 🤫
Alternate Universe Career: Dancer or Finance Bro- it’s a toss-up! I’m equally unfit for both!
Headbanger or Ballad: “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman
Musical Hot Take: I love watching the Grammys.
Hosanna Carella ~ Violin / Bongos
OG Stomping Ground: San Juan, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Education: BM, MM & PS, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Johannes Brahms or ABBA
Desert Island Song: Anything by Wilfrido Vargas
Secret Superpower: I can’t go into a bookstore without buying a book 📚
Alternate Universe Career: Archaeologist
Headbanger or Ballad: Headbanger DUH
Musical Hot Take: A reggaeton beat will improve any song 🤷🏻♀️
Eleanor Lee ~ Cello
OG Stomping Ground: Washington, PA
Education: BM, Eastman School of Music - MM, Cleveland Institute of Music - MM, Bard College
Favorite Musical Icon: Ella Fitzgerald
Desert Island Song: John Cage’s 4'33" 🤫
Secret Superpower: Anticipating others' needs
Alternate Universe Career: Pediatric oncologist or bakery owner 🥐
Headbanger or Ballad: Ballad - sad songs are just better, but I do love a Headbanger in the car.
Musical Hot Take: I prefer when people clap between movements at classical concerts! (Except after slow, quiet movements)
Matt Ross ~ Viola
OG Stomping Ground: Pittsburgh, PA
Education: BM, Pennsylvania State University - MM, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Beyoncé 💃🏽
Desert Island Song: Picking only 1 song is a recipe for wearing it out, so I'll pick the whole album Blue by Joni Mitchell
Secret Superpower: I'm far more flexible than I look
Alternate Universe Career: Psychologist or psychiatrist, something where I could help people plagued by mental health issues
Headbanger or Ballad: Ballad ❤️🔥
Musical Hot Take: The most emotionally moving music comes from people who turn suffering into art
Helen Rucinski ~ Viola / Violin
OG Stomping Ground: Ann Arbor, MI
Education: BA & BM, Northwestern University - MM, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Dolly Parton 👑
Desert Island Song: Yesterday by Noname
Secret Superpower: I’m pretty darn good at Dance Dance Revolution
Alternate Universe Career: Statistician
Headbanger or Ballad: Ballad — no question
Musical Hot Take: Kahoot! music is a total jam. Many thanks to the composer(s) for helping me (and my students) get through some of the harder days 🙏
Ann Yu ~ Violin / Viola
OG Stomping Ground: Hudson, OH
Education: BM & MM, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Ella Fitzgerald
Desert Island Song: Familiarity by Punch Brothers
Secret Superpower: finding the perfect-sized container for leftovers. And somehow always choosing the line with the longest wait time ⏰
Alternate Universe Career: Interior designer/architect
Headbanger or Ballad: Ballad, obviously!!
Musical Hot Take: All musicians need to dance 💃🏻
Nora Willauer ~ Cello
OG Stomping Ground: Mid-Coast, ME
Education: BM, University of Oregon - MM & DMA, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: My 3-year-old student who performed Pop Goes the Weasel last week.
Desert Island Song: No songs.
Secret Superpower: I'm good at disappearing. 👻
Alternate Universe Career: Outdoor Educator ⛵
Headbanger or Ballad: Headbanger
Musical Hot Take: It's time to hire Forest City Strings for your next event. No time to waste!
McKenna Glorioso ~ Violin
OG Stomping Ground: Cleveland, OH
Education: BM, McGill University - MM, Cleveland Institute of Music
Favorite Musical Icon: Daft Punk 🤖
Desert Island Song: I’m gonna rebel and say the entire Dirty Computer album by Janelle Monáe
Secret Superpower: Spreadsheet wizard 🧙
Alternate Universe Career: Pro swimmer (in my dreams)
Headbanger or Ballad: Vanish Into You by Lady Gaga
Musical Hot Take: Most EDM is really just minimalism