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

"American" String Quartet, 4th Movement
Antonin Dvorak

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