BELLINGHAM, WA — The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (BSO) welcomes eight new and newly appointed musicians to its roster for the 2026/2027 season, bringing a wealth of performance, teaching, and musical experience to the orchestra as it begins its 51st season, Legends & Sonnets.
The new musicians join the BSO for a season featuring works inspired by legendary figures, timeless stories, and the power of the human imagination, with performances at Bellingham’s historic Mount Baker Theatre.
Katie Craighead, Trumpet
Katie Craighead began playing trumpet at age 8 and was once too small to hold the instrument without the aid of a music stand. She played a pocket trumpet through eighth grade before going on to place third in trumpet at Oregon’s State Solo & Ensemble competition in 2010. Craighead holds bachelor’s degrees in music pre-teaching and performance from George Fox University and a master’s degree in performance from Portland State University. Her diverse performance experience includes playing in a cruise ship show band in 2019, along with a wide variety of musical productions.
Fabian Nieto Milan, Principal Clarinet
Fabian Nieto Milan is excited to join the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra as Principal Clarinet. He studied Clarinet Performance and French at Western Washington University, where he was a winner of both the Concerto Competition and Virginia Glover Competition. He also studied clarinet at the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico. Nieto Milan holds a Master of Music in Music Education from Eastern Washington University and currently teaches band at Bellevue Christian School while maintaining a private music studio in the Seattle area. He looks forward to making music with the BSO and becoming part of the Bellingham musical community.
Jay Rozendaal, Piano
Jay Rozendaal is a coach-pianist on the staff of Seattle Opera, where he has served on nearly 100 productions since 1991, including multiple Ring cycles. He has also worked with San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Portland Opera, and Central City Opera. This summer, he conducted the North American premiere of disPlace by Joan Magrane and Raquel García-Tomás with the Rising Waters Collective.
Rozendaal is a member of the voice faculty at Western Washington University and serves as music director for Western’s Opera Studio. He has appeared regularly throughout the Pacific Northwest in recital, chamber, and concert engagements.
Hannah Strickland, Violin
Originally from Upstate New York, Hannah Strickland began studying violin in third grade and relocated to central Florida the following year. She served as concertmaster of both her high school and college symphonies and attended Elon University in North Carolina on academic and musical scholarships. She majored in Music Production & Recording Arts and minored in German Studies.
After graduating in 2020, Strickland settled in Bellingham, where she regularly composes and records string parts for other musicians and releases original music under the name Hannah Wyatt. She is excited to join the BSO after having served as a substitute musician several times in the past. Outside of music, she enjoys rainy days, learning aerial dance, and spending time with her partner and two cats.
Christian Trusedell, Violin
Christian Trusedell moved to Bellingham two years ago after earning a degree in chemical engineering. He grew up playing in his school orchestra and the Bellevue Youth Symphony and joined the BSO as a substitute last season. He is excited to continue playing with “such wonderful people” as a member of the orchestra.
In his free time, Trusedell enjoys being outdoors and hiking the trails around Bellingham. His favorite hike so far has been the Chain Lakes Loop. When the weather gets colder, he enjoys skiing and baking goodies for friends and family.
Jeanette Winckell, Violin
Jeanette Winckell has been playing violin for 32 years and earned her master’s degree in violin performance from Western Washington University in 2012. She spent many years performing with what was then called the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra before taking a long hiatus from music to raise her children. “I’m really excited to be a part of the Bellingham classical music scene again,” she says.
Recently, Winckell has performed with the Bellingham Community Chamber Orchestra, Skagit Symphony, and the Magnolia Quartet.
Shae Wirth, Horn
Shae Wirth began playing euphonium before taking up horn in ninth grade. He was drawn to the instrument in part because his mother played horn when she was young and introduced him to it at an early age. Wirth currently lives in Seattle and works as a freelance horn player.
The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is pleased to welcome these musicians to its 2026/2027 roster and looks forward to sharing their talents with audiences throughout the season.
For the complete season lineup and ticket information, visit bellinghamsymphony.org.
The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the historic Mount Baker Theatre. It performs six concerts each season, in addition to two educational concerts and a variety of community and youth engagement programs throughout the year. The BSO is dedicated to creating powerful musical experiences and making classical music accessible to audiences throughout the region.
For more information about the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, its 2026/2027 season, and tickets, visit bellinghamsymphony.org.
