About the Workshop

This year we are celebrating the 15th Chaparral Chamber Music Workshop!

The Workshop will be held May 29-31, 2026 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Avenue in Prescott, Arizona, 86303.

Individuals and Pre-formed groups are encouraged! Pre-formed groups may come with their own repertoire or can choose rep in consultation with faculty. 

Limited SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE for youth and adults! Please apply early if you are interested.

Testimonials from past participants:

  • “All music, all day. What could be better?”
  • “You offer more than a chance to play with people all day- you offer professional expertise in the coaching.”
  • “I really enjoyed this whole experience. Thank you so much for the scholarship.”
  • “Drumming circle was a great tool to explore ensemble playing.”
  • “I liked the experience of putting together and playing a few pieces in a limited amount of time. It’s a good skill to have.”
  • “I like the diversity of the group. Sure enjoy these workshops.”
  • “I liked that there were people of all ages that got together with the interest of music and played together. It was fun and a great experience.” (youth participant)

FACULTY BIOS

Seventh Roadrunner Ensemble, founded in 2010 by Andrew O’Brien, Katherine Shields, and Brian Viliunas (clarinet), was juried onto the Teaching Artists Roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. They have performed at various venues, including the Silverton (CO) Chamber Music Festival, Colorado Mesa University, Scottsdale CC, Glendale CC, Wickenburg Concert Series, Church of the Epiphany Concerts, and Friendship Village (Tempe). They’ve collaborated with artists such as clarinetists Stefanie Gardner, Joshua Mietz, Jun Watabe, and soprano Cynthia Elek. Since 2014, they have coached and performed at the Chaparral Chamber Music Workshop in Prescott.


Katherine Shields (CCMW Director, viola) holds a doctorate and master’s from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s from Northwestern University. She is a member of the Arizona Opera Orchestra and violist of Quartet Sabaku, on the Teaching Artists Roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Katherine started chamber music studies in junior high at the Music Center of the North Shore (Winnetka, IL) and had coaching with members of the Fine Arts Quartet. At Indiana University, she studied chamber with Eva Czako Janzer of the Grumiaux Trio. Her chamber music appearances include Festival de las Artes (Sinaloa, Mexico), Breckenridge Music Festival (CO), ASU Faculty Recital Series, Chamber Music on the Mountain at Echo Glen, Green Valley Concert Society, and Glendale Public Library. She founded the Chaparral Chamber Music Workshop in 2011.

Jacquelyn Schwandt (viola) enjoys a multifaceted career as a teacher, chamber musician, orchestral performer, and recitalist. She serves as Professor of Viola at Northern Arizona University, Associate Director of the Kitt School of Music at NAU, Principal Viola of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the string faculty at the NAU Curry Summer Music Camp.

An active educator, Dr. Schwandt has taught at music camps and presented master classes throughout the western United States and abroad, including at Soochow University, Tainan University, and the National Taiwan University of Arts, as well as served as a clinician at the Black Hills String Retreat, Arizona Suzuki Institutes, Arizona Chamber Music Experience, and the Chaparral Chamber Music Workshop. She has completed recital tours in Taiwan and Spain and has performed at the International Viola Congress, the International Double Reed Society Conference, and the International Music by Women Festival.

As a soloist, she has appeared with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, the Newport Symphony Orchestra (Oregon), and the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra in Denver, where the Denver Post praised her “smooth, warm tone.” Dr. Schwandt holds degrees from the University of Oregon (DMA), Wichita State University (MM), and Southern Methodist University (BM).


Stefanie Harger Gardner (clarinet) Dr. Stefanie Harger Gardner is an acclaimed clarinetist, educator, and advocate for new music and inclusivity in the arts. She serves as Music Program Director at Glendale Community College, where she leads Team Lo-Blow, the world’s largest active low clarinet choir. Formerly on the clarinet faculty at Northern Arizona University, Gardner has built an international reputation as a performer, leader, and champion of contemporary music.

Recognized among “100 Famous Female Clarinetists Throughout History,” Gardner maintains a vibrant performance career with Arizona Opera, the Phoenix Symphony, AZ MusicFest, the internationally celebrated Paradise Winds, and the award-winning Égide Duo, whose mission is to commission and perform works that inspire social change. Her cross-genre collaborations include performances with Jason Alexander, Pitbull, Ceelo, Danny Elfman, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, David and Katherine McPhee Foster, Jordin Sparks, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Hanson, and The Who. Her chamber recordings on the Soundset label are available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube, and she has commissioned or premiered more than 100 new works for clarinet and bass clarinet.

Gardner has performed at major international conferences including the International Clarinet Association, International Double Reed Society, North American Saxophone Alliance, International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, National Flute Association, and the International Viola Society. Recent engagements include performances at the Calefax Reed Quintet Festival in the Netherlands, Clarinets on Stage in Ghent, Belgium, the European Clarinet Congress in Salerno, Italy, with additional guest artist residencies across the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Italy, Austria, and Mexico. During the summers, she serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory Bass Clarinet Intensive, the Musician Enrichment Foundation, and the Henri Selmer Paris Academy.

A visionary leader in the clarinet community, Gardner founded the ICA Low Clarinet Festival and the ICA New Music Weekend during her tenure as Chair of the International Clarinet Association New Music Committee. She most recently chaired the ICA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Committee, furthering her dedication to creating a clarinet community that celebrates diversity and fosters belonging (see clarEquality.com).

An accomplished researcher and pedagogue, Gardner earned first prize in the ICA Research Competition for her groundbreaking study “An Investigation of Finger Motion and Hand Posture during Clarinet Performance,” conducted in collaboration with the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at Arizona State University using CyberGloves® technology.

Her recent honors include recognition as a 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Quarterfinalist, inclusion among Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals, and receiving Arizona State University’s “Outstanding Contributions in Private Teaching” award. She also serves as a reviewer for W.W. Norton music theory and aural skills textbooks.

Gardner holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Clarinet Performance from Arizona State University, where she studied with Robert Spring. She is a Henri Selmer Paris/Conn-Selmer Performing Artist, a Silverstein Pro Team Artist, and a Gleichweit Performing Artist.


Andrew O’Brien (piano) received his doctorate in piano performance from Arizona State University. He has performed at the Tempe Center for the Arts and as soloist with San Tan Orchestra and Scottsdale Concert Band. Andrew teaches piano at his private studio in Prescott Valley. He is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Canada and the Music Development Program, and adjudicates for the Arizona State Music Teachers Association. Andrew has studied with Robert McDowell, Pawel Checinski, Gabriel Chodos, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, and Robert Hamilton. He has been coaching at CCMW since 2015.

Maria Flurry (percussion) serves as principal timpanist in the Flagstaff Symphony and the Arizona Philharmonic. She received critical acclaim for her performances of Tan Dun’s Water Concerto for Water Percussion in Spokane, Tucson, Flint (MI), and Flagstaff. With her husband, Henry Flurry, she performs concerts in schools, libraries, and recital halls as the duo Sticks and Tones. Having taught in public and charter schools, Mrs. Flurry now enjoys teaching privately at her home in Prescott. She relishes time spent with her family and her dog, Copper. Her daughter, Anna, is an alumna of CCMW. Maria has been coaching at CCMW since 2021.