Will Haapaniemi is a violinist born in Los Angeles with Finnish ancestry. He joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2014 alongside his wife and violinist Heidi Han. Haapaniemi wanted to be a violinist from the time he was two years old, when he saw Itzhak Perlman perform on Sesame Street. Many other interests competed with his practice time—some of his favorites being the martial art Capoeira, dance, and training for his glider pilot license.

Much is owed to Haapaniemi’s master violin teachers, Yoko Takebe and Michael Gilbert of the New York Philharmonic, who he studied with at the Manhattan School of Music. In high school, Haapaniemi was fortunate to study with Mark Kaplan and fondly remembers lessons with Ruggiero Ricci in his home in Palm Springs. Also of great influence was his cousin Paul Roby of the Philadelphia Orchestra and his aunt Linda Grace, whose tireless support encouraged him to be the musician he is today. Without the phenomenal support of Haapaniemi’s parents, none of this would have been possible.

Haapaniemi is active as a soloist and chamber musician, occasionally throwing viola into the mix. An avid outdoorsman, he hikes at every opportunity, and pays homage to his Finnish heritage by skiing during the winter.

Cole Randolph, a Posse Foundation Leadership scholar, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison holding degrees in mathematics, music performance, and economics. Randolph was born and raised in Washington DC and began playing the cello at the age of five. He has performed in many venues including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The White House.

Randolph studied cello under Uri Vardi and has performed in masterclasses for various artists including Alban Gerhardt, Clive Greensmith, and Timothy Eddy. Throughout his collegiate studies, Randolph participated in a myriad of musical and non-musical activities. In the summer of 2016, he had the unique opportunity to participate in the Leadership Alliance program at the University of Chicago, conducting mathematics research under the supervision of Dr. Benson Farb. Randolph presented his findings at two research symposia in Illinois and Connecticut.

A native of Rhode Island, Joseph Becker was appointed Principal Percussion of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2012. Prior to his appointment with the DSO, he was a member of the Jacksonville Symphony in Florida. He has appeared as a guest musician with many orchestras including the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, and the Kansas City Symphony.

Becker completed his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory studying with Frank Epstein and Will Hudgins; and his master’s degree from Boston University, studying with Tim Genis. A fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center from 2008 to 2009, he is an active chamber musician and a member of New Music Detroit.