Ellen Stokoe

Ellen Sonnenberg, a native of Wisconsin, joined the RPO in 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music in 2016, studying with Federico Agostini. She continued her studies at Eastman with RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde, graduating with her Master of Music degree in 2018. During her time at Eastman, Ellen served as a graduate teaching assistant and spent several years as a Concertmaster, leading the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman Opera Orchestra, and the Eastman Philharmonia. Before joining the RPO, Ellen was a member of Symphoria in Syracuse, NY.

Ellen began her violin studies at age five, after her mom saw an advertisement in the paper for a violin teacher. She continued her musical studies with former Assistant and Associate Concertmasters of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Jerome Franke and Samantha George. Ellen is now a devout violin teacher in the Rochester area, having completed courses in Suzuki Teacher Training at Ithaca College. She maintains a large private studio and serves as a Suzuki Instructor at St. Peter’s Community Arts Academy in Geneva.

Ellen participated in several summer festivals, including the National Repertory Orchestra, the Orford Academy of Music, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she was an Emerson Scholar. She also participated in the Collegium Musicum Summer Academy at Weissenstein Castle in Pommersfelden, Germany, serving as principle second violin and soloing with the chamber orchestra.