Early Music Festival
The Valley Conservatory Early Music Festival (VCEMF) was established in 2013 to introduce the community to early music and period instruments through lectures, master classes, and concerts.
Held annually in September, the festival celebrates the rich musical traditions of earlier centuries through performances by distinguished musicians and the Valley Conservatory Early Music Festival Orchestra.
The festival provides a unique opportunity for audiences to experience historically informed performances, discover the beauty of period instruments, and engage with artists through meaningful musical dialogue.
Sunday, September 27, 2026 – 4:00 pm
Church of the Nativity, 208 Eustis Avenue SE in Huntsville, AL 35801
This year’s festival concert will feature the Valley Conservatory Early Music Festival Artists and Orchestra performing works by Bach, Albinoni, and Handel.
Featured performances include Albinoni’s Concerto for Two Oboes in F Major with Jared Hauser and Lara Lay, along with performances by Marshall Sealy on horn and Rolf Goebel on harpsichord.
The concert will conclude with the Festival Orchestra performing Johann Bernhard Bach’s Overture No. 2 in G Major.
The concert is open to the public and encourages dialogue between artists and audience.
Let history’s melodies resonate in a unique musical experience.
Free Admission — Bring a Friend!
2026 Early Music Festival Artists
Dr. Beatrice Renee Collins-Tyree — Festival Director / Harpsichord
Dr. Beatrice Renee Collins-Tyree is the founding director of Valley Conservatory. Her distinguished career spans conducting, teaching, and performing.
As a conductor, she has directed numerous orchestras throughout the United States, including the Colorado Symphony, Women’s Philharmonic of San Francisco, Denver Young Artist Orchestra, Alabama All-State Reading Orchestra, West Tennessee All-State Orchestra, Junior Orchestra of the Alabama String Teachers Association Honor Strings Festival, Huntsville Youth Orchestra, Oakwood College Symphony Orchestra, and Michigan State University Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. She has also conducted members of the Aspen School of Music Festival Orchestra, where she was a conducting scholarship recipient.
In addition to her conducting experience, Dr. Collins-Tyree has taught music education at all levels, including applied piano and violin at the collegiate level. She has performed with numerous orchestras as a member of the violin and viola sections.
She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Piano Performance from the University of Northern Colorado, as well as a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University.
Her biography is listed in the International Who’s Who in Music.
Mary Anne Dellaquila — Violin II
Mary Anne Dellaquila is an accomplished violinist and music educator who retired from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2023 after 37 years as Assistant Principal Second Violin, including five years as Acting Principal Second Violin.
During her tenure with the orchestra, she performed extensively in chamber music settings, including the Suzuki and Friends Chamber Orchestra and University of Indianapolis faculty recitals. She was also actively involved in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Community Conservatory School Partnership.
Her teaching experience includes the University of Indianapolis Community Center, Interlochen Center for the Arts summer session, and Kent State University’s Canton campus.
Before joining the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Dellaquila served as concertmaster of the Canton Symphony Orchestra and first violinist of the Canton Symphony String Quartet.
Her teachers include David Cerone, formerly of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Bernhard Goldschmidt, former Principal Second Violin of The Cleveland Orchestra. She earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Allen Ohmes.
Jeffrey Dortch — Violin I
Violinist Jeffrey Dortch is a graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York where he studied with violinist/conductor Pamela Gearhart. Before Ithaca, Mr. Dortch studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where his teacher was noted violinist Sylvia Rosenberg. He has also worked with Israeli violinist and pedagogue Yair Kless and with Henry Rubin, former faculty member of the University of Alabama.
Mr. Dortch was Associate Concertmaster of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra from 1995 until retiring from the post in 2019. He has had two solo appearances with HSO. He has also been an active recitalist and chamber musician, appearing as part of numerous local and regional chamber music series. Mr. Dortch has also performed extensively with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham, Alabama.
Mr. Dortch is passionate about equipping the next generation of musicians through his teaching activities. Throughout his decades as teacher and mentor to many talented young violinists, Mr. Dortch has seen numerous of his students develop significant musical careers of their own. More recently, Mr. Dortch has sought extensive training in Body Mapping, a cutting-edge discipline which seeks to help musicians achieve physical ease and avoid injury through clear understanding of movement as it relates to musical performance. His mentor in this area is Jennifer Johnson, author of numerous books on the subject.
Rolf J. Goebel, Ph.D. — Harpsichord
Rolf J. Goebel, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor of German Emeritus at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. An organist and harpsichordist specializing in 16th- and 17th-century repertoire, he has served as Dean, Sub-Dean, and Member-at-Large of the Board of the Greater Huntsville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Jared Hauser — Oboe I
Jared Hauser is an internationally accomplished oboist, educator, and recording artist whose career spans historical and contemporary music. Praised by Gramophone for his sensitive and elegant playing, he serves as Associate Professor of Oboe at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and principal oboe of the Nashville Opera Orchestra.
A dedicated performer of historical instruments, Hauser performs with Music City Baroque and has appeared with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Bella Baroque, and the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin College. His orchestral experience includes performances with the Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville symphony orchestras, as well as service as principal oboe of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.
An active chamber musician, he performs with the Blair Woodwind Quintet, Montrose Duo, and Intersection. His international engagements have taken him throughout North America, South America, and Europe.
Hauser’s discography includes nearly 20 solo and chamber recordings, and his performances have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today, BBC Radio 3, and CBC/Radio-Canada. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory, Rice University, and Michigan State University.
Mark Huff — Bass
Mark Huff was born in Ohio and has his Bachelors in Music from Miami University of Ohio and a Masters Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a DMA from UA.
Mr. Huff is a member of the Huntsville Symphony and teaches bass at the University of Alabama Huntsville, Alabama A & M University, and at Huntsville Strings.
Dr. Huff has been a choir director for multiple churches and a congressional candidate for northern Alabama. He remains active in church and in politics as well as music.
Kevin Lay — Bass Viola da Gamba
Kevin Lay has been performing, teaching and composing music for over 40 years. His instruments of study have been cello, guitar, piano, and other “Early” instruments such as the violas da gamba and lute. Kevin has an undergraduate degree in cello performance from The University of Tennessee, and a Masters degree in Historical Performance from Indiana University. He has been involved in extensive studies of “early music” practices from the Renaissance and Baroque period working with Atlanta Baroque, Florida State, Nashville’s Early Music City and other institutions.
Kevin’s recent projects include founding the group Madison Early Music Project, the Indy-Folk band Tree Hugger and joining the Celtic Band Soltice.
Lara Lay — Oboe II
Lara Lay, Oboe/Baroque Oboe, earned a B.A. in music from Case Western Reserve University through its joint program with Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Elizabeth Camus and John Mack of the Cleveland Orchestra. She was awarded the oboe graduate assistantship to Florida State University, where she earned an M.M. and most of her D.M.A. While at FSU, she studied baroque oboe with George Riordan, and enjoyed playing with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra from 1999 through 2019.
Ms. Lay has called North Alabama home for the last 20 years, and is currently principal oboe of Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello and the Shoals Symphony Orchestra. She is adjunct faculty at University of North Alabama, maintains a private studio, and is an active freelance oboist with local churches and arts organizations.
Eurydice V. Osterman, D.M.A. — Organ
Eurydice V. Osterman, D.M.A., is a Fulbright scholar, published author, and composer whose works have been performed internationally. Her compositions are documented in Music by Black Women Composers: A Bibliography of Available Scores by Helen Walker-Hill, and her life and music are the subject of a dissertation by Angelique Clay.
Dr. Osterman has received composition commissions from the American Guild of Organists National Convention, the Harvard University Choir (2024), and Princeton Theological Seminary (2026). She is the author of What God Says About Music and Worship: From Praise Him to Praise Hymn.
She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Andrews University and her Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of Alabama. She previously chaired the music departments at Oakwood University and Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica.
An internationally recognized music educator, Dr. Osterman has conducted seminars throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. Her compositions have been published by GIA Publications, The Lorenz Corporation, Augsburg Fortress, and Gentry Publishing.
Sarah Ruff — Viola
Sarah Ruff is a British-born, American-based multi-instrumentalist, educator, conductor, and performer whose career spans more than two decades in music education and performance. Originally from Wolverhampton, England, she began her musical training in piano and violin through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and performed with the Wolverhampton Youth Symphony and Wolverhampton Grammar School Orchestra.
As a versatile performer, Sarah has appeared as a violinist, pianist, vocalist, and collaborative artist in numerous educational, community, and professional settings. Most recently, she served on the music team that helped bring music to the Super Bowl, contributing to one of the world’s most celebrated sporting and entertainment events.
Sarah’s teaching career includes more than twenty years with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system, where she taught elementary, middle, and high school music, directed award-winning choral and orchestral programs, and led students to performances at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall. She was recognized as Teacher of the Year and later named a Regional Finalist for Teacher of the Year in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. In recognition of her impact on music education, she was also named a quarterfinalist for the prestigious Grammy Music Educator Award.
She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, where she directs the String Ensemble and Orchestra, coordinates the Music Education Program, and teaches courses in music theory, ear training, orchestration, and music pedagogy.
A passionate advocate for arts accessibility, Sarah is the founder and director of The String Project, a free community-based program that provides instrumental instruction to underserved students. Her work as a performer, educator, and mentor is grounded in a commitment to musical excellence, lifelong learning, and creating opportunities for the next generation of musicians.
Drew Sarette — Violin II
Drew Sarette is a teacher and freelance violinist. He holds bachelor’s and masters degrees from Samford University and the University of Louisville, and has studied Suzuki violin pedagogy (units 1-10) with teacher-trainer Dr. Timothy Durbin. He has taught students ranging from age four to the university level, and his students have participated in Floyd County Youth Symphony, Kentuckiana Philharmonic, Louisville Youth Orchestra, and Indiana All-State. Students have deepened their appreciation for music, advanced to leadership positions in their ensembles, performed in regular studio recitals, and been accepted into music education programs at the University of Louisville and the University of Northern Kentucky.
Drew believes the teacher’s role is to guide and accompany the student on a journey of discovery, developing a positive life-long relationship with music through the violin. Based on the Suzuki method and twenty years of traditional training, Drew uses demonstrations, stories, games, and graded repertoire to get students to experience and internalize beautiful tone, healthy motion patterns, and fluent instrumental technique.
When not teaching, Drew has served as assistant concertmaster for the Lexington Chamber Orchestra, and performs with Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sul Ponticello, Shoals Symphony Orchestra, and others on an auxiliary basis. Drew is passionate about Historical Performance, and performs on both Baroque and modern instruments.
W. Marshall Sealy — Horn
W. Marshall Sealy is a New York City native and accomplished hornist whose career spans classical, jazz, Broadway, and world music. He began studying horn at age eight and attended the Manhattan School of Music and Ithaca College, where he received music and soccer scholarships.
His extensive performance career includes appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Company of Boston, Gateways Festival Orchestra, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco in Mexico. He has appeared as a soloist with the Plovdiv Symphony in Bulgaria, Brooklyn Symphony, and United States Air Force Band of Liberty.
Sealy’s Broadway experience includes Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Lion King, along with national tours of Evita and Porgy and Bess. His recording credits include collaborations with Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Nas, Max Roach, J.J. Johnson, and Taj Mahal.
An experienced educator, Sealy has served as Director of Music at the Harlem School of the Arts, Horn Professor at Berklee College of Music, and Horn Instructor at the International Music Camp. He has presented workshops and master classes internationally.
Sealy is the founder of Horn Song, a jazz and world music horn quartet, and was a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Imani Winds. He also owns and operates The Brass Shop, specializing in brass instrument repair, restoration, and modification, and is a Conn-Selmer Artist/Clinician.
Brett Stafford — Oboe
Brett Stafford is an oboist and music educator based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance from the University of Alabama, where he studied with Dr. Mary Lindsey Bailey and performed with the Huxford Symphony Orchestra, the university’s Wind Ensemble, and various chamber ensembles on both modern and historical instruments.
A founding member of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Education Quintet, Stafford has performed at schools and fundraising events throughout West Alabama. His performance experience also includes appearances with Sul Ponticello, Mannheim Steamroller, and Opera Huntsville.
Stafford currently teaches oboe at the Community Music School in Tuscaloosa and performs as second oboe and English horn with the Shoals Symphony Orchestra in Florence, Alabama.
Lindsey Tootle — Violin I
Lindsey Tootle is a Baroque violinist, educator, and arts administrator specializing in historical performance practice. She performs nationally as a soloist and chamber musician, having collaborated with members of Atlanta Baroque and Harmonie Universelle (USA), Seven Hills Baroque, Ars Perpetuum, and members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra through the Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas.
In 2024, Lindsey co-founded Bama Baroque with harpsichordist Dr. Michael Delfin. Based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the ensemble has presented sold-out concerts, introducing new audiences to the joy of early music through historically informed performance, imaginative programming, musical storytelling, and community engagement.
Lindsey previously served as principal Baroque violinist and a member of the leadership team of Cincinnati’s acclaimed Seven Hills Baroque, appearing regularly as a soloist and collaborating with period-instrument musicians throughout the region. From 2024 to 2026, she also served on Early Music America’s Emerging Professional Leadership Council (EPLC).
Having recently returned to her native Huntsville, Alabama, where she is now based, Lindsey is reconnecting with her Tennessee Valley roots while continuing to develop Bama Baroque and maintain an active, nationally recognized performance career. She performs on a 1730 Baroque violin by Peter Wamsley.
September 27, 2026 — Concert Program
1. Concerto for 2 Oboes in F Major, Op. 9 No. 3
Tomaso Albinoni (1671–1750)
Allegro
Adagio non troppo cantible
Allegro
Jared Hauser — Oboe I
Lara Lay — Oboe II
2. Trio on the Chorale “Allein Gott in der Ho sei Ehr”
Andreas Armsdorff (1670–1699)
Eurydice Osterman — Organ
3. Sonata No. 4 in C Major for Trumpet and Organ
Domenico Gabrielle (1640–1690)
Adagio–Allegro
Adagio
Presto
Eurydice Osterman — Organ
4. Pavan
Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656)
Rolf Goebel — Harpsichord
5. I See A Huntsman: from Julius Caesar
George Frederick Handel (1685–1759)
Marshall Sealy — Horn
Renee Collins-Tyree — Harpsichord
6. Overture No. 2 in G Major
Johann Bernhard Bach (1676–1749)
Overture
Gavotte en Rondeau
Sarabonde
Bouree
Air
Menuet
Gigue
La Temposte
Valley Conservatory Early Music Festival Orchestra
Festival Orchestra Personnel
VIOLIN I
Lindsey Tootle
Jeffrey Dortch
VIOLIN II
Drew Sarette
Mary Anne Dellaquila
VIOLA
Sarah Ruff
VIOLA DA GAMBA
Kevin Lay
BASS
Mark Huff
OBOE
Brett Stafford
Jared Hauser
HARPSICHORD
Dr. Beatrice Renee Collins-Tyree