For his newest SYMPHONYFUSE creation, composer/conductor Steve Hackman takes on the music of one of the most prolific and omnipresent artists this world has ever seen: Taylor Swift. This musical re-imagination will celebrate her singular and iconic songwriting voice by weaving greatest hits together with hidden gems in a new through-composed symphonic tapestry. It will draw unexpected comparisons between songs and unearth new musical easter eggs, promising to keep even the most dedicated Swiftie on their toes! Four vocalists and full band join the orchestra, creating an transformative soundscape that will elevate the music of one of the greatest artists in the world to new heights.
About The Artists:
Zoe D’Andrea
Zoe D’Andrea is a Los Angeles-based singer, musician, and performer who’s been making music since age six. With early roots in musical theatre and piano, she began gigging in high school and went on to study voice and piano in USC’s Popular Music program. Since then, she’s performed at venues like Carnegie Hall and Staples Center, voiced characters for Netflix’s Go Dog Go, and appeared on screen in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Last Thing He Told Me, and I Can See Your Voice. She’s had the joy of working with Steve on shows celebrating The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and his original work, and is beyond excited to return for this Taylor Swift show.
@zoedandrea
Kaedi Dalley
Hailing from Bronx, NY, Kaedi Dalley is a multifaceted artist of intention. Raised by a plethora of musical backgrounds - from her Jamaican reggae & dancehall roots, to church & school choir singing, to sultry R&B & fundamentals of a cappella - Kaedi's numerous influences bleed through her solo and collaborative work. She is a part of the girl group Citizen Queen, produced by Scott Hoying of Pentatonix and known for viral YouTube covers such as Evolution of Girl Groups. A budding and confident songwriter, she has helped to pen K-pop group TWICE's leading single MOONLIGHT SUNRISE from their project READY TO BE in 2023. Keen to share her solo journey by firstly highlighting her Jamaican roots, she dropped reggae single SEASONS CHANGING as KAEDI PHILO this past April. Kaedi has worked with Steve Hackman in Sun Valley this past March, helping to ring in the accomplishments of the US Ski Team with Chairman Kip Nelson and Board of Trustees.
@kdphilo
Brayla
Brayla is a 25 year old singer-songwriter. She is fast making her place in the industry through her music, which infuses the soulful harmonies of R&B with Gospel and Jazz infused rhythms to create a sound that is unique to only her. She favors her outstanding blend of background vocals as one of her most prized elements of her artistry, and has worked with Steve Hackman on several of his productions including Beethoven X Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era. As she pushes forward in her pursuits, Brayla aspires to continue to be a student of music throughout her career. Her hope is to inspire many more like her to enjoy the freedom of expression that lies within the beauty of art.
@brays.anatomy
Rachel Gonzalez
LA native Singer-Songwriter Rachel Gonzalez is a blend of soul driven melodies & intentionally honest storytelling. Her voice carries her message of healing straight to your heart, and is something you can’t quite ignore. Growing up singing in church and high school choir sparked her love for music, and her time at Berklee College of Music inspired her to develop her voice and sound. Now, she is pursuing her love for music in many different facets, as an artist releasing her own original music, as a vocalist singing for other artists such as Elmiene, Zayn, Lawrence, and Lainey Wilson.
@rachelgonzz
TaRon Lockett
Dallas native, TaRon Lockett is a 3x Grammy Nominated drummer and producer. TaRon has worked with Snoop Dogg, Prince, Ceelo Green, Erykah Badu, Willie Nelson, Sheila E., Ledisi, Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles, and Steve Hackman in his productions of Beethoven X Beyoncé, Resurrection Mixtape, Igor Damn Stavinsky, and Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era.
@taronlockett_
Dmitry Gorodetsky
Dmitry Gorodetsky has performed, toured and recorded with the following artists: Kacey Musgraves, Charlie Puth, Usher, John Legend, Three Dog Night, Raphael Saadiq, Ledisi, Dionne Warwick along with many others. He has toured all over Europe, Africa, South America, Middle East as well as US and North America. He has also made many TV appearances including The Voice, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Good Morning America, Ellen Show, Today Show, VH1 amongst many other TV series and commercials. Also recently he was part of a Grammy winning album by John Legend Bigger Love, which won in the category of R&B Album of the Year. For the past three years, he has toured the world with Usher including playing in the most recent Super Bowl Halftime Show. He has also recently been in NBC’s The Voice house band for Season 27 as well as recently performing with some of the top symphony orchestras in the US including LA Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and St. Louis Symphony.
@tallbassist
Jonathan Huber
Jonathan Huber is a multi-instrumentalist, who studied jazz piano performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He now resides in Los Angeles, CA, and has since played/toured with a wide variety of musicians such as Felix Pastorious, Kiefer, Liv.e, Bilal, Amaria, Cisco Swank, Luke Titus, Matisyahu, Fiji Blue, Joey Dosik, Juliana Chahayed, and more. Jonathan loves to use his expansive harmonic knowledge to reharmonize songs that people are familiar with and recognize, to give them an opportunity to hear it in a new light. He also takes joy in the act of adding harmony to anything such as dogs barking, or particularly musical creaky doors. He posts these videos on his instagram where he has amassed a following of over 45k people. He has some music out on Spotify under the artist name Hubie, and plans to release more original music in the near future. But he mainly works as a sideman and loves to take the role of accompanist to his friends and artists he admires.
@huberjonathan
Simon R. Tiffin
Simon R. Tiffin is an accomplished choral conductor, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach whose versatility has taken him to concert halls across the United States. He has collaborated extensively with composer, conductor, and producer Steve Hackman, serving as both pianist and vocal coach for high-profile productions. Recent credits include The Beatles Reimagined with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, The Beatles Reimagined at Stanford University’s Frost Amphitheater, and Hackman’s original work The Brink (Part One). Tiffin’s work with Hackman bridges classical artistry with innovative, genre-blending projects that push the boundaries of traditional performance.
In addition to his collaborations with Hackman, Tiffin maintains an active career in choral music. He is the Artistic Director of The Chorale of Champaign-Urbana, where he recently conducted John Rutter’s Requiem, Director of Music at Faith United Methodist Church, and Director of the flagship Chamber Choir of the Central Illinois Youth Chorus. He also performs as a member of Chicago’s Music of the Baroque chorus, Montana’s professional chorus Roots in the Sky, and numerous other professional ensembles.
Currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Illinois, Tiffin has studied with esteemed conductors Dr. Andrea Solya, Dr. Andrew Major, and Dr. Andrew Megill. He was recently selected to participate in the McGill University Summer Choral Conducting Symposium with Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Equally at home in classical, musical theatre, and contemporary music, Tiffin’s performances are marked by a deep commitment to musical excellence, stylistic versatility, and artistic collaboration. His work in Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era continues his mission to create transformative musical experiences that resonate with diverse audiences.
@thesimontiffin
Brad Allen Williams
Although known for his surrealistic guitar stylism, Brad Allen Williams describes himself as a “professional listener.” Improvisation is a core musical value that animates collaborations and solo projects alike, informing the openness, curiosity, presence, and relentless thirst for context that are his hallmarks. In his work with artists like Brittany Howard, Bilal and Nate Smith, among others, Williams grounds outwardly-bold aesthetic choices in encyclopedic knowledge. On his 2023 release œconomy, he casts himself in productive opposition to his instrument, which he describes as “overleveraged in the last 100 years of popular music.” The mission is at once modest and extremely ambitious: he aspires to reimagine the guitar’s role and function on an atomic level, all while keeping service of music at the center.
@bradallenwilliams
Andrea Jarrett
Named a 2009 Presidential Scholar in the Arts by the U.S. Department of Education, violinist Andrea Jarrett has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for the last decade. Prior to starting her professional career in St. Louis, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and her Master of Music degree from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Andrea has performed as a guest with the San Diego Symphony, The Minnesota Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and made her St. Louis Symphony solo debut with Music Director Stéphane Denève in 2019. She has appeared in several of Steve Hackman's performances including Brahms x Radiohead, The Beatles And I Love Her, and Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin.
@acjarrett
Sydney Hartwick
Sydney Hartwick is a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, serving as their Assistant Principal Second Violin. She began her musical studies at age six, and has since enjoyed a varied career.
As a soloist, Sydney has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, and the American Fork Symphony (Utah). Sydney’s summer studies included attending the Aspen Music Festival and Sarasota Music Festival, both as a fellowship recipient. Sydney has performed at the Britt Music Festival, and most recently just finished performing her second season at the Sun Valley Music Festival.
Growing up, Sydney attended the Jacobs School of Music pre-college program where she was a member of the Violin Virtuosi, and toured the US/Argentina performing both solo and ensemble repertoire. Sydney holds a BM and MM degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, as well as a Professional Studies Certificate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Sydney is a frequent substitute violinist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony, and has played with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and the New World Symphony.
Over the years, Sydney has performed in many of Steve Hackman’s symphony fusions, including Brahms V. Radiohead, The Resurrection Mixtape (Mahler X. Notorious B.I.G. X. 2Pac), And I Love Her (The Beatles Reimagined), Beethoven X. Coldplay, Beethoven X Beyonce, and Igor Damn Stravinsky.
Marylène Gingras-Roy
A native of Québec City, Canada, Marylène Gingras-Roy has been a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony since 1997 and is currently the Acting Assistant Principal Viola. She studied at the renowned Curtis Institute of music, at the Harid Conservatory and Québec Music Conservatory.. Marylène is Adjunct Professor of viola at Duquesne University and has a private home studio. She is also an orchestra coach for the Three River Young Peoples orchestra and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. Marylène has been featured as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Duquesne University Orchestra and Symphonette and has been performing at the Sun Valley Summer Music Festival since 2000.
Bjorn Ranheim
Cellist Bjorn Ranheim has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra since 2005 and has appeared as soloist with the SLSO, New World Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, Monteux Festival Orchestra, and National Repertory Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has performed with a distinguished roster of artists including James Ehnes, Cho-Liang Lin, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Olga Kern, Orli Shaham, and Branford Marsalis. He is a frequent guest artist at esteemed series and festivals such as the Jackson Hole Chamber Music Festival, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, and Chamber Music Society of St. Louis. His performances have taken him around the globe, with highlights at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Gardner Museum, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Past projects with Steve Hackman include his Beatles and Bob Dylan shows at the Argyros in 2023 and numerous orchestral projects with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Music Festival. Mr. Ranheim enjoys a rich family life in the heart of St. Louis, where he resides with his wife Dorie, their daughters Inga and Freya, and their spirited Hungarian Vizsla, Ginger.
@CelloBjorn