Savannah Philharmonic welcomes five new musicians ahead of 2024-2025 season

The Savannah Philharmonic is thrilled to announce the addition of five exceptional musicians to its orchestra, just in time for the highly anticipated 2024-2025 season. The new musicians include Maya Johnson, Xiaodi Liu, Caitlyn Dillard, Elizabeth Crafton, and Samantha Zelnik. These accomplished artists bring a wealth of experience and passion to the Philharmonic, further enriching the ensemble’s sound and its connection to the Savannah community.

Maya Johnson – Associate Concertmaster, Violin
Maya Johnson is a violinist from Atlanta who is pursuing a master of musical arts at the Yale School of Music. She is a recent graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she earned bachelor and master of music degrees. She has served in many leadership roles with the CIM orchestra, including concertmaster under Leonard Slatkin at Severance Hall. She has also performed with Apollo’s Fire and the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and played in masterclasses for the Emerson String Quartet, Sergey Ostrovsky, and Joseph Silverstein.

As a soloist she has performed with the Augusta Symphony and Georgia Philharmonic and has most recently won second prize at the International Mozart Competition Vienna. She is an alumna of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, the Heifetz Institute, and Keshet Eilon. Major teachers include Ilya Kaler, Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler, Noriko Clift, Aaron Rosand, and Christina Khimm.

Xiaodi Liu – Principal, Oboe
Xiaodi Liu was recently named Principal Oboe of the Savannah Philharmonic. She has held positions with the Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, and the Symphony of Southeast Texas. In addition, she has performed as Guest Principal with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Phoenix Symphony, and has also appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Liu has performed at the Spoleto, Colorado College, and Aspen Music Festivals. She studied at Rice University, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Royal Northern College of Music.

Caitlyn Dillard – Violin
Caitlyn Dillard, violin, is an active solo, chamber, symphonic, recording, and teaching artist. She hails from outside Washington D.C., where she performed at the Kennedy Center, the National Theatre, and at a private dinner for the U.S. Supreme Court Justices. She is a graduate of the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University and played for the Emmy-winning PBS program, "A Night of Georgia Music" as a student. She made her international debut in the summer of 2023 in Italy at the Rome Chamber Music Festival. Dillard has held a concertmaster position in the American Youth Philharmonic and the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra, and she performs regularly with orchestras throughout the southeast. Dillard maintains a vibrant private teaching studio and helps develop the elementary strings program at a private school in Macon.

Elizabeth Crafton – Principal, French horn Elizabeth Crafton, from Savannah, is an undergraduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music and currently studies with Jennifer Montone and Jeffery Lang. Crafton has performed with many orchestras and summer music festivals including the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra.



Samantha Zelnik – Oboe Originally from Galloway, Ohio, Samantha Zelnik is currently the oboe fellow in the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, in Fort Myers, Florida, serving as principal oboist. She earned her bachelor of music degree in Oboe Performance from The Ohio State University, where she graduated magna cum laude. As a soloist, she performed the Haydn Oboe Concerto after being named a winner in The Ohio State Symphony Orchestra concerto competition. She has performed with numerous orchestras including the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Firelands Symphony Orchestra, Naples Camerata, and is a substitute musician with the New World Symphony. Samantha’s summers have been spent at the Eastern Music Festival, Rocky Ridge Music Festival, and Marrowstone Music Festival. Outside the U.S., she performed at the International Double Reed Society conference in Granada, Spain. Her major teachers include Robert Sorton and Nick Stovall.

"We are delighted to welcome these
talented musicians to our Philharmonic family," said Dr. Amy Williams, Executive Director. "Each brings unique talents and experiences that will not only enhance our performances but also resonate deeply with our audiences. Their addition marks a thrilling new chapter for our orchestra, and I look forward to the incredible music we'll create together this season.”

The addition of these five outstanding musicians is a testament to the Savannah Philharmonic’s commitment to artistic excellence and cultural enrichment. They will make their debut on stage at the 16th season opener, “Romantic Rachmaninoff,” on Aug. 24 at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts. The Savannah Philharmonic invites the community to welcome these new artists and join for a season of unforgettable musical experiences. Tickets for the 2024-2025 season are available now.

For more information, please visit www.savannahphilharmonic.org.