Our Board of Directors

Jeff Brown

Jeff Brown is a Partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, where he focuses on copyright, trademark, entertainment, and advertising matters. He advises companies and artists on protecting, developing, and commercializing creative assets, including helping clients effectively use creative works in branding, marketing, and promotional initiatives.

A former concert producer and promoter, Jeff has been involved in live events, tours, and sponsorships, and continues to represent artists and businesses in licensing and performance-related matters.

Jeff brings a practical, creative-industry perspective to his work and is passionate about supporting organizations that create and champion music that matters.

Kay Rhie

Kay Rhie (이규림) is a composer of contemporary classical music which often explores the issues of belonging and the science of acoustics. Born in South Korea, she grew up in Los Angeles and trained in both the West and the East Coast. Her immigrant experience since her teenage years has given her an artistic base as a hybridizer. She accesses a wide-ranging palette of inspiration from classical, film, European avant-gardes music as well as various literary and artistic traditions.

Rhie’s music in which “vehemence and reticence, intimacy and plainness co-exist” (American Academy of Arts and Letters) has found an increasing audience. Past highlights include performances by the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the BBC Singers, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moscow Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, TM+, Ensemble X, Winsor Music, In Mulieribus, a commission by pianist Gloria Cheng, violinist Andrew Jennings among others.

She began playing the piano at age seven in South Korea and continued her musical studies in Los Angeles. After she studied piano performance and composition at the University of California at Los Angeles, she received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in composition at Cornell University. Her composition teachers include Steven Stucky, Roberto Sierra, Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse, David Lefkowitz, John Harbison, Samuel Adler, Stephen Hartke, and Colin Matthews. She studied piano performance with Xak Bjerken, Malcolm Bilson, and Ick-Choo Moon.

Rhie currently teaches composition and theory at UCLA as Assistant Professor of Music.

Ryan Roberts

Ryan Roberts was recently appointed Principal Oboe of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Gustavo Dudamel. He previously served as the Solo English hornist of the New York Philharmonic for six seasons where he was recognized as a “pillar of the ensemble”, and praised for his “flawless poetry” and “eloquent”, “exquisite”, “alluring solo playing” by the New York Times. Ryan also served as Principal Oboe of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center (formerly “Mostly Mozart”), and has performed as guest Principal Oboe and English horn with many of the country’s leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

While in New York, Ryan was a member of the oboe faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, Bard College Conservatory of Music and Mannes School of Music, where he also conducted the Mannes Wind Orchestra. Ryan was worked with students in the US and abroad in masterclasses and seminars at The Juilliard School, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, The Glenn Gould School, the New World Symphony, Lynn University, and many others.

Kami Turrou

President

Kami Turrou began her career in the entertainment industry in her early 20’s. She worked with several production companies including CBS Television, MGM, Castle Rock Entertainment and Paramount Television. In the early 2000s she pivoted to working with nonprofits in private and public education, where she was integral in building parent involvement and fundraising. Kami helped to develop new educational programs for Richland Avenue Elementary School in West Los Angeles, and was part of a team that created and implemented a new dual language program at the school. She was the leader in helping to build a strong administration and program that benefited children across broad demographics.

Having played music throughout her elementary, middle, and high school years, Kami understands the importance and value of music for a balanced education and life. She is a strong proponent of music education, having led parent groups in fundraising and helped build strong music programs in elementary, middle, and high schools.