Nurturing the next generation of musicians

Music Director and Conductor of the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, Dr. Ernest Pereira previously conducted the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, leading them in performances at Charlotte’s Festival in the Park, Summer Pops at Symphony Park, as well as at national concert venues in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, SC, for Piccolo Spoleto. Under Pereira’s baton, the CSYO performed twice at the prestigious venue of Carnegie Hall in New York City, in 2002 and 2017. In 2020, he led the YOC in a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has guest conducted the Charlotte Civic Orchestras and appeared on several local chamber music series as either a violinist or conductor. Dr. Pereira was featured at the Charlotte Symphony’s annual Youth Festival, conducting the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the JYO and CSYO, as well as the combined professional and youth orchestras.

Dr. Pereira co-directed, with Dr. Paul Nitsch, the Fun with Chamber Music program for youth at Queens University of Charlotte and has taught violin at Queens. Students from his orchestra and private teaching studio have gone on to major in music at noted conservatories and universities, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, the University of Texas at Austin, Yale School of Music, Peabody Institute at the Johns Hopkins University, Oberlin College, North Carolina School of the Arts, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University. Graduates of his studio and orchestras also hold performing and teaching positions in many of the nation’s orchestras and universities, as well as having musical careers in film, television, and non-classical genres.

A native of South Africa, Dr. Pereira received his early training in violin in Pretoria from Walter Mony and Alan Solomon, and holds Teacher and Performer Licentiates from the University of South Africa. He studied in this country with David Cerone, graduating as valedictorian from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1981 and a Master of Music degree in 1982. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, studying with Vincent Frittelli. Dr. Pereira served as Concertmaster of both the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as well as the University of Texas Orchestra, and conducted the University of Texas String Project Orchestra. Dr. Pereira served as a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 2023. He has appeared frequently as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, South Africa, and Namibia, and has soloed with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Civic Orchestra. He believes strongly in educating young musicians and maintains an active and successful violin studio. With the newly created YOC, Dr. Pereira continues to foster musical excellence in orchestral performance, drawing on over 30 years of professional experience.

Erinn Frechette joined the Charlotte Symphony as Piccolo/Third Flute in June 2002. Previously she has been a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and the Sorg Opera Company Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has performed as Principal Flutist of the Ethos Chamber Orchestra and Queen City Virtuosi, with Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Suzuki and Friends Chamber Music Series, Fresh Ink, the Charlotte New Music Festival, Providence Chamber Music Series, and Friends of Music Series.

In addition to her orchestral duties, she maintains an active teaching schedule, and her reputation as an informative, engaging, and entertaining pedagogue has led to appearances as a Master Class Clinician and Recitalist at East Carolina University’s Flute Symposium, the Eastern Iowa Flute Association’s High School Flute Day, the Raleigh Area Flute Association, the South Carolina Flute Society’s Spring Flute Festival and Fall Seminar, The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, The University of South Carolina, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Pembroke, Frostburg State University, and Charleston Southern University. She served as acting Professor of Flute at The University of South Carolina during the Winter, 2016 semester, and as Adjunct Professor of Flute at Wingate University from 2014–2023.

Appearances include performances and discussion panels at the National Flute Association’s 2006, 2008, 2011, 2016, and 2017 Annual Conventions, Northwestern University’s Tribute to Walfrid Kujala Concert, and the Florida Flute Association’s Annual Flute Fair and Convention. Erinn has also served as an adjudicator for the 2006 NFA High School Soloist Competition, the 2008 and 2011 NFA Orchestral Audition Competition, the 2016 NFA Piccolo Artist Competition, and the 2017 Piccolo Orchestral Audition Competition. Additionally, Erinn has served as Competition Coordinator for the National Flute Association Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition and as a board member and competition coordinator for the South Carolina Flute Society.

Erinn has been a prize winner in numerous competitions including first place in both the National Flute Association’s Young Artist and Piccolo Artist Competitions. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Primary teachers include Walfrid Kujala, Jack Wellbaum, Bradley Garner, and Richard Graef. Erinn is proud to perform on a Burkart Silver Flute, Brannen Brothers Cocus Wood and Keefe Grenadilla Wood Piccolos, and a Trevor James Alto Flute.

Cole Freeman is the Orchestra Director at Myers Park and David W. Butler High Schools in Charlotte, NC where he teaches intermediate and advanced orchestra classes, chamber music, and AP music theory. Previously, he was the Orchestra Director at South Mecklenburg High and Quail Hollow Middle Schools. Mr. Freeman has also maintained a significant private lesson studio during his years as an educator.

As a musician, Mr. Freeman has played in multiple professional orchestras across North Carolina since the age of 16, performing alongside artists such as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Andrea Bocelli, and Molly Ringwald. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Freeman has his own string quartet, the Linden Quartet, which he performs with regularly, along with many other chamber ensembles in the Charlotte region.

Mr. Freeman graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education (Summa Cum Laude) from UNC Greensboro in 2018. He studied violin under Dr. Fabian Lopez, Calin Lupanu, and Steve Kamradt and studied string pedagogy under Dr. Rebecca MacLeod.

Outside of music, Mr. Freeman holds a black belt and multiple national championships in Judo. He enjoys running long distances with friends and has finished several marathons. He qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2019. Despite having such varied interests, he most of all enjoys spending time at home with his true loves, his wife Tori and his young son Gray.

Courtney Guthrie is a violist and strings teacher at Community House Middle School in Charlotte, NC. As a North Carolina native, Ms. Guthrie began her orchestral career in her public school orchestra and performed with the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras under the direction of Dr. Pereira. She received a Bachelor’s of Music degree from UNC-Greensboro in 2012.

Ms. Guthrie’s groups consistently earn Superior ratings at North Carolina Western Region Music Performance Adjudication, Guilford County Schools Festival, and Music in the Parks Festival at Carowinds. Many of her students are often selected to represent Community House Middle School in CMS Honors Orchestra, Jr. Western Region Orchestra, Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, and the Union Symphony Youth Orchestras.

Currently, Ms. Guthrie is the Co-Director of the YOC Sinfonia Strings, the viola sectional coach for the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra, and an active freelance violist having performed with the Union Symphony Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic, and at other various ceremonies and events.

Ms. Guthrie resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband Brian Booth and their dog, Connor.