He is especially noted for his interest in new works, having premiered dozens of pieces over the years. He has appeared as a soloist or chamber musician in nearly half the states in the union. While primarily a normal human being, he doesn't mind the bizarre or the humorous every once in a while. For example, he has performed in a wide range of apparel, he sang a folk song and played some fiddle on an otherwise standard recital of five pieces composed by living Nebraska composers, and some lucky people have witnessed his portrayals of both Janet Jackson and Napoleon Dynamite in the annual faculty April Fool's Recital.

Mr. Potter is also the director of the Junior Youth Orchestra, an auditioned ensemble sponsored by the Lincoln Public Schools for students in grades 6-9. His primary non-musical hobby is running, and as he gets older the age group races are kinder to him! He just loves keeping up with his kids' activities, and as a native of the Great Pacific Northwest, he enjoys traveling with his family back to that area each summer, where he plays in the Oregon Coast Music Festival and teaches at the Puget Sound Chamber Music Workshop.

Graham House, French horn
Graham House has played horn with the Third Chair Chamber Players since their founding in 1997. He also has been principal horn in the Hastings Symphony Orchestra since moving to Nebraska in 1992. A native of Overland Park, Kansas, he received his Bachelor of Music from The Wichita State University and his Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to moving to Nebraska Mr. House performed with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and with Opera Kansas! as principal horn.

An active freelance player across the Midwest, he performs regularly with the Omaha Symphony, the Lincoln Symphony, the Lincoln Midwest Ballet, Nebraska Brass, Plymouth Brass and Palladium Brass, to name but a few. Mr. House has performed in such diverse venues as the O.K. Mozart Festival, The American Wind Symphony, Rod Stewart: Seated and Unplugged Tour, and as soloist with the Lincoln Municipal Band.
Mr. House has held a number of teaching positions including Instructor of Horn at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and Instructor of Music Theory at Concordia University in Seward and is currently an instructor at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. He can currently be heard across the state as an announcer on NET Radio. He is the host of Midday, Monday through Friday at noon central.

Donna Carnes, violin
Lincoln native Donna Carnes enjoys teaching violinists and violists of all ages. She currently maintains a large studio and also teaches at Union College, Prairie Hill Learning Center and Child's View Montessori. For the past 20 years Ms. Carnes has been on the faculty of SAIL music camp. She has been a clinician at numerous workshops in Nebraska and Iowa.

Ms. Carnes can frequently be heard in performances with the Third Chair Chamber Players, the Summit String Quartet and the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra (in the position of principal second violinist). She is a former member of the Classic Quartet and the Omaha Symphony.

Ms. Carnes earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied with Robert Emile. She also studied with Bernhard Goldschmidt at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Donna and her husband, Dave Hughes, are kept busy with four (!) boys—Dylan, Evan, Liam and Rhys. Dave spins records and the boys provide live cello and violin music. Look for them on the soccer field, basketball court, tennis court, baseball diamond . . .

Ed Love, clarinet and saxophone
Ed is a graduate Omaha Central High School and of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, having earned a Bachelors degree in 1970 and a Master of Music degree in 1972. While at UN-L he studied clarinet with Wesley Reist. He also studied with George Silfies, Principal clarinet of the Saint Louis Orchestra. Although clarinet was his major instrument in college, Ed's first instrument was the alto saxophone. In 1972 he was selected to the All-Star Band at the American Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. He has performed with many of the greats in jazz, including Clark Terry, Henry Mancini, Don Menza, Victor Lewis, John Fedchock, Bobby Watson and Jay McShann. Ed played clarinet in the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, with the Omaha Symphony for 12 years, and was Principal clarinet in the Opera/Omaha orchestra for 6 years.

A saxophonist with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra since 1978 and its Music Director since 1979, Ed has been a part of the music scene in Lincoln and Omaha for over 30 years. He directs the jazz bands at Lincoln Northeast High School and also teaches instrumental music to students in grades 5 - 8. He currently plays clarinet with the Lincoln Municipal Band and the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra in addition to his duties with the Third Chair Chamber Players. He is also one-fourth of Group Sax, a jazz sax quartet.

Ed has given jazz clinics and judged jazz band competitions in Lincoln, Omaha, Alma, Bellevue, Waverly, Ainsworth, Hyannis, Ogallala and Wayne, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa. He has been a guest soloist with jazz ensembles at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Wesleyan University, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Morningside College in Sioux City,Iowa. He has recorded seven albums with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, and directed the NJO at the Montreux, Switzerland, Jazz Festival in the summer of 1997.

Tracy Sands, cello
Tracy Sands is a frequent chamber player in the Lincoln area. She is a member of the Summit String Quartet, the Bachman Trio, and Third Chair Chamber Players. Sands has been a member of the Lincoln Symphony for many years and currently serves as Assistant Principal. An active teacher, she stared the first Suzuki cello studio in Nebraska. She has worked as a clinician throughout Nebraska, Iowa and Texas. The Lincoln native has been on the faculty of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Doane College. Mrs. Sands received her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University where she studied with Dudley Powers and her graduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Jefferson Campbell, bassoon
Jefferson Campbell has distinguished himself over the last several years as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician on the bassoon. Dr. Campbell has appeared as soloist in North Carolina, Kentucky, Nebraska, and in a tour of Germany including a performance of Mozart's Symphonie Concertante in Berlin. The winner of solo competitions in Kentucky and Nebraska, Jefferson has enjoyed early success in his career. As an orchestral musician, Dr. Campbell has held positions with orchestras in Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska, where he was a member of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, and the Third Chair Chamber Players. He is currently the Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Music History at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and serves on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan.

Jefferson Campbell holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Western Kentucky University, a Master of Music from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Campbell is also the author of an instructional text for the bassoon entitled Training Wheels for the Bassoon, published in 2004.

Sheri Ericksen, piano
Sheri Ericksen learned her first piano piece at age 3, taught by her grandmother. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master’s from Michigan State University. She has performed with the Lincoln Symphony and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, as well as many other local groups, students, teachers and visiting artists. She has been a member of local, state and national teachers associations and taught private piano students for more than 10 years. Sheri also maintains a career as a graphic designer, prepress coordinator and computer consultant. She served for several years as national editor and art director of the quarterly magazine of Mu Phi Epsilon, an international professional music fraternity. Sheri is a native of Hampton, Nebraska, and lives in Lincoln with her Scottish Terrier, Coco.

Rebecca Van de Bogart, Flutist and Artistic Director
Becky has played and taught in Lincoln for the past 30 years. Chamber music has been a passion all of her life, and Third Chair Chamber Players was the natural vehicle to feed this passion. In the late '70s she was a founding member of the Bachman Trio, a flute, cello and piano ensemble. The trio stayed together for 20 years and then expanded to become TCCP. Becky is also the piccolo chair with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, and flutist with the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Lincoln Municipal Band. Previously she played with Opera Omaha, the Omaha Symphony, and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra.

Being involved in music education and advocacy is another passion for Becky. She had a private studio for 30 years and taught in the Arts Are Basic program for two years. With the Bachman Trio, Rebecca created and presented educational children's concerts for the Lincoln Symphony's In-School Concert series, performing concerts up to 30 times each year for three years. Tthe trio also participated in the Nebraska Touring Program. Rebecca was awarded a Woods Charitable Fund Grant in 1991 to travel with an artistic delegation to Khujand, Tajikistan. In 1989 she was awarded "Woman Artist of the Year" by the Lincoln-Lancaster Commission on the Status of Women for her work in the musical community.

Joseph Holmquist, percussion

Tami Osborne Pederson, violin
Tami Osborne Pederson teaches violin at Nebraska Wesleyan University, teaches privately through the Sheridan Violin Studio, and is a violinist with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and Third Chair Chamber Players. She has taught at Capital University (OH), at the University of Tennessee, and was the founder/director of the Fox Chapel (PA) Suzuki Violinists. Tami has played with the Omaha Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Her quartet experience includes the Virtuosi String Quartet, the Travers String Quartet and the Summit String Quartet. Tami earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree and a Master of Music Performance Degree from the University of Nebraska where she studied with Dr. Robert Emile. She is on the Board of Directors for the Lincoln Arts Council and through SHARE (Spouses of Husker Athletics Reaching and Embracing), she is involved with Cedars Home for Children, Child Advocacy Center, City Impact, Friendship Home, Matt Talbot Kitchen, and YMCA Strong Kids. Tami and her husband, Steve, have three children, Mark, Kari and Kristin. Tami loves to read, write letters, work out, bake, and spend time with her family.

Vena Genuchi Alesio, Soprano
Vena Genuchi Alesio earned a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University, where she studied philosophy and fine arts. Head of the Music Department (1987-2000) and Chair of the Humanities Division at Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Nebraska (1997-2000), she directed studies in the departments of English, Speech and Theatre, Foreign Language, Journalism, Art, and Music. In addition to her administrative duties, she taught classes in fine arts and humanities.

Her search for excellence in the workplace led Vena to work in the human resources field. She helps clients identify talented individuals within their organization and effectively invest in them through relationship building and strength management. Her background in the German language has given her th opportunity to work with many clients throughout Europe.

The study of women’s issues has been a topic of special interest to Vena, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Women in Community Colleges from 1997-2001. Her work with AAWCC has given her the opportunity to speak nationally on issues affecting women, including mentoring programs, non-traditional employment opportunities, women re-entering the workforce, and women as effective leaders.

Vena’s professional activities outside of music include:
President, Board of Directors, Third Chair Chamber Players – Lincoln, Nebraska
The Mentoring Relationship: Maximizing Talent – AAWCC/NILD 2001 Conference: focusing on issues of “fit” between mentors and mentees.
Editor, Dancing With Dragons: The Journey, which explores the relationships between fathers and daughters and the subsequent effect on the lives of adult females Women Working With Women – this presentation for the National Leadership 2000 Conference researched the concept of breaking both the “glass ceiling” and the “sticky floor” syndrome without destroying relationships in the process Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms: Breaking The Stereotype – Vena combined her love of music and women’s issues in this discussion on the importance of female composers in the history of music and the fact that their accomplishments are often overlooked Hildegard of Bingen: Past Life, Present Philosophy – the pertinent topics we study today, such as health and wellness, spiritual balance, natural talent and the investment in relationships through mentoring, were equally important during the Middle Ages as witnessed in the life of this extraordinary woman.





Chantry Nelson, oboe/English horn

In addition to Third Chair Chamber Players, Chantry Nelson currently plays oboe/English horn for the Lincoln Symphony, Hastings Symphony, Lincoln Municipal Band, and other organizations. She is a former member of the Eugene Opera Orchestra, Oregon Mozart Players, Yaquina Chamber Orchestra, OSU-Corvallis Symphony, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, North Arkansas Symphony, Oregon State University Quintet, and various woodwind quintets.

Ms. Nelson received her BME from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and her MM from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and has studied with Fred Korman, Brian Ventura, Bobby Jenkins, Glen Guiles, Robert O'Boyle and Roger Widder. She teaches oboe privately is Director of Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Lincoln.

Ms. Nelson is an original member of TCCP, and watched, during the summer of 1997, the two founders sit repeatedly at dining room table, working out the name ("3rd Chair" vs. "Third Chair," etc.) and excitedly planning the first concert. (Their most-repeated comment: "We're really doing this. I can't believe we're really doing this.") Two of the floor lamps which helped light the first performance were hers.

Rusty Banks, composer and guitar soloist
Rusty Banks (b. 1974) is a composer, guitarist, conductor and teacher from Jasper, AL, now residing in Lincoln, NE. As a composer he has been commissioned by performers and groups across the country, such as the Third Chair Chamber Players (a group he went on to conduct afterwards), Michael Patilla, and the Nebraska Wesleyan University Wind Ensemble, and the New Music Agency to name a few. He may be heard on Living Artist Recordings as well as his website (rustybanks.org).

As a guitarist he is an often called upon interpreter of new music, as well as a prolific chamber musician. He most often concertizes with Betsy Bobenhouse as half of Duo Primo (flute and guitar). He has also been a soloist with the Third Chair Chamber Players and guitarist for Lincoln Symphony's presentation of Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery.

As a conductor he has directed the Third Chair Chamber Players on very new works, as well as classic modernist pieces such as Varese's Octandre, and Stravinsky's Octet. He has also been guest-conductor of the Nebraska Wesleyan University Wind Ensemble, and served as the Interim Director of Jazz Ensemble at Doane College.

As a teacher, Rusty maintains a massive guitar studio made up of private students as well as students taking applied guitar at Doane College. Rusty Banks also speaks to the community on behalf of the progressive arts through public radio, educational outreach programs and roundtable discussions. Recent accomplishments include maintaining a studio of frighteningly good classical guitarists and fixing the brakes on the van.