Hektor Qyteti
Artistic Director & Principal Conductor – Youth Symphony, Sinfonia, and Strings
As an accomplished professional violinist, Hektor Qyteti is the Principal Second Violin for the Michigan Philharmonic and was the Associate Concertmaster for the prior seven years. He is also the Assistant Concertmaster of the Grosse Pointe Symphony and plays in the violin sections of numerous other Detroit Metro area orchestras, including symphonies in Dearborn, Warren, Rochester and Pontiac. Prior to his moving with his family to the U.S., he had a five-year tenure as Concertmaster of the Korce Philharmonia Orchestra in Albania during which time he performed as soloist on the Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and other major concertos.
A dedicated teacher, Hektor maintains a busy schedule teaching violin and chamber music as a private instructor. He is also on the faculty of Steppingstone School for the Gifted in Farmington, Jerry Luck Studios, and Evola Music Center. For 10 years in Albania, he was the Music Director of the Board of Education at the prestigious Korce Tefta Tashko K-12 and High School, essentially the equivalent of magnet/pre-conservatory schools in the U.S.
He received a Performance and Teaching degree from the Academy of Arts in Albania and later continued with advanced studies in teaching at Oakland University.
Dennis Carter II
Director – Flute Choir and Wind Ensemble
Dennis Carter is a sought-after musician in the Detroit area, serving as Principal Flutist for the Michigan Philharmonic, Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, Lake Placid Sinfonietta in New York, Detroit Opera (formerly Michigan Opera Theater), Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Festival Orchestra in New York, Flint Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He is a well-known soloist, performing concerti with the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra, Dearborn Symphony, and Rochester Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the chamber group Protea, performing at venues such as the Buchanan Art Center, National Flute Association, Trinosophes, Lang Lab in Indiana, and Detroit Institute of Arts.
Also active in the theater orchestras, Mr. Carter serves as Principal Flutist for the Fisher Theater Orchestra, Bijou Orchestra, and has toured with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra, and Carl Rosa Opera Company (UK). As a member of the Sphinx Orchestra, he has held positions as Principal, Section Flute, and toured as Principal Flute at the Napa Valley Music Festival in California.
He has taught for many years both privately and as an assistant music teacher in the Southfield Public Schools and Henry Ford Community College. Mr. Carter is also the Director of the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s Flute Choir and Wind Ensemble. He holds a B.M. in Music Performance from Wayne State University, studying under Ervin Monroe and Clement Barone.
Nan Washburn
MPYO Founder and Advisor
Nan Washburn founded the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2003 (then called the Celebration Youth Orchestra). She started and lead the MPYO Flute choir in 2008, and in 2009, she took on the additional position of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the MPYO, directing the Youth Orchestra until June of 2017. In the position of MPYO Advisor, she will continue to be involved with MPYO and, of course, conduct the Sinfonia and the Youth Orchestra in their annual side-by-side performances with the Michigan Philharmonic.
Winner of the 2013 American Prize in Conducting, professional division, conductor and music educator, Nan Harrison Washburn is beginning her 21st season as the dynamic and highly acclaimed Music Director of the Michigan Philharmonic. Nan’s past professional music director positions include the West Hollywood Orchestra, Orchestra Sonoma, Camellia Symphony, Channel Islands Symphony and the American Jazz Theater. Her guest conducting includes symphony orchestras of Richmond (VA), Sacramento, Wyoming, Eugene, Berkeley (CA), Marin, Cheyenne, Dubuque, Perrysburg, Firelands (OH), Stockton, Napa Valley and the El Dorado Opera Company in Los Angeles.
On the teaching front, she has been on the faculty of San Francisco State University, The Conductors Institute at Bard College, New England Conservatory Extension Division, Cazadero Music and Arts Center, San Francisco Community Music Center, and the East Bay Center for Performing Arts. Some of the many youth and college orchestras she has conducted include the University of Michigan Philharmonia Orchestra, Acalanes High School Chamber Orchestra, California and Colorado All-State Festival Orchestras, San Domenico School Orchestra da Camera, and numerous other middle and high school festival orchestras.
Since Nan’s arrival in Plymouth in 1999, the Michigan Philharmonic has grown from a community orchestra into a highly respected, fully professional ensemble receiving six ASCAP Awards (Nan has received a total of 19) and 2nd Place honors in the American Prize Professional Division. Nan expanded the organization further by creating the now 3-tiered Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the MPYO Flute Choir. Most recently, she spearheaded the Philharmonic’s highly-acclaimed commercial CD for children, Magical Tunes & Marvelous Tales. The Philharmonic’s education programs also have grown under her leadership. The CLASSical Music outreach program has expanded to include the Wayne-Westland Schools. With the creation of our Instrumentorship Program, hundreds of young instrumentalists have had the opportunity to be coached and to play “side-by-side” with our professional orchestras.
Nan studied flute performance at the prestigious Music Academy of the West, received her Bachelors of Music with Highest Honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Masters of Music from the New England Conservatory in Boston. She later studied conducting at the Conductors Institute with Harold Farberman and at the Aspen Music Festival.
Nancy Davidson
MPYO Manager
Nancy has been involved with the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra as a parent volunteer since 2014. She also served on the Michigan Philharmonic’s Board of Directors from 2018-19. She holds a M.S. in Finance from Walsh College and a B.A. in Language and International Trade from Eastern Michigan University. She was previously a Resource Manager and Finance Consultant for an IT consulting firm.
Beth Stewart
Executive Director – Michigan Philharmonic
Beth has been the Executive Director of the Michigan Philharmonic since 2008. She holds a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Historic Preservation with an emphasis in educational programming and management. Beth was the Executive Director of the Plymouth Museum for 17 years prior to joining the Philharmonic’s staff.