Klara Farren: Horn Soloist
A native Virginian, Klara Farren embraces two cultures—German and American. She showed an early interest in brass instruments, specifically the horn. Notable formative teachers were William Zsembery (retired principal horn, US Marine Band) and music educator and conductor Ed Jones of Prince William County. Continuing horn study under Cleveland Orchestra members David Brockett and Jesse McCormick, Ms. Farren earned a Bachelors in Horn Performance from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and subsequently a Masters in Horn Performance from Illinois State University where she studied horn under Dr. Rachel Hockenberry. Ms. Farren also has a special interest in brass chamber music as well as jazz. Her repertoire encompasses opera, musicals, jazz, musical theater, chamber music, and oratorio. She participated in master classes held by David Cooper, Dale Clevenger, Jennifer Montone, Carsten Duffin, and Gail Williams. She has played with several ensembles including the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, the NOVA Symphony Orchestra, the Annandale Brass under John Wright, and the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra. Widening the scope of her skills, Ms. Farren also works in brass instrument repair.
The May 3, 2026, concert of the NOVA Symphony Orchestra featured Klara as the soloist in the Concerto No. 4 in E-Flat Major for Horn and Orchestra, K.495, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Yat-Lun Kwok: Violinist, Guitarist, and Composer
Yat-Lun Kwok is a member of the second violin section of the NOVA Symphony Orchestra. He studied the violin briefly as a child before taking a long hiatus, returning to the instrument during the pandemic. At that time, he restarted from the fundamentals, relearning how to read music and rebuilding his technique. He studied Economics and Information Systems in college. During the pandemic, he began working on his first classical composition, The Six Banyan Suite. His formal music training includes one semester of music theory; however, his musical voice has been shaped largely through personal study and a range of experiences. From high school through college, he founded the metal band Mister Underhill, a nod to J. R. R. Tolkien. The band performs in the greater Washington, D.C., area, Baltimore, and along the East Coast.
The May 3, 2026, concert of the NOVA Symphony Orchestra featured the premiere performance of The Six Banyan Suite.
Louis Reichwein: Bassoonist and Composer
Louis Reichwein is the principal bassoonist of the NOVA Symphony Orchestra. He studied composition, voice, bassoon, and piano at the Oberlin Conservatory and earned a bachelor’s degree in composition. He has performed widely as a bassoonist and woodwind doubler, vocal soloist, choralist, and pianist with numerous performing organizations and chamber music ensembles in the Washington, DC, area. His compositions have been heard throughout the United States and in Europe and have been broadcast over EWTN cable TV. Representative performers include the Sunrise String Quartet, the Capital Chamber Winds, the National Concert Band of America, the City of Fairfax Band, the Navy Band Woodwind Quintet, and the Choir of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. His music is published by E. C. Schirmer Publishing and Whirlwind Music Publications.
The November 9, 2025, concert of the NOVA Symphony Orchestra featured the premiere performance of his Confabulation for Orchestra.