Women’s Orchestra Project
Women performing music written by and for women
Rosaria Macera, artistic director
After the successful U.S. tour of the Vienna Damen Orchestra in 1871, the Lady orchestra gained popularity in America. Since women were excluded from professional orchestras until World War II depleted the ranks of male musicians, these single gender ensembles grew in popularity and flourished from Boston to Los Angeles, from the 1880s through the 1930s.
Through their Women’s Orchestra Project, Her Tyme 20xx seeks to revive the “lady orchestras” with a modern twist. The ensemble of professional musicians presents narrative concerts, which are performative as well as informative. Their programs highlight music written by and for women and feature themes that recognize the contribution of women to the world of music.
For more information, contact: Hertyme20xx@gmail.com
The idea to launch the Women’s Orchestra Project was inspired by a research paper Rosaria Macera wrote in 1996, while a student in grad school. “The Unfinished Symphony,” chronicles the growth of women’s orchestras and women in orchestras in America.
Coming Soon
Fanny Hensel—Ornamental Genius
Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
Country House Retirement Community
4830 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE
Admission is free but guest seating is limited. If you would like to reserve a ticket to attend, please complete and submit a rsvp form using this link.
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) was born to a distinguished German Jewish family. She was the wife of an artist, daughter of a banker, granddaughter of a philosopher and sister and trusted advisor to the musical wunderkind, Felix. A gifted pianist and composer in her own right, Fanny was not permitted to aspire to a musical profession but rather for her, music “must only be an ornament, never the root of your being and doing.”
Our concert is funded through grants from the Music Performance Trust Fund and Country House Retirement Community.
BIOS
Maria Dell’Orefice, a classical pianist and avid violinist, has shared the stage with a multitude of performers including Chris Botti, Alexander Markov, and Francesca DePasquale. While Maria frequently presents solo and collaborative performances in the Philadelphia area, she has also performed solo piano in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and performed with multiple orchestras on the Marian Anderson Hall stage at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Maria traveled to Italy to serve as accompanist in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She also served as musical director for the Delaware Valley Opera Company and Wilmington Concert Opera and performs in the Walnut Street Theatre pit orchestra. She is a recipient of the Association of Church Musicians of Philadelphia Organ Grant and is currently the organist at Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Strafford, PA. Maria is the pianist for the Haverford College choirs, Staff Pianist Artist in Residence at Temple University and Staff Pianist at the University of Delaware as well as an Executive Board Member of Local 77-274, Philadelphia’s Musician’s Union. Maria has studied under Charles Abramovic, Lambert Orkis, Jane Abbott-Kirk, and Sheila Paige and is an advocate of the Taubman technique. She earned her B.M. in Piano Performance from Baylor University in Waco, TX and a double M.M. in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.
Cheryl Everill has performed regularly as a contracted member of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, as a former principal cello of Haddonfield Symphony (now Symphony in C), with Bay Atlantic and Kennett Symphonies, and as guest principal with several local orchestras. She has performed as a soloist with both the Newark and Delaware County Symphonies, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and in Rome, Italy as a guest of the USIS. She currently teaches at her home studio, has taught at Settlement Music School and Wilmington Music School, conducted master classes in chamber music and cello at Appel Farm, Settlement Music School Summer Camps and for the Institute for Arts and Humanities in Education at Rowan College. When not playing or teaching, she loves to quilt and to play disc golf with her family.
Shari Eve Feldman, soprano, is an arts administrator and performing teaching artist in the DMV area with global singing credentials, having performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She holds a Doctor in Musical Arts degree in vocal performance and a Graduate Certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Maryland, as well as Master and Bachelor degrees in music from the University of Delaware. Dr. Feldman is currently a Grants Manager for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in Washington, DC and the Operations Director for the Source Song Festival in Minneapolis, MN. She is the founder of the Evelyn Duo, a teaching artist ensemble dedicated to creating, promoting, and performing feminist art song literature. Shari also cantors for the Riderwood Jewish Community at Riderwood Senior Living, leads the capstone curriculum for the University of Maryland’s Design, Culture, and Creativity Honors Program, and teaches music appreciation and western European classical music style analysis for the continuing education program at Prince George’s Community College. In her sparest-of-spare time, she reads like a fiend, procrasti-bakes cookies, solves jigsaw puzzles, and stresses about writing bios in the third person.
Marjorie Goldberg was raised in the Philadelphia area. She studied viola and music education at The Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. For over 35 years, Marjorie has been a performer in prominent Pennsylvania orchestras, a music educator and an active freelancer. Marjorie is a member of the viola sections in the Harrisburg Symphony and The Philly Pops. She also performs with and arranges music for Ani Kinor, a chamber ensemble at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia. In addition, she performs with many other ensembles in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. In 2019 Marjorie was elected to the position (which she still holds) of Vice President of the Philadelphia Musicians’ Union, Local 77-274 of the American Federation of Musicians.
Kathleen Hastings was born and raised in Tigard, Oregon. After graduating high school, Kathleen moved to Philadelphia to attend the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts on a full 4-year scholarship, majoring in violin performance. Major jobs have been Suzuki Violin Coordinator and teacher for the Settlement Music Schools in Philadelphia and the Music School of Delaware. She was also a member of Delaware Symphony, first violin section. For the past 27 years Kathleen has taught Suzuki and Traditional violin/viola lessons in her private studio in Newark, DE. She is a member of Brandywine Valley Symphony and owner of the Wilmington String Ensemble.
Rosaria Macera is the artistic director of Her Tyme 20xx. She founded the women’s orchestra in 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. Rosaria performs regularly as a violinist with the Delaware Symphony and serves as the president of the American Federations of Musicians Local 21 Union. In 2021, she retired after 33 years of public-school teaching, serving as the orchestra director of Newark High School and Music Chair of the Christina School District. Rosaria was recognized as a National Board-Certified Teacher from 2005 to 2025. She earned a M.M. degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Delaware and a B.M. degree from the New School of Music in Philadelphia. When not making music, Rosaria enjoys volunteering at the Brandywine Valley SPCA, NCC League of Women Voters and Christiana Hospital as well as spending time with her cat, Armani.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
Florence Price — Snapshots of My Soul
Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Downs Cultural Center, Wilmington, DE
Her Tyme 20xx reprised their successful performance of Florence Price–Snapshots of My Soul on Juneteenth, 2025. This abridged version featured Crystal Simms as narrator, who told the story of an African American woman composer who reaped the success and notoriety born of talent and hard work but had to overcome prejudice due to her gender and race. The performance featured works composed by Mrs. Price between 1933 and 1952, as performed by Nina Cottman, Cheryl Everill, Kathleen Hastings, Rosaria Macera and Hiroko Yamazaki.
The musicians performed for an audience of fifty, spanning three generations of family, friends and community members who braved a tornado warning to attend. “What a great evening. I learned a lot but really enjoyed the music” said Marj Johnson.
The concert was sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and presented in association with the League of Women Voters of New Castle County and with the support of Ingleside Homes.
Florence Price — Snapshots of My Soul
Sunday, February 18, 2024 @ 3:00pm
Newark United Methodist Church
Born to a privileged family of mixed race parents in Little Rock, AK in 1887, Florence Beatrice Price reaped the success and notoriety born of talent and hard work but had to overcome prejudice due to her gender and race. She was the first African American woman composer to have her symphony performed by a major American orchestra. She was also a single parent during the height of the Great Depression, composing classical music and collaborating with the poets of the Chicago Renaissance.
In honor of Black History Month, Her Tyme 20xx, conducted by Rosaria Macera, performed the music of Florence Price in a concert to celebrate her life and legacy. The program was narrated by Crystal Hayman Simms, who took on the persona of Mrs. Price in explaining the trajectory of her creative accomplishment.
The concert was well attended by a diverse audience of 240 and the reviews reflect their appreciation:
- “That was one of the most amazing afternoons I’ve had in a long time! In the first place, I had never heard of Florence Price – such a travesty.”
- “It was a great performance and we enjoyed attending.”
- “The program was excellent and very, very well curated.”
- “HerTyme20xx truly are professional.”
Read the Newark Post‘s article here.
PROGRAM (pdf)
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Three [Little] Negro Dances (1933/1951)
1. Hoe Cake 2. Rabbit’s Foot 3. Ticklin’ Toes
The Old Boatman (1933)—arr. Perna
To My Little Son (n.d.)—text J. J. Davis
Makeda Hampton, soprano
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Piano Quintet in A minor (1936)
II. Andante con moto III. Juba-Allegro
Kathleen Hastings, violin
Alberta Douglas, violin
Nina Cottman, viola
Cheryl Everill, cello
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Snapshots (1952)
1. Lake Mirror 2. Moon Behind the Clouds 3. Flame
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Resignation (n.d.)—text F. B. Price
Lincoln University Select Choral Ensemble
Victoria Pitre, director
Toni Hall, piano
Sympathy (n.d.)—text P. L. Dunbar
The Heart of a Woman (1941)—text G. D. Johnson
Songs to the Dark Virgin (1941)—text L. Hughes
Makeda Hampton, soprano
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint (ca. 1947)
5. “Swing Low”
Kathleen Hastings, violin
Alberta Douglas, violin
Nina Cottman, viola
Cheryl Everill, cello
Air and Toccato from Suite 1 for Organ (1942)
Elizabeth Cochran, organ
Adoration (1951)—arr. Fine, trans. Peters
My Soul’s Been Anchored In the Lord (1939)
Makeda Hampton, soprano
This concert was presented by the Newark NAACP, The Newark Par and HerTyme 20xx. This program was sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and was supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
Alma Rosé — A Portrait in Music
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 7:30pm
Music School of Delaware, Wilmington, DE
Alma Rosé (1906-1944) was the niece of Gustav Mahler and the daughter of Arnold Rosé, concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic. She had a successful solo career as a violinist before the Nazis captured her and sent her to Auschwitz. Her Tyme 20xx performed musical selections with photos and narration to outline the benchmarks of Alma’s musical life, starting with her early years in Vienna and ending with the women’s orchestra of Auschwitz. Performed in commemoration of Yom Ha’Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), this musical portrait featured soloists Barbara Govatos, Hirono Oka, Cheryl Everill, Hiroko Yamazaki and Shari Eve Feldman.
“[We] found [the program] to be a powerful, moving experience. While the performances were impressive, the way you wove together the historical narrative and photographs into the selections enabled us to feel how the music must have been a part of Alma’s life and tragic death.”
Beverly G.
“The Alma Rosé concert was incredible! The musical selections worked perfectly with the narrative, and each part of the program flowed seamlessly into the next. It was a joy to see and hear such talented musicians on the stage.”
Jean Bingham
“Extremely moving and very impressive in every dimension.”
Ellen
P R O G R A M (PDF)
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik …..………. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Allegro
Concerto for Two Violins ………………… Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Largo
Barbara Govatos & Hirono Oka, violins
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
“Vienna, City of My Dreams” …………..………. Rudolf Sieczynski (1879-1952)
Sonata No. 4 in D, op. 1, no. 4 ……….. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Affettuoso
Barbara Govatos, violin
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Czardas ………………………………………………………. Vittorio Monti (1868-1922)
Rákóczy March ………………………………………….Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Träumerei ………………………………………………. Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Cheryl Everill, violoncello
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
Zigeunerweisen ………………………………..…………. Pablo Sarasate (1844-1908)
Hirono Oka, violin
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz ……..…… Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899)
“In Mir Klingt Ein Lied” ………………… music by Frederic Chopin (1820-1849)
from Etude in E, op. 10, no. 3 arr. Joshua Choe, text by Alma Rosé
Shari Eve Feldman, soprano
Hiroko Yamazaki, piano
This concert was sponsored by the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee, an affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Delaware.
Sunday, September 11 at 12:00pm
24th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show
The Arsenal, New Castle, DE
The inaugural performance of Her Tyme 20xx was originally planned to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. Unfortunately, the concert, scheduled for 6.14.2020, was canceled due to the pandemic. Two years later, the program was revived for the 24th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show on Sunday, September 11, 2022 at the historic Arsenal in New Castle, DE. The ensemble performed a varied program of music written by and for women. The performers dressed in white attire in the style of “lady orchestras,” popular from the 1880s through the 1930s.
P R O G R A M
The Suffragettes March…………………Otto F. Schreiner, arr. Louis Tocaben
De Innocentibus. Rex Noster………………………………….Hildegard von Bingen
Shari Feldman, soprano
Concerto for Four Violins in B minor (Op. 3, No. 10)……….Antonio Vivaldi
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Violins: Kathleen Hastings, Almasd Meshejian, Emily Tan, Amanda Pong
Prelude and Fugue (Op. 16, No. 3)….Clara Schumann, arr. Robert S. Frost
“I Should Worry and Get Wrinkles”……..Vincent Bryan, Raymond Hubbell
Shari Feldman, soprano
Brook Green Suite……………………………………………………………….Gustav Holst
Prelude
Air
Dance
BIOS
Cheryl Everill has performed regularly as a contracted member of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, as a former principal cello of Haddonfield Symphony (now Symphony in C), with Bay Atlantic and Kennett Symphonies, and as guest principal with several local orchestras. She has performed as a soloist with both the Newark and Delaware County Symphonies, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and in Rome, Italy as a guest of the USIS. She currently teaches at her home studio, has taught at Settlement Music School and Wilmington Music School, conducted master classes in chamber music and cello at Appel Farm, Settlement Music School Summer Camps and for the Institute for Arts and Humanities in Education at Rowan College. When not playing or teaching, she loves to quilt and to play disc golf with her family.
Shari Eve Feldman, soprano, is passionate about all things musical, including chamber music literature, authentic performance practice, avant garde repertoire, and contemporary song literature. She has sung in projects ranging from large choral, orchestral, and operatic works to solo recital engagements with such organizations as the Master Players Concert Series at the University of Delaware, Baltimore Concert Opera, Opera Delaware, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Choir School of Delaware, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Washington Piano Society, New Music Delaware Festival, The Arts Club of Washington, TEMPO New Music Ensemble, StageFree, and the University of Maryland Choir in collaboration with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Shari performed as part of a Young Artist MN Duo at the Source Song Festival in Minneapolis, MN from 2015-2019 and loves collaborating with composers to promote and perform new classical song literature. She maintains a studio of voice students and teaches song literature and opera history classes through Prince George’s Community College in Largo, MD. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Maryland, where she studies with Martha Randall.
Kathleen Hastings was born and raised in Tigard, Oregon. After graduating high school, Kathleen moved to Philadelphia to attend the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts on a full 4 year scholarship, majoring in violin performance. Major jobs have been Suzuki Violin Coordinator and teacher for the Settlement Music Schools in Philadelphia and the Music School of Delaware. She was also a member of Delaware Symphony, first violin section. For the past 18 years Kathleen has taught Suzuki and Traditional violin/viola lessons in her private studio in Newark, DE. She is a member of Opera Delaware, Kennett Symphony and owner of the Wilmington String Ensemble.
Sheila Hershey is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher. She directs strings lessons and orchestra classes for the Christina School District. In promoting music-making and songwriting among students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, she emphasizes the value of each student’s contribution to the music and the teamwork necessary for a great performance. Outside of teaching, she has composed and performed the music for films by John Welsh about the environmental impact of coal mining in Pennsylvania, including the short films “Scorched,” and “Beyond the Breaker.” Ms. Hershey also performs with Bon Vivant Strings for weddings and special events throughout the Delaware Valley.
Antoinette Kellam is a sophomore at the University of Delaware majoring in Computer Engineering and an alum of Newark High School. She began playing violin in the fifth grade, was a student of Ms. Macera’s orchestra program for seven years, and continues her passion for performing in the orchestra as a new member of the Newark Symphony. Antoinette draws inspiration to achieve from her teachers, family and friends who are musicians. In addition to playing the violin and piano, Antoinette enjoys cooking, reading, and running.
Ruth K. Kreider, violinist, is a longtime member of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Kennett Symphony of Chester County and as principal second violin and soloist with the Newark Symphony Orchestra. She serves on the Executive Board, Local 21, of the American Federation of Musicians. With a B.A. degree from the University of Delaware, Ruth was also a high school Spanish language teacher for a total of 24 years in 3 states: Minnesota, Maryland and Delaware.
Rosaria Macera is the Orchestra Director and String Specialist at Shue-Medill Middle School and Newark High School. A National Board Certified Teacher since 2005, Ms. Macera has served on the Delaware Professional Standards Board and chaired the Christina School District Music Department. As a professional orchestral violinist, she performs regularly with the Delaware Symphony. Ms. Macera received a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the New School of Music (Philadelphia) and a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Delaware.
Almasd Meshejian was born and raised in Philadelphia. At the age of 7, she began studying the violin. She went on to receive a BA degree from Rowan University in Music Performance and from there went on to freelance extensively in the Philadelphia and Tri-State area performing with groups such as the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Opera Delaware, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Guild, and Philly Pops. In 1998, she received an MS degree in Information Systems and Technology from Drexel University. Then in 2005 she earned her teaching degree in Music Education from Eastern University and has since been teaching Elementary and Middle School Orchestra in the Christina School District and continues to perform locally.
Pamela Nelson is a member of both the Delaware Symphony and the Lancaster Symphony and performs as a violist with other musical ensembles in the area. Ms. Nelson works as a Librarian in the New Castle County Library system. For many years, she performed one-person puppet shows as Pam, Pipes & Puppets.
Amanda Pong, MD, MSc started playing piano at age 3 and violin at age 8. Her teachers included Sylvia and Leo Ahramjian, Patinka Kopec at the Manhattan School of Music, and Muneko Otani of Juilliard/Columbia. She was Delaware All-State Orchestra soloist and voted Best Musician at Newark High School, under the tutelage of Rosaria Macera. She was co-concertmaster of the Columbia University Symphony Orchestra at Columbia, where she attained her degree magna cum laude in philosophy, a masters in biostatistics, and was recruited as assistant professor in pediatric neurology and epilepsy. She trained in medicine at Pittsburgh, pediatrics at UCSD, neurology then epilepsy at Harvard, while continuing to collaborate with her medical school pianist. She continues to practice around her clinical schedule and children, both avid music enthusiasts; all three are students of Baroque violinist, Ms. Sophie Lowe. Amanda has lived on four continents and has now settled into a directorship of pediatric epilepsy and several specialty clinics and is involved in clinical care and clinical trials in rare genetic epilepsies.
Emily Tan began studying violin in elementary school through the Christina School District music program. Her local teachers included Delaware Symphony Orchestra members Petula Perdikis, Rosaria Macera, and Kathleen Hastings. She went on to pursue music at Syracuse University, where she studied violin with the assistant concertmaster of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy Mastrangelo, and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance in 2008. Since then, she has taught violin and viola privately and joined the Newark Symphony Orchestra. She regularly participates in both the Symphony and Chamber concert series and has served as the concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra. In the summer of 2019, she and three local players formed a string quartet called Bon Vivant Strings. The quartet performed at the Nemours Mansion in Wilmington, Delaware. The group also plays weddings and special events. Emily, currently works for JP Morgan Chase and enjoys playing music and badminton, and making art in her spare time.