Andrew Keller, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Music Director
Andrew started the Video Game Symphony with Jaclyn Kurtz in April 2023, and has since served as the founding music director, as well as the CEO of the organization.
A lifelong musician, Andrew owes his entire professional career to video game and film music, as it was the iconic soundtracks to Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, and The Legend of Zelda that inspired him to start learning piano, just so he could play all of his favorite video game tunes. Before long, Andrew was writing deeply dramatic compositions that were clearly influenced by the catchy melodies, lush orchestration, and intense emotional imagery of film and video game music.
Since then, Andrew has been privileged to serve as a Professor of Music at Kent State University, where he received his Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory and Composition in 2019.
Andrew is now beyond thrilled to be bringing his passion and expertise to the Video Game Symphony, in turn fulfilling a longtime childhood dream to help celebrate and advance this incredibly underappreciated artform.
Jaclyn Kurtz, M.A.
Co-Founder, President, and Artistic Director
Jaclyn Kurtz is a dynamic and passionate music educator and choral musician with over 26 years of experience, inspiring students of all ages and skill levels. With a rich background that spans teaching general music from elementary to high school, voice instruction, and music theory at the collegiate level, Jaclyn brings unparalleled depth and expertise to her work. She holds advanced degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Theory from Kent State University, furthering her education in the music theory doctoral program at the University of Oregon.
Known for her versatile teaching style, Jaclyn has worked as a private voice and piano instructor at music schools like Woodsy’s Music and Falls Music School. Beyond teaching, Jaclyn has an impressive performance portfolio, featuring appearances in prestigious opera scenes and recitals. She has performed in works by composers like Mahler, Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi, captivating audiences at Kent State University and other venues. Her choral work extends internationally, having toured with choirs across the U.S., Ireland, England, and Italy.
A dedicated mentor and leader, Jaclyn seeks to nurture talent and foster a vibrant, thriving choral community wherever she goes. She’s a proud member of the Ohio Music Education Association and Pi Kappa Lambda, reflecting her commitment to excellence in music education and performance.
Victor Anstine, B.M.
Conductor
Victor T. Anstine is a conductor, composer, clarinetist, pianist, musicologist, and managerial musician who grew up in Green, Ohio. He attended The Cleveland Institute of Music’s Young Composers Program under the instruction of Dr. Keith Fitch, 2014-2015. Victor has in addition received the John Philip Sousa Band Award, as well as a ©National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy® Student Production Award for his film score for Buzzing In The Garage, a film by Nate Laguardia, August, 2017, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He has conducted ensembles in The United States, Hungary, Vienna and Italy.
Victor received the influential musical and conducting instruction from Dr. Jeffrey D. Gershman, Director of Wind Ensembles at Capital University Conservatory of Music, now of the College of Wooster, where he played in the top wind ensemble four years consecutively. He has also had the opportunity to rehearse under conductors and composers such as Benjamin Zander, Franz Welser-Möst, Frank Tichelli, Johan de Meij, Michael Markowski, Julie Giroux, and John Mackey.
Daley Biddle, M.M.
Concertmaster
Daley Biddle is a highly skilled and versatile violinist based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She is currently a Section Violinist with the Playhouse Square Orchestra, where she made her debut at a stirring The Legend of Zelda concert, and has held positions with the Ashland Symphony, the Fox Valley Orchestra, and the Mansfield Symphony, where she served as Acting Associate Concertmaster. She has also worked as a substitute musician for prestigious ensembles, including the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, and the Erie Philharmonic.
In addition to her orchestral work, Daley has performed with iconic artists such as Judy Collins, Johnny Mathis, Harry Connick, Jr., and The Eagles, contributing her talents to major concert tours and productions like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Michael Bolton’s “Symphony Sessions.”
Daley holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she studied under renowned teachers, including Blair Milton of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also earned her Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University. Known for her precision, musicality, and wide-ranging performance experience, Daley continues to make a significant impact in both classical and contemporary music scenes.
Nataliya Shehluk, M.M.
Assistant Concertmaster
Nataliya Shehluk was born in Lviv, Ukraine, where she began her violin studies at the age of five. In addition to public school, Nataliya attended Lviv School of Music, where she learned to play violin and piano. In 2001, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance with multiple honors. The same year she passed entrance exams and was admitted to Lviv State Academy of Music. At the Academy of Music, Nataliya pursued her graduate studies in Violin Performance and continued to develop her violin technique and musicality. Occasionally, she performed with Lviv Opera Theatre Orchestra during Opera performances at Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 2003, Nataliya joined Leopolis Chamber Orchestra and had an opportunity to travel and perform in European countries.
In 2004, Nataliya moved to the United States of America and started working on her Music Education degree at the University of Akron. Though playing violin is her passion, Nataliya found conducting, voice, and violin pedagogy among her favorite disciplines. She began her teaching career in 2008 by giving lessons at the Celebrity School of Music in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
In 2011, Nataliya completed the Master of Music degree with concentration in Violin Performance from Cleveland State University. Among her violin teachers throughout the years were Yulia Onyschenko, Alan Bodman, Cory Smith, and Peter Otto (second principal violinist at Cleveland Orchestra). During her student years at Cleveland State University, Nataliya started working at Strongsville Academy of Music. At the same time, she was actively performing with Northeast Ohio orchestras, including Firelands Symphony Orchestra and Euclid Symphony Orchestra. Nataliya began teaching private violin lessons and Art for Kids group violin classes in 2012 at the Solon Center for the Arts. Also, she continued to perform as a strolling violinist and a singer at Mirage Banquet Hall and Crystal Party Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to her time in the VGS, Nataliya was also proud to serve as Concertmaster at Solon Philharmonic Orchestra for four years.
Lorenzo Lopez, M.M.
Guest Conductor
While completing his Master’s Degree, Lorenzo simultaneously served as the Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra and Student Conductor for the Butler Symphony Orchestra. He also gained experience working with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, and held a temporary position as Director of Orchestras at Purdue University. Since graduating, Lorenzo has held many guest conducting positions with CityMusic Cleveland, the Chamber Orchestra of New York, the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and the Cleveland Ballet. Lorenzo is currently the Assistant Conductor for the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.
Anna O’Connell, D.M.A.
Choir Director
Anna O’Connell has been sought after for her soprano voice all over Cleveland, performing in the Cleveland Chamber Choir, Quire Cleveland, Trinity Chamber Singers, Affekt Ensemble and lately, Alchemy Baroque. She has been a soloist at the Church of the Covenant since she arrived in Cleveland in the fall of 2018. In spring 2021, she performed as a featured musician in the program “The Harper’s Voice” with Apollo’s Fire, presenting music from Ireland and the British Isles. This past summer, she received the Barbara Thornton Memorial Scholarship from Early Music America, which permitted her to study medieval music with vocal, harp, and dance specialists in Europe. She will soon be graduating with a doctorate in Historical Performance Practice from Case Western Reserve University, where she has focused on self-accompaniment as a singer with various harps, from medieval and renaissance to modern folk instruments. O’Connell has studied voice with Ellen Hargis and Dina Kuznetsova, and historical harps with Maxine Eilander.
