The Kaboff Cello School – Bow Lightlys
String Ensemble
The Bow Lightlys have been featured guest artists at the World Cello Congress III (2000), where they participated in an internationally broadcast cello ensemble workshop with the legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This collaboration led to a cello choir concert at the Sixth American Cello Congress (2001), coinciding with Mr. Kaboff’s appearance as a guest lecturer.
The ensemble has also performed at the Tennessee Cello Workshop (2014) and has been featured in live radio broadcasts in Washington, D.C. Their performances include concerts at the Embassy of France, the Almas Shriners Temple, and numerous local religious and cultural centers.
Committed to community engagement, the Bow Lightlys frequently perform at charity events for the American Diabetes Association and bring music to senior living communities, sharing their artistry with audiences who might otherwise be unable to attend live concerts.
John Kaboff, director & cellist
A resident of Washington, D.C. since 1995, cellist John Kaboff has appeared throughout the region as both recitalist and concerto soloist at major venues including The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the United States Department of State, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Embassies of Germany, France, and New Zealand, the Church of the Epiphany, and Dumbarton House. He has been a repeat concerto soloist with the JCC Symphony Orchestra and the Landon Symphonette, and has performed with the Manhattan Symphonie at Carnegie Hall. His appearance at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD was lauded by The Montgomery County Sentinel as “beguilingly lyrical” and in “top form.” Internationally, he has performed as a recital soloist in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Australia.
In the 2023–2024 season, Mr. Kaboff appears as soloist and chamber artist with Los AnCellos, a Los Angeles–based cello ensemble; as guest artist at the Tennessee Cello Workshop; at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall; at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and with the South Florida Symphony. He also performs in chamber settings across Washington, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Mr. Kaboff is a sought-after pedagogue whose pre-college studio has produced numerous prizewinners in local and regional competitions. Notably, his students earned top prizes across levels in the 2016 Washington Performing Arts Society competition. Two students were prizewinners in the 2015 American Protégé Competition, resulting in Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) debuts. In 2015 and 2016, his students appeared in the Classical Spotlight Showcase for Maryland Public Television. Former students have matriculated at the Curtis Institute of Music, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Mannes College of Music, often with substantial merit scholarships. They have held positions with the Baltimore Symphony, Austin Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, Castleton Music Festival, and various European orchestras.
For nearly three decades, his studio ensemble, The Bow Lightlys, has performed widely, including a featured appearance at the Third World Cello Congress in an internationally broadcast cello ensemble workshop with Yo-Yo Ma, later followed by a cello choir concert at the Sixth American Cello Congress during Mr. Kaboff’s appearance as guest lecturer. The ensemble performs annually at the Tennessee Cello Workshop, has been featured on live radio broadcasts in Washington, D.C., and has presented programs at the Embassy of France, the Almas Shriners Temple, and numerous cultural and religious venues. They frequently perform at senior living communities and charitable events, including for the American Diabetes Association.
Mr. Kaboff has served on juries for the Third World Cello Congress Master Class Competition, the Johansen International String Competition, and the Washington International Competition for Strings, where he served as Chairman in 2022. Under his leadership, the competition secured significant prize funding from private donors and organizations including the Maryland Lyric Opera, and arranged the loan of fine instruments for prizewinners through Christophe Landon Rare Violins and the Brobst Violin Shop.
As a frequent guest lecturer, Kaboff has presented master classes and performances at the Flinders Street Conservatorium (Adelaide, Australia), the Purcell School of Music (London), Indiana University’s Summer String Program, Michigan State University, Longy School of Music, the Music Academy of North Carolina, and the Universities of Tennessee and Rhode Island. He served as Artist-in-Residence at Appalachian State University in 2011 and was a featured artist at the 2010 Tennessee Cello Workshop. He has completed Suzuki certification through Level 10 and was invited by the Suzuki Association of Australia to present workshops, master classes, and solo recitals in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Kaboff studied with Janos Starker at Indiana University and with William Pleeth at the Holland Music Sessions and at the Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme in England. He also attended the Kronberg Academy in Germany, studying with Arto Noras. His teaching has been praised by internationally renowned cellists, including Yo-Yo Ma, and has been profiled in publications such as The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Jewish Weekly, The Vienna Connection, and The Montgomery Journal. Yo-Yo Ma cited him as a superb teacher of young children in the biography Musicians with a Mission.
Helen Z. Altenbach, cellist
Winner of the 2014 Global Music Awards for her album Grieg & Prokofiev (TROY 1485), cellist Helen Z. Altenbach (also known as Xiaodan Zheng) is a member of the LA Opera Orchestra. A graduate of Juilliard’s Pre-College Division and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, she has participated in leading summer festivals and training programs including the Perlman Music Program, Tanglewood Music Festival, Verbier Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and the Pacific Music Festival.
Ms. Altenbach received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, after which she held positions with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Tucson Symphony (principal cello), Long Beach Symphony, and the New West Symphony. She is also a co-founder of Los AnCellos, a Los Angeles–based cello ensemble.
Matt Armbruster, cellist
Cellist Matt Armbruster has performed with the National Repertory Orchestra, the Castleton Festival Orchestra, the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, and the Penderecki Academy Orchestra as principal cellist, collaborating closely with renowned composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki. He was previously a member of the 2013 San Francisco Academy Orchestra, where he was featured as a soloist in the second performance of Mark Volkert’s Pandora alongside principal members of the San Francisco Symphony.
Mr. Armbruster is currently a member of the cello section of the Austin Symphony and is the co-founder and co-director of Tetractys New Music, an Austin-based concert series dedicated to commissioning and performing works by living composers. He has also been presented as a featured artist by the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., and has appeared as a soloist with the University of Tennessee Chamber Orchestra, Old Dominion Symphony, and the Landon Symphonette.
His principal teachers have included Bion Tsang, Amos Yang, Anthony Elliott (with whom he completed his Bachelor of Music degree), Janos Starker, and John Kaboff.
Jonathan Lee, cellist
Jonathan Lee, 16, is a sophomore at Chantilly High School, where he performs in the Chamber Orchestra. He is also a member of the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra (AYSO). In 2023, Jonathan earned 2nd place in the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA) Achievement Awards Competition for Strings and was accepted into the 2023 Northern Virginia Senior Regional Orchestra.
He has participated in master classes at the Tennessee Cello Workshop (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) with renowned cellists Susan Moses and Ilya Finkelshteyn. Jonathan has been a student of John Kaboff since 2022 and is a member of the Bow Lightlys cello ensemble.
Evangeline Gallacher, cellist
Evangeline “Evie” Gallacher, 17, has been playing the cello for three years. Prior to focusing on the cello, she studied piano, violin, and percussion. Her favorite—and most recent—solo performance is Bach’s Concerto in G Major.
Evie performs in the Chamber Orchestra at Falls Church High School (Fairfax County, Virginia), but her true passion is the Bow Lightlys cello ensemble. She participates annually in the Tennessee Cello Workshop, finding the experience highly enriching.
Outside of music, Evie enjoys competitive swimming, serves as an officer in the National Honor Society, and is pursuing an LPN in her nursing program.
Jorge Laboy-Bulancea, cellist
Jorge Laboy-Bulancea, 15, has enjoyed music from an early age. He began classical guitar lessons with Roger Taylor at age 3 and discovered the cello in 4th grade. The following year, he joined the Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra and began studying with John Kaboff.
Jorge has earned numerous awards, including 1st place in the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA) Achievement Awards Competition for the lower string elementary division in 2021 and the lower string intermediate division in 2022. In 2023, he received honorable mentions in the Junior division of the Tennessee Cello Workshop competition and placed 2nd in the NVMTA Achievement Awards Competition’s lower string senior division as an 8th grader.
This school year, Jorge has performed with the District 12 Senior District Orchestra and received an honorable mention in the senior division of the Asian American Music Societies (AAMS) Piano, String, Voice, & Woodwind Competition.
Mary Gallacher, cellist
Mary Gallacher, 14, began playing the cello in 4th grade, inspired by her brother’s long-time cello playing. She is now a 9th grader and performs in the Chamber Orchestra at Falls Church High School (Fairfax County, Virginia). Mary began studying with John Kaboff, quickly discovering a deep passion for the instrument.
She has been a member of the Bow Lightlys cello ensemble for four years, performing in recitals and community events. Her favorite piece is Boccherini’s Concerto No. 3 in G Major.
Outside of music, Mary enjoys spending time with family and friends, swimming on Falls Church’s varsity swim team, and reading. She plans to continue playing the cello throughout high school and beyond as a lifelong hobby.
Carson Mitchell, cellist
Carson Mitchell, 12, began playing the cello in his school’s beginner orchestra in 4th grade. He started private lessons with John Kaboff in December 2020 and has performed with the Bow Lightlys cello ensemble since 2022. In 2024, Carson participated in master classes and seminars at the Tennessee Cello Workshop.
Outside of music, Carson enjoys playing basketball and flag football, and cheering for his favorite team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Leo Gonzalez, cellist
Leo Gonzalez, 13, is a student at Williamsburg Middle School in Arlington, Virginia. He began studying cello with John Kaboff in Fall 2020 and has served as principal cellist in both the Arlington Juniors and Honors Orchestras since 2021.
Outside of music, Leo enjoys the beach and exploring underwater landscapes while scuba diving.
Katherine Reskusic, cellist
Katherine Reskusic is a 9th grader at George C. Marshall High School in northern Virginia, where she is pursuing the International Baccalaureate diploma. She has been playing the cello with the Bow Lightlys for two and a half years, and also enjoys other artistic pursuits, including photography, drawing, and architecture.
Katherine likes trying new activities, and this year began running track as well as hobby-running with friends outside of school. She also enjoys studying Spanish and German.
Shinjini Ray, cellist
Shinjini Ray, 17, is a senior at Langley High School and has been playing the cello since the fourth grade. Shortly thereafter, she began studying with John Kaboff. She performs in her school orchestra and with The Capital Symphony Youth Orchestra (TCSYO).
Shinjini received second place in the Senior Lower Strings division of the 2022 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association competition. She hopes to continue playing cello throughout her life and to incorporate music into hospitals and a future medical career.
Owen Koch, cellist
Owen Koch, 15, lives in Fairfax, Virginia and is a freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He began playing the cello in third grade and currently performs in his school’s symphonic orchestra. Owen is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, participates in Academic Decathlon, enjoys Automotive Engineering Club, and swims for the York Swim Club. Through his diverse interests both in and out of the classroom, he looks forward to continuing to grow his musical and academic talents throughout high school.
Joseph Xu, cellist
Joseph Xu, 14, began playing the cello in fourth grade, joining his school orchestra and later Chamber Strings. He began private lessons with John Kaboff in 2019 and has since developed a deep enjoyment of playing and listening to classical music. In 2020, Joseph joined the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra and has twice competed in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival, receiving Superior ratings both times. He currently attends Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC, and plans to continue playing the cello as a lifelong hobby.
