Our Team
Daniel Knapp
Founder and Executive Director
Originally from Minnesota, Daniel is a Cellist and Arts Manager studying at Oberlin with Dmitry Kouzov. At Oberlin, Daniel has developed his own Major in Arts Administration & Concert Design and is the Founder of The Musikos Collective, a student-led presenting organization working to expand Oberlin’s involvement in its larger community.
Daniel strives to perform and constantly explore the world of new music, collaborating frequently with composers at Oberlin, NEC, and BOCO at Berklee, as well as being a frequent member of The Cello Seminar with Rhonda Rider. Daniel has premiered works by Joan Tower, Nicole Lizée, and Courtney Brian and has had the pleasure of working alongside Eighth Blackbird, Wendy Eisenberg, and Viet Cuong in his recent performances.
While performance has given Daniel his passion for music, he also is excited to be pursuing a career in Arts Management. In his studies, he has worked alongside The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Pink Noise Agency, and Bang on a Can to explore and learn about eclectic programming, concert production, and artistic direction.
Aaron Lieberman
Co-Founder, Artistic Director
Aaron Lieberman is a cellist and composer from New York City. He began his studies at age five and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in performance at Oberlin Conservatory under Darrett Adkins. Aaron has also studied composition with Jihyun Kim, Jesse Jones, Michael Frazier, and Elizabeth Ogonek, and participated in masterclasses with Natasha Brofsky, David Geber, and Brooklyn Rider, among others. At Oberlin, Aaron has sat principal in both Oberlin Orchestra and Contemporary Music Ensemble and has been featured multiple times as both a composer and performer at the Oberlin-based Sacred Heart Concert Series.
A founding member of the Orb Quartet, Aaron is an active chamber musician and is passionate about contemporary chamber music. He is interested in broadening the role of the performer in concert music by engaging more with both composers and the audience, as well as other genres of contemporary music and art.
Diana Reed
Co-Founder and Artistic Director
Diana Reid is a first-year student at Oberlin College and Conservatory studying cello performance with Dmitry Kouzov. Her musical journey began with the piano, which she has studied since she was 5. After seeing the cello in a OneRepublic music video when she was 10, she fell in love with the instrument and started taking lessons.
In high school, she spent three years as a leader of the Carmel Valley Summer Symphony, a non-profit, student-run summer music intensive. Throughout these three summers, she raised more than $5,000 for local music programs, served over 300 student musicians, and successfully transitioned the non-profit to distanced and virtual settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diana was awarded the assistant principal chair in the San Diego Youth Symphony’s Ovation Chamber Orchestra, played as a principal cellist with the San Diego City Ballet Orchestra, and was the principal cellist and president of the Canyon Crest Academy Orchestras for three years. She attended Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute in 2021 and currently serves as a BUTI Ambassador. Furthermore, she has been accepted to the Idyllwild Chamber Orchestra Festival, the Idyllwild Symphony Orchestra Festival, and the Marrowstone Music Festival, and has played in masterclasses with esteemed cellists such as Mickey Katz, Walter Gray, and Evangeline Benedetti. She has also played as a cellist in California’s All-Southern Symphony and as a member of the Sunroad Quintet, the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus’ student-ensemble-in-residence.
On the piano, she has completed all 10 levels of the MTAC Certificate of Merit and was awarded the California State Honor for her performances and theory scores, in addition to receiving the Superior rating at the San Diego MTAC Romantic Festival four times. She believes that all art – whether it is music, acting, painting, or otherwise – tells a piece of a story, and that the full story is revealed when these art forms work together. As such, she is passionate about crafting multi-disciplinary performances that stretch across artistic borders and engage both performers and audiences alike.
Misha Stout
Director of Musings
Misha Stout is a violinist from Warsaw, Indiana. She began playing the violin at the age of five and is currently working on her Bachelor's in Violin Performance at Oberlin Conservatory under the direction of Sibbi Bernhardsson
Misha has done extensive community and fundraising work with her music, including volunteering in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana middle and high schools to help with their music programs. She has also done extensive volunteer concert work in nursing homes, and has raised over $4,000 for charity and humanitarian efforts through benefit concerts.
Misha has soloed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Youth Symphony and the Symphony of the Lakes. She was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and is currently a contracted first violinist of Symphony of the Lakes. Anna has toured and performed in Russia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and the Czeck Republic. She was also a part of "Winged Creatures" an album produced by Cedille Records featuring Anthony and Demarre McGill that was nominated for a Grammy.
Misha is currently completing her degree at Oberlin; actively involved in orchestra and chamber music, she is working to create more performance spaces for her fellow conservatory students. Misha also is an active advocate for mental health awareness within the conservatory.