Appalachian Symphony is currently performing in Bright Star, produced by Artists Collaborative Theatre. Based on a true story set between the 1920s and 1940s, this bluegrass-inspired musical allows our pickers to "shine" on banjo, fiddle, mandolin and more.
Lilian Winchester, 20 years old, is an undergraduate student at Upike working towards her Performances Arts Bachelor with musical emphasis. Lilian is from Meade County Kentucky but has moved to many states, including Texas and North Carolina. She partakes in many ensembles at the college and outside of the college she’s branched out to ACT. Lilian is pleased to make her debut with ACT on stage as part of the band to gain experience in Musical Theatre. She has played the violin/fiddle for 8 years, since 8th grade. Lilian hopes to stay with Appalachian Symphony and ACT for many years to come.
Ernest Akers is a 42 year old military veteran of the U.S. Navy. He has been playing guitar for 27 years. He studied at Big Sandy Technical College for 5 years and is a certified electrical technician.This is his first performance in ACT.
Amy Smallwood is an Undergraduate student at UPike working on her Bachelors of Performance Arts with Music Emphasis. She’s 20 years old. She’s been playing trumpet in concert, marching, and jazz ensembles for over 8 years. She started playing bass with Appalachian Symphony as a freshman in high school and continues to this day.