Elegant Entertainment

Elegant Entertainment draws its talent from a network of skilled musicians. Whether you choose the string quartet, a smaller string ensemble, a guitar/violin duo, solo violin, brass ensemble or soloist, you can be sure of top-notch entertainment when you work with us.

Musical Personnel

Maretta K. Alden (First violin, flute, viola)

Maretta K. Alden, violinist and teacher, works throughout the Miami Valley. In addition to maintaining a private violin studio, she has been a faculty member at the Stivers School for the Performing Arts, the Miami Valley String Academy, and Colonel White High School in Dayton. Currently, she teaches in Wilmington and Kettering for private students in both the Suzuki method and traditional lessons. Alden has performed in many orchestras including the Dayton Philharmonic, Middletown Symphony, Richmond Symphony in Indiana, and the Springfield Symphony. Besides being the founding member of the Elegant Entertainment String Quartet, she has been a member of the Wilmington College Piano Trio, Kettering Strings Conductor, and the Music Director and Conductor of the Wilmington College Community String Orchestra. She lives with her daughter, Emma Saville, and her husband, Scott Saville, near Sabina, Ohio.

Maretta can work with you to assure your musical preparations are perfect for your event.

Donna McFarland (Business Manager & Emeritus cellist)

Donna McFarland has been playing the cello since the age of eight. A past member of the Wright State University Orchestra, Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Dayton Junior Philharmonic, Donna has also appeared with many other musical ensembles, large and small, in the Miami Valley. Donna also worked in the broadcast industry for WONE Radio, WTUE Radio. WDTN-TV, WKEF-TV and WRGT-TV for many years. She is currently a cellist and the business manager for Elegant Entertainment.

As our business manager, Donna keeps the book on what dates are available and will work with you to schedule your event.

Gary Appleton (Piano/ Keyboard)
Gary Appleton began studying piano in 2nd grade, and started conducting in high school, before enrolling as a music major in Wheaton College Conservatory, with concentrations in piano, voice, and conducting. In the summer of 1973, I directed one of six groups with the Continental Singers and Orchestra, responsible for 42 young people, age 16 to 25, in a 10-week summer concert tour across the US and northern Europe. Since 1974 I’ve served as Minister of Music at several churches, starting at First Baptist, Downey, CA, with multiple choirs, including 125-140 high school & college singers in 10-12 annual Living Christmas Tree performances, a 30-minute television special, and multiple choir tours. The 2nd morning service was broadcast live in LA.

In 1980 I became the Minister of Music at Calvary Church in Charlotte, NC, with 4 weekly services, and a 90+ voice Choir & Orchestra, while hosting and producing a daily and weekly radio program. Starting in 1984, I served for 13 years as Pastor of Music and Worship at Westminster Chapel, in Bellevue, WA, and conducted combined concerts with other churches in the northwest. In the 2000 I accepted a position as Minister of Music at Fairhaven Church in Centerville, OH. Besides weekly services and seasonal concerts at the Church, I conducted a 100-voice choir & 45-piece orchestra in concert at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering on the first anniversary of 9-11, with all 5 branches of the military, police and fire. In 2004 I was called as Pastor of Music and Worship for the Traditional Service at Centerville Community Church, serving there until 2016, then served as interim Minister of Music at the Kettering Seventh Day Adventist Church from Sept. through December of 2016. Since the fall of 2019 I have been choir director at Patterson Park Church in Beavercreek, OH, preparing the choir for two morning services, pianist for congregational worship, and directing the choir and orchestra in services and concerts.

From January 2004 until the pandemic started, I was contracted as pianist in the lobby of Kettering Hospital. I’ve been playing professionally in Chicago, LA, Charlotte, Seattle and Dayton for over 40 years. Whether it’s for a wedding, reception, anniversary party, corporate luncheon, banquet or a memorial service, I promise to help make your special occasion a memory with beautiful music

Sera Cheon (Cello)
Sera Cheon is a cellist from Seoul, South Korea. She earned a Bachelor’s of Music from Hanyang University in Seoul and later earned her doctoral degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CC M), studying under Yehuda Hanani.

Dr. Cheon shares her passion and love for music through teaching and performing. Over the years, she has performed various solo recitals with repertoire ranging from Baroque to Contemporary music eras in the States and in Asia. She was principal cellist in CCM’s Philharmonic Orchestra and also served as an associate member in professional training orchestras such as New World Symphony and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. She has performed extensively with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Clermont Orchestra, and Richmond Orchestras in Indiana. She also appeared as a guest lecturer and an artist at the Central State University and The State College University. She is currently a board member and a principal cellist at JS Chamber Ensemble.

Ken Clark (viola)

Ken, a resident of Xenia and a writer for IBM, has performed as a violist and violinist in the Miami Valley for more than 30 years. Ken is a past member of both the WSU Orchestra and the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has also played with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in many small ensembles, including the Cavalier String Quartet in Virginia Beach, and has played for Elegant Entertainment since its inception in 1999. He has worked as a soloist with the Springfield Arts Council and the Dayton Area Harp Ensemble, and has played in the orchestras for numerous local music productions–sacred and profane.

Tom Guth (Cello)

Corey Hall (violin)

Corey Hall is a graduate of Miami University and has taught orchestra in public schools for fourteen years. In college, she played in several string quartets, served as the concertmistress of the MU Symphony Orchestra, and presented three solo recitals. She has performed in many venues, including locations such as Boston, Dallas, Austin, and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In 2000, she toured Europe with the Oxford Chamber Orchestra and performed at the Cathedral Basilica in Luxembourg as part of the Luxembourg International Music Festival. She has performed with Josh Groban and has collaborated with electric rock string group, The Section Quartet. She completed her Master of Education degree in 2010. Corey performs locally with Middletown Symphony, Springfield Symphony, and Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony.

Barbara Leeds )Piano/ Keyboard/ Organ)

Dominic Mileti (Viola/ Violin)
Dominic Mileti has played viola for the past 16 years, and violin for 6 years. Knowing from a young age his love for music, Dominic attended Interlochen Arts Academy high school where he studied with David Holland and Renee Skerik. After graduating, he pursued his music education at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music studying with Dr. Catherine Lees. During his undergraduate, Dominic was principal and co-principal of the conservatories.

Dominic attended the Chicago Suzuki Institute in 2016, receiving teacher training with Kathleen Spring. After which, he started his adult teaching career working with multiple studios through the tristate area. Dominic has experience working with all student types and has learned many approaches to teaching in order to compliment the student.

Dominic just completed his masters degree in viola performance from CCM, where he performed on a monthly basis with the Philharmonia, as well as chamber groups in the Cincinnati area and at school. He finished his studies under Denisse Rodriguez from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and has a studio of violin and viola students ranging from six years old to adults in Batesville Indiana that he has been cultivating for the past four years.

Cinnamon Peppo (harp)

Cinnamon Peppo - Cinnamon Peppo has been playing harp in the Dayton area for thirty years now. After graduating with a degree in music education from The Master’s College in southern California, she returned to the Dayton/Cincinnati area to do professional free-lance harping, performing with all the local orchestras.

Pam Rauch (Flute)
Pam Rauch has a bachelor of music performance on flute, and a bachelor and master of music education from Wright State University. She taught instrumental and general music in Miamisburg City Schools for 30 years before retiring in 2008. Her ability to accompany on the piano was helpful in her teaching. She has kept up her flute performance through playing in Middletown Symphony, Lebanon Symphony, and Dayton Philharmonic Concert Band, as well as soloing in churches and for weddings.

Scott Saville (guitar)

Bill Slusser (violin)Bill Slusser

Bill Slusser was born and grew up in Alliance, Ohio. Bill received his Bachelor’s of Music degree from Baldwin-Wallace in Berea, Ohio. For 26 years he served in the Air Force. Almost all of that time he was a member of the Air Force Band’s Strolling Strings. He played the violin for Presidents Ford through Clinton during that time and received his Master’s of Music degree from The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was both the director and superintendent of the Air Force strings and retired from that position in 1996 as a Chief Master Sergeant. Since then, he has lived in Dayton, performing with the Springfield Symphony, Middletown Orchestra, Sorg and Whitewater Opera, and the Columbus Symphony. He has taught at the University of Dayton and in the Dayton public schools. Currently he is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic and also serves as librarian for the Philharmonic.

Bobbie Strobhar (Harp)
I have been playing the harp for over 33 years. I started out on a piano when I was a child, then played trombone and guitar and started singing. For 42 years now, my husband has been buying musical instruments as anniversary presents. He purchased a small Celtic harp and thought it would look cute in the living room, even if I didn’t play it. I loved it so much that we bought a used semi-grand harp, and then finally ordered a new concert grand harp so I would be able to do orchestral work.

Over the years, I have been principal harpist for the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra, Wright State Community Orchestra, Wright State Chamber Orchestra, and Wright State University Wind Symphony. I’m on the sub list for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Just recently I was awarded the Blackburn Award from the Dayton Playhouse for my performance in the musical The Fantasticks