Heritage String Quartet Omaha
Thomas Kluge and Henry Jenkins, violins; Tyler Sieh, viola; Gregory Clinton, cello

Thomas Kluge, violin

Thomas Kluge is the principal viola of the Omaha Symphony, an active chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist. Prior to moving to Omaha, Thomas was a freelance musician in New York City. He performed with the New York Philharmonic, orchestras in Connecticut, and a number of chamber orchestras.

Thomas was educated in New York at the Manhattan School of Music, where his teacher was New York Philharmonic Principal Violist Leonard Davis. Before earning his master of music degree in viola performance, he studied in Stuttgart, Germany, with Hermann Voss of the Melos Quartet and in Bern, Switzerland, where he earned a diploma in violin pedagogy and viola performance and pedagogy from the Bern Conservatory of Music and Theater, where his violin/viola teacher was Max Rostal, who for decades was one of Europe’s most prominent concert violinists and teachers.

Thomas teaches viola and is the orchestra director at Creighton University. He has been on the faculties of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina, and Omaha Conservatory of Music. Thomas also maintains a private violin and viola studio and was a founding member of the Omaha Chamber Music Society, where he served as artistic director for several years.

He plays a viola made for him by the eminent American luthiers Carl F. Becker and daughter Jennifer.

Henry Jenkins, violin

Henry Jenkins serves as 2nd associate concertmaster of the Omaha Symphony. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended the Oberlin Conservatory under the tutelage of Milan Vitek. During his undergraduate studies, Henry maintained an enthusiastic focus on chamber music, and attended the Litomysl International Masterclass in Czechia. Following graduation, he continued his studies with Kevork Mardirossian at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Henry supplemented his primary studies with a foray into baroque violin performance, studying with Stanley Ritchie and participating in the IU Baroque Orchestra ensemble.

While in Indiana, Henry served as Assistant Concertmaster of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra. He also played in the Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony.

Henry has been a featured soloist at the National Repertory Orchestra for several summers, and participates in the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and the Iris Orchestra.

In his free time, Henry enjoys playing other instruments, including but not limited to, the banjo, bass, viola, and guitar; listening to all types of music, exercising, and biking.”

Tyler Sieh, viola

Tyler Sieh serves as associate principal viola of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. Previously he was a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans, associate principal viola of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, and principal viola of the Sioux City and Missouri symphony orchestras. He also performed with the orchestras of Minnesota, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Toledo, Delaware, Annapolis, Akron, Mobile, Pensacola, Des Moines, and Lincoln as well as the Minnesota and Des Moines Metro operas.

He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served as a member of the Air Force Band when stationed in Washington, DC. While a member of the armed forces, he had the opportunity to perform for multiple sitting American presidents and gave his solo recital debut at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He was a founding member of the Lott String Quartet, artists-in-residence at the University of New Orleans, and previously was the violist of the Augustana String Quartet on the faculty of Augustana University.

Tyler teaches at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and during his summers he is a member of the viola faculty of the MasterWorks Festival in Kentucky. Previously he taught at the New England and International music camps and at the Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Air Force and South Dakota symphony orchestras.

Tyler studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio, where his primary teachers were Mark Jackobs and Lynne Ramsey. He plays a viola made in Philadelphia by Helmuth Keller.

Gregory Clinton, cello

Cellist Gregory Clinton began his professional career in hometown Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he was a member of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra and solo cellist with the renowned Skylight Opera Theater. His appointment to the Omaha Symphony came in 1983 by then-Music Director Thomas Briccetti, and in the years since has served as the orchestra’s Associate Principal Cellist, Assistant Music Librarian, cellist of the Fontenelle String Quartet and Chair of both the Orchestra and Contract Negotiating Committees. He, too, has held the position of Acting Principal Cellist for five different seasons and has appeared as soloist with the orchestra on many occasions, including featured collaborations with noted vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Karrin Allyson.

Beyond his activities as an orchestral musician, Mr. Clinton is both an avid chamber music performer and dedicated teacher. He currently is a member of the artist-faculty at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, having taught previously at Dana College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is often engaged as an orchestral and chamber music coach in addition to maintaining his own private studio and gigging Blue Moon String Quartet.

During the summer hiatus between orchestra seasons and academic years, Mr. Clinton motors to the great American West and performs as a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, a ritual he has repeated since 1990. He and his wife, Susanna – a recently retired art educator for the Omaha Public Schools – enjoy relaxing and recharging by hiking, kayaking and socializing with friends from across the country.

Mr. Clinton is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music where he studied with Fritz Magg. He performs on a fine cello made by the esteemed American maker, Carl Gustave Becker in 1937.