Administrative Staff

Ruth Brewster, Executive Director, has a BA in Music Education from Seattle Pacific University and an MFA in performance from the University of Minnesota.

She taught instrumental and choral music in northern Minnesota and was vocal instructor, opera workshop coach, and choral conductor at Northwestern College, Roseville, MN. She has performed under conductors Edo de Waart, Neeme Jarvi, Gerald Schwarz, Eric Ericsson, Robert Shaw, Dennis Russel Davies, and Dale Warland. She has sung with The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Riksteatern (Sweden), the San Francisco Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony Chorale. She was the conductor for the Bellevue Eastside Youth Symphony from 1993 to 1997.

She has previously conducted Strikepoint and Jubilee Bells, handbell choirs at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. Ms. Brewster became the Executive Director of BYSO in 1993. She has served as the co-treasurer for Thalia Allied Artists, as well as on the board of Standing Ovation.

JoAnne Jones, Administrative Assistant, has been actively involved in the volunteer arena with nonprofits since 1974. She has worked with everything from volunteering at local hospitals, her children's schools, and serving on the Mercer Island schools' foundation board and is currently the Chair for Eastside Arts Coalition, which is based on the Eastside of Lake Washington. She has served as president of the Junior League of Seattle, which is a member of the International Association of Junior Leagues. JoAnne also is a member of Strikepoint handbell choir.