Conductors and Administrative Personnel
Dr. Robert Sage, CSO and CYSO Music Director
Robert Sage is Music Director of the Claremont Symphony Orchestra and the Claremont Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of CSO for over 35 years as both piano soloist and Conductor, during which time he has performed a substantial portion of the piano concerto and symphonic literature. Dr. Sage's Master's and Doctoral degrees in Piano Performance were both taken at the University of Southern California, under the tutelage of Lillian Steuber. He also studied with Harry Datyner, of the Geneva (Switzerland) Conservatory, and has taken master classes in conducting under the direction of Herbert Blomstedt and David Willcocks.
Dr. Ruth Charloff, CSO Associate Conductor
Ruth Charloff is conductor of the UCR Orchestra and UCR Chamber Singers at the University of California, Riverside. Her D.M.A. in Orchestral Conducting is from Northwestern University, and her M.A. in musicology is from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Charloff co-founded and conducted the chamber orchestra Hesperian Ensemble in Berkeley, conducted productions of Death in Venice and The Lighthouse with the Berkeley Contemporary Opera, and conducted the West Coast première of the opera Esperanza with the Sinfonia Mexicana. At UC Riverside she teaches instrumental and choral conducting, instrumentation, 20th-century music history, and Introduction to Western Music, and actively promotes new works and interdisciplinary performance projects.
Dr. Gina Shaw, CSO Assistant Conductor
Gina Shaw earned her undergraduate degree in flute and choral performance and instrumental conducting at State University of New York, Potsdam. She studied flute with William Kincaid and was principal flute with Main Line Symphony Orchestra. After working as a professional singer and flutist for 15 years in Los Angeles, she received her M.A. in Education from Cal State L.A. and proceeded to teach elementary grades K-4 and direct choruses for 25 years. She earned her Doctor of Church Music from Claremont Graduate University and was Director of Music Ministries at Westwood United Methodist Church for 10 years. Also an accomplished violist, she has been part of the CSO family since 1996, playing in the viola section and serving as Associate Conductor, most memorably as conductor of the annual Messiah Sing-along concert. A certified instructor of Ayurveda and Primordial Sound Meditation, Dr. Shaw recently received her PhD in Holistic Health and her certification in yoga instructor training.
Maureen McGuire, CSO Executive Director
Maureen McGuire began her music journey while attending schools in the Arcadia School District. She began French Horn in 6th grade and continued through high school and in to the music department at USC. Upon graduation from USC with a Bachelor of Music in performance, she was accepted in to the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, where she lived for three years. The orchestra traveled around the pueblos of Mexico and on to Cuba, South America, Japan, and Hong Kong. After returning to the United States, Maureen enrolled at Cal State San Bernardino, where she earned her teaching credential. She spent 27 years teaching in the Alta Loma School District and after completing her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, she went into administration in the district. Ms. McGuire never put her horn down for long, keeping up with local musicians, playing gigs, and teaching and coaching for Los Osos High School. She joined the Claremont Symphony Orchestra in 2002 and has enjoyed playing in other local groups, including Vineyard Touring Opera Company, throughout the years. She is an active chamber musician and a member of the Janus Woodwind Quintet. In July 2018 Ms. McGuire retired from teaching and found time to work with CSO and CYSO and provide private horn lessons to local students.
