Jonathan Hirsch

ROSO Principal Cello

Jonathan Hirsch is playing a French cello which was built around 1900 and bears the name "Mansuy a Paris". He began playing in the 5th grade and studied cello continuously through high school with the late Grace Konopka. Jonathan attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen each summer through junior high and high school. While in high school he was a founding member of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony and a member of the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra. In 1985 Jonathan won the Lahser High School (Bloomfield) C. J. Traub Memorial Music Scholarship.

Jonathan attended the University of Michigan (B.A. Political Science 1989) and the Detroit College of Law (J.D. 1992). He has played in numerous community orchestras throughout metro Detroit since graduating from law school. Jonathan took a break of approximately 12 years from the cello starting when the first of his three daughters was born. The Royal Oak Symphony provided an opportunity to get back into music where he has been principal cellist since 2011 and serving a term as president of the orchestra. He currently studies cello with David Levine.

Michael Kieda

ROSO Principal Trombonist

In his youth, Michael Kieda studied trombone with former DSO trombonists Bob Jones and Joe Skryzinski. As an adult, he has taken many master classes with jazz trombonists Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock, and Rick Simerly, and studied jazz theory with David Baker. In addition to his 20+ years with ROSO, Michael is the lead trombonist in the Schoolcraft Jazz Ensemble, and has worked with numerous metro Detroit jazz bands and has performed at such prominent venues as Baker's Keyboard Lounge, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and the Detroit Jazz Fest.

Michele Prud’homme

ROSO President
ROSO Principal Percussion

Michele Prud’homme has been playing and studying percussion for over 50 years. She played in concert bands, orchestras and marching bands in both junior high and high school. Michele received a scholarship to attend percussion camp at Michigan State University in 1968. In addition, she played with a private jazz percussion ensemble during high school that traveled and performed throughout Michigan.

She was a percussion performance major at Michigan State University- and played in the MSU Concert Band; Symphony Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble. She studied privately on mallets and timpani which are her main performance instruments. She has performed professionally with the Saginaw Symphony and the Midland Symphony.

She was the percussion instructor at Delta College for their Summer Youth Conservatory for two years
Currently she teaches privately including concert percussion; drum line percussion and drum set.

Lisa Wade

ROSO Vice President
ROSO Principal Flute

Lisa Wade has been a member of the Royal Oak Symphony since 1995 and currently serves as Principal Flute.  She has also served on the ROSO Board as Secretary (4 years) and currently as Vice President.

Originally from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Lisa started playing the flute at age 10 and studied with Kathy Course.  While attending Miami University in Ohio, she played flute and bass flute in the Miami University Flute Choir.  After graduating from Miami with a degree in Psychology, Lisa moved back to Michigan where she performed with the Grosse Pointe Symphony until she found her orchestral home with the Royal Oak Symphony.  She has played the flute, piccolo and alto flute with ROSO.  Lisa has also been a member of the Classic Winds woodwind quintet and the Rose Flute Ensemble.  She lives in Rochester Hills with her husband, Bryant, and her two college-age children, Carter and Caitlyn.  When she is not playing her flute at ROSO or her church, she enjoys being an amateur wildlife photographer and reading Jane Austen’s books and fan fiction.

Roberta Zald

ROSO Program Editor
ROSO Principal Bassoon

Roberta Zald has been participating in the Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra and its predecessors since 1992. Roberta studied bassoon in the Ann Arbor School system under Dan Long, Charles Gabrian and Victor Bordo. After a 15 year break in playing and moving back to the Detroit Metro area, she studied privately with Kirk Ferris.

Roberta graduated from the University of Michigan in 1978 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked for 40+ years at various companies involved with manufacturing automation. Roberta retired in 2019 and now has more time for leisure activities.

Over the years Roberta has played with The University of Michigan Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Pontiac-Oakland Symphony, Rochester Symphony, Schoolcraft Wind Ensemble, and Dearborn Symphony. She is also currently a member of the Redford Civic Symphony Orchestra.