Becca Michaelson
President
Becca Michaelson (she/her) is a Cofounder of TCGSO and joined the Executive Committee in the summer of 2024 – first as Publicity Director, then Vice President, and now serves as the President. Becca is a vibrant K-5 general music teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (Instrumental Emphasis) and a Master’s Degree in Differentiated Instruction. She has written music curriculum for her district and given state and nationwide professional development presentations to other music teachers. Her latest presentation was called “Incorporating Video Game Music in the Elementary Classroom”. She has won a district-wide Above and Beyond award for her work during distance learning.
Becca is a lifelong lover of video game music and chose the flute because it was similar to Link’s ocarina. When she was a kid, she transcribed all of the Ocarina of Time songs by ear. Becca’s life changed when she found the video game music community in 2020. She has collaborated with musicians for remote recording projects, played in pit orchestras for musicals, written her own arrangements (including one which won the Game Music Remix Award for Best Acoustic cover), and plays in a video game band called Windfall. Becca is really proud of creating this video game orchestra and hopes it inspires people of all ages to play music that they really connect with.
Matt Silverberg
Artistic Director
Matt Silverberg AKA MarimbaMatt (he/him) is a Cofounder and the Artistic Director of the TCGSO. Matt has carved a niche in the music world thanks to his love of video game music and the marimba. He has performed as a soloist at numerous conventions such as MAGFest, VGM Con, and 2D Con and at festivals throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Matt has also performed with many orchestras and groups throughout the midwest. He had the privilege of being the assistant conductor of the TCGSO the past year!
Matt’s debut album “Bottled Memories” was released in March 2024 and his cover album “Pokemon: Mainly Marimba Version” in May 2025. Matt’s arrangements of video game and film music have garnered thousands of views on YouTube and streaming services.
As a composer, Matt’s compositions are published through Leading Tones Publications and Heartland Marimba Publications. Matt performs in Flipside Percussion, a percussion trio sponsored by MPR’s Your Classical Class Notes program that gives educational concerts in K-12 schools throughout Minnesota. He’s also on the COMPAS performer roster to further spread the gospel of VGM (video game music)!
Matt is a Marimba One artist and received his BFA from UW-Milwaukee and his Masters in Music from the University of Minnesota. He’s currently attending the Danish National Academy of Music to obtain an artist diploma.
Check out Matt’s Instagram/TikTok/YouTube @marimbamatt913, his website www.mattsilverbergmusic.com and listen to his music on Spotify or Apple Music
Muhamad Yusri Bin Mohamed Ali
Principal Conductor
Yusri (he/him) is a doctoral candidate in Conducting with a wind band emphasis at the University of Minnesota. He serves as a teaching assistant in the School of Music and Band program. Prior to coming to the U.S., Yusri completed his Master of Education (Music) at the Nanyang Technological University and also the Specialist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. He completed his Bachelor of Arts (Music) from Kingston University and Bandmaster Certificate from the Royal Military School of Music in the United Kingdom. Yusri served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band for 18 years, rising from a Musician to becoming the Director of Music of the SAF Central Band. He was also conductor of the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony. Yusri is a Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow for 2025.
Yusri is grateful for the opportunity and excited to share the stage with the TCGSO and connect with the community through the love of video games and video game music. Yusri is not an avid gamer but enjoys his time with his family playing Mario Kart!
RJ Birckelbaw
Personnel Manager
RJ (they/them) joined the executive committee of the Twin Cities Gamer Symphony Orchestra as Personnel Manager in spring 2025. They hold a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Technical Theatre from Michigan Technological University. RJ performs with the orchestra on flute, alto saxophone, and vocals. They also perform and volunteer in community theatres in the Twin Cities area.
Their love for video game music began early, watching their sister play Kingdom Hearts and are especially fond of rhythm based games that bring music to the forefront of gameplay. That spark grew into a deep passion through their involvement with VGM CON and now TCGSO, where they’ve found a welcoming community that shares their enthusiasm for gaming and music. RJ is excited to help support and grow the orchestra’s mission to bring video game music to life.
Ken Schuster
Treasurer
Ken (he/him) is a Twin Cities native, violinist, and cofounder of TCGSO. He also serves on the staff of VGM CON and as an officer of the Gamer’s Rhapsody board of directors. Ken has a bachelors degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth which he puts to work by teaching middle school music in St. Paul and teaching private string lessons to students ranging from elementary to college levels. In addition to TCGSO, he currently performs with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Bard’s String Quartet, and New Hope Off Broadway Musical Theater.
In his lesson studio, Ken loves to introduce video game music to students for study. He believes that whatever music we enjoy listening to and playing is the right music to pick! Ken started paying attention to the music in video games after figuring out how to play “Saria’s Song” on his violin in elementary school orchestra class. His teacher asked him to stop playing out of turn, but he did not.
Austin Kobylarczyk
Library and Licensing Manager
Austin Kobylarczyk (he/him) is a Midwest-born and raised composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. A member of the TCGSO since 2025, he has enjoyed performing with the ensemble on bass clarinet, as well as providing arrangements for the orchestra during his time with them. He looks forward to providing guidance to the Library and Licensing Department as the Library and Licensing Director.
Austin’s interest in video game music sparked with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and is very willing to frequently discuss just how genius the game’s soundtrack is to anyone willing to listen. An active performer across the Midwest, Austin looks forward to helping bring VGM to life in the Twin Cities with the TCGSO’s delightful crew of musicians and video game fans for as long as they’ll have him!
Courtney Fox
Officer at Large
Courtney Fox (she/her) has been a member of the TCGSO since its inception both as a player and a member of the Licensing committee, and currently serves as the Officer at Large on the Executive Committee. She has a degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin and holds a day job as a transplant coordinator. Courtney performs in TCGSO on the cello, and has performed in other ensembles on the trumpet, bassoon, and the flute.
Courtney’s love of video game music has been lifelong, starting as a kid listening to the Pokemon Red music on her gameboy and leading into figuring out video game songs by ear and scrawling the notes into her middle school practice books when she got her first instrument (the flute!) Playing video game music has been something she dreamed about since she was young, and helping the TCGSO grow into what it is today has been something she is incredibly excited about. Turning a childhood hope into reality has been an incredibly rewarding journey, and she looks forward to continuing to participate in the orchestra as it continues to grow.
Ethan Nueva
Librarian
Ethan Nueva (he/they) joined TCGSO in December 2024 and quickly stepped into the role of Librarian, where he oversees music organization, coordinates part creation, and manages part distribution for the ensemble. He also serves as Librarian for the National Lutheran Choir, balancing the demands of large and diverse music collections across multiple communities. Ethan takes special pride in collaborating with the orchestra’s score preparation committee, whose dedication and countless hours ensure every performance comes to life.
Ethan studied music education, manufacturing technology, and music business at Western Illinois University before completing specialized training in violin and band instrument repair at Minnesota State College. This unique blend of educational and technical experience gives him deep appreciation for the many invisible details that support music-making, whether repairing an instrument, preparing a score, or setting the stage for a performance.
As a French horn player, Ethan performs with various ensembles across the Twin Cities and has held leadership roles fostering collaboration among peers. His passion for video game music comes from its ability to carry meaningful messages and emotional weight, connecting players and listeners long after the game ends. Through his work as both librarian and a performer, Ethan is committed to helping ensembles share those powerful musical experiences with audiences.
Sara Hertz
Secretary
Sara Hertz (she/her) joined the executive committee as secretary in summer 2026. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she also studied the cello as her primary instrument. Outside of performing with TCGSO, she’s an active musician around the Twin Cities, playing in as many musical theater productions as she can book. A few of the theater companies that she’s performed with include the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company and Orthogonal Productions.
Starting as a little kid poking around in DOS games on the family computer, Sara’s been gaming for pretty much her entire life. Her love of video game music specifically comes from her cousin introducing her to some games with legendary soundtracks, like Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy VI, and Chrono Trigger. She’s extremely grateful to have found a home with TCGSO, making music that she loves!
Blaine Brubaker
Outreach Coordinator
Blaine Brubaker (she/her) has been the Outreach Coordinator with the TCGSO since Spring 2025 and has served in the past as a Member-at-Large and interim Personnel Manager. She works as a manager of library cataloging services with a Minneapolis-based international books vendor. Blaine has a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance, a Master of Arts in Historical Musicology, and a Master of Science in Library Science, specializing in Music Librarianship. Her primary instrument is the trombone but also plays euphonium and shakuhachi.
Her love for video game music began with the Harvest Moon, Pokemon, and Chibi-Robo series and has grown ever since. This love has also led to her assistance in the development of online and in-person academic video game music symposiums as well as academic publications in video game music-focused journals. Blaine is excited to continue her work with the TCGSO and support the orchestra in another great year of music making.
DJ
Licensing Coordinator
DJ (she/her) joined the cello section of TCGSO in January 2025 and became Licensing Coordinator in June 2026. She holds degrees from Sweet Briar College and the University of Richmond School of Law. She plays cello in various ensembles in the Twin Cities and has a particular passion for theatre. She’s also had the opportunity to perform with groups at VGMCon the past two years.
DJ has had a lifelong passion for video games from playing edutainment games on the family Gateway as a child to fishing in Final Fantasy XIV. She’s been obsessed with music in video games since hearing “Dearly Beloved” on the Kingdom Hearts start screen and has fond memories of spending hours repeatedly listening to the soundtrack on her CD player. When she’s not doing something musical, she likes reading, taking her dog Winnie on walks, and playing with her D&D group. She is really excited to bring her legal training to an organization she’s so passionate about!
Nakisha
Sponsorship Coordinator
Nakisha (she/her) first joined the TCGSO February 2025 and joined the board as the Sponsorship Coordinator in summer 2026. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Augsburg College (University) in Minneapolis in 2014. From her elementary school days up until she graduated college, she has played her clarinet in chamber groups, concert band, marching band and pep band. Other than the orchestra, she also performs with a local clarinet group in Bloomington. For her day job, Nakisha works as an office manager for an insurance agent.
Her love of video games traces back to Super Mario 3 on the original Nintendo system and went full obsession when Kingdom Hearts first came out on the PS2 back in 2002. Her absolute favorite video game music is from Kingdom Hearts 2. For Nakisha, TCGSO has meant community and joy she hadn’t felt in years. She’d gone 12 years without playing clarinet before she found the orchestra. She actually started college as a music performance major, hoping to one day play in a film-score orchestra or tour with a Broadway show (theatre kid at heart!), before switching her major to psychology. TCGSO is the closest she’s come to that original dream and she couldn’t be happier. Nakisha is very excited to contribute to the orchestra’s continued success and share the joy that is video game music.
Daniel Gebur
Grant Coordinator
Daniel Gebur (He/Him) joined TCGSO in December 2024 and stepped into the role of Grant Coordinator in the Summer of 2026. Daniel has been involved in music for 16 years, singing and playing trombone in his school music ensembles. Daniel currently works as a brass tutor, math tutor, and substitute teacher in various school districts in Minnesota.
Daniel’s love for video game music stems from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. As a kid, he would often open the game to the title screen and just listen and watch the game’s scenery. Nowadays, the music that speaks to him are tracks that evoke a sense of nostalgia, and music that makes him feel happiness despite all the hardships in everyday life.
Amber Delliger
Volunteer Coordinator
Amber Delliger (she/her) is excited to join TCGSO this season as Volunteer Coordinator. Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Amber has many fond memories of playing video games with her dad and brothers on all platforms starting with an Atari and Commodore 64. Today she plays video games with her teenage son and her best friends, prioritizing co-op puzzlers and traditional button smashers. Amber also has a lifelong passion for music, playing alto, bari and tenor saxophone from 5th grade through college.
Amber brings her experience as an educator to her role with TCGSO. This year marks Amber’s 21st year as a teacher! Outside of teaching math, she has worked extensively with professional development and volunteer coordinating at the state level with Literacy Minnesota and the national level with the Adult Numeracy Network. Amber is looking forward to working with the wonderful musicians in the orchestra while expanding TCGSO’s reach by inviting the community to join our efforts through volunteer opportunities!
Ella Tran
Event Planner
Ella Tran (she/her) is brand new to the state of Minnesota, but her passion for art and music make her feel right at home in this community. She studied bioengineering and sociology in her college years, and she now works as a researcher in the day time.
Outside of TCGSO, she is an active volunteer at any art and music festivals she can get her hands on. She also draws live portrait illustrations for weddings and events to keep her creative sparks going.
Her love for gaming began with The Sims, and has since expanded into rhythm games, RPGs and MMOs. She is drawn to any game with beautiful soundtracks (Onmyoji, Genshin Impact, Ori and the Blind Forest, and NieR: Automata).
She is looking forward to planning fun-filled events for the whole TCGSO team!