Meet the MSO Team
August Jeske
See Hear Play Artistic Director
Megan Wehrwein
Librarian & Competition Coordinator
Moriah Harting
Box Office & Social Media Manager
Board of Directors
Dr. Andrew McNamara, President
Andrew Willaert, Vice President
Tom Lentz, Treasurer
Melinda Wedzina, Secretary
Anna Brown
Helen Bednar
Ann Fredrickson
Katie Heintz
John Kind
Joe Meidl
Sarah Morgan
Todd Westphal, Musician Liaison
Dr. Eric Woller
Executive Committee
Andrew McNamara
President
Dr. Andrew McNamara is an orthopaedic surgeon with subspeciality training in hand and upper extremity at the Orthopaedic and Fracture Clinic in Mankato, Minnesota. He holds a B.A from Luther College, a M.D. from the University of Iowa, completed residency at St. Louis University and completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville FL. He enjoys bicycling, hunting and playing the piano. He and his wife Jessica live with their two children, Lochlan and Eila. He joined MSO's board in 2021.
Andrew Willaert
Vice-President
Andrew Willaert is a seasoned attorney at Gislason & Hunter LLP, bringing over 38 years of experience to his clients. He provides trusted guidance in estate and trust planning, farm and small business succession, probate, real estate, corporate governance, and business transactions. Andrew’s broad legal expertise allows him to craft thoughtful, individualized solutions that help clients make informed decisions with confidence.
In addition to his practice at Gislason & Hunter, Andrew is actively involved in his community, serving on local boards and contributing to various civic organizations. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, cycling, reading, and watching sports. Saturday mornings are often spent over breakfast with close friends, but his favorite time is with his family—especially his children and three grandsons.
Tom Lentz
Treasurer
Tom Lentz is a 1985 graduate of Carleton College, majoring in economics. He is a 1992graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware.He has worked in the banking industry for almost 40 years and currently serves as theMarket President of West Bank in Mankato. Tom currently serves on the board of theMankato Area Foundation Holdings, the Asset Management Committee of the MankatoFamily YMCA, as well as the Finance Committee of the South Central CollegeFoundation. Tom and his wife Diane have two adult children and have lived in Mankatofor over 25 years.
Melinda Wedzina
Secretary
Melinda Wedzina is dedicated to redefining aging and enhancing the lives of older adults. As CEO of VINE Faith in Action, a leading senior center and social service provider in southern Minnesota, she champions this mission. Early in her career she founded a childhood hunger nonprofit supporting over 900 students. She later served as COO at a Minnesota nonprofit, focusing on employment and day services for individuals with disabilities. Melinda holds an MBA and MS in Strategic Management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She has served on the board of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and as an adjunct instructor at South Central College. Since 2019, she has been on the MSO board and currently volunteers on the Open Arts Minnesota and Mankato Clinic Foundation boards. Melinda enjoys reading, outdoor activities, traveling with her husband, and spending time with their three adult sons.
Staff Bios
Paraguayan conductor Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi is known for his dynamic artistry, engaging presence, and versatility on and off the podium. Praised for his “expert direction” by Fanfare magazine, Ernesto is the newly appointed Music Director of both the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, while also serving as Associate Conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Director of Orchestras at Augustana College, and Music Director of the QCSO Youth Ensembles.
A sought-after conductor in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Ernesto has led performances with orchestras across the Americas, including the La Crosse, Dubuque, Rochester, and St. Cloud Symphonies, as well as the Orquesta de Cámara del Centro del Conocimiento (Argentina) and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional and Orquesta del Congreso Nacional (Paraguay). He has also conducted acclaimed productions of operas such as Gianni Schicchi, Idomeneo, Albert Herring, and Weisse Rose.
Highlights include debut appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra and conducting Jake Heggie’s Two Remain with the Quad City Symphony. Ernesto holds a DMA and MM from the University of Minnesota and a BM from Pittsburg State University, where he studied under Mark Russell Smith. As of 2025 Ernesto has signed a new 5-year contract with the Mankato Symphony.
Outside of music, Ernesto enjoys cooking vegan meals with his wife, Sabrina, and bringing people together through shared cultural experiences.
Recipient of the prestigious Louis B. Sudler Award in the Arts, pianist and arts leader Bethel Balge brings a powerful blend of artistic excellence, visionary leadership, and community commitment to her role as Executive Director of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Since stepping into the role in 2020, she has led the MSO through a period of artistic growth and innovation, expanding access to symphonic music across Southern Minnesota and deepening the orchestra’s connection with its community.
A performer with international experience, Bethel has appeared in concert in Germany—including at Frankfurt’s renowned Alte Oper—and in Russia as soloist with the Voronezh Philharmonic. In the United States, she has performed in numerous venues and has been featured in live broadcasts on American Public Media’s Performance Today as pianist of the ProMusica Minnesota Chamber Music Series & Festival (PMM), which she founded and continues to direct as Artistic Director.
Bethel earned her Diplom-Musikerin from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst), a Master of Music from the University of Wisconsin, and a Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University. In 2014, she completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota, studying under Lydia Artymiw.
In recognition of her leadership in the field, Bethel was selected in 2022 as one of only 35 orchestra leaders from the U.S. and Canada to attend the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials in Orchestra Management, held at the Juilliard School of Music.
Whether on stage or behind the scenes, Bethel Balge is dedicated to the belief that music has the power to build bridges, inspire change, and elevate communities. Her commitment to artistic integrity and accessibility continues to shape the future of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra.
New Zealand cellist Richard Belcher joined the SPCO in 2019 after a twenty year career as founding cellist of the Grammy-nominated Enso String Quartet. With the quartet he earned highly critical accolades from recording and concertizing in many of the world’s major concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center in the United States, as well as abroad in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Richard is the Artistic Director of Music on the Hill in Mankato, Minnesota, and since 2008 has been Principal Cellist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston, Texas. He has taught and performed at many festivals including St. Bart’s, Festival d’Aix en Provence, Prussia Cove, Madeline Island, Campos do Jordao International Winter Festival, SummerFest La Jolla, and the San Miguel de Allende International Chamber Music Festival.
In demand as a teacher and chamber music coach, Richard has previously served as Adjunct Faculty at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and has given numerous masterclasses around the world.
Richard moved to the United States in 1998 to study with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, and it was while there that he founded the Enso String Quartet. Richard’s other principal teachers include Norman Fischer, Marc Johnson, and Alexander Ivashkin. He plays an N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1856, and is married to Cecilia Belcher, Assistant Principal 2nd Violin of the Minnesota Orchestra.
Benji Inniger is a nationally award-winning sound designer, composer, recording engineer, musician, director, and photographer from Mankato, Minnesota. Some of his regional theatre credits include work with Des Moines Metro Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Guthrie Theater, The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Trinity Repertory Company, and the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company. He has composed music for the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, Mankato Symphony Orchestra, Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lake Pepin Chamber Music, Film Score Fest, and Storycorps for National Public Radio. Benji also works as a video game composer and sound designer, adjunct Professor at Bethany Lutheran College, Director of Operations for the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, and formerly Executive Director of ProMusica Minnesota. He received his Master of Fine Arts from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2010.
As a photographer and video artist, Benji has been photographing live events for 11 years and in recent years has been focusing on wildlife, landscapes, and astrophotography. In 2024 he completed a nature documentary titled Bold North which guides the viewer through the diverse seasons of Minnesota and the abundant wildlife found therein. He also composed the musical score for the project, which was recorded by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra and performed by the Mankato Symphony Orchestra also in 2024. He has also written and directed short films, which have won awards at Film Score Fest and the Speechless Film Festival.