16 Apr 2026 AVS Board Election Results
Many thanks to all of the qualified candidates who ran for seats in our recent AVS Board Elections. It was one of our strongest and most diverse slates in recent years, and the AVS applauds the energy and dedication of all of these candidates to serving our instrument and our community.
Through the election process, current AVS members elected the following candidates from the slate to three-year terms beginning July 1, 2025:
Ruben Balboa
DJ Cheek
Anthony Devroye
Joyce Tseng
Congratulations to these new incoming and returning AVS Board Members. Please learn more about them below. We appreciate their willingness to serve and look forward to commencing their terms in July!
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Ruben Balboa is a violist, educator, and conductor dedicated to performance, mentorship, and expanding viola education. He serves as Director of the Arts Academy at UMHB and Assistant Professor at Southwestern University, where he teaches violin and viola while conducting the orchestra. A versatile performer, he has collaborated with Austin Camerata, Invoke, and the Miró Quartet, as well as performed with Austin Opera and Dallas Opera. Passionate about expanding the viola’s repertoire, he has commissioned and premiered new works, including Tejano Suite for Viola & Piano (Alex Molina Shawver) at the 2024 American Viola Society Festival in Los Angeles. Committed to fostering the next generation of musicians and educators, he actively mentors students, leads youth orchestras, and engages in community music initiatives. One of his greatest joys is performing viola, voice, and piano recitals with his wife, Samantha, celebrating the unique blend of these timbres.
DJ Cheek joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as Principal Viola in August 2021 and made his solo debut with the orchestra in 2023 performing the Bartók Viola Concerto. This season he will appear as soloist in works by Bruch and Mozart. Prior to his current appointment, DJ played Principal Viola in the Jacksonville Symphony. In recent years he appeared as guest Principal with the Indianapolis Symphony and IRIS Orchestra in Tennessee, and as a substitute with the Dallas Symphony. For the 2024-2025 academic year, DJ is Visiting Artist / Teacher of Viola at Baylor University. He recently joined the faculty of Kneisel Hall and Texas Chamber Music Institute, and he performs at the Colorado Music Festival and teaches at the Interlochen Chamber Music Camp. He has appeared at festivals such as Music@Menlo, the Perlman Music Program, Lucerne, Sarasota, Olympic, and Yellow Barn. DJ performed as a guest artist with Donald Weilerstein and Kim Kashkashian in support of Music for Food, and he continues to perform with the Music for Food chapter in Fort Worth. DJ holds a master’s degree from New England Conservatory and a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin 4 College Conservatory, where he studied with Kim Kashkashian and Peter Slowik, respectively. He was further mentored by Beth Guterman Chu.
Anthony Devroye is violist of the Avalon String Quartet and Professor of Viola at Northern Illinois University. He has performed with the quartet throughout the US and internationally. The quartet’s recordings on the Cedille, Bridge, and Albany labels have garnered critical and popular acclaim. Outside of the quartet Mr. Devroye performs frequently with the Chicago Symphony and as a guest with chamber ensembles. As an administrator he previously served as Artistic Director of Rush Hour Concerts in Chicago, and has been on the Executive Board of the American Viola Society since 2022. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the Curtis Institute, where he studied with Michael Tree and Roberto Diaz.
Joyce Tseng is a violist based in Rochester, NY, currently just one exam away from completing her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at the Eastman School of Music, where she also earned her BM and MM. She is a two-time recipient of the Robert Opelt Viola Award, presented annually to an outstanding viola student at Eastman. Joyce has actively participated in AVS festivals, earning 3rd prize in the 2024 Orchestral Excerpts Competition and 2nd prize in the 2018 Solo Competition. At AVS, she has also performed in masterclasses and presented the workshop “Baroque Dance & Music.” In addition to her regular involvement with AVS festivals, she has attended the Aspen Music Festival and the Heifetz International Music Institute. Joyce currently serves as a chamber music coach at the University of Rochester. With a passion for marketing the arts, she is also the Content & Digital Marketing Manager for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.