ALUMNI
Alex Hall, DO '25
Alex is graduating with a Board certification in Osteopathic Family Medicine. He is +10 excited about next year's plans. Alex will be starting as a hospice and palliative care fellow at DMC/Wayne State University's School of Medicine. We are very happy that Alex is returning in the Fall to the DMO. He initially heard about the DMO from his wife, who has also recently joined the orchestra. (It now makes sense why he initially joined the viola section then later switched to violin). She (Halle Joisant, MD) was in a car pool in high school with Dr. Michael Cher's son and the concerts had been mentioned multiple times. Alex continued to play his violin during medical school and was looking to keep up his skills, which is why he joined the DMO in 2022. His favorite season is the current one, as he gets to share a stand with his wife. And his favorite piece has been Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens. Alex says he has learned about how good for his overall health playing music weekly is.
"I have learned how good for my overall health playing music weekly is... [Plus] I get to share a stand with my wife[!]"
Alex Hall, DO '25
Keshav Lalchandani, MD '25
"I wanted to continue playing music"
Keshav Lalchandani, MD '25
Keshav graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine and will be starting a urology residency at University of Rochester in New York. Unfortunately Keshav will not be staying local so he won't be able to return in the fall. When asked why he joined the DMO, Keshav mentioned it was because he wanted to continue playing music. He found out about the Detroit Medical Orchestra through a simple google search.
Vikki Qian, MD '25
"The DMO has taught me that there is more to life than career and that we can always make time for music. Even though some weeks, the added responsibility of rehearsal might feel heavy, I’m always grateful when I go because it’s a 2.5 hours break from the normal stressors of school."
Vikki Qian, MD '25
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Vikki is graduating from Wayne State's School of Medicine, and is heading to University of Iowa to start her residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery. She is sad to be leaving Detroit (and the DMO of course), but is glad for the opportunities she has had. Vikki served as concert master for several seasons. You can find some of her previous performances with the DMO on our youtube page.
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When asked which piece was her favorite, Vikki says it is Scheherazade. She joined the DMO after hearing about it through the WSUSOM club fair. "I wanted to join an orchestra again in medical school because I really missed playing violin. It’s been an amazing experience being part of a group made up of other medical professionals and has been a good balance of excellent music, but not being too much pressure." Her favorite season was Winter 2024, where she played Bruch Violin Concerto (listen to it here).
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As for a few closing remarks, Vikki says "​​I am incredibly thankful for the DMO. There are so many amazing musicians in this group, and the energy is unmatched. I will truly miss this group when I move!"
Darion Twitty, MD '21
"The DMO has been a never ending growth experience as a musician and a person and I intend to keep playing with this group for as long as I can... It's family after all."
Darion Twitty, MD '21
Darion is graduating from the Residency Program and will be starting as a full time family physician at Henry Ford West Bloomfield in the fall. We are very honored to have had Darion as part of our orchestra. He first joined the DMO in its 2018-19 season after hearing a performance of Dvorak's Ninth World Symphony. ​"I got involved with the DMO just before I started medical school in 2018. I was playing with the Detroit Community Orchestra at the time and attended one of DMO's concerts. I heard their performance of Dvorak 9 New World Symphony and decided from that point that I wanted to join. My favorite piece to play so far has been Bizet Carmen suite #2 and as of recently, Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade. Favorite season? 2018-2019; it was my first year playing with the group."
When asked what one thing is that the DMO has taught him, Darion says it is "the importance of doing anything you enjoy with passion. Practice never makes perfect but sure does make things easier."
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We are very happy Darion is staying local as that means he will be returning in the fall (and fingers and toes crossed) many more seasons to come.​​
Arielle Wenokur, MD '25
"[I learned about the DMO through WSU's org fair. The DMO has taught me the importance of collaboration.]"
Arielle Wenokur, MD '25
Arielle is graduating with a Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. She will be continuing with an Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency at Wayne State. We hope she will be able to return to the DMO in the Fall, schedule allowing. Arielle first learned about the DMO via the school fair hosted by WSU each year. She decided to join the Detroit Medical Orchestra because she missed doing music. Her favorite piece? The Moldau. Her favorite season? The current one. The DMO has taught her the importance of collaboration.
Arielle Wenokur, MD '25
"[I learned about the DMO through WSU's org fair. The DMO has taught me the importance of collaboration.]"
Arielle Wenokur, MD '25
Arielle is graduating with a Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. She will be continuing with an Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency at Wayne State. We hope she will be able to return to the DMO in the Fall, schedule allowing. Arielle first learned about the DMO via the school fair hosted by WSU each year. She decided to join the Detroit Medical Orchestra because she missed doing music. Her favorite piece? The Moldau. Her favorite season? The current one. The DMO has taught her the importance of collaboration.
Alumni
2023-24Â
"The DMO is filled with experts in medicine, but when we play music I think we all appreciate how mindfulness, harmony, and art can be just as important to our wellbeing as our physical health. I think it's a great perspective to take back into our professional lives, and encourages us to treat the patient rather than just treat the disease."
Nolan O'Hara, Ph.D., M.D.
Wayne State University School of Medicine, '24
Nolan has been a member of the DMO since 2016. During one of his first dress rehearsals with the DMO, which at the time was preparing Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3, Nolan recalls hearing and feeling the pipe organ's massive sound for the first time, and feeling as though the auditorium itself was the instrument and the orchestra was playing inside of it. The Saint-Saens and William Grant Still's Symphony No. 1 are tied at number one in his favorite pieces of the DMO's repertoire. When asked why he decided to join the DMO, Nolan says medical training can be emotionally and cognitively exhausting, and that the DMO provides a much-needed, energizing opportunity to make music and think artistically.
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And that couldn't be more true for Nolan. He's dedicated many years to the DMO, both as a violist, and through several positions on the DMO's board. In 2022-23 he served as Vice President, and is now the Director of Publicity and Venues. (We could go on in terms of how much he's contributed to the orchestra, but we won't bore you. It's safe to say, Nolan is always available to lend a helping hand.)
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Nolan is graduating with both a PhD in neuroscience and an MD from Wayne State University He will begin his residency in Pediatric Neurology at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann arbor. Though he won't be returning as a member of the orchestra, we do hope to see him in the audience.
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Noah Welker, M.D.
"I'll be graduating with my M.D. and I'll be going to the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine for their Family Medicine Residency.Given I'll be out of state, unfortunately I won't be returning to the DMO in the fallI heard of the DMO through a med school-wide email asking for musicians prior to the start of the 2022-2023 concert year.I chose to join the DMO because I had played violin since I was 5 years old, but had stopped playing once I went to undergrad. Considering that COVID restrictions were being let up around that time in 2022, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to join another orchestra and pick my violin back up. My favorite piece would be a tie between the Carmen Suite No. 2 by Bizet (Spring 2023), Beethoven's 5th (Fall 2022), and Die Fledermaus Overture (Winter 2024).Favorite concert season was this past cycle (Winter 2024) with Die Fledermaus, the Bruch concerto, and American in Paris.One thing the DMO taught me is how important it is to have a sense of community wherever we're at, and having an activity that you can share with others."
Wayne State University School of Medicine '24
May 19