SouthEastern Young Artists Inc. (SEYA)’s mission is to grow the cultural arts through performance and education in North Georgia. SEYA increases access to the performing arts through free and ticketed events in venues, churches, communities and private homes by presenting nationally recognized classical, jazz and contemporary musicians. Our workshops at schools and education centers incorporate music exercises with soft skills to improve social development in school-aged children.
SEYA began inviting artists to perform across North Georgia in 2018. To support continued growth, the organization was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2022. We engage over 4,000 audience members annually through educational events, community engagement events, and performances.
The only festival of its kind in North Georgia, our Summer Music Festival invites top artists from across the U.S. for two weeks in June for classical, bluegrass and jazz music performances. During September through May, the SEYA Concert Series showcases pre-formed ensembles of various genres in concerts, at schools, and in non-traditional spaces like museums, libraries, retirement communities, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Dede Gossage – Board Chairperson
Barbara Vonderheid – Board Secretary
Dr. Charles Nash – Director
Dr. Anup Lahiry – Director
Lyn Froehlich – Director
Our Board
Passionate about chamber music, Ben Kronk founded SouthEastern Young Artists Inc. (SEYA) in 2018 to bring people together through music. A violinist based in Iowa, Ben competed in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in May 2024, and previously won the 2023 Texas Rising Stars competition. He is the grand-prize winner of the 2022 American Opera Society of Chicago’s Scholarship Competition. As soloist, he has appeared with Austin Unconducted, SouthEastern Young Artists, the Caroga Lake Music Festival, the Austin Civic Orchestra, the Toccoa Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Central Texas Medical Orchestra.
He is a member of the Iris Collective and has played with Artosphere, the Austin Symphony, the Chicago Philharmonic Society, the Folks’ Operetta, the Wisconsin Philharmonic, and the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. Notably he has performed with celebrated artists including Bion Tsang, Sandy Yamamoto, Matthew Lipman, Anna Petrova, Janet Sung, Stephen Balderston, Daniel Ching, Rose Ambrust Griffin, and Liang-yu Wang.
He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin (Doctorate ‘24), DePaul University (Post Master’s Certificate ‘22), Mcgill University (Master’s ‘19), and the Eastman School of Music (Bachelor’s ‘17). He has taken masterclasses from Midori and Pinchas Zuckerman among others.
CEO & Founder | BEN KRONK
Anna has been bringing performing arts to life both on and off stage since her earliest memories, most recently in the live theatre and music scene of Atlanta. Working with dedicated artists from all over the globe to create beautiful and meaningful art is her dream, both as a creative and administrative professional.
For several years, she organized and instructed live performance workshops for high-school students across North America while serving as Director of Operations for an international non-profit headquartered in her hometown of Gainesville. An actor, singer and writer, she loves to engage audiences with stories through many mediums, especially in small, personal settings. Not one to forget what it takes behind the scenes, Anna has also worked in props, costuming, set, and administrative roles for theatrical and musical performances.
Though life has moved her to many locales, currently southeastern Connecticut, her family, school, and the wide community of extraordinary people in Gainesville keep her closely connected to the North Georgia foothills. Anna is thrilled to be working with Southeastern Young Artists to bring exceptional artists and memorable performances to the growing city of Gainesville.