HYDRA WINDS
Meet the Musicians
Megan McCafferty, Flute
Megan McCafferty is a flutist and educator based in the northeast. She is dedicated to using music as a powerful tool to forge deep and meaningful connections with people. Megan is an active solo and chamber music performer.
Megan's most recent performance was as a soloist at the 2024 Flutistry Boston Flute Festival. She made her Carnegie Hall Solo-Debut at age 17 as a first prize winner of the Alexander and Buono International Flute Competition. Since then she Megan toured Europe in exchange programs and participated in numerous summer programs such as Mostly Modern Festival and The Anatomy of Sound. In 2019 Megan debuted “Resolve” by Clint Needham with the Factory Seconds Brass Trio from the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She recently premiered Julia Wolfe’s flute choir “Oxygen” at the 2022 National Flute Association Convention in Chicago, IL.
Megan holds a Master's Degree from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Linda Chesis, previously Boston Conservatory in 2023 with her Bachelors of Music in flute performance and a minor in instrument repair. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated in 2019. Her past teachers include Sarah Brady, Diana Morgan, Nancy Stagnitta, and Terri Sundberg. In addition to her studies, Megan works as the Content Manager and Sales Coordinator at Flutistry. Megan serves on the board of the James Pappoutsakis Memorial Fund.
In her free time, Megan enjoys golfing, reading, and spending time with her dogs. You can always find Megan on the search for the best gluten free restaurant. Megan is honored to be recognized as a Haynes Young Artist. You can learn more about her at meganmccaffertyflute.com.
Megan Strait, Oboe
Megan Strait is an NYC based oboist and woodwind doubler. She recently obtained her master’s degree in Classical Performance at the Manhattan School of Music. While at MSM, Megan has enjoyed working with renowned conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, JoAnn Falletta, and David Chan. She has enjoyed playing both on stage and in pit orchestras, and is a founding member of the woodwind quintet Hydra Winds.
A native of the Indianapolis area, Megan stayed close to home for her undergraduate degree and attended Butler University where she obtained degrees in oboe performance and music education. While at Butler, Megan served as principal oboe of both the Butler Symphony Orchestra and the Butler University Wind Ensemble. During her time as principal oboe, she received awards for Outstanding Ensemble Member in 2021 and 2023, was co-winner of the 2021 Pi Kappa Lambda Music Competition, was a finalist in the 2022 Butler University Concerto Competition, and winner of the 2023 William and Helen Speicher Outstanding Music Performance Award.
In addition to her studies, Megan frequently performed and taught in the Indianapolis area. She enjoyed working as a substitute oboist with groups such as the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, the Danville Symphony Orchestra, and more. She loved working for five years in Indy with the Butler Community Arts School, the Avon and Hamilton Southeastern music programs, and many other programs.
Megan is a student of Robert Botti at the Manhattan School of Music, studied with Pamela Ajango at Butler University, and worked with Regina Bollinger during her high school years.
Danny King, Clarinet
Chicago based clarinetist and woodwind doubler, Danny King, is a founding member of Hydra Winds. Recent awards include two winning positions in the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition, Illinois State University Concerto-Aria Competition Winner, and finalist in the ISU Band Concerto Competition and the U.S. Army Collegiate Concerto Competition. He holds additional awards in International Competitions including King’s Peak International Competition and Couperin International Music Competition. He's held fellowship positions at Miami Beach Classical Music Festival, Newfound Chamber Winds, and DeCoda Chamber Music Festival.
When not performing with Hydra Winds, King can be seen in Symphony in C, Chelsea Symphony Orchestra, various off-broadway musical theater and opera pit orchestras, and in the premiere NYC-based bass clarinet ensemble, Delicious Bass. Additionally, Danny has held teaching positions as a woodwind instructor for the Bloomington High School Marching Raiders for four consecutive seasons, as well as teaching elementary general music in the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois community.
Danny earned his Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of Charles Neidich. He holds two bachelor's degrees in music education and clarinet performance from Illinois State University, where he studied under Dr. David Gresham and received the Presser Scholar Award. You can learn more about Danny at dannykingclarinet.com.
Chanelle Junio, Bassoon
Chanelle Junio is a bassoonist from Honolulu, Hawaii, where she was also a featured soloist with the Oahu Civic Orchestra and studied with Richard Hotoke. Prior to her completion of a master's in bassoon performance from Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Billy Short, she received her Bachelor’s in bassoon performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied primarily with William Ludwig and Kathleen McLean.
During Chanelle’s studies in Indiana, she was a finalist in the Woodwind Concerto Competition. She has also premiered and recorded works with bassoon and contrabassoon with IU’s New Music Ensemble under the direction of David Dzubay.
Recently, she has been a substitute musician for the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Chanelle has a passion for promoting new music and has premiered compositions by Shulamit Ran, Han Lash, and Don Freund. She also enjoys discovering and performing solo and chamber works by underrepresented composers.
When Chanelle is not therapeutically processing cane for hours, she enjoys hiking trails and various frozen desserts.
Keegan McCardell, Horn
Keegan McCardell, a graduate of the Orchestral Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music, studied with Javier Gandara. He has previously completed his bachelor's degree from MSM where he studied with Cally Messick, Justin Drew, and Richard Deane.
He has performed at many world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall, Seiji Ozawa Hall, and The Koussevitzky Shed at Tanglewood.
He has been a member of the MSM Philharmonia and Symphony Orchestras since arriving at MSM in the fall of 2019. He has also more recently been a member of the Opus130 Orchestra at MSM through his position in the OP program. Apart from participating in orchestral ensembles, he was also selected as one of the winners of the Fuchs Chamber Music Competition held in November 2024 with his Wind Quintet, Hydra Winds. He is also a founding member of the Mahogany Brass Quintet, which recently performed in a guest artist recital at UMass Amherst in October, 2024. He has also attended various festivals throughout his Horn career including Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Eastern Music Festival, and Brevard Music Festival.
Outside of music, Keegan loves to travel across the country, visiting various National Parks.