Performers
2010-2011
Mahlon Balderston, organist and composer, has a BM Degree from Oberlin Conservatory and a MA Degree in Composition from Iowa State University, with further graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, UCSB, Westminster Choir College, and the Royal School of Church Music in Addington, England. He is an active member of the SB Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Professor Emeritus at both SBCC and UCSB, and has served as organist at Trinity Episcopal Church. Organist at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara for over 50 years, he is now Organist Emeritus.
Deborah Bertling, soprano, received her BA Degree from Bob Jones University. She has sung with Opera SB for over a decade, and recently appeared in the World Premiere of Stephen Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon. In addition to performing and teaching in OSB's Outreach Program, which she designed, she performs in operas and concerts with the Pacific Repertory Opera in San Luis Obispo and in the "Broadway and Opera Under the Stars" series in SB. Deborah is currently President of the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation and Secretary of the Community Arts Music Association Board of Directors.
Allen Bishop, pianist, is a former President of the SB Music Club. His lifelong interest in the music of Classical composers has been supported by several wonderful teachers, including Glory Fisher, Dr. Betty Oberacker and Peter Yazbeck. He is a frequent performer in the SBMC Concert Series, and he inaugurated the Annual Beethovenfest in 2003. Dr. Bishop continues to practice psychoanalysis and is Chair of Pacifica Graduate Institute's Clinical Program.
Beverly Brossmann, flutist, earned her BM Degree at the University of Puget Sound, and her MM Degree from UCSB, studying with Jill Felber and serving as her Teaching Assistant. Winner of the 2003 and 2007 National Flute Association Performers Competition, she has performed at the Aspen Music Festival (CO) and the Burgos International Music Festival (Spain), and has recorded Finding the Divine Within (Masterfully Played Flute Music For Transcendent Meditation Experiences) for Mastery Sounds. Beverly is partner, with Erin McKibben, in the duo, Silver Winds, and is a Miyazawa Flute Company Emerging Artist.
Grey Brothers, tenor and Music Director, earned a PhD in Musicology from UCSB, with a dissertation on settings of the Passion composed at the Mexico City Cathedral in the seventeenth century. In addition to directing the Westmont Chamber Singers and Westmont Women's Chorale, he teaches church music, music history, world music and voice at Westmont College. His conducting posts have included an appointment as guest conductor of UC Santa Barbara's early music chorus, Cappella Cordina, and his current position as Minister of Choral and Congregational Music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara. Dr. Brothers has appeared as tenor soloist with Santa Barbara and Ventura choral groups, has sung lead roles in local stage productions, and has performed as a choral artist at the Oregon Bach Festival and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival.
Barbara Coventry, violinist, attended Baylor University, Manhattan School of Music and the State University of New York, studying with Raphael Bronstein, Dorothy Delay, Robert Gerle and Shinichi Suzuki. A member of the Greenwich and New World Symphonies (NY) and the SB Symphony, she performed in numerous chamber groups in the U.S. and England and was faculty member at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia. Barbara currently teaches children's groups at the SB Music and Arts Conservatory.
Andrea Di Maggio, flutist, earned her BM, summa cum laude, from San Jose State University, was Teaching Assistant and faculty performer at Arizona State University, and earned her MM at UCSB, studying with Jill Felber. Recipient of many Bay Area competitions, she has won awards from the Léni Fé Bland Foundation, SB Music Club and SB Performing Arts Foundation. In addition to maintaining a private flute studio and performing in weddings and community ensembles, Andrea teaches history, theory and Orff ensemble at Artios Academy.
Neil Di Maggio, pianist, earned his BM, summa cum laude, from San Jose State University, his MM/Piano Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory, and his MM/Collaborative Piano from UCSB. He has performed for the Adderley School of Performing Arts and the SB Master Chorale, and with SBCC and Westmont College faculty. Assistant Director of Research and Prospect Management in the Office of College Advancement at Westmont, Neil is in demand as soloist and collaborative pianist, and maintains a private piano studio.
Emma Lou Diemer, composer and pianist, received degrees from Yale University (BM, MM) and Eastman School of Music (PhD). Her music has been recorded on Albany Records (Organ Concerto), Contemporary Record Society (Remembrance for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra, Variations for Piano Four Hands), Leonarda (Fantasy for piano), MMC Recordings (Piano Concerto, Santa Barbara Overture, recorded by the London Symphony), Vienna Modern Masters (Encore for piano). Professor Emeritus at UCSB, Dr. Diemer has been Composer-in-Residence with the Santa Barbara Symphony.
Suzanne Duffy, flutist, holds performance degrees from Northwestern and Indiana Universities, is a member of the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra, and regularly performs with the SB Chamber Orchestra. Other ensembles with which she has performed include the Florida Philharmonic, Florida West Coast Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, New World Symphony (Michael Tilson Thomas, Artistic Director), Palm Beach Opera, and SB Symphony. In addition to her studio teaching, Suzanne is Production Manager for Camerata Pacifica.
Robert Else, pianist, studied with Charles Fulkerson at Humboldt State University and with Gwendolyn Koldofsky and Brooks Smith at USC. He holds a degree in jazz piano from Berklee College of Music, Boston, and his jazz activities have included singing in a cappella vocal groups and composing/arranging for a variety of jazz ensembles. In addition to solo performances, he is an active chamber music participant locally and in workshops at Humboldt, San Diego and Adamant (Vermont). Robert serves on the board of the Santa Barbara Music Club. Please visit Robert at www.robertelse.com.
John Etsell, pianist, is a Santa Barbara Music Club Scholarship awardee. A senior at San Marcos High School, he studies piano with Lana Bodnar and takes chamber music classes with Misha and Nina Bodnar at the SB Music and Arts Conservatory. John's performance experience includes local and regional festivals and competitions as well as benefit concerts, and he was featured with members of the SB Symphony at the 2009 Young Soloists Showcase concert.
Philip Ficsor, violinist, earned BM and MM Degrees from the University of Michigan, a MM Degree from Yale University and a DMA Degree from Boston University. An enthusiastic advocate for contemporary American composers, his recording of The Complete Works for Violin and Piano of William Bolcom has received high critical acclaim, and he recently released the recording, "Summer Day": The Complete Works for Violin and Piano of Emma Lou Diemer, with the composer at the keyboard. Dr. Ficsor is currently Assistant Professor at Westmont College, teaching violin and coaching chamber music.
Isabel Gallagher, flutist, received Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Frances Blaisdell. She was piccoloist with the Seattle Symphony, taught at Cornell University (NY), Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle) and Vanier College (Montreal), and served as President of the Seattle Flute Society. Isabel continues to be actively involved in chamber music in both the Santa Barbara and Seattle areas.
Tachell Gerbert and Bradley Gregory, piano duettists, received BM degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where they studied with Mack McCray and Nathan Schwartz; Tachell and Bradley then received MM Degrees from UCSB, where they studied with Dr. Wendell Nelson and focused on literature for two pianos and one piano four-hands. At UCSB, the duettists were inspired by the works of Emma Lou Diemer, and subsequently introduced her four hand works to audiences as far away as Italy and Japan. In 1996 they gave the premiere performance of Diemer's Norteamexispanicumsake, which was written for them, and in 2000 they were the pianists in the premiere of Diemer's Mass, with the Ojai Camerata. Gerbert and Gregory live in Thousand Oaks and enjoy parenting, teaching piano, and working with children's choirs.
Sally Greenebaum, cellist, majored in music at Earlham College and earned her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University. A member of the Fox Valley, Longwood and Richmond Symphony Orchestras, she has performed in many chamber music workshops as well. Currently, she is on the Board of the Chamber Music Society of Santa Barbara and is an Occupational Therapist at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, focusing on hand therapy. Sally has a special interest in giving talks on injury prevention for musicians.
Marian Gilbert, pianist, received her BM Degree from UCSB, where she studied with Dr. Betty Oberacker, and her MM Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Zenon Fishbein. Active as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician, she has been concerto soloist with the San Luis Obispo Chamber Orchestra three times. Marian is faculty member and Choral Accompanist at Cuesta College, is on the Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Symphony, and maintains a private teaching studio in San Luis Obispo.
Steven Gross, French hornist, earned a BM Degree from the University of Michigan, an MM from Indiana University, studying with Philip Farkas, and a DMA from the University of Cincinnati, with Michael Hatfield. He is Principal Horn of both the Opera Santa Barbara and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestras, has recorded for ACA Digital, CRI, Koch, Hyperion and Telarc labels, and has concertized internationally. Dr. Gross is Professor and Director of the Wind, Brass & Percussion Program at UCSB, and an Instructor at Westmont College.
Jane Hahn, flutist, studied at UCSB with Burnette Atkinson in the BM program, and currently studies with Suzanne Duffy. Jane has enjoyed playing flute on a semi-professional basis for over thirty years, including performances at concerts and services at Trinity Episcopal Church. She is also a singer, and has performed at the Music Academy as well as with the Civic Light Opera, Opera SB and the USCB Opera Theater, in addition to managing a holiday caroling quartet, The Santa Barbara Holiday Carolers. By day, Jane is a software engineer.
Margaret Halbig, pianist, holds a BM Degree from the University of Evansville, Indiana, an MM Degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory, and is currently completing her DMA Degree in Collaborative Piano at UCSB with Robert Koenig. She has participated in master classes with Anne Epperson, Marilyn Horne, Warren Jones, and members of the Juilliard String Quartet, and last summer she was a Fellow in Collaborative Piano at the Music Academy of the West. Since 2008, Margaret has been pianist/organist at First Congregational Church of SB, and also accompanist for Opera SB.
Renée Hamaty, pianist, majored in music at Occidental College, studying piano with Aube Tzerko and choral conducting with Dr. Howard Swan. She has concertized widely as vocal and instrumental accompanist, and has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein in West Coast premieres (Candide and Mass) and with Stephen Sondheim in Chicago and Los Angeles. Pianist and Music Director for "Opera Under the Stars" summer dinner concerts at the Arts & Letters Café, she maintains a Santa Barbara studio and performs for and co-produces the school outreach "Teaching-Performances" for Opera Santa Barbara.
Paula Hatley, pianist, earned a BA Degree in Music from the University of Arkansas, where she studied accompanying with William Gant. She has worked as a vocal studio accompanist, collaborating in numerous song recitals, and has been a member of various chamber ensembles. Active in the Santa Barbara musical community, she has accompanied the Santa Barbara Master Chorale and Santa Barbara Children's Chorus, and currently serves as accompanist in the Westmont College Music Department.
Thomas Heck, guitarist, received his PhD in Musicology from Yale University. As a scholar, he has been awarded Fulbright Fellowships in Austria and Italy and a Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study Fellowship, and has published major contributions to the knowledge and understanding of the guitar's history and literature. A Santa Barbara resident since 2001, Dr. Heck is also a composer and arranger, is active in activities involving music as therapy, and is principal author and editor of the book, Picturing Performance: The Iconography of the Performing Arts in Concept and Practice.
Hal Isbitz, composer and pianist, is a classically trained musician who studied composition and music theory with Ernest Kanitz, then Professor Emeritus at USC. A retired computer programmer, Hal began writing ragtime and other syncopated pieces in the mid-1970's, and to date has written over 80 piano pieces. His music has been recorded and performed at ragtime festivals throughout the country, and Tulsey Town Rag, written to commemorate the centennial of Oklahoma statehood, won the 2007 competition held by the Ragtime for Tulsa Foundation. Hal is a member of the Santa Barbara Music Club Board of Directors.
Egle Januleviciute, pianist, was born in Lithuania, was awarded the Premiere Prix Concert Recital Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music, London, and earned her DMA from UCSB, studying with Paul Berkowitz. She has performed in Europe and the former Soviet Union, and won several international piano competitions, including the Young Keyboard Artists Competition (Oberlin, OH) and the Robert Casadesus Competition (Cleveland, OH). Recipient of numerous fellowships, she currently is an Instructor at Westmont College.
Ervin Klinkon, cellist, received his musical training in Germany and New York City. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in Europe and the U. S., and with orchestras in Houston and Washington, D.C. (Kennedy Center Opera House, National Gallery and National Symphony). He was Chair of the Music Department at Montgomery College (MD) and Conductor of its Symphony Orchestra for twenty years. Ervin now lives in Santa Barbara and performs in chamber music groups, teaches cello, and coaches chamber music.
Viva Knight, pianist, studied piano with Stefan Bardas at the University of North Texas and with Marina Young at Rutgers University, and has given recitals in New York City and Italy. She has enjoyed careers as television producer (including the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), as off-Broadway Theatre Producer, and as Adjunct Professor of Screenwriting at New York University. In Santa Barbara, Viva was personal assistant to Lillian Lovelace, and continued her piano study with Dr. Betty Oberacker.
Barbara Logen, flutist, earned her MM Degree in Flute Performance from the University of Arizona. She was Principal Flute of the Cascade Symphony (Seattle) for 25 years, as well as a church organist and private music teacher. Since moving to Santa Barbara, she has been a member of the Lompoc Pops Orchestra and the Santa Maria Philharmonic; Barbara also enjoys playing piano, recorder and viola da gamba in several local small ensembles.
Ted Lucas, violinist, received his BA and MA Degrees from San Diego State University, his Doctorate from the University of Illinois, and is a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management. A composition student of the renowned teacher Nadia Boulanger, Ted was Music Department Chair at Beloit College, (WI), Dean of Fine Arts at Southwestern University (TX), and Director of the School of Music and Dance at San Jose State University. Dr. Lucas is currently working for the CSU Chancellor's Office on statewide healthcare issues.
Carol Ann Manzi, soprano, has appeared in recital and operatic productions throughout the U.S. and in Austria and the Czech Republic. She earned her BA Degree from Southern Connecticut State University and her MM Degree from Yale University, and served as Artist/Instructor at The Greater Hartford Academy for the Performing Arts (CT). She recently returned to Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, to be featured as Maria in Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff, and returned to Opera Sarasota for a fifth season to sing Flora in Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re. Other operatic engagements include major roles with Opera Carolina and Opera Maine, and the Abilene, Connecticut, Eugene, Greensboro, Sarasota, Toledo and Yale Opera Companies. Locally, she has sung with Opera Santa Barbara, and has appeared as Mimi in La Boheme and Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with the Pacific Opera Repertory Company. In concert, she has appeared at the Banff and Tanglewood Music Festivals, and with symphony orchestras in repertoire including Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Coronation Mass and Verdi's Requiem. Her recordings include The Most Beloved Songs of Christmas, with guitarist Thomas Heck, and Songs of Comfort and Courage and Look to the Rainbow, the latter in conjunction with her work as Spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. Ms. Manzi serves on the faculty of Santa Barbara City College, and continues her worldwide concerts and public speaking tours for breast cancer causes.
Jeannot Tihoti Maha'a, cellist, is originally from Honolulu and specializes in historical performance practice, including the use of original instruments. Also a double bassist, his interest in the early history of bass instruments has led to a close association with Dr. Nona Pyron, with whom he works as Research Assistant and Editor of Grancino Editions. A freelance musician, Mr. Maha'a teaches privately, dedicating special attention to children and beginning adults.
Donna Massello-Chiacos, pianist, earned a BA in Piano Performance from UCSB, where she studied with Dr. Betty Oberacker, and an MA in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. A certified Orff-Schulwerk specialist, she presents workshops at the international level and teacher training nationally. Donna coached with the late Dusi Mura of Santa Monica, and was the former Music Director of Montessori Center School and San Roque School in Santa Barbara.
Nancy Mathison, clarinetist, received her BM from USC, where she studied with Mitchell Lurie, and her MM from UCSB, where she studied with James Kanter. She has performed with the American Ballet Theater, Houston Opera, Mexico City Philharmonic, Muny Opera in St. Louis, Rudolf Nureyev Ballet, SB Civic Light Opera, and the former Ventura County Symphony. Currently a member of the New West Symphony, Nancy teaches instrumental music at three Santa Barbara elementary schools and teaches clarinet and saxophone privately.
Nicole McKenzie, violinist, has performed widely as soloist and chamber musician. Winner of the Sutton Chamber Music Award, she earned a BM Degree from Oberlin Conservatory, an MM Degree from Florida State University, and studied with Gary Kosloski at the Music Academy of the West. Ms. McKenzie maintains a private violin studio, is Co-Director for and faculty member at Sandcastle Music Together, and also teaches at the Santa Barbara Charter School. She performs on a violin created for her by Michel Eggimann of Rome, Italy.
Erin McKibben, flutist, received her BM Degree at the University of Puget Sound and her MM Degree from the University of Michigan, studying with Amy Porter. Winner of the 2003 and 2007 National Flute Association Performers Competitions, she has performed at the Aspen Music Festival (CO) and the Burgos International Music Festival (Spain), and performed in the premier recording of William Bolcom's First Symphony for Band, with the University of Michigan Symphony Band. Erin is partner, with Beverly Brossmann, in the flute duo, Silver Winds, and is a Miyazawa Flute Company Emerging Artist.
Farley Neumann, pianist, received his AA Degree in Music from Cuesta College, and was concerto soloist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony in Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major. At UCSB, he earned his BA Degree in Music as a Double Major (Composition and Piano Performance), studying with Drs. Emma Lou Diemer and Betty Oberacker, and as winner of the UCSB Concerto Competition performed Liszt's Concerto No. 2 in A major. Farley has published Five Pieces for Piano (1985) and Four Pieces for Piano (1987), and currently is the owner of Dependable Appliance Repair in Santa Barbara.
Katelyn Neumann, mezzo-soprano, is a SB Music Club scholarship awardee. She sang in the SB High School A Cappella Choir and Madrigal Singers, received her AA Degree in Music at SB City College, studying with Agatha Carubia and Nathan Kreitzer, and was soloist with the SBCC Chamber Singers and Concert Choir. In 2009 she earned her BA Degree from Cal Poly, studying with Jacalyn Kreitzer. Katelyn has toured as soloist with the Cal Poly Polyphonics Choir, has sung with the SB Master Chorale, and was soloist in CSUN's production of Mendelssohn's Elijah. She is currently enrolled in the MM Program at CSU Northridge.
Nonet Ensemble is a chamber music group specifically organized to perform the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Nonet. The group consists of Laury Woods, violinist, member of the SB Symphony since 1973 and an active chamber musician; Helena McGahagan, violist, member of the Sunset Quartet and the SB City College Orchestra; Andrew Saunders, cellist, early music performer and local music teacher; Nancy Chase, bassist, member of the SB Chamber Orchestra and SB Symphony; Elizabeth Turner, oboist, member of the SB Community College orchestra; Per Elmfors, clarinetist, a former member of several Swedish chamber groups and a current performer with the SBCC Concert Band; Sherry Trujillo, Co-Principal French Horn in the SBCC Orchestra while pursuing her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine; John Wisniewski, bassoonist, who has performed in Australia and Spain and is Principal Bassoon for the Beach Cities Symphony; and Steven Schneider, pianist, avid chamber musician and Los Angeles attorney.
Betty Oberacker, pianist, has toured throughout Europe, Israel, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the U.S., including performances at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonic Hall and Carnegie Hall. She has been Artist-in-Residence at 55 universities, conservatories and music festivals, and many important composers have dedicated their works to her. Of German-Romanian parentage, her musical gifts were evidenced early, when at three she began to play the piano and compose entirely by ear. Piano lessons started at age five, and at nine she was accepted as a scholarship student of the noted pianist Beryl Rubinstein. Her BM and MM Degrees are from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and her DMA Degree is from The Ohio State University, where she was also a member of the piano faculty. She has recorded for Century, Klavier, MIT Great Performances Archives, MMC, Orion and VMM Records, and her discography includes two concerti written for her: John Biggs' Variations on a Theme of Shostakovich, and Emma Lou Diemer's Piano Concerto; her appearance with the National Symphony in the East Coast Premiere of the Diemer Concerto elicited a standing ovation from the Kennedy Center audience. Honors accorded her include a Fulbright Fellowship to Italy, awards from UC MEXUS, grants from both the Interdisciplinary and Pacific Rim Research Centers, and the UC Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Oberacker is UCSB Professor Emeritus, and enjoys an active performance, teaching and chamber music coaching schedule.
Adam Philips, tenor, received his BFA in Musical Theater from SUNY Fredonia, and is pursuing his MM at UCSB with Benjamin Brecher. He has been soloist with the Quire of Voyces, Adelfos Ensemble and State Street Ballet, has performed with Opera Santa Barbara, and was Psalmist/Cantor at the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Currently Director of Music/Worship Leader at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Goleta), Adam also performs with his band, The Scrub Jays.
Elijah Langdon Quetin, pianist, grew up in the Salinas Valley, where he began his piano studies at age 7. At the Jugend Musiziert competition in Göttingen, Germany, he was awarded two prizes: First Prize, Regional Level, for Voice-Piano Repertoire, and Third Prize, National Level, for Flute-Piano Repertoire. Elijah has studied both Music and Physics at California Institute of Technology, UCSB and the University of Göttingen, and he is currently pursuing his PhD Degree in Physics, investigating what happens when a black hole consumes a star, while continuing his piano studies at UCSB with Dr. Charles Asche.
William Ramsay, composer, studied composition at the Washington Conservatory, earned a PhD in Physics from UCLA, and has taught and done research at UCSB and elsewhere. His compositions include a Flute Sonata, Piano Quartet, Symphonic Prelude, Violin Suite, and numerous songs. Author of a number of published short stories, Dr. Ramsay has written for the theater and has published a number of books on energy and environmental questions.
Evie Rangel, soprano, earned her BA in Music, with Honors, from UC San Diego, sang leading roles with the UCSD Chamber Opera, and was featured soloist with undergraduate and graduate choir and chamber ensembles. She was selected to perform in the "Interpretation of Spanish Song Festival" in Granada, Spain, through the University of St. Louis, Madrid Campus, and was recipient of a grant in conjunction with the festival. Evie has sung in the chorus of Opera SB, and continues to study voice with Carol Ann Manzi. Evie is planning to attend graduate school to obtain a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance.
Diana Ray-Goodman, violist, received her BA from CSUN and did graduate study at Arizona State University. She has performed in the Conejo Valley, Phoenix and SB Chamber Orchestras, SB Symphony and Thousand Oaks Philharmonic. A faculty member at CSUCI and Moorpark College, she is a member and evaluator for the Music Teachers' Association of California. A member of the American String Teachers' Association, Diana is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association and has a studio of violin and viola students.
Joseph Richter, pianist, arranger, coach, composer/lyricist and vocal teacher, holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Boston University and a Master of Arts Degree from Columbia University. He has penned seven full-length musicals, including Eastchester Green, which was produced Off-Off Broadway in 1982.
Musical Director for numerous touring productions, including Bells Are Ringing, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (with Godfrey Cambridge) and The Sound of Music (with Giselle MacKenzie), he was also Musical Director for Chicago's longest running revue, Medium Rare (with Diane Ladd, Anne Meara, Donna Mills and Jerry Stiller). Joe's television experience includes dance arranging for the Steve Allen Tonight Show (he was hired by Skitch Henderson) and The Garry Moore and Patti Page TV shows, and he was rehearsal pianist for Ed Sullivan's renowned June Taylor Dancers.
As far as singing is concerned, Joe has always rejected the ubiquitous defensive claim, offered by so many people, that they are "tone deaf." Ever resistant to such pronouncements, he formed a chorus at a White Plains (NY) Continuing Education Center - no auditions, mind you, but open only to those music lovers who were traumatized into silence early on by being told they could only be "listeners." Twenty-eight intrepid souls showed up and bravely and willingly accepted the challenge, with the result that their lives were never again the same: after working hard with their new mentor, they presented a concert of Broadway and Hollywood songs which thrilled the audience. Needless to say, Joe would be very interested in undertaking a similar project here in Santa Barbara!
A Santa Barbara resident since 2001, Joe taught music at Santa Barbara Charter School and served as Choral Director at Cold Spring School in Montecito and Laguna Blanca School in Hope Ranch. In 2003 his original song, Santa Barbara, was presented at a Lobero Theater benefit for the community-oriented organization, Young at Heart.
Community service is of vital importance to him, and he is dedicated to returning people to the songs with which they grew up; he organized and directed a chorale at Casa Dorinda, and performs regularly at Friendship Manor, Maravilla and Wood Glen Hall. With teaching his passion, he has taught piano, vocal music, choral singing and music appreciation for over forty years, and currently maintains a private piano and voice studio.
Ted Rust, oboist, is a lifelong amateur musician, having studied oboe, flute, chamber music and composition with private teachers. He performs in the Berkeley Bach Cantata Group and several music clubs, and serves on the board of the Chamber Musicians of Northern California. A retired regional planning consultant, he founded and published the magazine, Music for the Love of It. Currently, Ted and Viva Knight are preparing recital repertoire of oboe-piano duos for the North American tour of Duo Dolci.
Andrew Saunders, cellist, studied with Jacqueline Greenshields and Charlene Wilson in Santa Barbara, and with Andrew Smith at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also studied early music repertoire for the viola da gamba with Bill Darst in Santa Barbara. Andrew performs locally with various groups, playing cello, viola da gamba and double bass. A student of horticulture at Santa Barbara City College, he works locally as a music teacher and performer.
Ben Saunders, pianist, earned his BM Degree in Jazz and Classical Piano Performance from Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle). He has been concerto soloist with the SBCC Orchestra, pianist for Center Stage and SBCC musicals, and has performed at the Monterey, Montreaux (Switzerland), North Sea (Netherlands) and Reno Jazz Festivals. Currently a member of the local honky-tonk group, "Holdfast Rifle Company," Ben is the manager of Santa Barbara Sheet Music.
Jennifer Sayre, harpist, earned her MM Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and has researched 16th and 17th century harp techniques at the National Library, Madrid, and El Escorial, San Lorenzo. She has appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and Europe, including appearances at Lincoln Center and with the L.A. Baroque Orchestra and Magnificat Baroque of San Francisco. Currently a faculty member at Cal Poly State University, she records for Musical Heritage Society and Teldec, and collaborates with the vocal group Chanticleer, including an appearance on their recording, Mission Road.
Steven Schneider, pianist, received a BA from Occidental College, a PhD in English and American Literature from Harvard, a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California, and studied piano with Béla Nagy at Boston University, Robert Prichard at Occidental College and Dolores Stevens in Los Angeles. Although he has a full-time law practice, he is a regular chamber music performer at the Hart Museum, Los Angeles Valley College, Pasadena Library, and for the American String Teachers Association and Los Angeles Violoncello Society, in addition to participating in chamber music workshops throughout California. Dr. Schneider has also presented a series of duo recitals with cellist Jerome Kessler, and has been featured as concerto soloist with the Pierce College Chamber Orchestra.
Elaine Schott, violinist, studied violin with Stefan Krayk and David Stockhammer, and has a BA in English Literature from UCSB. She has been an enthusiastic participant in Glory Fisher's chamber music class at Santa Barbara City College, an active member of the Santa Barbara Chamber Music Society, and for nineteen years a participant in the Humboldt State University Chamber Music Workshops. Elaine has taught violin since the 1970's, and is a member of the Firecat Trio.
Seungah Seo, pianist, received her BM Degree in Collaborative Piano from UCSB, where she studied with Dr. Charles Asche, Paul Berkowitz, Anne Epperson and Yael Weiss, and holds an MM in Accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Kenneth Merrill. She has served as pianist for master classes of Stephanie Blythe, Marilyn Horne, Dawn Upshaw and Carol Wincenc, and has been Staff Accompanist for the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. Seungah currently teaches piano at Westmont College.
Rebecca Shasberger, cellist, is a SBMC Scholarship awardee. A student of Nona Pyron, she is a senior at Providence Hall High School. Last year she was soloist in the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Westmont Orchestra, and also toured Austria and Hungary as Principal Cellist with the group. A member of the Siloam String Quartet, Rebecca is Principal Cellist with the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony. She has been awarded scholarships from the Léni Fé Bland, Santa Barbara Performing Arts and Santa Barbara Foundations.
John Sonquist, pianist, studied with Margit Varro in Chicago and with Glory Fisher as a member of her SBCC Chamber Music Class. He is UCSB Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Sociology and a 50-year chamber music veteran and accompanist, and currently serves on the advisory boards of the Ashland and Humboldt Chamber Music Workshops. Staff Pianist for the Live Oak Unitarian-Universalist Congregation, Dr. Sonquist recently joined Rebecca Wave to issue an album of Yiddish Songs on the Figgy Pudding Music label.
Adrian Spence, flutist, studied at the London College of Music. He came to the U.S. at the invitation of the renowned flutist Geoffrey Gilbert, and continued his studies with Thomas Nyfenger and David Shostac. Founder and Artistic Director of Camerata Pacifica, Spence has performed as soloist and with orchestras in the U.S. and Europe, and has been heard on BBC and National Public Radio. He has participated in the Aspen and Bach Aria Music Festivals and has appeared with such distinguished artists as Jean-Pierre Rampal, Eliot Fisk, and Ransom Wilson.
Harrison Swalley, trumpeter, is a SB Music Club Scholarship awardee and studies with John Ernest. He began playing at age five, and at age seven was taking lessons from Wynton Marsalis, whom Harrison cites as his biggest musical influence. Harrison later studied with New York Philharmonic trumpeter Brad Siroky at the Special Music School in NYC, and at age 12 he was soloist in the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with the Santa Barbara Symphony. A member of the National Honor Society, Harrison is currently Principal Trumpet in the SB Youth Symphony and Lead Trumpet for the SB High School Jazz Band.
Sio Tepper, pianist, is a SB Music Club Scholarship awardee and studies with Lana Bodnar. She has appeared as soloist in the Music and Arts Conservatory Young Soloists Showcase concerts in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010, won First Prize in the Piano Teachers' National Association of Japan Competition, Los Angeles Branch, and has participated in the MERIT Program at the Music Academy for the past three summers. In addition to her solo piano performances, Sio enjoys composing, performing chamber music, and singing in choirs, including the SB High School Ŕ Cappella Choir and the SBCC Jazz Choir.
Louis Torick, violinist, earned his BM in Violin Performance from the New England Conservatory, where his teachers included Louis Krasner and Benjamin Zander. A member of the Portland (ME) and Vermont Symphonies, he attended the Chicago School of Violin Making, refining his skills and becoming Head of Restoration for the world-renowned firm Kenneth Warren & Son. In 2001 he opened Louis Torick Fine Violins in Chicago, providing repair and restoration services to prominent musicians and dealers across the country. A former member of the Illinois Philharmonic, he enjoys playing string quartets and occasional gigs.
Zeynep Ucbasaran, pianist, started her music studies at age four at the Istanbul Conservatory. She has her Concert Artist Diploma from the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, graduate degrees in Piano Performance from the Hochschule für Musik, Freiburg, Germany, and MA and DMA degrees from USC. Among other professional honors such as the American Liszt Society Award, she was a prize-winner in the 1996 and 2000 Los Angeles Liszt Competitions. Designated a "Woman of Distinction in the Year 2003" by the Daughters of Atatürk organization, she has concertized in Turkey, Egypt, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, Brazil, France and the U. S. She issued CDs of Liszt, Schubert, Mozart, Scarlatti, Beethoven, and twentieth century composers such as Saygun, Bernstein and Muczynski to critical acclaim. She has recently recorded the Chopin Scherzos and Polonaises, complete Piano Sonatas of Mozart for Eroica Classical Recordings, the piano music of Saygun for Naxos International, and a recital of two piano music with pianist Sergio Gallo. Her most recent project is a recording of music for three pianos, including the premiere recording of Saygun's Poem, Op. 73, as well as premiere recordings of works composed especially for this unique project by composers from the U.S., Spain, Brazil and Turkey. In 2010 she performed the complete Chopin Scherzos and Polonaises at the International Istanbul Music Festival, and is scheduled to perform in the USA, Holland, Belgium and Turkey during 2011.
Helena von Rueden, mezzo-soprano, is currently enrolled in the UCSB MM Program, studying with Benjamin Brecher. Winner of the 2011 UCSB Orchestral Soloists Competition, Helena's recent performances include singing the soprano solo in Charpentier's Te Deum with the Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale, as well as Isabella in Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri and Dorabella in Mozart's Cosě fan tutte, in conjunction with the 2010 UCSB Opera Program.
Takako Wakita, soprano, studied with Martial Singher and Jack Metz, and has appeared in concerts and operas locally and abroad. Her solo performances have included Madama Butterfly with the Japanese Philharmonic at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. In addition, she has sung with Opera Santa Barbara, the Pacific Music Society of San Francisco, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera and Ventura College Opera. Takako serves on the faculty of the Santa Barbara City College Language Department.
Irving Weinstein, violinist, received his MA Degree from DePauw University and an Artist Diploma from Los Angeles Conservatory, where he studied with Toscha Seidel. Violinist with the Oceano Chamber Players and violist in the Roth String Quartet, he taught violin and viola in the Los Angeles school system. Irving has been Administrator for the LA Community College District, Academic Vice President at two of its colleges, and retired as Vice Chancellor of the college district. He currently performs in local orchestras and chamber music ensembles.