Orchestra
Each season, some of the most accomplished instrumentalists in classical music come together to form the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. Professional musicians from as far away as California and New York, as well as from here in Florida, join together to perform in one of the finest opera orchestras in the country. Many of our players have been with us for more than five years, with several performing over ten seasons.
Having a resident orchestra gives Sarasota Opera the opportunity to thoroughly rehearse the season’s operas over the course of several weeks. Sarasota Opera’s orchestra, along with its other artists and technicians, are committed to presenting quality opera season after season.
Sarasota Opera Orchestra 2020
Violin
L.P. How – Santa Fe, NM (13)
Concertmaster
The Murray Bring and Kay Delaney Endowed Chair
Jina Lee – Los Angeles, CA (5)
Associate Concertmaster
Susan Faux – Jamaica Plain, MA (18)
Principal Second Violin
Julia Birnbaum – Oakland, CA (4)
Mark Chien – Brooklyn, NY (1)
Lu Friedman – Hartford, CT (12)
Thomas Hofmann – Boston, MA (4)
Juan Jaramillo – Pittsburgh, PA (14)
Deborah Katz – Arlington, VA (4)
Ivelina Kofler – Laguna Hills, CA (3)
Yuri Kye – Oakland, CA (4)
Anna Leunis – New Haven, CT (1)
Natalia Vasilieva Maiden – Sarasota, FL (12)
Shelley Matthews – Wheaton, MD (5)
Milene Moreira – Sarasota, FL (13)
Luke Santonastaso – Calabasas, CA (3)
Matthew Woodward – New Haven, CT (1)
Mayumi Wyrick – New York, NY (3)
Viola
Jonas Benson – St. Petersburg, FL (1)
Principal
Laurel Borden – St. Petersburg, FL (3)
Charlotte Malin – Harmony, RI (1)
Isabella Mensz – Astoria, NY (1)
Alexandra VandeGeijn – Baltimore, MD (5)
Katherine Zahradnik – Baltimore, MD (12)
Cello
Nadine Trudel – Sarasota, FL (16)
Principal
Joanne Choi – New York, NY (5)
Julia Henderson – New York, NY (2)
Trace Johnson – Boca Raton, FL (1)
Andrea Mills – Trumbull, CT (17)
The Eleanor Wilson Williams Endowed Chair
Paul Swensen – West Babylon, NY (3)
Bass
Gil S. Katz – Sarasota, FL (18)
Principal
Dennis Caravakis – Los Angeles, CA (4)
Jesica Sharp – Pittsburgh, PA (2)
Ryan Zimmermann – Pittsburgh, PA (1)
Flute
Amanda Galick – Houston, TX (2)
Principal
Alyssa Breid – Washington, DC (1)
Piccolo
Alyssa Breid
Oboe
Rick Basehore – Silver Spring, MD (11)
Principal
Jennifer Case – Huntsville, AL (5)
English Horn
Jennifer Case – Huntsville, AL (5)
Clarinet
Eric Anderson – Naples, FL (3)
Principal
The Ed and Jane Bavaria Endowed Chair
Ben Chen – Bratenahl, OH (1)
Bassoon
Marat Rakhmatullaev – South Bend, IN (2)
Principal
Galina Kiep – San Diego, CA (5)
Horn
Eric Bell – Issaquah, WA (25)
Principal
Katherine Jordan – New York, NY (3)
Associate Principal
Erika Miras – Daly City, CA (2)
Sandra Swanson – Evanston, IL (21)
Trumpet
Paul Neebe – Chapel Hill, NC (3)
Principal
Larry Herman – Cleveland, OH (22)
Trombone
Sean Keenan – Chicago, IL (2)
Principal
Charles Dieterle – Evanston, IL (3)
Darren Castellanos – Wheeling, IL (2)
Bass Trombone
Jonathan Schubert – Harleysville, PA (12)
The Mr. and Mrs. William E. Chapman, II Endowed Chair
Harp
Giuseppina Ciarla – Bari, Italy (17)
Principal
Timpani
Gregg Koyle – Santa Fe, NM (19)
Principal
Percussion
William Manley – Jamaica Plain, MA (15)
Principal
Andre Sonner – Newton, MA (3)
Isaac Frenández Hernández – Ft. Myers, FL (3)
Associate Musicians
Flute
Claudia White
Francesca Arnone
Piccolo
Jane Hoffman
Amanda Lyon
Oboe
Alyssa McKeithen
Shane Wedel
Bass Clarinet
Laura Stephenson Petty
Stacey McColley
Trumpet
Alan Evans
Aaron Romm
Cindy Scaruffi-Klispie
David Clark
Harp
Jennifer Robertson-Tessi
Percussion
Kelsey Bannon
La bohème Stage Banda
Jane Hoffman, piccolo
Amanda Lyon, piccolo
Larry Herman, trumpet
Cindy Scaruffi-Klispie, trumpet
William Manley, drum
Andre Sonner, drum
The Elixir of Love Stage Trumpet
Aaron Romm
Orchestra Personnel Manager & Contractor
Gregg Koyle
Orchestra Librarian
Susan Faux
William Manley