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 2022

Violin

L.P. How – Santa Fe, NM (16)
Concertmaster
The Murray Bring and Kay Delaney Endowed Chair

Jina Lee – Los Angeles, CA (7)
Associate Concertmaster

Susan Faux – Jamaica Plain, MA (20)
Principal Second Violin

Julia Birnbaum – Brooklyn, NY (5)
Mark Chien – Brooklyn, NY (2)
Lu Friedman – Hartford, CT (13)
Thomas Hofmann – Boston, MA (6)
Juan Jaramillo – Pittsburgh, PA (15)
Deborah Katz – Arlington, VA (6)
Ivelina Koﬂer – Laguna Hills, CA (4)
Yuri Kye – Oakland, CA (5)
Byungchan Lee – Toronto, ON (1)
Anna Leunis – New Haven, CT (2)
Natalia Vasilieva Maiden – Sarasota, FL (13)
Shelley Mathews – Wheaton, MD (6)
Milene Moreira – Sarasota, FL (15)
Adrianne Munden-Dixon – New York, NY (1)
Luke Santonastaso – Los Angeles, CA (4)

Viola

Jonas Benson – St. Petersburg, FL (2)
Principal

Laurel Borden – St. Petersburg, FL (5)
Isabella Mensz – Astoria, NY (2)
Matthew Ross – Cleveland, OH (1)
Alexandra VandeGeijn – Philadelphia, PA (7)
Madeline Warner – Ypsilanti, MI (1)

Cello

Nadine Trudel – Sarasota, FL (17)
Principal

Julia Henderson – New York, NY (4)
Carlyn Kessler – Los Angeles, CA (1)
Andrea Mills – Trumbull, CT (18)
The Eleanor Wilson Williams Endowed Chair
Edevaldo Mulla – Zephyrhills, FL (1)
Paul Swensen – New York, NY (5)

Bass

Gil S. Katz – Sarasota, FL (20)
Principal

Ryan Bassett – Pittsburgh, PA (2)
Andrew Chilcote – Bloomington, IN (1)
Jesica Sharp – Pittsburgh, PA (4)

Flute

Mark Teplitsky – San Antonio, TX (1)
Principal

Mira Magrill – New York, NY (1)
Francesca Arnone*

Piccolo

Mira Magrill

Oboe

Rick Basehore – Silver Spring, MD (13)
Principal

Jennifer Case – Huntsville, AL (6)
Alyssa McKeithen*
Shane Wedel*

English Horn

Jennifer Case

Clarinet

Sergey Gutorov – Chicago, IL (5)
Principal
The Ed and Jane Bavaria Endowed Chair

Benjamin Chen – Cleveland, OH (2)

Bass clarinet

Asher Carlson*
Catherine Gatewood*

Bassoon

Marat Rakhmatullaev – Oklahoma City, OK (4)
Principal

Galina Kiep – Santa Rosa, CA (7)

Contrabassoon

Scott Radloff*
Kathryn Sleeper*

Horn

Russell Rybicki – Austin, TX (1)
Principal

Emily Hagee – Waldorf, MD (1)
Andrew Warﬁeld – San Antonio, TX (1)
Sandra Swanson – Evanston, IL (22)

Trumpet

Paul Neebe – Chapel Hill, NC (4)
Principal

Larry Herman – Cleveland, OH (23)
Alan Evans*

Trombone

Casey Maday – Jacksonville, FL (2)
Principal

Kenneth Johnson – Tallahassee, FL (1)
Derek Mitchell – Live Oak, TX (1)

Bass Trombone

Jonathan Schubert – Harleysville, PA (13)
The Mr. and Mrs. William E. Chapman, II Endowed Chair

Harp

Giuseppina Ciarla – Bari, Italy (18)
Principal

Timpani

Gregg Koyle – Santa Fe, NM (21)
Principal

Percussion

William Manley – Jamaica Plain, MA (16)
Principal

Greg Simonds – West Newton, MA (1)
Andre Sonner – Glen Carbon, IL (4)

Orchestra Personnel Manager & Contractor

Gregg Koyle

Orchestra Librarian

William Manley

* Associate Musician