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