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 2021

Violin

L.P. How – Santa Fe, NM (13)
Concertmaster
The Murray Bring and Kay Delaney Endowed Chair

Jina Lee – Los Angeles, CA (6)
Associate Concertmaster

Susan Faux – Jamaica Plain, MA (19)
Principal Second Violin

Thomas Hofmann – Boston, MA (45)
Deborah Katz – Arlington, VA (5)
Milene Moreira – Sarasota, FL (14) 

Viola

Alexandra VandeGeijn – Baltimore, MD (6)
Principal

Laurel Borden – St. Petersburg, FL (4)
 

Cello

Joanne Choi – New York, NY (6)
Principal

Julia Henderson – New York, NY (3)
Paul Swensen – West Babylon, NY (4)
The Eleanor Wilson Williams Endowed Chair

Bass

Gil S. Katz – Sarasota, FL (19)
Principal

Jesica Sharp – Pittsburgh, PA (3)
 

Flute & Piccolo

Alyssa Breid – Washington, DC (2)
Principal

 

Oboe

Rick Basehore – Silver Spring, MD (12)
Principal

Shane Wedel – Sarasota, FL (9)
Alyssa McKeithen – Sarasota, FL (11)

English Horn

Shane Wendel – Sarasota, FL

Clarinet

Sergey Gutorov – Chicago, IL (4)
Principal
The Ed and Jane Bavaria Endowed Chair

Laura Stephenson Petty – Sarasota,FL (12)

Bassoon

Galina Kiep – San Diego, CA (6)
Principal (L'inganno felice)

Marat Rakhmatullaev – Oklahoma City, OK (3)
Principal (Il signor Bruschino)

Horn

Jon Carroll – Pittsburgh, PA (2)
Principal

Joshua Horne – Sarasota, FL (1)
The Mr. and Mrs. William E. Chapman, II Endowed Chair

Continuo

Joanne Choi – cello
Gil S. Katz – bass

Geoff Loff – piano
(L'inganno felice)
Marcello Cormio – harpsichord
(La serva padrona)
Lindsay Woodward – piano
(Il signor Bruschino)
George Hemcher – harpsichord
(Dido and Aeneas)

Orchestra Personnel Manager & Contractor

Gregg Koyle