“The Festival is a chance to hear one of the finest orchestras anywhere, magically materializing on our shores for two blazing weeks of new, challenging music. Expect fireworks for the ears!”
—Good Times Weekly
Cabrillo Festival Orchestra
Winner of the League of American Orchestra and ASCAP’s 2008-2009 John S. Edwards Award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music, and winner of their Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for 32 consecutive years.
Cabrillo has emerged as the western states’ leading orchestra devoted to modern symphonic repertory in the twenty-first century. The Festival’s core performance group is an ensemble of sixty-eight professional musicians who join us each year to perform award-winning programming of contemporary music. These musicians come to Santa Cruz from all over the world, often foregoing more lucrative engagements in order to volunteer their professional services in favor of the stimulation and challenge of the Cabrillo programs. Each is a new music advocate in their own right. For 61 years, they have earned Cabrillo an uncompromised and prestigious reputation as America’s preeminent contemporary music festival. We invite you to join us in thanking each member of the orchestra for their generosity and dedication, and for the greatness of their spirit.
Below is a developing list of the 2023 players of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.
Strings
Violin I
Justin Bruns, Concertmaster, Atlanta GA
Lauren Roth, Assistant Concertmaster, Tucson AZ
Sonja Bosca-Harasim, Moorhead MN
Maya Cohon, San Francisco CA
Scott Jackson, Las Vegas NV
Robyn Julyan, Denver CO
Rita Lee, San Francisco CA
Sarah Shellman, Tampa FL
Benjamin Tomkins, Denver CO
Chase Ward, Ann Arbor MI
Violin II
Matt Albert, Principal, Ann Arbor MI
Anne Chandra, Assistant Principal, Sarasota FL
Elise Blake, Washington DC
Emelyn Bashour, Ann Arbor MI (Week 2)
Teagan Faran, Greencastle IN
Susan French, Long Island City NY
Maximillian Haft, Geneva Switzerland (Week 1)
Charmian Stewart, San Anselmo CA
Carlos Tarazona, Charlotte NC
Viola
Sam Bergman, Principal, Minneapolis MN
Nicole Swanson, Assistant Principal, Woodbury MN
Anne Ainomae, Minneapolis MN
Jay Julio, New York NY
Santiago Vazquez-Loredo, Boston MA
Dawson White, Houston TX
Cello
Úna O’Riordan, Principal, Detroit MI
David Gerstein, Assistant Principal, Little Rock AR
Chava Appiah, Miami Beach FL
Kathleen Balfe, Canary Islands Spain
Wesley Hornpetrie, Silver Spring MD
Carlyn Kessler, Los Angeles CA
Bass
Ryan Baird, Principal, Los Angeles CA
Maggie Cox, Hudson OH
Matt Kline, San Diego CA
Bill Wasson, Los Angeles CA
Woodwinds
Flute
Adam Sadberry, Principal, Memphis TN
Shantanique Moore, Pittsburgh PA
Kayla Burggraf, Kansas City MO
Oboe
Lillian Copeland, Principal, New York NY
Hsuan-Fong Chen, New York NY
Paula Engerer, Phoenix AZ
Clarinet
Bharat Chandra, Principal, Sarasota FL
Rebecca Tobin, San Francisco CA
Andy Hudson, Appleton WI
Tiffany Valvo, San Francisco CA (Week 1)
Bassoon
Hunter Gordon, Principal, New Orleans LA
Naho Zhu, Charlotte NC
Leyla Zamora, San Diego CA
Brass
Horn
Molly Norcross, Co-Principal, Cincinnati OH
Scott Strong, Acting Co-Principal, Detroit MI
Ian Mayton, Houston TX
John Michael Flavetta, West Hartford CT
Julie Thayer, St. Louis MO
Trumpet
Federico Montes, Co-Principal, Tampa FL
Jhoan García, Co- Principal, Houston TX
Lauren Eberhart, San Antonio TX
Andrew Gignac, San Antonio TX
Trombone
David Murray, Co-Principal, Washington DC
Cole Davis, Acting Co-Principal, Evanston IL
Felix Regalado, Chicago IL
Robert K. Ward, Grand Rapids MI
Tuba
Justin Benavidez, Principal, Rochester NY
Saxophone
Tim McAllister, Ann Arbor MI (Week 2)
Percussion
Timpani
Scott Christian, Principal, Washington DC
Percussion
Galen Lemmon, Principal, San Jose CA
Dana Dominguez, San Antonio TX (Week 2)
Bryce Leafman, San Francisco CA (Week 1)
Andres Pichardo-Rosenthal, Detroit MI
Sean Ritenauer, New York NY
Svet Stoyanov, Miami FL (Week 2)
Harp
Julie Smith Phillips, San Diego CA
GUITAR
Tim Roberts, San Jose CA (Week 2)
Keyboard
Emily Wong, Principal, Yorktown NY
Michael Sheppard, CC Workshop, Baltimore MD
Orchestra Manager
Kelly Ott, Tacoma WA
Music Librarian
Bart Dunn, Houston TX
2023 Leave of Absences
Sarah Fuller, Harp
Adam Havrilla, Bassoon
Sean Krissman, Clarinet
Gavin Reed, Co-Principal Horn
Brian Santero, Co-Principal Trombone
The Cabrillo Festival would like to extend a fond farewell to the following 2023 retired players:
Ted Botsford, Principal Bass
Tommy Carpenter, Principal Cello
Elizabeth Chung, Cello
Fritz Foss, Co-Principal Horn
Jen Humphries, Cello
Chad Kaltinger, Viola
Tim Munro, Principal Flute
Ava Ordman, Principal Trombone
Brad Ritchie, Cello
Lauren Sileo, Flute/Piccolo