Your Symphony is reaching for the stars! Please join Maestro Daniel Stewart and Santa Cruz Symphony in welcoming outstanding new musicians to the orchestra’s roster.
We're delighted to present our new Artist in Residence and Concertmaster Nancy Zhou at our Operas of Seville concerts this weekend on October 21/22, where she will be the featured soloist on Waxman's Carmen Fantasie. If you missed our earlier email about Nancy Zhou, you can learn more about her here.
Our new roster also includes First Violin Steve Tjoa, First Violin Annamarie Arai-Lopez, Second Violin Sarah Biagini, Viola Alexandre Lee, Cello Yosef Feinberg, Principal Bassoon Michelle Keem, and Third Horn Braydon Ross. In addition, Second Violin Luke Santonastaso has been promoted to Principal Second Violin. Congratulations to each musician, who will help to bring the orchestra to new heights!
First violin Steve Tjoa is an active solo, chamber, and orchestral violinist. As concertmaster of the San Francisco Civic Symphony from 2014 to 2017, he helped lead the orchestra, coach chamber groups, organize special events, raise funds, attract guest soloists and conductors, and perform volunteer outreach. He performs regularly with the Oakland Symphony and Bay Philharmonic. Steve studied music performance at the University of Maryland under James Stern. He recently studied with John Chisholm, San Francisco Symphony. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in San Francisco.
First Violin Annamarie Arai-Lopez enjoys collaborating with other musicians in various settings, from small chamber ensembles to full orchestras, including UCLA's Gluck String Quartet, the Mendocino Music Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. Most recently, she has been thrilled to be a member of One Found Sound, a San Francisco conductor-less chamber orchestra. She holds degrees from UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Asst. Principal Second Violin Sarah Biagini is a multi-faceted performer with a wide range of professional experience from orchestral playing to performing alongside rock bands. Sarah regularly performs with multiple orchestras in the Bay Area including California Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, and Modesto Symphony. Born in Los Angeles, she has played music all over the world and has participated in multiple professional recording sessions for television and music.
Viola Alexandre Lee brings a wide variety of experience in orchestras throughout California, including Modesto Symphony, West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Santa Rosa Symphony, North State Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony, Stockton Symphony, and many more. He holds degrees from San Francisco Academy Orchestra, San Francisco State University, and California State University.
Cello Yosef Feinberg is a native of Santa Cruz, where he has been a featured soloist of both the Santa Cruz Youth Symphony and the Santa Cruz Symphony. During the summer, he is often a pit orchestra player in local musical theater. As a college student, his most recent major achievement was winning the Bob Cole Conservatory 2021-2022 Concerto Competition and performing the Schumann Concerto. Originally a guitarist, Yosef performs music from both traditional and contemporary literature.
Principal Bassoon Michelle Keem plays with many orchestras around the Bay Area and has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles across North America and Europe, including the Oregon Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Antwerp Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Olmos Ensemble. Currently also Principal Bassoon for North State Symphony, she is also a founding member of Trio Aluloi and teaches bassoon at Sacramento State. She holds degrees from New England Conservatory and has pursued additional graduate studies at Bard College Conservatory
Third Horn Braydon Ross is a recent graduate of the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific and is pursuing a master's degree in horn performance at Yale School of Music. He has performed with Oakland Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Stockton Symphony, West Edge Opera Festival, Opera Modesto, Merced Symphony, Zion Chamber Orchestra, and Yale Philharmonia, and has been a Fellow for three years with Orchestra Next, resident orchestra for Eugene Ballet.
Principal Second Violin Luke Santonastaso is a versatile musician, instructor, and mentor active across the United States. Also a member of Sarasota Opera Orchestra, his musical engagements extend to the New West Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, Fresno Philharmonic, and others. He has collaborated with renowned artists and been a fellow at prestigious institutions. Dedicated to nurturing emerging talents, Luke has worked with schools and youth orchestras as a coach and mentor. He holds degrees from the Herb Alpert School of Music.
Want to get to know our Santa Cruz Symphony musicians?
Visit santacruzsymphony.org/the-orchestra to learn more!