DISCOVER
Orchestra Musicians
James Lowe
MUSIC DIRECTOR, Cowles Chair
James Lowe, Music Director and Conductor, is heading into his 5th season with the Spokane Symphony.
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Conductors
Dr. Meg Stohlmann
Conductor
Dr. Meg Stohlmann
CONDUCTOR
Dr. Meg Stohlmann has led the Spokane Symphony Chorale since 2022, preparing the ensemble for multiple performances each season, including major symphonic and choral works such as The Creation, Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiems, Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and a variety of pops and film concerts. She proudly supports the vocal wing of the Spokane Symphony through this work.In addition, Dr. Stohlmann serves as Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Gonzaga University, where she conducts the Concert Choir, Musea Treble Choir, Glee Club, and Big Bing Theory a cappella ensemble. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association, she is the current Repertoire & Resource Chair for Tenor/Bass Choirs for the Washington State chapter. In 2023, she was selected as one of six conductors for ACDA’s International Conductors Exchange Program in Germany.
Before entering higher education, Dr. Stohlmann taught middle and high school choir and guitar in Lexington, Kentucky, and conducted the Danville Children’s Choir. Her children’s choir and advanced high school treble choir were featured performers at the Kentucky Music Educators Association State Conference in 2014 and 2015. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in vocal performance and choral conducting from the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, she served on active duty for five years before pursuing music education at Sonoma State University. Her lifelong love of choral music began as a charter member of the Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus.
Morihiko Nakahara
Conductor
Morihiko Nakahara
CONDUCTOR
A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Morihiko Nakahara has served as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic since 2008. He remains active as a guest conductor during the 2026-2027 season, including conducting eight programs with the Spokane Symphony and returning to symphonies of Virginia, Portland (ME), Lancaster (PA), and Peoria, as well as the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra. Additional recent guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Florida Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, symphonies of Wuxi (China), Charleston, Fairfax, Long Beach, Ann Arbor, Guangxi (China), and Quancheng (China), as well as with the China Youth Symphony at the Central Conservatory of Music and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. During the 2027-2030 seasons, Nakahara will serve as Visiting Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at the University of South Carolina.
Equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles and concert formats, Nakahara has recently collaborated with Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn, Gregory Alan Isakov, Pink Martini, and Cody Fry. A personable ambassador for the power of symphonic music in every community, he is also known for leading concerts synchronizing live orchestral soundtracks with films including the Star Wars Episodes IV-VI, Jurassic Park, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, How to Train Your Dragon 1-2, Top Gun: Maverick, and Psycho, to name a few.
Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He previously served as Resident Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Holland Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), and served on the faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Eastern Washington University, and Andrews University.
Violin I
Mateusz Wolski
Violin I, Concertmaster
Florence Wasmer Chair
Mateusz Wolski
VIOLIN I, CONCERTMASTER
Mateusz Wolski was born in Warsaw, Poland where he began his musical training at the age of seven. He studied at the Szymanowski Musical High School and the Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw before traveling to the U.S. to attend Manhattan School of Music. It was there, with full scholarship, that he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees under the tutelage of New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow.
Mateusz has enjoyed a distinguished solo career both in the U.S. and abroad. Recent performances include the Beethoven Violin Concerto; Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor; Paganini First Violin Concerto; Karlowicz Violin Concerto; Wieniawski Second Violin Concerto in D Minor and Polonaise in A Major; Mozart Concerto in G Major and Simphonia Concertante; Bach Violin Concerto in A Minor and Double Concerto; Waxman Carmen Fantasie; Sarasate Carmen Fantasy; Brahms Double Concerto; and Vivaldi Four Seasons.
As an orchestral musician, he has played with New York Philharmonic in over 200 concerts and four international tours, as well as with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and National Philharmonic. Also an enthusiastic chamber musician, he has appeared in New York City at Weill Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and on radio broadcasts with WQXR. International appearances have included Wigmore Hall in London and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as several engagements throughout Poland, Italy, England and Germany.
Mateusz has had the privilege to play under the batons of many of the most distinguished conductors of our time, including Lorin Maazel, Yuri Temirkanov, Kurt Masur, Gerard Schwartz, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Giergiev, Charles Dutoit, George Manahan, Zdenec Macal, and Pinchas Zucherman.
Mateusz has recorded for dozens of movie soundtracks, including The Good Shepherd, The Departed, The Manchurian Candidate, Hitch, Intolerable Cruelty, The Rookie and Failure to Launch, as well as solo CDs of Audra MacDonald and Donny Osmond.
He performs on a violin owned by the Spokane Symphony that was crafted by Italian master Carlo Landolfi in 1779.
Jason Moody
Violin I, Associate Concertmaster
Carol L. Herak Chair
Jason Moody
VIOLIN I
Jason Moody is an active violinist, conductor, and teacher based in the Pacific Northwest. He is currently Associate Concertmaster of the Spokane Symphony and has performed regularly as a substitute with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Houston Symphony. He is the Director of Orchestra at Spokane Falls Community College, teaches violin and String Techniques at Gonzaga University, and serves as an orchestra clinician at schools and festivals around the region. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Spokane Symphony, Thalia Symphony, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, Idaho State Symphony, Helena Symphony, Port Angeles Symphony, the Seattle Chamber Orchestra, and was featured as soloist at the Northwest Bach Festival, the Festival at Sandpoint, and Sacred Sounds at McCaw Hall. As a chamber musician he performs with the Selway Trio, the Cascade Duo with his wife, harpist Earecka Tregenza, and has performed with Chamber Music San Juans, Inverted Space Modern Ensemble in Seattle, the Spokane String Quartet, Musiqa New Music Ensemble in Houston, and faculty ensembles at Gonzaga, Whitworth, and University of Idaho.
Jason has performed as a studio musician on hundreds of movie, TV, and videogame soundtracks and backed popular artists such as Andrea Bocelli, the Irish Tenors, Mannheim Steamroller, and Queensrÿche. In 2019 he and Earecka Tregenza composed and recorded the soundtrack for the award-winning film “Gavagai.” He has appeared on public radio several times with performances on “A Prairie Home Companion” and “From the Top” and his summer festival credits include the McCall Summer Festival, Lancaster Festival (OH), Spoleto USA Festival, and a Britten-Pears Fellowship at the Aldeburgh Festival (UK).
Jason is on the music faculty at Gonzaga University and Spokane Falls Community College and has previously taught at the University of Idaho, University of Washington, Edmonds Community College, and Whitworth University. Jason has studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School as a conducting fellow and holds music degrees from the University of Washington (D.M.A), Rice University (M.M.), and Seattle Pacific University (B.A.).
Jeanne Bourgeois
Violin I, Assistant Concertmaster
Jeanne Bourgeois
VIOLIN I, ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Jeanne Bourgeois has been Assistant Concertmaster with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra since 2008. She has a doctorate in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music, a master’s from Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Charles Castleman, Almita and Roland Vamos, and Kurt Sassmannshuas. Jeanne has held orchestral positions with the Syracuse Symphony, Sarasota Opera, Utah Festival Opera, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She was Associate Concertmaster of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and has also served as Concertmaster of the Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra in Charleston, S.C. As a soloist, she has performed with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Starling Chamber Orchestra (Cincinnati), as well as the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra (Chicago). She has taught at Whitworth University, is currently on faculty of Washington State University String Camp and also maintains a violin studio in Spokane. In her free time, Jeanne enjoys the great outdoors, cooking and traveling with her husband, Spokane Symphony bassist Stephen Swanson.
Margaret Bowers
Violin I
Ayer-Blegen Chair
Margaret Bowers
VIOLIN I
Margaret Bowers has played the violin since age eight. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of Rochester, while pursuing private lessons at the Eastman School of Music and the Aspen Music Festival. Before coming to Spokane, she played with the Santa Fe Symphony.
Elizabeth Lund
Violin I
Elizabeth Lund
VIOLIN I
Elizabeth Lund holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Eastern Washington University, where she studied with Kelly Farris. Other important teachers include Jean-Jacques Kantorow and William Steck. She is a former member of the United States Air Force Band Strolling Strings in Washington, DC. She also performed with the Washington Bach Consort, and as a member of the Silver Bay String Quartet, based in the Adirondacks, N.Y. Elizabeth currently teaches at Holy Names Music Center.
Kathleen Teal
Violin I
Kathleen Teal
VIOLIN I
Kathleen Teal earned her Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University, and a teaching certificate from Gonzaga University. Teal has played with the Spokane Symphony since 1983. She previously performed with orchestras in Michigan, Colorado, Wyoming and Minnesota. She taught elementary orchestra with the Spokane Schools.
April Martin*
Violin I
April Martin
VIOLIN I
Originally from Denver, April was an active part of the musical community there, performing with the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, Up Close and Musical, the St. Mary Baroque Orchestra, and as a substitute violinist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She has degrees from the Lamont School of Music (University of Denver) and recently completed a D.M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her teachers have included James Maurer, Lina Bahn, and Andres Cardenes.
In addition to performing, April enjoys teaching and currently maintains a private studio and string classes at the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy. She is also an accomplished pianist and has maintained an active accompanying career.
Violin II
Amanda Howard-Phillips
Violin II, Principal
Washington Trust Chair
Amanda Howard-Phillips
VIOLIN II, PRINCIPAL
Washington Trust Chair
Amanda Howard-Phillips joined the Spokane Symphony in 2003, and was awarded the position of principal second violin in 2008. Originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington, Amanda began violin lessons at four years old, and made her solo debut with the Bainbridge Orchestra at age eleven. Amanda received her master’s degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and her bachelor’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Camilla Wicks. She has studied chamber music with many prominent chamber musicians, including Mark Sokol, Peter Salaff (of the Cleveland Quartet), the Cavani Quartet, Paul Hersh, Ian Swensen, Bonnie Hampton, and Clive Greensmith (of the Tokyo Quartet).
Amanda Howard-Phillips has been awarded fellowships to study at the National Repertory Orchestra and the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, and was awarded first prize in the Pacific Chamber Symphony Concerto Competition in San Francisco, playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.
Amanda teaches violin at Gonzaga University and plays second violin with the Spokane String Quartet. During the summer, she performs with the Oregon Coast Music Festival. In 2009, Amanda married Spokane Symphony principal clarinetist Chip Phillips. In their spare time, they enjoy traveling, especially to the mountains, National Parks and the Oregon Coast. They welcomed their first child, David, in May of 2014.
David Armstrong
Violin II, Assistant Principal
David Armstrong
VIOLIN II, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
David Armstrong is assistant principal second violin for the Spokane Symphony. A former resident of Kirkland, WA, he earned a Bachelor of Music Performance from Michigan State University and a Master of Music Performance from Northwestern University. While a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, he was awarded a Civic Fellowship. Before coming to Spokane, David played for the Bellevue Philharmonic.
Xu Duo
Violin II
Xu Duo
VIOLIN II
A notable Chinese violinist, Dr. Duo Xu is an international music competition award winner and serves as Chair of the Judging Panel for String Instruments at Zhongsing International Music Competition in Singapore. Duo is the first Chinese violinist to earn the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the world-renowned St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia. He also earned an Artist Diploma from Ball State University, Indiana, where he received superior violin and conducting education from Mrs Anna Vayman and Maestro Bohuslav Rattay. Duo has been invited to serve as Guest Concertmaster with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra in Russia, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra and Shreveport Symphony Orchestra in the U.S.A. He also has received invitations to give master classes in China and Singapore.
In 2010, Duo was appointed Associate Principal Second Violin of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra in Beijing. With the NCPAO, he has partaken in over 200 performances of various concerts, operas and ballets. He has had the privilege to work with some of the most world-renowned conductors of our time, including Valery Gergiev, Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Ashkenazi, Christoph Eschenbach and Günther Herbig. Duo Xu has participated in concert tours through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and the U.S.A. His music festival appearances include Salzburg Music Festival, Stuttgart Beethoven Music Festival, Luzern Music Festival and the Schleswig – Holstein Music Festival, among others.
Catherine Shipley
Violin II
Catherine Shipley
VIOLIN II
Catherine Shipley joined the Spokane Symphony’s violin section in fall 2001. A Seattle native, she began studying violin at her public school in 4th grade and viola in high school. She has a Bachelor of Music from Western Washington University and a Master’s in Violin Performance from the University of Washington. To supplement her in-state education, Catherine attended music festivals around the country, including the Aspen Music Festival (CO) and the Chautauqua Music Festival (NY). She was awarded fellowships for three consecutive summers to play in the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. Her teachers included Walter Schwede, Karen Iglitzin, Peter Marsh, Kelly Farris, Robert Davidovici and Steven Staryk.
Since 2003 Catherine has been the violist of The Riverside Trio, playing with Symphony cellist Roberta Bottelli and former Symphony violinist Shelley Rotz. She enjoys being involved in various Spokane-area music education projects and is a member of the Symphony’s Education Committee. She also teaches private violin and viola lessons.
In her free time Catherine enjoys cooking and baking, reading, watching movies, traveling within the U.S. and beyond and hanging out with her family’s two cats. Above all, she loves spending time with her husband, Matt Altermatt, who is a computer programmer for Edmunds.com, and their son, Rowan, born in 2013.
Allion Salvador
Violin II
Allion Salvador
VIOLIN II
Allion Salvador’s playing has been described as “fiery, seething with passionate fervor.” Since graduating with degrees in Neurobiology and Violin Performance from the University of Washington, demand for him as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician has steadily grown. Most recently, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and School on scholarship to study with David Halen. His teachers include Carol Cole, Ronald Patterson, and Maria Larionoff.
Mr. Salvador has served as concertmaster of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Philharmonic, Pierre Monteux Festival Orchestra, University of Washington Symphony, and Sammamish Symphony. He has worked with the Aspen Festival Orchestra, Aspen Opera Orchestra, Skagit Opera, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Ensemble Tremblay, Ars Flores, and the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Project, among others. He has founded and worked with several vibrant chamber music projects, including the modern music-focused Inverted Space Ensemble, piano trio Andromeda, Sound Ensemble, and the Parnassus Project. In 2017, he accepted positions with String Orchestra of the Rockies, Symphony Tacoma, and Yakima Symphony, as their new assistant concertmaster.
Equally devoted to education, Mr. Salvador has coached at the University of Washington Symphony, Roosevelt and Issaquah High Schools, Seattle Youth Symphony, and the University of Washington Chamber Music Club. As part of the Yakima Symphony Quartet, he has presented series of chamber music concerts at schools throughout central Washington. He has performed as a guest soloist with the University of Washington Symphony, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and Bainbridge Youth Orchestra, and played in masterclasses for Elmar Oliveira, Gil Shaham, Robert McDuffie, Paul Kantor, and William Preucil. Mr. Salvador made his soloist debut with the Sammamish Symphony performing the Brahms concerto in its 2018-2019 season.
Mr. Salvador’s interests extend towards the podium as well. He has held assistant conductor positions at the Seattle Philharmonic, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, and University of Washington. His teachers include Michael Jinbo, Adam Stern, and Ludovic Morlot. Mr. Salvador is the founder and music director of the Seattle Philharmonic Strings, a community orchestra promoting string repertoire of the highest quality in intimate settings. His engagements for 2018-2019 include a quartet tour of Norway, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra and Seattle Rock Orchestra concerts in Seattle and Montana, in addition to solo recital at the University of Washington.
Jessie Morozov
Violin II
Jessie Morozov
VIOLIN II
Megan Karls
Violin II
Megan Karls
VIOLIN II
Viola
Nicholas Carper
Viola, Principal
The Coughlin Chair
Nicholas Carper
VIOLA, PRINCIPAL
For more than two decades, Nick Carper has been delighting audiences, critics, and fellow musicians with his viola performances, praised for their dynamic energy and rich warmth. Since taking on the role of Principal Violist with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra in 2001, he has immersed himself in the region’s musical community, both on stage and in the classroom. Nick’s extensive career has seen him perform with numerous orchestras, from the Eugene and Columbus Symphonies to the
prestigious Lancaster Festival Orchestra. He has graced the stage of celebrated opera companies and festivals, including the
Inland Northwest Opera and the Northwest Bach Festival. A dedicated chamber musician, he has performed with acclaimed
groups like the Spokane String Quartet and the Leichtenstein Quartet.
As a soloist, Nick has delivered unforgettable performances of pieces like Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Richard Strauss’s
Don Quixote. His artistry extends to the recording studio, where his viola can be heard on albums with Grammy-winning artists
Thomas Hampson and Richard Stoltzman. Beyond the concert hall, Nick is deeply committed to music education, mentoring students at Gonzaga and coaching young musicians with the Spokane Youth Symphony.
Jeannette Wee-Yang
Viola, Assistant Principal
Jeannette Wee-Yang
VIOLA, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Jeannette Wee-Yang is assistant principal violist in the Spokane Symphony, and violist in the Spokane String Quartet. She has a bachelor’s from the University of British Columbia, and a Master of Music from Indiana University. Jeannette has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, Milwaukee Chamber, Singapore Symphony and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. She was principal violist of the Sudbury Symphony in Ontario, and assistant principal violist of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra. She has taught at Whitworth University and Carroll College, WI. She currently serves as vice president of the Spokane Chamber Music Association and Spokane Youth Symphony boards.
Angela Mitchell
Viola
Angela Mitchell
VIOLA
Angela Mitchell, viola, has been a member of the Spokane Symphony since 1982. She holds Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Education degrees from Eastern Washington University, and a Master of Arts in Music Theory degree from the University of Oregon. Angela is on the adjunct faculty of Whitworth University and North Idaho College, teaching viola and violin, and runs an active private studio of middle school and high school students. She is a fan of science fiction, the British Royal Family and vintage jewelry.
Sarah Bass
Viola
Sara Bass
VIOLA
Sarah Bass has played viola with the Spokane Symphony since 2011. She graduated with honors from Indiana University in Bloomington and the University of Washington in Seattle, studying with Atar Arad and Melia Watras. She was a concerto competition winner at both schools and was also a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Born in San Antonio, TX, Sarah began playing the viola at the age of nine.
Jessica Jasper
Viola
Jessica Jasper
VIOLA
After earning her Master’s degree in viola performance from the University of Minnesota in 2013, Jessica Jasper has lived in her home state of Washington. Since then, she has enjoyed being a freelance violist and violinist, chamber musician and teacher. She has been a tenured violist in the Spokane Symphony Orchestra since 2012, and a tenured violist with the Northwest Sinfonietta chamber orchestra since 2013. She also recently won the position of Assistant Principal viola of Yakima Symphony orchestra.
Jessica loves traveling, and her musical career has taken her around the globe– In the summer of 2010 she studied abroad in Vienna, Austria and performed solo recitals as part of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program. In the fall of 2014, she traveled to Gumi, South Korea and played as part of the Gumi International Music Festival. The past few summers, she has had the pleasure of rafting through the Grand Canyon, performing string quartets in natural amphitheaters along the Colorado River.
Jessica is excited to have recently moved to Spokane after making a several hour-long commute to the symphony for the past seven years. She can’t wait to spend far fewer hours in the car, and more hours playing and teaching music, hiking and enjoying nature!
Gerald Liu
Viola
Gerald Liu
VIOLA
“What wonderful tone and viola playing!” Hank Dutt, violist of the Kronos Quartet.
A passionate classical music advocate and champion, Gerald is equally at ease on stage and in the teaching studio. In addition to being a member of Spokane Symphony, he also is a member of Symphony Tacoma, Yakima Symphony, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and Listeso Music Group. Gerald has held fellowships as assistant principal and principal with the National Repertory and Round Top Music festivals. Gerald’s artistry extends beyond the orchestral settings, as he has shared the stage with distinguished figures such as Joshua Bell, Roxanna Patterson, Bion Tsang, and many others.
Gerald’s commitment to sharing music and education is demonstrated by his coaching roles with the Seattle and Bellevue Youth Symphonies. He also helps teach music to underserved communities in Seattle through the Michael J Owen Music Education Fund.
Gerald holds a BS in Physics and MM in Viola performance from The University of Texas at Austin. His mentors include Donald McInnes, Roger Myers, Mara Gearman, Wayne Brooks, and John Largess. In his free time, Gerald enjoys backpacking, photography, and painting landscapes. His journey underscores his unwavering dedication to music, education, and artistic excellence.
Eleanor Hammersly
Viola
Eleanor Hammersly
VIOLA
Born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Monica, California, Eleanor Hammersly is a violist and community organizer. Since picking up a viola for the first time at age nine, her musical endeavors have led her to perform as a spirited orchestral, chamber, and solo player across four continents. She is a member of the Modesto Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley Symphony, a newly formed ensemble rooted in community and cultural celebration in Monterey Park, CA. Refusing to be confined to one genre or space, Ella feels at home in various musical settings, from intimate shows with singer-songwriters to sold-out stadiums like the Super Bowl LX Opening Ceremony with Green Day. Eleanor was a finalist in the 2024 American Viola Society Orchestral Audition Competition, and has spent past summers at the Taipei, Mendocino, Napa Valley, Round Top, and Trentino Music Festivals. She earned her Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Jonathan Vinocour, and her Bachelor of Music at UT Austin’s Butler School of Music, where she studied with Roger Myers. She has been a guest Teaching Artist at Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), and currently teaches private and group lessons in San Francisco.
Cello
Alan Ohkubo+
Cello, Principal
Jerry R. and Francis L. Stafford Chair
Alan Ohkubo
CELLO, PRINCIPAL
Roberta Bottelli
Cello
Roberta Botelli
CELLO
Roberta Bottelli has been the third chair cellist in the Spokane Symphony since 2006. She teaches cello and chamber music at Whitworth University, cello and music theory at Holy Names Music Center, and conducts the Spokane Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. As a soloist, Roberta has performed with orchestras across the northwest, including the Lake Chelan Bach Fest orchestra, the Pacific Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and the Mid-Columbia Symphony. Roberta was the principal cellist of the Lake Chelan Bach Fest orchestra and the Mid-Columbia Symphony and has performed with Vancouver New Music and Victoria’s Aventa ensemble.
Roberta enjoys collaborating as a chamber musician; she is currently the cellist for the Riverside String Trio and she was the founding cellist of Trio sTREga and the Cerberus Trio. In addition to teaching and performing, Roberta recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Louise Butler
Cello
Louise Butler
CELLO
Louise Butler plays with the Spokane Symphony and is an occasional soloist with Spokane’s Allegro Baroque and Beyond. She studied with Ronald Leonard at Eastman School of Music, Dodia Feldin at Villa Maria Institute and David Soyer at Curtis Institute, where she took orchestral studies with Eugene Ormandy. Louise taught at Brussels’ Royal Conservatory while playing in the Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra, and later at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. Currently Louise teaches cello and music theory at her home studio, SFCC and Holy Names Music Center. She has two grown children.
Sean Lamont
Cello
Sean Lamont
CELLO
Sean Lamont is originally from Portland, OR. There he developed an interest for music at an early age. After attending Mt. Hood College he moved to eastern Washington to begin his music studies at EWU. He studied with Dr. John Marshall, with an emphasis on Cello Performance. Sean now resides in Brownes Addition, Spokane and has been playing cello in Spokane Symphony for 11 years. His hobbies include hiking, biking and reading.
Kevin Hekmatpanah
Cello
Kevin Hekmatpanah
CELLO
Kevin Hekmatpanah has numerous solo/chamber performances throughout America, including in Charleston, Chicago, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Princeton, and Sitka; and over 120 concerto appearances, including orchestras in Chicago, Richmond, Pueblo, Kingsport, Oregon, Salisbury, Colorado Springs, Tucson, and Fort Myers. Outside America, he’s performed concertos in Russia, Sweden, Bulgaria and Norway. He’s given recitals in Norway, Italy, Austria and Brazil. He’s a Professor at Gonzaga and the Gonzaga Symphony conductor. He earned a DMA from Peabody, MM from Indiana, and BM from USC. His teachers included Stephen Kates, Fritz Magg, Gabor Rejto, and coachings from Ma, Harrell, and Starker. Website: http://www.kevinhekmatpanah.com
Jared Carlson
Cello
Jared Carlson
CELLO
Jared Carlson has been a cellist in the Spokane Symphony since 2011. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University asa student of Professor Janet Anthony and the Masters Degree in Music Performance the University of Oregon as a student of Steve Pologe, where he was awarded the prestigious Graduate Teaching Fellowship. He has studied privately with Peter Howard, former principal cellist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and participated in master classes with Zuill Bailey, Lynn Harrell, Matt Haimovitz, Nathaniel Rosen, and Mark Summers.
In the past Carlson has performed as a member of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, and served as principal cellist of the Juneau Symphony, where he performed the Shostakovich Cello concerto as soloist. He has performed extensively throughout Alaska and the PAC NW as a member of the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra, Juneau Lyric Opera, and CrossSound Music Festival.
Carlson is currently a Firefighter with the Seattle Fire Department, assigned to Fire Station No. 9 in Fremont. He divides his time between Seattle and Spokane, with strong roots in Juneau, AK and Minnesota. Non-musical interests include climbing, mountaineering, running, photography and aviation.
Johannes Kleinmann
Cello
Johannes Kleinmann
CELLO
Cellist in the Spokane Symphony, and principal cellist of McCall Summer Fest is a native of Germany. He finished his undergraduate degrees in cello performance and cello pedagogy at the Musikhochschule Freiburg, studying with Adriana Contino. Additionally, he holds a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University where he studied with Dennis Parker, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas, where he was awarded a teaching fellowship and studied with Eugene Osadchy.
Previously he has been principal cellist of both the San Angelo Symphony and the Opera in the Ozarks festival orchestra. Other orchestras he performed in include the Baton Rouge Symphony, Plano Symphony and Irving Symphony.
Dr. Kleinmann had been appointed to be on the cello faculty of the University of North Texas from Spring 2020 to May 2021, teaching applied cello students pursuing Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate degrees.
Being an active performer and teacher, he is currently also on the faculty of Holy Names Music Center, is a string coach of the Spokane Youth Symphony and has a private cello studio in Spokane.
John Marshall*
Cello, Principal
Jerry R. and Francis L. Stafford Chair
John Marshall
CELLO, PRINCIPAL
John Marshall has been the Principal Cellist with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra since 1994. He holds a joint teaching position at Eastern Washington University, where he is Director of Orchestra and Professor of Cello. Marshall is also the conductor of the Strings Orchestra of the Spokane Youth Symphony. He received degrees from Indiana, Yale, and Northwestern Universities, where he studied with Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot and Hans Jensen. His doctoral dissertation focuses on music for two cellos and orchestra. During the summers, Marshall teaches at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.
Along with his wife, Spokane Symphony Principal Bassoonist Lynne Feller-Marshall, Marshall has recorded three albums of music for cello and bassoon under their group name “Paradox”. Paradox also recorded two innovative and fun videos featuring their arrangements of Take Five and Purple Haze. Both videos are available on YouTube. With their son James (also an SSO member), they now go by the name of “Paradox & Son”.
When not performing with the Spokane Symphony, teaching, or recording, Marshall enjoys time with his family in the great outdoors — either by biking, soaking in hot springs, or working on their mini farm.
Bass
Patrick McNally
Bass, Principal
Patrick McNally
BASS, PRINCIPAL
Patrick McNally grew up in Illinois and received his master’s degree at Indiana University under the tutelage of Bruce Bransby. He has been hired to play in orchestras in 6 different states across the United States, and has attended music festivals throughout the world, including the Aspen Music Festival, American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany. He moved to the West when hired as Principal Bass of the Spokane Symphony.
Kim Plewniak
Bass, Assistant Principal
Brian Kim Plewniak
BASS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Kim Plewniak is Assistant Principal Bass and has been with the Spokane Symphony since 1998. A native of Buffalo, NY, she hold degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Performance opportunities have allowed Kim to play with several orchestras around the country, and also overseas at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and at the Heidelburg Festival in Germany. Kim currently serves on the faculties of Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, and Whitman College and maintains a private studio. She is a frequent performer with many groups in town, including her band the Hot Club of Spokane.
Stephen Swanson
Bass
Stephen Swanson
BASS
Seattle native Stephen Swanson joined the Double Bass section of the Spokane Symphony in 2005. He attended the University of North Texas and Northwestern University, and has been a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Illinois Philharmonic. An avid performer of contemporary music, Stephen was invited by Pierre Boulez to attend the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland from 2004 to 2008.
Also active in early music, Stephen has performed on the Viola da Gamba with Allegro Baroque and the Chicago Early Music Consort. He began playing the Gamba as an undergraduate at the University of North Texas, and continued his studies at Northwestern University with legendary gambist Mary Springfels. As a student at Northwestern, Stephen helped found the Chicago Early Music Consort and also performed with the San Francisco Early Music Society. Since joining the Spokane Symphony in 2005 Stephen has performed on many occasions with Allegro Baroque, as well as at the Northwest Bach Festival. His 2007 performance of Bach’s Sonata in D Major with Allegro Baroque was hailed as “elegant and moving” by the Spokesman-Review.
Stephen is married to Spokane Symphony Assistant Concertmaster Jeanne Bourgeois.
Jack Koncel
Bass
Jack Koncel
BASS
Jack Koncel joined the Spokane Symphony bass section in 2013. He is a native of the Chicago area where he began his studies of music.and has been a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Cedar Rapids Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica Brasileira and Boise Philharmonic. Jack is a graduate of the Violin Making School of America and now resides in Spokane.
Brian Bonnell
Bass
Brian Bonnell
BASS
Brian Bonnell, double bassist, began playing in the Spokane Symphony bass section in 2016. Brian is an active performer and teacher of double bass throughout Washington and beyond. Previously, Brian has been engaged by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Whilst principal bass of the Fayetteville Symphony in North Carolina, the orchestra toured Jordan performing and teaching masterclasses alongside the Amman Symphony. Brian earned his Masters degree at the Eastman School of Music under Professor James VanDemark.
Greg Youmans
Bass
Greg Youmans
BASS
A native of Boise, I began musical instruction in public school, starting in 5th grade on an old cornet that my dad had played, being inspired by Al Hirt, Herb Alpert, and Doc Severinsen. I began the bass soon after and played them both through high school, playing in the Boise State University Community Symphony, the Boise Philharmonic, while also participating Math Club, and winning All-Conference honors in football as a center on the offensive line.
In Boise I won scholarships on bass to the AFM Congress of Strings at University of Washington, Boise State University, and Grand Prize in the Idaho Federated Music Clubs Solo Competition. Following that were scholarships to the Stetson Summer Institute, Aspen, and the University of Texas at Austin where I earned a degree in music performance as a student of Stuart Sankey, formerly of the Julliard faculty.
During college I played in various regional orchestras in Texas, joined the Austin Symphony, and developed an appreciation for traditional folk music. After college I pursued diverse freelance musical activities and learned old time fiddle. I spent several years traveling throughout North America and western Europe playing in streets and public markets. My busking (busking: the art of public performing with a receptacle for donations — not to be confused with begging or panhandling) activities eventually resulted in the development of my one-man-band, The Not Quite Fulharmonic Orchestra, an acoustic back pack percussion instrument played with fiddle or guitar.
I spent the 1990’s based in Seattle where I played regularly at Pike Place Market, regional fairs and festivals, nightclubs (mostly blues) and once again, in regional orchestras. I revived my horn playing with a Seattle street band and my opportunities to participate in the Honkfest West and HonkTX Festivals are currently among my favorite musical activities
I also have a long-time affiliation with the Okanogan Family Barter Faire doing a food booth, Rice Around the World.
I joined the Spokane Symphony bass section in February 2000. I currently reside in Loon Lake, WA and am also a member of the Yakima and Walla Walla Symphonies. I teach very little and spend a good deal of time on the road. I volunteer for Spokane Public Radio and a member of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) and serve on it’s Palestine-Israel Human Rights Committee (PIHRC). I’m a founding member of the P-Jammers Community Marching Band, (or PJAMRS – the Peace and Justice Activist Musical Rascals of Spokane) and have been involved with both the Spokane and Yakima Orchestra Committees, and the boards of AFM local 105, and the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA).
I grew up listening to my dad’s truck radio and my sister’s rock albums – Ray Charles, Roger Miller, the British invasion, etc. I have an affinity for late sixties – early seventies rock including Beatles, Frank Zappa, and the Grateful Dead. Classically, I’m a Bach-Beethoven- Mahler kind of guy. Currently my favorite band is Red Elvises – surf rock based with Russian idioms and insightful, funny lyrics, as well as their predecessor band, Limpopo – Russian folk music with a groove.
Between my orchestra circuit and the Not Quite Fulharmonic, I continue to make appearances throughout the great northwest, and in between gigs I enjoy snow skiing and jumping into lakes, often at a family cabin at my favorite place, McCall, Idaho.
Flute
Joanna Wu
Principal Flute
Frances L. Risdon Chair
Joanna Wu
PRINCIPAL FLUTE
Joanna Wu holds the Principal Flute position with the Spokane Symphony. Originally from New York State, she has cultivated an international presence across North America, Asia, and Europe, performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Canadian Opera Company, Koerner Hall, Esplanade Concert Hall, Suntory Hall, Taipei National Theater and Concert Hall, and United Nations Headquarters. Broadcast on Chinese National CCTV, Performance Today, and NPR, her performances have received wide acclaim. Previously serving as Assistant Principal Flute of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, she has collaborated with members of Orchestre de Paris, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and performed with Shanghai Opera House, New World Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Syracuse Orchestra. She has worked under the baton of Riccardo Muti, Jaap van Zweden, Daniel Oren, Valery Gergiev, Peter Oundjian, Carolyn Kuan, Roberto Abbado, Bramwell Tovey, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Yu Long, Xu Zhong, and Shin-ik Hahm.
Ms. Wu has performed at Chamber Music Northwest and collaborated with Against the Grain Ensemble on JUNO-nominated album, Ayre. She performed Nielsen’s Flute Concerto with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and Yale Philharmonia, and premiered Joseph Schwantner’s Chapel Music with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra. As part of the Yale in New York series, she performed the Nielsen Wind Quintet at Carnegie Hall, earning praise from the New York Classical Review. She has premiered works by Osvaldo Golijov, Bright Sheng, and Hannah Lash, and is co-founder of GuJo Duo, a flute and percussion ensemble dedicated to contemporary music. Ms. Wu was a Fellow with the Rebanks Family Fellowship Program in Canada, and her accolades include the Thomas Daniel Nyfenger Prize, Farwell Trust Award from the Musicians Club of Women, top prizes from the NFA Young Artist Competition, and first prizes in the Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Instrumental Competition, and American Protégé International Competition.
An active educator, Ms. Wu has given classes at Soochow University School of Music and Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, worked with students at the Shanghai International Youth Orchestra, established studios in North America and Asia, and was a teaching artist at the Music In Schools Initiative program in New Haven. In addition, she is an avid pianist, having collaborated with Suzhou Symphony Orchestra members, the flute studios of Yale University and Northwestern University, and local ensembles and chamber groups. She holds degrees in flute and piano performance from the Yale School of Music and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Her primary teachers include Ransom Wilson, Susan Hoeppner, Walfrid Kujala, John Thorne, and John Oberbrunner. She is a Wm. S. Haynes Artist and plays a custom 14K handmade flute.
Colleen McElroy
Second Flute, Piccolo
Sherry Knott Chair
Colleen McElroy
PICCOLO
Colleen McElroy holds the Piccolo/Second Flute chair in the Spokane Symphony, and is Second Flute/Piccolo in the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra. A passionate teacher, Colleen currently maintains a private flute studio in Seattle, Washington and enjoys working with enthusiastic students of all ages and levels. She is a frequent adjudicator for flute competitions in the greater Seattle area.
In 2015, Colleen was awarded first prize in both the 3rd Annual Seattle Flute Society Young Artist Competition and the Flutissimo! 2015 Solo Artist Competition in Athens, Georgia. Colleen won the University of Washington Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition in 2013, which resulted in a performance of Mike Mower’s Flute Concerto with the ensemble. In past summers, Colleen has been invited to perform at the Brevard Music Center Institute in North Carolina and the Bay View Music Festival in northern Michigan.
Colleen is a member of Emissary Quartet, a flute ensemble dedicated to commissioning and performing new works and advocating for the flute quartet as a valuable and dynamic means of artistic expression. EQ gave their New York City debut performance in November 2016 with the premiere of Annika Socolofsky’s quartet, One wish, your honey lips, the music video of which was released with Second Inversion in April 2017. In 2017, EQ returned to NYC to premiere the three winning works from their inaugural Call for Scores, which were selected from over 190 submissions from around the world. Video recordings of all three new quartets can be found on EQ’s YouTube Channel. In May 2018, EQ was invited to be the featured performers at the prestigious 2018 BMI Student Composer Awards Ceremony. EQ performed at the 2016 National Flute Convention in San Diego, CA, and at the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, and competed as quarter-finalists in the 2016 Fischoff Competition. The ensemble has held education and performance residencies across the US.
Colleen holds degrees from the University of Washington and Boston University. Her teachers include Linda Toote, Donna Shin, Zart Dombourian-Eby, and Iris Ingram.
Jennifer Slaughter
Third Flute
Jennifer Slaughter
THIRD FLUTE
Inspiring audiences, students, and musicians alike, flutist Jennifer Slaughter is one of today’s up and coming musical artists. Her sincere, engaging approach to performing and teaching has received much praise over the years.
Jennifer has performed with many ensembles, and she is currently Third Flute with the Spokane Symphony. She was previously Principal Flute of the Boise State University Symphonic Winds and Symphony Orchestra as well as the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble at the University of Denver. She was also a substitute flute and piccolo player in the Meridian Symphony Orchestra in Meridian, Idaho. In the fall of 2011, she studied abroad for a semester in Vienna, Austria, where she took lessons in flute and Alexander Technique. Along with Alexander Technique, Jennifer has experience with the practice of iRest, and both continue to have a major influence on her performing and pedagogical ideas regarding whole body awareness.
Additionally, Jennifer has given several solo recitals and participated in many masterclasses. She was chosen as a winner in the Boise State University Concerto Competition, which allowed her to perform the final movement of the Ibert Flute Concerto with the Symphony Orchestra. She has also played in masterclasses for renowned flutists such as William Bennett, Mimi Stillman, Amy Porter, Angeleita Floyd, Jill Felber, Claudia Anderson, Marianne Gedigian, and Alison Brown-Sincoff.
Jennifer recently received her Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Boise State University under Dr. Nicole Molumby, Associate Professor of Flute. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music in Denver, Colorado under Pamela Endsley, retired Professor of Flute and former Principal Flute of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Other instructors have included Jeffrey Barker, Barbara Gisler-Haase, and Sandra Moore Wacha.
Oboe
Keith Thomas
Principal Oboe
Keith Thomas
OBOE, PRINCIPAL
Keith Thomas is Principal Oboist of the Spokane Symphony and Organist for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. He has served as Principal Oboist of the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra New Haven Connecticut, and Principal Oboist for summer festivals including the Lancaster Music Festival Lancaster Ohio, and Colorado Music Festival Boulder Colorado, he has also worked with students at Phillips Academy Summer Session Andover Massachusetts. In Spokane he has collaborated with the Northwest Bach Festival under the direction of Gunther Schuller, Allegro Baroque and Beyond, Royal Fireworks Concert and the Spokane String Quartet.
During his years in Connecticut he was organist and director of choirs at Plantsville Congregational Church, after moving to Spokane to play in the Symphony served as organist and director of choirs for Emmanuel Lutheran Church (now called All Saints Lutheran Church, Browne’s Addition) a position he held for several years before serving in his present position at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Keith says he has the best seat at a concert because he sits right in the middle of the orchestra and is inspired by the music making of his colleagues.
He holds a Master of Music degree from Yale University in addition to the Norma Seymour Scholarship award and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in addition to the Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.
Sheila Armstrong
Second Oboe, English Horn
Sheila Armstrong
OBOE, ENGLISH HORN
Sheila Armstrong plays Second Oboe and English Horn with the Spokane Symphony. Raised in northern Illinois, she attended the Eastman School of Music for her undergraduate music degree. Afterwards, she received her Master in Music Performance at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Before moving to Spokane, she held positions with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Peoria Symphony in Illinois.
Clarinet
Chip Phillips
Principal Clarinet
Chip Phillips
CLARINET, PRINCIPAL
Chip Phillips has been Principal Clarinet with the Spokane Symphony since 2000, and holds the same position with the Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra. He received a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Chip teaches clarinet at Gonzaga University.
Apart from the Symphony, Chip explores his passion for landscape photography. Matt Kloskowski, Director of Education for Kelby Media Group and Editor-in-Chief of Lightroom Magazine, calls Phillips one of the landscape photographers to watch. He writes: “What I love about [Chip’s] work is that regardless of what the location is, there’s always something different about his photos. He just has a meticulous eye for composition and I love the way he leads you through his photos.”
Chip’s photos have been published in various magazines, including Popular Photography and Imaging, Digital Photography, and Digital Photo Magazine. Chip is also a member of photocascadia, a group consisting of some of the top landscape photographers in the Pacific Northwest. To see more of Chip’s work, check out his website.
Daniel Cotter
Second Clarinet, Eb Clarinet
Daniel Cotter
CLARINET, E-FLAT CLARINET
Member of the Spokane Symphony since 2005, Daniel holds dual roles as the orchestra’s General Manager and 2nd Clarinetist. With a Bachelor of Music Degree from Harid Conservatory and a Master of Music Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Daniel has been invited to perform as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Harid Philharmonia, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, the Philharmonic of Veracruz, and the Jalisco Philharmonic, among others.
After his solo appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Post praised his, “velvety tone and elegant phrasing.” Also as a soloist, he has participated in concert broadcasts on various radio stations in New York, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and here in Spokane on KPBX. He has been invited to play with the Cleveland Orchestra and New World Symphony clarinet sections and has performed as Principal Clarinet of the Spokane Opera, the Veracruz Philharmonic, the Florida Sunshine Pops, the Miami Ballet, the Gold Coast Opera, the Florida Symphonic Pops Orchestra, the Sarasota Music Festival Orchestra, and the Santo Domingo Festival Orchestra.
From 2001-2005, Daniel held the position of Professor of Clarinet at the Superior Institute of Music of the State of Veracruz, Mexico. From 2005 through 2008 he served as the Music Director and Conductor for the Spokane Community Orchestra/Spokane Falls Community College Orchestra. Daniel has taught a large number of clarinet students in Spokane. In early 2015, his students took 1st and 3rd place in the Washington State Solo Competition. In addition to his private studio, Daniel has held the position of Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at Eastern Washington University and with Spokane Falls Community College.
Daniel and his wife, Bethany Schoeff-Cotter, are the owners of the popular oboe cane website, Northwest Oboe Cane. The business sells precisely prepared cane for making reeds to oboists around the world. Together they have twin boys, Ethan and Logan (AKA ‘Team Destructo’), born in 2012, who keep them incredibly busy.
Bassoon
Lynne Feller-Marshall
Principal Bassoon
Paul & Susan Kennedy Chair
Lynne Feller-Marshall
BASSOON, PRINCIPAL
Originally from Rochester, NY, bassoonist Lynne Feller-Marshall has happily called Spokane ‘home’ for almost 28 years. In addition to performing in all manner of concerts around the Northwest, she teaches privately and at Eastern Washington and Whitworth Universities. She and cellist John Marshall have been married for 24 years, and both their children were born in Spokane. Maintaining their solar-powered hobby farm occupies much of her time, and keeps her in shape!
Luke Bakken
second bassoon, contrabassoon
Luke Bakken
BASSOON, CONTRABASSOON
Luke Bakken currently serves as second bassoon and contrabassoon with the Spokane Symphony. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in music from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Rochester. His teachers include Per Hannevold, Principal Bassoon of the Bergen Philharmonic, Nancy Goeres, Principal Bassoon of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Steven Paulson, Principal Bassoon of the San Francisco Symphony. He began his studies in Spokane with Gary Plowman and Dr. Wendal Jones. Luke performed with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and at the 1998 New York String Orchestra Seminar,
both in Carnegie Hall. He held the contrabassoon fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival from 1996 until 1999. In July 2010, he performed as contrabassoon soloist with the WDR Rundfunkorchester in Cologne, Germany. He is a regular performer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle on both bassoon and contrabassoon. In addition, he
performed on several Hollywood movie soundtracks including The Grudge and Drag Me To Hell.
Since 2017, Luke has been a member of the core engineering team for a popular software project called RabbitMQ. He currently works for Amazon, who is a sponsor of the project as well as runs RabbitMQ for companies world-wide.
When he’s not working his day job or performing, he enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing, backpacking, and running with his crazy border collie, Nelson.
Paul Plowman
third bassoon
Paul Plowman
BASSOON
With the Symphony since 1978, Spokane native Paul Plowman enjoys boating, woodworking, music arranging, audio recording and producing, and gardening. His education includes time at Spokane Falls Community College, Cal State Los Angeles, and Eastern Washington University. Paul’s favorite work featuring the bassoon is Daphnis et Chloe, written by one of his preferred composers, Maurice Ravel.
Horn
Clinton Webb
principal horn
Johnston-Fix Chair
Clinton Webb
HORN
With advanced degrees in both Horn and Tuba, Clinton Webb is an unusual and multi-faceted brass performer. After completing a Master’s in Tuba at Indiana University with the renowned pedagogue Daniel Perantoni, Clinton stepped away from music to thoughtfully consider his relationship to it, only to then be given the chance to begin anew on the horn with Myron Bloom, former principal of the Cleveland Orchestra, with whom he initially studied privately, eventually completing a Performer’s Diploma with him at Indiana University.
After leaving Indiana, Clinton’s career took him all over the country. He was a full time private teacher in the Houston area, held the position of 2nd horn in the Tulsa Symphony, and freelanced in the Detroit area while holding position of 4th horn in the Flint Symphony, as well as principal in the Adrian Symphony and the Michigan Philharmonic. He has been privileged to study with many great mentors, including Elizabeth Freimuth, former principal horn of Cincinnati Symphony, Andrew Pelletier at Bowling Green State University, and Thomas Bacon, former principal horn of the Houston Symphony. In 2021, Clinton began attending The Juilliard School for a Master’s in Horn, where he studied with Jen Montone, principal horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Clinton joined the Spokane Symphony as Principal Horn in 2023, and was recently awarded the position of Principal Horn with the Britt Festival Orchestra, and feels blessed to work with such great ensembles in such a beautiful part of the country.
Andrew Angelos
third horn
Andrew Angelos
HORN
Andrew Angelos is a Seattle native and third horn in the Spokane Symphony. He graduated with his undergrad and masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City studying with Javier Gandara and Michelle Baker. Upon graduating in 2022, he was awarded the Cecil Collins award for excellence in brass performance. Andrew also studied abroad for a year at the Royal College of Music in London, England under the tutelage of Timothy Jones, Simon Rayner and Nigel Black.
Andrew has performed as principal horn for the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. As an avid pit musician, he has performed in many musicals such as Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid and Kiss Me Kate. He is also an avid free-lance musician in Washington State where he has performed with orchestras such as the Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, Saratoga Orchestra of Whidbey Island, Bremerton Westsound Symphony, and Everett Philharmonic. Andrew was also featured on Seattle’s classical music radio station, 98.1 Classical King FM, on their evening Northwest Focus Live program.
In addition, Andrew was a winner of the 2016 Seattle Symphony Orchestra Young Artist competition. He has spent three summers at Marrowstone Music Festival and in 2018, he was a fellow at the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute. He has also performed with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the USA and attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Andrew is also a founding member of the Uptown Winds woodwind quintet based out of NYC. They were quarterfinalists at the Fischoff National Chamber Music competition and Fuchs Chamber Music Competition winners. Andrew enjoys walking along Riverfront Park here in Spokane and taking road trips through Eastern Washington. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring young musicians. In his spare time he likes to work on his 1966 Mustang and explore the brewery scene in Spokane.
Trumpet
Chris Cook
second trumpet
Chris Cook
TRUMPET
Chris Cook graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, and joined the Spokane Symphony shortly thereafter. He is the trumpet soloist at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, and teaches music at Gonzaga University. Chris was a longtime member of the Spokane Falls Brass Band, touring and recording with them.
In October of 2019, Chris was named Spokane’s Poet Laureate. He has two collections of poetry: The View from the Broken Mic (2012) and Damn Good Cookie (2016). His short stories, essays and poetry have been published by Scablands Books, Sage Hill Press, The Spokesman-Review and The Inlander. His children’s poetry has been published by Little, Brown and Company, Meadowbrook and Scholastic Press. Chris represented Spokane in the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam, and at the 2013 and 2014 National Poetry Slam. He is also the host and organizer of 3 Minute Mic, Auntie’s Bookstore’s first Friday poetry open mic, and co-hosts Broken Mic, Spokane’s longest-running poetry open mic.
Chris spent summers touring the U.S. and Europe as a professional yo-yo demonstrator after having been a two-time Washington state yo-yo champion. In other news about odd pursuits, he was also a nationally-ranked professional foosball player.
He and his wife, Kathi, have four grown children and two grandchildren. They enjoy exploring Spokane’s restaurant scene, and take daily walks with their dog, Ollie. Chris and Kathi also like to find hip mid-century furnishings for their Browne’s Addition condo.
Eric Moe
third trumpet
Eric Moe
TRUMPET
Eric Moe has been playing trumpet professionally for 25 years. Eric’s journey includes being a member of both the Colorado Symphony and the Denver Brass, sharing the stage with the likes of Natalie Cole, Renee Flemming, and the Supremes. Whether in churches or Latin Night clubs, in pit orchestras or mountaintop weddings, Eric has found playing trumpet to be a great way to experience life and connect with people.
Andy Plamondon
fourth trumpet
Andy Plamondon
TRUMPET
Andrew Plamondon completed a bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Boise State University in 1984. He attended graduate studies at Indiana University from 1984-86 where he was a student of William Adam. Other teachers include Galindo Rodriguez, Armando Ghittalla, and John McNeil. Andy has been an active clinician, adjudicator and performer since moving to Spokane in 1987. He is a member and often featured soloist with ensembles such as the Spokane Symphony, Spokane Jazz Orchestra, Bob Curnow Big Band, Clarion, and many others.
In 2001 Andy was selected as a senior lecturer at Eastern Washington University where he teaches trumpet, brass and jazz courses, and directs student groups such as brass quintets, trumpet ensemble, and jazz ensembles.
Mr. Plamondon has previously taught trumpet and jazz courses at Whitman, Gonzaga, Walla Walla, and Whitworth Universities.
He has performed as a guest soloist with many symphonies, bands and chamber ensembles and has appeared as a soloist on recently released recordings by Clarion, Desifinado, The Bob Curnow Band, The Spokane Jazz Orchestra, and Casey MacGill and the Spirits of Rhythm. He teaches and adjudicates at music festivals and camps throughout the US and Canada.
Andy has performed and toured with many of the world’s most well known and respected jazz, country, rock, pop, folk, and classical artists throughout the US and abroad. He and his family love Spokane and the Northwest. Travel, hiking, sports, and reading are among his favorite hobbies.
Trombone
John Church
principal trombone
John Church
TROMBONE, PRINCIPAL
John is a native of Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. He began his trombone and musical career in the sixth grade, then a year later began taking private lessons with Michael Oft. Once in high school, John joined the Metropolitan Youth Symphony and subsequently joined the Portland Youth Philharmonic. After graduating high school in 2011, he began his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon, studying with Henry Henniger, where he graduated in 2015. John would then start his professional work as an orchestral trombonist, subbing with multiple orchestras in Oregon, including: Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Portland Opera, Astoria Music Festival, Newport Symphony, Mozart Players, and Salem Chamber Orchestra.
After his time as an undergraduate, John decided to further his studies as a Master’s student at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, studying with Allen Barnhill. Within his first year, he performed with the Shepherd Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and won his first professional job with the Portland Opera as their principal trombonist. In his second year, John went on to win the Shepherd School of Music concerto competition in the winds/brass/percussion/harp division with the Nino Rota trombone concerto. He will perform the Rota sometime during the 2018-2019 school year. He teaches low brass at Gonzaga University.
Richard Strauch
second trombone
Richard Strauch
TROMBONE
Richard Strauch is Director of the Whitworth Wind Symphony and Professor of Music at Whitworth University. Under his direction, the Wind Symphony has appeared in concert at state and regional conferences of the Washington Music Educators Association, NAfME, and the College Band Directors National Association, and has toured throughout the western United States, Hawaii, Central America, and Thailand. The Wind Symphony can also be heard in performance on the ensemble’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/whitworthwinds). Strauch and the Wind Symphony have been active in commissioning new works and collaborating with composers around the world. Noted composers David Maslanka, Eric Ewazen, James David, and Peter Van Zandt Lane have praised the Wind Symphony’s performances of their music.
Strauch also teaches courses in music history, conducting, and leads Whitworth’s “Power and Politics of Art” study program to Rome, Florence, Vienna, and Berlin. Prior to joining the Whitworth music faculty he served as Director of Instrumental Activities at Phillips University, Acting Director of the Wheaton College Wind Ensemble and Assistant to the Director of Bands at Yale University. He has toured Europe as Music Director of the Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music and as conductor of the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra.
As a trombonist, he has been a member of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra since 2001, and his other performance credits include the Clarion Brass Choir, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Strauch holds Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Musical Arts, and Master of Music degrees in trombone performance from Yale University, and the Bachelor of Music degree in trombone performance and music history from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. His teachers included John Swallow, Audrey Morrison, Steven Fissell, Milt Stevens, and Jay Friedman.
An active scholar, Strauch recently published a study of the controversy among Protestants surrounding the 1903 New York Met premier of Wagner’s Parsifal in the Nineteenth-Century Music Review (Cambridge UP). He is currently researching the nineteenth century American music critic John Sullivan Dwight and his role in forming America’s early concert culture.
Rich lives in north Spokane with his wife, Sally (an elementary educator in the West Valley School District), and their three children Rachel, Rebecca, and William. When not playing trombone, conducting, or teaching, Rich can be found riding his bike through the rolling countryside north of Spokane and brewing the occasional batch of beer.
Skyler Johnson
Bass Trombone
Skyler Johnson
BASS TROMBONE
Skyler Johnson is currently the bass trombonist of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his position with the Spokane Symphony, he served as a member of the Quad City Symphony, the Peoria Symphony, the Dubuque Symphony, and the Battle Creek Symphony. From the summer of 2011 to 2018, Skyler served as the bass trombonist of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra under the baton of Corrado Rovaris in Fayetteville, AR. He has also performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony.
Skyler also served as low brass professor at the University of Idaho, Whitworth University, Eastern Washington University, and Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL. Skyler has held masterclasses and lectures at the University of Oregon, Washington State University, Vandercook College of Music, Lawrence University, and Southwestern University.
Skyler received a Bachelor’s of Music Degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of Oregon and a Master’s of Music Degree in Bass Trombone Performance from DePaul University.His primary teachers include Michael Grose, Dan Satterwhite, Mark Fisher, and Charles Vernon.
Skyler lives with his wife Heather, a flutist, and their three children and enjoys spending time with family, camping, and backpacking. When he is not playing music at night, by day he is working as a software engineer.
Tuba
Andy Abel
principal tuba
Leonard I. Byrne Chair
Andy Abel
TUBA, PRINCIPAL
Andy Abel enjoys an active and varied performance career across the West Coast. In addition to his role with the Spokane Symphony, he holds positions with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra and Oregon Ballet Theatre. He also serves on the faculty at Pacific Lutheran University.
In 2014, Andy became the youngest-ever tuba fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he studied and performed with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. From 2019 to 2023, he was a fellow with the New World Symphony, America’s orchestral academy, whose alumni help shape the future of classical music worldwide.
A frequent guest with his hometown Seattle Symphony, Andy has also performed with the Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras. As a studio musician, his diverse recording credits include Emmy-winning television shows and major video game titles. He has appeared at summer festivals such as the Britt Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Music Academy of the West, and the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival.
In addition to his teaching at Pacific Lutheran University, Andy has led masterclasses at institutions including Oberlin College, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington. He is also a faculty member at the annual Midsummer Music Retreat, where adult musicians of all levels gather to learn and perform in a supportive, non-competitive environment.
Andy holds degrees from the University of Washington and the Colburn School. His teachers include Christopher Olka, Norman Pearson, and Mark Lawrence.
He currently lives in Seattle with his wife, Emily, and their two cats, Merry and Pippin. Outside of music, he enjoys skiing, watching baseball, and collecting vinyl records.
Timpani
Ben Blaesing
principal timpani
Sherry Knott Chair
Ben Blaesing
TIMPANI, PRINCIPAL
Ben Blaesing joined the Spokane Symphony in 2026 as Principal Timpanist. Originally from Munster, Indiana, Ben earned his Bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Michael Burritt and Charles Ross. He earned his Master’s degree in percussion performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Edward Stephan. Ben has performed with the Symphony Orchestras of Winnipeg, Juneau, Fresno, and Stockton, as well as the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. When not in the concert hall, Ben enjoys wrapping timpani mallets, listening to music, and reading.
Percussion
Leigh Wilson
principal percussion
Leigh Wilson
PERCUSSION, PRINCIPAL
Leigh Wilson is principal percussionist of the Spokane Symphony and adjunct faculty at Whitworth University. A Massachusetts native, he began playing percussion at age twelve. He is a graduate of the Harvard/New England Conservatory dual degree program and pursued further studies at the University of Southern California. His principal teachers include Matthew McKay, James Babor, Joseph Pereira, and John Tanzer. In the past few years, he has performed in the symphonies and philharmonics of Los Angeles, Oregon, Omaha, Ottawa (NACO), Portland ME, South Dakota, the New World Symphony, and has held fellowships with the National Orchestral Institute and the Music Academy of the West. He is also a published chemist and can be found helping his percussion students with their chemistry homework at the end of lessons.
Andrew Repsold
third percussion
Andrew Repsold
PERCUSSION
Andrew Repsold is a native of Spokane, having spent his whole life here since the age of two. He attended Ferris High School (graduated in 2009), Whitworth University (Undergraduate degree, 2013) and Eastern Washington University (Masters degree, 2016). Besides being a member of the Spokane Symphony, he teaches percussion at Gonzaga University, has a private studio of students, is the Worship Pastor at Mosaic Fellowship and is a freelance percussionist and educator. His performing accomplishments include 1st place in Washington State for the Multiple Percussion category (WMEA 2009), 1st place Spokane “Scholar of Fine Arts” (2009), “Outstanding Soloist” of the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival (Drum Set, 2013) Whitworth University concerto competition winner (Marimba, 2013) and Eastern Washington University concerto competition winner (Marimba, 2016). His teaching accomplishments include a student winning the Gonzaga concerto competition (2022) and multiple high school students winning Washington State competitions on Marimba and Timpani (WMEA 2022, 2024).
Being a member of the Spokane Symphony is uniquely special for him because as a child he attended SSO concerts with his parents. He imagined how fun it would be if he got to play with them when he grew up. During his high school and college years he took lessons and music classes from all three of the previous SSO percussionists (Paul Raymond, Rick Westrick and Bryan Bogue) and spent roughly a decade playing with them in the SSO as a sub before winning an official position with the Symphony in 2024. He also studied with former SSO Timpanist Adam Wallstein and with Dr. Michael Waldrop, the professor of percussion at EWU. Being an official member of the Spokane Symphony is a childhood dream come true for him! He thanks God every day for the huge blessing of his wife, Katie, and their four sons: Nelson, Edmund, Boaz and Moses. Soli Deo gloria.
William Howald*
Second percussion
William Howald
Percussion
Will Howald joined the Spokane Symphony in 2024 as Second Percussion. Additionally, he was recently appointed Principal Timpani of the Erie Philharmonic. Will has also performed with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Tallahassee Symphony, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and has been a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Center. Originally from Melbourne, Florida, Will earned his Bachelor of Music from The Florida State University, and his Master of Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Ed Stephan (San Francisco Symphony). When not in the concert hall, Will enjoys playing and teaching guitar, his first instrument.
Harp
Earecka Tregenza Moody
Harp, Principal
Earecka Tregenza Moody
HARP, PRINCIPAL
Earecka Tregenza is an active performer throughout the Pacific Northwest, both as a soloist and orchestral musician. Ms. Tregenza is Principal Harp with the Spokane Symphony and performs as a substitute principal and extra harp with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She is also regularly heard with her husband, violinist Jason Moody, as a part of Duo Zephyr.
Ms. Tregenza has performed extensively in Europe and North America, and has appeared as a guest principal harp with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony and the New World Symphony. Her music festival credits include fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Center, National Orchestral Institute, Aldeburgh Festival, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Rome Festival, Round-Top Festival Institute and the Texas Music Festival. She was a finalist in the ASTA/NSOA National Solo Competition, and a winner of the Alice Chalifoux Prize for artistic excellence at CIM.
Earecka Tregenza earned a Master of Music from Rice University, Shepherd School of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Following her graduation from Rice, she attended the Royal Conservatory of Music, Glenn Gould School. Her primary teachers have been Judy Loman, Paula Page, Yolanda Kondonassis, Alice Chalifoux, Marilyn Costello and Rebecca Lewis Wagner.
A dedicated teacher, Earecka Tregenza is the harp faculty at Gonzaga and Whitworth Universities, and has served as a harp instructor at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan and the Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Program at Rice University.
*one-year leave
+one year appointment
