GOLDEN GATE PHILHARMONIC
FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

JOAN MURRAY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A veteran of 40 years in the public schools of Florida, Alabama, and California, Joan Murray received her Masters Degree in Performance from Louisiana State University. Her violin teachers included William de Pasquale and Jacob Krachmalnick. During 28 years at San Francisco's Aptos Middle School, Ms. Murray coped with massive budget cuts by forming a non-profit fund, enabling this inner-city music program to be self-supporting. Ms Murray's 1984 California Mentor Teacher project, with its unique format of chamber music, individual instruction, theory, combined with an all-city orchestra has won national recognition. President Bush named her a Distinguished Teacher (1990), and she received Chamber Music America's Award of Excellence (1993). Upon retiring from the public schools in 1994, she has joined the SF Conservatory of Music faculty and occasionally writes on the topic of youth music news for Robert Commanday's web magazine, San Francisco Classical Voice.

GEOFFREY GALLEGOS - MUSIC DIRECTOR and CONDUCTOR
A native San Franciscan, Mr. Gallegos is an alumnus of Aptos Middle School, Lowell High School, and Sa Francisco State University. He earned his MA in Conducting from the University of Iowa, graduating with honors. After winning several international competitions, MR. Gallegos returned to San Francisco, where beginning in 1985, he was appointed Associate Conductor and later Conductor of the San Francisco Chamber Players Orchestra. In 1991, he was appointed principal conductor of the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra. Most recently, Maestro Gallegos was invited to become Music Director / Conductor of the Kensington (CA) Symphony Orchestra and in September '06, commences his third season. September '06 also marks his fourth season as Assistant Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra (N. CA).

In October 2003, Mr. Gallegos made his debut with the Golden Gate Opera Company of Marin and was subsequently invited to become Music Director ad Conductor of the company. Since then, he has conducted productions of I Pagliacci, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, The Telephone, Gianni Schicchi, and Suor Angelica. 

Geoffrey Gallegos was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Golden Gate Philharmonic in 2001. During his tenure, the GGP has enjoyed exponential growth, artistically, educationally, and organizationally. Mr. Gallegos' deep commitment to arts education extends beyond his responsibilities with the GGP, including five years as Artist in Residence at the San Francisco School of the Arts, Music Director/Conductor of Musical Theater productions at Riordan High School (SF '97-'01) and Guest Conductor at Cazadero Music Camp ('02, '04). In 2001 he served as Conductor of the San Francisco State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Additional guest conducting has taken Mr. Gallegos throughout the United States and Europe.

ANTHONY BLEA - VIOLIN, CHAMBER MUSIC
Anthony Blea is an Aptos Middle School alumnus and former concertmaster of Aptos's after-school pilot program that morphed eventually into the GGP. On scholarship at the San Francisco Conservatory, Mr. Blea studied with famed teacher Isadore Tinkleman. Later he received his B. Music degree from the Manhattan School, followed by a M. Music in Chamber Music at the SF Conservatory. Professionally, Mr. Blea's experience includes performance with orchestras in Lisbon and the San Francisco Opera, as well as being first violinist of the Del Sol String Quartet. Currently, he also leads the San Francisco-based Latin jazz band, Orquesta Charanson.

DAVID BOWES - VIOLIN, VIOLA, PIANO, CHAMBER MUSIC
David Daniel Bowes, viola, is an active performer and teacher on both modern and baroque viola and violin. He has been a member of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra since 1982 and the American Bach Soloists since 1992. He has played with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and the San Jose Symphony, where he was Acting Principal. His career in Baroque music took him to Europe, where he performed, toured, and recorded with Les Arts Florissants (in the original staging in 1986 of Lully's "Atys"), the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and with Il Complesso Barocco. A graduate of the the Manhattan School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he was also a Fellowship violist four summers at the Aspen Music Festival. His main teachers have been Kato Havas, Lillan Fuchs, Karen Tuttle, Monica Huggett, and Sigiswald Kuijken. He made his solo orchestral debut in 1981, performing the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Margaret Tyson Klein. Mr. Bowes is also a licensed California Realtor, affiliated with Zephyr Real Estate, SoMa office.

SARAH CHOI– CELLO, CHAMBER MUSIC
Sarah Choi’s impressive musical credentials include degrees in Musical Performance from The Juilliard School, Yale University and Boston University (DMA). Ms. Choi has served as coach for numerous youth orchestras, including the Greater Boston Youth Orchestra, Harvard University’s Mozart Society Orchestra, the Oakland Youth Orchestra and the El Camino Youth Symphony. She is currently on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra.

MARSHA GONICK - VIOLIN, VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
A well-respected Bay Area free-lance professional, Marsha Gonick has a B. A. degree from the University of California at Berkeley and is a candidate for a Master of Music at San Francisco State University. In addition to professional playing both in the U. S. and Europe, Ms. Gonick has worked as Assistant Editor of Strings Magazine. Her playing experience ranges from recordings and videos (Skywalker Ranch) to most of the professional orchestras in the Bay Area. She has served as Principal Viola of the Russian Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco and has enjoyed a variety of teaching situations.

LOUELLA HASBUN - CELLO, CHAMBER MUSIC
Noted Bay Area free-lance musician Louella Hasbun performs with the San Jose Symphony and teaches privately. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she was a pupil of Paul Tortelier. Upon graduation, Ms Hasbun became principal cello of the Mexico City Symphony and was very active in the cultural life of that city. Ms. Hasbun is also on the faculty of Cazadero Music Camp.

ROBERT HOWARD - CELLO, CHAMBER MUSIC
A native of Atlanta, GA, Robert Howard began cello lessons at age 12. He completed his undergraduate study at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Graduate work was done at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received an Artist Certificate in chamber music. Mr. Howard has performed at numerous music festivals, including Tanglewood, Spoleto, and Prague. He has won several competitions, notably the Rome Festival Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Berkeley Piano Club Competition. 

In 1998 he toured Costa Rica as a member of the Arethusa Quartet. Mr. Howard has performed in master classes for Lynn Harrell, Bernard Greenhouse and Yo Yo Ma. His cello is on loan from the Virtu Foundation.

AUDINGA JACOBSON - VIOLIN, VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
A native of Lithuania, where she received her training at the Lithuanian Academy of Music (B. Mus. M. Mus. in Violin and M. Mus. in Chamber Music) with further study at Boston Universiy, Ms. Jacobson has extensive performance and teaching experience in both Europe and the United States. She is a distinguished representative of the Russian school of violin playing, continuing the tradition as taught by the world renowned violinist and teacher David Oistrakh. Her method of teaching, with modification from her association with American pedagogical methods, combines the best aspects of both traditions.

DAVID JACOBSON - VIOLIN, VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
Growing up in San Francisco, Mr. Jacobson's first teachers were Willem Wegman and Jacob Krachmalnick, of the San Francisco Symphony. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he continued his musical education at Boston University, where he earned a Masters Degree. Performing in master classes of Nathan Milstein, Jaime Laredo, Eudice Shapiro and Leonid Kogan gave him contact with the premiere violinists of his time. Mr. Jacobson has appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and other orchestras in the United States. He played recitals in England, Holland, Germany and Scotland. As a former member of the Ives Trio, he concertized throughout New England.

PATRICK KROBOTH - VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
Patrick Kroboth received his training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Rolf Persinger. Additional study includes lessons with famed English violist William Primrose. Mr. Kroboth was principal violist with the Canadian Opera Company. He now freelances in the Bay Area, working with the SF Opera, the California Symphony, the Pocket Opera, Berkeley Symphony, Midsummer Mozart and Chamber Orchestras in SF and San Jose. He works extensively in the recording and film industry and also does theatrical set design. Mr. Kroboth is presently on the faculty at the Villa Sinfonia, Waldorf School and Marin Academy. Recently he was named Principal Viola of the Russian Chamber Orchestra.

DONNA LIM - CADET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR, VIOLIN, VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
Ms. Lim earned her B.A. degree at San Francisco State University and received her Suzuki teaching certificate from Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. She is presently teaching at the Suzuki Music Studio of San Francisco.

She was founder and director (for 17 hears) of the Round Valley Strings. As Orchestra Instructor at James Denman Middle School, she has been responsible for identifying and developing many talented inner city youngsters in San Francisco. Ms. Lim was selected for Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 1991 and 1994 as well as in the 2007 edition of Who's Who of American Women. Among her many accomplishments, she includes past president of the Suzuki Music Association of California, editor of the international Suzuki Journal, co-director for the Northern California Suzuki Institute, teacher at the Dominican University Suzuki program, co-founder and director of a concert series - Music in Round Valley. In 2005, she was honored to be the conductor of the San Francisco All-City Concert Orchestra. She has been a registered teacher trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 1985.

MICHAEL RAO - GUITAR, CHAMBER MUSIC
A graduate of the Musicians Institute of Hollywood, where he studied solo jazz guitar with Ted Greene, Mr. Rao has 20 years of experience teaching group and private lessons, including the past 10 years with the Blue Bear School of Music.

MELANIE SCHATTSCHNEIDER KELLER - FLUTE, CHAMBER MUSIC
Melanie is a member of the Vallejo Symphony and The Avenue Winds and has also performed with many symphony, ballet, opera, and musical theater orchestras in Northern California.  She received her M.M. from the San Francisco Conservatory and her B.M. from the Peabody Conservatory.

Mrs. Keller has spent recent summers performing in the Aspen Music Festival, the Texas Music Festival, the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra and the Las Vegas Music Festival. She has also been a prizewinner in several national flute competitions, including the NFA Orchestral Audition Competition (2003) and the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair Young Artist Competition (2005).  Her past teachers have included Tim Day, Mark Sparks, Laurie Sokoloff and Sara Nichols.  Mrs. Keller is on the faculty at St. Matthew Catholic School in San Mateo, the San Francisco Day School, and the Mt. Tamalpais School.

BETH SNELLINGS - CELLO
Beth Snellings has been performing in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 20 years. Her performing experience spans such musically diverse contexts as symphony orchestras, musical theatre, television, chamber music ensembles, jazz combos, and new music groups. Beth’s credits include performances as a member of the jazz strings duo "Different Strokes" with violinist Yehudit, performances at the 2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival with the Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Company, a European tour of “West Side Story,” performances with the Austin Willacy Band and the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra as well as engagements as a chamber musician for entertainment at private events. She was also the music director of “Funky Fitness”, a TV show produced in San Francisco. Beth is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and of the University of Arizona.

Beth’s teaching experience is varied and extensive. She was the Instrumental Music Director at Albany High School for 2 years. Also, Beth has been an Instrumental Music teacher in the Redwood City and Oakland Unified School Districts. Her other teaching credits include Cello Instructor at the Community Music Center in San Francisco and the Santa Rosa Summer Music Academy, Chamber Music Coach at Presidio Middle School, Cello Section Coach for the Oakland Youth Orchestra and Berkeley Youth Orchestra. In addition, Beth has taught in a private cello studio setting since 1987.

IRIS STONE - VIOLIN, CHAMBER MUSIC
A graduate (Bachelor of Music, Master of Music) of the Staatliche Hochschule for Musik, Karlsruhe/Germany, Iris Stone has concertized extensively in Europe. She is currently a violinist in the SF Opera Orchestra and served as Assistant Concertmaster of the Women's Philharmonic. Ms Stone is also a member of the New Century Chamber Orchestra and the Stratos Chamber Ensemble, San Francisco.

MARTHA STODDARD - FLUTE, CHAMBER MUSIC
Martha Stoddard is the Artistic Director of the Oakland Civic Orchestra and teaches instrumental Music and Music Theory at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco. She performs on flute with ChamberMix and the San Francisco Composer's Chamber Orchestra. 

Ms. Stoddard Holds degrees from Humboldt State University (BA) and San Francisco State University (MM), where she studied flute, conducting, ad composition. Her works have been performed by ChamberMix, San Francisco Choral Artists, WomenSing, Schwungvoll!, Farallon Brass Ensemble, New Music Forum, Oakland Civic Orchestra, Community Women's Orchestra, Composers Anonymous. for Humboldt State University Opera Workshop and at the Bard College Composer/Conductor Institute. Her Variations on an Icelandic Folktune was recently selected by Earplay for their annual reading and recording session in San Francisco and her Woodwind Trio will be featured in February,2007 in the Bakersfield Symphony New Directions Concert.

MICHEL TADDEI- DOUBLE BASS, CHAMBER MUSIC
The GGP's double bass teacher, Michel Taddei, received his AB in History at Columbia University, where he was a John Jay National Scholar. Mr. Taddei has done graduate work in history at UC Berkeley and has a diploma from the Juilliard School. While at Berkeley, Mr. Taddei was invited to become solo bass of the Lyon Opera (France.) Since his return to the U.S. his career has included a tour as principal bass with the New York City Opera Company, chamber performances with San Francisco's Earplay, the New Century Chamber Orchestra, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. He has also done film score recordings at Skywalker Ranch and is principal bass of the Berkeley Symphony and Mendocino Music Festival. Mr. Taddei is Director of Music at the Crowden School. Recently he went on tour with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble in the U.S. and Central Asia. As a singer, he has performed roles of Bénédict, Candid and Pedrillo.

JASON TOTZKE - VIOLIN, VIOLA, CHAMBER MUSIC
New to San Francisco, Jason Totzke is an outstanding addition to the GGP artist faculty. Although he grew up in San Diego, he earned his Bachelor of Music at the New England Conservator, where he was Principal Viola of the Symphony. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance (with a minor in Theory) from the Eastman School of Music. Mr. Totzke has many years of teaching experience at the University of Rochester and at the Eastman School, with private lessons and chamber music. He brings an extensive background in professional playing from symphonies to musical theater work.

VOLUNTEER FACULTY:

Nancy Clarke Hayes, retired teacher from Lowell High School, helps the cellos in the Junior Orchestra. Ms. Hayes loves music and appreciates the opportunity to remain involved with performance.

Brenda Nelson, parent of two string players, is an assistant teacher for the Elementary Orchestra and is an essential force in the ongoing development of our young muscians. Ms. Nelson founded - and coached - the first ever Beginning Quartet, which showed a great deal of promise in their first chamber music recital performance recently. In addition to her help with class on Mondays, Ms. Nelson has given generously to various students of both cello and violin.

Beverly Presley-Nelson is the mother of two Camerata Orchestra musicians. A dentist is real life, on Monday afternoons Dr. Presley-Nelson is the orchestra coach for the Second Violins in both Junior and Senior Orchestras. She also serves as Parent Coordinator for her sons' string quartet, "Strings Attached."

John Sherba, GGP parent whose day job is as a member of the internationally famed Kronos String Quartet, donates his talents to the GGP in various ways: coaching chamber groups, sectionals and master classes. We are extremely fortunate to have an artist of his stature to work with our youngsters. John's son, Holland, was concertmaster of the Camerata, but is now an alumni, since he has graduated and gone off to college.

Valerie Tisdel, a professional violist and parent of two GGP students, came to the GGP last year and has proved invaluable as a sectional coach for both the Junior and Senior Orchestras. Ms. Tisdel also serves on the Audition Committee and teaches theory. Another service this versatile musician provides is writing arrangements for the Beginning Orchestra's recital pieces. This enables the entire GGP to play with the Beginners, making them sound really first class.

FACULTY ON LEAVE:

ROBIN BONNELL - CELLO, CHAMBER MUSIC
A busier Bay Area musician would be hard to find. Robin Bonnell is a veteran performer with the symphonies of Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Monterey (Principal Cello), and the Aspen Music Festival. A Berkeley native, Mr. Bonnell was a cello student of Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory, where he won Merit Scholarships and Distinction in Performance. Chamber music instructors include Lillian Fuchs and Eugene Lehner. Mr. Bonnell currently performs with the chamber group Earplay and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

KAYO MIKI - VIOLIN, CHAMBER MUSIC
Kayo Miki was born and raised in British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. At age 9, she caught the "music bug" from her mother, who was concertmaster of the local symphony orchestra. Ms. Miki's education is varied and interesting: high school study at the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg, with a diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy; university study was at the Eastman School, where she earned a Bachelor and Master of Music in Performance.

Since arriving in the Bay Area in 1996, she has performed with musicians from the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet orchestras. She also does film work at the Skywalker studios in addition to performing on HBO specials, with rock artists and in Broadway shows. Somehow she finds time to play the New Century Chamber Orchestra, the California Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony's AIMS program, and most recently with Quartet San Francisco, which will be heading to Buenos Aires after a winning the NYC Tango Competition. Ms Miki is on the faculty of the SF Community Music Center.