Symphony Musicians and Soloists

Steven Ades is a native of the San Fernando Valley, growing up in Encino. He began his musical studies on the bassoon at the age of 12 taking lessons with Don Christlieb. After he graduated from Reseda High School, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Northridge; where he studied with Alan Goodman, Ken Munday and Julie Feves. During his college career, Steve was Principal Bassoon in the American Youth Symphony under the direction of Mehli Mehta. He enjoys playing chamber music, performs on a freelance basis with many musical ensembles in the greater Los Angeles region as well as in Bakersfield; and is a member of his church praise and worship team playing both bassoon and tenor sax. Steve has been Principal bassoon in the San Fernando Valley Symphony since 1986. He has been a soloist with this orchestra performing the Mozart Bassoon Concerto, and was also featured in a performance of the two Mendelssohn Concert pieces for Clarinet, Bassoon and Orchestra.

Bernie Blau began his cello studies in the fourth grade. In junior high school, while a member of the All Southern California Junior High School Orchestra, he received a scholarship to Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA). He was the principal cellist of the All Southern California Junior High School Orchestra in his second year, under cello coach Eleonor Schoenfeld. Bernie received a scholarship to Pepperdine University upon graduation from high school but decided to pursue a career in engineering. During university, he studied harmony and musicianship and played with the orchestra and chamber orchestra at Pierce College. At California State University he studied Advanced Chamber Music with Myron Sandler. After several years of playing chamber music, he joined the Simi Valley Symphony as principal cellist before joining the Burbank Symphony, playing in several opera orchestras and then the San Fernando Valley Symphony. Later, he attended the performance music program at Glendale College and studied with cellist Gayle Smith. He has played in several Broadway musicals at the Thousand Oaks Cultural Center. He now also plays weddings and parties with several string quartets.

Living the life of a true valley girl, Ruth Bruegger spent her youth in LAUSD schools, graduating from Pacoima Junior High to Polytechnic High and then to UCLA (at the same time, unknowingly, as our esteemed conductor! Boy do we have stories to tell...please ask!). In between all that schooling she got a housekeeping diploma from a boarding school in Switzerland (a family tradition that couldn't be ignored until she had her own three daughters). Thanks to this experience Ruth discovered she'd much rather play violin. Forty years later, you can still hear her play in all corners of this great city...traffic allowing, of course. Ruth has played and been let go of some of the finest orchestras in L.A. and Santa Barbara, as well as toured with a variety of artists including Eric Clapton and Boccelli. She has sperformed in so many weddings that she will not only never eat another piece of wedding cake, but would like to start a tradition of playing the divorces, too. Chamber music is a favorite outlet and Ruth was thrilled to have performed at Sainte Chapelle in Paris and many of her relatives' farms in Switzerland. If you listen very closely, you can hear her beautiful strands gracing countless LPs and movie soundtracks (her specialty being horror films). Her greatest achievement to date, besides having soloed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the San Fernando Valley Symphony, is her new grandson, a future violinist...or maybe a rock guitarist, if not a doctor.

Born and raised in Southern California , Jana F. Cole attended California State University Long Beach. She has studied with such notable horn players as Calvin Smith, James Decker and Robert L. Watt. Ms. Cole performs extensively in and about Southern California as both a freelance musician and soloist. She is a member of The San Fernando Valley Symphony, The Valley Symphony, The New Valley Symphony, and The Bellflower Symphony. She also performs regularly with The Carson Symphony. Ms. Cole has performed with The Stan Kenton All-Stars , The Shorty Rogers Big Band and can be heard on the Stan Kenton All-Stars Back to Balboa Album.

Ian Dahlberg has been an active woodwind doubler in the L.A. area for the past 15 years or so. He has played oboe in the American Youth Symphony under the direction of the late Mehli Mehta, as well as several other local orchestras. On sax, he can be seen in the 30's style jazz band, Blue Rhythm Jazz Orchestra. He has played a few national tours with musical theatre companies, all adding up to a year and a half on the road. In Thousand Oaks, he can be seen playing in the pit for Cabrillo Musical Theatre productions. Ian also does a fair amount of music copying for various local composers including Guy Moon, Nathan Wang and James Domine. He was Steve Allen's copyist as well. His bread and butter is currently music editing at SmartSound Software in Northridge.

	Joanna Ezrin was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she studied piano under renowned composer, conductor,

and teacher Clifford Poole.  She also played the cello and harp in local orchestras.  After receiving her ARCT from the Royal

Conservatory of Music, she studied at the Juilliard School of Music, and returned to the University of Toronto to receive her

Bachelor of Music in Performance degree.  After continuing graduate studies at Hochschule fur Musik in Stuttgart, Germany, she

trained under respected teacher Sara Compinsky and participated in worldwide piano competitions as a Canadian representative,

including the prestigious Rubenstein International Piano Master Competition.

	Joanna, who retains her Canadian citizenship, moved to the United States in the 1980s, settling in Los Angeles to study

pop, jazz, and voice, and to pursue a career in music.  She recorded on platinum albums and worked extensively in television, film,

and commercials, while performing live at venues throughout Canada, Europe, and the United States, developing a loyal fan base in

Los Angeles.  Following the birth of her second child, Joanna "retired" from the long, odd and stressful hours of a traveling performer

and devoted herself to teaching full-time, while studying pedagogy under the tutelage of the highly regarded Frances Robyn.

	Joanna, a state-accredited music teacher, is past president and the current vice president of the San Fernando West Valley

Branch of the Music Teachers' Association of California.  She is the chair of both the annual Contemporary Music Festival and the

branch Composers Today program.  She is also a state-certified adjudicator, judging Certificate of Merit examinations and music

festivals.  Joanna is a current member of the orchestra, playing both piano and celesta.

Bassoonist Charles Fernandez is also an accomplished composer. Fernandez was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University in 1983. He went on to earn a Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance at UCLA in 1987. Fernandez also went on to earn an ARCM (performer's diploma) from the Royal College of Music in London. In addition to playing with the orchestra, Fernandez makes a living as an orchestrator and composer for television and motion pictures. He is the recipient of two Emmy nominations and one Annie nomination for his work on Universal's "Casper" cartoon series. His additional works include Tone Poem for Clarinet and Strings, a piece which has garnered praise from all over the country, as well as Europe. The composer's Elegy for Oboe and Strings has been performed by the Westchester and Inland Empire Symphonies. In addition, Fernandez has performed as a bassoon soloist with orchestras in New Orleans, Los Angeles, London, and Brighton, as well as in West Germany. His most recent appointment was to the solo and principal bassoon position with the Bayerische Philharmonic in Bad Wiessee, Germany.

A native of Los Angeles, violist J. Lee Graham has been associated with Maestro Domine and what is now the San Fernando Valley Symphony for much of the last 26 years. He joined the orchestra shortly after his graduation from high school in 1980 and served as the orchestra’s first principal violist until 1995 when he relocated briefly out of state. An accomplished singer and composer as well, Graham has enjoyed the honour of having several of his works performed by the orchestra, including his Symphony #1 in B-flat, Sinfonia Concertante in e minor for violin, ‘cello and orchestra and Christmas Cantata. As a singer, Graham created the role of The Preacher in early performances of Maestro Domine’s opera Luke and Sarah; he sings professionally with the Los Angeles Chamber Singers and Cappella, the Pacific Chorale, the John Alexander Singers and the choir of St. James' Episcopal Church, Los Angeles. Graham is primarily a self-proclaimed “Classical Revivalist” as a composer, and has recently completed several other large-scale works, including Sundry Dances After the Fashion of the Age of Enlightenment – a set of twenty-one 18th Century dances for chamber ensemble – and two symphonies: #2 in G, and #3 in A. Symphony #2 in G will be performed by the orchestra on the September 30, 2006 programme.

Clarinet, flute, and saxophone player Gary Herbig grew up in Montana, where he received his musical education at the state university. Herbig has been active in music ever since, playing, touring or recording with such artists as Barry Manilow, Harry James, KC and the Sunshine Band, Pat Kelley, Cher, Michael Bolton, Dave Koz, Bill Meyers, Bette Midler, Olivia Newton-John, Dolly Parton, Peaches and Herb, Dionne Warwick, Lamont Dozier, The Yellowjackets, Donna Summer, and Weird Al Yankovic. Whether country, jazz, classical, rock, blues, Herbig is not afraid to tackle a musical challenge. He currently plays clarinet with the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra and will be a featured soloist on saxophone at the When Two Worlds Collide concert. Gary may also be seen as a studio musician around Los Angeles.

    Kathy Marsh is originally from Bowling Green, Ohio where she studied with Harold Skinner and Judith Bentley.   Kathy received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, studying under Bonita Boyd, and Master of Music Degree from the University of Southern California studying under Roger Stevens. After graduating college she was principal flute in the American Youth and Debut Symphony Orchestras for a number of years. During that time Kathy also participated in several summer festivals including the Roundtop Music Festival, the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute.
    Currently the solo piccolo player of the Santa Barbara Symphony, Kathy has also performed with the New West and Long Beach Symphony Orchestras, the Pasadena Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Santa Barbara Grand Opera. In addition to orchestral work Kathy performs regularly with her chamber music group Classical Blitz.
    Kathy lives in Granada Hills with her husband Jeff who is a composer and guitarist, and her son Patrick.

Principal trumpet Adrian Miller grew up in a musical family with his mother, a music educator, providing early training and inspiration. He attended California State University, Northridge, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree and his teaching credentials. Adrian's teachers have include the late John Clyman, Anthony Plog, and Charles Davis on trumpet and Charlie Shoemake in jazz improvisation. Mr. Miller has performed with the San Fernando Valley Symphony for well over fifteen years as a principal player. In addition to his orchestral work, he has also performed in a variety of musical settings, including chamber brass ensembles, musical theater productions, and both small and large jazz ensembles. He continues to be very involve in music ministry at his church. Along with his musical pursuits, Mr. Miller works as a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser and is active in youth sports, having served as president of the Valley Christian Athletic Association. He lives in Northridge with his wife, Deborah, and three children, Graham, Alexander, and Ann-Elizabeth.

Geoff Nudell received his musical education at the Grove School of Music and California State University, Northridge. His instructors included William Calkins, Abbey Fraser, Victor Morosco, Sam Most and Phil Sobel. As a professional musician Geoff has played, toured or recorded with Frankie Avalon, Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, Cab Calloway, Johnny Crawford, Fleetwood Mac, Peggy Lee, Liza Minelli, Rita Moreno, Frederica von Stade, Leslie Uggams and Ian Whitcomb. In addition, his extensive symphonic background has included performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Downey, Glendale, Pasadena, San Diego and New West Symphony Orchestras. Conductors he has played for have included Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Charles Dutoit, Placido Domingo, and Kent Nagano. His jazz experience has included performances with the Buddy Collette and Gerald Wilson big bands and the Pasadena Jazz Orchestra. His recording experience continues to include jingles, motion pictures and a variety of network and cable television programs. Geoff is also active as a theater musician, having performed in the pit orchestras for Beauty And The Beast, Chicago, Fosse, Showboat, Swan Lake, The Last Empress, and Phantom Of The Opera. In 1993, Geoff performed as alto saxophonist with the Doug Masek Saxophone Quartet in a concert tour of South Africa. He currently plays principal clarinet with the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, and can be seen performing around Los Angeles with the "vintage" swing band, Mora's Modern Rhythmists. Geoff has also been a private music instructor and clinician for over twenty years and is currently on the music faculty at California State University, Northridge as a woodwinds instructor.

     Jill Packard grew up Boston, Massachusetts and began studying the oboe at age sixteen. She attended Syracuse University on a full scholarship where she received a Bachelor of Music in Performance and continued her studies at State University of New York's Purchase College Conservatory of Music where she received a Master of Music in Performance. In the summer of 2000, Jill attended the Henry Mancini Institute (HMI) and six months later relocated to Los Angeles to join the year-round staff of the HMI.
   In addition to working as HMI's Program Manager for Recruitment & Alumni Affairs, Jill is currently freelancing and teaching oboe and English horn in the Los Angeles community. She performs regularly with the Henry Mancini Institute Alumni Orchestra and HMI Woodwind Quintet, the San Fernando Valley Symphony, and the Brentwood/Westwood Symphony. She has made appearances with the Santa Monica Symphony, the Culver City Chamber Orchestra, the American Youth Symphony, the Carson Symphony and the Marina del Rey Symphony. In addition, she is also a member of the Novo Philharmonic, a 90-piece contemporary studio orchestra.
   Jill has had the privilege of performing with world class artists such as David Benoit, Dori Caymmi, James Galway, Diana Krall, Monica Mancini, Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, and Stevie Wonder. She has also had the experience of performing under the baton of Bruce Broughton, Alf Clausen, Jerry Goldsmith, Quincy Jones and John Williams. Her former teachers include Frank Charnley, Philip MacArthur and Humbert Lucarelli.

       Symphony violinist Nancy Roth displays her extraordinary musical on March 12, 2005 in Prokofiev’s “Violin Concerto #1 in D Major.” Roth, who holds a master’s degree in music from Juilliard and a doctorate of musical arts from USC, remembers that she was “simply awestruck” upon first hearing Prokofiev’s piece years ago. “It’s delicate with ethereal passages, extremely high in range and quite difficult,” says Roth. “Tonight I am trying to bring some melodic beauty and sensitivity to the piece. It’s one of my favorite concertos.”
    Along with her work as a violinist and violist in the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, Roth is currently concertmaster of the Carson Symphony and Westchester Symphony, principal second violinist of the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay, and a member of the Pasadena Symphony. She has been a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, was co-principal violist of the Graz Philharmonic in Austria, and has played concertmaster for many years with the San Fernando Valley Symphony. She has been a featured soloist with numerous other
Southern California orchestras including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Carson Symphony, Valley Symphony and Rio Hondo Symphony. Her solo and chamber music recitals have been performed in the United States, Mexico and Austria, and she has recorded for radio broadcasts by KUSC, KFAC and the Austrian Rundfunk.   She is a member of the String Family Players and the Blackbird Trio.
    Dr. Roth’s demanding schedule includes recording for films and television. Recent film projects are A Beautiful Mind, Death to Smoochy, The Affair of the Necklace, Windtalkers, Bandits, Dr. Dolittle 2, Swordfish, Exit Wounds and The Glass House. Her TV work can be heard in “King of the Hill,” “Family Guy,” and “West Wing.” She has played baroque violin and viols with Los Angeles Musica Viva and the London Early Music Group. Dr. Roth is featured playing the treble viol with Musica Viva on their CD, "The Leaves Be Green." Roth is now celebrating her 14th year as a member of the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Trumpeter Mike Rotman received his initial musical training at Cal State Long Beach, earning a Bachelor of Music in performance. He went on to CSUN for a teaching credential which he has used since 1981, teaching instrumental music at Porter Middle School in Granada Hills. His trumpet teachers include Claude Gordon, and Uan Rasey who he still studies with from time to time. Mike also plays in other local orchestras and in the summer joins the German American Brass Band of Southern California at Alpine Village and similar venues.