2024 Featured Artists
Featured artists from the VBF Orchestra and VBF Baroque Ensemble. For additional artist bios, please see individual concert program pages.
Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, conductor
New York, New York
Esteemed conductor and pianist Dr. Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez was named Artistic Director of Musica Viva NY and Director of Music of the historic Unitarian Church of All Souls in Manhattan in 2015. He is also Co-Founder of the New Orchestra of Washington and Artistic Director of the Victoria Bach Festival. He has earned accolades from The Washington Post as a conductor “with the incisive clarity of someone born to the idiom,” as well as praise from The New York Times for leading “a stirring performance” of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem.His guest conducting engagements include appearances at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Degollado Theatre in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he led the Jalisco Philharmonic. As a pianist, Hernandez-Valdez performed for the 2013 Britten100 festival in New York, organized by the Britten-Pears Foundation to honor the 100th anniversary of the titular composer’s birth. Read full bio
Nicholas Tavani, concertmaster
New York, New York
Violinist Nicholas Tavani was born in Arlington, VA, and debuted in Washington, D.C.’s Gaston Hall at the age of eight. The Cleveland Plain Dealer praised him as “ an alert and sensitive artist, with beautiful tone and exquisite phrasing,” and the Washington Post has hailed his “brilliant musicianship.” As a chamber musician, recitalist, and concerto soloist, Mr. Tavani has performed extensively to critical acclaim in the United States and around the world. As first violinist of the Aeolus Quartet, he was a winner of the 2011 Plowman International Chamber Music Competition, the 2011 Yellow Springs Chamber Music competition, and the 2009 Coleman International Chamber Music Competition. He is also a laureate of the Postacchini and Kingsville International Violin Competitions.
Mr. Tavani serves as first violinist in the Aeolus Quartet, who are currently Artists in Residence at Musica Viva New York. In addition, he serves as concertmaster of the New Orchestra of Washington and is a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble and the Smithsonian Chamber Players.
A passionate advocate of new music, Mr. Tavani has premiered and recorded several works by living composers, including Samuel Adler, Alexandra Bryant, Christopher Theofanidis, Missy Mazzoli, and Dan Visconti. His discography includes four albums with the Aeolus Quartet in wide release on the Azica, Naxos, and Innova labels. Solo performances with orchestra include the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Arlington Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Prince William Symphony, New Orchestra of Washington, and many others. Collaborations include Renee Fleming, Peter Salaff, Jon Kimura Parker, Daxun Zhang, and Michael Tree.
Mr. Tavani’s current season includes chamber, recital and concerto performances across the US and extensive touring across the US with the Aeolus Quartet.
As a committed educator, Mr. Tavani has served on the faculties of the George Washington University School of Music, Point CounterPoint Music Festival, the MasterWorks Festival, and the University of Maryland High School Music Academy. He served as teaching assistant to the Juilliard Quartet at the Juilliard School, where he studied with Joseph Lin and Ronald Copes, and the Aeolus Quartet was 2013-2015 Graduate Quartet in Residence. Mr. Tavani completed a doctorate under the mentorship of David Salness at the University of Maryland. His thesis was titled Quantifying Dynamic Pitch Adjustment Decision Structures in String Quartet Performance. An alumnus of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Nicholas studied violin with William Preucil and chamber music with Peter Salaff and the Cavani Quartet. In addition to a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from CIM, Nicholas also studied mathematical physics at Case Western Reserve University.
Brent Baldwin, assistant conductor
Austin, Texas
Award-winning conductor, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, and composer Brent Baldwin is co-artistic director of CONVERGENCE, a professional contemporary arts performance organization dedicated to inter-arts collaboration. Under Baldwin’s leadership with co-artistic director Cameron Beauchamp (Roomful of Teeth), Convergence premiered works by Graham Reynolds, Kate Moore, Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), Petra Haden, Avery Griffin, DJ Spooky, Glenn Kotche (Wilco), and Prix de Rome-winner Steve Parker, Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, and many others. The ensemble has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including “Best Vocalist” (for Cameron Beauchamp) and “Best Choral Performance” in the Austin Critics’ Table Awards.
Baldwin holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied conducting with Craig Hella Johnson and Daniel Johnson. As a director and bandleader, he has participated in numerous tours across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. A fierce advocate of contemporary music, Mr. Baldwin has directed and performed over forty world premieres. His past musical collaborations include projects and performances with Big Star Third, Trail of Dead, Peter Buck (R.E.M.), M. Ward, Laurel Aitken, Golden Hornet, Austin Chamber Music Center, Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, Jody Stephens (Big Star), Austin Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Bach Festival, Tommy Stinson (Replacements, Guns n’ Roses), and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Shulamit Ran and Caroline Shaw.
Elaine Barber, harp
Austin, Texas
- Principal Harpist, Austin Symphony
- Regular guest artist, San Antonio Symphony
- Performs renaissance and early baroque music with Texas Early Music Project and Austin Baroque Orchestra
Thomas Burritt, principal percussion
Austin, Texas
- Professor of Percussion and Director of Percussion Studies, University of Texas
- Concert Marimbist
- Clinician/endorser: Majestic Percussion, Innovative Percussion, Zildjian, Remo, Beetle Percussion,Grover Pro Percussion
- Recorded two Grammy-nominated recordings with Conspirare: Conspirare in Concert and Pablo Neruda: The Poet Sings
Joan Carlson, violin
Austin, Texas
- Tenured violinist, Austin Symphony Orchestra
- Baroque violinist, La Follia Austin Baroque
- Performed with the Texas Early Music Project and the St. Cecilia Series’ Baroque Festival
- Member of Conspirare since 1998
- Singer, Compline Choir of St. David’s Episcopal Church, Austin
Chris Carrillo, principal trumpet
Rockingham, VA
- Principal Trumpet, New Orchestra of Washington, Madison Brass, and Virginia Brass Consort
- On the faculty of James Madison University
- www.chriscarrillotrumpet.com
Bruce Colson, violin
Austin, Texas
- Member, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera Orchestra
- Performs with Texas Early Music Project, La Follia Austin Baroque
Ian Davidson, principal oboe
Austin, Texas
- Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor of Music and Humanities, Texas State University
- Principal Oboe, Austin Opera Orchestra
- Solo English Horn / Associate Principal Oboe, Austin Symphony Orchestra
- Fulbright Senior Specialist, US Department of State
Susan Doering, violin
Auberry, California
- Teaches at Fresno Pacific University
- Concertmaster of Tulare County Symphony Orchestra, performs with Fresno Philharmonic, Santa Rosa, Monterey Symphonies
- Co-Founder of Musica Viva Chamber Music series and Emerald Duo
Désirée Elsevier, viola
Dallas, Texas
- Regular member, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1987 to 2021
- Member, World Orchestra for Peace (founded by Sir Georg Solti, now led by Valery Gergiev)
- Member, Classical Tahoe summer festival orchestra
Boel Gidholm, violin
Rochester, New York
- Co-Director, period-instrument ensemble Publick Musick
- Performs with Pegasus Early Music, NYS Baroque
- Appears on recordings with Fiori Musicali-Barockorchester Bremen, Steintor Barock (Bremen), L’Arco (Hannover), Apollo’s Fire, and The Publick Musick
Jackson Guillen, violin
Houston, Texas
- Director, El Sistema-based CODA Music Program of the Houston Youth Symphony
- Co-founder and Executive Director, “Encuentro Anual de Cuerdas,” string festival in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Member, Terra Nostra Ensemble, dedicated to the performance, promotion, and preservation of music by Latin-American and Iberian composers
Thomas Hale, horn
Austin, Texas
- Principal horn, Austin Symphony and Austin Lyric Opera.
- Member, Bear Valley Music Festival and the Spoleto (Italy) Festival Orchestra
- Served on faculties of Southwest Texas State University, the University of Texas, and at Southwestern University
- Founding member, Pinnacle Brass Quintet and Wild Basin Winds
Christopher Haritatos, cello
Rochester, New York
- Member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
- Performs with early music ensembles including Pegasus Early Music, NYS Baroque, Handel and Haydn Society, and Ars Lyrica
- Co-Director of Publick Musick
- Appears on recordings with Fiori Musicali-Barockorchester Bremen, Apollo’s Fire, Tafelmusik, Fioritura, Publick Musick
Juan Jaramillo, principal second violin
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Assistant principal second violin, Pittsburgh Opera
- Principal second violin, Altoona Symphony
- Assistant principal second violin, Wheeling Symphony
Jia Kim, cello
New York, New York
- Artistic Director, Spruce Peak Chamber Music Society, Stowe, VT
- Artistic Director, Central Chamber Series, Central Presbyterian Church, NYC
- Faculty for The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, New York Youth Symphony’s Chamber Music program, The Brearley School, and International Music Sessions
Gesa Kordes, violin
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Performs with Baroque and Beyond, Ensemble PeriHIPsous, Muses’ Delight, Opera Lafayette, Ensemble Tra i Tempi
- Performs with Tuscaloosa Symphony and Mobile Symphony
- Instructor of Early Music Performance at the University of Alabama
- Recorded for Harmonia Mundi, FONO, Dorian, and Naxos
Caitlin Lynch, principal viola
New York, New York
- Member, Aeolus Quartet
- Artistic Director, founder, and violist, Project Chamber Music: Willamette Valley
- Faculty member at Third Street Music School and New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program
- Performs regularly with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, Wordless Music, and Metropolis Ensemble
Andrew Potter, principal double bass
Austin, Texas
- Former Director, Westlake High School Orchestra Program
- Founding member of the Texas Hill Country Bass Collective
Raúl Rodríguez, principal tuba
New Braunfels, Texas
- Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium, Texas State University
- Principal tuba, Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra
- Chamber musician performances with the Bluebonnet Brass, Breckenridge Brass, Capitol of Texas Brass, Pinnacle Brass
Sherry Rubins, principal timpani
San Antonio, Texas
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- Distinguished senior lecturer and coordinator of the percussion program, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Principal Percussionist/Timpanist, Mid Texas Symphony
- Principal Percussionist, Alamo City Opera
Gregory Sauer, prinipal cello
Tallahassee, Florida
- Principal cello, Tallahassee Symphony
- Assistant principal cello, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra
- Founding member of Trio Solis
- Professor of Cello, Florida State University
Javier Stuppard, principal trombone
Round Rock, Texas
- Performs with Fresh 2 Def Horns, The Nightowls, Jazz Inc. Big Band, JazzBonez and The Minor 4th Trombone Quartet
- Peformed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Temple Symphony, Round Rock Symphony, Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra
- Former Assistant Professor of Music, Huston-Tillotson University
Amanda Swain, principal bassoon
Houston, Texas
- Adjunct Professor, Sam Houston State University
- Principal Bassoonist, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra
- Second Bassoonist, Houston Ballet Orchestra
- Performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony
Vanguel Tangarov, principal clarinet
Round Rock, Texas
- Principal Clarinet, Austin Lyric Opera, Mid-Texas Symphony, and Victoria Symphony
- Previously Principal Clarinet for Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria); Academia Chigiana Symphony Orchestra (Italy), and Monterrey Symphony Orchestra (Mexico)
- Assistant Professor of Clarinet, Texas State University
Keith Womer, harpsichord
Austin, Texas
- Director and harpsichordist, La Follia Austin Baroque
- Organist, University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas
- Austin Critics Table 2016 Award for Best Classical Instrumentalist
- Performs with Conspirare, Victoria Symphony, Texas Early Music Project
Rachel Woolf, principal flute
Austin, Texas
- Assistant Professor of Instruction of Flute, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Principal flute, Symphony of the Hills
- Member, Dallas-based symphonic pop rock band The Polyphonic Spree
- Member, Middle Eastern fusion group Viatorum
Dieter Wulfhorst, cello
Auberry, California
- Member of the Santa Rosa Symphony, performs with Bakersfield, Monterey, Fresno, Sacramento, and Stockton Symphonies
- Co-director of Musica Viva chamber music series
- Performs internationally and in over twenty states in the U.S.
