ABOUT THE FEATURED SOLOISTS :
ABOUT THE KEY PLAYERS: Violinist Peggy Brady serves as Principal Second Violin of the Marin Symphony. She received her studies at Rutgers University, Arizona State University and at the Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna. She has appeared as violin soloist with the Marin Symphony. Violinist/violist Ellen Gronningen graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She plays with the Oakland and Santa Rosa symphonies and appears with many other fine Bay Area orchestras, including Earplay and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Violinist/violist Karen Shinozaki is Assistant Concertmaster of the Marin Symphony and Principal Second Violin of the Santa Rosa Symphony. She plays with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and has appeared as violin soloist in Ravel's Tzigane with the Santa Rosa Symphony. Karen is a featured musician in the documentary film, “Freeway Philharmonic,” aired on PBS television. Violinist Mark Neyshloss received his training at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music in Russia and with Raphael Bronstein at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He plays with the Napa, Marin and Santa Rosa symphonies and serves as Principal Second Violin with the Mendocino Music Festival. Violist/violinist Dana Phillips studied at the Manhattan School of Music and is a certified Suzuki strings teacher at the Marin Waldorf Afterschool Music Program. She maintains a private teaching studio in San Rafael, CA. Violist Jenny Douglass is Principal Viola of the Marin Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alasdair Neale. She is violist with the Laurel Ensemble and performs with the L.A. Chamber Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble of New York Violist Meg Eldridge is a member of the Santa Rosa and the Marin Symphony and appears each summer as a member of the venerable Carmel Bach Festival. Cellist Robin Bonnell is a member of the Marin Symphony and Principal Cello for the Reno, Nevada Philharmonic. He is a member of the Grammy Award-winning New Century Chamber Orchestra and a featured musician in the documentary film, “Freeway Philharmonic” aired on PBS television. Cellist Amy Brodo studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She served as a member of the Israel Philharmonic and played professionally in Italy. She is also a Baroque specialist on Gamba and has appeared as a soloist with the Marin Symphony. Harpist Laura Simpson received her training at U. C. Santa Barbara, Dalcroze Eurythmics, London, and has done post-graduate studies at London University. She currently is resident harpist at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, CA. She has performed with the Oakland, Santa Rosa and Vallejo Symphonies as well as the Redwood Symphony and the Reno Philharmonic. She teaches currently at the Young School in St. Helena, CA. Keyboard/Organist Mike Struck received his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College in Ohio and his Master of Music degree from Dominican College of San Rafael. He is Music Director at historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, CA. Pianist Phoebe Dong served as orchestra pianist for the New West Chamber Orchestra in Sonoma County. A respected accompanist among Bay Area violinists, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and completed graduate studies in Music Education at USC. Trumpeter and audio engineer Mark Nemoyten has performed with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, the Marin Symphony and the Santa Rosa Symphony under the direction of Jeffrey Kahane. He appears regularly with the Napa Symphony, the Golden Gate Park Band, and in many Bay Area brass ensembles. He has an extensive resume of performing for musical shows and has backed up popular artists such as Dave Brubeck, Mel Torme, Andrea Marcovici, and John Tesh.
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Leader and Violinist Dennie Mehocich, native
of San Rafael, California, established the Marin String Quartet & Ensembles in 1992. Dennie
received her musical training beginning at age 5, first singing in
the choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael under
the direction of noted music educator Barry Mineah, in school choirs,
and studying piano and ballet. At age eight she performed as a member
of the choir of St. Paul’s Church for the Jazz Mass orchestrated
by the late great jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi at Grace Cathedral in
San Francisco and recorded on the Fantasy Studios label. A grade school
instrumental program provided the vehicle for training a real interest
that blossomed into a passion which turned into a career. Her
greatest teacher was Gennady Kleyman, a national prizewinning violinist/violist
from the former Soviet Union, formerly assistant principal violist
with the Kirov Ballet Orchestra, the Leningrad Philharmonic, New York
Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, and who served as Chairman
of the Violin Department at Stanford University for over 15 years.
Other great teachers took the form of serving as violinist for the
San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater (the traveling branch
of the San Francisco Opera) playing with such noted opera stars as
Deborah Voigt, Susan Patterson and Mark Delavan, and a five-year run
of Phantom of the Opera at the Curran Theater in San Francisco. She
has played many shows for the Best of Broadway series in the Golden
Gate, Orpheum and Curran Theaters in San Francisco, as well as backing
up distinguished popular singers Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Jeanne-Pierre
Rampal, Burt Bacharach, and Johnny Mathis. Dennie has a passion for
teaching and started the Albany Middle School String Ensemble in October,
2004. She has coached for the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra, served
as Director of String Education at the Novato Charter School and the
Marin Waldorf School, and is founder/director of the Albany String
Academy. Dennie has been playing for weddings since 1975.
Flutist Jane Lenoir attended the Interlochen
Arts Academy in Michigan at age 15 and graduated from Oberlin College
Conservatory of Music. She participated as soloist, chamber and orchestral
flutist with such organizations as the Arizona Music Festival in Scottsdale,
AZ; Music in the Mountains Festival in Nevada City, CA; the Oakland
and Berkeley Symphonies and the San Francisco Ballet and Opera Orchestras.
Jane is also a talented jazz and Brazilian Choro musician, branching
out to musical idioms from everywhere in the Middle East, as well.
Harpist Dan Levitan is Principal Harpist
with Marin, Silicon Valley and Ballet San Jose orchestras and Acting
Principal Harpist with the California Symphony. He appears regularly
with the San Francisco Opera and has appeared with the San Francisco
Symphony and Ballet orchestras. He is a sought-after solo harpist and
his playing is featured on numerous commercial television, film and
art recordings.
Cellist Dawn Foster-Dodson attended
the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is a member of the music
faculty at St. Mary’s College Moraga. She is principal cellist
for the Best of Broadway series in San Francisco, has played Principal
Cellist with the California Symphony, and has played with the Grammy
Award winning New Century Chamber Orchestra. She appears with the Midsummer
Mozart Festival Orchestra, Silicon Valley Symphony, and records with
the Skywalker Ranch orchestra heard on George Lucas’ films. Dawn
premiered as soloist in the Concerto No. 1: Scenes from the Wildwood,
which was written for her and the Los Angeles African American Chamber
Orchestra by Josephine Saunders Herbison.