The Festival Orchestra is made up of principal players from major North American orchestras and exceptional musicians from other local, regional and national ensembles. We are fortunate to have this assemblage of talent as our resident Festival orchestra. These talented artists will also present chamber music and perform as soloists with the orchestra during the Festival.
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Richard Roberts, |
Richard Roberts, Concertmaster has served as Principal Concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra since 1982. He studied violin with Josef Gingold at Indiana University, chamber music with Janos Starker and William Primrose, and pursued further studies in Geneva, Switzerland with Henryk Szeryng. Prior to his appointment in Montreal, he was Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra under conductor Lorin Maazel.
Mr. Roberts has also appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia in repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to Contemporary music. He has appeared as soloist with the Montreal Symphony on more than sixty-five occasions. As a teacher, Mr. Roberts has served on the faculties of the University of Minnesota, McGill University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, has given master classes at Indiana University, Oberlin College, the University of California at Los Angeles, and has been a frequent judge for competitions world-wide. He is also an editor for Ovation Press. Mr. Roberts has been concertmaster of the Bellingham Festival of Music since 2004.
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Brice Andrus, |
Brice Andrus, Principal Horn
is Principal Hornist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He joined the ASOin 1966, while still a student at Georgia State University, and moved up to the principal’s chair in 1975. He holds the ASO’s endowed Sandra and John Glover Chair. In 1967 he traveled to the Middle East for a two-month tour with the Georgia State University Brass Ensemble, performing in Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Syria.
Mr. Andrus’ solo appearances with the ASO include works by Britten, Dukas, Knussen, Mozart, and Franz and Richard Strauss. He has performed in music festivals at Amelia Island, Florida, Madison, Ga, Highlands-Cashiers, North Carolina, and Bellingham, Washington. Mr. Andrus has toured with the Summit Brass and was a featured performer at the International Horn Society Workshops in 1993 and 1999. He studied horn with Forrest Standley and Dale Clevenger.
Mr. Andrus is married to Susan Welty, the ASO’s Associate Principal Horn and second horn of the Bellingham Festival Orchestra.
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Laura Ardan, |
Laura Ardan, Principal Clarinet
is Principal Clarinet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a position she hasheld since 1982, and has performed with the Atlanta Chamber Playerssince 1987. A student of Roger Hiller and Stanley Drucker, she attended theJuilliard School of Music on scholarships from the Juilliard School and theNaumburg Foundation. Prior to coming to Atlanta, she spent four years asresident clarinetist and teaching artist for the Lincoln Center Institute and twoyears with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Ms. Ardan has performed in the Tanglewood, Marlboro and Mostly MozartFestivals and has appeared as guest artist with “Emanuel Ax Invites...” onthe Great Performers Series in New York’s Lincoln Center. The past severalsummers she has been a featured performer at the Grand Teton MusicFestival, as well as chamber music festivals in Highlands-Cashiers, NC andAmelia Island, Florida.
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Charles Bulter, |
Charles Butler, Principal Trumpet
returns to the Bellingham Festival of Music for his 8th season. He isdistinguished by his former associations with the Israel Philharmonic, SeattleSymphony, Seattle Opera, Malaysian Philharmonic, Orquesta de Tenerife,Orquesta de Galicia, Houston Symphony, Louisiana Symphony Orchestra,and many high level performing organizations across the US and abroad.Charles is currently principal trumpet with the Oregon Ballet Theater ofPortland, Oregon. Charles has worked with many leading conductors and is aprolific recording artist. He was featured on the “Bernstein Retrospectiveo”a project with Deutsche Grammophon conducted by Leonard Bernstein inthe early ‘80s, which re-recorded all of his major Symphonies and Broadwayworks with the Israel Philharmonic. Charles has recorded over 100 recordingswith the Seattle Symphony and is featured on countless motion picture,video games and TV sound tracks. Charles resides in Seattle .
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Victor Costanzi, |
Victor Costanzi, Principal Second Violin
is one of North America’s more versatile violinists, with a résumé spanningmany genres (symphony, chamber music, opera, ballet, musical theatre, popand film) and eras, from early music with John Eliot Gardener to new musicwith Steve Reich. After his solo debut at sixteen with the St. Paul ChamberOrchestra he was invited to attend the Eastman School on full scholarship.Since then he has toured Latin America, the U.S. and Canada, to glowingpress notices (inspired playing brought the house down”- Toronto Globe andMail; “the highlight of the concert”- Montreal Gazette). He is co-founderand Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Vetta Chamber Series. He hasrecorded for CBC, Vox, Skylarc, Centre Disc and Miracle record labels. InMarch, 2005, Mr. Costanzi relocated from Vancouver BC to New York, wherehe is active as a Broadway concertmaster.
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Dylan Palmer, Principal Second Violin |
Dylan Palmer, Principal Contrabass
is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and joined the VancouverSymphony as Principal Double Bass in January, 2010. Prior to joining the VSO,Dylan was a member of the New World Symphony, in Miami Beach, Florida.
Mr. Palmer has participated in the Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC,Domaine Forget, and Sarasota music festivals. He also attended TanglewoodMusic Center in 2005 and 2008, where he performed with the BostonSymphony Orchestra as a fellow.
Mr. Palmer received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University ofNorth Texas, where he studied with pedagogue Jeff Bradetich.
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Joseph Robinson, |
Joseph Robinson, Principal Oboe
served as Principal Oboe of the New York Philharmonic for 28 years fromJune, 1978 until September, 2006, succeeding the illustrious HaroldGomberg. He was also the last oboist in America to study with the legendaryMarcel Tabuteau. Like both of them, Mr Robinson became one of the mostdistinguished orchestral musicians of his era. In 1989 he proposed, planned,and arranged funding for the first residency in the history of the New YorkPhilharmonic, at the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.In May 2005 at Riverside Church in New York City Mr. Robinson received thehighest award bestowed by the Manhattan School of Music, the PresidentialMedal, for 27 years of meritorious faculty service.
Today Mr. Robinson resides in Blaine with his wife, violinist Mary KayRobinson. They are parents of three remarkable daughters — executiveKatie, Doctor Jody and diva Becky.
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Christina Smith, |
Christina Smith, Principal Flute
is a native of Sonoma County, California. She began flute studies at ageseven, and has appeared as soloist with many orchestras in NorthernCalifornia, including the San Francisco Symphony at the age of 15. Shegraduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, winning the Academy’s highesthonor, the Young Artist Medal. In the same year, she became an awardeein the NFAA’s National Arts Recognition and Talent Search. She enteredthe Curtis Institute of Music in 1989 to study with Julius Baker and JeffreyKhaner. She also studied with Timothy Day and Keith Underwood.
Appointed principal flutist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the age of20, Ms. Smith has appeared as soloist with them for their performancesof works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Bizet, Rodrigo, Nielsen, John Corigliano,Christopher Rouse, and Kaija Saariaho. Summer appearances include theBlossom, Tanglewood, Sunflower, Highlands, Bellingham, and MarlboroMusic festivals. Currently on the faculty at Kennesaw State University, sheregularly appears in recitals, chamber music, and master classes throughoutthe US.
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Steven Thomas, |
Steven Thomas, Principal Cello
is principal cellist of the New Haven Symphony, Orchestra New Englandand several choral groups including the Pro Arte Singers. He holds degreesfrom Cambridge and Yale Universities earning a doctorate from the latter. Hehas won several top prizes including the Bach and Villa-Lobos InternationalCompetitions in Washington and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. He has touredextensively in Europe, North and South America as soloist, teacher and withthe Cantilena Piano Quartet. He has recorded for the MVL, Point, Delos,Koch International and MMO labels. Mr. Thomas was recently appointed tothe faculty of the University of Florida School of Music in Gainesville.
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Rob Tucker, |
Rob Tucker, Principal Timpani
is a Washington native who performs regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestras, as well as in most of Seattle’s major recording studios, having played for countless motion picture soundtracks, video games, and commercials. As a chamber musician he has performed with the Seattle Chamber Players, and is a founding member of the Pacific Rims Percussion Quartet, and Quake, a new music septet. Rob attended the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Southern California.
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James Van Valkenburg, |
James Van Valkenburg, Principal Viola
is the Assistant Principal Viola of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and came to orchestral playing after a satisfying career in chamber music. As a founding member of the International String Quartet, he toured the world with concerts in Europe, the Far East, South America, and the United States. The quartet won several notable prizes, including the Munich Competition, East & West Artists of New York, and first prize in the Premier Grand Prix at the International Chamber Music Competition in Evian, France.
A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Indiana University School of Music, VanValkenburg has enjoyed chamber music collaborations with many of his favorite musicians: Menahem Pressler, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, David Shifrin, and Isaac Stern. He became a member of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings in 2004. His recent recordings, all on the Koch International label, include a violin-viola duet by William Bolcom, piano quartets by Franz Waxman and the Stravinsky septet.
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Robert Williams, |
Robert Williams, Principal Bassoon
joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as Principal Bassoonist in September 1974. He was formerly solo bassoonist with the Winnipeg Symphony, Winnipeg CBC Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic and Tucson Symphony. He has played summer engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra and Boston Symphony at Tanglewood. He also plays in the Cut Time Players, the Neo-Bubonic Bassoon Quartet, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Bassoon Quartet, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quartet, and the Grand Teton Music Festival. He has appeared as soloist with the DSO on numerous occasions, playing Concertos by Hummel, Mozart, Weber, Vivaldi, Rota, Strauss, Hindemith, Haydn, and Fucik. He can be heard on all of the DSO/ Dorati recordings on the London label including the award winning disk of the “Rite of Spring” made in the spring of 1981 and on the recent DSO/Jarvi recordings on the Chandos label. Williams is on the faculty of Wayne State University and has been on the music faculties of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.