Our Musicians
Orchestra Personnel
56th Season 2024-2025
The members of the West Valley Symphony are professional, auditioned musicians from across the valley, many of whom perform with the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Arizona Broadway Theatre, to name just a few.
Many members are also music instructors and maintain private teaching studios in addition to their concert performances. We applaud them!​​​
Musician Roster
First Violin
Luke Hill, Concertmaster
J.E. Donald & Harriet Hastie Chair
(Arizona Community Foundation)
Hisami Iijima Dillard,
Associate Concertmaster
Carter & Kay Marsden Chair
Sarah Miller
Linda Quintero
Patricia Snyder
Mo Farag
Cristina Alasu
Bonnie Teplik
Jamilyn Richardson
Second Violin
Grace Wills, Principal
Patricia Waxman
Claire Gordon
Megyn Neff
Lisa Eisenberg
Allison Parks
Priscilla Benitez
Jamie Wu
Dasom Jeon
Heide Riggs**
Christopher Reed**
Viola
Megan Bender, Acting Principal
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Chair
Craig Triplett
Cynthia DuBrow
Martins Steinblums*
Connor Dooling**
Elizabeth Hanson**
Lelani Rogers**
Emma Mazur**​
Cello
Roland Gjernes*, Principal
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Chair
Mary Frances DiBartolo
Joel Morgan
Colin Lambert
Abraham Kim*
Maria Savarese*
Xue (Chrissie) Chen**
Faith Lopez**
Double Bass
Dan Stotz, Principal
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Chair
Nathan Benitez
Tzu-I Yang
Sila Naz Kuvanci
Tracy Haddad*
Dominic Pedretti*
Flute
Michelle Stolper, Principal
Dr. Anne Levig Chair
Melanie Winans
Lisa Tharp
Piccolo
Lisa Tharp
Oboe
Curtis Sellers, Principal
Dr. & Mrs. E. King Eberhart Chair
(Arizona Community Foundation)
Mary Simon**
​​
English Horn
Clarinet
Brian Dredla, Principal
Muriel Stone Chair
Anthony Masiello
Bass Clarinet
Anthony Masiello
Marylou Baird Chair
Bassoon
Melanie Sanguinetti, Principal
Jan Truelsen Chair
Kristilyn Woods
John Briggs**
Contra Bassoon
Kristilyn Woods
Jan Truelsen Chair
Horn
Rosemarie French++, Principal
Robert A. Gorman Chair
In Memory of Caryl Gorman
Alex Manners+
Isabella Kolasinski**
Kathy Phillips*
Gail Rittenhouse
Trumpet
Joshua Haake, Principal
Sandra J. Staehle Chair
David Thibodeaux
James Benitez, Assistant 1st
Trombone
Sam Cohen, Principal
Sandra J. Staehle Chair
Robert Wittkamp++
Richard Bass
Seth Bartschi**
​
Tuba
Daniel Palma, Principal
Sandra J. Staehle Chair
Timpani
Gene Cervantes, Principal
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Chair
Percussion
George Hattendorf, Principal
Jan Truelsen Chair
Scott Werner
Lonnie Slawson
Harp
Paula Provo, Principal
William Deuel Chair
​
+Acting Principal
* New member
++On Leave
**Season Substitute
Anthony Masiello
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Bonnie Teplik
Librarian
William Masiello
Stage Manager
Jim Kovacs
Assistant Stage Manager
Dave Thibodeaux
Recording Engineer,
9th Symphony Productions