The LLS Orchestra

James Alvarez / Principal Trumpet

A Southern California native, James enjoys both writing and playing music. With trumpet as his main instrument, James is involved with many ensembles throughout the area including the Golden State British Brass Band, and the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras. James holds a master’s degree in Classical Trumpet Performance from USC’s Thornton School of Music, and he is currently the Choral Director at Patriot High School. “The LLS Symphony Orchestra lets me relax from the troubles of life and enjoy making music.” When not playing music, he enjoys shooting arrows at the archery range.

Timothy Aoki / Concertmaster

After having explored various areas of law during his time at Loyola Law School, Timothy earned his Juris Doctor in May 2016 and went on to become a music copyright attorney in the Hollywood film and television industry. He started taking violin lessons at the young age of 5 and, since then, he has performed in many orchestras in Southern California including UCLA Philharmonia and the YMF Debut Orchestra. During his free time he enjoys attending LA Opera and LA Philharmonic performances.

George Bird / Timpani

George Bird, played trumpet in grade school, drums in high school Marching Band, switched to baritone while serving in the Navy in the San Diego Drum and Bugle Corp, and played timpani as a charter member of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro Gary Greene. A 1985 LLS alumni, George practiced criminal law as a Certified Criminal Law Specialist until his appointment to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2015. He is assigned to the Civil division at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Kierra Blackstad / Principal Oboe

Kierra Blackstad is originally from Minnesota, where she has enjoyed learning and performing music her whole life.  She studied music education at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where she played oboe and English horn in orchestra, band, and many chamber ensembles.  While there, Kierra toured nationally and internationally with the Luther College Concert Band and the Symphony Orchestra.  Kierra now works at a church in San Pedro where she loves encouraging kids, families, and young adults. She also enjoys teaching private lessons. When she isn't working, Kierra enjoys hiking, attending musicals, traveling, and rock climbing. 

John Bulda / Clarinet

John is a music professional who has received his music performance degree from CSU, Sacramento, studied a year abroad at a music conservatory in Germany and holds a Masters of Science degree in music industry at USC. His music business ties into: sync licensing, music supervision, program coordinating for Thornton School of Music Department of Contemporary Music (Screen Scoring, Music Technology and Music Industry programs), artist management, and tour management. In addition he has held several leadership roles at: The Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney Cruise Lines, and Netflix Animation.

Christine Cheung / Trombone

Christine is a trombone player born and raised in LA. While spending nights and weekends on music, during the day she works in the tech industry. She comes from a diverse playing background while juggling her career — from college marching band to pop rock indie bands, from touring ska bands in California to a big band in Wyoming, she is now home to playing classical music in the heart of Los Angeles with other like minded musicians.

Justin Cole / Principal Percussion

Justin had his first private lesson on drumset at the age of 5, and has since continued to study concert percussion, jazz drumset, and marching percussion throughout his time in school.  He currently holds a Bachelor of Music degree from UCLA, and spends his professional time performing and teaching music in southern California.

Enrique Fernandez / Associate Principal Trumpet

Enrique began playing trumpet at the age of 13 and ever since then, he fell in love with the trumpet and music. He has experience in multiple styles of music and hopes to share his love of music with everyone!

Ben Iredell / Horn

Ben Iredell is a Pharmacy Manager at Cedars-Sinai. After playing the horn in high school and college marching band, he was eager to pick it up again. He was recruited to the Loyola Law School orchestra through his partner, Oscar Sanchez, in the Admissions office!

Bradford Jackson / Principal Cello

Bradford began taking cello lessons at the age of 5, shortly after watching a performance by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Sesame Street and asking his parents to find him a cello teacher. He has played continuously since then; besides playing for live gigs, he regularly ranked highly in southern California music competitions while growing up, including first place wins in the elementary, middle, and high school divisions of the San Bernardino County Music Educators Association Solofest. As a teenager, he performed extensively with the Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra and the Loma Linda Academy Consort, including two European concert tours.
He continued honing his passion for music throughout his academic studies in chemical nanoscience (University of Southern California) and intellectual property (Loyola Law School). While studying at USC, Bradford sat first chair cello in the USC Concert Orchestra. Now, following several years of laboratory chemical synthesis and patent application drafting, he’s returned to his musical roots, as a performer and arranger. In his spare time, Bradford can be found working through his reading backlog.

Shihan Jin / Timpani

Shihan Jin is a third-year PhD student studying health economics at USC. Shihan started learning piano at age 5 and continuously taking lessons through age 24. He started orchestral percussion in high school and conducting in undergraduate. He is now studying orchestral conducting with Maestro Larry Livingston at USC. Shihan now serve as the music director and principal conductor of the Student Symphony Orchestra of USC for 2022-2023 season.

Gina Longo / Cello

Gina began piano lessons at the age of 5 and played throughout her childhood and teen years. Although she took time off from her formal piano training after high school, she has always been involved in musical pursuits. She fell in love with the cello and was inspired to learn after watching a recording of cellist Jacqueline du Pré. She also has experience playing classical guitar, violin, and played keyboards in a band while an undergrad at the University of Florida. Prior to law school, Gina worked as a professional graphic designer. She is a graduate of LLS Class of 2017 and is a Deputy Public Defender with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. It has been a dream of hers to play in an orchestra, and she is very excited to be a part of the LLS Orchestra.

Jason Lopez / Clarinet

Jason Lopez is a clarinetist from Long Beach, CA. He received his Master of Music in Instrumental Performance while Studying with Burt Hara at California State University, Fullerton in. He also studied with Dr. Michael Grego, Dr. David Lopez and Paul Bambach. Currently, Jason is serving as the Communication and Operations Director for Designated Exceptional Services for Independence (DESI), a nonprofit based out of East LA that provides direct care services for individuals with disabilities.

Jordan Mao / Violin 1

Jordan is from New Jersey and graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Environmental Science. She has been playing the violin for 18 years and picked up the piano and singing along the way. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, camping, climbing, and reading. Her favorite composers are Strauss, Chopin, and Grieg. She works in Los Angeles for the Climate Action Reserve, an offset registry for global carbon markets.

Aida Marasli / Violin 1

Aida Marasli is a 2L at Loyola, with a concentration in Entertainment/Media Law Advocacy. She has always been involved in music and performance, and received a B.S. in Music Industry at USC. In the past, she worked with various performing arts organizations including the New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks and MUSE/IQUE in Pasadena, and continues to support local arts organizations in Los Angeles. She has always been passionate about bringing music and the arts to the local communities, and she’s thrilled to continue that at Loyola Law School. Currently, she’s hoping to pursue a career in music law.

Wietske Merison / Violin

Wietske is a doctoral candidate at UCLA law specializing in Islamic Law, Environmental Law and Human Rights Law. Music has always been a big part of her life. She comes from a family of musicians and started playing the violin when she was 5 years old. She is also a singer, guitarist and composer. 

Libby Morehouse / Flute

Libby is an LLS alumna currently working at a law firm in LA. She started playing flute at age 10. From a young age, she took private lessons, attended workshops and regional music festivals, and offered recitals. A classically trained flutist, Libby also has experience at the collegiate level playing jazz flute. After a few years of being without an ensemble, she is excited to be playing as a part of a group again within the LLS Orchestra.

Dorian Mynatt / Violin

Dorian graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelors in Performing and Visual Arts. With a passion for screenwriting, Dorian currently works as a production manager at a film studio in Los Angles. 

Edward Parson / Cello

Parson played cello professionally in Canada 30-odd years ago, and am now looking for playing opportunities in LA at a high-amateur/borderline-professional skill level. He spent 1975 – 1978 and 1981 – 1986 working to get to professional-level skills on the cello from a weak and late start, got there, then gave up my professional ambitions in 1986 when I came to the US to do a PhD.  As I’ve pursued my academic career since then, I have continued to play as opportunities have presented themselves, usually in infrequent intense episodes. I’m now looking to play more regularly, whether in orchestral or chamber-music settings. 

Dan Persoff / French Horn

Dan Persoff is a graduate of Loyola Law School (Class of 1982). While at Loyola Law School, Dan was a student of Prof. Christopher May, in both Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law. Dan has been a civil practitioner in Los Angeles since 1983, now specializing in trusts and estates litigation. Dan has three children. His son, Joseph S. Persoff, an attorney in Los Angeles, is a former student of Prof. Simona Grossi in Civil Procedure. Dan’s pro bono activities include volunteering twice a month at the LA County Bar Association Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, and teaching twice a year for the PBBR no cost bar review course, covering the subject of Constitutional Law in two lectures. In this position, Dan replaced well known Constitutional Law scholar Erwin Chemerinski when Prof. Chemerinski assumed deanship of the UC Berkeley School of Law. In order to brush up on his Constitutional Law, Dan studied the book Examples and Explanations in Constitutional Law by Loyola Law School professors Christopher May, Alan Ides, and Simona Grossi.

Dan played Second Horn with the Reseda High School Orchestra (Reseda, California), 1972-1974. In recent years, with some occasional playing, Dan’s French Horn has been mostly gathering dust. Dan is hoping that through participation in the Loyola Law School Orchestra, he will be provided musical “Examples and Explanations” by Professor Grossi which will allow him to brush up his horn playing to reach the performance level.

Julia Ramos / Associate Principal French Horn

Julia Ramos is a classical French Hornist in Long Beach, California. Her influences come from her horn instructors Jenny Kim, Gabby Cross, and Brian Shetland who are all studio musicians. Julia has studied at Long Beach City College and is currently studying at Cal State University of Los Angeles.

During her career, Julia has performed in a wide variety of locations including Carnegie Hall in high school, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music for honor band, Music Association of Community College, the Long Beach Symphony, and Live @ 5 with the City of Long Beach.

Julia performs classical horn band pieces, solo pieces, and orchestra excerpts. Her goal is to play alongside her horn instructors and be a studio musician.

Elisabetta Russo / Soprano

Elisabetta masterfully combines her passion and enchanting Belcanto while warmly embracing audiences all over the world with her elegant grand-gala style arias.

She is widely acclaimed for her leading roles in both Opera (Don Pasquale by Donizetti, Così Fan Tutte by Mozart, Rigoletto, and Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi) and Musical Theatre (The Phantom of the Opera by Webber and Carousel by Hammerstein II). She is also praised for her collaboration with film composers and Oscar winners such as Ennio Morricone and Nicola Piovani, and world renowned artists such as Andrea Bocelli, David Foster and Carlo Ponti.

Best Female Vocal at the Hollywood Music Awards, Elisabetta moves to Los Angeles from Italy in 2013 following her extraordinary success at a special concert held at Paramount Studios with Andrea Bocelli and David Foster.

She performs in Europe and North America receiving numerous accolades while proudly celebrating both her Italian heritage and international artistic background. Her most successful and recent appearances include the New York Fashion Week, the Los Angeles Staples Center as guest singer of the National Anthem for the LA Clippers, and recitals at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and the Chicago Cultural Center.

She also counts herself blessed and is honored to be part of wonderful events for nonprofit, and charity organizations such as Caterina’s Club, California Hospital Medical Center Foundation, Desert Arc, Saint Pio Foundation, UKRO Foundation, Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, Eastwood Ranch Foundation, and LA Virtuosi Orchestra.

Ourhay Shamoon / Flute

Ourhay Shamoon graduated with a degree in biology (CLU ‘08) before launching into a 12-year career in the Cancer Diagnostics industry. This work allowed her to collaborate with pathologists around the world, publish scientific literature, and visit cancer centers in  more than 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica.  Now back in school for a new challenge, Ourhay is teaching Pilates in her free time and playing flute again. Since the age of 10,  Ourhay participated in every orchestra and wind ensemble she possibly could, attending summer music camps, honor bands, and the like. She was principal flutist of the Sacramento Premier Youth Symphony Orchestra and her high school and college ensembles.  The LLS orchestra is an exciting opportunity to play with other musicians again.

Yoo Hee Shin / Piano

Yoo Hee Shin has been playing the piano since the age of six and has both bachelor's and master’s degrees in music from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Piano is not just a musical instrument to her; instead, it has been her passion, mouthpiece, and an extension of her mind, body, and soul. Now, as a JD degree candidate at LMU Loyola Law School, Yoo Hee also plans to play the symphony of law, with the goal of providing harmonious resolutions to those who are out-of-tune and in discord with the law. 

Joshua Su / Piano

Joshua Su is a “semi-retired” concert pianist, having formerly majored in Piano Performance at the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing a J.D. degree at Loyola Law School. As a musician, Joshua began playing the piano at the age of 4 and holds both an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music diploma as well as a Licenciate of the London College of Music diploma. In 2015, Joshua was awarded the National Gold Medal of Achievement for attaining the highest exam score in Canada. Since then, he has performed internationally and played in various masterclasses with renowned musicians including Jerome Lowenthal, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Richard Goode. His favourite party piece is “Room with a View” by Yiruma.

Isabella Villalta / Saxophone

Isabella Villalta is a 2L at LLS. She began playing saxophone in middle school and continued throughout her middle and high school career. There she competed in various state competitions, her school’s marching band, and jazz band. She played Alto Saxophone in concert and marching band. For jazz band and quartets, she played Bari Saxophone. After taking a two-year break from performing, Isabella is very excited to be joining the LLS orchestra.

Emily Wood / Clarinet

Emily graduated from Cornell University in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering. She moved to LA in order to work on projects related to water reuse for the purpose of creating resilient drinking water sources in the face of drought and climate change. She began playing the clarinet at the age of 9 in various wind ensembles, marching bands, chamber groups, and orchestras. In 2017 she had the privilege of touring Italy with the Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Simeone Tartaglione. She is grateful for the opportunity to play with an orchestra again at LLS.

Matthew Mounteer / Violin

Matthew started learning violin at the age of 4 from his dad and began taking lessons a few years after. His musical journey eventually brought him to chamber music in middle school and high school where he played with Central Coast Section (CCS) 7 years in a row. Aside from classical music, Matthew really enjoys playing with groups and using his loop pedal to create his own layered tracks. When he isn't practicing his vibrato, he is a full time 3D technical artist. Relatively new to LA, he can also be spotted on his bike around town or on PCH as he tries to get familiar with the lay of the land.

Yushen Sun / Viola

Yushen Sun is a first-year biochemistry student at UCLA. He started playing the viola at the age of 13, and has been involved in music ever since. He was in CASMEC All-State Symphony Orchestra and was principal violist at the award-winning Diamond Bar High School Symphony Orchestra. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Minecraft and making desserts.

Duffey Westlake / Associate Principal Percussions

Duffey is a multi instrumentalist born and raised in Southwest Florida. After attending the Interlochen Arts Academy and graduating from the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance, he moved to Los Angeles, where he has been playing in local alternative rock bands for the last 15+ years. After being away from the classical music scene, Duffey is excited to be a part of the LLS Orchestra!

Yonca Özkan Bilenoğlu / Harp

Yonca Özkan Bilenoğlu was born in Istanbul. She started her studies at the age of 14, at Istanbul University State Conservatory with Assoc. Prof. Ümit Tunak. She received her Bachelor degree in 1993 and her Master degree in 1997. In July 1990, she became the first harpist representing Turkey in the World Harp Congress held in Paris. She won the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra competition in France in 1991 and gave concerts in Italy, Egypt, Israel and France with the orchestra conducted by Michel Tabachnik. In 1993 she performed W.A. Mozart's Flute & Harp Concerto, accompanied by the Hannover Youth Symphony Orchestra. In the 23rd Istanbul Music Festival she gave a recital in the Young Soloists Series. In 1996-97 she was the first harpist at the CRR Symphony Orchestra in İstanbul. She gave recitals at the 7th World Harp Congress in Prague and at the European Harp Symposium in Peruggia Italy. She worked with Elizabeth Fontan Binoche in France. She gave a concert at the Budapest Music Festival accompanied by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2021 and 2022 she became an international jury at the Music and Stars Awards and awarded as the Best Harp Teacher for the last two consecutive years. Yonca Özkan Bilenoğlu is currently performing chamber music and solo concerts and continues to serve as a harp teacher at Istanbul University State Conservatory.

Caitlin Pelina / Piano

Caitlin started her passion in music at the age of 6 starting with piano. Then throughout grade school and high school, she picked up the clarinet and tenor saxophone, joining her high school's marching band, jazz band, and wind ensemble, and joining a few honor groups such as SBCMEA Basin HS Band, SCSBOA Symphonic Band, and U.S. Army All-American Marching Band for tenor saxophone while still continuing classical piano. Caitlin then attended Brigham Young University - Idaho, and during her time there she has accompanied many vocalists and instrumentalists for performances/juries, went through the piano pedagogy program, was part of University Band and Percussion Ensemble, and was Vice President of the BYU-I's MTNA collegiate chapter. She then graduated in Fall 2021 with a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Piano and is currently teaching piano in her home studio.

Edwin Rogel / Trumpet

A Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist. Edwin Rogel has performed with many community ensembles. LAUSD All-City Marching Band as a Percussionist, Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles as a Tuba Player, Peninsula Symphonic Winds on French Horn, TOR Honor Band and LAVC Wind Ensemble on Trumpet and many other groups.
Edwin Rogel is currently playing and performing with a brass quintet, Zephyr Brass, along with other members of the orchestra; Enrique Fernandez and Antonio Lopez.

Richard Salgado / Bass Clarinet

Richard Salgado is a graduated from California State University of Long Beach with a Bachelors Degree in clarinet performance. He has performed with BCCM Clarinet Choir, BCCM  Wind Symphony, BCCM Symphony Orchestra, and Santa Clarita Philharmonic. He is a member of the clarinet octet Xonobe’e Clarinet Octet based in Los Angeles where he plays alto clarinet and bass clarinet for the group. Richard is also the bass clarinetist for 7Reeds, a premiere reed quintet at Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. When not making music, Richard enjoys reading, going on adventures and hikes.

Ernesto Cruz / Bass Clarinet

Ernesto Cruz, is a native Angelino who graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) with a Bachelor in Music in Clarinet Performance and earned his Master in Fine Arts degree in Clarinet Performance from the California Institute of the Arts. His mentors include Dr. Julia Heinen, William Powell, Vinny Golia, Allen Vogel, and Mark Menzies.

He is an active freelance musician and private instructor teaching in the southern California area. He has taught in the Hart School District and currently has a private studio. Ernesto is currently the Principal Clarinet for Symphony of the Vines. In addition, he has performed with the Landmark Opera, Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, LLS Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Ernesto serves as Director of Latin American Music Regional Ensemble at CSU- Dominguez Hills. The ensemble is currently focusing on Musica de Oaxaca. In addition, Ernesto is a clinician for community bands, to help preserve and learn the traditional music of Oaxaca. In addition, Ernesto is the co-founder of Xonobe'e, a clarinet ensemble that performs work by Mexican-American, Oaxaqueños, and Latin-American composers. Ernesto is also a member of VENTVM QVINTET, a woodwind quintet based in the Los Angeles area.

Mingye Wang / Principal Viola

Mingye Wang is an undergraduate student at UCLA, currently pursuing a degree in applied mathematics and statistics. He has studied violin for 14 years and viola for 7 years. He is currently involved with UCLA Symphony and Philharmonia, and has collaborated with colleagues in the UCLA Music Composition Department to perform their pieces, including premiering a piece by Grammy award winner Arturo O’Farell. Mingye is also a board member of Bruin Chamber Musicians, a club at UCLA dedicated to providing opportunities for non-music major students to perform and learn about chamber music, and has performed works by Mendelssohn, Ravel, Shostakovich, and other composers. If not practicing in his spare time, he enjoys composing and cooking.

Esteban Jimenez / Principal Horn

Esteban Jimenez is a graduate of CSULB's Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, with a Bachelors in Music Performance, where he studied with Jim Atkinson. Before attending Long Beach State he began his studies at Pasadena City College, where he studied with Dr. Susan Helfter. Esteban began playing the horn in high school where he had the opportunity to march in the Rose Parade with the LAUSD All-City Marching Band. 

Summer Wilson / Flute and Piccolo

Summer Wilson is a graduate of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach. She holds a bachelor's degree in Music Performance with an emphasis on Flute. She also minored in Native American Cultures. She is an active freelance musician and plays with various groups and gives local solo performances. Throughout her musical career, Summer has played various woodwind and low brass instruments with jazz, pop, wind ensembles, and orchestral groups.
When she is not performing, Summer holds a job as a private music instructor as well as a Patient Advocate for those who need help having their voices heard in medical settings.
In her daily life, Summer works to re-establish a connection to her Gabrieleño-Tongva identity through language and music.

Kyra Harris / Principal Bassoon

Kyra Harris is a Bassoonist from the Los Angeles area. She has earned 2 degrees in bassoon performance, an associate degree from Long Beach City College and a bachelor's from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach.  She has 17 years of experience in music, 12 years on percussion, 8 years on clarinet/bass clarinet, 1 year on tenor sax, 1 year on classical and jazz voice, 13 years on bassoon, 3 years on contrabassoon. She has been playing music since she was 9 years old and has performed in a number of different venues and ensembles including, chamber ensembles (both wind and reed quintets) , wind band ensembles, symphony and chamber orchestra, percussion ensembles, and jazz and classical choirs. She looks forward to her long career in music, whether it be performing or pursuing different music related fields.

Carlos A. Herrera / Bassoon

Carlos A. Herrera received his Bachelor's of Music in Instrumental Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University- Long Beach and is an active freelance woodwind performer and private instructor in the Los Angeles area. Apart from having a private studio, Carlos is also a woodwind teaching artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) program at the Heart of Los Angeles institution. Carlos is the founder and artistic director of the Xonobe'e Clarinet Ensemble and an active member of the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir. When he is not performing or teaching, Carlos spends his time running his own clarinet repair business or arranging and writing music for his clarinet ensemble.

Evelyn Guzman / Saxophone and Percussion

Evelyn Guzman, saxophone, is pursuing a major in Music Education with a minor in General Anthropology at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). In addition to alto saxophone, she is passionate about playing the baritone saxophone, her secondary instrument. She is currently studying classical saxophone under Dr. Chika Inoue. Previously, Evelyn was Drum Major for the El Monte High School Marching Band. During her senior year of high school, she entered a scholarship pageant where she was crowned Miss Friendly El Monte/South El Monte 2019. She became a public speaker and advocate that helped raise awareness about the importance of education and culture. From the time she was a freshman, Evelyn has become a founder of a new saxophone quartet named the Calligraphy Saxophone Quartet. Recently, she won a scholarship for the Joseph M. Fannell Creative and Performing Arts Monetary Grant which allowed her the opportunity to attend the CSU Summer Arts program for the Art of Classical Saxophone. Evelyn is a current member of the CSUDH Pep Band. In addition to performing at different venues, Evelyn coordinated events, ran rehearsals, ran the social media platforms, and recruited new members. She also takes advantage of every concert hosted on campus by Mu Phi Epsilon, a music fraternity. Being a member of the fraternity, she was inspired to continue helping her community. She is the current president of the Gamma Sigma Collegiate Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, and she further aspires to continue serving her community. She strives to continue to build experiences that would benefit her career as a future educator. 

Lydia Noh / Percussion

Lydia received her bachelors in biological sciences and PharmD from the University of Southern California and currently works as a pharmacy manager. She started playing the marimba at the age of 12 and continued through college. She is excited to join the orchestra and play percussion again.

Viraj Sonawala / Percussion

Viraj Sonawala is a current third-year undergraduate at UCLA pursuing a double major in Percussion Performance and Music Education. He began percussion at the age of 10 through his elementary school music classes and developed the love for classical music since then. Growing up, Viraj was the section member and co-principal percussionist of the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) from 2016-2021, having traveled with the group in July 2017 to Vienna, Austria to participate in the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival. Viraj is one of the founding members of the PSYWE Percussion Ensemble and has also participated in the California All-Southern and All-State Honor Bands and Orchestra. Viraj is currently involved in the UCLA Philharmonia, Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Music of India Ensemble, Bruin Chamber Musicians, and Flux Contemporary. He is an alumni of Diamond Bar High School and was principal percussionist of the Concert Orchestra, member of the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and the Thundering Herd Marching Band. Viraj is very passionate about percussion and wishes to influence students to continue playing music

Nikki Lee / Violin 2

Nikki is currently a sophomore nursing student. Along with her passion with the medical field, she also has a love of music. She has been playing violin for the majority of her life and has been an concert violinist since the 6th grade. Being part of youth orchestras including her CYMO and SCSBOA, she enjoyed every moment as a orchestral player. This year, she joined the LLS orchestra in hopes to keep music a part of her life.

Lauren Sinclair / Violin

Lauren Sinclair is a native Angeleno who started playing violin at age 7 in LAUSD’s orchestra program. Since then, she has greatly enjoyed playing with university orchestras including the New School Community Orchestra (NY), Howard University and American University Symphony Orchestras (DC), and NYU Shanghai Orchestra (Shanghai, China). While living in Shanghai, Lauren was honored to substitute with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Lauren fits practice time around parenting a toddler and working as an Assistant Dean in Loyola Marymount University’s Bellarmine College of the Liberal Arts.

Jeff Habell / Bass

Jeff Habell is a bassist and teacher in the Inland Empire. He performs regularly as a bassist enlisted with the 562nd Air Force Band in the LA area, with experience in diverse genres as classical, jazz, latin, blues and more.

Igor Kogan / Bass

Igor Kogan is a music artist, bassist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He has performed at prestigious venues and festivals in U.S., Canada and Europe, including Jazz at Lincoln Center and Steinway Hall (New York), Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Toronto Music Festival (Canada), Red Sea Jazz Festival (Israel); and appeared at renowned music clubs Herb Alpert’s Vibrato, Blue Whale, Vitellos, The Lighthouse (Los Angeles); Smalls, Zinc, Fat Cat (New York) among other venues. He performs regularly with various orchestras and bands, and leads his own Jazz Quintet and 17 piece Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, composing and performing original music. Being inspired from both jazz and classical traditions, he combines these two musical worlds in his work.

Brian J. Cheng / Principal Violin 2

Brian has been playing the violin and piano since he was young, and has significant experience playing in youth orchestras and competing in many music competitions at the local, regional, national, and international levels for both instruments. Many of his orchestral compositions have also been premiered in concert, with him as conductor. Having obtained B.S. degrees in the Human Biology and Society Major/Science Education Minor from UCLA, he continues to enjoy making music with others through the UCLA Symphony and a variety of chamber music groups, in addition to the LLS Orchestra. Brian hopes to become a physician in the future, and looks forward to sharing his love for music with his future patients. When not in the practice room or composing music, Brian enjoys building model kits and exploring new restaurants together with friends.

Rafael Ramos / Principal Bass

Rafael Ramos III is a classically trained pianist and bassist, spending his childhood performing with various state and regional honor youth orchestras and has studied with bassist Jack Cousin, the longest serving member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After spending his adult life building a career as an aerospace engineer he has decided to re-engage with his passion for music as a bassist and amateur composer.

James Hohlfeld / Contrabassoon

Jim began playing saxophone in 5th grade. From the beginning, he wanted to be a woodwind doubler, inspired by the big band saxophonists of the 1950s. Along the way he picked up flute and bassoon, and even the recorder in the early days of the renewed interest in Early Music. Jim continued playing in various bands, orchestras, Renaissance ensembles and big bands right through his undergraduate days at UC Riverside, where he earned a BA in Classical Languages and Literature. During grad school, and with the demands of building a career and raising a large family, music had to take a back seat. But the love of rehearsing and performing all sorts of music never waned. Jim took the opportunities that came his way, including performing with the Iowa State University Musica Antiqua for a number of years. Retiring in 2005, after a career in finance and IT, Jim at last had time to get back to music. For seven years in Arizona, he played bassoon, bass viol, flute and clarinet in a variety of groups, including Arizona Winds Arizona Premier Concert Band. Since returning to Southern California, Jim has played with a variety of community orchestras, bands, and small ensembles. Many opportunities from the desert to the sea have come his way since acquiring the contrabassoon on which he will be performing with the Loyola Law School Orchestra.

James Rippetoe / Bass

James Rippetoe is a full-time Instructor for Loma Linda University where he has taught since 2011, and an adjunct professor at San Bernardino Valley College since 2003. He is an alum of the University of Redlands where he studied history and music. Classically trained, James studied with Sheldon Schlesinger of the Fresno Philharmonic and the late Fred Tinsley of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He regularly performs with the Redlands Community Orchestra, the Temecula Valley Symphony, and the Southland Symphony Orchestra. He is also the adjudicator for double bassists auditioning for the San Bernardino County Middle and High School Honor Orchestras. 

Alberto Rosito / French Horn

French Horn player Alberto Rosito was born in Los Angeles, California. He was first
introduced to music during his high school orientation when the school’s mariachi ensemble gave a moving rendition of “Amor Eterno” followed by an equally stellar rendition of “Salvation is Created” by the school’s brass quintet that featured the French horn. Though French horn is his primary classical instrument, Alberto also doubles on Trumpet in genres such as Jazz and Mariachi.
Alberto obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where he studied French Horn under Audrey Lamprey and Lisa Cherry. During his undergraduate career, he was Principal horn of the UCR Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Ruth Charloff. Alberto was also a member of the UCR Concert Band under the direction of the late Dr. Samuel Andress. He was also a member of the UCR Jazz ensemble under the direction of Professor Josh Welchez as well as the UCR Mariachi Los Alteños under the direction of the late Laura Sobrino and current director Cynthia Flores.
Alberto is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in French horn performance at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) where he has studied with Nathan Campbell and Jenny Kim. He has been Principal horn in the Olympia Youth Orchestra and a member of the CSULA Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he is a member of the CSULA Wind Ensemble and the CSULA Trombone Choir. He plans to obtain his music education credentials in hopes of introducing others to the wonders of musical performance.

Nathan Swift / Principal Tuba

Nathan Swift is from Fairfield, California. He received my undergraduate degree at Grand Canyon University under Kevin Bock and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Music Performance under Gabe Sears. He is the Principal Tubist of the Long Beach State Wind Symphony and Long Beach State Orchestra and performs often with The Master's Symphony Orchestra. He’s currently touring with Bad Cactus Band in Phoenix, Arizona. In his free time, he loves to spectate college sports and explore the different coastal beaches.

Dominic Macrini / Violin 2

Dominic is a recent transplant from the east coast. After years of performing and teaching throughout Philadelphia and Nashville, he has recently moved to Los Angeles to broaden his horizons and play with the best La La Land has to offer. Aside from bartending during the day, Dominic loves collecting records, searching for the perfect ramen, and some New York Yankees baseball.

Ziad Asadi / Viola

Ziad has been playing music for nearly 20 years, starting on piano when he was 6 years old. In middle school he started violin for a year then switched to viola to help balance the orchestra. He continued with viola throughout high school and also began arranging music by ear from video game soundtracks. He graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and during his time there he spent a lot of time playing music. He ounded the Video Game Orchestra at UC Davis and helped it grow from 9 string players to the 80+ musician symphony that it is now. Post graduation, he began playing with community orchestras like the Southland Symphony Orchestra and picked up the tenor sax to join his local college's beginner jazz band. 

Alex Deng / Viola

Alex Deng is an American composer, conductor, and violist. He has conducted many professional orchestras from around the world-- from Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the summer of 2022, he made his international conducting debut with a world-premiere of his composition “Antorcha de Los Sueños” with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and the next year, he conducted a world-premiere of his march “Solidarity!” with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Later in the same year, he conducted the Vratsa Symphony of Bulgaria in two concerts performing Dvorak’s 9th Symphony and the Bruch Violin Concerto. In the studios, he has recorded and orchestrated scores for many film and video game projects with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, European Recording Orchestra in Bulgaria and the Northern Film Orchestra in the United Kingdom. Alex Deng is an alum from the University of Southern California, and currently pursuing a master’s in conducting in Sofia, Bulgaria as a resident conductor of the Vratsa Symphony. When he’s not composing or conducting, Alex is a violist in the USC Student Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, Alwani Middle Eastern Orchestra in San Diego and a teaching assistant at the Alhambra Youth Symphony.  This July, he will be making his conducting debut with the Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria.

Khaymin Westbrook / Viola

Khaymin is an undergraduate student at USC studying Writing for Screen and Television. Though he writes screenplays for his major, he’s a classically trained violist of 8 years, and he’s overjoyed at the opportunity to be playing alongside the LLS orchestra!

Dylan Puerta / Cello

Dylan Puerta is currently a business major at California State University of Long Beach. Cello has been his passion since middle school and he wants to continue playing. He currently coaches in Long Beach's school district and he plays gigs locally.

Rogelio Justo / Principal Flute

Rogelio Justo is an active performer and recording artist in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. He began playing the flute at age 9 and has been a part of various groups such as: the Colburn Youth Orchestra, Colburn Wind Ensemble, Colburn Honors Quintet, Idyllwild Symphony Orchestra, YOLA at Expo, RISE Orchestra, and is currently with the Loyola Law School Orchestra. At age 16, Rogelio won the Horton-Kohl Young Artists Concert and made his solo debut with the Eastern Sierra Symphony. Since then, he has appeared and performed on radio, on newspapers, on ABC7’s “Cool Kids”, and has just recently recorded for a film with Sony. As an avid performer, he has performed at Zipper Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Ford Theater, LACMA, and many more. When not performing, he loves spending his time with his pets and family, playing video games, and watching movies at the theaters.

Chiyuan Qu / Trombone

Chiyuan Qu, a graduate student from Shanghai, China, is currently studying Electronic Engineering at USC. He began learning the trombone at 11, taught by his grandfather. After a break for sports, he returned to music at 18, joining his university orchestra as principal trombonist and doing transcription work. At 19, he started learning jazz as well, performing with the Jazmine Bigband. Expanding his skills, he tackled the bass trombone at 23. Now, he's having lessons with Prof. Terry Cravens and playing bass trombone in the Student Symphony Orchestra at USC, diving deeper into music.

Austin Aldujaili / Violin 2

Austin is a recent graduate from UCLA with a B.S. in Neuroscience. He started playing the violin from when he was 9 years old, playing in school orchestras and chamber groups until college where he continued to play recreationally. Music has been a large part of his life growing up and he has made it a passion of his to spread music to kids around Los Angeles through a nonprofit he founded, NeuroNote. Interested in becoming a physician, he hopes to continue pursuing music through the LLS Orchestra as well as spread the importance of playing an instrument to patients in the future.

Niles Gunderson / Cello

Niles Gunderson enjoys a varied international performing career as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and recording artist throughout North America, Europe, China, and Japan. He has played under conductors such as Kurt Masur, Gerard Schwartz, and Valery Gergiev in some of the world’s most distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He has received mentorship from the American String Quartet, Richard Danielpour, Dale Clevenger, and Robert Mann. Niles earned his Bachelor of Music at the Manhattan School of Music and continued his studies in Florence, Italy at La Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. His major teachers include Marianne Chen, Alan Stepansky, and Raymond Davis. He plays an instrument by Jason Viseltear (New York) and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Aaron Zamarron / Cello

Aaron is a Mexican-American cellist based in West Covina, CA. Aaron started playing the cello at 13, and has been a self-taught cellist throughout middle school and high school. His passion for the cello grew as he was inspired to play the instrument by Jacqueline Du Pre, Alisa Weilerstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Mischa Maisky, and the band, Apocalyptica. Aaron has made his professional orchestral debut in his senior year of high school with the SCSBOA All-Southern Honor Orchestra. He is currently a student at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Music studying cello with Prof. Marek Szpakiewicz and plans to pursue a long-term career as a musician. During his free time, he likes to study scores to symphonies by Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.

Elizabeth Bell / Cello

Elizabeth began her musical pursuits in grade school where she played clarinet in band and orchestra. She continued playing though community college, however her musical studies were put on hold to focus on astrophysics studies at university, and during her tenure as an aerospace engineer.
 
Shortly after stepping into her current role as college professor of physics and astronomy, Elizabeth once again wanted music and musical performance to play a significant role in her daily life, and she began studying cello under the direction of Circe Diaz-Gamero. 
 
Elizabeth has played many solos and duets in student recitals and Bach festivals, and has participated in many recorded online performances with the Global Cello Project. She just started playing with the T.A.C.O. orchestra, and has played with the Watts-Willowbrook Music Academy to support their orchestra on a number of occasions.
 
Elizabeth is excited for the opportunity to be part of this community of passionate musicians and professionals.

Nicolette Lee / Cello

Nicolette has been a classically trained pianist and cellist since the age of 4, studying under cellists Yehuda Hanani and Phillip Green. Beyond her involvement in chamber and jazz ensembles, she was the principal cellist in the SAS Symphony in Shanghai, China and has performed throughout Asia.

At 16, she received her Associate’s Degree in Cello Performance with distinction before relocating to California to attend the University of Southern California. During her undergraduate years, she performed with the Student Symphony Orchestra of USC and various chamber ensembles, as well as serving as a piano accompanist for soloists. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a minor in Cello Performance in 2023.

Madison Bottenberg / Timpani & Percussions 

Madison Bottenberg has studied percussion for fourteen years. She actively participates in many styles of music, such as classical percussion, marching percussion, chamber music, and contemporary music. She is en route to finishing her bachelor’s degree in music performance at UCLA and is looking to continue in a masters program.

Deniz Aktas / Percussions & Timpani

The music of Los Angeles-based composer Deniz has appeared in many leading orchestras in Middle-east and Europe. Deniz is the winner of 2021 Score Relief International Film Scoring Competition (1st place), 2015 Sandy Hook Memorial Concert organized by Berklee College of Music composition competition (1st place), and the winner of 2020 inaugural Score Live London Film  Scoring Competition Wallace and Gromit Animation Category (2nd Place).
Deniz’s concert music has also received critical acclaim, including his piece “Sandy Hook Immortals” that he wrote in memory of Sandy Hook Elementary School, which was commissioned and premiered by Izmir State Symphony Orchestra. He is the founder of Izmir Brass and Percussion Ensemble which he composed, arranged and conducted.
After beginning studies in orchestral percussion at a very young age and performed in numerous orchestras including Izmir State Opera and Ballet as a full-time percussion player, Deniz later shifted to composing and arranging, working as an arranger, orchestrator and midi-programmer for GRAMMY-award winning film composer Penka Kouneva. In 2020, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performing from Dokuz Eylul University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music.

Jasper Stringfellow / Percussions & Timpani

Jasper Stringfellow is thrilled to join the Loyola Law School Orchestra's percussion section! They have been playing percussion since 2013 and graduated from UCLA in 2021, finishing with degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Education. They now teach marching and indoor percussion at Granada Hills Charter high school. When they aren't performing, you can find Jasper cooking, at the movies, or hang out with their three cats. They are super excited to be a part of this ensemble and can’t wait for future performances!

Reyneelynn Cameros / Associate Principal Clarinet

Reyneelynn Cameros is a clarinetist based in Los Angeles. She received her Bachelor of Music in Performance and Instrumental Music from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where she was a Cole Conservatory Scholarship recipient. Reyneelynn has had the honor of studying with Ron Wakefield, Dr. David Lopez and Dr. Michael Grego during her undergrad. She has performed with groups such as the Music Association for Community Colleges honor band, the Bellflower Symphony, the Troupe and the Studio Orchestra of Long Beach. She has also had the privilege of performing in Carnegie Hall with the National Wind Ensemble as well as conducting the ensemble from North Park Academy of the Arts. Besides freelancing, Reyneelynn is a private instructor and is currently working on obtaining her credential through CSULB where she hopes to teach a music program of her own in the near future.

Mary Bassey / Flute

Born to a physicist father who was a choirmaster and a chemist mother who was a gospel singer, Mary was destined to be a scientist and musician. While her voice was her first instrument, the flute was the instrument that she would become obsessed with. At age 10, she devoured all of the pages in the Accent on Achievement flute book in 2 months. Her band director suggested she get private lessons so she could be further challenged as a musician. Dr. Charles W. Smith became her flute teacher and she went on to play in middle school and high school honor bands, 3 of those times as first chair. She went further to play in churches with her brother, who was an engineer and a trombone player. After a 5 year hiatus, Mary picked up the flute again and has been playing ever since. When she’s not playing with the LLS Orchestra, you can find her playing with the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds.

David Marcus / Horn

Dave Marcus is a law professor at UCLA.  He first started playing the French horn in the sixth grade, then spent his high school years in a central Texas marching band.  Dave’s first orchestra rehearsal his freshman year of college was a revelation, and he fell totally under the spell of Brahms, Mahler, and the other greats.  He spent four years in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, then another year, at the University of Cambridge, playing in every ensemble he could possibly join.  Sadly, law school then got in the way, and Dave shelved his horn for good in 1999.  Several inspirations, including the LLS Orchestra, prompted him to start playing again in 2022.  Making music with others is as wonderful a pleasure as there is, and Dave is very happy to be back at it, split notes and all.

Abigail Meehan / Associate Principal Viola

Abigail is a violist and San Diego native. She obtained a B.S. in Animal Science and Minor in Music from UC Davis in 2020, where she was a member of the symphony, video game orchestra, and instructor of an Astronomy Lab course. Currently she works as Veterinary Technician in Internal Medicine, but will be starting the graduate performance program at SDSU in the fall. When in San Diego you can find her in ensembles such as the San Diego City Ballet Orchestra, Villa Musica Summer Orchestra, Chamber Players, and a few other groups. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, reading, and playing video games.

Christopher Rio / Trumpet

Chris started off playing French horn in 8th grade all the way through high school and picked up the trumpet after high school. He played in College and in a few groups but then took a couple of years hiatus. He started playing the trumpet again recently as a hobby. His friend Enrique Fernandez contacted him and asked if he could sub for someone in this new orchestra he was playing in, the LLS Orchestra, and here he is now. He’s grateful to be given opportunity to play with the LLS Orchestra.

Mario Martinez / Trumpet

Mario Martinez is a Trumpet player with an emphasis in Jazz. He is pursuing a degree in Music Education at California State University, Dominguez-Hills. His residency is in Pomona, CA where he first began his path of Music Performance at School of Arts and Enterprise. His teacher exposed him to areas of Jazz such as Jazz Big Band, Jazz Combos, Classical exposure such as Wind Ensembles and Wind Symphonies, and Pop/Rock Band for more popular/modern compositions. With these experiences, his teacher then led him and his band to many Jazz Competitions such as the Jazz Festival at Mt. SAC City College (2018) or the Jazz Festival at Riverside City College (2018). After reaching the finish line of High School, he immediately applied to CSUDH’s Music Program under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Janert (2019). Mario then was introduced to a professional music fraternity under the name of Mu Phi Epsilon Gamma Sigma Chapter where their job is to seek various opportunities and environments to help the many music students in the school, build healthy relationships and learn the ways of professionalism in the field of music (2020). He currently represents CSUDH’s A-Jazz Band playing in various events for the school, and is a part of Southland Wind Ensemble’s Trumpet section (under the supervision of George Osorio) along with Southland Jazz Ensemble’s trumpet section (under the supervision of Charles Tuttle). In addition, he has had the wonderful opportunity to be part of Loyola Law School’s Orchestra under Simona Grossi where they hold glamorous performances of music and even more wonderful opportunities for their musicians. 

Christopher S. Ye / Associate Principal Cello

Christopher’s cello journey began at age 9, under the tutelage of cellists like Dr. Fang Fang Xu, László Mező, Thomas Weibe, and the late Antonio Lysy. He has performed with ensembles such as the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO) and California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) All-State Symphony Orchestra, and has toured countries such as the United Kingdom, Austria, and Mexico. In competition, he achieved Second Place in the 2015-2016 PSYO Concerto Competition and placed as Gold Medalist in the Violoncello/Viola Senior Category of the Southern California Junior Bach Festival in 2017. As a university student, Christopher maintained his musical pursuits while obtaining his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has since had opportunities to perform in masterclasses held by the Formosa String Quartet and Apple Hill String Quartet, and by cellists Gary Hoffman and Marc Coppey. He currently enjoys his early career as both an aerospace engineer and a freelance musician. Christopher is also an avid automotive enthusiast and has recently taken up salsa dancing and night hiking.

Emma Yim / Cello

Emma Yim is currently pursuing her Master's in Organ Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music under Dr. Christoph Bull. As a recent graduate of UCLA, she also holds her bachelor’s degrees in both Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Organ Performance. 

Emma was introduced to the organ by her teacher, Jennifer Puhl and attended her first Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) in 2016, which sparked her interest in the organ. She started playing piano at a young age and began her cello performance journey in elementary school, including serving at church for over ten years. Along the way, she taught herself trombone to join jazz and marching band in high school. At UCLA, she has collaborated and performed with fellow musicians, professors, choirs, and orchestras, while also being an active member of the UCLA Symphony for several years. In June of 2022, she performed with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) by LA Phil, for the League of American Orchestras National Conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, where Gustavo Dudamel conducted. Over the past year, she has further enriched her musical journey by participating in masterclasses with distinguished organists, George Ritchie and Jens Korndorfer.

Away from the keyboard, Emma conducts research in a women’s health metabolism lab at the UCLA Department of Medicine, where they study the effects of the estrogen receptor in different tissues.

Sophia Flores / Saxophone

Acclaimed for her effortless musicality, impassioned lyricism, and unique artistry, Sophia Flores is a Latina, California-based classical saxophonist and music educator, captivating audiences with her thrilling performances and her warm, melodious, and vibrant soloistic voice.
 
As a Sacramento native, Sophia began her saxophone career in Northern California, where she performed at various high schools, middle schools, and churches as a guest artist and clinician. She later moved to Southern California where she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Music Education and Saxophone Performance, as well as her Single Subject Music Teaching Credential from Concordia University Irvine. Sophia is currently based in Los Angeles, where she is continuing her education for her Masters of Music in Saxophone Performance at the University of Southern California.
 
Sophia has had the privilege to be featured in performances with the Sacramento Symphonic Winds, Lutheran Summer Music Concert Band and Orchestra, Thornton Wind Ensemble, Concordia Wind Orchestra, and the Concordia Symphony Orchestra. Sophia has also served on behalf of the saxophone faculty at the Lutheran Summer Music Festival, and the Concordia University Chamber Music Festival.
 
As a winner of the Concordia Wind Orchestra Concerto Competition, she has had the privilege to perform as a soloist with the Concordia High School in Tomball, Texas. Sophia is a Resident Performing Artist for the Concordia Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, where she has been a featured soloist on Public Broadcasting Service, and at numerous venues throughout Southern California including Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Irvine Barclay Theatre and The Pacific Club. Sophia also has frequent collaborations with various churches, high schools, community bands, and emerging artists throughout California.

Oscar Cuellar / Bassoon

Oscar Cuellar is a bassoonist in Los Angeles, CA. He primarily focuses on classical but he can also perform in areas such as jazz and contemporary on bassoon. He is a member of the HOLA Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra as well as the Loyola Law School Orchestra. Oscar has also provided opportunities to teach and help out other students at the Pasadena High School as well as for the YOLA National Institute. Oscar has been doing music since he was in elementary school in YOLA and he is currently studying for his Bachelors Degree Cal State LA in Music Performance. His goal is to join a professional orchestra as well as provide opportunities to provide lessons to future bassoonists and other students in Los Angeles.

Isabel Dobrev / Bass

Isabel Dobrev is a bass player based in Los Angeles. Originally from San Francisco, Isabel is equally passionate about playing classical music in orchestras as she is about rocking out with her band. Isabel’s membership in the prestigious San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra was the catalyst for her pursuit of music professionally. Since then she has obtained a degree in Global Jazz Studies from UCLA, and has begun laying the foundation for herself in the LA music scene, appearing on numerous local pop, jazz, and rock albums, playing  rock & roll in bars all over town, and established herself as a reliable call for everything from musicals to orchestral recording sessions. She recently joined the Sofia Philharmonic, Bulgaria’s national orchestra, on their US tour. Isabel currently plays with André Miguel & the Moment, the Robin Simone Hollywood Orchestra, the Symphonic Winds of the Pacific, and the LLS Orchestra. She is the product manager for Eastman Strings by day, helping to develop musical instruments and spread the joy of music.

Cristine Khachatoorians / Board of Directors

Cristine Khachatoorians is currently honing her legal expertise as a diligent law student at Loyola Law School, drawing on her solid foundation from her alma mater, UCLA. Driven by a profound desire to effect positive change, Cristine is committed to utilizing her growing legal acumen to advocate for those in need and make a meaningful impact in the community. Her aspiration isn’t just to practice law, but to sprinkle a little kindness around, one legal brief at a time.

Isabella Mier / Viola

Isabella Vita Mier is a young and rising Italian-Mexican American Violist who is based in Los Angeles California and is currently a freshman at California State University Northridge, where she studies viola  under Dr. Wendy Richmann for her BM in Music Performance. Mier started her studies at the age of 8 and continued at the Renaissance Arts Academy in Los Angeles, California where she studied under Alec SantaMaria. Her high school education consisted of Los Angeles county high school for the arts, Colburn school and the Pasadena conservatory of Music, where she taught under renowned Violist Andrew Picken anhid played as a soloist with the LACHSA String Ensemble under maestro and violistist Fung Ho. She has participated in multiple chamber groups, string ensemble, and sat associate principal during symphony orchestras over her duration of time in college prep education. In 2021 Isabella was crowned Principal Violist of the Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Mier has gained recognition from Los Angeles County, Music Center and recently won 2nd prize internationally at the Royal Maas Competition and the Claveria Competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has worked with the LA Opera, Charlotte Symphony and Internationally Lyric Orchestra in Vicenza Italy. Isabella is mentored by Minor Wetzel and Meredith Snow of the LA Philharmonic and has played under the batons of Alan Mautner, Fung Ho, Maxim Eshkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel, James Mena, Stefano Vignati, Daniel Suk, James Colon and many more. Mier has taken part in many non profits such as AFA ,LTM and Alexandria House to provide music education and free music to all as a performer, conductor and educator.
In summer of 2024, Mier will attend HIMA (Harpa International Lyric Academy) in Reykjavik, Iceland. In Fall of 2024 joining the infamous Manhattan School of Music for her studies in BM, Music Performance as a sophomore student studying in New York

Sarah Hsiao / Harp

Born and raised in Southern California, Sarah began playing the harp at the age of eleven with Mindy Ball. She was principal harpist of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra and Global Harmony Symphony for four years. She has also performed with rock artists, such as Nancy Wilson, John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls, and Monte Pittman, in the benefit concert From Classical To Rock. Recently, Sarah has performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra as well as with the American Youth Symphony, LA Symphonic Winds, and Orchestra Nova of Los Angeles.
Sarah recently graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied with JoAnn Turovsky for her Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance and was a member of the USC Symphony Orchestra and Student Symphony Orchestra of USC, a student-led organization dedicated to playing beautiful music. Lately, she has been exploring different genres with the harp, including recording and performing with various pop and jazz artists in the area!

Amee Bhatt / Flute

Amee has been playing the flute since she was 11 years old in Michigan, participating in any music group that needed a flute player during middle school and high school, along with private lessons. Although she decided at the last minute not to pursue music school in college (despite auditioning for and being accepted to many schools in Michigan), she continued to play the flute in various music groups with a twist—she is trained in Indian classical music (Hindustani), allowing her to blend both Western flute techniques with Eastern music theory and composition.
Amee moved to LA five years ago for work as an urban designer, a career that combines architecture and urban planning, and post-COVID, she has been seeking opportunities to play in groups again. Over the last two years, she has performed with Orchestra Nova LA, the LAVC Wind Ensemble, and the Colburn Adult Flute Choir but enjoys the challenge that orchestral music offers, which is why she would value any opportunities to play with the LLS Orchestra. Continuing to learn and grow as a flute player is important to her, and since last year, she has resumed private lessons with Karen Lundgren at Colburn.

King Choi / Oboe and English Horn

King is a recently relocated oboe and English horn player now living in Long Beach. He played semi-professionally in the Seattle metropolitan area and served as the oboe and English horn player with the Northwest Symphony for 20 years. Currently, he is playing with the Long Beach Community Band.
He grew up in the youth symphony system in Hong Kong and attended Texas Tech, where he played with the Lubbock Symphony. His past orchestral experience also includes performances with the Hong Kong Symphonia and the Bahamas National Symphony. In addition to his musical career, King is a licensed architect.

Kelly Smith / Oboe and English Horn

Kelly is a marketing professional in the audiovisual industry and is originally from Oklahoma. She studied oboe under Lisa-Harvery Reed at Oklahoma City University and played in the Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble. After teaching English overseas for a few years and returning to the States, she missed the community and joy of music. She has since played in a number of community orchestras and bands across the US. Kelly has found her community in Los Angeles, and when not playing in the LLS Orchestra, she can be found with the LA Winds.

Anna Jones / Bassoon

Anna Jones, bassoon, graduated with their Bachelor of Arts in Music from Valparaiso University in 2019 after 4 years as the principal bassoon for the university’s Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra.
While living in the Midwest, Anna participated in the Laporte County Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan City Municipal Band, Windiana, and the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra.
Since relocating to Los Angeles, Anna was thrilled to discover the Loyola Law School Symphony Orchestra and looks forward to performing with the group going forward! Anna currently works as a staff member for LMU Law School.

Joselito Juson / Trumpet

Lito Juson, a talented Filipino trumpet player, began his musical journey at the age of 10, playing in his local band. His deep passion for music has driven him to excel in his craft, with the trumpet as his major instrument and piano as his minor. In addition to the trumpet, Lito is skilled in playing a wide range of brass instruments.
A versatile musician, he also enjoys arranging band compositions and brings his musical talents to life every Sunday, performing regularly in his church. His dedication to music shines through both his performances and his contributions to his musical community.

Michael Medina / Principal Trombone

Michael Medina is a dedicated and passionate pre-professional trombonist with a strong commitment to music and performance. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael’s journey with the trombone began at the age of 16  when he first picked up the instrument. Throughout his schooling, Michael has been an active participant in various music programs and ensembles, including the University of Redlands Wind Ensemble band, jazz band, and various chamber groups. Michael is a recent graduate of the University of Redlands, earning a Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance and Music Education. Under the guidance of world-class instructors, he continues to refine his technique and musicianship, aiming to reach new heights in his musical career. Driven by his love for music and a desire to connect with audiences, Michael also has a passion for stage handing and audio engineering, having worked for the Redlands Symphony Orchestra and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Redlands. Michael aspires to become a professional trombonist, looking in graduate studies in Performance.

Ihab Hamideh / Trombone

Ihab Hamideh is a trombonist based in Southern California, where he was raised. He recently graduated from Manhattan School of Music where his primary teacher was Colin Williams. 

Catherine Nguyen / Harp

Catherine has been playing the harp since the age of 8. She has recently had the opportunity to play the harp with others through her high school, Garden Grove High School, and college, Irvine Valley College (IVC). In addition to her school ensembles, she has performed with two other group ensembles. Recently, Catherine completed level 5 of ASTACAP and is aiming for higher levels as she works toward finishing her Associate of Arts in Music at IVC.

Chiara Solar / Harp

At age 8, Chiara began studying under Ms Joni Martin, the Second Chair Harpist in the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra.  She received a music performance scholarship to continue studying the harp, first at Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she studied with Lorraine Alberts, and then to receive her Master’s Degree in Harp Performance from California State University at Long Beach.  At Cal State Long Beach she studied under the renowned harpist Marcia Dickstein and performed her graduate harp recital “Harp-mageddon” at the Daniel Recital Hall.
Since then Chiara Solar has been a sought-after soloist for weddings, High Teas, conferences, church services, funerals, private parties and media events, as well as performing with, The Southern California Philharmonic, and the Bellflower Symphony Orchestra, The Whittier Regional Symphony, The Orchestra Collective of Orange County, among others.  Most recently, she played  The Nutcracker with The Tustin Ballet. She is also an understanding and effective instructor, transferring her love and skill with this extraordinary instrument to students from eight to eighty.
You can find more information on Chiara at www.chiaraocharp.com; Facebook and IG: @ChiaraSolarHarpist

Emily Hsu / Associate Concertmaster

Emily Hsu graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied Business Administration and Violin Performance. At USC, she was the President of the Student Symphony Orchestra, a fully student-run orchestra open to musicians of all levels. Professionally, Emily is pursuing a career as a financial analyst. Her other hobbies include teaching music, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Leslie Cheng / Violin 1

Leslie recently graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience. She played in the La Jolla Symphony during her time there. In her free time Leslie likes practicing violin, climbing, and walking her dog.

Tim Joo / Violin 1

Tim Joo is a violinist and trust officer based in Los Angeles. Born in South Korea, he moved to Los Angeles with his family at the age of 10. He graduated in 2015 from Cornell University with a B.A. in Mathematics while being an active member of the university orchestra and enjoying the natural beauty of upstate New York. Since moving back to Los Angeles, he has pursued a career in the financial services industry while continuing his musical endeavors. He has performed with groups such as the American Youth Symphony, YMF Debut Orchestra, and Dream Orchestra. He most recently served as the concertmaster at the Heart of Los Angeles Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra. In his free time, Tim enjoys running, fixing up cars, and spending time with his wife and two cats.

Michelle Lin / Violin 2

Michelle Lin began learning violin in elementary school and has played in school orchestras ever since. She recently graduated from UCLA with B.A.s in English and History. During her time at UCLA, Michelle performed with Con Brio String Orchestra, a student-run orchestra with a focus on making classical music accessible to students and the broader community. Under this orchestra, she worked with fellow musicians to develop a music outreach program, which allowed her to explore music within public education. Michelle hopes to apply to law school, but in the meantime, you will likely find her listening to an audiobook and knitting. 

Jeff Tang / Cello

Jeff is an analytics and business strategy manager at Universal Music Group. He's played the cello for over 15 years, starting at the age of 12 in a student orchestra in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and most recently with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jeff is new to Los Angeles and is looking forward to getting back into regular playing around the city.

Eric Manuel Ricardo Ladròn De Guevara / Bass

Eric Manuel has been immersed in bass studies since the age of 10 at the Vocational School of Art "Raúl Gómez García," where he attained his elementary-level title in music. In 2017, he earned his Medium Technical Title in the specialty of controls and ensemble practice from the Conservatory "José María Ochoa." In 2022, he completed his education at the Instituto Superior de Arte de la Habana, specializing in music with a focus on double bass. Throughout his 16 years of dedicated study, Eric has had the privilege to participate in esteemed artistic events such as Cubadisco 2013 in Havana, the Ibero-American fairs in Holguin, and both the Mozart Route Festival and the Mozart Havana Festival in Cuba. He also served as the principal double bass player in the Holguin Symphony Orchestra for six years and was a member of the Lyceum Mozartiano of Havana for three years. In addition to his performance career, Eric has taught music at the Conservatory of Music "José María Ochoa" in Holguin. With a repertoire spanning classical and jazz genres, Eric continually seeks opportunities to expand his musical horizons by learning new instruments. Music has always been his passion, and he is excited to embark on the next chapter of his journey in Southern California.

Nixon Cruz / Bass

Nixon Cruz is from Chino, California. He began playing at the age of 8 on alto saxophone, and since then has branched out to a wide variety of woodwind and stringed instruments. He regularly plays saxophone, bassoon, bass clarinet, and contrabass for a variety of orchestras and jazz ensembles in the IE, such as the Calvary Chapel orchestra and CBU honor bands. Nixon is very excited to be part of the LLS Orchestra and to improve as a musician.

Dominic Lipari / Percussion

Dominic has been playing timpani and percussion in orchestras for over a decade. He has performed with professional, semi-professional, and university/community orchestras at all levels. During his time at Berklee College of Music and the University of Bristol, where he earned his BA in Music, he held the position of principal percussionist and timpanist in the top orchestras.

Nicholas Jorgensen / Percussion

Born and raised in a rural town in Utah, Nick Jorgensen fondly remembers marching up Main Street and banging the drums along with the marching band. Upon graduating from high school he lived in Seoul, South Korea for two years, after which he returned to Utah and earned his BA from Brigham Young University in Korean Language and Literature. 
Following his graduation from BYU, Nick moved to Long Beach to escape Utah’s harsh winters and to earn an MA in English from CSULB. After working for an Education Tech startup for a number of years, Nick returned to school and is currently in his first year at Loyola Law School in the evening program. 
In his free time Nick enjoys reading, playing video games, clanging on various drums, and going to concerts. He lives in Long Beach with his two cats, Sir Launcelot and Persephone, and his boyfriend James.

Lisette Cabrera / Violin 2

Lissette started playing violin at the age of 9 through her school's music program. As she grew older, the violin became her passion and she wanted to share that passion and the knowledge of music with others. She began her music teaching career right after high school and went on to teach violin and viola lessons for 7 years while studying Music and Sociology at Mt. San Antonio College. Lissette also performed in the String Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble under the instruction of violinist Irene Shiao at Mt.SAC before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona to receive her BA in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work. Since graduating in 2020, Lissette has continued to play in several projects including an album titled "Little Bird" by Kelly Grandmaison and performing with The Musique Sur La Mer Orchestra conducted by renowned director Marcy A. Sudock. Lissette now teaches at her own private music studio in Long Beach. When she's not working, she enjoys doing yoga, gardening, having sunset walks on the beach, and spending time with loved ones."

Darius Campo / Violin 1

Darius Campo was granted the trademark “the most recorded musician in the world”. Performing on over 2,000 films and 10,000 songs as a concert violinist with virtually every big star since he was called to play for Sinatra at age 17. A BM and MM from the University of Southern California where he received most outstanding graduate awards at both ceremonies. At age 21 became the youngest member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and performed as soloist, principal and Concertmaster.
As a composer he has written music for numerous little movies and for Disney tv. Commissioned by the late great Lynn Harrell for a cello piece. Wrote a musical “Locked Up” and produced and directed it in Las Vegas. Also wrote a one-man show and in February of 2020 performed it twice in Las Vegas and was offered by Caesar’s to start his show there, but pandemic halted that.
His other interests include Real Estate. Where he has represented over 6,000 musicians. He has placed numerous times in the World Series of Poker. In his 20’s he was invited by the Atlanta Braves to join them in camp. Most proud of his two adult daughters.

Addison Haddad / Percussion

Addison Haddad is thrilled to be in the Loyola Law School Orquestra! She’s been playing percussion for 9 years, as well as bass and guitar for 3. She’s still in highschool, but hope she can continue her study of music in college.

Natan Holtzman / Cello

Natan Hotltzman started playing the cello in sixth grade in Raleigh, North Carolina. He studied cello with Elizabeth Beilman of the North Carolina Symphony and with Brent Wissick at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In college, Natan majored in geology while playing in the UNC Symphony, Baroque Ensemble, and Chamber Players. While earning a PhD in Earth System Science at Stanford University, Natan played in the Stanford Philharmonia, sang in the University Singers, and played chamber music under the direction of members of the St. Lawrence String Quartet. He recently moved to the Los Angeles area for a job in the aerospace industry, and is excited to explore musical opportunities here.

Ryan Espinosa / Pianist

Ryan Espinosa is a freelance performer-composer and teacher based in Los Angeles. A California native, he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts in 2014 where he studied clarinet with William Powell and composition with Dr. Milen Kirov. In 2018, he earned his Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas in Clarinet performance, where he studied clarinet with Dr. John Scott and Daryl Coad. Additionally, throughout his education, Ryan Espinosa had studied vocal jazz performance with Anna Jalkéus, jazz arranging with Richard DeRosa, as well as African and South Indian music traditions from Andrew Grueschow and Poovalur Sriji, respectively. As a musician and educator, Ryan regularly performs music from various compositional styles and eras, but he is artistically committed to performing works of living composers. He has performed in numerous recitals and has participated in several recording sessions performing alongside some of the most respected players in the West Coast. In the summer of 2016, Espinosa participated in the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, serving as principal clarinetist in the Interharmony Opera Orchestra. Ryan Espinosa is also professionally affiliated with Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a fraternal organization dedicated to advancing music in America.  Ryan currently teaches as an applied music instructor at Los Angeles Pierce College.

Vivian, Xiaowei Wei / Violin 1

Vivian, Xiaowei Wei began her musical journey at a young age, studying under the tutelage of Russian violinist Gleb Dontsov. In 2021, she started studying viola with Yang Li. Vivian has had the honor of performing in numerous chamber and solo concerts at the Shenzhen Concert Hall in China. Vivian has actively participated in various masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Ekaterina Frolova, Sergey Rashidovich Fatkulin, and Marianna Terteryan, further refining her skills and experience. Currently, Vivian is pursuing a double degree in Film Scoring and Music Business at UCLA and LACM. Her compositions have been recorded by musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic at EastWest Studios. Her journey is a testament to her commitment to excellence and her passion for music.