THE VIOLINISTS OF GOLDEN GATE MUSIC
John Tenney, co-founder of Golden Gate Music, has been an "in the trenches" musician for more than thirty years, and is closing in on ten thousand professional engagements including three thousand performances of Broadway musicals and two thousand-odd chamber music appearances. John's been concertmaster for Joel Grey, Liberace, Dionne Warwick and Tony Bennett and played in orchestras for Marlene Dietrich, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barry Manilow, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Boz Scaggs, and countless others, and has toured nationally as part of the Van Morrison Band. He has also performed with the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose Symphonies, the San Francisco Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Opera. He and our guitarist Paul Binkley played mandolins on the San Francisco Symphony's Grammy Award-winning recording of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. John is also an accomplished composer of contemporary soundscapes. His string arrangements of R&B and funk are unsurpassed. John is Su's partner and accomplice in mischief.
Vivian Warkentin is Assistant Concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony since 1979 and has been performing professionally for over thirty years in symphonies and small ensembles throughout California. She also performs frequently with the San Jose, Santa Rosa, Napa and Fresno Symphonies. Vivian is in demand as a chamber musician and performs with numerous groups, including the Adena Trio with her sisters. Aside from classical music, she has worked with popular artists such as Tony Bennett, Burt Bacharach, Smokey Robinson and Sarah Vaughn, to name just a few. Vivian has also recorded movie soundtracks at Fantasy Studios and Skywalker Ranch. Vivian brings vivacious energy and sophisticated style to each performance.
Robin Mayforth is Concertmaster of Symphony Silicon Valley (formerly San Jose Symphony) and first violinist of Pegasus String Quartet. She was a founding member of the Lark Quartet and traveled world-wide with the quartet for eight years. Robin has been a soloist with the San Jose Symphony and with the Music in the Mountains Orchestra, where she has been Concertmaster for the last seven summers. She studied with Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School where she received her Bachelors and Masters degrees. Her clear confident style is an asset to the group.
Mark Volkert has held the position of Assistant Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony has been a member since 1972. Mark was Concertmaster and soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival for many years. As a composer, he has received commissions from many organizations, including the San Francisco Symphony, Marin Symphony, Stanford String Quartet, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Mark is a graduate of Stanford University. In addition to classical performance, he is expert in the composition and performance of salon and operetta styles. Mark is also the best classical arranger I know. His interpretations of classical works are so to true to form and style that you can't help but wonder if Mark might have a future in forgery!
Wenyi Shih is new to the Bay Area but had already established a successful career in Boston. She holds a B.A. in performance at the Boston Conservatory. She served as a violinist fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and was a regular substitute player for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. Wenyi has worked with Seiji Ozawa, Bernard Haitink, Robert Spano, Simon Rattle, Peter Serkin, Samuel Sanders and others. She has toured extensively and can be heard on recordings in many styles, from classical to swing and Latin well as on movie soundtracks. Wenyi also served as the principal second violinist in Portland Symphony, first violinist in Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the New England String Ensemble. Now, California's got her and we won't let her go! She is now a regular sub with the San Francisco Opera orchestra and plays frequently in the California, Modesto, Marin and Fremont symphonies. Wenyi's innate musicianship, her disciplined work ethic and her incredible sense of humor make each performance a gem.
Greg Mazmanian is a Bay Area native and graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. He has performed as a soloist in North America and Asia and has played with the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet orchestras. Greg has performed with a veritable Who's Who in the popular and classical world from Sinatra, Ray Charles and Tony Bennett to Zubin Mehta, Luciano Pavarotti and Leopold Stokowski. In addition, Greg teaches in the Orinda school system as well as privately, preparing the next generation of talented young musicians. The San Francisco Chronicle described his playing as "sheer classiness" while The Strad of London praised his "thrilling virtuoso flair". All I can say is that, musically, Greg's up for anything we can dream up!
Eline van den Ende is Concertmaster of American Musical Theater of San Jose and a regular first violin section player with the Symphony Silicon Valley (formerly San Jose Symphony), orchestras of Ballet San Jose Orchestra, Midsummer Mozart Festival, Music in the Mountains Festival, and Musicfest Festival of Carefree, Arizona. She is a member of the San Jose String Quartet. Eline received her musical training at the Amsterdam Muziek Lyceum and at the Sweelinck Conservatorium, where she studied with Herman Krebbers, former Concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Whether playing Vivaldi or Grateful Dead, Eline always gives 110%.
THE SWITCH-HITTERS (VIOLINIST/VIOLISTS)
Su Buchignani, co-founder of Golden Gate Music has been playing professionally since the age of fifteen when she was a violist in the San Jose Symphony. Su has had a varied career which includes many styles of music. She was the composer/musical director for acclaimed mimes, Shields and Yarnell. She recently played in the orchestras for Bjork, Smokey Robinson, Josh Groban and Clay Aiken as well as for major soundracks at Skywalker Studios. She also served on the staff and board of directors of SummerSong Vocal Arts Institute. Su is the founder and director of Ensemble Bizou and Golden Gate Strings. She has been commissioned as an arranger by clients in North America and Europe. A strolling violin specialist, her repertoire contains many hundreds of songs. Lately she has been recording national radio and television commercials ~ if you've heard tango violin solos, they're probably Su's.
Dawn Harms is Co-Concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and a member of the San Francisco Opera and New Century Chamber Orchestras. She is a member of the Harmida Piano Trio and founder/conductor of the Elixir Chamber Orchestra and co-founder/music director of the Music at Kirkwood Chamber Music Festival. She was first violinist with the Harrington String Quartet and the Santa Fe Opera. An advocate for children's music education, she was conductor of the Amarillo Youth Orchestra and continues to create and perform educational concerts. Her latest solo release, "The Hot Canary," was released in January 2005. Dawn also collaborated with her cousin Tom Waits on his recordings, "Alice" and "Blood Money." Ms. Harms currently serves on the music faculty at Stanford University. Dawn received her BM degree from the New England Conservatory of Music where she studied with Dorothy Delay and Josef Gingold and her MA from the State University of New York at Stonybrook. Dawn's wacky sense of humor guarantees smiles all around from even the most serious musician!
THE VIOLISTS OF GOLDEN GATE MUSIC
Paul Ehrlich is Principal Violist with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He also plays regularly with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, and is a frequent chamber music performer in the Bay Area. Previous positions have included The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Phoenix Symphony. Mr. Ehrlich received his undergraduate training at The Royal College of Music, London, and Cambridge University, and completed the D.M.A. degree at The Yale School of Music, where he studied with Raphael Hillyer. We love Paul's "precision with a touch of swagger" style.
Marcel Gemperli is Principal Violist for the Pacific Chamber Symphony, Assistant Principal in the California Symphony and Gold Country Chamber Orchestra, a section violist of the Fremont and Modesto Symphonies and a substitute violist for the San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Marin Symphonies. He is also violist with the Fog Hill String Quartet. He has served as Principal Violist with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and performed with the National Repertory Orchestra. Marcel received his Bachelors degree at Harvard University and continued his viola studies in Germany and Switzerland as a Henry Russell Shaw Fellow. Marcel performs extensively throughout the Bay Area in orchestras and chamber ensembles. Locally in demand with so many groups, we snag Marcel whenever we can!
Madeline Prager lived in Europe for 25 years, where she performed extensively and was professor of viola at the Karlsruhe Conservatory in Germany. Since her return to the Bay Area in 2000, Madeline has taught at the University of the Pacific and the Crowden School, performed as Principal Violist with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Berkeley Symphony and the Stockton Symphony, and played chamber music with various professional ensembles. She now teaches in the Berkeley public school system as well as in her private studio. After all that classical music, you should hear her dig into Pretty Woman!
THE CELLISTS OF GOLDEN GATE MUSIC
Jan Volkert is Principal Cellist with the Marin Symphony and has held this position since 1979, and was formerly Principal Cellist with the Modesto Symphony. She is a member of The Volkert/Ellis Trio with husband Mark Volkert, Associate Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, and Nancy Ellis, longtime San Francisco Symphony violist. Jan holds degrees from Dominican College of San Rafael and the Royal College of Music in London. Not your usual cellist, Jan is equally well-versed in salon, operetta and musical theater music, in addition to the classical repertoire. She also joins Wenyi Shih, John Tenney and Su Buchignani in Fievre, our concert quartet. Jan's vibrant playing always brings life (and plenty of fun!) to every performance.
Paul Rhodes was recently engaged as Assistant Principal Cellist with the Sacramento Philharmonic and is a regular member of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra. He is former Principal Cellist with the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera Orchestra, Orchestra of Santa Fe and Fresno Philharmonic and has performed with the San Antonio, Sacramento and San Jose Symphonies as well as the New Century Chamber Orchestra. Paul received his Bachelors degree at Dominican College and his Masters at the University of Texas-Austin. A terrific chamber musician, Paul's consistent precision, attention to detail and dry sense of humor make him a great addition to any ensemble.
Kelleen Boyer performs regularly with the Santa Rosa Symphony, and plays every year in the Midsummer Mozart Festival. She also plays with the Grace Cathedral Orchestra, Pocket Opera, the Encore Ensemble and the Festival Arts Trio. Over the years she has appeared often with the Oakland and San Jose Symphonies. She was a frequent substitute in the Phantom of the Opera pit orchestra during its five-year San Francisco run. Kelleen has set extremely high standards for herself. Her dependability, coupled with her positive attitude, make her always a joy to work with.
OUR BASSIST
Patrick McCarthy is the Principal Bass with the Oakland East Bay and Stockton Symphonies. He has worked with the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet as well as most of the other Northern California regional orchestras. He attended San Francisco State, studying there and privately with Charles Siani, Rafael Garrett and Gary Peacock. His jazz career has included stints with the Jim Lowe Trio, Mose Allison, Jerry Granelli, Charles Moffett Family, Calvin Keys, and the Cleveland Wrecking Co. Band. He has played in film scoring recordings by the Composers Alan Silvestri, Todd Boekelheide, Mark Adler, and John Williams. Pat's services are also in demand as a Luthier specializing in the Double Bass. We can't think of a bassist as solid and with such a wonderfully wicked sense of humor as Pat.
OUR FLUTIST
Tod Brody is in the forefront of contemporary music activity in northern California as Principal Flutist with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Earplay, and the Empyrean Ensemble. He has performed numerous world premieres, and has been extensively recorded. His varied musical life also includes teaching flute and chamber music at the University of California, Davis, and playing principal flute for the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Sacramento Opera, and the California Musical Theater; he also appears frequently in the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet orchestras, and in other chamber and orchestral settings throughout the region. In addition to his work as a performer and teacher, Tod serves composers and new music as executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the American Composers Forum, which is dedicated to supporting composers' careers through a variety of educational, residency, and granting programs. Tod's superior musicianship and warm personality enhance every ensemble he plays with.
OUR VOCALIST
Mia Buchignani, still in her twenties, has already embarked on an active singing career. In high school she was a scholarship student in the SummerSong Vocal Arts Institute, and in college she played leading roles in operas. She traveled to Europe to continue her musical education, with private and conservatory study in Brussels. She has written and performed three one-woman shows, featuring jazz, opera, and especially, early European cabaret. Her specialty is the music of Kurt Weill. Mia was the winner of the Bay Area Talent 2000 Competition for foreign language performance. Mia recently performed as a soloist with the Peninsula Pops Orchestra and for the opening gala for the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Singing is as natural as breathing to Mia, which is one reason we find her such a treasure. Her intense commitment, thorough preparation, and incredible stage presence come through with every note. If you want to learn more about Mia, please visit her website at www.miavoce.com
OUR GUITARIST
Paul Binkley is an astonishingly versatile musician. Besides tango and continental styles, he plays jazz guitar and a full spectrum of classical music, from pre-Baroque to post-modern. He is also a noted mandolinist who has toured worldwide and recorded five CDs with the Modern Mandolin Quartet. Locally, he has performed with the San Francisco Opera (on the lute), the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. He played mandolin on the Symphony's 1996 recording of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, which received a Grammy award. Paul's great sense of rhythm makes him a rock-solid asset to any group he plays in. His creative (and often playful) approach to music makes him a constant delight to perform with. Paul is constantly studying his art, and this helps to keep the music sounding fresh and lively. We always look forward to performing with Paul. You can read more about Paul at his website at www.paulbinkley.com
Members of the Golden Gate Strings: Su Buchignani, John Tenney, Jan Volkert, Vivian Warkentin, Mark Volkert, Greg Mazmanian, Robin Mayforth, Dawn Harms, Wenyi Shih, Paul Ehrlich, Paul Rhodes, Pat McCarthy, Deborah Tien-Price, Madeline Prager, Eline van den Ende, Rick Shinozaki