Symphony of the Americas
Members of the Orchestra – Season 2022-2023
Pablo Mielgo
Artistic Director & Principal Conductor
Concertmaster, Symphony of the Americas
Violin, Bergonzi Trio
Associate Conductor, Eastern Music Festival
Scott Flavin
Concertmaster
Scott Flavin is a professor of violin, conducting, and chamber music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Flavin was appointed concertmaster of Symphony of the Americas in 2022.
He is the first violinist of the internationally-acclaimed Bergonzi String Quartet, violinist of the Bergonzi Trio, and violinist of PULSE Trio. He is also Resident Conductor of The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and Associate Conductor for Eastern Music Festival. He has written four plays which have been presented in productions nationally.
Sandy Riblett
Orchestra Manager
STRINGS - Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Harp
Concertmaster, Scott Flavin – violin
Orchestra Manager, Sandy Riblett – violin
Irina Amtsiferova – violin
Ruby Berland – violin
Monica Cheversan – violin
Gustavo Correa – violin
Ekaterina Gorkhover – violin
Vyara Hristova – violin
David Kurtic – violin
Marina Lenau – violin
Valentin Mansurov – violin
Kaitlin Richardson – violin
Sasha Zhuk – violin
Kristin Baird* – violin II
Dina Kostic* – violin II
Michelle Skinner* – violin II
Luis Aguilar viola
Nelson Armitano viola
Greg Falkenstein viola
Renata Guitart viola
Angela Kratchmar viola
Madeline Neely viola
Chauncey Patterson* viola
David Pedraza* viola
Laura Sinclair viola
Roy Garcia cello
Ross Harbaugh* cello
Shea Kole* cello
Aaron Merritt* cello
Aziz Sapaev cello
Clarissa Vieira cello
Jeff Adkins* bass
Douglas Ferreira bass
Luis Luna bass
Hernan Matute bass
Amy Nickler* bass
Juan Carlos Pena* bass
Brian Powell* bass
Marti Moreland* harp
Laura Sherman* harp
Melody Stein* harp
Dina Kostic
Principal Violin II
A versatile chamber and orchestral musician, Dina Kostic is currently Assistant Concertmaster with The Symphonia, Boca Raton, and Principal Second Violin with Symphony of the Americas, Miami City Ballet’s Opus One Orchestra, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, as well as Nu Deco Ensemble. She performs regularly with many orchestras across the country, including the Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. She has been a core member of the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival since 2003, is a founding member of Trio Paradigm, and has performed at summer festivals in Italy, Japan and Colorado.
Ms. Kostic previously held positions with the Florida Philharmonic, the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, she moved to the States at age fifteen, having received a full scholarship to study at Southern Methodist University,Read More
and went on to earn a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University. Ms. Kostic has served as Adjunct Faculty at Barry University in Miami Shores since 2003, along with maintaining a private studio.
Michelle Skinner
Principal Violin II
Principal violin II for Symphony of the Americas:
January 10 & May 9 concerts
Principal violin II for Symphony of the Americas: December 6 & February 21 concerts
Kristin Baird
Principal Violin II
Kristin Baird is passionate about bringing music to diverse audiences. Most recently, she served as the Community
Engagement Manager for the National Repertory Orchestra. Here she collaborated with 80 musicians to bring more than 40 Community Engagement events to Breckenridge, Colorado, during the festival’s eight weeks in July and August 2022. In addition to her time with the National Repertory Orchestra, Ms. Baird has worked with the Spoleto Music Festival in both Orchestra Personnel and Operations.
Ms. Baird worked for the Florida Orchestra as a full time Teaching Artist prior to her career in administration. Currently, Ms. Baird serves as the Development Intern at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts while also pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance with a cognate in Live Entertainment Management at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Here she serves as the Teaching Assistant for Professor Scott Flavin. At the Cleveland Institute of Music she received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Master of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy. Her primary teachers have included Scott Flavin, Carolyn Stuart, Joan Kwuon, Paul Kantor, William Preucil and Ara Gregorian. Ms. Baird received Suzuki certification under the guidance of Kimberly Meier-Sims.
Principal viola for Symphony of the Americas:
November 8, December 6, January 10, February 21 & March 14 concerts
David Pedraza,
Principal Viola – Season
Violist, born in Reynosa, Mexico, David started his musical studies at 14 in the OCJM under Jose Vazquez, later receiving a full scholarship to study the Bachelor of Music at Shenandoah Conservatory. David holds a Professional Performance Certificate from Lynn University Conservatory of Music and recently he finished his Master of Music at the same institution with an award of full scholarship.
David has performed across the globe, including Mexico, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Spain, France, Switzerland and the UK. Currently he is part of the Con Brio Quartet, and Principal Viola with Symphony of the Americas.
Chauncy Patterson
Principal Viola
Principal viola for Symphony of the Americas:
April 11 & May 9 concerts
Shea Kole
Principal Cello
Principal cello for Symphony of the Americas:
December 6 concert
Principal cello for Symphony of the Americas: November 8, January 10, February 21, April 11 & May 9 concerts
Aaron Merritt
Principal Cello
Aaron Merritt is currently the principal cello for Symphony of the Americas and performs with Miami’s Nu-Deco Ensemble, the Palm Beach Opera, and the Naples Philharmonic, and has performed with the Florida Grand Opera and New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas from 2004-2008.
He has performed across the United States, Austria and the Netherlands and he performs at the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California during the summer months.
With his colleagues in the Sona String Quartet, Mr. Merritt has presented over one hundred educational concerts for underserved schools and communities in the Greater Miami area.
Mr. Merritt maintains a private studio, and his students have participated in and won competitions in the US and abroad, including the Sphinx and Tchaikovsky. He studied at Indiana University (BM) and Rice University (MM). Principal teachers include Lynn Harrell, Emilio Colón and Helga Winold.
Ross Harbaugh
Principal Cello
Principal cello for Symphony of the Americas:
March 14 concert
Principal double bass for Symphony of the Americas: November 8, January 10 & April 11 concerts
Jeff Adkins
Principal Double Bass
A Native of West Palm Beach, double bassist Jeffrey Adkins serves as Principal Bass with Symphony of the Americas, and is a core member of Nu Deco Ensemble, Palm Beach Symphony, Palm Beach Opera and Florida Grand Opera. Read More He has also served as guest Principal Bass with Atlantic Classical Orchestra and guest Section Bass with Miami City Ballet.
In 2020, Mr. Adkins became the Orchestra Director at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. He has been a mainstay in many of the area’s top orchestra programs, serving as a string consultant for Bak Middle School of the Arts, The Conservatory School, in addition to Dreyfoos. He also serves as Adjunct Professor of double bass at Florida Atlantic University.
Mr. Adkins is a product of the Palm Beach County Public School System. He holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees from Lynn University Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers were Shigeru Ishikawa and Timothy Cobb.
Principals Double Bass
Amy Nickler
February 21 concert
Brian Powell
March 14 concert
Principal double bass for Symphony of the Americas:
December 6 & May 9 concerts
Juan Carlos Peña
Principal Double Bass
Born in Honduras, Juan began his musical studies at the Victoriano Lopez Music School. He holds double bass performance degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University, and a degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Maryland. Peña is Principal Bass with the Symphony of the Americas, Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and the Palm Beach Symphony.
In Honduras, Peña held the positions of Artistic/Technical Director of the Victoriano López Music School, Music Director of the San Pedro Sula Orchestra and the Youth Chamber Orchestra of Tegucigalpa. In Cali, Colombia he was director of the Chamber Orchestra of the Antonio Valencia Conservatory, and in La Coruña, Spain he was Music Director of the Madrigalia Chamber Choir.
As an active educator, Peña teaches at the New World School of the Arts in Miami and is a String Consultant at Dreyfoos High School of the Arts and Bak Middle School of the Arts in Palm Beach. He also teaches an orchestra repertoire class at Lynn University in Boca Raton.
Principal Harps
Laura Sherman
February 21 & April 11 concerts
Marti Moreland
December 6 concert
Melody Stein
March 14 concert
Martin Hand; Guitar
Martin Hand began with Symphony of the Americas in 2001 when he was introduced to then Artistic Director, Maestro Brookes who was very familiar with Martin as a jazz artist, but very rarely used guitar in his orchestras.
Martin has been preforming for Symphony events, including special event gatherings, Society luncheons and fundraisers since. He has performed with the Symphonic Pops Orchestra of Boca Raton under Maestro Mark Azzolina from 1988, the Naples Philharmonic under conductor Eric Kunzel, the Philly Pops under the direction of Peter Nero, the Florida Philharmonic, also under the direction of Peter Nero, and the Palm Beach Pops under the direction of Bob Lappin.
In 2021, under the direction of new Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Pablo Mielgo, Martin performed with the orchestra for the first time on stage during its 2021-2022 season performance of ‘Holidays with the Symphony’ and continues to perform with the orchestra for its 2022-2023 season.
Martin is the soloist for the February Symphony Salon at the Riverside Hotel.
WOODWINDS - Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon
Nadine Asin* – Flute
Nicole Granroth – Flute
Elizabeth Lu* – Flute
Jane Cai – Oboe
Kendra Hawley* – Oboe
Antonio Urrutia – English Horn
Robert Weiner* – Oboe
Margaret Donaghue* – Clarinet
Jesse Gilday – Clarinet
Stojo Miseriolski – Clarinet
Ciprian Stancioli – Clarinet
Christina Bonatakis* – Bassoon
Sofia Friedlander – Bassoon
Gabrielle Hsu* – Bassoon
Felipe Vina* – Bassoon
Principal flute for Symphony of the Americas:
November 8, December 6, March 14 & May 9 concerts
Elizabeth Lu
Principal Flute
Former New World Symphony Fellow, Elizabeth Lu is currently Principal Flute of the Symphony of Americas and Piccoloist of the Miami City Ballet. Other engagements have been with the Fort Worth Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony and ULTRA Music Festival.
She made her debut as a soloist with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at age 16 and has won top prizes in numerous competitions, including the National Flute Association Young Artist, New Jersey Society, NJSO, NFA High School Soloist and Orchestral Competitions.
She has been a recipient of fellowships at acclaimed music festivals including Tanglewood Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Spoleto, National Repertory Orchestra, Academie Musicale de Villecroze, Le Domaine Forget and Vianden Chamber.Read More
She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Walt Disney Hall while sharing stages with distinguished musicians such as John Williams, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Yo Yo Ma, and Yuja Wang.
Nadine Asin
Principal Flute
Principal flute for Symphony of the Americas:
January 10, February 21 & April 11 concerts
Principal oboe for Symphony of the Americas: November 8, December 6, January 10, February 21, April 11 & May 9 concerts
Robert Weiner
Principal Oboe
Robert Weiner joined The Symphony of the Americas as Principal Oboist in the Fall of 2022. He has been the Professor of Oboe at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music since 1998. He also performs with other orchestras in the South Florida area. Prior to coming to Florida he held principal oboe positions with the Oklahoma Symphony and the Mexico City Philharmonic.
Additionally, he has performed as Guest Principal Oboe with the St. Louis Symphony, Florida Philharmonic and New York City Ballet Orchestra, among others.
Past teaching positions have included Cornell University, the University of Oklahoma and the Conservatorio Ollin Yolistli in Mexico City. He has appeared as soloist and chamber musician countless times in the United States and Mexico playing major concerti. Acknowledged as an expert in specific areas of oboe playing he has been in demand for coaching and advice by oboists of all levels, including many from major orchestras.
Principal oboe for Symphony of the Americas:
March 14 concert
Kendra Hawley
Principal Oboe
Oboe and English horn soloist Dr. Kendra Hawley has performed internationally as a chamber musician, opera, ballet, theater, and orchestral player. She is currently a core member of the Nu Deco Ensemble, Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach Opera, and Tesserae Collective, a collaborative chamber music organization.
Margaret Donaghue
Principal Clarinet
Margaret Donaghue Flavin is the principal Clarinetist for Symphony of the Americas and has performed as chamber musician across three continents and in major venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, American Cathedral in Paris, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and The American Academy in Rome.
Dr. Donaghue performs as clarinetist with PULSE Trio, and the MiamiClarinet Quartet. She is co-founder and Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Chamber Music Festival, in Blue Ridge, GA.
Dr. Donaghue is Professor of Clarinet and Director of the Woodwind Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and appears frequently as clinician and adjudicator.
Dr. Donaghue has served on the faculties of Central Michigan University and the University of Connecticut. She can be heard frequently on Public Radio, and has recorded for the Centaur, Albany, Altarus and Living Composers labels.
She is a Buffet Crampon Artist and a D’Addario Woodwinds Artist.
Felipe Vina
Principal Bassoon
Principal bassoon for Symphony of the Americas: February 21, April 11 & May 9 concerts
Christina Bonatakis
Principal Bassoon
Principal bassoon for Symphony of the Americas: December 6, January 10 & March 14 concerts
Principal bassoon for Symphony of the Americas: November 8 concert.
Gabrielle Hsu
Principal Bassoon
Gabrielle Hsu is an active freelance musician based in Miami, Florida, regularly performing with local orchestras. She is Principal Bassoon with Symphony of the Americas during the 2022-2023 season. She completed her graduate studies at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami under the guidance of Gabriel Beavers, earning a Master of Music and an Artist Diploma while serving as a fellow in the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Gabrielle is especially passionate about performing contemporary works and collaborating with living composers. At the 2022 Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York she had the privilege of giving one of the first live performances of Kaghondi Wamwa Mwanga’s A Nightmare (2020) for bassoon and ankle bells. She was also chosen as one of nine instrumentalists to attend the inaugural Akropolis Chamber Music Institute and premiere several new works alongside members of the Akropolis Reed Quintet.
BRASS - Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba
Javier Aragon – Horn
Amber Dean* – Horn
Casey Maltese – Horn
Hector Rodriguez* – Horn
Raul Rodriguez – Horn
Gilberto Cruz* – Trombone
Jose Leon* – Trombone
Thomas McKee – Trombone
Vaselin Bozhilov – Trumpet
Courtney Jones – Trumpet
Anthony Perez* – Trumpet
Calvin Jenkins* – Tub
Principal horn for Symphony of the Americas: November 8, December 6, February 21, March 14, April 11 & May 9 concerts
Hector Rodriguez
Principal Horn
Hector J. Rodriguez is a Lewis-horn artist performing regularly on his handmade S.W. Lewis horn made exclusively for him in Chicago. He also performs with two other custom-made horns made for him– Pleischl (Germany), and Rauch (Norway, serial# 278). Hector enjoys performing chamber music on his American-made Conn 10D.
Hector is currently principal horn of Miami City Ballet, principal horn of Symphony of the Americas, principal horn of the Lancaster Festival in Ohio, principal horn of the Dominican Republic National Symphony Orchestra, and frequently serves as utility/extra horn with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and guest principal horn of Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy.
Besides his Master’s of Music Degree in Orchestral Studies, Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Orchestral Studies as well as a Postgraduate Artist Diploma all from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Hector holds a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Geographic Information Technology (GIT) from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Amber Dean
Principal Horn
Principal horn for Symphony of the Americas:
January 10 concert
Principal trumpet for Symphony of the Americas: Season 22-23
Anthony Perez
Principal Trumpet
Anthony Perex is Principal Trumpet of Symphony of the Americas. Trained from a very early age by Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu’s El Sistema, Anthony plays in the Venezuelan Brass Quintet and in Aquiles Baez, Rafael “Pollo” Brito and the Movida Acústica Urbana (Acoustic Urban Movement), popular music bands.
Anthony has played on some of the most important stages including the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Berliner Konzerthaus, Teatro Alla Scalla di Milano, and Salzburg Festival.
He participated in the recording of various CDs and DVDs with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela for Deutsche Grammophone, including Mambo, Dudamel Mahler 8, Rite, and the 2008 Latin Grammy nominated, Fiesta.
He is the founder of the Venezuelan Brass Quintet, and founder and conductor of the Titan Brass and Percussion Ensemble. With these two ensembles, Anthony has played concerts at national and international levels, including a double quintet concert in the USA and Canada with the world-renowned quintet The Canadian Brass.
Principal base trombone for Symphony of the Americas: Season 22-23
Jose Leonardo Leon
Principal Bass Trombone
An expert in the fields of crossover musical performance, global arts entrepreneurship, cross-generational and cross-cultural engagement/advancement, and higher education pedagogy, Dr. Jose Leonardo Leon is one of the leading Classical and Commercial music trombonists.
Jose Leonardo Leon holds a Bachelor Degree in Music from Florida International University, a Master in Music from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music.
Currently, Jose Leonardo Leon is the bass trombonist with the Symphony of the Americas, Applied Professor of Trombone at Florida Atlantic University and Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Jose Leonardo Leon is a Bach Brass Performing Artist and Clinician at Conn-Selmer Inc and a Hammond Design Mouthpieces Artist in Residence.
Principal trombone for Symphony of the Americas: Season 22-23
Gilberto Cruz
Principal Trombone
Originally from Miami FL, Cuban-American trombonist Gil Cruz is a multi-genre performing artist that spends most of his time on the US east coast. Currently finishing a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Maryland, Gil previously attended the New England Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music while living in Boston,Read More
MA and since 2011 has served as the Principal Trombonist of Symphony of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, FL.In addition, Gil has performed and collaborated with many orchestras such as the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, Miami City Ballet and with performing artists such as Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Nelly, Andrea Bocelli, and more.
Calvin Jenkins
Principal Tuba
Principal tuba for Symphony of the Americas: Season 22-23
PERCUSSION - Piano, Timpani and Percussion
Principal timpani for Symphony of the Americas: November 8, January 10, February 21, March 14, April 11 & May 9 concerts
Juanmanuel Lopez
Principal Timpani
Juanmanuel Lopez is an active timpanist, percussionist and educator based in Boca Raton, Florida. He is acting Principal Timpani with Symphony of the Americas, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the Endless Mountain Music Festival. He performs with Nu Deco Ensemble, Palm Beach Symphony and Atlantic Classical Orchestra. Other engagements include the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Savannah Philharmonic and Southwest Florida Symphony.
Mr. Lopez served on faculty at the Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Costa Rica for three years where he worked as Visiting Professor of Percussion. He was a member of Banda de Conciertos de San José and Orquesta Sinfónica de Heredia.
Juanmanuel holds a B.M. in Percussion Performance from The Peabody Conservatory and a M.M. from Cleveland State University. Additionally, he earned a Professional Performance Certificate and a second M.M. from the Lynn Conservatory of Music. His main teachers include Robert van Sice, Tom Freer and Ted Atkatz.
Lucas Sanchez
Principal Timpani
Principal timpani for Symphony of the Americas:
December 6 concert
Pablo Mielgo
Artistic Director & Principal Conductor
Steven P. Haines
Executive Director
[email protected]
(954) 335.7006
Sandy Riblett
Orchestra Manager
[email protected]
(954) 335.7007
Symphony of the Americas
2300 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 306
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
(954) 335.7002
[email protected]
EIN 65-0157441