The Orchestra Unleashed
is composed of players who are excellent at their art, and passionate about bringing the sounds of the orchestra to audiences in new and compelling ways. You can get to know some of our principal players below.
Sara Andon, Flutist
Flutist Sara Andon is an international soloist and recording artist known for
her ravishing tone and deeply engaging musical interpretations. A versatile
performer in many music genre including solo, chamber, symphonic, opera, ballet,
jazz and Broadway, she has performed all over the world in major concerts
venues, TV and radio broadcasts as well as on many motion picture sound tracks.
Ms. Andon has performed with several orchestras including the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, Tulsa Opera, New West Symphony, Los Angeles
Master Chorale, California Philharmonic, Pasadena Pops, New Haven Symphony,
Orchestra New England, San Francisco Western Opera Theater, Miami City Ballet
Touring Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. She has worked w/ such world
renown conductors as Kurt Masur, David Zinman, John Maucheri, Jorge Mester and
Esa-Pekka Salonen. She has also performed with the orchestras for many Broadway musicals including ”Les Miserables,” Disney’s “Beauty and Beast” and the critically acclaimed hit Broadway show “Wicked” ( LA Company). As a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Andon has performed throughout the United States, Italy, France, England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and China including performances at Carnegie hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall (NYC), St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, “CBS Sunday Morning,” Universal Amphitheater, Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles.
For more information, please visit her web site: www.SaraAndon.com and www.facebook.com/saraandon
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Victoria Sabonjohn has dedicated her life to the performance and teaching of music for over 12 years. Her two passions are performing oboe and english horn in an orchestral setting and teaching, both privately and in the classroom. As a professional oboist, Mrs. Sabonjohn performs actively in the community, giving yearly recitals and playing with several local chamber groups and orchestras, most recently with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Mrs. Sabonjohn maintains an vibrant private teaching studio with an annual student recital and community outreach throughout the year. Mrs. Sabonjohn graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stetson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, studying oboe with Dr. Ann Adams. She immediately pursued a Masters Degree in Oboe Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, under the instruction of Laura Ahlbeck.
Back to List Eleanor Weigert, Clarinet
American clarinetist Eleanor Weigert has enjoyed more than ten years in the world of classical and contemporary music. She has performed with the Pacific Symphony, the Southern California Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Chamber Opera Company, Orchestra Toronto, the Arbor Opera Company, in recording sessions at the Warner Brother’s scoring studio, the Glenn Gould Studio, and with ensembles in Carnegie Hall and the Disney Concert Hall. Since arriving in Los Angeles in the fall of 2009, Eleanor has joined the Debut Orchestra and contemporary music ensemble “Wild Up!”. Eleanor was also invited to join the World Youth Orchestra for their 2010-2011 tour of Spain. In the summer of 2009, Eleanor was awarded a fellowship to play in the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen (AACA) orchestra at the Aspen Music Festival, to which she returned in the summer of 2010 and 2011. In 2008, Eleanor gave the world premiere of Kirsten Volness’ Ultraviolet for clarinet, bass clarinet and electronics at the 2008 annual convention of the
Society for Electro Acoustic Music in the United States (“SEAMUS”), held in Salt Lake City. Eleanor earned her Bachelor of Music with honors from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and an Artist’s Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of acclaimed soloist Joaquin Valdepeñas. Eleanor is currently studying with internationally renowned clarinetist Håkan Rosengren.
Back to List Michael Davis, Trumpet
Michael Davis has performed with such ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Symphony, Philip Glass Ensemble, Riverside Symphony, and the Santa Clarita Master Chorale. Michael has collaborated with popular musicians Devendra Banhardt, Fabrizio Moretti, Noah Georgeson, Adam Green and Rodrigo Amerante. Most recently, Michael traveled to Japan to perform as a guest artist with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra.
Back to List Robert Coomber, Trombone
Studied trombone with Barrett O’Hara at the California State University, Northridge where he received a Bachelor of Music Degree (cum laude) and later received a Master of Music degree in Trombone Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music under Dr. John Marcellus. He was teaching assistant in Trombone and Euphonium while there. He currently teaches at El Camino Community College, and works for The Hornguys. As a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area, he performs everything from orchestral music to big band jazz. Member of New West Symphony, Downey Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, Burbank Philharmonic, West Los Angeles Symphony and the Cabrillo Music Theatre. He often performs with the Long Beach Symphony, Desert Symphony, Symphony In The Glen, and Torrance Symphony. In Musical Theatre, he has performed Phantom Of The Opera with Davis Gaines, Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis, Kiss Of The Spider Woman with Chita Rivera and Cinderella with Sally Struthers. Has also performed with Tony Bennett, Kenny Rogers, David Sanborn, Johnny Mathis, and Leonard Nimoy.
Back to List Scott Higgins, Percussion
Scott Higgins has been a freelance percussionist in Los Angeles for the last 35 years. Orchestras that he performs with on a regular basis include the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, and the new West Symphony. His work in the recording industry includes hundreds of recordings for T.V., motion pictures and video games. Composers he has worked with include John Williams, David Newman, Danny Elfman, and Don Davis.He has also recorded more than 70 CD’s. He can be heard on CD’s by the L.A. Phil, Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, Judy Collins, and the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble.
Back to List Amy Wilkins, Harp
Amy Wilkins is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she was a student of Eileen Malone. She is currently working as a freelance harpist in the Los Angeles area. Orchestras that she performs with include New West Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. For the past seven years she has been the harpist for the Pageant of the Masters orchestra in Laguna Beach, California.
Musical theater has also been a large part of her performing career. Broadway shows that she has played for include Beauty and The Beast, Ragtime, Showboat, The Matthew Bourne productions of Swan Lake and Cinderella, and The Producers.
She has also been involved in the recording of soundtracks for movies, T.V. shows and CD’s. She recorded the world premier of Invention 3 for Solo Harp by Carlos Chavez for the Grammy nominated series by Southwest Chamber Music.
Back to List Anna Kostyuchek, Violin
Anna Kostyuchek received her degree of Master of Music from University of California, Los Angeles. In 2006 she began touring Europe with the Stuttgart Bach Academy Festival Ensemble for four consecutive years. In the 2009 tour of Stuttgart Festival Ensemble Anna performed as an Assitant Concertmaster on the spectacular stage of the Berlin Philharmonic. That very year Anna Kostyucheck was a part of the European premiere of Messiah, written by renown Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström that took place in Eberbach Monastery’s Basilica in the Rheingau, Germany. Anna also performed as Assistant Concertmaster with Philharmonie der Nationen on the stage of Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland. Here in Los Angeles Anna performs professionally with groups ranging from chamber and symphony to pop and studio sessions. Among many renown composers and conductors, Anna has performed with John Williams, David Newman, Justus Franz, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Helmuth Rilling. Anna was invited to play for the Jascha Heifetz Society Master Classes where she performed for Ruggiero Ricci, Clair Hodgkins, Eric Fiedman, Dr. Eugene Gratovich, Takayuki Mori, and Hing Ho. Anna is a member of Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Riverside Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Master Choral Orchestra. She is currently Concertmaster of The Orchestra Unleashed and Assistant Concert Master of the Glendale Philharmonic and Mozart Classical Orchestra. Anna has also performed in the orchestras for Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett, Bert Bacharack, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Hamlish, Betty Buckley, Harry Connick, Jr., as well as the Television shows American Idol and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Other TV shows and motion picture soundtracks include Boston Legal, Survivor, Final Season, Batman Returns, Grey’s Anatomy, and Dexter. She also appears with Elton John in his music video, “The Heart of Every Girl”. This year Anna was a part of the American Music Awards orchestra for Diddy Dirty Money and Taylor Swift. Anna has also performed with the Black Eyed Peas, Steven Tyller, Beyonce, and Carrie Underwood.
Back to List Stephen Custer, Cello began piano studies at age seven and the cello at age nine. Four years at Juilliard followed, with Leonard Rose and Maurice Eisenberg being his main teachers. He also earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in cello at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the U.S. Air Force Band Strings. In September 1971, he became principal cellist of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra as well as cellist in the Symphony’s Cazenovia String Quartet. While in Syracuse, Mr. Custer was soloist with the Symphony in Don Quixote by Strauss. In 1974 Stephen joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic cello section with whom he has performed with four music directors and countless guest conductors at the Hollywood Bowl, LA Music Center and around the world. He has frequently played with the Westlake Chamber Ensemble, Amici Musicae Ensemble, the Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Society and New Music Group. Steve has also appeared in numerous recitals and solo concertos in Southern California.
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