Our Members
Executive & Co-Artistic Director
Beth Ross-Buckley, flute Read Biography
Soloist and chamber musician Beth Ross-Buckley, is principal flutist and frequent soloist with Orchestra Nova (formerly the San Diego Chamber Orchestra). An original founding member of Camarada, Beth is an advocate of chamber music, dedicated to her craft. With a passion for producing and performing in concerts that engage the public, Beth continues to promote great music in San Diego. Beth is experienced in all genres of chamber music from classical to latin. Her performances include standard venues in San Diego such as The Neurosciences Institute and St. Paul's Cathedral as well as unusual places, such as Little Italy Art Galleries. Beth has been the driving force behind Camarada for the past few years and has added many new venues, compositions and musicians to it's already celebrated history.
Beth received her Bachelor of Music in Flute performance from St. Olaf College and her Masters of Music from the University of Minnesota. Her teachers include Kay Sahlin, Julia Bogorad, Damian Bursill-Hall, Frances Blaisdell and Timothy Day. Beth has been a featured artist at the National Flute Association Convention and Music Teacher's Association of California. Other performances include San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, She is a sought after adjudicator throughout Southern California. An avid photographer, Beth is dedicated to creating timeless portraits and has started her own business called Heartlight Photography. Her passions include family, friends, reading and traveling.
Co-Artistic Directors
Dana Burnett, pianoRead Biography
Solo pianist and collaborative artist Dana Burnett has been featured with the Eastern Philharmonic, North Carolina, Virginia and Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestras. She has been a faculty member of UNC-Chapel-Hill, Vanderbilt University and the University of Wisconsin. For 13 seasons she was on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina. As a chamber musician Dana Burnett's collaborations have included the Manhattan Wind Quintet, the Rosewood Trio of Washington D.C. and a member of the Hancock Chamber Players of Philadelphia; a group dedicated to commissioning works for oboe, horn and piano. Her recording with Lisa Kozenko, oboist, on the Arabesque label of Doubles by Judith Lang Zaimont, was named to Chamber Music America's Century List of recordings.
Dana Burnett's collaborations include performances with Ransom Wilson, Hilary Hahn, Nathaniel Rosen, Andres Cardenas, John Mack, and the legendary Leonard Rose. Other festival performances have included the Skaneateles Festival, NY, Bar Harbor, Maine New Music festival and the Virginia Arts Festival. She has recorded for the Naxos and Arabesque labels and her performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G has been featured many times on NPR. Ms. Burnett was awarded the Alban Berg Fellowship to study at the Franz Schubert Institute in Austria, and received an Artist Diploma and accompanying prize from that institution. Locally, Dana is a sought after chamber musician, teacher coach. She has performed throughout California and was a guest collaborative artist at the 2009 and 2010 California Music Teacher's State Conventions. Dana Burnett has performed with Camarada in recent years and is looking forward to her tenure with this ensemble.
Travis Maril, viola Read Biography
With performances hailed as "vivacious" and "highly polished and finely tuned," violist Travis Maril has gained nationwide attention as a chamber musician. As violist with the Hyperion String Quartet, Mr. Maril won a top prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, had performances broadcast on NPR's Performance Today and collaborated with chamber music luminaries including the Mir String Quartet and members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Mr. Maril has won top prizes at the Aspen Academy of Conducting Concerto Competition and the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus's Young Artist Competition. Recent festival appearances include La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival (Germany), and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.
Locally, Mr. Maril plays frequently with the San Diego Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and has appeared often on the Art of Elan Series and at the Athenaeum's chamber music series. Mr. Maril is currently on faculty at San Diego State University, and has been a viola and chamber music coach at the Montana Chamber Music Workshop. In addition to his performance career, Mr. Maril is the Online Content Coordinator at the La Jolla Music Society and CEO of Impresario Music, a music contracting service. He earned his bachelors degree magna cum laude from the University of Southern California, where he was a Trustee Scholar and selected as an Outstanding Graduate, and his masters degree from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. His primary teachers have been Donald Mcinnes, Ralph Fielding, Brian Chen and Jeffrey Irvine. He is very excited to join Camarada as its Co-Artistic Director.
Artists
David Buckley, violin Read BiographyDavid Buckley, violin, performs chamber and solo recitals in the San Diego region with expertise in violin/flute duo repertoire. He has performed with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and is currently co-concertmaster of the La Jolla Symphony. |
Erin Breene, cello Read BiographyErin Breene, cello, received her MM degree at Juilliard, and BM at Rice University's Shepherd School. After moving to San Diego, Erin has become the permanent cellist of the California Quartet. Ms. Breene was recently appointed as Associate Principal Cello of the Opera Pacific Orchestra, and she has also served as principal cellist of the Juilliard Symphony and Orchestra, the Shepherd School Symphony, the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and the Aspen Sinfonia. |
Fred Benedetti, guitar Read BiographyFred Benedetti, guitar, is a full-time professor of music at Grossmont College where he is chair of guitar studies, and is a member of the guitar faculty at San Diego State University. Fred has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Czech Republic, Japan, and Taiwan. In 1986 Fred was one of twelve performers chosen worldwide to perform in the prestigious Andr?s Segovia Masterclass. As a BMI-affiliated composer, Fred has written numerous contemporary pieces for the international CD library company Network Productions and as a studio musician for 20 years his playing is featured on over 60 CDs. |
Jeremy Kurtz, double bass Read BiographySan Diego Symphony principal bassist Jeremy Kurtz has a diverse musical background that includes solo, chamber and orchestral performance. He is the winner of numerous competitions, including the 1997 International Society of Bassists solo competition, and was the only bassist to be featured in Strad Magazine's January 2000 "New Century, New Talent" issue. His recital experience is extensive, including solo appearances in Houston, Memphis, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, and appearances at several International Society of Bassists conventions. He performed Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison's bass concerto with the San Diego Symphony in March 2007 as one of fifteen bassists participating in the coast-to-coast premiere of the piece, and has also appeared as soloist with New Jersey's Riverside Symphonia and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Mr. Kurtz ha s performed chamber music at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, La Jolla SummerFest, San Diego's Art of Elan Series, and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. A graduate of the Curtis Institute and Rice University, his main teachers have been Harold Robinson and Timothy Pitts. His wide musical interests have also led him to study with such artists as jazz bassist John Clayton and classical/bluegrass bassist-extraordinaire Edgar Meyer. In addition to his performing pursuits, Mr. Kurtz is on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Bassists, and is on the music faculty at San Diego State University and Idyllwild Arts Academy. He recently released his first solo CD, "Sonatas and Meditations." |
Louis Fanucchi, accordion/bandoneón Read BiographyLouis Fanucchi, accordion/bandone��n, has been a professional virtuoso since age 15. In addition to a Bachelor of Music from SDSU, Louis studied six years with the great accordion teacher: Anthony Galla-Rini. Awards include 1st place in 16 and 17 year old categories of the ��Accordion Federation of America��s�� West Coast Competitions in Los Angeles, and in 1984 Winner of the ��National Accordion Virtuoso Competition�� In D enver, Colorado. Greatly influence by Astor Piazzolla, Fanucchi has performed with Luciano Pavarotti, Bette Midler, The Gypsy Kings, Frankie Lane, Bob Geldof, The St. Louis Symphony, The American Ballet Company (New York), San Diego Chamber orchestra, Starlight Opera, and the Old Globe. Currently Lou is resident accordionist for The San Diego Symphony. |
Susan Barrett, oboe Read BiographySusan Barrett, oboe, has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in New York and Europe, performing as soloist with the Israel Sinfonietta of Beersheva, Israel. Ms. Barrett has recorded for Radio France, Kol Israel Radio, Austrian Radio and Yugoslavia Radio. Currently, she is principal oboe of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. |
Sheryl Renk, clarinet Read BiographySheryl Renk is the Principal Clarinetist of the San Diego Symphony. She
was the Principal Clarinetist of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra for 10
years and was formerly an acting member of the San Francisco Symphony
for four years. |
Frank Renk, clarinet |
Ryan Simmons, bassoon Read BiographyRyan Simmons, bassoon, performs with the San Diego Symphony, and is also principal bassoon with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. Ryan has a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He has played in numerous orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ryan has participated in festivals including the La Jolla Summerfest, Marlboro, Verbier, and Tanglewood. He has been Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at Jacksonville University and SDSU. IN addition, he has played on recordings for the EMI, Sony, and various television and movie recordings. |
Mike McCoy, French Horn Read BiographyMike McCoy, a San Diego native, has been the horn player for the Presidio Brass since its inception. In addtion to Presidio, he has been Co-Principal with San Diego's Orchestra Nova and currently performs in the horn sections of San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Opera Pacific and Pacific Symphony. Mike has played lead horn with the traveling Broadway shows Lion King, Tommy and Wicked, and is an active movie and commercial recording artist with notable credits including "Mr. Jones" (1993), Kate & Leopold" (2002), Jackson (2008), Arm II, the knights templar (2008), and was lead horn on the "Everquest" game soundtrack as well as section horn on "Bionic Commando Revived" (2007). He has played with the Billings MT. Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Nevada Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, Orchestra de Baja California, Strauss Symphony of America, toured the West Coast as a soloist with the New England Youth Ensemble, and played lead horn in Carnegie Hall under John Rutter conducting his choral works. He has been affiliated with the Millennia Consort, Brador Brass and Helix Brass Ensemble, as well as been an adjudicator for California's All-Southern Honor Band and Orchestras. Mike studied at the San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts, followed by San Diego State University and Boston Conservatory of Music. |
David Savage, bassoon Read BiographyBassoonist David Savage has been performing with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and music theater groups for over 30 years. In addition to bassoon and contrabassoon he also performs on many other woodwind instruments as well as dabbling with electronic and digital instruments. Based in the San Diego area, he has also performs regularly with ensembles throughout Southern California, Mexico, and Oregon. He has performed in a wide variety of commercial, concert, and educational venues (presenting concerts to some 30,000 public school students during the past year). His interests and performances range, as they have throughout his career, from renaissance, baroque, and classical music to modern, microtonal, and experimental works. |
Robert Zelickman, clarinet Read BiographyRobert Zelickman, clarinetist, is a Lecturer of Music at UC San Diego where he has taught since 1983. In addition to teaching clarinet and performing contemporary music, Robert conducts the UCSD Wind Ensemble and lectures on The Symphony and Jewish Music. Besides his duties at the University, Robert can be seen in many other venues throughout the community. He is a member of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera. Robert is also well known throughout California as the co-director of the Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble. Zelickman earned his BA at UCLA and a MFA from Cal Arts. |
Mark Shannon, clarinet |
Elena Mashkovsteva, harp Read BiographyElena Mashkovsteva, harp, is principal harp with the Baja California Orchestra and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. A graduate from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, her performances include the National Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshoi Theatre and the National Radio and Television Orchestra of Moscow. |
Ken Bell, narrator Read BiographyKen Bell, bass/narrator, has performed with Camarada in Many Moons and "a little BIRD told me," by John Lorge and narrated Peter and the Wolf for the San Diego Symphony. Mr. Bell is the conductor of the Pacific Coast Concert Band, Assistant Conductor of the La Jolla Symphony Chorus, Choral Director for the San Marcos Lutheran Church and Ocean Hills Choral Society. |
Eric Bromberger, narrator Read BiographyEric Bromberger, a violinist in the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, is presently program annotator for the Washington Performing Arts Society at the Kennedy Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Bank of America-Boston Celebrity Series, San Francisco Performances, La Jolla Music Society, San Diego Symphony, Stotsenberg Recital Series at Pepperdine University, San Diego's Mainly Mozart Festival, and others. In the fall of 2000 he became one of the program annotators of the Minnesota Orchestra. |
Tango Alma, tango ensemble Read BiographyVisit WebsiteTango Alma, formed by Todd Martin and Marizabel Arango in 1999, has become one of the most popular tango performing and teaching ensembles in California. Their performances have taken them across the continental United States, Hawaii and Mexico, sharing the stage with some of the world's greatest tango dancers. |
Gloria Lanuza, flamenco dance |
Christopher Acquavella, Mandolin Read BiographyChristopher Acquavella is a classical mandolinist/guitarist currently residing in San Diego, California. Chris started playing guitar at the age of ten. He studied guitar with Robert Hoth and Peter Pupping. In 2001, Chris directed all of his attention to the classical mandolin. He graduated First Class Honors with a BMus (Hons) degree in Performance from Trinity College of Music in London, England. He studied under the instruction of Alison Stephens and participated in Master Class with German virtuoso, Caterina Lichtenberg. Chris won the Wolfsan Foundation Music Award in 2004 and was awarded the TCM Trust Silver Medal for String Studies in 2006. He represented Great Britain in the European Guitar and Mandolin Youth Orchestra, which performed several concerts throughout Greece and recorded an album in 2003. Chris Acquavella has performed at major venues across Europe and America both in a solo and chamber music capacity. He currently performs with guitarist, Nathan Jarrell (Duo Acquavella/Jarrell), as well as other San Diego based musicians. Aside from chamber music, Chris concertizes as a soloist & orchestral musician with various orchestras such as Blackheath Halls Orchestra (UK), Dartington Festival Orchestra (UK), Trinity String Ensemble (UK), E.G.M.A. (DE), New City Sinfonia (USA), Cashel Entertainment (USA) and the San Diego Symphony (USA). As well as performing, Chris is also a guitar/mandolin instructor at Old Time Music in San Diego and Buffalo Brothers in Carlsbad. |
Board of Directors
Beth Ross-Buckley, Secretary Read BiographyBeth Ross-Buckley, Secretary, is principal flute with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera. She is a frequent soloist with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and has been a featured artist at the National Flute Association Convention and the California Music Teacher's Association. |
Jennifer Anklesaria, Vice President Read BiographyJennifer Anklesaria is chairwoman of the Anklesaria Family Foundation, which promotes education and culture throughout the world. She devotes much of her time to volunteer activities, such as teaching English as a foreign language, supporting reading programs and various activities at her children's schools. Her professional background includes business services and consulting, advertising and marketing. |
Stephanie Bremond, President Read BiographyStephanie Bremond is a clinical social worker and medical ethicist. She was a founder and board member of a charter school in San Diego, and currently serves on the boards of Vista Hill and the Emilio Nares Foundation. In addition, she has participated in fundraising efforts for the Elementary Institute of Science, and a mentoring program for college bound high school seniors. She has also been involved with the STAR Awards event for the Performing Arts League. |
Dr. Cynthia Stuenkel Read BiographyDr. Cynthia Stuenkel is an Endocrinologist, a Women's Health expert, and a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego. She is on the Board of Trustees of the North American Menopause Society, and has been involved with educational initiatives for the Endocrine Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She serves on the Executive Board of the Francis Parker Parent Association and as President of The Charter 100. |
Don Young Read BiographyDon Young is a well known San Diego landscape painter, whose work follows the California Plein Air School. A graduate of San Diego State University, with a B.A. in Communicating Arts, he went on to co-found the Design Quarter. It became a nationally recognized graphic design firm that was instrumental in engineering a renaissance in Southern California as a home for visual arts. His designs have been honored with every major award in the graphic arts industry. After Don's retirement from his graphic design and advertising career, he began to devote his time to painting, playing the classical guitar, travel and furthering the causes of the arts in San Diego. |
Christine Hickman |
Honorary Board Members
Linda Dicker |
Raul Guerrero Read BiographyRAUL GUERRERO, multi-media artist, has been working in the San Diego/Tijuana region for more than 20 years. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a one-person exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Mr. Guerrero is represented in numerous private and public collections and currently lectures at the University of California San Diego. |
Mary Kay Waters |
Staff
Paige Satter, General Manager Read Biography
Paige Satter is the general manager of Camarada. She also works with Orchestra Nova San Diego under the direction of Jung-Ho Pak and Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater. She has spent over 20 years working in classical music, opera, theatre, dance, and the visual arts from San Diego to Seattle. Paige earned her B.A. in Arts Management from Cal State San Bernardino and a certificate of Nonprofit Management from Chapman University. Paige is enthusiastically passionate about sharing the arts, both visual and performing, with the community of San Diego.
Upcoming Concerts
Music in Motion
Sept 17 - 19, 2010
Camarada is a great way to hear professional musicians play in smaller ensembles in a more intimate setting.
- Sarah Davis, SDSU student of the School of Music and Dance
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Current Soundtrack:
Tangata by
Astor Piazzolla
from Camarada's
"Best of Tango" CD