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BackWashington National Opera Orchestra
As the resident opera company of the Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera (WNO) draws on a rich history to offer high-quality grand opera featuring internationally acclaimed artists and productions. Under the directorship of WNO Principal Conductor Evan Rogister, the Washington National Opera Orchestra is the musical heartbeat of the company, playing for all WNO productions in the Kennedy Center Opera House.
Comprised of 61 musicians from around the nation and the world, the Orchestra has played under the baton of such famed conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, James Levine and Mstislav Rostropovich, as well as former WNO Music Directors Heinz Fricke and Philippe Auguin, former WNO General Director Plácido Domingo. Highlights of the Orchestra's history include performances of the world premiere of Menotti's Goya (1986), accompanying WNO on its tour to Japan (2002); and numerous recordings and broadcasts which have introduced WNO to audiences around the globe.
Orchestra members hail from China, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, New Zealand, South Korea, and Spain, and all regions of North America. Orchestra members and have trained at the leading conservatories in Europe and the United States, including Juilliard, Eastman, and the Curtis Institute, among others, and most hold advanced degrees in their field. Members earn their positions through a highly competitive audition process, and many remain with the company for years and decades, resulting in a cohesive group of artists keenly attuned to the nuances of making music with world-class opera artists.
The Orchestra's roots date back to the company's founding in 1956 as the Opera Society of Washington. As the small but intrepid group of opera lovers grew into an internationally recognized opera company, the musicians grew with it, and the orchestra was officially established as a professional orchestra in 1978. Today, the same musicians also constitute the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, the Center's resident orchestra which provides the music for most musicals and ballets in the Center's nine theaters and performance spaces, as well as the CBS television broadcast of the Emmy® Award-winning Kennedy Center Honors.
Evan Rogister, the Principal Conductor
Violin I
- Oleg Rylatko, Concertmaster
- Eric Lee, Associate Concertmaster
- Ko Sugiyama, Assistant Concertmaster
- Zino Bogachek+
- Joan Cataldo
- Michelle Kim
- Karen Lowry-Tucker
- Susan Midkiff
- Chair Vacant
- Chair Vacant
Violin II
- Julia Grueninger Cox, Principal
- Najin Kim, Assistant Principal
- Richard Chang+
- Xi Chen
- Jessica Dan Fan
- Martha Kaufman
- Timothy Macek
- Victoria Noyes
Viola
- Allyson Goodman, Principal
- Elizabeth Oka, Assistant Principal
- Philippe Chao+
- Leon Neal
- Elizabeth Pulju-Owen
- Uri Wassertzug
Cello
- Amy Frost Baumgarten, Principal
- Susan Yun, Assistant Principal
- Ignacio Alcover+
- Timothy H. Butler
- Kristen Wojcik
- Igor Zubkovsky
Bass
- Robert D'Imperio, Principal
- Francis Carnovale, Assistant Principal
- Christian Gray
Flute
- Adria Sternstein Foster, Principal
- Stephani Stang-Ferry, Assistant Principal
- John Lagerquist
Piccolo
- John Lagerquist
Oboe
- Igor Leschishin, Principal
- Carole Libelo, Assistant Principal
- Kathleen Golding
English Horn
- Carole Libelo
Clarinet
- David Jones, Principal
- Benjamin Chen, Assistant Principal
- Ashley Booher
E Flat Clarinet
- Benjamin Chen
Bass Clarinet
- Ashley Booher
Bassoon
- Joseph Grimmer, Principal
- Christopher Jewell, Assistant Principal
- Samuel Blair
Contrabassoon
- Samuel Blair
Horn
- Geoffrey Pilkington, Principal
- Nathaniel Silberschlag, Assistant Principal
- Wei-Ping Chou
- Peter de Boor
- Robert Odmark
Trumpet
- Tim White, Principal
- Christopher Tranchitella, Assistant Principal
- Michael Rossi
Trombone
- Lee Rogers, Principal
- Douglas Rosenthal, Assistant Principal
- Stephen Dunkel
Bass Trombone
- Stephen Dunkel
Tuba/Cimbasso
- Chair Vacant, Principal
Timpani
- Jonathan Rance, Principal
- Greg Akagi, Assistant Principal
Percussion
- John Spirtas, Principal
- Greg Akagi
Harp
- Susan Robinson, Principal
Librarian
- Shelley Friedman, Librarian
Administration
- Amanda Joos, Orchestra Manager
- Ashley Stonebraker, Orchestra Assistant Manager
Washington National Opera In Memoriam
Watch Tribute to Donald Shore
Una furtiva lagrima from L'elisir d'amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
Paul Groves, Tenor
Donald Shore, Bassoon
Washington National Opera Orchestra
2006
Used by permission
Key:
- * Leave of Absence
- + begins an alphabetical listing of musicians who participate in a system of revolving chairs within the string section.
WNO Blog
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Applications now open! Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program 2020-2021
on Jul 18, 2019 02:13 PM -
Welcome to the 2019-2020 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists
on Jul 01, 2019 07:32 PM -
The “opera man” down the street gives an impromptu lesson
on May 07, 2019 04:56 PM -
Keri Alkema | Meet the Artists
on May 01, 2019 03:05 PM -
Ethan McSweeny | Meet the Artists
on Apr 29, 2019 03:10 PM -
Congratulations, Alexandria Shiner!
on Apr 08, 2019 06:43 PM -
Erin Wall | Meet the Artists
on Mar 14, 2019 01:34 PM -
Marcelo Puente | Meet the Artists
on Mar 13, 2019 01:33 PM -
Igor Golovatenko | Meet the Artists
on Mar 06, 2019 04:10 PM -
Anna Nechaeva | Meet the Artists
on Mar 04, 2019 05:04 PM
