Armand Ambrosini, clarinet (Session I & II) has been a recitalist, chamber musician and teacher throughout the United States. He is a founding member of the Cordier Chamber Ensemble, which has commissioned several new compositions and toured extensively throughout the east coast. He has served on the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Humboldt State University and is currently on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma. He holds a BFA and MFA degree from the California Institute of Arts, a MM degree from Yale University, and a DMA degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He recently coauthored a music appreciation textbook entitled An Introduction to Concert Music in Society.

Terrie Baune, violin (Session I) is currently Concertmaster of the North State Symphony based in Chico and Redding, CA, and co-Concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. She is also a member of two professional new-music chamber ensembles — the Earplay Ensemble and the Empyrean Ensemble, in residence at UC Davis. Ms. Baune’s professional orchestral credits include four years as a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C. and concertmaster positions with the Fresno Philharmonic and the Santa Cruz County Symphony. For over twenty years, Ms. Baune held the position of Concertmaster of The Women’s Philharmonic. The Women’s Philharmonic disbanded in 2004, but through her ongoing work with living composers Ms. Baune continues to be regarded as a strong advocate for new music as well as a fine interpreter of the classic repertoire.

Lisa Byrnes, flute (Session I & II) is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, where she studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Kahner; and holds a masters degree from the San Francisco Conservatory, where she studied with Tim Day. For many years a free-lance chamber and orchestral player, soloist and teacher in the Bay Area, she is currently assistant principal flutist of the Utah Symphony in Salt Lake City.

The third generation bassist in his family, Charles DeRamus, bass (Session I & II) is currently a member of Sweden’s national orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has served as principal bass of the NorrlandsOperan (Sweden), been a member of the New World Symphony, and worked extensively with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. His Studies include degrees from Indiana University, Rice University, and participation in numerous summer festivals. Charles is currently a faculty member at the Idyllwild Arts Summer festival, has served on the faculties of All-State at Interlochen and the University of Michigan Summer Arts Institute, and has given guest masterclasses in England at the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School.

Courtney Sedgwick Filner, Assistant Director and Viola (Session I & II) is a native of Minnesota and is currently a member of the San Antonio and Austin Symphonies, and has previously been a member of the Richmond Symphony, the Florida Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. She has been a member of the Colorado Music Festival viola section since 2001, and has been coaching, performing and doing a wide variety of administrative work for the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop since 2004. She is also the violin and viola instructor at Texas Lutheran University and a registered Suzuki teacher of violin and viola. As a member of the Ansonia Quartet and the New World Symphony Chamber Players, Courtney has performed chamber music in such venues as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum in Boston, Teatro Nationale in San Jose, Costa Rica, and Carnegie Hall in New York. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory, and a Master of Music from U.C.L.A.

David Filner, Executive and Artisitic Director/Viola (Session I & II) was named director of Sequoia in November 2002, having been a participant, dorm monitor and coach since first attending Sequoia in 1986. He received undergraduate degrees in English and Viola Performance from Oberlin College and a Masters Degree in Viola Performance from Rice University. As a chamber musicians he won prizes in both the Coleman and Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions with the Basmati String Quartet. As an orchestral musician he has held positions as Assistant Principal Violist of both the Alabama and Charlotte Symphony, Principal Viola of the Knoxville Symphony and as a member of the New World Symphony. He has been the Vice President and General Manager of the San Antonio Symphony since 2007.

Ethan Filner, Associate Director/Viola (Session I and II), studied viola and chamber music with Atar Arad, Roger Chase and James Dunham at Indiana University-Bloomington, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, and New England Conservatory in Boston. As the Faculty (Subject to change) violist of the San Francisco-based Cypress String Quartet since 2001, he has performed, recorded, commissioned, premiered and coached chamber music throughout the U.S., Mexico and Europe. From 2003-2009 he taught viola and chamber music at San Jose State University, where the Cypress was Quartet-in- Residence. He first attended Sequoia in 1989.

Leighton Fong, Cello (Session I & II) A longtime member of the Left CoastChamber Ensemble, Mr. Fong also serves as Principal Cellist with the California Symphony and teaches cello and chamber music at UC Berkeley. He plays regularly with the SF Contemporary Music Players and the Empyrean Ensemble. A recipient of grants from the Beebe Foundation and the American-Scandanavian Foundation, he studied in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bern, Switzerland. Mr. Fong is a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory, where his teachers included Bonnie Hampton, Timothy Eddy and Gary Hoffman. Mr. Fong has also attended the Tanglewood Festival and performed at music festivals in Banff and Blue Hill, Maine.

William Harrington, horn (Session I & II) is principal horn with Berkeley Opera and also performs regularly with the Modesto Symphony and Brassworks of San Francisco. Over his 30 years as a professional hornist, he has performed with every professional orchestra, opera, ballet and musical theater company in the Bay Area. A graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory and California State University, East Bay, he is now Chair of the Music Department at Patten University, Oakland, where he directs the university orchestra, chamber music and music education programs. He has been attending Sequoia since 1996.

Carol Jacobson, cello (Session I & II) holds a BA from HSU, with further studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Royal Danish Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory-the Haugue. She was formerly a member of the Dutch National Ballet Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Symphony, and the North Coast Chamber Players. She presently directs the Eureka Symphony Orchestra as well as the Arcata High School Orchestra. She also teaches studio cello at Humboldt State University.

Sharon Kuster, bassoon (Session I & II) is in her 27th season as the Principal Bassoonist of the San Antonio Symphony. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of California where she studied with the late Norman Herzberg. Prior to joining the SA Symphony, Sharon was with La Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz in Mexico. Summer festivals have included the Breckenridge Music Institute in CO, Sunriver Music Festival in OR, Cactus Pear Music Festival in San Antonio, Masterworks Festival in Indiana, and she is in her 19th summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming. Sharon also plays with the Olmos Ensemble, a chamber music group in San Antonio, and teaches privately.

Born in Bulgaria, Daniela Mineva, piano (Session I & II) began piano lessons at the age of five with her mother as her first teacher. Her unique approach to standard repertory, combined with the performance and dedication of works by living composers, make her in demand as one of the most promising young concert artists of our time. Orchestral engagements and solo recitals included the most prestige venues in Bulgaria, USA, Italy, France and Russia. Ms. Mineva has won prizes from numerous international and national competitions including the 2007 Jean Francaix piano competition in Paris, France and the 1998 Steinway International Piano Competition. She has also premiered and commissioned works by many North American and European masters. An award-winning and devoted music educator, Dr. Mineva has presented master classes and lectures throughout U.S and Europe and has taught at renowned institutions including Eastman School of Music, Hochstein School of Music-Rochester, NY and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan.  Currently, she is Assistant Piano Professor at the Humboldt State University Music Department.

Cindy Moyer, violin (Session I & II)

Thomas Nugent (oboe I & II) holds a Bachelor of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where his major teacher was Marc Lifschey. He is currently visiting professor of Oboe at University of the Pacific, principal oboe with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, a founding member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and a member of the Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, San Jose Symphony, and Oakland Symphony. He has performed as a soloist with the Diablo Ballet, San Francisco Choral Artists, and for the American Guild of Organists.