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.

Dr. Deborah Clasquin, piano (Session I) is a Professor of Music and senior member of the keyboard area at Humboldt State University, where she teaches studio piano, piano performance seminar, piano pedagogy, accompanying and Music History. Dr. Clasquin enjoys an active career as an orchestral soloist, as well as recitalist and chamber musician, and has appeared in recital in Paris, Moscow, Kiev, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C. and throughout Northern California. Numerous awards and prizes have marked her performing career, including a gold medal at the International Piano Recording Competition and second prize at the International Bartok Competition. Dr. Clasquin holds degrees from Smith College, New England Conservatory of Music and a Doctorate in Piano Performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Menahem Pressler, pianist of the renowned Beaux Arts Trio. Her students have won numerous competitions, including the gold medal in both the Senior and Concert Artist divisions of the Magin International Competition in Paris, France, silver medals at the Virginia Waring Competition, as well as an appearance on NPR's "From the Top".

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. More recently he was the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the San Antonio Symphonyn from 2005 until his promotion to Vice President and General Manager in 2007.

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) performs regularly with the Modesto Symphony and Brassworks of San Francisco, and frequently with the San Jose Symphony, San Jose Opera, and the American Musical Theater. A graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory and CSU-Hayward, he also teaches music at Patton College, Oakland. He has been attending Sequoia since 1993.

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.

Cindy Moyer, violin (Session I & II)

Nic Kuster, bassoon (Session I & II)Nicolasa Kuster is joining the faculty of University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in the Fall of 2008. She is a Founding Director of The Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, an international competition for young women bassoonists from the Americas. From 2000 to 2008, she was Principal Bassoonist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, on the faculty at Wichita State University?s School of Music, and bassoonist with the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet.

Nicolasa has held positions in the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She is Principal Bassoonist of the New Hampshire Music Festival and has been a guest artist at the Anchorage Music Festival, Ameropa Chamber Music Festival and Solo Course in Prague, Czech Republic and the Spoleto Festival, Italy, making multiple recordings on the Chandos label with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. She was Visiting Professor of Bassoon at the Oberlin Conservatory in Fall of 2003.
Nicolasa holds a B.M. and B.A. from Oberlin College and Conservatory and did graduate work at DePaul University.

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.

Shalini Vijayan violin (Session II) received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. Shalini is a founding member and Principal Second Violin of new music group Absolute Ensemble and has recorded several albums with them including the 2001 Grammy nominated Absolution. Now living in Los Angeles, Shalini is a member of the Pacific Symphony and Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific Orchestras, and is concertmaster of the conductorless chamber orchestra, Mladi.