Alumni

The Alumni Association of ISO strives to keep alumni connected with ISO, immersed in music making, and sharing their gifts with current ISO students. Through the Alumni Association, former ISO members can play chamber music together, socialize, and even perform with the ISO Symphony! Connections with current ISO students come in the form of tutoring and mentoring, providing internships, and attending ISO’s concerts!

Let us know where you are and what you’re doing! Update us at alumni@isorch.org and our mailing list to keep current on ISO news.

Join the Alumni Facebook Group

Here is what a few ISO alumni are doing

Beatrice Affron
Music Director and Conductor, Pennsylvania Ballet
Website

Igor Begelman
Faculty of Brooklyn College Conservatory and Sarah Lawrence College and soloist with orchestras and chamber music groups.
Website

Joseph Bousso
Resident conductor (1st Kapellmeister) at the opera house in the Koblenz Opera House (Germany) winner of the 1st International Conducting Competition in Bucharest, Rumania. He was resident conductor of the Opera House in Weimar, Germany from 2008-2011.
Website

Melissa Brooks
Associate Principal Cello, St. Louis Symphony
Website

Chris Coletti
Trumpet, Canadian Brass
Website

David DeRiso
Bass, St. Louis Symphony
Website

Matthew Dine
Principal Oboe, American Ballet Theater Orchestra, Oboist with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and professional photographer
Website

James Gaffigan
Conductor, principal guest conductor, effective with the 2012-13 season with the Gürzenich Orchestra (Cologne, Germany). In addition to conducting concerts he will lead the orchestra in CD recording projects and in productions presented by the city’s Oper Köln. Gaffigan is chief conductor of Switzerland’s Lucerne Symphony and principal guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Website

Ariana Ghez
Former Principal oboe of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Website

Vadim Karpinos
Assistant Principal Timpani, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Michael Leonhart
Trumpet player with Steely Dan; youngest artist to win a GRAMMY at age 17
Website

Daniel Matsukawa
Principal Bassoon, Philadelphia Orchestra; faculty member at Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University
Website

Tito Muñoz
Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony and previously Music Director of the Opéra national de Lorraine and Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, and Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Website

Carin Miller Packwood
Principal Bassoon, Oregon Symphony
Website

David Rozenblatt
Drummer with Barry Manalow’s band and adjunct professor at Hofstra University
Website

Dov Scheindlin
Violist with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Website

Barry Stern
Conductor of ISO at ISO Symphony and Orchestra Director at Fort Hamilton High School
Website

Nicholas Tzavaras
Cellist with Shanghai String Quartet
Website

Basil Vendryes
Principal Violist with Colorado Symphony

Brian Worsdale
Founder and Conductor of ISO Symphonic Band and Artistic Director of French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts

Ljova Zhurbin
Composer, arranger, and violist. Original compositions for film, TV, dance, and the concert stage; arranging for Yo-Yo Ma, the Kronos Quartet, Jay-Z, and Osvaldo Golijov, among others. Featured in a New York Times article in August 2010.
Website

Audition for Spring 2020!

Alumni

Here is what a few ISO alumni are doing