Laure C. Abercrombie
Violin

Laure is from France where she started to learn violin at the age of 11. She has played in numerous community orchestras: Lyon (France), Waterloo (Canada), Bordeaux (France), Damascus (Syria) and Austin. She particularly enjoys meeting people with the same passion for music but with very different personalities, and spending some hours playing music together every week.

Rachel Colombana
Bass

John Cox
Cello

Kathy Ellis
Violin

Daniel Gaskell
Violin

Martin Gaskell
Viola

Martin is an astronomer at the University of Texas who does research on supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies, but he has enjoyed composing, arranging, conducting, playing, singing, and teaching music throughout his life. In his spare time he has been writing a textbook on composing and interpreting music. The viola is Martin's second instrument. "The viola is the heart of the orchestra," he says, "but like the human heart, it isn't what you immediately notice." Martin and his wife have three kids. They all do a lot of music making together. Their son Daniel plays in the first violins. You can hear some of Martin's compositions if you enter "Martin Gaskell music" into Google or YouTube.

David Gluzman
Violin

By profession I'm an engineer and I'm playing violin in the orchestra. The passion for classical music is dating back to my teen years. While in high school I have attended a 4 year Music School with full music program in the evenings since there were no instrumental music classes in the curriculum of a regular school. After graduating from Music School I quit playing.

I regret it now very much, although never considered a musical career. I picked up my old violin 30 years later and after couple of years of intense practicing everything came back. What could be better than making music, in particular polyphonic music, such as in a symphony orchestra?

Gus Gutman
Violin

Gus Gutman took up the violin at age 40 and has been playing with the APO since it's inception. He is a retired chemist with 3M Company and was also a member of the Austin Lyric Opera Chorus for 15 years.

Ann Kestner
Viola

Lisa Lewis
Cello

Amy Leyenbeck
Violin

Bambi Lowman
Violin - Concert Master

Craig Luthy
Violin

Playing violin for 20+ years (6 years with APO). Born and raised in New Jersey, Craig is married and has 2 daughters. He works for TEKsystems, an IT consulting company.

Martha Marie
Cello

Danna McVey
Violin

Since moving to Austin in 1993, I have enjoyed working as a teacher, a librarian, and most recently a tech-support coach/trainer/team manager for Apple Computer. I rediscovered the joy of playing with an orchestra when I joined the Philharmonic in January 2009; so grateful for such a welcoming and wonderful group of people! When not playing second violin for the Philharmonic and the St. Edward's University Orchestra, singing with the Texas Choral Consort's Open Symposiums, or singing and playing the banjo, dulcimer, fiddle, and tambourine with a great group of friends, I love being home with my husband, our three cats, and our dog.

Evan Nave
Violin

Neal Nuwash
Bass

Ambrosia Ortiz y Prentice
Viola

Ambrosia is a law student at the University of Texas. She learned how to play the viola from the great Kathy Dollahon, best noted for the phrase, "Bratschen ueber alles." Ambrosia's undergraduate degree is from the University of New Mexico. She started college as a music major but quickly became a victim of the notorious cantus firmus and switched to Political Science and German. In fact, the only B she got at UNM was for a quartet she didn't realize she was enrolled in. Ambrosia was the viola section leader in the Auftakt Orchestra of Heidelberg, Germany when she studied abroad. She loves to play in a group (well frankly there's just not a lot of original music written for solo viola) and is so glad she found the Austin Philharmonic!

Virginia Raleigh
Cello

Retired computer programmer; late bloomer on the cello; member of the Silver Strings; part time artist; world traveler; renaissance woman.

Sara Ross
Violin

I am a retired systems analyst and currently, webmaster for my church. I began playing violin in 7th grade and played through high school. I put away my violin when I entered college and didn't play regularly again until 1977 when, encouraged by son Andy Ross (oboe), began playing with the Austin Community Orchestra. The rest of my family comprises husband David, very loyal member of our audience, Andy's wife Leslie Poer (horn) and Son Michael an Electrical Engineer living in Florida.

Ed Sledge
Violin, Viola, Cello

I play cello, violin and viola (one at a time). I went to UT Austin and majored in music theory/composition. I founded the Austin Civic Orchestra in October, 1977 and have played in various community orchestras and chamber groups since 1969. I am an incurable Beethoven fanatic - especially the late string quartets and piano sonatas and especially the "Grosse Fuge", Op. 133 and the "Hammerclavier" Piano Sonata, Op. 106. I recommed these to anyone who might think that music is "pretty".

Lynn Wallisch
Cello

Lynn has lived in NY, NJ, MA, MI, WI, Brazil and France, but feels most at home in Austin. She played flute, recorder, oboe and piano in HS and college, but always dreamed of playing a string instrument. One day as an adult she encountered a flyer for cello lessons tacked to a telephone pole and knew the time had come! When not happily playing her cello in orchestra or chamber music groups, Lynn works as a research scientist at the UT School of Social Work.

Jessica Watkins
Viola

Heather Cooke
Oboe

Arthur DiBianca
Clarinet

Arthur DiBianca has played the clarinet since the mid-1980s, and has played with the Austin Philharmonic since 2007. He is slightly better known for his work with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin.

Diana Hamil
Flute

Spencer Ledlow
Clarinet

Played clarinet 7th - 12th grades and resumed about 5 years ago. Also played cello for last 25 years. Interests also include tennis, stock market, sound reproduction.

Stephanie Lochet
Bassoon

Stephanie has been playing bassoon since 6th grade. She continued to play through college at the University of Texas at Tyler, where she graduated with a degree in English in 2004. She played in the Tyler Community Band and joined the Austin Philharmonic in the Fall of 2007.

Marlyn Munger
Flute

Frank Ray
Bassoon

From Amarillo; family relocated to Austin 1955; Prof. of Computer Science 1971-77; Research Scientist (astronomical instruments) 1977-2000. Studied clarinet, saxophone, bassoon and percussion from age 14. Plays bassoon in community bands and orchestras with more discipline since retirement from McDonald Observatory in 2000. Interests include: music, mathematics, physics, custom work in wood and metal, literature, poetry, motorcycling, astronomy, history. Served on New Horizons International Music Assoc. board of directors from 2008-2011.

Andy Ross
Oboe

Andy has played oboe since 6th grade and has played in most of the community groups in Austin, including the Austin Civic Orchestra, The Austin Wind Ensemble, and the Brushy Creek Band. He is a founding member of the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Charlotte Glikman
Horn

Jim Hadden
Trombone

My involvement started in the 1990's when my erst-wife was
teaching a class at the LBJ School at UT on the APO's rehearsal
night. I was the principal bassoon until the second trombonist
left the group. Since my son had recently left his trombone
behind when he went to college, I became the joint principal bassoonist/second trombonist, later also principal trombonist; when I lost the use of most of my left hand in 1995, I gave up the bassoon.

Sara Hartman
Horn

Rebecca Newman
Horn

Leslie Poer
Horn

Esther Porter
Horn

I played French Horn in High School and College. Took a 20 year break, for marriage and family, been active in community music groups since 1981, married for 47 years and I retired in 1996 after being a Budget Analyst with the Texas State Health Dept.

Travis Smith
Trumpet

David Stoddard
Tuba

David Stoddard played cornet and trumpet in high school and college, then switched to tuba. A fine traditional jazz player, he plays tuba and valve trombone with a variety of jazz ensembles in the Austin area. He is also at home in brass ensembles, concert bands and German bands. Dave has been with the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra since 2003.

David Swann
Trumpet

Brad Jones
Percussion

Brad, originally from North Carolina, has been living in Austin for 8 ½ years. He began playing percussion in 6th grade and continued to participate in classroom bands and orchestras through college. Brad has been a member of APO for the last 5 years.

Alan Smith
Percussion