Mark Barton
Bass Trombone/Tuba

Current tubist with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, the Moores Brass Quintet, and teacher of Applied Tuba and Chamber Music at the Moores School of Music. He is an active teacher and freelance artist, having performed with the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and the Waco Symphony. Mr. Barton received degrees in music education and applied music from Baylor University in 1981 and then taught for several years in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.

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Monica Daniel-Barker
Flute

Houston-based flutist Monica Daniel-Barker is an active performer and teacher of students all ages. She currently maintains a private studio in Summerwood in the Northeast area of Houston, and serves as the webmaster and a board member of the Houston Flute Club. She has maintained an active symphonic performance career, previously holding positions in the Phoenix Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, IRIS Orchestra, and Tulsa Philharmonic. Most recently she held the Principal Flute positions in various orchestras in California, including the Pacific Symphony, the Modesto Symphony, and the Oakland East Bay Symphony, and she still maintains her title as Principal Flutist in the Marin Symphony and California Symphony. She has spent summers performing with the Colorado Music Festival, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and the National Repertory Orchestra. Monica has been the winner of various competitions, including the Utah Flute Association/Summerhays competition and the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition, where she also received an award for the best performance of a newly commissioned work written by Oliver Schneller. Solo engagements have included performances with the Salt Lake Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Philharmonic, and the Marin Symphony. She has received international recognition from being a prizewinner at the Internazionale di Flauto "Domenico Cimarosa", held in Aversa, Italy, and advancing in the prestigious Kobe Flute Competition, held every four years in Japan. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Joshua Smith. Other influential pedagogues include Jeffrey Khaner and Jim Walker.

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Phillip Freeman
Bass Trombone

Phillip Freeman joined the Houston Symphony in September 2007 as the orchestra’s bass trombonist. Prior to his appointment to the HSO he was an active freelance musician, performing in a broad range of classical and commercial settings. In addition to performing with the Sarasota Opera Orchestra for six seasons, he has also performed with Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra, the Florida West Coast Symphony, and the Houston Ballet. At the other end of the spectrum, he has played several of the musical tours to come through Houston, as well as many performances with the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project.

A native of Houston, Mr. Freeman began his musical studies on euphonium before taking up bass trombone during his senior year at the University of Houston. After completing a degree in composition, he continued his study of the bass trombone at the Manhattan School of Music. He was awarded fellowships to the Tanglewood Music Center and the Spoleto Festival USA.

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Lorento Golofeev
Viola, High School

Violist Lorento Golofeev’s professional training began at the age of five at “S. Rahmaninov” Moldavian Musical Lyceum. In 2000 he obtained a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the National Moldavian Academy of Music. Prior to his graduation, he was a section player Moldavian State Philharmonic Orchestra performing all over Europe. From 2000 to 2002 Mr. Golofeev was the Assistant Principal Viola in the Moldavian Opera Theatre Orchestra. In 2003 he came to Houston to study with Lawrence Wheeler at the Moores School of Music of the University of Houston where he completed his Masters of Music degree in Viola Performance three years later. Since the spring of 2003, Lorento has been a member of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. Recently, Mr. Golofeev won position in the Houston Ballet Orchestra.

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Cheryl Huddleston
Bassoon

Cheryl Huddleston’s passion for teaching has enriched the lives of a new generation of bassoon students. A devoted advocate of music education, Ms. Huddleston has written and produced a series of outreach concerts entitled “Music in Your Life for Your Life.” This program encourages young people to integrate their love of classical music into their lives as adults. She is also the author of a new book, Foundations for Success: Technical Training for the Young Bassoonist. As a result of her teaching experience, Ms. Huddleston has been invited to present master-classes in the training of pre-collegiate bassoon players at the Texas Band Association convention, the University of Michigan and Rice University. Born in Surrey, England, she received her early music training in Pittsburg, Kansas. She studied at the University of Michigan, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees with Highest Honors. She is a recipient of both the Nicholas Falcone and the Earl V. Moore awards, the latter granted to outstanding graduates who have demonstrated a capacity for significant accomplishment within their field. A student of Richard Beene and Benjamin Kamins, Ms. Huddleston was a founding member of the Zephyr Woodwind Quintet, with whom she has recorded works of Danzi, Haydn and Mozart. She has been a featured soloist with the Houston Chamber Orchestra and is a regular performer with the Houston Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Huddleston has appeared with the Round Top Festival Orchestra, the Sarasota Opera Orchestra, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria of Mexico City.

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Anthony Kitai
Cello, High School

Anthony Kitai joined the Houston Symphony in 1999, serving as Acting Associate Principal Cellist from 2003-2005. Previously, he was a member of the Memphis Symphony and the Iris Chamber Orchestra. As a soloist, Anthony Kitai has appeared with the Galveston Symphony, Doctors Orchestra of Houston, Jonesboro Symphony, Fort Smith Symphony, and Pine Bluff Symphony. He has participated in music festivals including Grand Teton, Schleswig-Holstein, Aspen, and Sewanee. As a chamber musician, Anthony Kitai has performed with Mercury Baroque, and on Col Canto and Foundation for Modern Music concerts. He frequently collaborates with his wife, pianist Shannon Hesse, and has performed with her on the Galveston Island Arts Academy Concert Series, Westminster Summer Concerts, and Greenbriar Consortium Concerts. Anthony Kitai enjoys teaching and maintains an active private studio where his students regularly play in Texas All-Region and All-State Orchestras.

Anthony Kitai received his bachelor’s degree and performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music and his master’s degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His major teachers include Desmond Hoebig, Steven Doane, Paul Katz, and Peter Spurbeck.

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John Law
Violin, Middle & High School

B.M., Boston Conservatory; MM., Yale University. Violin studied with Sidney Harth, Victor Romanul, Kevork Mardirossan, Lynn Chang. Chamber music studied with Alexander Schneider, Erick Friedman, Mark Churchill, Michael Lewin, Jonathan Bass, Syoko Aki. Assistant concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Former associate concermaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Teaches at Tulane University and New Orleans Baptist Seminary.

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Edward Lawrence
Cello, Middle School

A native Houstonian, Mr. Lawrence has pursued a wide range of musical interests. In addition to conducting, he is an active performer on the piano, violin, viola and violoncello. His proficiency on all of these instruments gives him a particular insight into chamber music coaching, which he does all year as part of his regular teaching schedule.

Mr. Lawrence attended the Eastman School of Music where he studied piano with the renowned Cecile Genhart. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received a B. M. in music theory and a performer’s certificate in violoncello while studying with Phyllis Young. At her request he taught for four years in the University’s nationally acclaimed String Project, serving as director of music theory. He was asked to restructure the program’s theory classes to better meet the special aspects of teaching this discipline to young string players.

Mr. Lawrence has been a member of the Austin Symphony, the Orchestra of Santa Fe, the Houston Ballet Orchestra and several other performing groups. For many years he was an active instrumental accompanist and vocal coach.

This is Mr. Lawrence’ sixth season at the American Festival for the Arts.

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Erika Lawson
Viola, High School

Erika Lawson received her undergraduate degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Charles Castleman, Atar Arad, and Abram Loft. While in her native New York State she played with the Albany Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic, spending summers at Charles Castleman‘s "Quartet Program". Before moving to Houston to attend the Shepherd School, Ms. Lawson traveled in Japan, playing and soloing with the Yamagata Symphony. She performs regularly with the Houston Ballet Orchestra and is a member of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Mercury Baroque, and Shades of Grey String Trio. Ms Lawson has also performed with the Bach Society and the Aquinas Early Music Ensemble.

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Laurette McDonald
Viola, Middle School

Biography coming soon

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Kevin McIntyre
French Horn

Kevin McIntyre received a Bachelor of Music degree from McNeese State University in 1988. He received his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University in 1990 where he was a student of Dale Clevenger. Since then he has performed in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, Russia and Japan as well as the U.S. Currently, Kevin resides in Houston where he is an active performer and teacher. Along with playing Principal Horn with Theater Under the Stars he performs regularly with the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Paragon Brass Ensemble. In addition to performing Kevin teaches privately and is on the faculty at Houston Community College and Houston Baptist University.

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Kate Mathews
Cello, Middle School

Biography coming soon

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Mamie Morlacci-Cook
Violin, Middle School and Middle School Chamber Music Coordinator

Mamie Morlacci begins her seventh year at Klein Forest. She has a diverse career in both music education and performance. She comes to Texas from Tucson, Arizona. She is an accomplished violinist and music educator. Ms. Morlacci received two Bachelors degrees from The University of Arizona in Violin Performance and Music Education, and a Masters degree from the University of Houston in Music Education – emphasizing string pedagogy and violin performance. Ms. Morlacci has studied violin under Ronald Copes, John Ferrell, Ken Goldsmith, Millard Taylor, and Andor Toth – as well as performing in numerous master classes for well-known artists. Other musical experiences have taken place in Chautauqua, Colby College, and Kneisel Hall. She is a former member of the Arizona Opera Orchestra and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Morlacci’s teaching experience has included orchestra positions in Tucson, Arizona, Spring Branch I.S.D. in Houston, and her current position as Head Orchestra Director of the Klein Forest High School Orchestras. Her orchestras at Klein Forest have consistently received sweepstakes at U.I.L. competitions as well as being invited to perform in festivals throughout Texas and the United States, including Carnegie Hall in April, 2001 and March, 2005. The Klein Forest High School Full Symphonic Orchestra has ranked continuously among the top six orchestras in the State of Texas. Many of Ms. Morlacci’s private violin students have achieved top ratings in solo and ensemble competitions as well as region orchestras. She has also served as guest clinician and adjudicator for several intermediate and high school orchestra competitions, both in Arizona and Texas. Ms. Morlacci is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, American String Teachers Association, and an alumni of Sigma Alpha Iota. Ms. Morlacci is currently a member of the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra and a freelance violinist in the greater Houston area. In 2001, Ms. Morlacci was invited to perform a series of concerts in New York City, which included Carnegie Hall and Riverside Church. Ms. Morlacci lives with her husband Allen Cook – she thanks him for all of his love and support.

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Christopher Neal
Violin, High School

Christopher Neal (First Violin) joined the Houston Symphony in 2001. Prior to that he was a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre, North Carolina Symphony and Naples Philharmonic. He holds degrees from Loyola University New Orleans and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Chris has participated in festivals at Spoleto USA, Tanglewood and Norfolk and has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Houston Symphony. As a chamber musician, he has performed in venues as varied as KUHF radio and Saez and Zouk, a midtown nightclub. Chris enjoys teaching, and has been on the faculty of the American Festival of the Arts in Houston. He is married to Mila Ivkovich Neal, a professional violinist who works with the Houston Grand Opera and Ballet, and has two children: Maja, 6 and Luka, 3.

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Richard Nunemaker
Clarinet

Richard Nunemaker has had a varied and prolific career as a symphony musician, concert soloist, recording artist, producer, educator and author. Nunemaker played clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone with the Houston Symphony Orchestra from 1967-2008. He was also a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra in 1966, the Louisville Orchestra from 1964-1966 and the Erie Philharmonic from 1962-1964.

Born in Buffalo, New York Nunemaker’s career has run the gamut from managing his own dance bands in high school, to being in the pit for New York road show productions such as West Side Story, My Fair Lady and South Pacific as well as being a featured soloist both in recital and with symphony orchestras around the country.

A strong advocate of music by living American composers, Nunemaker has commissioned over fifty works for clarinet and saxophone. As a record producer he has produced and recorded five solo CDs featuring this music. He has been a featured soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and on numerous occasions has appeared with the orchestra in live television and radio broadcasts. Nunemaker has recorded two CDs with the Houston Symphony Orchestra featuring the music of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. He has published four books, Scale and Chord Studies, If The Shoe Fits, The Effortless Clarinet and The Effortless Saxophone.

Nunemaker has been an artist/teacher for the Las Vegas Music Festival and The Sewanee Summer Music Center. At present he is a member of the faculty for the University of St. Thomas in Houston and keeps an active private studio. Richard Nunemaker is president of The Houston Composers Alliance, Music by Living American/Houston Composers and a member of The Houston Tuesday Musical Club. More information about Richard Nunemaker can be found at: www.RichardNunemaker.com.

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Bryan Parkhurst
Harp

Bryan recently graduated from Rice (B.M. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) where hestudied harp with Paula Page and harmony, counterpoint, and analysis with Karim Al-Zand. Right now he isworking on a Ph.D. in music theory at the University of Michigan. Some of Bryan's musical and music-theoretical interests include: the aesthetics of music, philosophies of art and beauty, the history of music theory, the history and practice of figured bass and continuo accompaniment, Bach's life and music, and eighteenth-century countrapuntal practices, and solfege.

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John Randolph
Viola, Middle School

John Randolph is a graduate of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Wayne Brooks and Atar Arad. In addition to American Festival for the Arts, he has also taught and coached for among others, Sam Houston State University and Houston Community College and Young Virtuosi. He has taken part in the festivals of Tanglewood, American Institute for Musical Studies, Round Top and the Grand Tetons. He has performed with among others Theater Under the Stars, Houston Ballet, Ars Lyrica and the Bach Society.

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Kathleen Staten
Oboe

Kathleen Staten performs throughout Europe and North America as an oboist and Baroque woodwind specialist in historical performance. Her performing career includes a decade of work with the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, the internationally-acclaimed Bach Ensemble under the direction of Joshua Rifkin, Apollo's Fire (Cleveland), Tempesta di Mare (Philadelphia), the New York Collegium, Ensemble Rebel and Clarion Society (New York), and many others. With these groups she has performed at such venues as Symphony Hall in Boston, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, part of the PROMS festival in London's Royal Albert Hall, and throughout Europe, Canada and America.

Recently, Ms. Staten was featured as an oboe, recorder and flute soloist in a concert of the Brandenburg Concertos in Germany with The Bach Ensemble. She has been a finalist in international solo and chamber music competitions
(Bodky and Early Music Network). As a soloist and member of chamber ensembles, her playing has been featured on CBC broadcasts, NPR's Performance Today and Harmonia. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree as well as a prestigious Artist Diploma and Performer's Certificate from Indiana University and also studied at the Eastman School of Music and the
Interlochen Arts Academy.

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Erin Stephens
Violin, Middle School

Erin Stephens attended AFA as a student during the summers of 1999-2002 and returned to AFA as an Alumni Intern in 2003. After graduating high school, she was awarded a full tuition scholarship to Baylor University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance. There she performed with the Baylor and Waco Symphonies. Her principal teachers include Lawrence Wheeler, Dr. Eka Gogichashvili (at Baylor), Dr. Peter Isaacson, and Doreen Hanrahan.

After graduating from Baylor magna cum laude in May 2006, Ms. Stephens returned to Houston where she began her career as a violin instructor. In addition to teaching, Ms. Stephens performs with the Victoria Symphony and freelances in the greater Houston area. She begins her third year at Cy-Fair Music and Arts and St. Francis Episcopal Day School, and she also clinicians in the Cy-Fair and Humble Independent School Districts.

Ms. Stephens is thrilled to join AFA’s violin faculty. Through the years, AFA monumentally influenced her life as a musician, as an instructor, and as a person.

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Tom Tillotson 
Trumpet

Thomas Tillotson (trumpet) is originally from Teague, Texas. He has played with the Paragon Brass Ensemble since its inception, first as a regular substitute and since 1992 as a fulltime member. Tom came to Houston to attend Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music where he received his degree in trumpet performance. While there he studied with Mack Guderian, Charles Geyer, and John DeWitt. Tom has performed with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Theater Under the Stars, J.S. Bach Society, Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and the Woodlands Symphony. Tom is adjunct professor of trumpet at North Harris College and teaches privately.

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Trung Trinh
Violin, High School

A native of Vietnam, Trung Le Trinh studied violin with Ta van Toan, Robert Brink, Jaimie Laredo and Valeria Vilker-Kuchment. Prior to coming to the United States with his family as refugees in 1975, he graduated from the Saigon Conservatory of Music and Drama in Violin Performance and Solfege. He also received his Bachelor and Master of Music Performance degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Trinh has participated in many music festivals, including the Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Round Top International Music Festival, Evian Music Festival of France and Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. His Carnegie Hall debut with Apple Hill Chamber Ensemble in 1979 drew critical acclaim. He has performed with orchestras such as Boston Classical Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Vermont Symphony, ProArte Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and the Worcester Symphony Orchestra. A member of the Accent Flute Quartet, Mr. Trinh is also assistant principal of the Houston Ballet Orchestra, and performs frequently with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. Concert performances have brought him throughout the United States and to Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Lithuania, Russia, and Japan. A respected violin/viola teacher, many of Mr. Trinh’s private students in Kingwood and Houston area have been selected for Texas All-State Orchestra and other honors. He has performed with the Kingwood Chorale since it was formed in 1988, and served as its concertmaster and orchestra contractor since 1997.

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Michael Warny
Trombone

Michael Warny received his degree in Music Education from the University of Houston, where he studied euphonium with William H. Rose and trombone with Al Lube. He also studied with the Empire Brass Quintet at the Tanglewood Music Festival. He has studied and performed with Summit Brass at the Keystone Institute. Michael has performed and toured nationally and internationally with the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Chicago Chamber Brass, Texas Opera Theatre, Theatre under the Stars and Paragon Brass Ensemble. He is currently member of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Houston Ballet Orchestra. Mr. Warny is on the faculty at the Texas Music Festival and the International Festival-Institute at Round Top. He is in great demand as a freelance performer, clinician, consultant and private instructor. Michael is a representative/clinician for Edwards trombones and Custom Music Company/Hirshbrunner euphoniums.

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Alec Warren
Percussion

Alec Warren has performed with the Woodlands Symphony, the Irving Symphony, TUTS, the Houston Choral Society, HITS, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Cantare, the Michelle Brangwen Dance Ensemble, the United Nations Chorus, Synergy Brass Ensemble and James Conlon among many others. He has studied tabla with Pandit Sharda Shahi and Bob Becker. Mr. Warren received his Bachelor's of Music from Sam Houston State University where he studied percussion with Rod Cannon and Ray Dillard. He received his Masters in Music Performance from the University of North Texas where he studied under Dr. Robert Schietroma, Ed Soph and Leigh Stevens. Alec is an active clinician and performer who teaches at the University of Houston, North Harris College, San Jacinto College, Friendswood, Spring and Westfield High Schools.

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Dennis Whittaker
Bass, High School

Dennis Whittaker wears many hats as a professional bassist and educator. He is the Principal Double Bassist for the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, a member of the Houston Ballet Orchestra, Mercury Baroque and Ars Lyrica Houston, the Bass teacher and String Area Coordinator for the Moores School of Music, University of Houston, has a full private teaching studio, and is a bass pedagogy consultant. He has appeared on six world premeire compact discs with the Houston Grand Opera, various recordings with Houston artists, and on recordings as principal Bass with the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.

He was the winner of the Gary Karr Foundation National Double Bass competition in 1987. He has performed recitals, concerts and master classes in Japan, China, Italy, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Louisiana.

Mr. Whittaker performs as a substitute bassist with the Houston Symphony and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Whittaker earned his Bachelor’s in Music Education from Baylor, his Masters in Music from Northwestern. His teachers include Paul Ellison, Eugene Levinson, Jeff Bradetich, Mark Whitney and Michael Cameron.
Mr. Whittaker’s students are represented in the National Symphony, Colorado Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, New World Symphony, Aspen, Tanglewood, Domaine Forget and the Pacific Music Festival.

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Steven Wiggs
Cello, High School

Steven Wiggs is currently a member of the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Ballet Orchestras and is a cello instructor at the Bridges Academy Of Fine Arts. He was previously a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the New Orleans Symphony) and the Oklahoma Symphony. Steven began his musical studies in Louisville, Kentucky where he studied cello with students of Janos Starker. He continued his studies for two more years with cellist Regina Mushabac at the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, flutist Amy Saxton Wiggs, have performed together as duo soloists with orchestra for the premieres of two works written for them. Steven and Amy perform each Sunday with a chamber group for the worship services of Christ The King Presbyterian Church. They perform regularly for weddings with their chamber music business Accent Chamber Music.

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