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Our Orchestra

Miami City Ballet Orchestra

Every Miami City Ballet performance is perfectly complemented by the lustrous sounds of our very own live musicians, led by Principal Conductor Gary Sheldon.

The Miami City Ballet Orchestra enlivens the action, inspires our dancers, and transports us to the heights of imagination and the depths of the soul. The orchestra, comprised of the finest musicians throughout the area, performs for the complete subscription season and all Nutcracker performances.

In the early years, members of the Florida Philharmonic performed under Maestro Ottavio DeRosa for Miami City Ballet from time to time. Subsequent principal conductors for the company have included Maestri Akiro Endo, Juan Francisco LaManna and Gary Sheldon, whose tenure began in 2010. The Opus One Orchestra began performing in the pit in 2007.

The 2023/24 season represents the first we proudly announce the orchestra’s new title: Miami City Ballet Orchestra.

Miami City Ballet Orchestra

Music Director & Conductor

Gary Sheldon

First Violin

Mei Mei Luo, Concertmaster 

Geremy Miller, Associate Concertmaster 

Erika Venable, Assistant Concertmaster 

Samvel Arakelyan 

Ashley Liberty 

Ericmar Perez 

Anthony Seepersad  

Victoria Stepanenko  

Jenny Lee Vaughn 

Joseph Vaughn

Second Violin

Sheena Gutierrez *

Dina Kostic

Eduardo Martinez 

Akiko Rivera 

Viola

Michael O‘Gieblyn * 

Mujan Hosseinzadeh * 

Valerie Judd 

Modesto Marcano 

Vishnu Ramankutty

Cello

Ashley Garritson * 

Elizabeth Aron 

Philip Lakofsky 

Angela Maleh

Bass

Janet Clippard * 

Susan Dirgins-Friend 

Douglas Ferreira

Flute/Piccolo

Karen Fuller * 

Elizabeth Lu 

Nicole Granroth 

Oboe

Erin Gittelsohn * 

Kendra Hawley 

Antonio Urrutia 

English Horn

Kendra Hawley

Antonio Urrutia

Clarinet

Richard Hancock * 

Amalie Wyrick-Flax 

Ciprian Stancioi

Bass Clarinet

Ciprian Stancioi

Bassoon

Christina Bonatakis * 

Carlos Garcia 

Contrabassoon

Carlos Garcia

French Horn

Christopher Komer * 

Stan Spinola * 

Sharon Janezic                                    

Ania Kucia 

Greg Miller

Trumpet

Kevin Lyons * 

Marc Reese 

Pamela Smitter 

Trombone

Juan Zuniga * 

Alexander Walden 

Bass Trombone

Karla Rojas

Tuba

Calvin Jenkins *

Timpani

Andrew Proctor *

Percussion

Mikhail Mikhelson * 

Doug Friend

Harp

Kristina Finch * 

Kay Kemper * 

Piano

Francisco Rennó * 

Ciro Foderé 

Mandolin

Philip Lakofsky

Geremy Miller, Orchestra Manager  

Susan Dirgins-Friend, Orchestra Librarian 

Kristina Goldson, Orchestra Assistant 

* Principal  

Pointe of Interest

The Orchestra typically includes 45-50 musicians in the pit, depending on the requirements of the music score. The musicians of the ballet orchestra lead busy careers performing for other orchestras and teaching in many area schools.