Trombone
ESTHER ARMENDARIZ
Principal
Sponsored By Earleen Overend & Wayne Palmer
Sponsored By Frank Verprauskus
Esther Armendariz is a freelance trombonist and California native. In the fall of 2017, she will begin performing as principal trombone with the Santa Cruz Symphony. A freelancer in the San Francisco Bay Area, Esther also is the second trombonist for the Stockton Symphony and plays with other local orchestras including Symphony Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Symphony. In 2016, she finished a temporary one-year position as Associate Principal/2nd trombone with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and while living in Denver performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Brass. While not playing in large ensembles, Esther performs regularly in a brass quintet alongside other Santa Cruz Symphony players. Esther received a master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and bachelor's degrees in trombone performance and public relations from the University of Southern California.
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MICHAEL CUSHING
Michael Cushing, alto and tenor trombone, is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music and the Yale School of Music. After finishing school, he toured for several years playing musical theater before settling in the Bay Area. As a specialist in Renaissance and Baroque brass performance practice, he has appeared with the San Francisco Bach Choir, Gabrieli West, and was Associate Music Director for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. He currently plays 2nd trombone with the Santa Cruz Symphony and West Bay Opera.
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DOUGLAS THORLEY
Doug Thorley, Bass Trombonist, moved to Colfax from the Bay Area fifteen years ago. He performs locally with the Sierra Brass Quintet, TCCA, theatre groups and the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra, and teaches music at Live Oak Waldorf School in Applegate. Doug also plays with Philharmonia Baroque, Santa Cruz and Sacramento Symphonies, American Bach Soloists and San Francisco Bach Choir, and has performed at the Taos, Carmel Bach and Mendocino Summer Festivals.