Alex Stepans grew up in Albany, California and started playing
the piano when he was five. He soon discovered the glorious
instrument that was the French Horn in the fourth grade and
promptly dumped the piano to embark on an epic adventure that has
so far spanned 9 years and several schools. He is currently being
led by his fellow French Horn spirit guide Pete Nowlen. He has
also just returned from an arduous one year journey with the
Oakland Youth Orchestra, in which he was co-principal party
leader.
Adam Morales has played french horn with the UCDSO since his
freshman year at UC Davis in 2008. In high school he played in an
award winning marching band as well as several honor groups and
the Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra. He is currently
pursuing degrees in Music Composition and Technocultural Studies.
Adam enjoys producing music and would like to produce soundtracks
for television and film.
Jessica Sheu is a first year Materials Science and Engineering
major at UC Davis, but is thinking of changing her major. She has
played violin, piano, and flute, but switched from flute to
bassoon in her sophomore year of high school and has been playing
it ever since. She is from San Jose, California, and was a member
of the Santa Clara Honor Band, her high school’s band program.,
and the San Jose Youth Symphony’s Philharmonic Orchestra as well
as its Avant Flute Choir. This is her first year in tne UCDSO.
Bobby Olsen is a junior from Irvine, California, and has been
playing the horn since the 6th grade. He also took piano lessons
for a few years before that. Interest in the horn has its roots
in a “Peter and the Wolf” video Bobby had as a toddler. During
the 2007 to 2009 school years, Bobby was the principal horn of
the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is currently
studying horn with Pete Nowlen. Bobby is a Mechanical and
Aeronautical Engineering student and hopes to bring feasible and
economic super-sonic air travel to the commercial sector.
Andy Clausen is a first year Music major from Antioch,
California. He picked up the bassoon to fill an instrumentation
hole in tenth grade, and hasn’t looked back. He has performed
with the Diablo Wind Symphony and other groups in the past, but
prior to joining the UCDSO had never been in an orchestral
setting. Andy hopes to enter the composition track of the music
major, and hopes to be able to be able to secure a job that would
allow him to continue to enjoy music.
Hannah Darlymple is a freshman with an undeclared major. She has
played bassoon for six years and has been in honor groups such as
the Ventura County Honor Band and the Conejo Valley Youth
Orchestra. She has also been in college ensembles. She was in the
Moorpark College Community Orchestra and was in the Tournament of
Roses Honor Band marching on the alto saxophone. Hannah is from
Ventura County in Southern California.
Leigh Jacobsen is a first year Animal Science major from San
Francisco. She had been playing the bassoon since 6th grade
and attended San Francisco School of the Arts high school.
She played in her school Wind Ensemble, Symphonic band and
Symphony orchestra all four years. This is her first year
in the UCDSO.
Janine Wong is an undergraduate at UC Davis, and she is majoring
in biochemistry. She previously studied clarinet with Mark
Brandenburg and is currently studying with Ann Lavin. She was a
member of California Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra and also El
Camino Youth Symphony. She also participated in CBDA and received
a Grand Performance award at CMEA. She is currently a member in
orchestra and chamber music.
Kevin Choy is an undergraduate at UC Davis, and he is majoring in
Electrical Engineering and Economics. He studied clarinet with
Joe Bonfiglio for 9 years, and he is currently studying with Ann
Lavin. He has participated in numerous honor bands such as CBDA,
was a finalist in the Amador Livermore Youth Symphony
Competition, and received the Grand Performance award at the CMEA
duet competition. This is his first year in the UCDSO, and he
loves playing in an orchestra.
Thomas Ivy is currently in his third year at UC Davis; this is
his second season with the Symphony, having been in the Concert
Band last year. He is a mechanical engineering major, and plans
to complete a music minor. Tom has been playing the clarinet
since the fourth grade and has participated in everything from
orchestras to concert bands to jazz bands; he went to Hawaii with
the Menlo-Atherton Jazz Band and to Poland and Germany with the
El Camino Youth Symphony. He also studies privately, currently
with Ann Lavin, and has participated in solo festivals and
performances.
Aaron Hill is an undergraduate, senior student who is majoring in
Music Performance and Human Development. He has been playing
clarinet and piano for approximately twelve years, and is
studying clarinet under the instruction of Ann Lavin. In 2008, he
graduated from Clayton Valley High, where he was able to perform
with the CBDA all-state honor band, and was an avid member of its
wind ensemble and drum major of its marching band. This
will also be his fourth year as a member of the UCDSO.
Robert Brosnan, DVM, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the
Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences in the UCDavis
School of Veterinary Medicine. His fields of expertise include
mechanisms of anesthetic action and cardiopulmonary effects of
anesthesia. After earning a BS degree from UCLA in 1994, Brosnan
took his DVM at UCDavis in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Physiology in
2002, playing clarinet and bassett horn all the while. His is a
2004 diplomate of the American College of Veterinary
Anesthesiologists.
Britney Satow is a second year student who plans on majoring in
Biology with a minor in Music. Britney loves music and has been
playing piano for nine years and oboe for four and a half years.
She is from Monterey, California where she attended and graduated
from Stevenson School in Pebble Beach. In her spare time, Britney
enjoys crocheting and volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
She is very excited for her second year with UCDSO, English Horn,
and the trip to Spain!
Britney Satow is a second year student who plans on majoring in
Biology with a minor in Music. Britney loves music and has been
playing piano for nine years and oboe for four and a half years.
She is from Monterey, California where she attended and graduated
from Stevenson School in Pebble Beach. In her spare time, Britney
enjoys crocheting and volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
She is very excited for her second year with UCDSO, English Horn,
and the trip to Spain!
Stacy Habroun is a fourth year Neurobiology, Physiology and
Behavior major, and Music minor. She has been playing oboe for
eight years, and this will be her fourth and last season with the
UCDSO. She loves music, but her passion is with neurobiology and
osteopathy, and she is currently assisting with research on
nutrition and neurobehavior and working at an orthopedics clinic.
She enjoys morning runs, hiking, shopping, being with friends and
family, working at the UCD Clinique counter, and watching her
fabulous sister play soccer for UCSD.