HPO Musicians

HPO Artistic Director - James SommervilleArtistic Director - James Sommerville

James Sommerville is the Artistic Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic. He adds this title, and a growing conducting career, to his duties as principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, horn soloist and chamber musician.

Earlier stints with the orchestras of Toronto and Montreal, and several guest appearances with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe brought a great deal of travel and a large discography as an orchestral player. A first prize winner at the international solo competitions of Munich and Toulon, Mr. Sommerville has presented critically acclaimed performances throughout North America and Europe. His 1998 recording of the Mozart Horn Concertos won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Recording in Canada, and his recordings of Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings and Canticle III were also widely praised.

Mr. Sommerville performs regularly at many music festivals, and has recorded chamber music for the DG, Telarc, Marquis and CBC labels. He has conducted orchestras at Tanglewood, the New England Conservatory, and the Longy School, among others. This year’s calendar brought stops in Northern Ontario, Canada; Kobe, Japan; Ascoli Piceno, Italy; and Tanglewood. Recent notable solo performances include the world premiere of Christos Hatzis’ Winter Solstice, performed in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; the American premiere of Ligeti’s Hamburg Concerto; the John Williams Horn Concerto; the Weber Concertino on the valveless classical horn and the Elliot Carter Horn Concerto commissioned for him by the BSO.

Other appearances in 2008, as soloist, chamber musician, and conductor, will take him to Hamilton, San Jose (Costa Rica), Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Germany and many stops in Canada and the USA.

HPO CORE MUSICIANS 2007/2008

Lance Elbeck, Concertmaster

Helen Hong, Associate Concertmaster

Mikhail Brat, I Violin

Myron Moskalyk, I Violin

Tamara Hrycak, I Violin

Cecilia Chang, I Violin

Bethany Bergman, Principal II Violin

Philip Sarabura, II Violin

Suhashini Arulanandam, II Violin

Elizabeth Loewen Andrews, II Violin

Chau Luk, Principal Viola

Elspeth Thomson, Viola

Brandon Chui, Viola     

Karen Matsumaru, Viola

Jack Mendelsohn, Principal Cello

Laura Jones, Cello

Marsha Moffitt, Cello

Vivian Minden, II Flute/Piccolo

Jon Peterson, Principal Oboe
Nancy Nelson, II Oboe/English Horn

Stephen Pierre, Principal Clarinet
Michele Verheul, II Clarinet

Eric Hall, Principal Bassoon

Melanie Eyers, II Bassoon

Ken MacDonald, Principal French Horn

Neil Spaulding, II Horn

Michael Fedyshyn, II Trumpet

David Pell, Principal Trombone

Jean Norman Iadeluca, Principal Timpani

Rob Wolanski, Acting Principal Double Bass