Meet Our November Soloist: Didier Castell-Jacomin, Piano

A student of Catherine Collard, Georgy Cziffra, Fausto Zadra, and Vincenzo Scaramuzza, Didier Castell-Jacomin is a renowned performer who has performed on many of the world’s most famous stages. His debut at the Berlin Philharmonie led to invitations to perform at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall in New York, in addition to numerous venues in London, Brussels and in Spain.

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Meet Our Musicians: Luis Engelke, Principal Trumpet

Luis Engelke is Professor of Trumpet at Towson University and holds the position of Principal Trumpet with the Lancaster, Kennett Symphony, and Mid Atlantic Symphony Orchestras, St. John’s Chamber Orchestra, and Endless Mountain Music Festival. He performs well over one hundred engagements annually as a soloist and orchestral/chamber musician and serves as a Music Reviews Editor for the International Trumpet Guild Journal.

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Meet Our Musicians: Jacqueline Pollauf, Harp

Jacqueline Pollauf, harpist, has been praised for playing with “transcendent ability” (The Sybaritic Singer), “glittering beauty” (Lawrence Budman, critic for the Miami Herlad), and “most satisfying elegance” (The Toledo Blade). Past performances include the premiere of a new work for harp and voice at Carnegie Hall, and appearances at the Eleventh World Harp Congress in Vancouver, Canada, and the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art, both in Washington D.C. Jacqueline has been a featured soloist with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the Newark Symphony Orchestra, and the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, among others.

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Meet Our Musicians: Yuri Tomenko, Principal Viola

Violist Yuri Tomenko was born in Stavropol, Russia. He received his first musical training when he was six years old at the Youth Music School #1 in Stavropol, where he studied violin with Victoria Tolkacheva. He then continued his violin studies with Igor Pisarev at the Stavropol State School of Arts. As per Mr. Pisarev’s ecouragement, Mr. Tomenko also began studying viola, which eventually became his sole instrument of choice. After three years of study under Igor Pisarev, he moved to the USA on scholarship to Washington Adventist University, where his viola teacher was Victor Yuzefovich. Mr. Tomenko further continued his studies with Stephen Wyrczynski at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he received a Master’s degree in viola performance.

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Meet our Musicians: Dana Newcomb, Principal Oboist

Dana Newcomb is a freelance oboist living in Delaware and performing all along the mid-atlantic region. She is on the faculty of the Music School of Delaware, and currently serves as Associate Principal Oboe and solo English horn of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, as Second Oboe and solo English horn with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and as Co-Principal Oboe with the Endless Mountain Music Festival.

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