MEET THE PLAYERS
SUZANNE CHIMENTI
Piano and 2nd violin
Pianist, second violinist and orchestra president, Suzanne Chimenti was a reluctant and rebellious piano student when she took lessons from her mother, Dianne Olivier, early in life. Eventually the music won her over and she became a passionate musician and was a vocal major in college. She plays piano, banjo, guitar, and ukulele.
In 2013 she joined the symphony with the greatest of desires to play the violin but very little skills. She faced humiliation week after week when she was the only violinist with tape on her violin denoting the positions. Since then she has studied violin with WFS violinist, Elysa Boynton. She is continually improving and often practices hours every day but faces constant self-doubt with this new instrument that she loves so much.
On May of 2019 she gave a recital and played Rhapsody in Blue on piano as well as playing her student pieces in violin and banjo with a bluegrass band.
Other hobbies and interests: Acting with Rising Phoenix Theatre in Oak Grove, photography, raising alpacas.
Occupation: Middle School Choir Teacher
*For wedding or memorial service piano contact sfchim@msn.com
CAROL DUMOND
viola
Carol Dumond read music in grade school from a guy with a portative organ who showed up at her school ever week or so. Sang in the girls’ choir at church. In high school, she taught herself piano and accordion, and played trumpet and sax in the school band. Carol majored in music at USC, where her main instrument was voice. She sang in a number of choruses and did a lot of solo work in San Francisco, including clubs, cabarets, opera and stage musicals; she also got started arranging and composing music around 1986. As she got older and her high notes started going she took up viola. After moving to Portland in 2006, she tried a few orchestras, and joined WFSO in 2007. Around that time, she became a founding member of the Portland Recorder Society (she is still a member), and was also a founding member of the Recorder Orchestra of Oregon (but she had to give that up for reasons of time). This is the orchestra that Carol has kept, although she does play with Tualatin Valley and other groups from time to time.
Other hobbies and interests_Spinning, knitting, movies
Occupation: attorney (retired), arranger/composer (self-employed)
ANDREA EMERSON
Second Violin
Andrea began studying piano at age 5 and violin at age 9, playing in ensembles through college. After a long season without a consistent musical outlet, she is excited to join the second violin section and rediscover the joy of making music with a community. She and her husband are currently passing along their love of music to their three children via family Hamilton sing-alongs and composing silly parody songs together.
Other hobbies: cooking/baking, reading, podcasts, running, yoga
Occupation: Leadership Training and Consulting
SHARON ENG
viola
Violist Sharon Eng performed worldwide with her trio, Classical Nuances (oboe, viola, piano) for more than 20 years in such venues as the United Nations in NYC, Athens Opera House, Australia's National Museum, Seoul Performing Arts Center, and for the Sultan’s family in Kuwait. While studying for her bachelors and masters in viola performance at the Juilliard School in New York City, she played in the American Ballet Theatre and NYC Opera orchestras. Professionally, Dr. Eng toured China twice as co-principal viola of the Polish Sinfonietta, maintains a private violin studio in Portland, is on the strings faculty of Portland Parks and Recreation, co-founded Madrona Viola Duo and the Raphael Spiro String Quartet, sits on the board of the Oregon Chapter of the American Strings Teacher Association and is president of the Oregon Viola Society. She plays principal viola with the Willamette Falls Symphony Orchestra, Bravo NW Chamber Orchestra and Portland Choir and Orchestra; and freelances with many ensembles-- Oregon Coast Music Festival, and stints with the Portland Opera, Portland Symphonic Choir, Newport, Rogue Valley, Corvallis, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, among many. Since 2003, Dr. Eng has served on the summer faculty of the Intermuse lnternational Music Institute and Festival (IIMIF) at Mount St. Mary's Univ. in Emmitsburg, Maryland (www.imif.us).
BILL GARBETT
Percussion
Bill Garbett (percussion) followed in his father’s footsteps. His father was a Big Band drummer in the 30s and 40s. When he was only three, Bill would climb on his dad’s drum set and play to the jazz and big band recordings. When he was eight, his dad enrolled him in a group drum class that met on Saturday mornings at the local elementary school. Several years later he was introduced to the symphony timpanist and thus began his studies in classical percussion.
At age 21 he was named principal percussionist of the Sacramento Symphony and Sacramento Ballet Orchestra. After two years with the Marines during the Vietnam War, Bill returned to his position with the Sacramento Symphony and his college studies in political science.
Employment In government brought him to Portland where he had the opportunity to be the drummer for the Thara Memory/ Greg McElvey Monday Night Big Band. After retirement, Bill wanted to return to his classical roots and joined the Willamette Fall Symphony as timpanist. He is also timpanist with the Tualatin Valley Symphony.
JOHNATHAN JOHNSON
Trumpet
Jonathan Johnson is “passionné de la trompette!” Although he began piano at age 4 and took up trumpet at age 10 merely because it was a shiny instrument, he has lived abroad (France, Austria, Germany, and Scotland) and takes much of his musical inspiration from what he learned abroad as part of a musical family, as a student of music in a Paris, France conservatory, and in his recent travels to Rouen, France to collaborate with the Eric Aubier International Trumpet Competition.
Jonathan also performs in a brass quintet, brass choir, and as a soloist in the Portland metro area.
Other hobbies and interests: Bicycling, Skiing, Hiking, Arts and Culture
Occupation: Attorney
MICHAEL LANDERS
Tuba
Michael Landers plays tuba and euphonium with Willamette Falls Symphony. He has been involved in music virtually all of his life. He began performing publicly at the age of 3; his first orchestra experience being in high school. He played with the Yakima Symphony in college and earned a B.M. and a M.M. from Central Washington University. He has performed for the soundtrack of a Hollywood movie. Michael performed under the baton of a British knight, a Japanese consul and the Lord Mayor of Kingsport, England all without leaving the country. As a composed, he has fulfilled many commissions throughout the region and has bene involved in competitions in the U.S. and internationally, including a Pulitzer Prize attempt in 1996. Music is published under the name of St. Helens Shadow Music.
Michael’s other hobbies include painting, woodworking, theater and movies.
His occupation is a composer and music publisher.
His contact information if mcedland@juno.com, phone 360-260-0685.
ANNA MERSEREAU
violin
Anna has played with orchestras for the last 32 years. In addition to WFS, her local orchestra membership has included the Tilikum Chamber Orchestra, Oregon Pro Arte Orchestra, Central Oregon Symphony, and the Vancouver Symphony. With a Masters of Education from Portland State U and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has a specialty in conducting. She is has been the director of orchestras for the Bend-LaPine, Lake Oswego, and the Tigard-Tualatin School districts as well as the Voices for Performing Arts Strings and the Sherwood Youth Symphony. She is currently a teaching artist for the BRAVO Youth Orchestra and is proud to be a part of this non-profit organization serving members of the community who do not have any other local access to string education. Anna also teaches two orchestras at the Alliance Charter Academy in Oregon City whom she will be conducting at Carnegie Hall next March.
After 35 years of playing the violin, she now runs a private violin studio out of her home where she teaches the violin, viola, cello, and bass to students of all ages. Her interest in music history, art, food, and wine have inspired her to travel all around Europe. Anna enjoys kayaking, snowboarding, and rock climbing. She currently resides in Milwaukie with her husband and her two beloved Shiba Inu dogs, Shiba and Gnocchi.
Other hobbies: Theater, travel, food and wine, snowboarding, kayaking, dog training.
Occupation: youth orchestra conductor and private string teacher
DAVE PARTRIDGE
French Horn
Dave Partridge has played horn in community orchestras, bands, and chamber groups all over Oregon. Currently in the 2nd horn chair in the Willamette Falls Symphony, he has at different times played in each of the four horn chairs.
A native of Salem, Oregon, Dave currently resides in Oregon City. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Willamette University, and did graduate work at Portland State University. Dave has studied horn with Chuck Peter, Charles Yukl, Mike Hettwer, and Bill Stalnaker.
Dave is retired after careers in teaching band, shipyard operations/maintenance, and software data services. Dave is passionate about introducing young people to playing and listening to classical music. In his retirement, Dave continues to teach private horn lessons. Two of his horn students are his granddaughters.
SUZANNE PEMBERTON
2nd Violin
Second violinist, Suzanne Pemberton, has studied her instrument for over 40 years. She is also competent in voice and piano. She has taken up guitar and flute in the last 15 years and often plays violin at weddings and memorial services. She has taught music privately and completed all levels of Kodaly (a Hungarian method for teaching music). Currently she teaches K-5 music in the public school system.
Other hobbies and interests: Reading, cake decorating, gardening and bird watching.
Occupation: Music Educator
LYN PETERSON
violin
Lyn Peterson is a senior majoring in Political Science at Reed College, and has played violin since the age of four. She also enjoys singing classical music and opera. She’s writing a senior thesis on the feedback effects of living near a Superfund site on political participation and attitudes. Lyn recently took the LSAT and will begin studying environmental law next year.
KATHERINE RHEE
2nd violin
Katherine loves music! Violin is her main instrument, although she dabbles in guitar, classical guitar, hammer dulcimer, electric bass and anything percussion....! Her tastes are totally eclectic. She likes Classical, oldies, contemporary music from the 40’s and on, Celtic, Renaissance, Gypsy/Klezmer, sappy love songs, Ragtime, ethnic music from around the world (especially Latin), and she has a penchant for Funk/R & B!
She was fortunate enough to land a principal position in the Second Violin section of Willamette Falls Symphony about 11 years ago and travels from the other side of Portland to be with these wonderful musicians and great conductor. The music has challenged her and made her a better musician. She says she is truly fortunate.
MARTIN SOBELMAN
Clarinet
Martin Sobelman (clarinet) became director of the Beaverton Community Band in 2014, and, as part of the Band’s Educational Outreach Program, he and other members assist primary and secondary music teachers in the Beaverton School District with one-to-one tutoring, small group music instruction, and performances for their students.
The Beaverton Community Band has also been the sponsor of the NW BandFest [formerly the Oregon Community Adult Band Festival], a yearly performance reunion where Community Bands from Oregon and Southwest Washington perform for the public and each other. The 2020 Festival will be co-sponsored with the Rex Putnam High School Bands and held there on March 7th. It will be a great full day of music making and well worth attending.
Mr. Sobelman has also been a member of the Northwest Wind Symphony since 2010 playing soprano, alto and bass clarinets. He was a Music Specialist for the Salem-Keizer School District, teaching elementary general music, elementary choirs, and elementary and secondary band, retiring in July 2012. Prior to that, he taught music at Napier Boys’ High School in Napier, New Zealand for three years, and conducted the Napier Technical Memorial Band, a community group of musicians ranging in age from 15 to 80 years of age! He was the Choir Director of the Morningside United Methodist Church in Salem, Oregon from 2000-2008. He was a teacher of Instrumental and Vocal Music at Half Moon Bay High School, Woodside Elementary and High Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area for 9 years, and also taught music for 12 years in schools in Fresno and Madera Counties in California. He was very active in the Pacific Spindrift Players, and the Coastside Repertory theater groups as musical director and pit musician for many productions from 1988-1995
Mr. Sobelman earned an AB Degree from the University of California, Berkeley, completed graduate studies in Conducting at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Orff Shulwerk Level I and II studies at the University of Memphis. He maintains a private studio for clarinet, saxophone and bassoon students, and is an active performer in chamber, orchestral, windband, big band, and theater music in the Pacific Northwest.
Mr. Sobelman resides in West Linn. He has the best wife, and between they are the proud parents of two wonderful sons and daughters and seven cool grandchildren!
EILEEN THREEFOOT
2nd violin
Eileen Threefoot (2nd violin) has been with Willamette Falls Symphony for a total of 18. Years (1990 to 2003 and 2014 – present). She took a detour along the way to play Irish traditional fiddle music but is now back with classical music and this remarkable organization.
As a child she took violin lessons at her mother’s request, the idea being that her two daughters would play lovely violin/piano duets together. That never worked out but (after a 20-year hiatus) she eventually learned to appreciate the beauty of the instrument.
Eileen loves travel and other cultures and languages. She is currently working on her German.
PETER WHITMORE
Bass
After various near careers, Peter Whitmore returned to his first love of music after age 30, receiving a Masters degree in composition from the University of Victoria, and then teaching a wide variety of music classes at Marylhurst University for 15 years until the school closed its doors in 2017. He loves the chance to perform the music he spent years teaching and studying, and also performs locally with Trio Tsuica, a Balkan music quartet.