Randall Tweed, D.M.A. Music Director and Pianist, has been conducting opera, symphony, and chorus throughout Southern and Baja California since joining the music faculty in 1986.

He has frequently appeared as guest conductor on concert music series throughout Southern California including the Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Ballet, Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre, United States International Orchestra, Spreckels Organ Society, and various church music concert series. In the area of education Dr. Tweed has appeared as adjudicator for the California Music Teachers Association, the Music Educator’s National Conference and has twice appeared as conductor for the Suzuki awards concerts. Since joining the Grossmont College music faculty in 1986, he has served as music director of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra & Master Chorale as well as director of the Friends of Music, a support organization under the auspices of the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.

Irina Bendetsky, pianist, was born in Moscow. At the age of four, she entered professional music school, where her teacher was a student of the famous piano pedagogue Heinrych Neigaus.

After completing the elite Gnessin State Music College, she was accepted at the world-renowned Gnessin Conservatory of Music where she studied under Vladimir Tropp.

In 1984, she graduated with the Red Diploma, an honor given only to those who have qualified as concert pianist, accompanist, chamber musician, and teacher. Irina has appeared with orchestras in Russia and the United States performing concertos by Liszt, Ravel, Beethoven, Bach, Shostakovich, and the famously difficult “Rach 3” (Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3).

Upon moving to San Diego in 1990, Irina joined the faculty of the University of San Diego where she taught for ten years. Today, Irina teaches privately from her studio in San Diego. Her students have won numerous competitions worldwide and performed with orchestras in New York and Europe. Alongside teaching, Irina continues to perform in the San Diego area.

String Quintet

Ondrej Lewit, first violinist, and Concertmaster of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. was born in Prague (Czech Republic). He began studying violin at the age of seven at Elementary School of Music, later continued at State Conservatory of Music (BA) and at Academy of Performing Arts – HAMU (MA). As a member of Camerata Pragensis, Camerata Nova, concertmaster of Joseph Suk’s Chamber Orchestra and especially as a first violin of Cuartetto Cassoviae, Ondrej has played in many cities in the European continent and made recordings for the Czechoslovak Radio and Television, Italian RAI and recording companies such as Supraphon, Opus and Edigsa. In 2000 Ondrej moved to Barcelona where he played until 2003 as concertmaster with the Liceo Opera Theatre Orchestra. In 2005 – 2010 was appointed concertmaster of Baja California Orchestra and violin teacher at the Conservatory of Music in Tijuana.

Since 2004 he has maintained a private violin/viola studio in San Diego, where he is frequently performing with Encore Trio, Violin and Piano duo with Irina Bendetsky, Quartetto Sorrento and Sorrento Camerata. He was concertmaster and assistant concertmaster of California Chamber Orchestra and is concertmaster of the San Diego Interfaith Choir and Orchestra. Ondrej has been concertmaster of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra since 2015. In 2019 he also became concertmaster of Palomar Symphony Orchestra and since 2020 is a violin and viola professor at Palomar College.

Elizabeth Hileman, second violinist, and Principal Second Violinist of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. A native La Mesa resident, Elizabeth has been involved in East County music for decades. Her early studies with Lillian Hester coupled with her involvement in the

Helix High School orchestra and honor orchestras fostered her love and enthusiasm for music. In addition to her roles at Grossmont College, Elizabeth has held principal roles with USD Symphony, Christian Community Theater, Coronado Playhouse as well as many local church orchestras. Elizabeth created the music program at Murdock Elementary and directed it for many years. She currently teaches violin, piano, voice and ukulele privately.

Francesca Savage, violist, and Principal Violist of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra studied viola at San Diego State University. She continued her studies for 2 years in Mexico City with former Berlin Philharmonic violist, Herbert Froelich. After returning to San Diego, she studied privately with Janos Negyesy at UCSD and with violin pedagogue Michael Tseitlin. Through her career she has performed with many ensembles, including the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, The San Diego Lyric Opera, San Diego Starlight Musical Theater, and the Classics 4 Kids orchestra as well as thousands of chamber music performances with Quartteto Luminoso, her chamber music ensemble, Caprice Strings, and other groups.

Nobuki Nakanishi, cellist, started taking piano lessons at age 3 and later studied cello, music theory and composition in private lessons. He entered the University of Tokyo as a science major and continued to play the cello with the University Orchestra and appeared on Japan’s national TV in a concert with the Jeunesse Orchestra under the baton of Michiyoshi Inoue. Dr. Nakanishi holds a PhD in molecular biology, and his academic career led to his move to the US, first in Boston and then to San Diego. While running a neuroscience lab at Harvard Medical School, he took private lessons with Andres Diaz, a student of Yo-Yo Ma and renowned soloist/chamber cellist of his own. Along the way, Dr. Nakanishi was the principal cellist with the Longwood Symphony, the nationally recognized orchestra primarily filled with medical professionals in Boston. In San Diego, he has played with the La Jolla Symphony, San Diego City Ballet Orchestra, and Poway Symphony.

Geoff Willis, double bass, and principal bassist of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra, began studying double bass as a teenager under the tutelage of local jazz bassist Rob Thorsen. He went on to graduate with honors from Macalester College, continuing his studies of the double bass under Adam Linz while acting as both the principal bassist of the Macalester Orchestra and bassist of the Mac Jazz Big Band. As an undergraduate, he also undertook extensive study of viola da gamba and historical performance practice under Julie Elhard, playing basso continuo for Macalester’s Early Music Ensemble. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in music, he attended graduate school at San Diego State University, completing a master’s degree in double bass performance under the instruction of Jeremy Kurtz-Harris while acting in principal roles for many of SDSU’s ensembles.

Woodwind Quintet

Kay Van Tassell, flautist, is the principal flautist of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. She began playing the flute at the age of nine. She attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, where she was a soloist with the Westmont College Symphony Orchestra. She also attended San Diego State University, where she was principal with the Wind Ensemble. She has performed with the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra, the San Diego Lyric Opera, the Escondido Choral Arts Chorale, and in numerous churches throughout the San Diego area. Kay has been principal flutist with the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra since 1987. She has appeared as concerto soloist several times performing Telemann’s Concerto for Flute and Recorder in E minor, Honegger’s Concerto da Camera, Poulenc’s Babar the Elephant, Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp K. 299, Telemann’s Fantasia for Unaccompanied Flute No. 8 in E minor, Kennan’s Night Soliloquy, and Doppler’s Andante and Rondo for Two Flutes. Kay loves chamber music and is inspired by her collaborations with her Grossmont Symphony colleagues.

Michael Gaby, oboist, is a native-born San Diegan. He began studying oboe at the age of 15, and attended San Diego State University (SDSU) where he studied under Peggy Michel, whom he credits as his most influential teacher and mentor. Mike has performed with the SDSU and USD Symphony Orchestras, the La Jolla Symphony, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego Opera Ensemble, the Tijuana Opera, the Pro-Musica Ensemble of Ensenada, and various chamber music groups around Southern California and Mexico. He has held the position of principal oboe of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra for over 15 years and has performed Michael McGlynn’s Silver River, and Bach’s Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe, and most recently performing Oscar Navarro’s Legacy Oboe Concerto with the members of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the oboe, Mike also plays the baroque recorder, and has performed throughout San Diego.

Bob Barnhart, clarinetist, studied with Daniel Magnusson, Mel Warner and Kalman Bloch. In 1968, Bob won the San Diego Musical Merit Competition, and the San Diego Symphony Young Artists Competition, appearing as soloist with the San Diego Symphony in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Also, in that year, he won the La Jolla Civic Orchestra Young Artists Competition, appearing as soloist with the LJCO performing Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra. From 1975-1984, Bob performed with the San Diego Symphony, primarily as its Eb Clarinetist. During its 1984 season, he was the principal clarinet of the San Diego Symphony “Pops” orchestra. During this time, he also performed with the San Diego Opera and San Diego Ballet orchestras. From 2006-2011, Bob was the principal clarinet of the San Diego Lyric Opera. He has also performed with Orchestra Nova. Bob has been the principal clarinetist with the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra (GSO) and a member of the Grossmont Symphony Wind Quintet since 1998. Bob has appeared as a soloist with the GSO in 2001, performing the “Spring” movement of Lawrence Ashmore’s Four Seasons for Clarinet and Orchestra, in 2005, performing the Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and again in 2006, performing the Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. In 2008, Bob appeared with Rebecca Basilio in Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock). In 2010, Bob was the soloist in the U.S. premiere of Will Todd’s Clarinet Concerto. In 2017, Bob was co-soloist with Arnold Barron, the GSO’s principal bassoon, in Richard Strauss’s Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon. Bob has also performed the Mozart, Brahms and Bernard-Hermann Clarinet Quintets with the GSO String Quartet. Bob is also active as a freelance musician in San Diego, performing with various orchestras and chamber music ensembles.

David Savage, bassoonist, has been a freelance bassoonist in San Diego for 45 years. During that time, he has been a regular utility bassoonist/contrabassoonist with the San Diego Symphony and Opera, has played for musicals on national tour with Broadway San Diego as well as many other local companies doing musicals. Currently Mr. Savage also performs with various UC San Diego music ensembles, the California Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Lyric Opera, Poway Symphony Orchestra, Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, and the Classics Philharmonic. He travels to Oregon every summer to play in the Sunriver Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Savage has been married to GSO violist Francesca Savage for 43 years, during which time they have played duets and other chamber music at events throughout Southern California.

Buddy Gibbs, French hornist, is a native of Houston Texas and arrived in San Diego in 1972 as a member of the U.S. Navy Band. After being honorably discharged, he attended San Diego State University and also pursued a free-lance career playing Horn in such groups as The San Diego Symphony, The San Diego Ballet and Opera, and numerous Broadway shows as well as some recording work. He is currently principal Horn of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Horn section of The La Jolla Symphony.