Native to southern California and dual citizen of France, Erik Rynearson has enjoyed performing across the Americas and Europe. Having earned a Master’s degree with Performer’s Certificate from Indiana University as the teaching assistant of Alan deVeritch, four years were spent in Miami Beach as a fellow of the New World Symphony. In his eleven years of professional orchestral playing, Erik has performed with the Charleston and Kansas City Symphonies as well serving as first-call substitute in the Phoenix and Detroit Symphonies. The Los Angeles Philharmonic frequently calls for substitute work. International tours include those with the New World Symphony and entertaining close to 1 million ecstatic audience members playing Star Wars in Concert.

When not wielding his 1970 Alfio Batelli viola, made for then Principal of the Philharmonic Jan Hlinka, Erik employs his Nikon to professionally capture life one frame at a time. He is a founding member of the Firebird Orchestra in Miami, plays with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra of Memphis, has been a member of the Pacific Symphony since 2010 and the Long Beach Symphony since 2011.

ANN BRENTON is a graduate of Cal State University Long Beach. She has played and toured with many performing arts organizations throughout the Southland, including The Pacific Symphony, The Bolshoi Ballet, Mozart Classical Orchestra, and the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters. She has recorded projects at Sony and Paramount Pictures and played on numerous recordings both in LA and in Nashville. Ann is a Board member of the Hennings-Fischer Foundation along with her husband, Eric, also a Board member and professional musician.

Ann has been on the Fine Arts Staff in the Garden Grove School District since 1994 as an educator, specializing in instrumental music development in the public schools. Each year, she gives 350 young students their first opportunity to learn a musical instrument and, as a string specialist, assists high school Directors with techniques for strings. She has fond memories of the wonderful school music programs and Arrowbear Music Camp that gave her a love for music.

Eckart Preu (Eck-art Proy) began his tenure as Music Director of Long Beach Symphony in 2017. Critics, the orchestra, and audiences alike have celebrated his ability to combine well-loved masterworks with rare or newer works in programs offering dimension, sophistication, and spirit.

Preu also currently serves as Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (OH) and Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME). Previously, he held the positions of Music Director of the Spokane Symphony (2004–2019) and Stamford Symphony (2005–2017), Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony (2001– 2004), Resident Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra (1997–2004) and of the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra (1999–2004). Other former posts include Music Director of the Norwalk (CT) Youth Symphony and Principal Conductor of the New Amsterdam Symphony (NY). He was associated with the Bard Music Festival from 1997 to 2004 as both Assistant and Guest Conductor. In Europe, Maestro Preu served as Music Director of the Orchestre International de Paris (1993–1995).

As a guest conductor, he has appeared with the Jerusalem Symphony (Israel), Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand), Radio Philharmonic of Slovenia, Pecs Philharmonic (Hungary), Varna Philharmonic (Bulgaria), and in Germany with the Jenaer Philharmoniker. Guest conducting engagements include the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Delaware Symphony, the Duluth Superior Symphony, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and the Wichita Symphony. Recent international appearances also include the Philharmonie Baden-Baden in Germany.

Career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Sorbonne in Paris, a live broadcast with the Jerusalem Symphony, and his first commercial recording of the world premiere of Letters from Lincoln – a work commissioned by the Spokane Symphony from Michael Daugherty featuring baritone soloist Thomas Hampson. 2012 also saw a live CD recording featuring Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Sergey Malov and the New Zealand Philharmonia. Last season he recorded a CD exclusively dedicated to living Mexican composers. His concerts have been aired from coast to coast and on Jerusalem Radio.

Tenured in 1982

JACQUELINE SUZUKI, violin, is a longtime member of the Long Beach and Santa Barbara Symphonies.

She initiated and curates a twice monthly chamber music series, the Free Admission Glendale Noon Concerts. A current schedule may be seen at http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

A native of San Francisco, she began her earliest chamber music studies on scholarship at the San Francisco Conservatory. She has performance degrees from the Mannes College of Music (BM), where she studied with William Kroll, and the California Institute of the Arts (MFA).

As a Los Angeles freelancer, she has performed with many ensembles and in many genres, from rock, jazz, Latin and Arabic, to playing in the pit for the Bolshoi Ballet and onstage with the Three Tenors. She has recorded with diverse artists: Snoop Dogg, Neil Sedaka, Leonard Cohen, Whitney Houston, Bocelli, Lalo Schifrin, McCoy Tyner, Placido Domingo and many others, and appears on recordings by the Long Beach, Santa Barbara and Pacific Symphonies. She has spent summers at the Peter Britt, Oregon Coast, Carmel Bach and Cabrillo Festivals and has performed in a string quartet “in residence” on a raft trip down the Green River in Utah. Tours have taken her many times to Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and throughout the US

Tenured in 1981

Born and Educated in Russia (Moldavia), Margarita Treger holds a Masters in Performing Arts and Teaching from Kishinev Conservatory of Music. She was a soloist in many festivals in the country and abroad. Coming to the United States in 1977, she was appointed as Assistant Concertmaster of the CETA Orchestra in Los Angeles. She performed with the Pacific Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, New West Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, and the Los Angeles Opera. She has performed in Italy, Taiwan, Israel, and Mexico.
She is a founder of the Hollywood Music Studio for Talented Children. Following the traditions of European Music Salon, she presents and plays solos in private homes throughout Beverly Hills.
She joined the Long Beach Symphony’s team of first violinists in 1980 and has performed under Murry Sidlin, JoAnn Falletta, and with Enrique Arturo Diemecke.

Tenured in 2007

A former member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galícia in Spain, Mei Chang was born in Taiwan and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, where she won her first full-time orchestral job at age 19. She spent six years at Boston University on full scholarship under the guidance of Peter Zazofsky, the Muir String Quartet and Raphael Hillyer.

Before settling in Los Angeles, Mei lived in Portland, Oregon, where she often played with the Oregon Symphony and was the concertmaster of Eugene Symphony for a season. Mei has been a member of the Long Beach Symphony since the 2006-07 season and is also a member of the Pasadena Symphony.

Tenured in 1988

Julie Metz’s passion for music is evident in its great versatility as well as substance. As a violin and viola performer, Julie has worked with major symphonies and recording artists from around the world. As an educator, she has led pre-concert lectures, created instrumental and music appreciation curriculum, coordinated music programs and taught over 5000 elementary and secondary students and adults.

Julie continues to perform as a recitalist and lecturer as well as provide music for the latest Broadway shows.
While still a student, Julie was the violin soloist and consultant for the CBS-Television Movie of the Week, “Running Out.” As a member of the Motion Picture, Television and Recording Industries, she has played on numerous television shows, cartoons, videos, films and commercials.

Julie was the recipient of the Outstanding Music Educator Award from the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in 2000. She has taught students both privately and within the public and private school systems, in orchestral institutes, chamber ensembles, music camps and training programs. In addition, she has initiated innovative educational programs as well as expanded upon existing ones. Julie has implemented grants and managed programs whereby she was responsible for overseeing up to thirty musicians.

Julie creates and develops educational programs for orchestras. For the last 13 years, she has coordinated and taught instrumental strings and music appreciation to 4th through 6th grade students in the Savanna School District in Anaheim, California in the respected Music Masters Program. In addition, she also coordinates the Gifted and Talented Orchestra of the Anaheim Union High School District. She has contributed her talents by writing music appreciation curriculum for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Long Beach Symphony for use in the elementary, middle, and secondary schools.

Julie has been a pre-concert lecturer with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in Orange County, California and the Rochester Symphony. She is also the host of the popular “Meet the Musicians” series at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Julie is the owner of Jules Entertainment, which provides musical services for special occasions.

Award-winning violinist Carrie Kennedy has been the featured soloist with orchestras throughout the United States including the San Antonio, Richardson, University of Southern California, Torrance, Suburban, Brevard Festival, Clear Lake, Westchester, Solano and Magic Valley symphonies, and has performed concerts around the world.

She joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in January 2012. Currently, she is also a member of the New West, Long Beach and Pasadena Symphonies, and the Fiato Quartet. She also performs with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. She has toured with the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra in South America, the Percy Faith Orchestra in Japan, the Fiato Quartet in Costa Rica and with Andrea Bocelli. She has also recorded music for many commercials, motion pictures and records.

Kennedy is an alumnus of intensive chamber music programs at Tanglewood and Amelia Island where her quartet was coached by the American, Guarneri, Emerson, and Takacs quartets. While at Tanglewood, she served as concertmaster under Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and was broadcast live on New York’s WQXR in Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. She has also spent summers at the International Holland Music Sessions where she studied with Hermann Krebbers, the Santander Master Courses in Spain with Zakhar Bron, and the London Master Classes where she studied with György Pauk and was chosen to have her lesson filmed by Online Classics for a television documentary on the master classes.

She holds a Master of Music degree from The State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she studied with Pamela Frank and Ani Kavafian, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California with Robert Lipsett.

Carrie resides in Pasadena with her husband and fellow LACO violinist Joel Pargman.

Valerie Geller has a busy career as solo and recording artist, conductor, concertmaster, contractor, orchestral musician, college professor, and master pedagogue. Her role as ‘Maestra’ has her currently serving as Principle Conductor for the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute Symphony and Laguna Woods Village Symphony Orchestras. She also holds the post of Concertmaster for the South Coast Symphony, Disneyland Candlelight Symphony, and ‘J.T. and the California Dreamin’ Symphonic Band.

Maestra Geller made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1990 and has since performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and served as Concertmaster for several Southern California orchestras and festivals including the Long Beach Mozart Festival and San Diego Chamber Orchestra.

In 2009, Maestra Geller made her international conducting debut in China with two concerts in Beijing, one on ‘The Great Wall’. This year, Maestra Geller will be performing and conducting multiple concerts throughout Eastern Europe and Israel. She returns to the southland to continue her multiple performance posts along with her position on the faculty of Saddleback College.

Valerie welcomes the opportunity of meeting Long Beach Symphony patrons at all performances. Maestra Geller can be reached by phone and email at: (949)813-8861 & [email protected].

Chyi-Yau Chen Lee was born in Taiwan and began her study of violin at age five with her father. After winning numerous violin competitions in Taiwan, she came to Los Angeles to study with Professor Alice Schoenfeld in 1980. She furthered her education in New York where she received a prestigious scholarship to study with Margaret Pardee, Earl Carlyss, Felix Galimir, and received her Bachelor and Master degree from The Juilliard School. She has been a member of Long Beach Symphony since 1993.