Orchestra Soloists

Juliana Athayde Violin

August 4, 2010

Juliana Athayde was appointed concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2005. Formerly concertmaster of the Canton and Plymouth Symphonies, she also served as concertmaster of the New York String Orchestra Seminar under Jaime Laredo for concerts at Carnegie Hall in 2002. For five years, she was a member of the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Memphis. Juliana’s first experience as concertmaster, from 1995-1998, was with Alasdair Neale and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. She led the world-renowned youth orchestra for concerts in Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, Paris’ Cite de la Musique, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.

Juliana maintains an active schedule as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. She has performed as a soloist with the Asheville, Canton, Diablo, Flint, Mid-Texas, New Bedford, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Wyoming Symphony Orchestras as well as the Rochester Philharmonic. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she made her solo debut at the age of 16 performing with the San Francisco Symphony.

The oldest of four musical siblings born to musician parents, Juliana began her studies at age two as a Suzuki student of Dorothy Lee and continued with former San Francisco Symphony violinist Zoya Leybin. Studying with Paul Kantor, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and went on to earn a Master of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2005, Juliana became the first graduate of CIM’s Concertmaster Academy, under the tutelage of Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster William Preucil. From 1999-2005, she was a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, receiving the prestigious Dorothy DeLay fellowship in 2004. Juliana performs on a 1948 Celeste Farotte violin.

Robert Atherholt Oboe

August 4, 2010

Robert Atherholt has been principal oboist of the Houston Symphony for more than 20 years. His artistry has been celebrated in numerous solo appearances and festival residencies all over the world.

He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. Only 2 years after graduating, he won his first principal oboe position. First serving in that capacity with the New Jersey Symphony, he soon moved on to the Opera Orchestra of New York, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Robert also performed as guest principal oboist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in performances of Mahler’s 7th Symphony under Bernard Haitink, and later served as acting principal oboist on the BSO European tour 2000 with Seiji Ozawa conducting. This season he has appeared as guest principal oboist of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He was appointed to his current Houston Symphony post in 1984. In this position he has distinguished himself as a soloist performing numerous concerti with the HSO, including the Mozart concerto and the world premiere of Schumann/Picker Romances and Interludes, both of which he later recorded with this orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach. Robert Atherholt has also appeared as a soloist around the world. He has performed with Spain’s Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias Oviedo in 1999 and in Japan’s Pacific Music Festival in 1995. He has toured Japan and Europe as part of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players and recorded Schoenberg’s Woodwind Quintet, Opus 26 with that group.

As a chamber musician, he appears regularly with Da Camera of Houston and has appeared at Marlboro, the Pacific Music Festival, Ravinia, Caramoor Orcas Island and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Robert is professor of oboe at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, and conducts guest clinics at various festivals and universities across the country including the National Orchestral Institute and The New World Symphony. This season he will be traveling to China to work with students at the Beijing Conservatory. His students play in orchestras throughout North America, Switzerland and Israel, many of them as principal oboists themselves.

Andrew McCandless Trumpet

August 12, 2010

Andrew McCandless is entering his ninth year as Principal Trumpet with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, having established himself as a prominent brass player in the orchestral world.  Since his first professional position at the age of 20 with the Savannah Symphony, Andrew has also held the position of Principal Trumpet with many notable orchestras including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Dallas Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Sun Valley Summer Symphony.

As Principal Trumpet with the TSO, Andrew is regularly featured as a soloist.  He also appears as a guest artist and chamber musician throughout North America, having performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra.  In his solo work, Andrew has established a unique reputation based on his ability to make classical music accessible and fun.  Andrew is often invited to perform in private settings, highlighting various repertoires that he combines with an entertaining and easy to understand adult educational element.

Andrew began playing the trumpet at the age of nine while studying at the Youth Performing Arts School in his native Louisville, Kentucky.  He continued his studies at Boston University and the Eastman School of Music.  As a junior in college, Andrew began playing with the Savannah Symphony as Co-Principal Trumpet.  Today, he continues to be involved in classical music education.  Andrew is on faculty at The Royal Conservatory of Music, teaches privately and has given master classes throughout North America including the Eastman School of Music, University of Calgary and University of Toronto.  Andrew serves as Co-Chair of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Committee, and participates in the organization’s numerous education programs. Andrew is a Yamaha performing artist.