Philadelphia Orchestra Winds

The Philadelphia Orchestra Winds ensemble includes these 12 outstanding wind players:

Philippe Tondre joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as principal oboe at the start of the 2020–21 season. Born in Mulhouse, France, in 1989, he started studying the oboe at the age of six in Yves Cautrès's class at the Mulhouse National School of Music before joining the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he studied with David Walter and Jacques Tys. Mr. Tondre also took lessons by teachers such as Maurice Bourgue, Heinz Holliger, Jean-Louis Capezzali, Dominik Wollenweber, and Ingo Goritzki. Mr. Tondre has performed as a soloist with various orchestras including the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Kammerakademie Potsdam, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his debut in the Berlin Philharmonie in June 2013, playing Martinů’s Oboe Concerto, accompanied by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. He is currently principal oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (since March 2019), the SWR Symphonieorchester (since January 2009), the Budapest Festival Orchestra (since September 2014), the Mito Chamber Orchestra (since January 2012), and the Saito Kinen Orchestra (since January 2012).

Associate Principal Oboe Peter Smith has been a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1991. He played with the Atlanta Symphony as acting principal oboe for a series in 2007 and was principal oboe with the Colorado Festival Orchestra in its 1991 season. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he studied with Richard Woodhams. He has also studied with Louis Rosenblatt. Mr. Smith was a soloist in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante for winds and orchestra in 2010 at the Mann Center and at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. He was featured with the Orchestra in its Absolutely Mozart Festival at the Kimmel Center from 2002 to 2004. He was also a soloist with the Orchestra in the summers of 1992, 1994, and 2006. Over the last two decades, Mr. Smith has been featured numerous times in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series.

Ricardo Morales is one of the most sought after clarinetists of today. He joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as principal clarinet in 2003 and made his solo debut with the Orchestra in 2004. He previously served as principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. During his tenure with that ensemble, he soloed at Carnegie Hall and on two European tours. He has also been a featured soloist with the Chicago Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Seoul Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, the Memphis Symphony, and the Flemish Radio Symphony. In addition, he was a featured soloist with the U.S. Marine Band, “The President’s Own,” with which he recorded Jonathan Leshnoff’s Clarinet Concerto, a piece commissioned for him by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Morales has been asked to perform as principal clarinet with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and, at the invitation of Sir Simon Rattle, the Berlin Philharmonic.

Samuel Caviezel, associate principal and E-flat clarinetist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, was born in Seattle and grew up in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. He began his clarinet studies with Laurie DeLuca of the Seattle Symphony, progressed through the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, and spent his senior year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, studying with Deborah Chodacki. In 1992 he entered the Curtis Institute of Music, where he trained with then-Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Principal Clarinet Donald Montanaro. Upon graduation, he joined the Grand Rapids Symphony as principal clarinet, returning to Philadelphia two years later under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch. Mr. Caviezel has performed extensively both in and outside of the orchestra, most recently as a member of the Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble. When not performing or spending time with family and friends, he enjoys reading, camping, and unwinding with the occasional cigar. He is also currently an adjunct faculty member at Temple University.

Mexican-born Socrates Villegas was appointed second clarinet of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2016 by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. His numerous awards include two consecutive first place prizes at the Mexican National Clarinet Contest (2003 and 2004), a First Prize at the 14th European Music Competition at Amiens, France (2008), Second Prize at the 2008 Young Artist Competition (International Clarinet Association), and First Prize at the Temple University Concerto Competition in 2015. Mr. Villegas holds a Master of Music degree from Temple University, where he studied with Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet of The Philadelphia Orchestra; a unanimous first prize for excellent from the Versailles Conservatory in France, where he studied with Philippe Cuper, principal clarinet of the Paris Opera; a Bachelor of Music degree from the National Conservatory in Mexico City, where he studied with Marina Calva; and a New Horizon fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he studied with Joaquin Valdepeñas, principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony.

Paul R. Demers has been a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 2006. Prior to his appointment, he was a member of “The President’s Own” Marine Band in Washington, D.C., where he performed as soloist, E-flat clarinetist, and a member of the clarinet section. As a chamber musician, Mr. Demers has performed at numerous music festivals, including the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, and the Bravo! Vail Chamber Music Series. In Philadelphia he performs regularly with the Dolce Suono Ensemble and the Network for New Music. He currently serves on the faculty of Boyer College of Music at Temple University. During the summer months he teaches at Curtis Summerfest and the New York State School of Orchestral Studies. Originally from Westbrook, Maine, Mr. Demers attended the University of Southern Maine. He continued his studies at DePaul University in Chicago, where he earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and a Certificate in Performance. His primary teachers were John Bruce Yeh and Larry Combs.

Daniel Matsukawa has been principal bassoon of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 2000. He is on faculty at both the Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University and is the music director of the Independence Sinfonia Orchestra. Mr. Matsukawa was born in Argentina to Japanese parents and his family moved to the United States when he was three years old. He studied at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, and his teachers were Alan Futterman, Harold Goltzer, and Bernard Garfield. Mr. Matsukawa has performed, and soloed, with various orchestras around the world. He has also conducted in the United States and Japan. Along with his orchestral and teaching positions, he serves on the Faculty Council at the Curtis Institute of Music and on the Advisory Board for the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, which was founded by Leonard Bernstein. In 2019 Mr. Matsukawa served as a judge for the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and was a member of the jury panel for the renowned ARD Competition in Munich, Germany. He has also been invited to serve as a judge for the 2023 Muri Competition in Switzerland.

Angela Anderson Smith has been a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1997. Her previous orchestra memberships include the San Jose Symphony, where she served as second bassoon, and the San Antonio Symphony, where she was assistant principal/second bassoon. Ms. Smith frequently performs in the Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series, and she is a member of the Network for New Music and the Conwell Woodwind Quintet, an ensemble made up of Temple University faculty members. Currently a faculty member of the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University, Ms. Smith has previously taught at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Santa Clara, and Southwest Texas State University. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Music in 1988 and received a Master of Music from the University of Southern California in 1991. Her teachers have included Artemus Edwards, Norman Herzberg, Dennis Michel, and Matthew Karr.

Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Montone has been hailed by the New York Times for her “flawless horn solos … and warm and noble sound.” As principal horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and a world acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School since joining the Orchestra in 2006. Previously the principal horn of the St. Louis Symphony and associate principal horn of the Dallas Symphony, Ms. Montone was an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University and performer/faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and School. As a chamber musician Ms. Montone performs with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the National Brass Ensemble, the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, the Bravo! Vail Chamber Music Festival, the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, the La Jolla Chamber Music Festival, the Bay Chamber Concerts, the Spoleto Italy Chamber Music Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival. In May 2006 Ms. Montone was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. She is also the winner of the 1996 Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year Award in London.

Jeffrey Lang is an orchestral horn player, educator, and studio musician in the Greater New York-Philadelphia area. He is the associate principal horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra and is currently on the faculties of Bard College, Temple University, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Formerly principal horn of the Israel Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra, he has also performed as guest principal horn of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the New York City Opera Orchestra, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Lang studied at the Juilliard School and Temple University. Chamber music performances at home and abroad have included concerts with Bella Davidovich, Diane Walsh, Simone Dinnerstein, Melvin Chan, Natalie Zhu, Juliette Kang, the Israel Piano Trio, the Wister Quartet, the Canadian Brass, the Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has participated in the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, Bard Summerscape, OK Mozart, and the Spoleto Festival.

Christopher Dwyer joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as second horn at the start of the 2020–21 season. He previously served for six seasons as the second horn of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under David Robertson. Mr. Dwyer has also held positions with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, the Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Mr. Dwyer has frequently performed as a guest with other major symphony orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Among his other festival appearances are the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera, Sarasota Opera, Music from Angel Fire, Bellingham, Norfolk, and the National Repertory Orchestra. Mr. Dwyer received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was a student of Eli Epstein and then went on to study with Dale Clevenger as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Mexican-born hornist Ernesto Tovar Torres is the fourth horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra and is in high demand as a soloist and orchestral and chamber musician. Before his tenure in Philadelphia, he served as second horn for the Atlanta Symphony from 2015 to 2017. Mr. Tovar has also performed with the Dallas Symphony, the Steamboat Springs String Festival, the Naples Philharmonic, the Bellingham Festival Orchestra (WA), and the Grand Rapids Symphony. Major music festival engagements include the Eastern Music Festival (NC), the Texas Music Festival, the Banff Master Class for Strings and Winds, and Spoleto USA. Mr. Tovar was also a finalist in the 2013 International Horn Competition of America, where he performed the Glière Horn Concerto. Mr. Tovar received his training at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with William VerMeulen, international horn soloist and principal horn of the Houston Symphony. He holds a bachelor’s degree in horn performance from Oklahoma State University, where he studied with Lanette Lopez-Compton and graduated with honors in May 2014.

Yumi Kendall joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in September 2004 as assistant principal cello, immediately following graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with David Soyer and Peter Wiley. She began studying cello at the age of five following the Suzuki approach. At age 16, while studying with David Hardy, she made her solo debut at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Kendall’s festival and chamber music activities include Music from Angel Fire, the Marlboro Festival, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, the Smithsonian’s 21st-Century Consort, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. She has appeared as guest principal cello for the Toronto and Boston symphonies, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan. In addition to maintaining a private teaching studio, she has regularly served on the faculties of the National Orchestral Institute and the New York State School for Orchestral Studies, as well as the Brevard Music Center and the Miami Summer Music Festival.

In addition to orchestral, chamber, and solo performing and teaching, Ms. Kendall serves on the boards of Astral Artists and the Greater Philadelphia Suzuki Association. In 2017 she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s with a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) to further her off-stage growth and organizational studies. Since then, she has appeared as a guest presenter and facilitator for a Board retreat of the Suzuki Association of the Americas; the Radnor-based management consulting firm CRA, Inc.; as a keynote speaker at the 2019 inaugural Suzuki Convention of the Americas in Mexico, attended by representatives from 27 countries; and for Jefferson Hospital medical students in their Music and Medicine seminar. Ms. Kendall’s interest in organizational psychology and development stems from her belief in classical music’s powerful role in human flourishing, and the importance of cultivating healthy organizations as pathways to serve the arts and public community.

Ms. Kendall was the 2013 recipient of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s C. Hartman Kuhn Award, which is given annually to “the member of The Philadelphia Orchestra who has shown ability and enterprise of such character as to enhance the standards and the reputation of The Philadelphia Orchestra.” A proud Suzuki alumnus, she founded the Suzuki Alumni Project (www.suzukialumniproject.org) in 2016 as a way for those who grew up with the Suzuki approach to celebrate Suzuki education and express gratitude to the movement’s teachers all over the globe for believing in their students’ potential, and that of all children.

Joseph H. Conyers was appointed principal bassist with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2023. He had served as acting associate principal bass with the orchestra since 2017 and had served as assistant principal bassist since 2010, following tenures with the Atlanta Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and Grand Rapids Symphony, where he was principal bass.

Described by the Grand Rapids Press as “a lyrical musician who plays with authenticity that transcends mere technique,” Mr. Conyers has performed with many orchestras as soloist, including the Alabama Symphony, the Flagstaff Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Sphinx Symphony, having won second prize at the 2004 Sphinx Competition in Detroit. In 2008 John B Hedges wrote a concerto for him, Prayers of Rain and Wind, commissioned by the Grand Rapids Symphony.

As a chamber musician, Mr. Conyers is an artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Other chamber music festivals and collaborations have included the Ilumina Festival (Brazil), the Savannah Music Festival (GA), the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival (VA), the Kingston Chamber Music Festival (RI), the Lexington Chamber Music Festival (KY), and the Festival Internacional de Música de Esmeraldas (Ecuador) with such artists as James Ehnes, Daniel Hope, and members of the Emerson String Quartet.

Mr. Conyers received his bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with both Harold Robinson, principal bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and double bass soloist Edgar Meyer. Other mentors have included David Warshauer, principal bass of the former Savannah Symphony; Daniel Swaim; and Albert Laszlo.

Committed to education and community engagement through music, Mr. Conyers served as adjunct faculty at Calvin College (MI) and Clark Atlanta University; he is currently on the faculty of Temple University in Philadelphia. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2019 Sphinx Organization Medal of Excellence, an honor accompanied by a substantial career grant and ceremonies at the Kennedy Center and the Supreme Court of the United States.