Santa Barbara Music Club

Member Type: String Player

Nicoletta Christina Browne , Cellist

Nicoletta Christina Browne, cellist, is from Tucson, AZ and has played cello since age 10. She earned her BA Degree in Chemistry from Pomona College, where she studied cello with Roger LeBow, and her MS Degree in Earth Science is from UCSB, where she was awarded an Earth Research Institute Fellowship for her project, “Petrogenesis of Late-State, High-K Magmas Within a Continental Arc: Insights From Petrographic Studies.” Ms. Browne performed in the Pomona College Orchestra, is a longtime member of the Santa Barbara City College Orchestra, and hosts a radio show, Hardly Strictly Americana, on KCSB.

SBMC Concert Performances

Kristi Holstein , Violinist

Kristi Holstein, violinist, was born in Charleston, West Virginia and began playing violin at age 7. She received her BM Degree, Summa Cum Laude, from West Virginia University and her MM Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. A member of the American String Teachers Association, National Association for Music Educators, American Chamber Music Society and Society of Music Theory, she is currently a teaching artist with BRAVO! and Santa Barbara Strings and a member of the American Youth Symphony, Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara, Lompoc Pops Orchestra, Opera San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, and Young Musicians Foundation Debut Chamber Orchestra and maintains a private violin and viola studio in Santa Barbara.

SBMC Concert Performances

Erik Fauss , Violist

Erik Fauss is a freelance violist and singer/songwriter. He is currently finishing his Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Juan-Miguel Hernandez and Helene Clement. Before moving to London, Fauss completed his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. In the Fall of 2016, he studied with Matthias Maurer and Thomas Selditz in Vienna and Yuta Nishiyama at the University of Arts in Berlin.

SBMC Concert Performances

Mirah Ray , Violinist

Mirah Ray, violinist, is a recent music performance graduate of Westmont College. She is currently pursuing graduate level education and an orchestral career. She is an instructor of violin at San Ramon Music and Fine Art School, Vallejo, California.

SBMC Concert Performances

Philip Ficsor , Violinist

Philip Ficsor, violinist, is a highly acclaimed recording artist and enthusiastic advocate for contemporary American composers. As member of the duo American Double, with pianist Constantine Finehouse, he has toured across the U.S. and Europe, and the duo remains the only ensemble to have recorded the Complete Works for Violin and Piano of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
William Bolcom (Albany Records). Dr. Ficsor has also released two recordings featuring the works of Emma Lou Diemer: Summer Day and Going Away, with the composer at the keyboard, and in 2012 he collaborated with the Westmont College Orchestra to premiere Diemer’s Violin Concerto. Editorial advisor for publication through E.B. Marks/Hal Leonard Corporation for Bolcom’s violin and
piano works, he was tenured Associate Professor of Music at Westmont College from 2006-2013, and is currently a performing artist based in the Denver area.

SBMC Concert Performances

Rodney Wirtz , Violist

Rodney Wirtz, violist, is a Southern California native who is active as a freelance musician in the studio scene, performing with numerous orchestras, collaborating on recordings and film soundtracks with renowned popular artists, and touring with them in the United States and abroad. He holds a BM Degree in Viola Performance from California State University Long Beach, studying with John Hayhurst, and an MM Degree from the University of Southern California, studying with Donald McInnes. In the last few years, his most memorable projects have been with Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, Ron Isley, Michael Jackson, Barry Manilow, Arturo Sandoval, Silversun Pick-ups, Marco Antonio Solis, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, John Williams, Yellowcard, and many other notables. In 2014 he toured internationally with recording artist John Legend for his “All of Me” tour, and continues to perform with a variety of artists and diverse ensembles, including the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Muse/ique Orchestra, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. He currently teaches viola at East Los Angeles College.

SBMC Concert Performances

Claude-Lise Lafranque , Violinist

Claude-Lise Lafranque, violinist, grew up in Bordeaux. France. She graduated from Bordeaux’s National Conservatory with a first prize in performance. She studied in Paris with Maestro Nerini and has worked with Irina Boshkova from Moscow Conservatory. She relocated to Santa Barbara after an invitation to play in the Music Academy of the West. She has been performing with the Santa Barbara Symphony for 25 years. A very active member of the Santa Barbara music community, she plays in the Santa Barbara Opera and Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra as well as many other ensembles. Claude-Lise Lafranque is a very dedicated teacher with over 25 years of experience.

SBMC Concert Performances

Tom Turner , Violist

Tom Turner, violist, is a former President of the SB Music Club (2006-2008). Tom has been a violist for over 40 years, having performed with Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony and Lompoc Pops. He has been Priincipal Violist and soloist with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra and Moorpark Symphony Orchestra. Tom has performed with the Santa Maria Philharmonic for over 30 years, and served as Principal Violist. Lately, he co-founded the Santa Barbara Chamber players. Now retired, he can play as much chamber music as possible and is thrilled to perform with Jane, Nancy,
and Mi-Young Kim.

SBMC Concert Performances

Carol Pool , Violinist

Carol Pool, violinist, began playing violin in the Houston Public School System, and received her BM and MM Degrees at the University of Houston and The Juilliard School. As an in-demand player in New York, she performed in Evita, Hairspray, and Phantom of the Opera, and with many symphony and ballet orchestras in New York and Los Angeles. In addition, she has recorded with such artists as Tony Bennett, Philip Glass, and Barbara Streisand, and has played on numerous movie sound tracks, such as Star Wars, Rio, Coco, and The Grinch.

SBMC Concert Performances