William Schmitt
William Alpert
A lifelong musician from a musical family, violinist William Alpert has performed on the symphonic stage and the recording studio along with such legendary artists as Johnny Mathis, The Moody Blues, Tina Turner, Pepe Romero and many more. He earned a music performance degree from UCLA and Cal Poly University, Pomona. Extensively trained in violin pedagogy he is a certified Suzuki violin teacher and is cofounder of a successful private music studio.
While founding and managing a commercial printing company in the LA area, Mr. Alpert concurrently served a thirty year tenure in the Redlands Symphony and has performed extensively with the San Gabriel Symphony, Claremont Festival Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, among many others. He is married to an operatic soprano, and is a proud parent and grandparent. He is now a decade long San Luis Obispo area resident where he enjoys photography, long distance cycling and amateur radio.
William Schmitt
Emily Lanzone
Violinist Emily Lanzone earned a Bachelor’s of Music Performance from the University of Oregon, Master’s of Music from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has served as Concertmaster of the San Luis Obispo Symphony since 2020. Lanzone is a frequent guest with several California orchestras, including Fresno, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. She is also a member of the Santa Cruz Symphony, and the Oregon Coast Music Festival in Coos Bay, Oregon. While orchestra is her first language, chamber music is her love language, and Lanzone relishes the challenge, environment, and repertoire of string quartet and small ensemble. She is also a passionate and driven advocate of holistic music education, serving on the faculty of Cuesta College and Cal Poly, while maintaining a thriving private studio of violin and viola students. She lives in Los Osos, California, with husband Brian, two charming kids, and two insouciant cats.
William Schmitt
Hilary Clark
Hilary Clark has played the cello for more than forty years, and music has become an inseparable part of her life. She is deeply committed to preserving the classical music tradition in an increasingly technological world. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Music, Hilary went on to earn her Master of Music degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. She has performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra as well as numerous symphonies and chamber ensembles in the Chicago area. In 2006, she received a scholarship to study cello performance at UC Santa Barbara, where she spent four years as a member of the Young Artists String Quartet.
In 2021, Hilary commissioned, premiered, and recorded a new cello concerto by composer Daniel Baldwin (hear a live performance here: https://youtu.be/lCIwaPaySQQ). Now based in Nipomo, she shares her home with Figaro, her tuxedo cat, and continues performing with local orchestras and chamber groups. Alongside her musical pursuits, she works full time as a nuclear medicine technologist and dedicates herself to daily strength training. Hilary also competes regularly in powerlifting and bodybuilding events.
William Schmitt
David Hennessee
David Hennessee currently serves as principal violist for the San Luis Obispo Symphony, Santa Maria Philharmonic, Opera San Luis Obispo, and Orchestra Novo. He studied viola with Wayne Crouse at the University of Oklahoma where he won the Sutton Chamber Music Award and Buttram String Competition. David has performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Philharmonia Northwest, and Festival Mozaic. He performs on a viola made by Nipomo luthier Don Lenker. He teaches British literature and composition at Cal Poly.
William Schmitt
Cam Audras
Polymathic at heart, Cam Audras believes that music has the power to inspire empathy and spark change. A violist and educator driven by curiosity, Cam sees musicians not only as performers but as advocates for social good. His playing has taken him from the concert halls of the Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, and the Santa Cruz Symphony, to collaborations with Pink Martini at the Hollywood Bowl and folk legend Judy Collins.
Cam’s festival appearances include Bowdoin International Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, Credo Chamber Festival at Oberlin, and Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan. He holds degrees in viola performance and environmental science from USC and UC Santa Barbara, where he was named the USC Thornton School of Music’s Outstanding Undergraduate in strings. His artistry has been shaped by masterclasses with Kim Kashkashian, Rachel Barton Pine, and Dimitri Murrath, and by his teachers Jonathan Moerschel, Che-Yen (Brian) Chen, Yura Lee, and Helen Callus.
A dedicated educator, Cam teaches at Westmont College and maintains a thriving private viola studio. When not performing or teaching, Cam can often be found exploring the Central Coast’s hiking trails, planning his next trip, or practicing yoga
William Schmitt
Zachary Hamilton
Dr. Zachary Hamilton is a freelance violist and fiddler based in Southern California. Zachary is currently Assistant Principal Viola of Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and serves in the viola section of New West Symphony. He also plays with other ensembles like Los Angeles Master Chorale, Santa Barbara Symphony, and many others. In addition to his classical pursuits, Zachary is the fiddler for SoCal’s premiere Celtic band, The Waymarkers!
Zachary received a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from University of Puget Sound. He earned a Masters and Doctorate in Viola Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague and UC Santa Barbara respectively.