Gina Valvano is an accomplished bassoonist who has performed in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the United States and Europe. She has participated in the Lucca Opera Festival Orchestra in Lucca, Italy and has performed at the World’s Fair in Lisbon, Portugal as a member of the Cincinnati Philharmonia. In the United States she has played under Lukas Foss at the Kennedy Center, Gerard Schwartz at the National Orchestral Institute, and Kurt Masur at Avery Fisher Hall. As a current resident of New York City, Gina performs with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Westchester Philharmonic, and the American Composers Orchestra.
Gina is a member of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and a founding member of the Pentasonic Winds, a wind quintet who performs throughout the New York City area. As a frequent performer with the contemporary group "Alarm Will Sound", she has participated in the Reel Music Film and Live Music Series at Merkin Hall and Miller Theater's 2003-04 season opening concert. She has also appeared in several productions at the LaMama Theater as a member of the Scenery Ensemble.
Gina has traveled with the American-Russian Chamber Players across Russia, Estonia, and the United States performing concerts and conducting outreach programs for students. They performed in venues such as Glinka Hall at the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia, the Moscow State Conservatory, and Merkin Hall where they were featured on the Listening Room radio broadcast with Robert Sherman. This past summer Gina traveled to New Hampshire to perform with the North Country Chamber Players and toured throughout the midwest as the guest artist of the Chanticleer String Quartet.
In addition to playing the bassoon, Gina is an experienced singer who enjoys performing in many different styles. She has been featured with several jazz, pop, and r&b bands that have performed in clubs throughout New York City. She has also arranged and performed several pieces for voice and strings and is a choir section leader in The Parish of Christ the Redeemer in Pelham, NY.
Born in Rochester, NY, Gina earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music while on full scholarship. In 2001, she received her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music while on merit scholarship. Gina's teachers have included Kathleen Reynolds, William Winstead, and Frank Morelli.
|
|
