Success Stories

More than 800 musicians aged 17 to 29, and from more than 60 countries, have trained through the Verbier Festival Orchestra—performing with an impressive roster of the world’s most distinguished conductors and soloists. Since completing their training at Verbier, many of these musicians have been engaged by the world’s leading orchestras.

If you are a VFO alumni who has been appointed to an orchestra, please tell us.

Strings

Violin

Daniel Andai VFO ’05-’06, VFCO ’07-’13 – Concertmaster – Miami Symphony, Dean – New World School of Arts, Artistic Director – Killington Festival

Sun Kyung Ban VFO ’13 – First violin principal – Korean Boradcasting Orchestra

Rimma Bergeron-Langlois VFO ’00-’05, VFCO ’06&’14, Concertmaster – Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Florida/USA

Liana Berube VFO ’06-’08 – Associate Concertmaster –San Jose Chamber Orchestra, California/USA

Mariya Borozina VFO ’02-’05; VFCO ’06-’08 – San Francisco Opera

Jerry Chiu VFO ’11, ’12 – Colorado Symphony

Sonia Coppey VFO ’00-’04, VFCO ’05-’10 – Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway

Filip Fenrych VFO ’06-’08, VFCO ’09-’14, Principal Second violin – Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Lulu Fuller VFO ’03-’05; VFCO ’05-’10 – Philharmonia Orchestra London

Julian Gil Rodriguez– VFO ’12-14 – London Symphony Orchestra

Roberto González Monjas – VFO 11′-13′, VFCO 14′ – Concertmaster –Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Roma/Italy

Laura Ha VFO ’11-13, VFCO ’14-15 – Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Portland/USA

Will Haapaniemi VFO ’08-09 – Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Emma Hancock McGrath VFO ’07 – Associate Concertmaster – Seattle Symphony

Sheryl Hwangbo VFO ’10, ’11 – Detroit Symphony

Lelia Iancovici VFO ’04-’05, VFCO ’06-’14 – Valencia Orchestra, Spain

Christoph Koncz VFO ’04, ’05; VFCO ’06-’11 – Principal Second – Wiener Philharmoniker

Justine Lamb-Budge- VFO ’12-14 – Associate Concertmaster – Kansas City Symphony Orchestra

Matous Michal VFO ’14 – Chicago Symphony

Simon Michal VFO ’15 – Chicago Symphony

Mae Lin VFO ’07 – Seattle Symphony

Kuan-cheng Lu VFO ’01 – New York Philarmonic

Asaf Maoz VFO ’02-’04, VFCO ’08-’14 – Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Geneviève Martineau VFO ’06-’08, VFCO ’09-’13 – Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Etien Meneri VFO ’00-’04, VFCO ’07-’11 – Israel Camerata Jerusalem

Ju Yeong Moon VFO ’11 – First Principal – Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

Aya Muraki VFO ’00-’04, VFCO ’05-’14 – Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway

Sara Pastine VFO ‘11-13 – RAI Symphony Orchestra, Turin/Italy 

Olga Polonsky VFO ’04, ’05; VFCO ’06-’11 – Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin

Polina Kozhevnikova – Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Alexandros Sakarellos VFO ’06-’08, VFCO ’09-’14 – Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Sayaka Takeuchi VFO ’02-’06, VFCO ’05-’14 – Tonhalle Orchester Zürich

Kirill Terentiev VFO ’02, ’03 – Concertmaster – Mariinsky Theatre

Marc Daniel van Biemen VFO ’10, ’11 – Royal Concertgebouw 

Asuka Yano VFO ’06-’09; VFCO ’08 – San Francisco Opera Orchestra

Hyejin Yune VFO ’12 – Minnesota Orchestra

Lena Zeliszewska VFO ’07-’09 – First Assistant – City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Viola

Lotem Beider – Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Daniela Ivanova VFO ’01, ’04 – Wiener Philharmoniker

Anton Jivaev VFO ’00; VFCO ’05-’11 – Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Rebekah Newman VFO ’09, ’10 – Minnesota Orchestra

Florentza Nicola VFO ’02-’03, VFCO ’07 – Montpellier National Orchestra

Janka Szomor-Mekis VFO ’08-’10, VFCO ’11-’14 – Zürcher Kammer Orchester

Cello

Anne-Sophie Basset VFO ’07, ’08; VFCO ’09 – WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Anna Burden VFO ’10 – Associate Principal – Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Rosanna Butterfield VFO ’13-15 – Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Portland/USA

Lionel Cottet VFO ’12 VFCO ’13-’14 Associate Principal – Bayerische Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester

Bruno Delepelaire VFO ’10-’12, Principal cello – Berliner Philharmoniker

Dorothea Figueroa VFO ’00, ’01 – Associate Principal – Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Stephan Koncz VFO ’04, ’05; VFCO ’06-’09 – Berliner Philharmoniker

Nerina Elena ManciniVFO ’02-’03, VFCO ’10-13 – Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin

Double Bass

Kristen Bruya VFO ’04, ’05 – Assistant Principal – Toronto Symphony

Jonathan Colbert VFO ’05-’08, VFCO ’10-14 – The Royal Danish Orchestra

Michael Fuller VFO ’01, ’05; VFCO ’06, ’08 – Philharmonia Orchestra, London

Travis Gore VFO ’05, ’06 – Seattle Symphony

Alex Hanna VFO ’06-’08 – Principal – Chicago Symphony

Sarah Hogan VFO ’03, ’05 – St. Louis Symphony

Brendan Kane VFO ’06-’11, VFCO ’12-’14 – Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Joseph Kaufman VFO ’04 – Seattle Symphony

Dan Krekeler VFO ’01, ’04 – Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Joan Perarnau Garriga VFO ’08, VFCO ’09-’13, Associate Principal – New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Scott Pingel VFO ’00 – Principal – San Francisco Symphony

Noah Reitman VFO ’11-13 – Assistant Principal- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Nicholas Schwartz VFO ’10-’12, VFCO ’13-’14 – Royal Concertgebouw

Ivy Wong  VFO ’13-15 – Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Woodwinds

Flute

Rute Fernandes VFO ’13-15 – Zürich Opera Orchestra

Alistair Howlett VFO 2010-2012, Principal – Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

Sangah Nah VFO ’08-’10; VFCO ’11 – Principal – Orchestre de Colonne, Paris/France

Oboe

Jennifer Christen VFO ’10, ’11 – Principal – Indianapolis Symphony

Rémi Grouiller VFO ’14 – Orchestre de Paris

Nathan Hughues VFO ’00 – Principal – Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Emmanuel Laville VFO ’07-’08, VFCO ’08-’13, Principal – Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Kevin Pearl VFO ’13-15 – Principal – Milwaukee Symphony, Wisconsin/USA

Jessica Pearlman VFO ’08-’09, Principal – Pacific Symphony Orchestra

Clarinet

Camillo Battistello VFO ’11 – Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Pedro Lopez VFO ’09-12 – Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Andreas Ottensammer VFO ’09 – Principal – Berliner Philharmoniker

Giovanni Punzi VFO ’13-15 – Principal – Copenhagen Philharmonic

Dmitry Rasul-Kareyev VFO ’06; VFCO ’08 – Principal – Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Balasz Rumy VFO ’08-10 – Principal – Hungarian State Opera House

Bassoon

Axel Benoit VFO ’11-’13 – Principal – Berner Sinfonieorchester

Sam Blair VFO ’09-’11 – Kennedy Center for the Arts/Washington National Opera Orchestra

Pierre Gomes VFO ’09-’11, VFCO ’12-’14 – Solo bassoon – Orchestre National de Lorraine

Billy Short VFO ’10-’12 – Principal – Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Brass

Horn

Joe Assi VFO ’08-’10 – Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Jimmy Charitas VFO ’11-’12, Principal Horn – Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon

Geneviève Clifford VFO ’07-’09, VFCO ’08-’11 – Essener Philharmoniker, Germany

James Ferree VFO ’10-’12, VFCO 2013-’14 – Principal Horn – Richmond Symphony, Virginia/USA

Austin Hansen VFO ’13-14 – Colorado Symphony

Lionel Pointet  VFO ’13-15 – Zürich Opera Orchestra

Oliver Redfearn– VFO ’08, VFCO ’09-’11 – Hofer Symphoniker, Bavaria/Germany

David Sullivan VFO ’06-’08, VFCO ’09-’14 – Associate Principal – Kansas City Symphony

Jonathan Wegloop VFO ’13-15 – Philharmoniker Hamburg

Trumpet

Nathaniel Hepler VFO ’09-’11, VFCO ’12-’13 – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Caleb Hudson VFO ’10, ’11 – Canadian Brass Quintet

Trombone

Matteo de Luca VFO ’07-’09 – Principal – Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Inaki Ducun VFO ’10, ’11 – Principal – Komische Oper Berlin

Vanessa Fralick VFO ’10 – Assistant – St. Louis Symphony, Missouri/USA

Shachar Israel VFO ’08, ’09 – First Assistant – Cleveland Orchestra

Jonathan Reith VFO ’10-’12 – VFO ’13-’14 – Trombone solo –Orchestre de Paris

David Rey VFO ’02-’08 – Principal – Brussels Philarmonic

Tuba

John Whitener– VFO ’05-’09 – Principal – Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Percussion

Sabela Caridad Garcia VFO ’11-13 – Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, Spain

Michael Israelievitch VFO ’04, ’07 – Principal timpani and percussion – Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota/USA

Jacob Nissly VFO ’08, ’09 – Principal – San Francisco Symphony

Michael Roberts  VFO ’10 – ’13 – Percussion – Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Portland/USA

Ian Sullivan VFO ’12 – ’15 – Principal timpani – New York City Ballet

Samuli Viitanen VFO ’08-’09 – Timpani – Finnish National Opera