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