Los Angeles Clarinet Choir
Members, 2011-2012 Season

Principal soprano, Lori Musicant (on leave, 2011-12)

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Principal Clarinet and Associate Conductor, Victoria Ramos

Victoria Ramos has pursued doctoral work in music at the University of Southern California where she earned her MM and held a teaching assistantship with the Music Education Department. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and former student of Dr. David Ross, she has also studied with David Howard and Yehuda Gilad. .Miss Ramos currently teaches band at Artesia High School in Lakewood, teaches private music lessons, and gives clinics at middle and high school bands throughout the Los Angeles area.


Principal E-flat Clarinetist, David Sucik

David attended BYU and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he majored in Music Education and studied clarinet with David Randall and James Clark. He currently plays bass clarinet with the Claremont Winds. David also plays the oboe and English horn, and has played frequently with the La Mirada Symphony and the Claremont Symphony.

Principal bass, Erica Golden

Erica Golden received both her bachelor's and MM degree from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University, where she studied with Anthony Gigliotti and Ronald Reuben. She is the clarinet coach for the Tournament of Roses Honor Band run by Pasadena City College and traveled to Austria with the Los Angeles Pierce Symphonic Winds.She is a District Sales Coordinator for Aflac and resides in Glendale.

Contrabass, Don Gross

Following a 31-year break from clarinet playing Don returned to the instrument in 1986 studying with the late Frank Sabin. After two very diverse careers as a research chemist and a fund-raiser, in 1998 he retired and went back to school at Glendale Community College and at Cal State Los Angeles where he studied clarinet with Alan Savedoff and Helen Goode-Castro. Don also plays with the Claremont Winds, the Topanga Symphony, the Orange County Symphony and the Orange County Wind Symphony.

Principal Alto clarinet. Joel Kabakoff

Joel Kabakoff,received a BS in in 1976 from the State University New York, College at Oneonta where he also studied clarinet with John Worley and David Niethamer and played in the Catskill Symphony Orchestra. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Los Angeles Pierce Symphonic Winds, He is a paralegal in the legal department at Bank of America. He has recently studied clarinet with Margaret Thornhill.



Bernadette Allbaugh (soprano)
received her Master's degree in clarinet performance from Michigan State University at Lansing, where she was a student of Elsa Ludwig-Verdehr. She lives in San Bernardino County where she freelances and teaches. She has played with various ensembles in Michigan, Illinois, Virginia and Minnesota, and performs with the Claremont Winds and the Orange County Wind Symphony.


Sarkis Hardy (soprano)
received his Bachelor's Degree in Muisc in 1971 from California State University at Los Angeles where he studied clarinet with Dr. Vito Susca. His participation in the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir marks his return to active study and performance. He currently studies with Margaret Thornhill.


Rebecca Johnson (alto and soprano)
is a graduate of Biola University in clarinet performance and received her MM at CSULB where her private teacher is Helen Goode-Castro.



Bass and soprano clarinet, Spencer Quong

Spencer Quong freelances with several groups in California, including Santa Monica, Culver City, Beach Cities and Marina del Rey Symphonies. He is currently studying with David Howard. Spencer also tinkers with clean vehicles and can often be found on kayaking trips around the world.

Soprano clarinet, David Seta.

David Seta studied clarinet performance as an undergraduate at CSULA where he was a student of Helen Goode-Castro. He plays in the Kadima orchestra and other groups in the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood.

Soprano clarinet section leader, Lynne Snyder

Lynne Snyder graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University with a bachelor degree in clarinet performance and won numerous awards. In Colorado, she performed with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra was a featured soloist at the Rocky Mountain Contemporary Music Festival, and as a woodwind doubler performed in local productions of A Chorus Line, King and I, Oliver! and Fiddler on the Roof. Since moving to California, Lynne has studied with the late David Breeden and currently studies with Yehuda Gilad. Her current performing groups include the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir, the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band, the Glendale Community Orchestra, and the La Canada Presbyterian Church Orchestra. Building on over fifteen years of private teaching experience, she teaches masterclasses for the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band woodwind section and directs the Caltech Clarinet Choir. When she's not in rehearsal or lessons, she has the good fortune to be "Mom" to three of the worlds best children and competes in triathlons.

Bass and Soprano clarinet, Jorge Sotelo

Jorge Sotelo, a freelance clarinetist based in the Los Angeles area studied with Dr. Julia Heinen at California State University, Northridge., where he was the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards. In 2006, Jorge appeared as guest artist & instructor at an outreach Summer Clarinet Festival held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pioneer of modern repertoire & contemporary clarinet techniques – Jorge has been a featured soloist with various orchestras and been a clinician for youth clarinet ensembles worldwide. Mr. Sotelo regularly volunteers to perform solo & chamber music recitals exclusively for a non-profit cancer foundation (in collaboration with various other non-profit world health organizations) headquartered in Albany, NY, performing throughout Japan, Spain, North and South America in concerts that have raised funds to help disadvantaged cancer patients worldwide with their medical treatment. Jorge has his clarinet studio in Pasadena, CA, where he is an active member of the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir. Additionally, he is co-founder and musical director for the Licorice Anonymous Clarinet Choir and the Young Musician’s Woodwind Ensemble. Jorge plays with various ensembles and chamber groups in the Los Angeles and New York areas year-round.

Barbara Watts-Robinson

Soprano, bass, and basset horn: Barbara Watts-Robinson

Barbara studied with Louis Paul, principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony while getting her undergraduate music degree at Carnegie-Mellon U. She then moved to CA. where she got her credential and MM in clarinet performance at USC studying with Mitchell Lurie. Besides freelancing, she's taught privately, at music camps, music in the LAUSD and is a copyist by hand and by computer.

Steve White

Steve White, bass clarinetist, is a founding member of the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir. He joined us for the ICA performance in Canada. After five years living in Phoenix, Arizona, he has returned to Southern California. Welcome back, Steve!.

Frequent Guests and Former Members:

Wendy Mazon

. Wendy Mazon holds the DMA in clarinet from the University of Arizona where she studied with Dr. Jerry Kirkbride. She has taught at the University of Arizona as well as privately, and coaches many after school ensembles in the San Fernando Valley, where she maintains her private studio. She will present a research paper at the 2010 ICA ClarinetFest. Her undergraduate work was with Dr. Julia Heinen at CSUN.

Soprano clarinet, Nichole Pacquing

Nichole Pacquing (soprano), is a founding member of LACC. In the past she has studied with Michael Grego, Haken Rosengren and others. In addition to playing in LACC, Nikki is currently a music and marching technician at Warren High School.

Bass and soprano clarinet, Gary Robertz (on leave, 2008)

Gary Robertz grew up in the Chicago area and received the bachelor of music degree from Indiana University and masters of music degree from USC. His teachers have included Clark Brody, Bernard Portnoy, and Mitchell Lurie. He has taken bass clarinet lessons from David Howard. Gary has been a performer with several local symphonies and chamber ensembles, and has performed the Copland "Concerto for Clarinet" with the St. Matthews Chamber Orchestra. Gary is a woodwind instruments doubler, plays frequently in musical pit orchestras on clarinets, flutes and saxophones, and is currently employed playing in on-ship orchestras for Princess Cruise lines.

Basset horn and alto, Jeff Lewis

Jeff Lewis earned a BS in Chemistry in 1979 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Since 1979, he has worked in the computer industry as a software developer and project leader. Jeff was first exposured to clarinet playing in the fourth grade and continued playing through high school. After a 22 year break, he began playing again in 1996. He currently studies with Linda Silva in Claremont. He regularly plays with the Claremont Symphonic Winds, the Pomona College Wind Ensemble, Pomona Community Concert Band and the University Synagogue Chamber Orchestra.

David Barnett

David Barnett is a frequent guest of the Los Angeles Choir.A performer-teacher of modern and historical clarinets, chalumeaux and recorder he is an artist in residence teaching early music and performance practice at California Institute of the Arts. He was for many the years the musical director of the notorious Noh Oratorio Society of San Francisco and has performed with numerous chamber groups including, Zeitgeist 1800, Flauti Diversi the New Archive Trio, and the recorder ensemble Three Trapped Tigers. He has performed with the Magnificat Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque and at festivals including the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and the International Clarinet Society

Alex Sramek

Alex earned degrees in composition and computer science from CSULB, where he studied clarinet with Helen Castro. A member of the Clarinet Choir duinrg the 2006-07 season, Alex has taken a break to puruse other opportunities.
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