The Musicians
Pianist/Harpist/Flutist Lara Garner
Lara Garner is both a classical pianist and a celtic harpist, as well as a flutist. She has performed in pubs, restaurants, concert
halls, churches, castles, cathedrals, gardens, and stately homes in both the United States and Europe. She has lived and performed
in both Rome and in Paris, where she developed her musical style. As a pianist, Lara has played the major piano chamber music repertoire
and is the founding member of the Amethyst Trio and Trio Con Spirito and the Celtic folk trio, Celtic Sands. She has also played many
stage shows both locally and in Europe. She also writes her own original music. Lara has a degree in music from U.C. Berkeley and a
Master's Degree from San Francisco State University.
Cellist Louella Hasbun
Louella Hasbun has a music degree from Manhattan School of Music and was cellist in the Mexico City Opera Orchestra before moving to the Bay Area. She has played in the San Jose Symphony for over 20 Years (now called Symphony Silicon Valley) and plays in the Marin Symphony. Ms. Hasbun has a busy performing and teaching career when she is not playing with the Amethyst Trio.
Violinist Ben Roberts
Ben Roberts has played with the Santa Cruz Symphony for the past 8 years and is Assistant Concertmaster for the SF Sinfonietta. He has played in a variety of venues and in many different styles and is known for his jazz improvisatiuon, as well as his bluegrass fiddling. Ben has a Master's Degree in violin performance from Iowa State. Ben went touring in Switzerland with the SF Sinfonietta last summer.
Violinist Alina Polonskaya
A native of Russia, Alina studied with such well-known names as Zoya Leybin. Her music degree is from the SF Conservatory. She plays with many local orchestras, including the SF Sinfonietta, the Russian Chamber Orchestra and is currently standing in as concertmaster for the Marin Community Orchestra. She has played in many symphony orchestras around the country, including the Plano Symphony in Plano, Texas. She also keeps a busy violin studio, teaching at the SF Community Music School at Capp Street in San Francisco.
Cellist Stephanie Blandino
Stephanie Boivin Blandino is native from Québec, Canada. She has a degree in music from the Conservatory of Music of her French speaking hometown, Chicoutimi. She also has a Bachelor's degree in preschool and elementary school education and a master's degree in cello performance from San Francisco State University. Stephanie is a classically trained yet versatile cellist who can also play a variety of contemporary and pop works. Seasoned freelance musician and instructor, she has been the principal cellist of the San Francisco Sinfonietta since 2003.
Guitarist Jon Mendle
Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at age 20, classical guitarist Jon Mendle is rapidly building a career as a performer, teacher, arranger, and composer. Jon began studying the guitar at the age of 12, and is currently in his first year of graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory under the tutelage of renowned guitarist Sergio Assad, pursuing a Master of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance. Jon's primary instrument is an 11-string archguitar built in 2007 by Alan Perlman of San Francisco. The archguitar is a hybrid of the Renaissance and Baroque lutes, 19th century guitar, and modern guitar, making it ideal for a large cross section of early music. Jon received a Masters of Music in classical guitar performance in 2010 from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was the 2009 winner of the conservatory's concerto competition with the Villa-Lobos guitar concerto. Jon is also a member of the San Francisco Guitar Quartet. He has been asked to tour this summer with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. They will be performing 10 concerts in 2 weeks throughout the United States in August.
