Maestro Alexander Katsman received his M.M. from the St Petersburgh Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory, joining an eminent history of graduates, including Tchaikovsky. He is also an alumnus of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Young Artists program and is widely respected throughout the Greater Bay Area as an opera conductor, culminating in his current position as Music Director of Livermore Valley Opera. A concert pianist, he also plays string bass.

Pianist Hilda Huang began her international performing career upon receiving first prize at the Leipzig Bach Competition at 18 years of age. Now 28, she has appeared as soloist with Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque, the Mitteldeutsches Kammerorchester, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. She has recently joined the faculty of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Santa Cruz will remember her recent spectacular performance of Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” with Ensemble Monterey.