Violin, Concertmaster

Olga’s professional experiences include New York String Festival, Temple University Summer Festival, and Spoleto Festival. She has been a member of The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Forrest Theater Orchestra, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, and The Opera Company of Philadelphia Orchestra.

Her musical credits include St. Nicholas School, Hallahan High, The New School of Music, and The Curtis Institute. Musician instructors and coaches include Peter Prus, Jasha Brodsky, Arnold Steinhardt, Ivan Galamian, Sasha Schneider.

Violin

Luigi Mazzocchi was born in Venezuela, where he studied in the System of Youth Orchestras with José F. del Castillo. He was a member of the Lara Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Venezuela, and the “Simón Bolívar” Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Mazzocchi has performed as soloist with the main Venezuelan orchestras and has attended international music festivals in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. He is a prizewinner in solo competitions in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the US.

He completed a Bachelor of Music at Rowan University with Liliana Ciulei and a Masters of Music at Temple University with Helen Kwalwasser. Mr. Mazzocchi is the Associate Concertmaster of the Delaware Symphony and a member of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Dali Quartet, the Gaudeamus and Cachasa Ensembles. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philly Pops, and the Serafin String Quartet.

Violin

Performing to critical acclaim in many prestigious venues, violinist Sarah Geller has been hailed as possessing “the simple, poised, confident stage presence of a seasoned performer.” This past spring Geller made her debut in California on the West Coast Salon Series, in addition to continuing her extensive solo and chamber music appearances along the East Coast. At the invitation of Georgetown University, Sarah performed and conducted a masterclass on their Friday Music Series. Since 2004 she has been awarded an annual recital on the Donnell Library series in Manhattan.

Since receiving the Helen Airoff Dowling Award for “outstanding undergraduate violinist” from the Manhattan School of Music, Sarah has gone on to captivate audiences in her hometown of New York City and beyond.

Click here for more information about Sarah E Geller.

Violin

Funda Cizmecioglu-Goetze, violinist, has been with the Ocean City Pops since 2005. She is also currently holding principal second violin position with Albany Symphony and section violin position with Harrisburg Symphony. Funda received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the State Conservatory of Mimar Sinan University at Istanbul and both Master of Music Degree and Professional Studies Diploma Program from The New School University’s Mannes College of Music.

Her principal teachers include Nuri Iyicil, Lewis Kaplan and Wen Qian. Coachings with Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Glenn Dicterow, Ming Hsin, Cassat String Quartet and Cavani String Quartet

Funda Cizmecioglu is also a certified medical Turkish-English interpreter, in her available times working mostly for hospitals in NYC region to bridge the language gaps between patients and doctors. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two cats.

Principal 2nd Violin

Born in Russia, a graduate of the Leningrad State Conservatory, Inna holds Masters in Music and studied with Mark Komissarov of the Leopold Auer school. She has worked with Leningrad Philharmonic, Russia, the Ballet and Opera House, Russia.

Since 1987 Inna and family reside in Philadelphia area. She is an active freelance musician in the Delaware Valley and is currently Concertmaster of The Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, associate concertmaster in Pottstown Symphony, principal second violinist with Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Other groups include The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Philly Pops, Vox Ama Deus and Philadelphia Classical Symphony. She was concertmaster of the Windsor Symphony, Ontario, Canada and has done solo and chamber music performances in Detroit, MI area. She toured with the Russian Chamber Orchestra to Austria; toured with the Danoff String Quartet throughout the U.S. in Maine, Iowa, and North Carolina.

Violin

Music and art have always played an important role in Sally’s life. A graduate of Temple University, Sally studied violin under Helen Kwalwasser, as well as with Yumi Scott , Dave Arben and Leonard Mogill, all members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. As a newly married couple, Sally and Bill (Ocean City’s Maestro), both played in the Maracaibo Symphony of Venezuela. Upon returning from South America, Sally continued to pursue her love of painting, ceramics, and glass taking courses at both the Tyler and Moore College of Arts in Philadelphia. Under Frank Ruggieri, Sally played the concertmaster position in 1980, and has been a regular member of the POPS since. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous galleries in the Philadelphia and Ocean City region.

Sally presently shares her love of the arts with her many students as a violin specialist in the Council Rock School District (Bucks County, PA).

Violin

Violinist Sergey Nazarov has performed extensively in Europe, the United States, Brazil and Canada. His  career includes performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall,  solo and chamber music engagements with Brooklyn Neighborhood Orchestra, Albert Einstein College Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Mountain Festival, Connecticut Alliance for Music.

The concertmaster of the St. Thomas Orchestra, Sergey also played with New Haven Symphony Orchestra, SONOS Orchestra, Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra , Greenwich Symphony, Festival de due Mondi, Italy, Classical Winter in Jerusalem. Mr. Nazarov has received intensive training as a soloist, orchestra and chamber musician. Sergey received his Bachelor and Master Degrees in violin performance from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Albert Markov and Ariana Bronne. In addition to his active performing schedule,

Mr. Nazarov is on the faculty of several private music schools in the New York area. Sergey resides in Westchester, NY with his wife and daughter. Click here for more information on Sergey Nazarov.

Violin

Reina Inui from Japan is currently a violinist performing with the Virginia Symphony. Shortly after moving to the US, she was honored to perform for the Internationally acclaimed violinist, Jaime Laredo. Reina studied with Sheryl Staples and Robert Lipsett at the Colburn School of Performing Arts where she became the Concertmaster of the Colburn Chamber Orchestra. She won LA Music Center Spotlight Awards, LA Philharmonic Bronislaw Kaper Awards, Japan America Young Musicians Competition, and YMF Honorary Scholarship. 

Reina was accepted to Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute where she studied with Jaime Laredo, Aaron Rosand, and Yumi Ninomiya-Scott. At the Verbier Music Festival, she was Principal Second Violin of the Curtis Symphony. As soloist, she has performed in Taiwan with Russian Philharmonic on ‘Viotti-Marie Hall’ Stradivarius, and in Puerto Rico under the baton of Luis Biava. She was a finalist at Schadt and Julius Stulberg International String Competitions. In her spare time, she enjoys chillaxing with friends over good coffee.