Welcome to the show notes for Episode #46 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features Tiziano Mazzoleni, solo trombone artist from Italy, living in Germany.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #14 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with Kaylet Torrez, member of the Pacific Symphony and LA studio hornist from Venezuela.
Kaylet Torrez began her musical studies at the age of three through Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema program and started studying the horn at age eight. From 2004 to 2014, she was a member of the horn section of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, performing in major concert halls including the Berlin Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, KKL Lucerne, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Teatro alla Scala, among others.
In 2014, she was appointed Principal Horn of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. In 2015, she received a full scholarship to study at the Colburn School in Los Angeles with Andrew Bain.
Since 2016, Kaylet has performed with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, appearing frequently as a guest principal horn. She has also toured internationally with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pacific Symphony.
In 2018, she joined the roster of Hollywood studio musicians and has recorded for major motion pictures including The Lion King, Jumanji, Minions, Bumblebee, Predator, Aquaman, and Terminator, among others.
In 2025, Kaylet won the Associate Principal Horn audition with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She continues to appear as a guest principal horn internationally and is regularly invited to perform at festivals and special projects.
An active educator, Kaylet has presented masterclasses and educational programs in Los Angeles (including UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music), Mexico City, and Colombia. She currently serves as Assistant Principal Horn of the Pacific Symphony, a position she has held since 2017, and maintains a private studio where she mentors young horn players in orchestral performance, studio work, and audition preparation.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #45 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features Larry Zalkind, former principal of Utah Symphony, and current professor of trombone at Eastman School of Music.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #44 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features Sasha Romero, principal trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #13 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with Los Angeles freelancer and podcaster, Preston Shepard.
Preston Shepard is an active free-lance hornist in the Los Angeles area. A student of Joseph Meyer, he studied at Cal State University Northridge and Azusa Pacific University. Preston has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, San Bernardino Symphony, New West Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Santa Maria Symphony, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, and many others around the Greater Los Angeles area. He has also recorded on numerous feature films, television shows and specials such as Avatar 2, Zootopia 2, Hocus Pocus 2, Aquaman 2, Wish, Encanto : Live at the Hollywood Bowl, The Game Awards, Big City Greens, The Nun, The Boogeyman, Geostorm, Inhumans, The Orville, Blood and Treasure, Homecoming Season 2, Star Trek : Lower Decks, Picard, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Solar Opposites, and Presumed Innocent as well as for video game projects such as Fortnite, Overwatch and League of Legends. He has also recorded on albums for artists such as Avenged Sevenfold and Deadmau5. Preston is the adjunct professor of horn at Westmont College and The Master’s University.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #12 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with NYC freelancer and Broadway hornist, Audrey Flores.
Audrey Flores is a freelancing horn player in New York City. She performs on a Patterson Hornworks Triple Horn.
Audrey began playing as a substitute on The Lion King in 2012, and as solo horn on Aladdin in 2015, and held chairs in Tammy Faye in 2024 and Boop! The Musical in 2025. She is the horn player at Paper Mill Playhouse and has also played productions at the Westport Playhouse and at the Delaware Theatre Company. She can be heard on cast album recordings for Boop!, She Has Risen, an all-female concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar, and on the single tracks for Lempicka. Audrey also recorded a self-titled solo album in 2017.
Audrey appeared as Principal Horn of the Princeton Symphony and the Reading Symphony during the 2023/2024 season. She was Acting Principal Horn of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio for the 2017-2018 season. Audrey has also played with the New World Symphony, the Miami, the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, the Distinguished Concerts International Orchestra of New York, the Jerusalem Symphony, the American Ballet Theatre, the New York Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. She was a musician in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra in 2019, 2018, 2012 and 2011, and in the New York Spectacular in the summer of 2016. She is also a proud member of Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band in NYC, who recently produced its first album. She has also recorded for the 8-Bit Big Band, and is currently developing a new solo album which will celebrate Sephardic, Spanish, and Mexican music through horn and guitar.
Audrey is a passionate advocate for musicians of color in the arts. In addition to mentoring and creating access for musicians of color in NYC through Musicians of Social Equity (MUSE) and Maestra Music, she has been a faculty member of Juilliard MAP since 2021, where she strives to give young underrepresented musicians any resource and benefit they might need to pursue the horn successfully and honestly.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #43 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features Steve Suminski, busy Los Angeles and Bay Area freelance trombonist
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #11 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with hornist Julie Pilant, formerly of the Met, now with Utah Symphony.
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Julia Pilant is currently the acting 3rd horn for the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, and a regular guest with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra horn section and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Previously, she was the assistant principal horn for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 14 years and a horn instructor for the Bard College Conservatory of Music for 16 years. Prior to holding those positions, she was the principal horn of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. Ms. Pilant also freelanced for several decades in New York City and performed regularly with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York City Ballet, and numerous Broadway shows. She has played principal horn for the Saito Kinen/Ozawa and Tokyo Opera Nomori music festivals, the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan, and has participated in the Santa Fe Chamber, Affinis (Japan), Sarasota, Festival Napa Valley, Classical Tahoe, Strings, Mainly Mozart, and La Jolla Music Society Summerfest music festivals. In 1994 she won the American Horn Competition. As an equally enthusiastic music educator, she has given masterclasses in schools and festivals across the country, including The Juilliard School, USC, Interlochen Arts Camp, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and is a founding member of the recently formed Coalition of Musicians for Ethical Change. Ms. Pilant received her Bachelor’s degree from Eastman School of Music (student of Verne Reynolds), and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School (student of Julie Landsman).
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #42 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic, Joseph Alessi.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #10 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with hornist Phil Yao, LA studio musician.
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With over 1,500 credits in film, television and recording, USC graduate Phillip Yao has worked with many of the world’s top composers and musicians including John Williams, James Horner, Michael Giacchino and Jerry Goldsmith.
He can be heard on recordings showcasing a variety of artists from all genres; Hilary Hahn, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Ray Charles, and Neil Diamond, to name a few.
In addition, he has years of orchestral, opera, ballet, and Broadway show experience having been a member of the Pasadena Symphony and playing with the Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon.
He and his wife, harpist, Alison Bjorkedal, currently spend time gardening, golfing, and beekeeping. They also enjoy spending time with Phil’s 3-year old grandson. Post-playing, Phil has joined the team at Juliani Music Preparation.
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #41 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features trombonist, Tom “Bones” Malone.
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode #9 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with hornist Dave Everson, LA studio musician and formerly of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
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David Everson, retired Assistant Principal Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, joined the DSO in 1999 after serving as Principal Horn of the Kansas City Symphony for 13 years. A Michigan native and student of Louis Stout at the University of Michigan, he has also performed as guest Principal with ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Everson is active as a studio musician in Los Angeles, where he has recorded more than 150 film scores, and he continues to perform with the Naples Philharmonic and freelance in LA.
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