The Eugene (Ore.) Symphony has announced the appointment of KUMIKO ITO as principal timpani, effective immediately, and the addition of four violinists to its roster beginning with the 2011-12 season. Ito, who fills a position left vacant upon the death of Principal Timpanist CHARLES DOWD, has performed with California’s Sacramento Philharmonic and its Stockton, Modesto, and Monterey symphony orchestras; the Owensboro (Ky.) Symphony Orchestra and the Evansville (Ind.) Philharmonic; the New World Symphony in Miami Beach; and Japan’s Sendai Philharmonic. From 2003 to 2006 she was an associate instructor at Indiana University. Ito earned her bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the National University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo, and holds both a performer’s diploma and a master’s degree from Indiana University.
New to the Eugene Symphony’s first violin section next season will be NELLY KOVALEV, who holds a bachelor’s degree in violin and a Master of Science in Teaching Music from Oregon’s Portland State University. SASHA CHANDLER, a graduate of the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s in violin performance, has been appointed assistant principal second violin. Named to section posts in the second violins were ALICE BLANKENSHIP, a University of Oregon graduate with a doctorate in violin performance and music history from that institution, as well as a master’s from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; and DELLA DAVIES, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance from Switzerland’s Zuercher Hochschule der Kunste.
Posted August 2, 2011
