Craig Sorgi
Concertmaster

Craig Sorgi is a graduate of DePaul University ('82) in Chicago, Illinois where he was a student of Victor Aitay, formerly Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti.

Since 1982 Craig has been a member of the San Antonio Symphony 1st Violin Section and during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 concert seasons he was appointed to be the orchestra's Acting Assistant Concertmaster. Craig is also the Concertmaster of the San Antonio Opera, a position he has held since 1999. In 2005 he was invited by Maestro David Mairs to be the Concertmaster of the Mid-Texas Symphony.

Craig has been very active as a chamber music performer and solo recitalist in the South Texas area for the last 23 years and is also a frequent performer of new music.

Music education has played an important part in Craig’s career. While in San Antonio he has been, and continues to be, active in the public school music programs as a teacher and guest clinician and in 2003 he joined the music faculty of Trinity University.

Craig is married to a career music educator. He and his wife are the proud parents of two wonderful sons: one, a violinist/composer and the other, a cellist/artist.

Nina Mavrinac
Principal 2nd Violin

Nina Mavrinac was born in Roswell, New Mexico. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Texas and received her BME from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has played with the Austin Symphony, has played first violin with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra as well as principal 2nd violin with the Corpus Christi Symphony and the Victoria Symphony. Nina teaches Suzuki violin at her private studio in Converse, Texas.

Wanda B. Lydon
Principal Viola

Wanda B. Lydon, a violist with over twenty years experience in the San Antonio Symphony, has been a member of the music faculty at The University of the Incarnate Word for almost as many years. Mrs. Lydon's private students have received honors at state and local competitions. She is familiar with the Suzuki Method of teaching from her experience at Steven's Point workshops in Wisconsin and teaching at The Preucil School of Music in Iowa. Mrs. Lydon uses the traditional and Suzuki methods in teaching her private students.

Mrs. Lydon is a graduate of the University of Iowa, School of Music, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. In addition to her symphony experience, Mrs. Lydon is principal violist with the Des Moines Metro Opera orchestra, and is assistant pricipal with the Winters Chamber Orchestra in San Antonio. She is well acquainted with the standard viola repertoires for symphony, chamber music and opera. Mre. Lydon's recitals in Texas and Iowa have been received with wide acclaim.

Dan Zollars
Principal Cello

Growing up in Kansas, Dan Zollars attended Wichita State University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where his teachers included Bernard Greenhouse, Uzi Wiesel, and Timothy Eddy. Mr. Zollars has also participated in the Bach Aria Festival in Stony Brook, the Aspen Music Festival, as well as the Breckenridge and Colorado music festivals. For more than twenty years he has served as a member of the San Antonio Symphony cello section, and is currently the Principal Cellist of the Mid-Texas Symphony. As a chamber artist, he and San Antonio pianist Martha Oppenheim have performed throughout the Midwest. Dan has also appeared as guest soloist with the UTSA Symphony Orchestra and the Winters Chamber Orchestra. In addition to an active performance schedule, Mr. Zollars maintains a private teaching studio, and is a member of the faculties of the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio College. Mr. Zollars also enjoys teaching courses in computer programming.

Ray Fisher
Principal Bass

Ray Fisher, who was born in Gladewater, Texas, received his BA in Mathematics in 1972 and his JD in 1977 from the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently in a private law practice in Austin.

Ray is principal bass with the Mid-Texas Symphony and performs regularly with the Waco Symphony. He studied double bass with Keith Robinson, Stuart Sankey, Steven Zlomke, and David Neubert and performs in many musical genres including: symphonic, opera, ballet, chamber, musical theatre, and jazz.

Rita Linard
Principal Flute

Rita Linard, principal flutist with the Mid-Texas Symphony, is Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has her doctoral degree from the University of Texas in Austin, and also attended Indiana University, the University of Illinois, and Northern Illinois University. She frequently plays with the San Antonio Symphony, San Antonio Opera and Austin Lyric Opera, and makes frequent chamber music appearances with the UTSA Faculty Woodwind Quintet, the Nova Flute and Guitar Trio, and the Hemisphere Quartet. In 2005 Dr. Linard toured in the Bergerac region in the southwest of France with the Hemisphere Quartet. In the summer Dr. Linard is the director of the UTSA Flute Camp and teaches at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Her numerous performances have been broadcast on Michigan Public Radio and on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today”. A member of the National Flute Association, Dr. Linard recently performed the Durufle Prelude, Recitative, and Variations for flute, viola and piano at the annual convention in Albuquerque, NM. She has also given pedagogy presentations, and adjudicated the Newly Published Music, High School Soloist, High School Flute Choir, and Professional Flute Choir competitions. She has performed and given clinics at the Texas Music Educators Convention, Illinois Music Educators Convention, Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, and for the College Music Society Conferences. She has served as clinician for the Selmer-Conn Instrument Company and Pearl Flutes. Dr. Linard was featured soloist for the Mid-Texas Symphony last season in a performance of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5in D Major.

Larry Mueller
Principal Oboe

Larry Mueller received his Bachelor of Music from Ohio University in 1978 and his M.A. from the University of Iowa in 1980. Besides playing principal oboe with the Mid-Texas Symphony, Larry has played oboe and English horn with the Corpus Christi Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony. He played principal oboe with the Laredo Symphony, the Lubbock Symphony, and the Sinfonica Autonoma de Guadalajara. He has studied with John Mack of the Cleveland Orchestra, Jon Dloughy of the Atlanta Symphony, Don Baker of the Detroit Symphony, as well as Mark Ackerman, Bob Sorton and Adrian Gnam. Besides performing, Larry has experience at woodwind instrument repair.

Mary Schani
Principal Clarinet

Mary Schani, principal clarinetist with the Mid-Texas Symphony, received her musical training at the University of Texas and the University of Michigan.

Her clarinet teachers include Mitchell Lurie, Stanley Hasty, George Silfies and Andrew Crisante. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at the Music Academy of the West, the Sarasota Music Festival, Chautauqua, and the Victoria International Fesitval (Canada).

In addition to performing with the Mid-Texas Symphony, Ms. Schani is a member of the Austin Lyric Opera and Austin Chamber Music Center as well as several orchestras around Texas. She maintains an active teaching schedule in the Austin area and is the clarinet instructor at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.

Sharon Kuster
Principal Bassoon

James Baker
Principal French Horn

James Baker has been principal horn in the Mid-Texas Symphony for the past 6 seasons. He studied music at the University of Texas at Austin as a studen of Wayne Barrington. He has also studied with Dale Clevenger and Arnold Jacobs, both of the Chicago Symphony.

Mr. Baker has performed as a member of the Mexico City Philharmonic, the Orhcestra of the State of Mexico, and the Orquestra Sinfonica de Xalapa. He has appeared with the Houston Symphony and the Austin Symphony.

Mr. Baker currently divides his time between his career as a free lance musician and as a classical music host and producer for Texas Public Radio station KPAC.

Andrew Gignac
Principal Trumpet

Peter Kline
Principal Trombone

Peter Kline received his Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Eastman School of Music where he studied trombone with the legendary Emory Remington. While at Eastman, he was a member of the Eastman Wind Ensemble under Frederick Fennell when they recorded "Screamers" Circus Marches. He was also awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate in Trombone. After receiving a full-tuition fellowship from the school, he continued his studies earning a Master's Degree in Music.

Following graduation, Mr. Kline played in the San Antonio Symphony for six years. He then taught a year at Texas A&I University in Kingsville before returning to San Antonio where, for over twenty-five years, he has taught at San Antonio College. In addition to playing principal trombone in the Mid-Texas Symphony, he holds the same position in the Victoria Symphony. He has also been a member of the Corpus Christi Symphony and the Laredo Philharmonic. One of the founding members of the San Antonio Brass, he continues to play in that group and other organizations.

He is married to Phyllis Kline, cellist, who also plays in the Mid-Texas Symphony as well as the Victoria and Corpus Christi Symphonies.

Robert Petrisky
Principal Tuba

Robert Petrisky Robert has played tuba with the Mid-Texas Symphony since 1986. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in music education from Southwest Texas State University where he studied privately with J. Lesley Varner and conducting with James Sudduth. He has taught band for twenty seven years. Petrisky was selected "Teacher of the Year" at A. J. Briesemeister Middle School in 1993 and 1996, and was named Seguin Independent School District "Secondary Teacher of the Year" in 1996. He was honored by the San Antonio Spurs Foundation as “Teacher of the Game” for exemplary teaching in 2003 and was selected “Teacher of the Year” for J. Frank Dobie Junior High School in 2005. He was also honored as “Teacher of the Year” for the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City I.S.D. the same year. Petrisky has been listed in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" in 1990, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. He was inducted into Phi Delta Kappa professional education fraternity in 1997 and Phi Beta Mu international band director’s fraternity in 2005. He is currently head band director at Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas and is married to Dr. Irene Petrisky who is an education consultant and artist.

Shana Norton
Principal Harp

Shana Norton graduated with highest honors earning a bachelor of music education from Abilene Christian University and attended Eastman School of Music, studying with Julia Hermann Edwards and Eileen Malone. In 1995 she graudated from The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs with a master of public affairs degree. She plays principal harp with the Mid-Texas Symphony.

Sherry Rubins
Principal Percussion

Sherry Rubins is Director of the Percussion program at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is currently acting Assistant Principal Timpanist and Percussionist with the San Antonio Symphony and is the Principal Timpanist/Percussionist with the Mid-Texas Symphony. Sherry has presented clinics and performances at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. She is past Vice-President of the Texas Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and an educational clinician for the Zildjian Cymbal Company.

Sherry has been a member of the percussion faculty at the University of Houston, the Interlochen Arts Camp, Texas Lutheran University, the Texas Lutheran University Summer Band Camp, the Texas Music Festival at the University of Houston and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. She is a faculty member of the Stephen F. Austin Summer Percussion Symposium. Mrs. Rubins lives in San Antonio with her husband Peter, and their 3 year old son Matthew.