Sharon Kuster
bassoon

Sharon Kuster obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of California where she studied with the late Norman Herzberg. She is the Principal Bassoon of the San Antonio Symphony, with which she has been a featured soloist. Before moving to San Antonio, Sharon performed with La Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz in Mexico.

In the summers, Sharon has performed with the Breckenridge Music Institute, the Sunriver Music Festival, the Cactus Pear Music Festival, and the Masterworks Festival in Indiana. She is in her 21st summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming. Sharon also plays with the Olmos Ensemble, a chamber music group in San Antonio, and teaches privately.

Vanguel Tangarov
clarinet

Vanguel Tangarov, a native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, performs as Principal Clarinet for the Austin Lyric Opera and Mid-Texas Symphony. In addition, Mr. Tangarov teaches clarinet at Texas Lutheran University, Baylor University, and Texas State University. He is an active teacher and clinician in the Leander and Round Rock Independent School Districts.

Vanguel Tangarov previously served as Principal Clarinet at Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Bulgaria; Academia Chigiana Symphony Orchestra, Siena, Italy; Jeunesses Musicales World Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, Germany; and Monterrey Symphony Orchestra in Mexico. He has appeared as a soloist with the Plovdiv Philharmonic, Rousse Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic, and Sofia Philharmonic orchestras in Bulgaria and the Monterrey Symphony (OS UANL) and Monterrey Chamber Orchestra in Mexico performing concertos by Mozart, Weber, Copland, Jean Francaix, Cimarosa, Giampieri, and Pipkov.

In 2010, Tangarov performed at the International Clarinet Fest in Austin, Texas, premiering music by Bulgarian and Romanian composers. He can be heard as principal clarinetist on a recent Naxos recording titled “Circus Maximus” by John Corigliano with the University of Texas at Austin Wind Ensemble and as a clarinetist on more than ten other recordings.

Tangarov has been awarded numerous prizes in both national and international clarinet competitions including: Prague Spring International Competition 1996, 6th place overall; United Nations International Clarinet Competition, Lisbon, Portugal 1994, 4th place overall; First International Clarinet Competition, Constanza, Rumania 1993, 2nd Prize; “The Music and the Earth” International Chamber Music Competition, Sofia, Bulgaria 1993, 3rd Prize; Bulgarian National Clarinet Competition for French Music, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 1997, 1st Prize; Brahms Academy Competition for Chamber Music, Sofia, Bulgaria 1993, 2nd Prize; Bulgarian National Radio-Mozart Chamber Music Competition 1991, Clarinet Quintet 1st Prize, and Bulgarian National Clarinet Competition, Provadia, Bulgaria 1990, 1st Prize. Vanguel Tangarov holds a Master’s Degree from the State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria where he studied with Professor Petko Radev, former Principal Clarinet of Teatro Alla Scala di Milan, Italy. He earned his DMA in Clarinet Performance at the University of Texas at Austin.

Amanda Grooms
soprano

American soprano, Amanda Grooms, was the winner of the 2009 Mid-Texas Symphony Vocal Competition, and was the featured guest soloist in the holiday concert “An Olde English Christmas. In 2010, she sang the soprano solos in Handel's Messiah with the symphony.  She has been described as having a "flexible voice of considerable warmth and power" and has gained attention for her clear and effortless high notes.   Heralded for her "versatile singing ability but also her capabilities as an actress," her concerts have been called "a living, breathing advertisement for the necessity for live musical performances."