Three new musicians join Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera  

Seventeen Singers Join the Chorus 

SACRAMENTO, CA – September 4, 2025 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received a fresh injection of artistic talent with the appointment of three new musicians to the orchestra: Hui-Chuan Chen, Principal Piano; Rachel Allen, Second Trumpet; and Daniel Norris, Third Trumpet. The new SP&O musicians will begin playing this fall. 

“The level of musicianship in this orchestra continues to inspire me,” said SP&O Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto. “With Hui-Chuan, Rachel and Daniel stepping into these new roles, we’ll be even stronger artistically and more consistent in our performances. I’m thrilled to welcome them, and I look forward to collaborating as we bring the very best in orchestral music and opera to our community.” 

In addition, the SP&O Chorus held auditions with 17 new singers added to the chorus’s ranks. The chorus will perform with the SP&O for Harry Potter, Final Fantasy, La traviata, Faure’s Requiem, and Beethoven No. 9. The following are new members of the chorus. 

The new musicians join the orchestra at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of artistic growth and overall achievement. Concerts are often sold-out, the subscription base has fully returned to pre-COVID levels, and record numbers of donors are giving. The 2025-26 season opens October 11 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. 

About the new musicians 

Hui-Chuan Chen, Principal Piano 

Pianist Hui-Chuan Chen leads a diverse career as a concert pianist, chamber musician, and educator. She has performed widely throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared in major performance venues, including Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall), The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, and The Supreme Court of the United States of America. She has featured at the Aspen Music Festival (Aspen, CO), The National Gallery of Art and The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, the Barge Music Festival in New York City, The Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, the Walters Arts Museum and An Die Musik in Baltimore, MD, and the Heifetz International Music Festival in Staunton, VA.  

Since completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Peabody Institute, Hui-Chuan is devoted to teaching and academia.  She previously served as faculty and collaborative position for the Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University, Washington Conservatory of Music, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Heifetz International Music Institute. She currently accompanies recitals with faculty and students at Peabody institute of the Johns Hopkins University and teaches at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  

Rachel Allen, Second Trumpet 

Rachel Allen is a trumpet performer and music educator from San Diego, California. She collaborates frequently with local composers and improvisers and has performed with the San Diego Symphony, Orquesta de Baja California, San Diego Winds, and the San Diego New Music ensemble. She previously served as third trumpet with the Flagstaff Symphony and second trumpet with the Quad City Symphony before joining the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera as second trumpet. She can be heard regularly as a member of Pacific Sound Brass Quintet as well as on Decca Records’ Hysteresis with the San Diego New Music Ensemble. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory, Master or Music from McGill University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of California San Diego. She teaches music theory, brass methods, and co-directs the experimental ensemble at San Diego State University and teaches trumpet at MiraCosta College. 

Daniel Norris, Third Trumpet 

Daniel Norris is a familiar sight to audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, active as an orchestral musician, soloist, and recording artist. In addition to his position as third trumpet of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, he performs regularly with ensembles such as Santa Rosa Symphony, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Oakland Symphony, Marin Symphony, California Symphony, and others. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Daniel has played professionally on a broad assortment of instruments including trumpet, French horn, flute, hurdy-gurdy, didgeridoo, and ukulele.  He can be heard playing several of these instruments on the soundtracks to the video games Sam and Max and Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Adventures. He is a graduate of California State University, East Bay and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and is a certified Suzuki Method brass instructor. An enthusiastic and dedicated educator, Daniel has taught at Santa Rosa Junior College and has been on the faculty of Sonoma State University’s music department since 2017, serving as trumpet instructor and director of the SSU Brass Ensemble. 

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera 2025-2026 Season and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto, for the 2025-2026 season, are generously underwritten by the Nancy and Hank Fisher Family Fund. 

Recognition marks the 10^th Anniversary Celebration of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera is proud that at its season finale concert on May 31, 2025, Congresswoman Doris Matsui formally recognized the organization’s artistic excellence and cultural leadership with an entry into the U.S. Congressional Record — the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. 

The Congressional tribute celebrates the SP&O’s vital role in enriching the Sacramento region through transformative symphonic and operatic performances, deep community engagement, and innovative educational programming. 

“The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera stands as a beacon of creativity, resilience, and artistic excellence,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Their work not only elevates Sacramento’s cultural landscape, but also ensures that the arts remain accessible and meaningful for all members of our community.” 

The recognition comes as the SP&O concludes a milestone season marked by growing audiences, bold artistic collaborations, and expanded community engagement initiatives across schools, neighborhoods, and underserved communities. The organization has emerged as a national model for civic reinvention of a classical arts institution, blending artistic ambition with community impact. 

“We are deeply honored by Congresswoman Matsui’s recognition,” said Giuliano Kornberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. “To be entered into the Congressional Record is not only a tribute to our musicians, staff, and board — it’s a reflection of the extraordinary support we receive from our city and region.” 

The full text of Congresswoman Matsui’s remarks will be permanently preserved in the Congressional Record and is available upon request. 

Music for Years to Come!

SACRAMENTO, CA – June 26, 2025 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) is pleased to announce that its board of directors and musicians have ratified a four-year contract, securing the symphony’s programming and performances through 2029. The agreement reflects the artistic growth and fiscal stability of SP&O in recent years, and reinforces its commitment to its musicians. The SP&O musicians, members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 12, showed strong support in voting to ratify the contract on June 14th.

“This agreement with our musicians assures SP&O can continue bringing outstanding classical music and opera performances to the Sacramento community without interruption for the next four years,” said Sheree L. Meyer, President of the Board of Directors of the SP&O. “It has the overwhelming support of musicians and our Board of Directors, and sets our organization on a positive course for the future.”

The agreement affirms a bold artistic vision for the SP&O, with a commitment to more pairs of performances to meet growing audience demand and a continued slate of classical concerts and operas. It also includes the flexibility to add contracted and chamber music performances each year, providing opportunity for a greater mix in programming with additional pops, community and ensemble concerts.

“The musicians invested many hours into the research for and negotiating of our new agreement” said Tom Derthick, AFM Local 12 President and SP&O Principal Bassist. “We are pleased to reach a fair and timely agreement with our Alliance partners, and look forward to the next four years of artistic growth and community service through the many SP&O symphonic and operatic performances we will share with our audiences.”

Giuliano Kornberg, CEO of SP&O, continued “The SP&O has been on a growth trajectory, with building audiences and support from the community. With this new agreement, achieved in an unprecedented spirit of mutual respect, trust, and a shared commitment to our mission, that progress will continue, as the SP&O is poised to offer more performances with greater variety to our community,”

The ratified agreement positions SP&O for continued growth with the beginning of the 2025-2026 season, which opens in October at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center and includes seven subscription programs, five of which are classical programs along with two operas, Bluebeard’s Castle and La traviata. The season also includes education concerts, chamber performances, and special presentations of popular programming like Harry Potter and Final Fantasy.

Download your images from Celebrating a Decade: Mahler’s Titan, presented on May 31, 2025 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

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Download your images from American Visionaries: from Copland to Still, presented on April 26, 2025 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

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Download your images from Cavalleria rusticana, presented on March 15, 2025 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

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A Merged Masterpiece: The Harmony of Sacramento’s Philharmonic and Opera

In this episode of the Non Profit Podcast Network, Giuliano Kornberg, CEO of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, joins host Jeff Holden to share the remarkable evolution of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, detailing its journey from a precarious beginning to becoming a cultural staple in Sacramento. Through a unique merger in 2013, the organization combined orchestral and operatic experiences, setting itself apart from regions where these arts are separate. Kornberg discusses his personal ascent from a summer job in San Francisco to Executive Director, offering insights into the intricacies of performing arts management, including union negotiations and post-COVID challenges. The episode highlights the organization’s commitment to innovation and community engagement through collaborations with ballet companies, live movie concerts, and educational initiatives like the Link Up program. These efforts, supported by philanthropy and community dedication and commitment, showcase the power of music to enrich local culture and make the arts accessible to a broader audience.

Download your images from Russian Masters: Prokofiev & Stravinsky, presented on February 8, 2025.

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The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received a fresh injection of artistic talent with the appointment of two new musicians to the orchestra: Dr. Laura Arganbright, Second Oboe and Harry Hwang, Second Clarinet. The new SP&O musicians will begin playing later this spring.

“I continue to be impressed with the quality of musicianship in this orchestra, and I know that the addition of Laura and Harry in their new positions will make the orchestra even stronger artistically and more consistent,” SP&O Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto reflected. “I congratulate each of them and look forward to working with them to bring the best in orchestral music and opera to this community.”

In addition, six musicians were granted tenure in the SP&O, which offers musicians musical and artistic stability. The following musicians are now fully-tenured members:

• Tingting Gu, Assistant Concertmaster
• Tammie Dyer, Section Violin I
• Shawyon Malek-Salehi, Section Violin I
• Matthew Vincent, Section Violin II
• Jacob Joseph, Principal Viola
• Jordan Farber, Principal Bassoon

The new musicians join the orchestra at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of artistic growth and overall achievement. Concerts are often sold-out, the subscription base has fully returned to pre-COVID levels, and record numbers of donors are giving. The 2024-25 season continues through May 2025, with 3 more performances at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

About the new musicians

Dr. Laura Arganbright, Second Oboe

Dr. Laura Arganbright thrives in Los Angeles with a portfolio career encompassing performance, education, and reed-making. Laura is the principal oboist with the Bakersfield Symphony, with whom she performed Oscar Navarro’s Oboe Concerto “Legacy” in 2022. Laura has also appeared as a soloist in the world premiere of Viet Cuong’s double oboe concerto “Extra(ordinarily) Fancy” and with the Arizona Philharmonic in Marcello’s Concerto in D minor. Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers, she currently serves as oboe teaching artist for LA Phil’s YOLA program in addition to maintaining a robust private teaching studio. An enthusiastic reed-maker, Laura has operated a handmade reed business since 2015 and derives joy and pride and supplying reeds to oboists throughout California and beyond.

Harry Hwang, Second Clarinet

Based in the Bay Area, Harry has maintained an active orchestral career, having performed with orchestras around the country such as the Houston Symphony, New World Symphony, Merced Symphony, New York State Ballet, and Ann Arbor Camerata. He was featured on the Chicago Tribune Magazine for his role as principal clarinet in a new rendition of Porgy and Bess, which was subsequently commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In addition, he participated as a clarinet fellow for summer festivals, such as Sewanee Summer Music Festival and Pacific Region International Summer Music Festival, where he was a semifinalist in the annual Concerto Competition. He completed his studies at the University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. As an educator, he maintains a small, private teaching studio.

Photos left to right: Dr. Laura Arganbright, Harry Hwang

An evening of exquisite music, food and wine in support of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera at

Few seats remain! Reserve online here. Tickets transferrable but not refundable.

A special thank you to David & Jan Hardie and Allora Sacramento for sponsoring Opera Night at Allora!