Heiichiro Ohyama, Conductor
Born in Kyoto, Japan, He graduated from London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1970. He then entered Indiana University, where he studied viola with W. Primrose, violin with J. Gingold, R. Ricci, and F. Gulli, and chamber music with J. Starker and M, Pressler. In 1974, he won the Young Concert Artist International Audition Award of New York and being a participant in the Marlboro Music Festival since 1972 for several summers, in 1979 he was appointed as Principal Violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under C, M, Giulini. He began conducting the Youth String Orchestra of the Crossroads School for Sciences and Arts. In 1983 he appointed the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. In 1987, Ohyama was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by A, Previn.
His experience includes being the Founding Artistic Director of the La Jolla Music Society's "SummerFest" and the Music Director of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. In 2005, he received the 'Fukuoka City Cultural Prize, and in 2008, 'The outstanding Performance Award' from the Japanese Government. In 2014, the City of Santa Barbara, USA, recognized him for his' Artistic contribution'.
Heiichiro Ohyama holds the position of the Artistic Director of "Music Dialogue" （Japan）, Artistic Director and Music Director of the Lobero Theater Chamber Music Festival (USA), and the Artistic Director of Chanel Pygmalion Chamber Music Series in Tokyo
Alistair Picken, Bassoon
Alistair Picken began studying piano at the age of four, the violin at age six, and later the viola. At age 12 he discovered his true passion- the bassoon, and has never looked back. Alistair began his bassoon studies at the Colburn School with Sara Hiner and continued with Judith Farmer, professor at USC, since 2018. Alistair has participated in Master Classes with Billy Short, Victoria King, Miriam Gussek, and Ben Kamins. Alistair received his High School diploma in June of 2022 from the Pacific Academy in Irvine and currently attends the Colburn Academy where he studies with Richard Beene. In primary school, Alistair attended the Lycée International in Pasadena and speaks fluent French.
Alistair has maintained a vigorous performance schedule throughout high school. He is currently Principal Bassoon of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra and has performed as soloist with the Pacific Academy Foundation Orchestra. Alistair has also performed professionally with the Peninsula Symphony. Alistair was principal bassoon at the AIMS Festival in Solsona, Spain in 2019, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts in the summers of 2021 and 2022.
In 2022 Alistair won first prize in the Dan Stover Competition and was a semi-finalist in the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Competition.
Alistair’s interests outside of music include the plays of Shakespeare, several of which he has performed, interpreting the roles of Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Duncan in Macbeth.
Alistair will be playing the Vivaldi Bassoon Concerto on the Saturday, July 1st concert with the Eastern Sierra Symphony.
Brennan Wuchner, Violin
Brennan Wuchner started playing the violin at the age of five. In 2019 he began studying with Aimee Kreston, and since then, he has enjoyed performing in a variety of recitals and concerts at the Colburn Community School. A favorite violin experience occurred in 2021 when he was chosen to perform Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto with the Pacific Academy Foundation Orchestra (PAFO). In 2022, he had the opportunity to develop further through participation in the Colburn Chamber Music Intensive. Last year he also received his first paid “gig,” playing in the pit orchestra for the Fine Arts Network Theater Company. Additionally, he was the first-place winner in the in the Southern California Bach Festival Complete Works Audition 2022. He is currently Assistant Concert Master in both PAFO and the Temecula Valley Youth Symphony. Upcoming plans include performing the Vivaldi “Summer” Concerto with the Eastern Sierra Symphony and the Kabalevsky Violin Concerto with PAFO later this summer. His summer plans also include attending the Pasadena Conservatory Intensive and the Idyllwild Arts Chamber Music Intensive, for which he received a full scholarship. His other hobbies include playing chess, fishing and flying his RC planes. Brennan will be playing Summer by Vivaldi from the Four Seasons on the Saturday, July 1st concert with the Eastern Sierra Symphony.
Aimée Kreston, Executive Director
A native of Chicago, violinist Aimée Kreston spent her formative years studying with with renowned pedagogue Almita Vamos. Ms. Kreston holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota. After completing her degrees, Kreston continued her studies with the legendary concertmaster Michel Schwalbe.
In 1989 Ms. Kreston became the youngest member of the Minnesota Orchestra and a year later won the post of Principal Second Violin in that ensemble. From 1993 to 1997 she served as Concertmaster of L’Orchestre de Paris, the only American in that ensemble. She has been privileged to perform, as concertmaster, with some of the worlds greatest conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Carlo Maria Giullini, Sir Gorge Solti, and Pierre Boulez.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1998, Ms. Kreston joined the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra as Concertmaster, and in June of 2000, she was engaged as Concertmaster of the Pasadena Symphony. Ms. Kreston has performed in nearly every European country, having appeared as soloist at Amsterdam’s Concertgebow and as chamber musician at the Chatelet Chamber music series in Paris, the Reims music festival, and at the Queluz Chateau festival in Portugal. Ms. Kreston was a prizewinner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition in Switzerland in 1989 and at the WAMSO Young artist’s competition in Minneapolis in 1988.
Kreston is on the faculty of the Colburn School and the Pasadena Conservatory. Ms. Kreston’s students have won numerous awards, and her graduating seniors have been invited to attend the Colburn Conservatory, Indiana University, San Francisco Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Juilliard, and the USC Thornton School of Music, among others.
Ms. Kreston is the Executive Director of the Eastern Sierra Symphony, a summer music festival in beautiful Mammoth Lakes California, and a member of the Pasadena String Quartet.
Elizabeth Hedman, Concertmaster
Elizabeth Hedman joined the Eastern Sierra Symphony on the faculty and Concertmaster in 2012. Ms. Hedman has been a soloist with The National Repertory Orchestra, The Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, The Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and The Seattle Youth Symphony, among others. Her education includes Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she won both the Concerto Competition and the Valedictory Award and was teaching assistant to Donald Weilerstein. Her principal violin teachers include Mr. Weilerstein, Margaret Pressley, and Naoko Tanaka; and for piano, Beth Hall.
Currently, Elizabeth resides in Los Angeles and she is Principal Second and Acting Concertmaster for the Santa Barbara Symphony as well as a member of the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and the Pasadena Symphony and Pops. Elizabeth plays regularly with the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Santa Barbara Opera. She is a member of Ensemble Green and the Pasadena String Quartet. Since 2009 she has been performing at the renowned Oregon Bach Festival, where she acts as Principal Second for select performances.
