BRASS
TRUMPET | FRENCH HORN | TROMBONE | BASS TROMBONE | EUPHONIUM | TUBA
Mark Cate
Mark joined the Reno Wind Symphony in 2018, shortly after moving from Northern California. He began playing the trumpet at 11 years old, and in high school groups included the concert band, jazz band, orchestra, and musicals.
Prior to coming to Reno Mark played with the Brentwood Community Band, Brentwood Burnished Brass, Summerset Big Band, and Broadway Under The Stars community theater.
Joi Cerveri
Joi Cerveri has been a member of the Reno Wind Symphony since 2016. She is a lifelong resident of Reno and started playing trumpet at age 12. She attended Vaughn Middle School and Wooster High School where she played in the jazz bands, concert bands, and orchestras. She also participated in Honor Band and the Lake Tahoe Music Camp.
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​She studied music at the University of Nevada, Reno. Today she is active in a number of local bands such as the Mile High Jazz Band, Boca Brass Quintet, Let’s Dance Band, TMCC Jazz Band, Tahoe Dance Band, Reno Municipal Band, and Our Lady of the Snows Church Band. Joi also teaches music lessons for trumpet and saxophone.
Jesse Coe
Jesse Coe has been a member of the Reno Wind Symphony since the spring of 2019. Both his father and brother play brass instruments as well. Jesse played in Washington in a group called MPC Brass until his recent move back to Fallon. He is a graduate of Churchill County High School and the University of Washington, playing during the entirety of his respective tenures in jazz and wind groups, as well as marching band.
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Jesse studied Japanese Linguistics in college before being commissioned in 2003 into the United States Navy. He served 10.5 years of active duty, flying EA-6B Prowlers and EA-18G Growlers, and still serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve. Aside from playing music with the RWS, he can usually be found on the road, cycling whenever he can.
Cheryl Derosa
Cheryl DeRosa was born in Baumholder, Germany while her father was in the United States Army Air Corps. She received the Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance at Texas Tech University. She has performed with the Huntsville (Alabama) Symphony Orchestra, Texas Tech Symphony Orchestra, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Cheryl learned how to fiddle in Texas, and won several fiddle contests. She was offered a job by the legendary Merle Haggard, but turned it down to finish school.
In addition to violin and vocals, Cheryl took up the trumpet while fronting her own show band. That group toured throughout the United States and Canada, including many Nevada showrooms. She has opened for B. J. Thomas, Merle Haggard, and Asleep at the Wheel.
Cheryl won a RAMA (Reno Area Music Awards) award for musical artistry and appeared on the cover of Fun & Gaming. She has enjoyed local radio spots with a Christmas song she co-wrote with her husband Joseph and has been heard on jingles for Port of Subs and The Peppermill.
Cheryl joined the Reno Wind Symphony in September 2018. She teaches violin in Reno, and currently performs on violin, trumpet and vocals with Pappa Clutch and the Shifters, a local oldies rock band.
Colin Filsinger
Colin Filsinger has been a member of the Reno Wind Symphony since inception. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Nevada in 2004 while studying trumpet under the direction of Dr. Larry Engstrom. Colin was a member of the Wolfpack Marching Band for 5 years and was the trumpet section leader for 2 of those years. Colin played trumpet in the Wind Ensemble and in the Jazz Band while at the University. Colin is also alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
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Colin is a native Nevadan and grew up in the Reno area. He has been married to Lauren since 2008 and has a daughter named Cadence. Colin loves spending time with his family and being outdoors. Colin works as a Realtor with Kane and Partners at RE/MAX Professionals, which has allowed him time to pursue his passion of playing the trumpet and being a part of the Reno Wind Symphony.
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Steve Gibson
Trumpet player Steve Gibson is the owner and general manager of Absolute Music, the band and orchestra specialty store. While growing up in a musical family, he didn’t join the school band until he befriended a new kid in 5th grade who had to talk him into it. Since then music has been a driving force in his life. Steve majored in music education at Fullerton College and marched with the renown Riverside Community College Marching Tigers.
Steve has performed with the Reno Wind Symphony for many years. He has also performed with the Reno Municipal Band, the Reno Pops Orchestra, and other area ensembles. When not on stage, Steve prefers to be in the front row of the audience… he is a long-time season pass holder to the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Broadway Comes to Reno series, and other concerts and musical productions.
Steve is the proud father of Josh, Savannah, and Aaron. He has been the Music Director at his church for over twenty years. When he’s not running his music store, he’s likely out camping or fulfilling his other responsibilities as a Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America.
Todd C. Hudson
Trumpeter/Lt Col Todd C. Hudson (Retired) serves as the JROTC Senior Aerospace Science Instructor at North Valleys High School. Lt Col Hudson received his reserve commission on June 26th 1997, after serving five years as an Aircraft Maintenance Specialist on the RF-4C and the C-130E. Lt Col Hudson received his Wings on October 2nd 1998 from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Since then, Lt Col Hudson has amassed over 4000 flight hours, nearly 700 of which were flown in combat. Lt Col Hudson has 12 Overseas Deployments serving in Operations Joint Forge, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
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​Todd is a proud alumni of Edward C. Reed H.S. in Sparks, Nevada. After high school he earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, and served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Reed H.S. from 1999 through 2002. Lt Col Hudson volunteers his time teaching the Sky Ranch Middle School drum line with his beautiful wife Patricia and his talented daughter Emily.
Bill Melendres
William “Bill” Melendez was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley (Southern California). Growing up in a family of musicians, he started playing the trumpet at age 10. He was active in his high school band program and attended the California Institute of the Arts where he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in music. While a student at Cal Arts Bill studied trumpet with renown trumpet teacher Claude Gordon.
In the San Fernando Valley Bill performed with 4 community orchestras, several big bands, German Bands and rock bands. He was a member of the College of the Canyons Studio Big Band for over 35 years.
After a 31–year career with the United States Postal Service, Bill and his wife of 40 years moved to Nevada to enjoy retirement and spend time with their family here. He now plays as a regular member with the Capital City Community Band, Carson City Symphony, Mile High Jazz Band and Rosebud Dance Band. He joined the Reno Wind Symphony in the Spring 2018 semester.
Dave Loomis
Dave joined the Reno Wind Symphony just as COVID was beginning to sweep across the country. Dave's first performance with the Band was the virtual Christmas Concert December 2021.
He began playing with the Salvation Army Band in San Diego, CA. in the late 1950s. After graduating high school in 1968 he joined the U.S. Army Band, stationed in Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, finishing out his service in Ft. Ord, CA.
After military service, Dave joined the San Diego Police Dept. as a 911 dispatcher. In 1986 he moved to Reno with Pacific Southwest Airlines, which later became USAir.
*Member Photos by: Rick O’Neill
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William Van Meter
William Van Meter joined the Reno Wind Symphony in 2008. Bill started playing trumpet in middle school and continued in high school under the direction of Felton Hickman. He studied music at the University of Nevada, Reno and graduated with a B.S. in accounting.
Following his graduation from Willamette University College of Law in 1986, Bill practiced law in Reno until his appointment to serve as the Reno Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee.
Bill has also performed with Reno Municipal Band, Reno Pops Orchestra, Toccata Orchestra, Hickman Brass, and Ruby Mountain Symphony.
Elizabeth Jones
Elizabeth Jones is a lecturer in the Core Writing Program at University of Nevada, Reno, and is completing a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University. Attending Illinois State is a family tradition, as her father completed the Bachelor of Music Education degree from ISU. Elizabeth also enjoys outdoor activities and is a certified snowboard instructor. She has spent most of her life around horses and is trained in natural hoof care.
Although Elizabeth changed her major from music as a college freshman but has remained an active performer with many different ensembles. She served in the Marine Corps as a French Horn player with the 2nd Marine Air Wing band, traveling throughout the Eastern half of the United States and Canada. She later played flute with the Compton Heights Band of St. Louis, and sang soprano with the Mineral Area Singers in southeast Missouri and the Welsh Choir of St. Louis.
Before coming to Reno Elizabeth played euphonium and trombone in several Illinois ensembles including the Springfield Municipal Band, Decatur Municipal Band, Sangamon Valley Orchestra, Brass Band of Central Illinois, Vintage Brass Band, and the 10th Cavalry Band. Her most memorable performances were playing Civil War vintage instruments from the Sousa archives at the University of Illinois for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's funeral in Springfield, Illinois.
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Al Pefley
Al Pefley is an Army Bandmaster, with 42 years of continuous service since 1975. He is currently the Unit Commander of the 204th Army Band, in Vancouver, Washington. His duties include production, conducting and performance with military music support teams for civilian and military applications.
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He is also Director of Musical Activities at the Coral Academy of Science in Reno, where he teaches general music, wind band and chamber orchestra.
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A native of Las Vegas, Al Pefley graduated from Ed W. Clark High School. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Master of Music degree in performance and composition from Dominican University in San Rafael, California.
Katherine Swezey
Katherine Swezey was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She has been playing with the Reno Wind Symphony since 2021. Her first introduction to music was taking violin lessons in elementary school. Upon entering high school at Galena High School, she wanted to be in the marching band, and that meant abandoning strings and picking up a wind instrument. She decided on a challenge and picked the French Horn/mellophone. Throughout high school, she taught herself French Horn and still played violin.
Katherine attended the University of Nevada, Reno where she marched with the Pride of the Sierra Marching Band years 2015-2019, being section leader for her last year. She took French Horn lessons and played in concert ensembles throughout her college years as well. She graduated with a BS in Mathematics, a BS in Secondary Education, and a minor in Music.
Katherine attended University College Cork in Cork, Ireland where she received a MS in Actuarial Science. Throughout her time there, she played French Horn with the renowned Barrack Street Band. She enjoyed her studying abroad experiences immensely and that music was still involved.
Katherine now resides in Reno with her husband, Tommy, and their two cats Kip and Leo. They enjoy all things Reno has to offer: hiking, food, Arttown, Balloon Races, and the list goes on! She is an Actuarial Analyst, and enjoys analyzing data and all things mathematical. She attributes her success and friendships to music. She finds there is no better feeling than when a group of people come together to share in something they are very passionate about like we all are here.
Steve Ulrich
Steve Ulrich was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Hacienda Heights. His father, R. Barry Ulrich, was a band director at Montebello and then Schurr High School. He studied French Horn with Vince DeRosa, Todd Miller, Steve Durnin and Val Philips.
He was in the first graduating class of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He attended USC, Cal State Fullerton and graduated from Humboldt State University with degrees in Wildlife Management and Music.
He spent 26 years working in law enforcement as a Game Warden for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife and retired in 2022. He plays and referees ice hockey in Reno, hobbies and interests include various outdoor pursuits, history, foreign languages and traveling.
Carol Gribbin
Carol Gribbin has been a member of the Reno Wind Symphony since 2014. She began playing the percussion in 4th grade and moved on to the trombone in 6 th grade. She attended San Jose State University for 1 year where she studied with Robert Szabo (San Jose Symphony) and then moved on to San Francisco State University where she studied with Ned Meredith (San Francisco Symphony) and Zachary Spellman (San Francisco Ballet Orchestra). She graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music Performance from San Francisco State University.
Carol grew up playing with the San Jose Children’s Musical Theatre. It was a great experience and still one of her favorite groups of all time. She attended Tanglewood Brass Institue Summer Program as well as the Keystone Summit Brass Institute, where she brought her quintet, The Pacific Brass, to perform. While at the Keystone Brass institute she performed as auxiliary brass with the Festival Orchestra, featuring Doc Severinsen at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She has been a member of the Berkeley Symphony, the Napa Symphony, and the Bay Area Women’s Philharmonic. Here in Reno, she has performed with the Reno Philharmonic, Reno Municipal Band, and Nevada Opera among others.
Phillip Jerome
Philip Jerome got his start as a performance major at the University of North Texas, and has been working as a professional musician ever since. He has toured with a multitude of bands, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra based in NYC, as well as performing as a bassist with Harrah’s Reno and Lake Tahoe. He is now a freelance musician in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area.
Jim Nichols
Jim has been playing the trombone for nearly 70 years, beginning in the fourth grade and continuing through his high school and college years playing in school and community bands. He graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in geology and zoology, where he played with the University of Kansas Marching Band.
After working as a geologist for five years he returned to school and received an MS in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and moved to Southern California as an engineer for a consulting firm. In Southern California he played for a local band in San Marino.
He moved to Reno after five years in Southern and Northern California. He was Chief engineer for a consulting firm in town and in 1990 opened Nichols Consulting Engineers, an engineering research and consulting firm. For the past 10 years he was a faculty member at TMCC teaching engineering.
He has been active in the Reno Arts community for most of the time he’s lived here, having been on a number of boards such as the Reno Jazz Orchestra , The Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Chamber Orchestra. This season marks his return to the Reno Wind Symphony after a hiatus of a number of years.
Scott Thunder
Trombonist Scott Thunder has been a member of the Reno Wind Symphony since 2015. Mr. Thunder is a certified public accountant and partner in the firm Thunder Vick & Company. Prior to embarking on his career in accounting, Mr. Thunder earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Nevada. While completing his bachelor’s degree, he was the 2nd chair trombonist with the Reno Philharmonic. Mr. Thunder then went on to complete two years of work towards a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas before returning to Reno to study accounting.
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​Mr. Thunder has performed with many groups and live shows/performers including the Reno Philharmonic, the Nevada Ballet, the Nevada Opera Orchestra, the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, American Superstars, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby, George Burns, Toni Tenille, The Four Tops and Natalie Cole.
Karim Shabazz
Karim M. Shabazz is a native of Sparks, Nevada. He graduated from Sparks High School in June, 1998. He earned a Presidential Scholarship to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to study trombone performance. While at Morehouse College he studied under the second trombonist in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and took third place in the National Black Collegiate Concerto Competition in 1999.
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Despite displaying some musical aptitude, Karim switched majors from Trombone Performance to Political Science in 2000, and transferred from Morehouse College to Howard University in Washington, D. C. He graduated from Howard University with the Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 2002. After graduation, he went to Law School briefly before enlisting in the United States Navy. He received his Commission as an Ensign in the Navy on July 15, 2005, and served on active duty until January 31, 2016. Lieutenant Commander Karim Shabazz (LCDR) has continued his service in the United States Naval Reserve.
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​LCDR Shabazz joined the Reno Wind Symphony in 2016, nearly 18 years after he first left Nevada for college, and 17 years since he last played the trombone.
Rudi Bredemeier
Rudi Bredemeier began playing the euphonium when he was 8 years old in his hometown of Urbana, Illinois. He played through his senior year at Urbana High School in Concert, Marching, and Jazz band.
After graduating high school, Rudi studied Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign receiving his Bachelors in 2013. He moved to Reno in 2017 where he works as a Global Supply Manager for Tesla and lives with his wife, Martha, and their daughter, Violet.
Outside of work and playing music, Rudi enjoys venturing into the mountains with his family and riding his bike.
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Elizabeth Jones
Elizabeth Jones is a lecturer in the Core Writing Program at University of Nevada, Reno, and is completing a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University. Attending Illinois State is a family tradition, as her father completed the Bachelor of Music Education degree from ISU. Elizabeth also enjoys outdoor activities and is a certified snowboard instructor. She has spent most of her life around horses and is trained in natural hoof care.
Although Elizabeth changed her major from music as a college freshman but has remained an active performer with many different ensembles. She served in the Marine Corps as a French Horn player with the 2nd Marine Air Wing band, traveling throughout the Eastern half of the United States and Canada. She later played flute with the Compton Heights Band of St. Louis, and sang soprano with the Mineral Area Singers in southeast Missouri and the Welsh Choir of St. Louis.
Before coming to Reno Elizabeth played euphonium and trombone in several Illinois ensembles including the Springfield Municipal Band, Decatur Municipal Band, Sangamon Valley Orchestra, Brass Band of Central Illinois, Vintage Brass Band, and the 10th Cavalry Band. Her most memorable performances were playing Civil War vintage instruments from the Sousa archives at the University of Illinois for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's funeral in Springfield, Illinois.
Lloyd Clark
Lloyd Joseph Clark is a tubist in the Reno Wind Symphony. He began studying music at the age of 10, and has played all of the instruments in the low brass section – trombone, euphonium and tuba. He graduated from Wooster High School in 2009.
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Lloyd began working for his parents’ business, and attending Truckee Meadows Community College. He is currently pursuing the Associate Arts degree in music. He joined the Reno Wind Symphony in January of 2017.
Aaron DeJan
Aaron Paul DeJan is currently in the tuba section of the Reno Wind Symphony and has held this post since the RWS formed in 2006. Aaron's musical pursuits began in the fourth grade on the cornet and he eventually picked up the tuba in junior high school. Moving to Reno in 1990 to attend the University of Nevada, Reno Aaron majored in nursing, obtaining the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1995. While at UNR, Aaron played in the Wolf Pack Marching band on tuba for four years. Even playing while in nursing school, riding his bike from Washoe Medical Center to UNR in 15 minutes, grabbing his tuba, and running to the practice field in his hospital whites. Also while at UNR, Aaron obtained a minor in music and studied tuba privately under Dr. McGrannahan.
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Other musical pursuits included playing with the Capital City Community Band, Carson City Symphony, Sacramento Valley Symphonic band, , the Xi Delta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Reno Municipal Band, WC Fields Memorial dance band, Let's Dance band, and Col. McDermitt & his 2nd Cavalry & High-land Wagoneers Cornet & Sax-horn Band.
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Aaron is a former reserve Naval officer in the Navy Nurse Corps, advancing to the rank of Lieutenant Commander prior to his discharge in 2007. His time in the Navy included a six month mobilization to NAS Whidbey Island in 2003. Being the avid tuba player, Aaron didn't miss an opportunity to play, even away from home playing with The All-Island Community band of Whidbey Island.
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Aaron is a Registered Nurse of 22 years, currently working in the ICU at Northern Nevada Medical Center. During his career, Aaron has been able to combine music and nursing while serving as camp nurse for the Donner Mine Music Camp, 2005- 2010. Nothing better than reveille on the tuba!
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William P. Vance, III
Reno native William “Billy” Vance joined the Reno Wind Symphony in May 2006. He began playing the flute in the sixth grade at age 11, switching to Alto Saxophone in Middle School and finally to Tuba and Euphonium during his freshman year in high school, where he later became section leader and won first chair in the Washoe County Honor Band in his junior year.
After graduating from McQueen High School in 1999, William moved to Southern California for his job and took a brief break from playing, but missed the camaraderie of being in a wind band and joined the Shoreline Concert Band, an ensemble of the Long Beach Municipal Band, in 2003 until moving back to the Reno area in 2006. William currently plays regularly with the Boca Brass Quintet, the Reno Municipal Band each summer, and was a member of the Hickman Brass Ensemble and has performed with the Reno Pops Orchestra. William attributes much of his success in life to being part of musical ensembles, which has taught him teamwork, leadership and to have the tenacity to follow through on your goals much like pushing through to the end of a musical performance.
William earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2016 from the University of Phoenix, and went on to earn his Master of Accountancy from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2020. William is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Nevada and a Corporate Accounting Manager at Sierra Nevada Corporation.
Interestingly, William has a small collection of vintage Martin tubas and sousaphones and constructed the tuba he plays most often in his garage from a 1935 Martin “Mammoth” tuba body and more modern King valve section.