Picture Show

Travis J. Cross (he/him) serves as professor of music and director of bands at UCLA, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, leads the graduate wind conducting program, and chairs the music department. He was also associate dean for academic mentoring and opportunity during the initial years of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He previously taught at Virginia Tech and Edina (Minn.) High School. Cross earned doctor and master of music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and the bachelor of music degree cum laude in vocal and instrumental music education from St. Olaf College. His principal teachers were Mallory Thompson and Timothy Mahr. Cross has appeared as a guest conductor, composer, and clinician in nearly 40 states; Canada, China, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates; as featured band clinician at the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention; and on several occasions at the Music for All National Festival and Midwest Clinic. Cross is a member of the Council of Korean Americans and a Yamaha Master Educator.

Michael T. James (he/him) is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting at UCLA, where he serves as a teaching assistant for the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Marching Band. He brings with him an extensive background in public school teaching in Washington state. He has led students in performances at the Washington Music Educators Conference, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has been recognized by the 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle) and Jazz at Lincoln Center. James earned a bachelor of music education summa cum laude from Pacific Lutheran University and a master of arts in conducting from Truman State University. His primary conducting teachers include Travis J. Cross, Dan Peterson, and Raydell Bradley.

Flute/Piccolo

Na Yeon Cho 

Sophie Kim 

Katlyn Lang

Shannyn Sul

John Robert Santiago

Oboe/English Horn

Brooke Barry 

Mana Chan

Daniela Chavez

Gianna Colombo

Adam Frary

Bassoon

Matthew Rasmussen

Abigail Brendza

Adam Moss

Clarinet

Michelle Benitez

Richard Chiu

Oren Dror

Jacob Freiman

Harrison Garff

Adam Gilberti

Edwin He

Josh Kalinowski

Nicholas Kim 

Mia Kuo

Aria McCauley

Alex Parlee

Jonathan Recomanta

Edward Tang

Yijin Wang

Ray Zhang

Adam Zilberman

Saxophone

Matthew Chavez

Amaya Fogg

Mathew Harget

Breanna Kim

Brendan Lockie

Horn

Audrey Chung

Daniel Garcia

Emma Lumsden

Esther Myers

Drew Slipka

Trumpet

Jackson Bacon

Kenneth Brown II

McCartney Hutchinson

Andrew Smith

Alex Su

Trombone

Jason Bernhard

Ethan Holmes

Gregory Ochotorena

Claire Parker

Euphonium

Jillian Ran

Emma Surdilla

Tuba

Samuel Adam

Leigha Linder

Percussion

Cody Chang

Celeste Crabb

Jesus Flores

Erica Hou

Xavier Paul

Frank Peacock

Piano

Nicholas Junker

String Bass

Luca Lesko

Harp

Alaina Stark

Since his debut as a professional clarinetist in the early 1970s and as a current member of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Piazza has shared the concert stage and recorded with such artists as Zubin Mehta, Plácido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Barbra Streisand, Itzhak Perlman, Carlo Maria Giulini, Leonard Bernstein, Gustavo Dudamel, and James Conlon. In addition to nearly 1,000 performances with L.A. Opera and the Philharmonic at the Music Center, Disney Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl, he has also performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Théatre du Châtelet and the Palacio des Bellas Artes. In 1983, Piazza became chair of the Pierce College music department and soon founded the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds—an ensemble that would eventually perform throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Eastern China, as well as at the world-renowned Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. From 1976–2019 Piazza directed ensembles at the legendary Idyllwild Arts campus and, more recently, Piazza and the Winds were among the featured performers at the 2022 Association of Concert Bands conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

*Section Head

(L) Leave of Absence