LONG BAY SYMPHONY MUSICIANS

Meet Our Players

The Grand Strand’s only professional orchestra has more than 70 members who perform each time The Long Bay Symphony takes the stage. Spanning a wide range of instruments, these talented folks put their heart and soul into making musical magic for fans of all ages. It’s their hard work and dedication that makes an evening with LBS an experience like no other.
CONCERTMASTER

William Terwilliger

William enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and teacher throughout six continents. He is a Professor of Violin at the Univ. of South Carolina, and concertmaster at the Rock Hill Symphony. He earned his doctoral degree from the Eastman School of Music.
CONDUCTOR

Charles Evans Jones

Charles brings a wealth of musical experience to the area, having held conducting positions with professional orchestras and music festivals across the country. He has been featured on the podium with organizations such as the Richmond (VA), North Carolina, Virginia and Arkansas Symphonies and the Memphis Ballet, as well as ensembles in Boston, Cleveland, Dallas,
Spokane, Santa Barbara and other cities throughout the U.S.
ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Erin Althoff

Originally from Wooster, Ohio, Erin studied violin performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In addition to being a featured soloist and associate concert master for Long Bay Symphony, she also performs with the South Carolina Philharmonic in Columbia, S.C.

PERFORMERS

Principal Players

PRINCIPAL VIOLIN II

Abigail Albaugh

Abigail is originally from Annapolis, Maryland, and has received degrees in violin performance from East Carolina University and University of Michigan. She is the winner of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Performing in various festivals and ensembles, Albaugh has toured England, Iceland, Scotland, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Canada. Albaugh is also been a member of the Wilmington and Long Bay Symphonies, the Atlantean Piano Trio, and a founding member of the Caretta Quartet. 

PRINCIPAL BASS

Steven Martinez

Steven Martinez is employed with Coastal Carolina University as music faculty instructing Electric Bass and Double Bass. In April 2016 Steven was honorably discharge from the US Army where he served in the ARMY Bands as a Bass performer for four years at Fort Bragg, NC.

Through this experience Steven has performed from Washington, DC, to West Palm Beach, FL, and abroad. Steven is also an active patron in the music community of Conway and Myrtle Beach, SC, performing with the Long Bay Symphony Orchestra, various music ensembles of jazz, folk and rock and private music instruction for students of ages 10 to 50.

As a Myrtle Beach native, Steven Martinez takes great pride in the opportunity to teach at his Alma Mater and contribute to the community in which he grew up in.

PRINCIPAL FLUTE

John Samuel Roper

Flutist John Samuel Roper enjoys a dynamic and exciting career as a sought after performer and teaching artist in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. In addition to being the Principal Flutist in the Long Bay Symphony, John Samuel has performed orchestrally on flute and piccolo with the Charlotte, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Beaufort Symphony Orchestras.

Praised for his pure tone, effortless technique, and innate musicality, Roper is most at home playing chamber music and solo recitals and has been performing countless concerts since winning the First Prize in the Atlanta Flute Club’s 2005 Young Artist Competition.

John Samuel joined Chamber Music Charleston as a guest artist for the 2011-2012 season, performing with the group on several concert series, including Bach’s Brandenberg Concerto #4 for which he was a soloist.

Roper is also a founding member of the Lowcountry Flute and Percussion Project, which performed in the Spotlight Recital Series of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and at the 2011 National Flute Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

PRINCIPAL OBOE

Jessica Miller

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with a Performance Certificate from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Florida State University. Her teachers, respectively, were Rebecca Nagel and Eric Ohlsson.

Miller is the Principal Oboist with the Long Bay Symphony and the Fayetteville Symphony in Fayetteville, NC; she is also a frequent freelance player, most recently having the opportunity to play with the South Carolina Philharmonic in Columbia, SC and the North Charleston POPS! Orchestra.

Before moving to Summerville, Miller served on the music faculties at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Coastal Carolina University.

In the Charleston area, Miller maintains an active private oboe studio and performs as a member of the Charleston Wind Symphony. She lives in Summerville with her husband Robbie, daughter Maggie and twin sons Nathan and Lucas.

PRINCIPAL OBOE

Joelle La Rue-Gardner

Joelle La Rue-Gardner holds a certificate in the Orchestral Performance Residency Program at Carnegie Mellon University, where she also completed a Master’s in Music Performance in clarinet.

She has worked with students in clinics and private lessons from beginner through college. Joelle loves to share in her student's excitement to learn about music, and is inspired by their joy as they progress. Her students have performed with the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall and sat top chair in the SC All-State Band.

She held the position of Second Clarinet with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and currently performs as Principal Clarinet with the Long Bay Symphony.

Joelle has performed on many stages including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. 

PRINCIPAL BASSOON

Patrick Herring

A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, Patrick Herring’s primary teachers were Nancy Goeres, Peter Kolkay, and Carol Lowe. 

Patrick has also performed in master classes for Phil Pandolfi, Frank Morelli, Sue Heineman, and Judith LeClair. Mr. Herring holds the position of principal bassoonist with Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach, SC and South Carolina Philharmonic in Columbia, SC; the latter awarded in May of 2016.  Patrick has performed with Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Charleston Symphony, and Hilton Head Symphony orchestras. 

While pursuing his master’s degree in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Patrick performed with the Akron Symphony Orchestra in Akron, OH and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, WV.  Patrick received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Performance Certificate from the University of South Carolina, and earned his Master of Music degree in bassoon performance from Carnegie Mellon University.

During his time at CMU, Patrick performed with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic in 2009 and 2010 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and was a finalist in the Silbermann Chamber Music Competition.

As well as performing regularly in orchestras in NC and SC, Patrick is a licensed massage therapist in South Carolina where he has been practicing body work since 2013.

PRINCIPAL Horn

Steve Skillman

Steve Skillman is the principal horn of the Long Bay Symphony, the Fayetteville (NC) Symphony and the Carolina Philharmonic in Pinehurst, NC. 

He is a frequent performer with chamber groups throughout the region, and has appeared in shows in Myrtle Beach with Burt Bacharach, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, and the late Ray Charles, as well as with many touring Broadway productions.

Mr. Skillman served as a teacher and administrator for thirty years in Brunswick County Schools, and taught horn at UNC Wilmington and UNC Pembroke.

He received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from East Carolina University, and is a former president of the Brunswick Arts Council.

PRINCIPAL Trumpet

James "Bull" Canty

Trumpet player and composer/arranger James Canty (BA, Brevard College, 2000) is a Myrtle Beach native who currently enjoys a lively playing career. His professional start came with the Long Bay Symphony as a trombonist in 1995, and after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in tuba performance, he committed to playing trumpet full time. James then took to the high seas aboard Holland America Cruise Line to hone his commercial skills, and eventually returning home to join the Long Bay Symphony as a trumpeter to begin mastering his classical abilities.

Highlights of James’s professional career include performances with the Dallas Brass, the O’Jays, the Ohio Players, Tim Zimmerman and the King’s Brass, Michael W, Smith, and many others. He has also engaged in part time work as a recording soundtrack artist, and has two independent, self-produced albums.

PRINCIPAL Trombone

Chad Horsley

Dr. Chad Horsley is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he earned a Master in Music Degree and Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Trombone Performance and Wind Conducting.

Before attending CCM, Dr. Horsley received a Bachelor in Music Education Degree from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL under the instruction of Dr. James Roberts. Dr. Horsley’s performance qualifications include professional orchestral, chamber, and solo playing throughout the Midwest and Southeastern States.

He has performed extensively with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra including the famous May Festivals, Riverbend Pops Extravaganzas, Operas, and National Public Radio (NPR) broadcasts. He has been a member of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Canterbury Brass Quintet, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Blue Ash / Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Gadsden Symphony Orchestra, and Rome Symphony Orchestra. 

Dr. Horsley is currently a member of the Fayetteville Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, and Florence Symphony. He lives in Myrtle Beach with his beautiful wife, Kate, and their wonderful sons.

PRINCIPAL Timpani

Steve Kirkman

Steve Kirkman is the Principal Timpanist of The Long Bay Symphony. He received his BM and MM Degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he was a student of Massie Johnson. Other teachers include John Federson, Larry Spivak, Chris Deane, and Carol Stumpf.

As a Timpanist, he has performed with many area orchestras, including Charleston, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte, and North Carolina Symphonies. As a percussionist and set drummer he has toured with the Dallas Brass, Gianinni Brass, and the New Century Saxophone Quartet, with whom he recorded Main Street USA on Channel Classics Records.

As a drummer Steve has backed many artists including Glenn Campbell, Ray Charles, Shirley Caesar, and Joe Williams. Steve played for the European Broadway Tours of West Side Story and Fame, playing on the European Cast Recording. He is a former head of Percussion at Coastal Carolina University, Limestone College, Greensboro College, and Winston-Salem State University.

Since moving to Myrtle Beach he has played in many of the theaters performing with The Gatlin Brothers, Crook and Chase, and The Alabama Theater Show. In 2001, he started the String Orchestra Programs at North Myrtle Beach Middle and High Schools and continues to teach at the Middle School Orchestra.

He lives in Myrtle Beach with his wife Anne, and their two daughters, Cecilia and Josephine.

PRINCIPAL Percussionist

Michael Knight

Michael Knight is the principal percussionist for the Long Bay Symphony. Originally from Florence, SC, Michael studied at the University of South Carolina and also studied music at the University of North Texas. In addition to performing with LBS, Michael plays in a variety of places around the area including with jazz ensembles, orchestras and bands.

PRINCIPAL TUBA

Dan Johnson

Over the course of his outstanding career, Dr. Johnson has distinguished himself as an exceptional teacher-educator, scholar, researcher, and author. Recognized by his peers for exemplary teaching, scholarship, and professional service, he is Professor of Music and Music Education at UNC-Wilmington. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, the University of Arizona, the St. Louis Conservatory, and Emory University, he earned a Ph.D. in Music Education as well as the Graduate Diploma and Master's Degree in Music Performance. As a multi-instrumentalist, Dan has distinguished himself as an orchestral, solo, and chamber musician by performing major orchestral works for over a decade as principal tubist of the Long Bay Symphony (Myrtle Beach, SC). He has also appeared with the national touring ensemble and Summit Recording Artist Carolina Brass, as well as the Cape Fear Brass Works and the UNC-Wilmington Faculty Brass Quintet. As a conductor, he instituted and directs Tuba Christmas Carols, OctubaFest, and TubaZalea Concerts throughout the Cape Fear region.

PRINCIPAL CELLO

Mary Ann Watson

Originally from Catonsville, Maryland, Mary Ann Watson now resides in Columbia, S.C. and is the principal cellist for the Long Bay Symphony.

INTERVIEWS

Behind the Musicians

Click on any of our players' names below to see an interview with them:

Tamar Ben-Pazi
CELLO
Randall Haynes
PRINCIPAL TRUMPET
Steven Martinez
Principal Bass
Jessica Miller
Principal Oboe
Bobby Burket
English Horn
Chad Hammer
CELLO
Joelle LaRue Gardner
Principal Calrinet
Marlon McDonald
Bass Trombone
Abigail Albuagh
Violinist
Pattie Hopkis Kinlaw
Violin
Lynn Auman
Violin
Rachel Pino
Principal Violin
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