Dan has been a musician with the Southern California Philharmonic since 2008. He started playing the violin in the 6th grade and two years ago, finally faced the challenge to learn the cello. He can now be found in the cello section at SoCal Phil.

In college, Dan enjoyed performing in musical theatre, and more recently, in music videos. His musical highlight was playing in the orchestra for Pope John Paul II during the Pontiff’s United States tour. Dan has traveled extensively to Europe and Asia on several concert tours with groups such as the Chapman University Symphony Orchestra and the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Dan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, majoring in Accounting. He also has an Associate of Arts in Interior Design. In 2021, after a 30-year career in automotive marketing and process integration, Dan retired. He still thrives on developing creative solutions to “It Can’t Be Done.”

Giving back to the community is a priority for Dan: over the past twenty-plus years, he has helped raise 31 neighborhood kids (along with his husband, Matt), he is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member for the City of Irvine, he is a volunteer violinist with his church choir, and now, Dan is a board member of SoCal Phil.

Bill brings a strong financial background to the position of SCP Treasurer. Four years ago, Bill retired from a major insurance company as the controller and director of financial planning and analysis. He is a certified CPA and has served on the boards for other non-profits during his career. In addition to his love for live music, Bill is an avid tennis player, cyclist and traveler. Bill has been a patron of SCP for many years.

Dr. Melissa X. Marius, J.D., Ph.D. (formerly Melissa Q.T. Nguyen) is a lawyer and political scientist whose friendship with the Southern California Philharmonic began in the 2013-14 concert season, when she was named a winner of SoCalPhil’s Young Artist Competition.  After appearing as the piano soloist for Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 with the SoCalPhil, Melissa was asked to join the symphony orchestra; during 2015 and 2016, she served as SoCalPhil’s Principal Pianist.  As an alumna of the SoCalPhil Young Artist Program, Dr. Marius advocates for the cognitive, emotional, and mental health benefits of music education. 

Dr. Marius completed her law degree at UCLA School of Law, where she specialized in Business Law & Policy, with an emphasis in Taxation.  Her scholarly research focuses on the interplay among norms, laws, ethics, and policies in shaping individual, organizational, and national behavior.  Dr. Marius’ areas of interest and expertise include criminal deterrence theory; international human rights; entertainment law and cultural policy; the rationale, impact, and jurisprudence of copyright protection; and the interconnected rights of privacy and publicity. 

On the SoCalPhil Board of Directors, Dr. Marius is the founding Chair of the Standing Committee on Community Partnerships and Access to Arts.  Melissa maintains an active performance schedule as a musician, currently serving as SoCalPhil’s Principal Pianist once again.  Moreover, she sings alto as a member of Faith Community Chorus of Orange County. 

Lynn Chavdarov Segrist is the Founding Director of the Faith Community Chorus of Orange County (FCC), which she began in January 2006 as a ministry to her community. The choir is made up of singers from several churches and various choirs, including Voices of Tustin, as well as several singers from Aldersgate United Methodist Church (UMC). Lynn is also the the Director of Music Ministries at Aldersgate UMC and directs the Chancel Choir, Youth Choir and Handbell Choir. Under her creative leadership, FCC presents two to three concerts per year, typically with orchestra and covering a wide range of musical genres.
In addition to her FCC director role, Lynn sang soprano with the Orange County Choral Society of Huntington Beach, the Orange Community Master Chorale, Musica Sacra/William Lock Singers, the Robert Carl Chorale, and other groups. Additionally, she plays French horn and has both played for and directed bands for many years. She directed her Illinois hometown’s Park Singers junior and senior high school performers and added an elementary age group during her tenure as director; both groups performed at the Illinois State Fair several years under her direction.
Lynn is an honor graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and dual concentrations in Music and Reading Disabilities. She is married to Gene Segrist, and the happy couple lives in Orange, CA. Lynn has one daughter, Ali, who is a graduate of California State University Fullerton and a fine singer.

Stefano M. Stefan holds a bachelor’s degree in physics, a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Analysis and Design. He has a background in the electric power industry and recently retired from a career in professional education at the University of California, Irvine, where he took on a variety of tasks ranging from managing a academic programs to developing online courses.

An avid violinist, Stefano has been playing in symphony orchestras since high school. He currently performs with various local orchestras, including the Southern California Philharmonic, where he serves as the secretary on the board of directors, and Symphony Irvine. Stefano enjoys composing and arranging music and actively participates in chamber music with Ensemble Lirico at Chamber Music OC.

In addition to his instrumental pursuits, Stefano has sung with the Vietnamese choir Ngan Khoi, highlighting his diverse musical interests.

Pauli Merry is in her sixth season with the orchestra. After a successful career as a teacher, counselor, and administrator in three California community college districts, she retired as the provost of the Pacific Coast Campus of Long Beach City College. She now has more time to play cello in several community orchestral groups. The personal gratification of honing her cello skills along with playing a variety of musical genres is beyond measure. Her goal as an SCP director is to help the orchestra grow in the many ways that it can. Among them are: serving the community as a resource for good music; promoting classical music as a life long source of pleasure; supporting youth in their musical development; raising community awareness of SCP’s excellence; and providing satisfying and exciting musical experiences for SCP musicians.

Hannah Glass has been sharing her talents in the SF Bay Area since 2010. She has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Hollywood Bowl, Disneyland, UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, and more. At UC Berkeley she directed award-winning DeCadence Acappella and studied Baroque violin and viola, graduating with a BA in Music. Glass has toured with EDM Trap artist TroyBoi and played cabaret music with The Voice’s Kat Robichaud. She also records and performs indie rock with SF bands such as Manos Lindas. Hannah has been a Rap Analyst at Pandora Radio for 6 years, and welcomes her return to Classical music on the board of SoCalPhil.

Ken is a member of the Southern California Philharmonic first violin section and current student of SoCalPhil’s Concertmaster, Jessica Haddy.  Ken started violin at the age of 12 and has had a passion for the arts ever since.  Although still very much an amateur musician, Ken has learned from, been mentored by, and played with several highly esteemed violinists and musicians in his early years.

Ken is a full-time and devoted househusband, and father of two (2) boys, works full-time as a legal professional, and is active in music through his participation in the SoCalPhil, church ensembles, and teaching.  With years of experience in music, a decade of experience in restaurant management and culinary arts, and a decade of legal experience as a Law and Motion Clerk (business litigation and employment law), Ken hopes to use his eclectic background to continue the fine and established traditions of the SoCalPhil while also helping to expand SoCalPhil’s influence to a more diverse demographic in the Southern California community, and beyond.

Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, a Juris Doctor degree, and intends to pursue an Associates in Arts for Violin Performance in the fall of 2023 under Maestro Branden Muresan.  In his limited free time, Ken enjoys surf-fishing, cooking, homemaking, and binge-watching Downton Abbey (over and over).

Dr. Kirsten Ashley Wiest is extremely passionate about accessibility and inclusion in classical music. Kirsten teaches courses in music at University of California Riverside and San Bernardino Valley College, and frequently gives masterclasses, lectures, demonstrations, and workshops at high schools, colleges, and universities throughout southern California.
Also an active performer, Kirsten primarily sings the music of living composers. Kirsten has sung with groups including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Bang on a Can All-Stars and can be heard on the soundtracks of several horror films including The Unholy and The Conjuring 2.

When she’s not practicing clarinet, Oma is a full-time R&D mechanical engineer in the medical device industry, working on cardiopulmonary monitoring devices in both the disposable and capital spaces. Oma graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in March 2020 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a concentration in Manufacturing. Oma played in the wind bands, orchestra, and clarinet ensemble at Cal Poly, and was principal chair of the Wind Ensemble for her final year. She hopes to someday go back to school and obtain a degree in clarinet performance.

Oma has been playing clarinet since she was nine years old. She has played in wind bands from the beginning but took advantage of an opportunity to join her college orchestra in 2018 and has been enamored with orchestral performance ever since. Oma was invited to join the SoCal Phil in 2023 and is currently a co-principal clarinetist for the group. She is thrilled to join the board for the SoCal Phil, allowing her to give back to music as much as it has given to her and expanding her horizons with the world of nonprofits. Oma enjoys backpacking, embroidery, gardening, running, reading (50+ books/year), and writing/recording clarinet choir arrangements of movie soundtracks.

Tod has been in the horn section of the Southern California Philharmonic since March of 2018, just prior to his retirement, after over 31 years in IT with Quest Diagnostics. He started playing horn in 5th grade, played in the Orange County Youth Symphony, the Placentia Youth Orchestra, the California All-State Honor Band and earned a BA in Music-History/Theory and a BS in Computer Science from California State University Fullerton. Over the years Tod has performed on horn with the Saddleback College Symphony, the Palomar College Symphony and the Orange Coast College Symphony, in the pit with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera and small ensembles such as the South Coast Brass, the Amici d’Amelia woodwind quintet and the Bösendorfer Consort. He sang bass at Esperanza High School in Chamber Singers, Tenor at CSUF in the University Choir and baritone with Men Alive: The Orange County Gay Men’s Chorus. In college, Tod specialized in early music, mainly playing the recorder in Bach Cantatas and the Bach Brandenburg Concerto #2 as well as the CSUF Collegium Musicum and the Consort da Camera.

Tod is familiar with non-profit organizations, serving for more than 10 years on the board for the South Orange County chapter of PFLAG and, most recently, on the board for the Community Youth Orchestra of Southern California. He looks forward to serving on the board of the So Cal Phil! Fortunately, his biggest supporter is his husband of 30 years, Craig, who comes to all his performances.

Tony is a business person, technologist, author, and entrepreneur. Tony enjoys music and is a member of the Voices of Tustin community choir, but his real talent is lending his expertise and network to help charities and young people. Tony earned his bachelor’s degree from Cal State University East Bay and his MBA from San Jose State University, focused on engineering and then on marketing. Tony spent twenty-seven years mostly in technology to include Silicon Valley’s Apple Computer, HP, Sun Microsystems as well as the following Fortune 150 Companies: Printrak/Motorola, Gateway Computer, Black & Decker, and 3M. In 2012, Tony Wong authored an advice book for young professionals called “Mooove Ahead! Of the corporate herd.” All gross proceeds from this book are donated to charity. Tony is currently involved as a co-founder for an Irvine software startup called Badu Networks. Tony is on the following charity Boards: Southern California Philharmonic, Boys & Girls Club of Tustin, Community for Innovation.

Kim Stephens-Doll is a musician and the founder of the Renaissance Institute of Music in Oceanside, California where she also serves as Music Director. In addition to her rich musical education and background, she is an accomplished educator who spent many years teaching English as a second language. Kim’s capacity to give is truly inspiring. She brings together her love of music, her ability to connect with students, and her teaching expertise to provide young musicians with a unique opportunity to develop musical skills, perform, and enhance their personal development. Through her programs, she encourages young people to demonstrate commitment, leadership, and civic responsibility. After returning to music 13 years ago with the primary goal of playing in an orchestra, Kim has since played for the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra, City Ballet of San Diego, Saddleback Symphony Orchestra, Poway Symphony Orchestra, Fallbrook Chamber Orchestra, Southern California Philharmonic, and the MiraCosta College Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed at several venues in Italy while touring with the Four Seasons Youth Orchestra. Kim plays a variety of genres including folk, jazz, classical, and fiddle. In addition to leading the three tuition-free orchestras at the Renaissance Institute of Music, Kim is the String Instructor for Jean Will Strings at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, and provides musical coaching and instruction to students in the Carlsbad and Vista Unified School Districts. Kim teaches both violin and viola to her private students from her studio in Oceanside.

Pat has an extensive and lengthy career in the business environment. Banking was her passion prior to joining the golf industry in 1993. Recently retired after serving 23 years as Executive Director of the largest women’s golf association in the United States, Pat has served on various non-profit boards/committees in the golf industry, including the PGA California Alliance for Golf (water issues), The United States Golf Association and as a Founding member/Vice President of the (nationwide) Women’s Golf Alliance. Pat’s interest in music is an extension of her husband Terry’s participation in numerous orchestras in Southern California. As Terry’s wife, Pat has learned to appreciate the dedication and hard work musicians put forth. Pat has been a spectator at Southern California Philharmonic events for years and now looks forward to participating in and contributing to this respected organization.

Mary is a board member and violinist with the Southern California Philharmonic. She has been playing the violin since she was about 4 years old and has played with various orchestras, and has toured to Europe, Asia and Carnegie Hall. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music History from UCLA, and a Juris Doctor from Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law. Since becoming an attorney in 2014, her practice has focused on worker’s compensation, employment and labor law. As an Orange County native and live music fan, she is happy to find time to practice and support the local arts community. She is excited to be a part of the SoCalPhil and looks forward to a great season.

Vivien is a founding member of the Southern California Philharmonic​ and has played continuously in the cello section since the beginning. She has proudly served on the Orchestra’s Board of Directors at various times over the years. Her goal has always been to support the Orchestra and be a part of its continued growth and success.

After a long career practicing law with a focus on tax and public finance, Vivien took cello lessons with a member of the Pacific Symphony. With much encouragement from her teacher, she joined with other aspiring musicians and formed the predecessor to what is now the Southern California Philharmonic. The Orchestra founders’ interest then, as now, was to make beautiful music and share that experience with the community. Vivien has been fortunate in being able to follow two of her other major interests. She is an award-winning​ Southern California artist. Her work has been shown and collected throughout the United States. Vivien’s other major interest is traveling this beautiful world as often as possible.

Stephanie Campbell is a founding member of the Orange County chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and is the Vice Chair of the National Board of Trustees where she chairs the Governance Committee. She is also a volunteer for the League of Women Voters and the County Action Coordinator for Compassion and Choices and speaks around the County for both organizations. She is a naturalized US citizen, born in England and lived in Israel for 2 years prior to coming to the United States. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and received her MBA from California State University, Fullerton in 1980.

Born in the Netherlands, Ludo was stimulated and inspired by art and music from an early age.

He learned to play guitar, the flute and percussion; his musical passions are classical (especially baroque), folk-instrumental and jazz. Recently he started recording his own compositions.

His devotion to the Arts has landed him in his current endeavors: he owns the Forest & Ocean Gallery in Laguna Beach, is the publisher of Art Highlights Magazine and serves on the boards of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, the Joe Hanks Van Cleave Foundation for the Arts as well as the So. Cal. Symphony.

Violist Joi Ciarletta joined the Board in 2021, but has been part of the SoCalPhil family since 2005. Joi began her musical explorations on the violin at the age of 8. Early in her involvement with SoCalPhil, she identified the absence of a solid viola section and made the switch to viola. Joi has been a strong member of the section ever since. Joi has studied on the viola for more than five years with Branden Muresan with previous years of private study devoted to the violin. Joi has performed with local quartets, the Fullerton College Symphony Orchestra, the MiraCosta College Symphony Orchestra, and the SoCalPhil Summer Strings. She also joined the Yorba Linda Orchestra (now known as the SoCalPhil) as a violinist on the orchestra’s performance tour to China in 2008. Joi volunteered to support her children’s music endeavors and conducted the orchestra at Eldorado Emerson School in Orange, CA. She is an avid supporter of the arts having involvement with organizations in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties through both generous financial support and volunteer work.

For the past two decades, Joi has raised her two children who are both college graduates now, one enrolled in Vet School pursuing an MS and the other pursuing an MBA degree. In her spare time, Joi has been a business owner and maintained a career spanning decades in the work comp field as a vocational counselor, medical case manager, and regional supervisor, coordinating care as an RN for individuals with their physicians and insurance companies.

Although a California native, Joi is constantly on the move as she is both a California and a Texas resident. In addition to playing in the SoCalPhil, Joi enjoys working and spending time with immediate family who can be found in California, Texas, and Colorado. She enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, and the outdoors as much as possible.

Jillian Risigari-Gai Lopez is a proud Los Angeles native and freelance artist. She started her musical path at the age of 3. Jillian earned a Masters in Fine Arts in Harp Performance from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music in Performance- Harp from California State University- Long Beach. She is currently pursuing a DMA in Performance at UCLA under the mentorship of Lou Anne Neill, former Principal Harpist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. LA Weekly describes Jillian’s versatile style as “one who reaps musical dividends, adding to the story’s magical feeling” and that her musicianship adds “delicious upstage accompaniment” – Stage and Cinema.

Film credits include Papa Hemingway in Cuba (2015), and The Ground Beneath Their Feet (2014), and With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010). She was a featured performing artist for Emmy Award winning PBS Artbound Special Episode: Invisible Cities (2015) composed and adapted by Christopher Cerrone (Pulitzer Prize Finalist) which was presented as a Wireless Headphone Opera at LA’s Historic Union Station.

Jillian’s love of live theatre has led to a multitude of productions throughout Southern California. Jillian has collaborated with 3-D Theatricals. Good People Theater Company , Hollywood Fringe Festival , Musical Theater West, Encore Southbay, The Lewis Family Playhouse, and the Independent Shakespeare Company. In the Spring of 2017, Jillian was featured in a A Laugh Than Think Production of For Piano and Harpo a play written and starring Dan Castellaneta (voice of ‘Homer Simpson’ from the TV Series The Simpsons) about the lifelong friendship of Harpo Marx and Oscar Levant. Additionally, Jillian holds principal positions with Long Beach Ballet Company, Pacific Opera Project, Pasadena Opera, and The Contemporary Performance Collective. She has performed with The Industry Opera Company, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera.

Jillian has collaborated with pop fusion LA based bands/musicians such as KNOWER with Genevieve Artadi and Louis Cole, ANNABEL(LEE), Mike Keneally, HOLYCHILD, Hazel Iris, and XYLO. She has appeared as a collaborative artist on albums such as Postcards from Heaven by Susan Allen, LIFE by KNOWER, and Dizzy Strange Summer by Genevieve Artadi.

Jillian’s lifelong ambition has always been to be part of a music community that is centered around the artistic process as a building block or foundation to reinforce the sustainability of classical music’s future in an inclusive and comprehensive way. She is currently Principal Harpist & Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Chamber Music Co. LACMC is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide audiences with exceptional and affordablegai chamber and collaborative arts concerts that inspire and promote our sense of passion, community, and diversity. Through Jillian’s passion and love of intimate chamber works, she is currently curating programs that feature and highlight an eclectic range of repertoire showcased in livestreams, live music, recordings, music videos, and music education.

“I could have started two years earlier if I had chosen the flute or something like that, but I wanted to play the violin. Why? I can’t tell you, but what is for certain is that I never would have been able to start playing if it had not been for the public school system.”

Jackson’s musical journey started by being pulled out of class two times a week beginning in 4th grade, continued with middle school orchestra, and then on to high school including many years of music camp. She played in Junior College and was even part of America’s Youth In Concert, a performance group that did a 14 stop tour of Europe that included performances in Paris, Venice, London, Geneva, and Rome. She attended Cal State University Long Beach on a musical scholarship and was part of the Honors University String Quartet. Juanita graduated from CSULB with a degree in music and a teaching credential.

It was at this time that Juanita decided to take a break from the music world. For around fifteen years, Jackson devoted most of her time to her family, specifically to raising her children. She began offering private lessons in the late 70’s and the Jackson family found themselves making the move to Menifee in 1989, “a time when Newport only had stop signs and two lanes!”

After moving to the area, Juanita began participating in many local programs including symphonies in both Riverside and Redlands. She also would later come to be a part of the Temecula Valley Symphony and take a position as assistant conductor under Don Marino, a musician that she has worked with and been inspired by since her high school years. Jackson is currently Concertmaster with the MiraCosta Community Symphony Orchestra in Oceanside and principal for the second violin section of the Southern California Philharmonic.

In the early 2000’s Jackson earned her MA in Educational Technology and Learning. She then began her career in education by teaching in local elementary schools, which the musician did for five years. Around this time, Juanita also worked as an applied music instructor at MSJC. She took a position as the band director at Menifee Valley Middle School in 2008. During her 10 years at the school, Juanita was able to double student participation and hone the program to such a high degree that her students only received the highest honors in festival competitions for the last 8 years. Her students also had the honor of performing at Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland; including exclusive studio sessions with renowned Disney studio clinicians, Kurt Curtis, Sal Lozano, and Robert Feller.

Since her retirement at the end of the 2019 school year, Juanita Jackson has found herself becoming more involved in other music programs (including the Temecula Symphony Junior Youth Symphony) and feels an obligation to advocate for the importance of music in school.

Juanita had the following to say:
“Education is so important and learning an instrument provides students an opportunity to learn something that inhabits a place in their heart that, in my opinion, cannot be achieved with any other means. Music is important and is an opportunity for students that should never be taken away. Every community deserves a high-quality music program, and every student deserves an opportunity to express themselves through music. “

Because Juanita Jackson was an integral part of the community for nearly two decades, the Arts Council Menifee named her as its Artist of the Month in March 2020.