St. Andrews Bach Society

Kim Toscano is currently the Principal Timpanist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since September of 2007, and is a member of the Tucson Chamber Artists. Prior to beginning her post with the TSO, she performed as percussionist and  timpanist with a variety of orchestras including the Canton Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Chamber Orchestra, and Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Toscano has attended prestigious music festivals nationally and internationally including the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan and the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland where she shared the stage with such esteemed conductors as Riccardo Muti and Valerie Gergiev and collaborated with the musicians of the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic, as well as principal players of orchestras throughout the US.

A native of New York, Ms. Toscano holds a BS in Education from Hofstra University, where she graduated cum laude and was granted membership into the national music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda. She then went on to attend the New England
Conservatory where she received a Master of Music in Percussion Performance, graduating with Academic Honors. Upon completing her studies at New England Conservatory, Ms. Toscano was invited to attend Carnegie Mellon University’s Performance Residency Program, specializing in Percussion.

As an active proponent of music education, Ms. Toscano takes part in a volunteer program sponsored by the Symphony Women’s Association, where she offers percussion lessons to underserved children in the community. She is also an active percussion and timpani clinician and coach for young musicians. Her passion for music education has inspired her most recent project, ‘You Don’t Have To Get Ready If You Stay Ready,’ which explores the culture of work that aspiring instrumentalists and singers of all
disciplines must adopt in order to achieve success in the field.

 

 

Oboist Dr. Lindabeth Binkley joined the Tucson Symphony Orchestra as Principal Oboe in 1998.  She has held positions with the Colorado Symphony, Arizona Opera, and Central City Opera.  Originally from Michigan, Dr. Binkley holds degrees from Central Michigan University, The University of Colorado at Boulder and received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Arizona in May 2002.  Her primary teacher was Roger Rehm, Professor of Oboe at Central Michigan University, with whom she began studying at age eleven until completion of her Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1992.  Additional studies have included work with Peter Cooper and Dr. Neil Tatman.  Dr. Binkley also regards John Mack and John de Lancie as significant influences as she was able to study intermittently with both throughout her degree process.

 A dedicated teacher, Dr. Binkley maintains an active private studio in Tucson and has served on the faculties of the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.  During the summer of 2007, she was Artist in Residence and Oboe Instructor at the Bay View Music Festival in Bay View, Michigan.  Recently, Dr. Binkley accepted a one year appointment as Assistant Professor of Oboe at Central Michigan University and will be returning to teach at her undergraduate alma mater in the fall of 2009. She is also the Artistic Director of the St. Andrew’s Bach Society (Tucson, AZ) and is responsible for leading its highly popular Summer Concert Series.  

Critics have described Dr. Binkley’s playing as a “classic triumph of lightness, delicacy, and expressiveness”. During the 1999-2000 Tucson Symphony Season, her performance of W. A. Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314 was named by the Arizona Daily Star as one of Tucson’s best classical concerts in a retrospective of the year’s classical music events. Other highlights of her career include performances of Richard Strauss’ Oboe Concerto with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (2008), participation in the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (1992) and performing as Principal oboe of the National Repertory Orchestra (1996).  Dr. Binkley has also performed internationally with bassoonist Scott Pool and pianist Eric Stellrecht in recital at the 2000 International Double Reed Society Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Praised for his “excellent lyrical playing as well as technical prowess” by the International Clarinet Association, Dr. Jeremy Reynolds enjoys a prominent orchestral, chamber music and solo career.  Having served as the Principal Clarinetist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra since 2003, Dr. Reynolds’ performances consistently bring high praise from critics and public alike.  As printed in the Tucson Citizen, “…Jeremy Reynolds has been one of the TSO’s finest recruits able to infuse his solos with such delicacy, exquisite tone and liquid lines as to draw the listener close enough to touch.”  Prior to his appointment with the TSO, Dr. Reynolds performed with the Fresno Philharmonic, New World Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, and Aspen Music Festival on stage with such great conductors as Michael Tilson Thomas, Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Alan Gilbert, and David Zinman.  Recently Dr. Reynolds gave performances at the International Clarinet Association ClarFest (Kansas City), International Double Reed Society (Provo), and the Oklahoma National Clarinet Symposium.  In Europe, Dr. Reynolds has performed at the Cultural Festival of the World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal as well as securing a semi-finalist position at the Audi Mozart! International Clarinet Competition in Rovereto, Italy.   His playing has been heard on Arizona, Ohio and California Public Radio as well as the Carl Fischer Publishing Company and Mark Records.  Future projects include the recording of chamber music composed by Northern Arizona University Professor Judith Cloud that will be released by Summit Records in 2009.

A native of New York, Dr. Reynolds holds degrees from Ithaca College, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.  At the Thornton School he was named Doctoral Student of the Year and was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.  His principal teachers include Yehuda Gilad, Monica Kaenzig, Michelle Zukovsky, Richard Hawley, Bil Jackson, Ted Oien, Michael Galvan and David Minelli.  Dr. Reynolds has also performed in master classes presented by Mitchell Lurie, Mark Nuccio, Richard Loesser, David Shifrin, David Peck and David Howard.

A dynamic chamber musician, Dr. Reynolds has performed for the Sedona Chamber Music Festival and is currently a member of the Tucson Symphony Wind Quintet and The Agassiz Duo, a Flute and Clarinet Duo.  With the Agassiz Duo, Dr. Reynolds is an active member of the American Flute/Clarinet Consortium having performed at the National Flute Association Convention (Albuquerque) and the Great Southwest Flute Fest.  In addition, he has won awards at both the Coleman and Carmel National Chamber Music Competitions as well as collaborating with esteemed artists Itzhak Perlman, Don Weilerstein, Paul Katz, Ronald Leonard, Stefan Milenkovich, and Merry Peckham.

In demand as an educator, Dr. Reynolds recently taught at Idyllwild Arts Summer Program and held a term as Visiting Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Northern Arizona University where he was added to the roster of Who’s Who in Fine Arts Education. He has previously served on the faculties of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, California State University Long Beach and San Marino Public Schools, California.  An active clinician, Dr. Reynolds has presented recitals and masterclasses throughout the United States, most notably at the University of Kansas, Pennsylvania State University, Michigan State University and the Keeping Score program through the auspices of the San Francisco Symphony.  Dr. Reynolds currently maintains a private studio and coaches the clarinet section of the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra.