OUR TEAM
ORCHID CITY BRASS BAND
OUR BOARD
OFFICERS
- PRESIDENT | James Estes
- TREASURER | Brandon Ehrlich
MEMBERS
- Anthony Aversano
- Manny Camacho
- Brandon Ehrlich
- Nick Patsis
- Tom Pearson
- Eric Singer
- Randy Sonntag
- Wesley Thompson
OUR DIRECTOR
GARY D GREEN
GARY GREEN serves as the Musical Director and Conductor of the Orchid City Brass Band. Prior to this appointment in 2022, he served 22 years as Emeritus Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, from which he retired in 2015. For 18 of those years, he served as Chairman of Instrumental Performance and taught graduate conducting students in wind and percussion.
For the prior 10 years, Green held the position of Director of Bands at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. Throughout his tenure at UM and UC, Green led commissioning and recording projects of new pieces for wind ensemble. His contributions to the growth and development of wind band repertoire are tremendous and include large-scale works such as David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 3 (1991/2007) and Michael Colgrass’ Urban Requiem (1995).
Green is an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers and his efforts have significantly enlarged the wind band repertoire. Green has commissioned over 40 works and taken part in over 50 consortium commissions. Commissions and consortia with which Green has been involved include such composers such as Mason Bates, Steven Bryant, Steve Danyew, Michael Daugherty, Paul Dooley, Kenneth Fuchs, David Gillingham, John Harbison, David Maslanka, William Penn, Joel Puckett, Thomas Sleeper, James Stephenson, James Syler, Christopher Theofanidis, Frank Ticheli, and Eric Whitacre.
In 2002, Green was awarded the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship, and in 2007 he he joined the ranks of Frederick Fennell, William Revelli, and John Paynter in the Bands of America Hall of Fame.
Green was awarded the Distinguished Service to Music Award for his contributions to the field of conducting by Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity. Green is an active member of numerous professional organizations that serve to further the growth of music education, as well as specifically the wind band world. He holds memberships with the American Bandmasters Association, the College Band Director’s National Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Florida Bandmasters Association, and the Florida Music Educators Association.
our players
Randy Sonntag
Eb Soprano Cornet
James Estes
Solo Cornet
Nick Patsis
Solo Cornet
Trudy Cavallo
Solo Cornet
Bill Castillo
Repiano Cornet
Bryan Anderson
Second Cornet
Tony Aversano
Second Cornet
Conner Hoffman
Third Cornet
Larry Malin
Third Cornet
Jennifer Girdlestone
Tenor Horn*
Chris Loomis
Tenor Horn
Brandon Ehrlich
Tenor Horn
Manny Camacho II*
Baritone Horn
Sarah Shearon-Smith
Baritone Horn
Alejandro Guardia, Jr*
Euphoniums
Michael O’Conner
Euphoniums
Patrick Hengstler
Tenor Trombone
Tyler Hatter
Tenor Trombone
Andre Prouty
Bass Trombone
Alexandra Castillo
Eb Bass
Franklin Ticas Castellon
Bb Bass
Mike Cunnion
Bb Bass
Ryan Ross*
Percussion
Emily Moorhead
Percussion
Wesley Thompson
Bass Trombone
Brook Miscoski
Randy Sonntag
Eb Soprano Cornet
Eb Cornet)has been a Palm Beach County music educator since 1974. He holds a Masters Degree from FAU . He was the Dean of the Palm Beach County School of the Arts and subsequently became the Dean of the Music Department of the Dryfoos School of the Arts.Randy is a music clinician, conductor, adjuticator and freelance trumpet player . He is a long time resident of Jupiter.
James Estes
Solo Cornet
James Estes is currently a member of the Orchid City Brass Band. From 1980 to it’s bankruptcy in 2003 Mr. Estes was Co-Principal Trumpet of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and performed in the pit for Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach Opera, American Ballet Theater, Stuttgart Ballet and many others. Since the demise of the Florida Philharmonic Mr. Estes has performed for numerous commercial and classical bands and orchestras. Mr. Estes has a B.M.Ed. degree from U of Southern Miss; a M.S.degree from U of Illinois-Urbana and completed the coursework and qualifying exams for a Ph.D. degree at U of Miami. He is also a National Board Certified Teacher. Mr. Estes was a private student of Vincent Cichowicz-Chicago Symphony and Northwestern U; and Gilbert Johnson, Solo Trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra and U of Miami. As a teacher, Mr. Estes has produced some of the top brass players in the state of Florida and New York. Three of his former students have been first chair trumpet in the Florida All-State Bands, two horn players have had that honor, and numerous trombone and euphonium and tuba players have been selected for All-State. In 2018 one of his students was Principal Trumpet in the All-State High School Orchestra. Students Mr. Estes taught have won scholarships at Northwestern U, Indiana U, Ithaca College, SUNY Potsdam, Juilliard, Eastman, McGill, Vanderbilt, FSU and UF, and Interlochen Arts Academy.
Nick Patsis
Solo Cornet
Nick Patsis (Cornet) has been an active music educator in the Palm Beach County schools for over forty two years. He received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Florida Atlantic University, a Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University, and an Associates of Arts in Music from Palm Beach Community College. Mr. Patsis began his teaching career at Jupiter High School, where he served as Interim Band Director for a semester. In 1978, he accepted the position of Director of Bands at Congress Community Middle School, where he taught until 1987. In the fall of 1987, Mr. Patsis became the Director of Bands at Christa McAuliffe Middle School. He retired in May 2019 after teaching for 42 years.Mr. Patsis is the Co-Director of the Palm Beach County Band Camps, which he co-founded in 2001. While a full-time music educator, he maintains an active career as a freelance trumpet player. He has performed with Palm Beach Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, Orchestra Delray, Orchid City Brass Band, Florida Wind Symphony, Masterworks Chorus, Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater, Jupiter Theater, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, Holliday on Ice, The Boca Pops, and numerous other professional and community organizations.
Trudy Cavallo
Solo Cornet
Trudy Cavallo (Cornet) has played trumpet throughout the world in a wide variety of venues and styles of music. Her music travels have taken her from playing tours of Ecuador and Italy to engagements in Paris and the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo. She has performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Florence, Italy, the Dance Theatre of Harlem's inaugural Broadway season, in several Broadway shows, and as an on-stage performer in a revival production of "Sugar" with Joe Namath, Phil Ford, and Mimi Hines in Atlantic City, NJ. Other well-known performers with whom she has worked include: Cab Calloway, Bob Hope, and the Latin legend, Machito. In South Florida, she has performed with many different groups, including the Symphony of the Americas, the Wind Symphony of Florida, the South Beach Chamber Ensemble, and the Miami Oratorio Society. She has also soloed with the Hollywood Philharmonic and the Broward Symphony Orchestra.
Bill Castillo
Repiano Cornet
Bill Castillo (Repiano Cornet) spent 35 years teaching band in public schools, the last 30 at Omni Middle School in Boca Raton. Since retiring in 2020 he has been active as a band clinician and music adjudicator, as well as returning to performing on trumpet and cornet.
Bryan Anderson
Second Cornet
Bryan enjoys playing classical and jazz-oriented music with large and small ensembles. He also volunteers as a Palm Beach County schools hearing officer and member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Committee for Diversity and Inclusion.
Tony Aversano
Second Cornet
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Conner Hoffman
Third Cornet
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Larry Malin
Third Cornet
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Jennifer Girdlestone
Tenor Horn*
(Tenor Horn) Jenn Girdlestone started as the director of bands at Boca Raton Community High School in the fall of 2011. Jenn attended Florida State University where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance. While at FSU, she performed in the world-renowned Florida State University Marching Chiefs serving as the Head Drum Major and Horn Section Leader. During her college years, she performed as a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps for four years, serving the last two years as Mellophone Section Leader and Soloist. Jenn now performs with the Orchid City Brass Band on tenor horn, with the Palm Beach Brass Quintet on French horn, and in her church worship band on bass and piano.
Chris Loomis
Tenor Horn
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Brandon Ehrlich
Tenor Horn
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Manny Camacho II*
Baritone Horn
Sarah Shearon-Smith
Baritone Horn
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Alejandro Guardia, Jr*
Euphoniums
Alejandro Guardia, Jr., is a composer, performer, and educator in South Florida. Renowned for his original compositions and arrangements for low brass instruments, his music has been celebrated and performed at concerts and festivals around the globe. As an XO Professional Brass Euphonium artist, Alejandro is a prominent figure in the brass community dedicated to sharing the Euphonium with the world.
Michael O’Conner
Euphoniums
(Baritone Horn) is one of the founding directors of the Orchid City Brass Band, bringing over a decade of experience with British brass bands. His professional experience includes playing euphonium with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus Band, the New Sousa Band, and various brass ensembles. As a music historian, he has a special interest in historical brass playing, which prompted him to found the Coates Brass Band (Civil War), Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band (late 19th century), and the Washington Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble. As a college student, he was principal euphonium for the acclaimed Tennessee Tech Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble. His teachers included R. Winston Morris, Daniel Perantoni, and Paul Ebbers. He currently serves on the faculty of Palm Beach Atlantic University as an Associate Professor of Musicology.
Patrick Hengstler
Tenor Trombone
Patrick is a Boca Raton native and recently completed his Bachelor of Music Education Degree at Florida Atlantic University. He is currently attending the Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, FL as a Master's Student for Trombone Performance.
Tyler Hatter
Tenor Trombone
Tyler Hatter is a Bass Trombonist from South Florida who is currently pursuing a B.M in bass trombone performance at Florida Atlantic University under the direction of Dr. Jose Leon. Currently, Tyler holds the Utility Trombone position in the Orchid City Brass Band, and has won two competitions at FAU, the concerto and aria competition in 2022 and the composition competition in 2023. In addition, Tyler has performed in numerous groups such as Bill Muter’s “Topless in Tokyo” band, the FAU Opera Workshop, the John Parker Band, the Florida Intercollegiate Band, and most recently participated in the Sewanee Summer Music Festival 2024 as the Bass Trombonist. After he graduates, Tyler plans to pursue graduate studies to learn more about the bass trombone. Tyler aspires to be a world class musician and to be a member of a professional orchestra one day.
Andre Prouty
Bass Trombone
Alexandra Castillo
Eb Bass
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Franklin Ticas Castellon
Bb Bass
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Mike Cunnion
Bb Bass
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Ryan Ross*
Percussion
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Emily Moorhead
Percussion
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Wesley Thompson
Bass Trombone
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Brook Miscoski
Brook Miscoski began playing trumpet on his dad's old high-school horn, a tarnished contraption badly fastened together with discarded electrical wire. He later studied at Florida Southern, where he was fortunate enough to perform Aaron Copeland's Quiet City on a short tour with the college orchestra, and the University of South Florida, where the percussion ensemble and Florida Orchestra were kind enough to play two of his compositions. After attaining his bachelor's and master's in music, he attended law school at Northwestern University, and after some time in Chicago, Dallas, and Fort Worth, now practices in the Treasure Coast. He enjoys beach walks with his beagle and performing with the Indian River Pops Orchestra, Stuart Community Concert Band, Treasure Coast Wind Ensemble, FDO and other big bands, and of course the Orchid City Brass Band.
