Our Team

OUR BOARD

OFFICERS

MEMBERS

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

Pamela Smitter

Solo Cornet

James Estes

Solo Cornet

Nick Patsis

Solo Cornet

Trudy Cavallo

Solo Cornet

Richard Shaw

Solo Cornet

Bill Castillo

Repiano Cornet

Bryan Anderson

Second Cornet

Tony Aversano

Second Cornet

Dwight Banks

Second Cornet

Conner Hoffman

Third Cornet

Nate Fong

Third Cornet

Larry Malin

Third Cornet

Ransom Miller

Flugelhorn

Jennifer Girdlestone

Tenor Horn*

Buddy Robson

Tenor Horn

Brandon Ehrlich

Tenor Horn

Sarah Shearon-Smith*

Baritone Horn

Michael O’Conner

Baritone Horn

Jonathan Baird*

Euphoniums

Cole Pasch

Euphoniums

Katherine Rodriguez*

Tenor Trombone

Patrick Hengstler

Tenor Trombone

Sherwood Graham

Tenor Trombone

Wesley Thompson

Bass Trombone

Max McMillan*

Eb Bass

Alexandra Castillo

Eb Bass

Franklin Ticas Castellon

Bb Bass

Mike Cunnion

Bb Bass

Ryan Ross*

Percussion

Nikola Gjorcevski

Percussion

Emily Moorhead

Percussion

Pamela Smitter

Solo Cornet

As both a soloist and a principal symphonic trumpeter, Pamela Smitter has captivated audiences around the world with her soulful yet powerful trumpet artistry. Performing with profound expression and a rare blend of compelling and nuanced musical styles, she is highly regarded for her musical orchestral leadership and teaching skills.For more than two decades, Dr. Smitter has been the principal trumpet with the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Currently, she also performs as principal trumpet with the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Pamela has performed internationally in the HornPipes! Duo and released her first album, HARK!, with this ensemble in 2010. Previously, she was the principal trumpet “solista” in the Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo, and subsequently, with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela and the Sinfonietta de Caracas. These associations provided the impetus for numerous solo engagements throughout Venezuela.Dr. Smitter completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Michigan State University in December, 2020. She received her Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Michigan studying under Armando Ghitalla. As Adjunct Professor of Music, she most recently served on Purdue University-Fort Wayne’s brass faculty, and held similar positions at Grand Valley State University, Hope College, and Alma College (in Michigan). Her Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Music Education led to a permanent teaching certificate after working three years as a fulltime band director. She served as Lead Musician for the Carnegie Hall LinkUP! orchestra educational program from 2004-2012, coaching more than 100 participating area teachers and colleagues as musician-mentor, and interacting in local music classrooms.Pamela Smitter coordinated and facilitated the high-profile Festival of Trumpets concert for the 2013 International Trumpet Guild conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2014, she presented a master class at the Exploring Trumpets in Greece festival, and conducted the Michigan State University Graduate Brass Quintet in accompanying world-renowned soloist Vincent DiMartino. She also performed as principal trumpet with the Michigan State University Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall.Dr. Smitter has studied at the Art of Practicing Institute, performed with the Gaudete Brass Quintet, and been a frequent soloist at the annual White Lake Chamber Music Festival. Recently she has served as adjudicator for the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Association (SOPA) Excerpt Competition, and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) through Carnegie Hall.Dr. Smitter greets every opportunity with exceptional purpose, extraordinary spirit, and a zest for unparalleled success.

OUR TEAM

ORCHID CITY BRASS BAND

OUR BOARD

OFFICERS

MEMBERS

OUR DIRECTOR

GARY D GREEN

our players

Randy Sonntag

Pamela Smitter

James Estes

Nick Patsis

Trudy Cavallo

Richard Shaw

Bill Castillo

Bryan Anderson

Tony Aversano

Dwight Banks

Conner Hoffman

Nate Fong

Larry Malin

Ransom Miller

Jennifer Girdlestone

Buddy Robson

Brandon Ehrlich

Sarah Shearon-Smith*

Michael O’Conner

Jonathan Baird*

Cole Pasch

Katherine Rodriguez*

Patrick Hengstler

Sherwood Graham

Wesley Thompson

Max McMillan*

Alexandra Castillo

Franklin Ticas Castellon

Mike Cunnion

Ryan Ross*

Nikola Gjorcevski

Emily Moorhead

Randy Sonntag

Pamela Smitter

James Estes

Nick Patsis

Trudy Cavallo

Richard Shaw

Bill Castillo

Bryan Anderson

Tony Aversano

Dwight Banks

Conner Hoffman

Nate Fong

Larry Malin

Ransom Miller

Jennifer Girdlestone

Buddy Robson

Brandon Ehrlich

Sarah Shearon-Smith*

Michael O’Conner

Jonathan Baird*

Cole Pasch

Katherine Rodriguez*

Patrick Hengstler

Sherwood Graham

Wesley Thompson

Max McMillan*

Alexandra Castillo

Franklin Ticas Castellon

Mike Cunnion

Ryan Ross*

Nikola Gjorcevski

Emily Moorhead

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