2008 Masterclass Featured Artists

Elena Yárritu, flutist

"One hears many flute recitals these days, but it is seldom that one gets to experience the kind of consistent polish, excitement, invention and sheer joy"

- New York Concert Review

A former Bay Area resident, Ms. Elena Yárritu currently makes her home in New York where she is a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University studying with Ms. Carol Wincenc. An active chamber musician and solo recitalist, Yárritu has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and abroad in France, the Netherlands and in Eastern Europe. In November 2003, Ms. Yárritu gave her New York Recital Debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as a recipient of a Special Presentation Award given by Artists International Presentations. This season she will be a featured soloist performing Samuel Zyman’s Flute Sonata at Merkin Hall in New York City with Ensemble Alma, a New York based group specializing in music of Latin America and Spain. An interest in Baroque performance practice led Yárritu to her baroque flute debut in November 2005 with the renowned Stony Brook Baroque Ensemble under the direction of Arthur Haas. Elena Yárritu has studied with many great musicians in the U.S. and abroad both privately and in master classes including: Isabelle Chapuis Starr (SJSU), Lloyd Gowen (SF Symphony), Bart Feller (NYC Opera), Ransom Wilson (Yale University), Jill Felber (UCSB), the late Alain Marion (Paris, France), James Galway, the late Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser, and with members of the Emerson String Quartet. Ms. Yárritu is also a devoted educator. She currently heads the undergraduate flute study program at Stony Brook University and has given countless hours of private lessons and master classes to many young, talented flutists in the South Bay since 1989.

Isabelle Chapuis-Starr, Flutist

Born in Dijon, Isabelle Chapuis Starr studied with several of France's best-known flutists, including Jean-Pierre Rampal, Michel Debost, Gaston Crunelle, Christian Lardé, Alain Marion and Marcel Moyse. She attended the Conservatoire national supérieure de musique in Paris, in the flute class of Jean-Pierre Rampal. In 1971, she won the Premier prix de flûte at the Conservatoire de Paris. And in 1972, she won the Conservatory's Premier prix de musique de chambre. In 1975 at the age of 25, Ms. Chapuis Starr relocated in California, where she was appointed Lecturer-in-Flute in the Department of Music at San Jose State University. Ms. Chapuis Starr serves as Principal Flute of the Orchestra of Opera San José and since 1992, she serves as Principal Flute of the San José Chamber Orchestra under Music Director Barbara Day Turner.

John Randal Hawkins, collaborative pianist

John Randal Hawkins has appeared as piano soloist and accompanist in international music festivals, including the Spoleto ( Charleston) and the Victoria (Canada) summer festivals. Mr. Hawkins enjoyed the privilege of representing the United States in the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium Competition, the Busoni International and the Casagrande (Italy) contest where he gained a certificate of merit in the final rounds. He has performed many of the major piano concertos with orchestras on the West and East coasts. Before coming to West Valley College music department, Mr. Hawkins was on the faculty of the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, as Visiting Lecturer in piano. Hawkins studied at the Peabody Conservatory Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree.

Teresa Orozco-Petersen, flutist

Flutist Teresa Orozco-Petersen's musical activities range from orchestral player and contractor, recording artist, studio musician, musical director and founder of the chamber ensembles of "Ovation Chamber Music". As a teacher and mentor to over 40 young musicians, she is now in her fifth year as conductor for the Avant Flute Choir of the San Jose Youth Symphony Organization. As a contract musician, for the past 21 years, she has been assistant principal and 2nd flute of the Monterey Symphony, 9 years as principal flute of New Music Works. She also performs regularly as sub-contract player for the Carmel Bach Festival, Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera and Santa Cruz Symphony. In addition, Teresa specializes in jazz and Latin music, and performs as a member of the 10-piece salsa band, Mambo Tropical, as well as, Orquesta Gitano, Havana Jazz, El Desayuno and is a regular guest artist with The James Robinson Group. Mrs. Orozco-Petersen received her BA/MA in music performance from San Jose State University with high honors, Magnum Cum Laude, under the tutelage of Isabelle Chapuis-Starr. She has also studied extensively with Maria Tamburrino, Barbara Breeden, Lloyd Gowen, and has had master classes with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Julius Baker, Ransom Wilson, Robert Stallman, and Keith Underwood. Mrs. Orozco-Petersen resides in San Jose with her husband and three children. They often perform together as a family in operas, retirement homes, churches and hospitals as well as headliners at the famed Parkview Elementary Talent Show.