Ben Brussell, Mandolin

Ben studied violin and viola with the San Francisco Symphony's Leonid Gesin and Daniel Kobialka and holds a Bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University in viola performance and musicology. As a violist, he has studied chamber music with Laszlo Varga and classical composition with Ursula Mamlok of the Manhattan School of Music. He has also formally studied trumpet, piano, and classical voice. He is a graduate of the Master's Level program in film scoring composition at the University of Southern California. There he studied with film composer legends Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, and David Raksin. He studied classical mandolin with John Bilezikjian in Los Angeles. Ben has performed as a soloist with the Berkeley and Bakersfield Symphonies. He also has performed in numerous film scores and recordings. His classical mandolin debut was in 1999 in Davies Symphony Hall, in the premiere performance of the Hoffman Serenade in D Major with San Francisco Symphony violist, Leonid Gesin. Ben is the founder of the world music ensemble, KLEZMANIA! & the Bay Area classical music ensemble, Luna Nova Quartet. Ben has been a member of the Modern Mandolin Quartet and is currently active as a film and concert composer.

Candace Sanderson, Violin

Candy has been a member of the San Diego Symphony and La Jolla Chamber Orchestra. She moved to the Bay Area in 1981 and has played with the San Francisco Opera, Marin Symphony, and is currently a member of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, the Berkeley Symphony, and the Fremont Symphony. She performs in a wide variety of chamber music groups. Also, she teaches music in the Oakland schools through the Oakland Symphony Muse Program.

Thomas Elliott, Viola

Thomas became a converted violist in 1967. Previously as a violinist, he graduated with a diploma from Interlochen Arts Academy in 1966 and went on to study with Josef Gingold at Indiana University. He first joined the Houston Symphony viola section under Andre Previn in 1968 at the age of 19. A memorable program that first season was Sir John Barbirolli leading in a deeply moving rendition of Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony ("The Resurrection").

After eight seasons he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, performing with the opera, symphony and ballet companies as well as various other ensembles such as the Artea Chamber Orchestra. He returned to Houston as associate principal violist in 1986, performing in that position for seventeen seasons. He has also participated most summers beginning in 1986 with the Grand Teton festival orchestra as well as with the Sun Valley Summer Festival in 2003. In April, 2003, Thomas pulled up stakes and moved back to San Francisco. He freelances, playing frequently with the San Francisco Symphony. His first love is chamber music, and he particularly enjoys his affiliation with the Luna Nova Quartet.

Elizabeth Vandervennet, Cello

(Founding Member) Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan where she studied with Jeff Solow and Nina DeVeritch. Her Master of Music in Cello Performance from Carnegie Mellon University was obtained under the guidance of Anne Martindale-Williams, the Principal Cellist of the Pittsburgh Symphony. She has participated in the summer festivals of Grand Teton Seminar, National Orchestral Institute, Kent Blossom, Scotia Festival of Music, and Festival at Round Top, serving as principal and assistant cellist with the orchestras in these programs. Elizabeth has performed extensively with the Sartory and Lake String Quartets and studied with members of the Cavani, Miami, and Cleveland Quartets. Elizabeth was a founding member of the Sequoia Trio, a Bay-area piano trio specializing in women's music (1996-1999).

During the summer of 1999, Elizabeth toured Japan with a studio-based chamber orchestra from Los Angeles. In addition to her post as Principal Cellist of Vallejo Symphony, Elizabeth is also a member of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, and Marin Symphony. She was a former Assistant Principal Cellist of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Napa Valley Symphony; as well as a member of Fresno Philharmonic and Principal Cellist of Stockton Symphony. She experienced two European tours (Summer 2000 & 2001) and one NYC tour (2002) with Rosin Coven, the premier Pagan Lounge Ensemble. She is a founding member of Luna Nova Quartet.