Discussion Panel

Robert Levine has been the Principal Violist of the Milwaukee Symphony since September 1987. Before coming to Milwaukee Mr. Levine had been a member of the Orford String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Toronto, with whom he toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and South America. Prior to joining the Orford Quartet, Mr. Levine had served as Principal Violist of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for six years. He has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, and the Oklahoma City Symphony, as well as serving as guest principal with the orchestras of Indianapolis and Hong Kong.

He has performed as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, the Midsummer Mozart Festival (San Francisco), and numerous community orchestras in Northern California and Minnesota. He has also been featured on American Public Radio's nationally broadcast show "St. Paul Sunday Morning" on several occasions.

Mr. Levine has been an active chamber musician, having performed at the Festival Rolandseck in Germany, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Palm Beach Festival, the "Strings in the Mountains" Festival in Colorado, and numerous concerts in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee. He has also been active in the field of new music, having commissioned and premiered works for viola and orchestra from Minnesota composers Janika Vandervelde and Libby Larsen.

Mr. Levine was chairman of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians from 1996 to 2002 and currently serves as President of the Milwaukee Musicians Association, Local 8 of the American Federation of Musicians, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras. He has written extensively about issues concerning orchestra musicians for publications of ICSOM, the AFM, the Symphony Orchestra Institute, and the League of American Orchestras.

Mr. Levine attended Stanford University and the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland. His primary teachers were Aaron Sten and Pamela Goldsmith. He also studied with Paul Doctor, Walter Trampler, Bruno Giuranna, and David Abel.

He lives with his wife Emily and his son Sam in Glendale.

Ethan Silverman joined the New York City Ballet Orchestra in 1992 as associate principal bassoon, and has occupied the orchestra's principal chair since February, 2005. He also holds two positions in the orchestra to which he was elected by his colleagues: delegate to the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), and member of the orchestra committee. Off-season he can usually be found in other subterranean orchestral situations in and around New York City, although on occasion he performs above-ground. He attributes his affinity for pit playing to having spent much of his youth practicing in the basement of his family's home in suburban Nanuet, NY.

Nancy Nelson is principal timpanist of the Houston Ballet Orchestra and has served in this capacity for the past five years. Previous to that, she served as section percussion for 14 years.

Nancy is also principal timpanist of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and have held this chair since its inception in the mid 1990s. She has served on orchestra committees and negotiating committees of both orchestras, and is currently the ROPA delegate. Nancy has almost exclusively performed in pit orchestras since her career began in 1977, first touring with Houston Ballet for two years and then with Texas Opera Theater for ten years.

Nancy attended the University of Houston and studied with David Wuliger.

Stephen Mosher is principal bassoonist with the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

From 1992-1998 Steve was the National Ballet Orchestra delegate to the annual conference of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) and was 2nd Vice-President of OCSM from 1999-2003. In addition, he served as Assistant to the Director of the Symphonic Services Department of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM Canada) from 1996-1998.

Steve represents the Toronto Musicians' Association at the Health and Safety Advisory for Live Performance in Ontario. The committee is a pan-industry board with representatives from labour, management, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

Harpist Ann Lobotzke received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She continued her studies at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, receiving a Master of Music degree in harp performance.

Ms. Lobotzke is principal harpist with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and has played Second Harp for the Milwaukee Symphony since 1981. She has played for most of the city’s major arts groups, including Present Music, Bel Canto Chorus, Florentine Opera, Skylight Opera Theater, and the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra. She tours the country with flutist Linda Chatterton under the auspices of Allied Concert Services in the program The Romance of Flute and Harp.

She has played in the orchestras for many artists appearing in Milwaukee, including Luciano Pavarotti, Josh Groban, Johnny Mathis, Doc Severinson,, as well as the touring shows Chorus Line, Evita, South Pacific, The Producers, and Peter Pan. Other career highlights include the Milwaukee Symphony’s East Coast Tour appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and the orchestra’s historic Millennium Tour to Havana, Cuba.

Christina Berman is a member of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, and the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, and substitutes regularly with many other local and regional orchestras. In addition to her orchestral activities, Mrs. Berman maintains a private studio and coaches at several area schools. She is a member of the Executive Board of Union Local 148-462 and the ROPA delegate for the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.

Mrs. Berman received her Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Lawrence Wolfe and took violin lessons from Nicholas Kitchen. She completed a Master of Music in Double Bass Performance at the University of Georgia with Milton Masciadri and continued her violin studies there with Michael Heald. While at UGA, Mrs. Berman attended the Festival Pontino di Musica in Sermoneta, Italy, where she studied with Francesco Petracchi. She subsequently assisted in founding and running the UGA Music Study Abroad Program in Italy.

Cynthia Babin Anderson is Associate Professor of Oboe and Music Theory at West Virginia University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Her principal teachers were Ray Still, Joseph Robinson, and Thomas Stacy. She currently performs as oboe and English horn with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Pittsburgh Opera Orchestras, as solo oboe and English horn with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Broadway Series Orchestra, and as Guest Principal Oboe with the West Virginia Symphony. She has also performed with orchestras in Italy, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

Nancy Nelson is principal timpanist of the Houston Ballet Orchestra and has served in this capacity for the past five years. Previous to that, she served as section percussion for 14 years.

Nancy is also principal timpanist of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and have held this chair since its inception in the mid 1990s. She has served on orchestra committees and negotiating committees of both orchestras, and is currently the ROPA delegate. Nancy has almost exclusively performed in pit orchestras since her career began in 1977, first touring with Houston Ballet for two years and then with Texas Opera Theater for ten years.

Nancy attended the University of Houston and studied with David Wuliger.

Stephen Mosher is principal bassoonist with the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

From 1992-1998 Steve was the National Ballet Orchestra delegate to the annual conference of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) and was 2nd Vice-President of OCSM from 1999-2003. In addition, he served as Assistant to the Director of the Symphonic Services Department of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM Canada) from 1996-1998.

Steve represents the Toronto Musicians' Association at the Health and Safety Advisory for Live Performance in Ontario. The committee is a pan-industry board with representatives from labour, management, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour.