Presidio Winds
The San Diego Winds Resident Wind Quintet
Pamela Martchev
Flute
Pam Vliek Martchev served as principal flute with the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado for 10 seasons, and has been a guest principal flutist of the Santa Barbara Symphony, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera. She also subbed as 2nd flutist with the LA Philharmonic during their 2008-2010 seasons.
She has been featured on many chamber music series such as La Jolla Summerfest, Art of Elan, Jacaranda, Dilijan, Le Salon de Musique, Luscious Noise, PIE, Bruman at UCLA, LACMA Sundays Live, Chamber Music Unbound in Mammoth, Blanco Performing Arts in Texas, and the Tannahill Arts Festival in Scotland. You may have heard her on movie soundtracks such as Spiderman 3, CD recordings with grammy winner Billy Childs, television specials such as Mariah Carey Christmas, and in the pit for broadway shows such as King and I, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and My Fair Lady.
Ms. Vliek Martchev went to Manhattan School of Music for their pre-college program and her Bachelor of Music. She has been a guest teacher at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC); University of Oregon, Eugene; University of Nevada, Reno; and Manhattan School of Music. Her students have auditioned successfully for conservatory degrees across the country, top prizes in national competitions including the NFA High School Soloist, the National Youth Orchestra, and CA All-Southern and All-State ensembles. She is a Haynes Artist, and is the flute professor at San Diego State University, Pt. Loma Nazarene University, SDSMI, and University of San Diego.
Sarah Skuster
Oboe
Sarah Skuster joined the San Diego Symphony as principal oboist in 2009 and has subsequently appeared as a featured soloist with the orchestra on several occasions. She previously served as interim second oboe with the Dallas Symphony, second oboe with the Akron Symphony and has appeared as a substitute with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. Ms. Skuster enjoys performing with the San Diego Symphony Chamber Music Series, Art of Élan, Camarada, Palimpsest, Renga and San Diego New Music and has performed at the Ojai Music Festival and Festival Mozaic. Ms. Skuster earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with John Mack. Ms. Skuster also attended Mannes College as a student of Elaine Douvas with additional studies at the Aspen Music Festival and as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. She is also a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Dan Stolper. Ms. Skuster is a Lecturer of Music in oboe at San Diego State University, the adjunct oboe instructor at Point Loma Nazarene University and maintains a private teaching studio of all ages and abilities.
Terri Tunnicliff
Clarinet
Theresa (“Terri”) Tunnicliff has established an international reputation as an orchestral clarinetist and chamber musician. She has performed with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra since 1998 and became a full time member in 2003. Other orchestras she has performed with include the Buffalo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome. Ms. Tunnicliff was a member of Arioso Winds and has participated in six “Music from Marlboro” tours. She lived for three years in Florence, Italy where she collaborated with Luciano Berio, Trio di Milano and Salvatore Accardo and performed with the ensemble Musicus Concentus. Terri Tunnicliff has toured internationally with Music from Marlboro, Trio di Milano, Luciano Berio and Arioso Winds and is a frequent collaborator with Luscious Noise, Art of Élan and Mainly Mozart. Ms. Tunnicliff has performed at the Marlboro and Mainly Mozart festivals as well as a number of festivals in Italy, France, Spain and Israel. An enthusiastic exponent of new music, she has recorded many contemporary works for the Nonesuch, Crystal and New Albion labels as well as the Hindemith Octet for Sony Classical and the Mozart Clarinet Quintet for Nuova Era.
Ms. Tunnicliff has been a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Ars Nova and Angelicum Chamber Orchestras and the Orchestra of Verona. She won first prizes in the Major Landers and Cal Arts Concerto Competitions and has served on the faculties of the State University of New York and the University of San Diego. A student of Michele Zukovsky and David Shifrin, she is a graduate of UCSD and California Institute of the Arts.
Ryan Simmons
Bassoon
Ryan Simmons began playing in the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in 1998 after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In the 2001-02 season he played in the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Associate Principal Bassoon, then spent two seasons as Principal Bassoonist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. In 2004 he won the national audition for the job of Second Bassoon in the SDSO. He also performed as Principal Bassoon of Orchestra Nova San Diego. He has studied with a few of the legendary bassoon teachers including Bernard Garfield, Steven Maxym and Norman Herzberg. He has played and participated in many festivals including Marlboro, Tanglewood, National Repertory Orchestra, Mainly Mozart and La Jolla SummerFest. He has also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Philarmonica de Tenerife and the Moscow Radio Orchestra.
In addition to performing, Ryan Simmons is the owner of RS Woodwinds, a woodwind repair shop. He has worked on several of the instruments played by the members of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra as well as their students' instruments. He is certified to install Straubinger pads in flutes and clarinets, and has very successfully repaired most of the top makes of woodwind instruments including: Brannen, Powell and Haynes flutes, Heckel and Pucner bassoons, Loree oboes, Buffet clarinets and bass clarinets, vintage Selmer saxophones and various modern Irish flutes and chanters.
John Degnan
French Horn
John Degnan was appointed Second Horn of the San Diego Symphony in 2023. He has previously performed with many ensembles such as the Alabama Symphony, Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Nashville Symphony and New World Symphony.
Mr. Degnan has spent summers attending National Music Festival, Brevard Music Festival and Music Academy of the West, as well as serving in the Britt Festival Orchestra.
Mr. Degnan grew up in Jupiter, Florida and received his Bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music where he studied with Leslie Norton. Mr. Degnan won the Second Horn position in San Diego while pursuing a Masters degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music under the instruction of William VerMeulen.
He is thrilled to join the San Diego Symphony and looks forward to exploring all San Diego has to offer!
