Forrest started on the horn when he was eight, but the teacher quickly moved him to the tuba. “I've never been sure  if it was because I was such a hideous horn student, or if it was because I was a big kid,” he said. “I suspect the latter.”

Jill Van Gee, Santa Cruz Symphony’s Assistant Principal Viola, holds a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, a Master of Music from the Université de Montréal, and enjoys working with the next generation of musicians through her private studio and with local youth orchestras.... 

Marian Concus holds a degree in flute performance from the New England Conservatory and studied in Paris under Michel Debost, who has been described as the successor to Jean-Pierre Rampal as the leading flutist of his generation....

We had a chance to talk with our new concertmaster Nigel Armstrong about playing the violin, why he chose to play with the Santa Cruz Symphony and about his other interests. We hope you enjoy this interview.