GUEST MUSICIANS
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Leonardo Soto
Leonardo R. Soto, Jr. was appointed Principal Timpanist of the Houston Symphony in 2018. Before arriving to Houston, Leo served as Principal Timpanist of the Charlotte Symphony from 2009 to 2018, and the Michigan Opera Theatre-Detroit Opera House from 2003 to 2009. He was also an active member of Miami’s Nu-Deco ensemble. Leo has the unique distinction of being the first native Hispanic Timpanist to play in a major orchestra in the United States.
Joshua Hood
Joshua Hood, bassoon bassoonist with the Charlotte Symphony , received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Lewis H. Cooper. He completed his Masters’ degree at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with Benjamin Kamins, noted teacher and former Principal Bassoonist of the Houston Symphony.Mr Hood joined the Charlotte Symphony immediately after graduating with his masters from Rice.
Byron Johns
Byron Johns was born and raised in the Gulf Coast city of Venice, Florida. He earned undergraduate degrees in horn performance and choral music education from the Florida State University where he studied with Kevin Reid, James Wilson and Michelle Stebleton. He earned a masters degree in horn performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music while studying with Peter Kurau.
Kurt Riecken
Kurt Riecken is principal bassist of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, a position he won in October 2014. Kurt graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida with degrees in music performance and electrical engineering. At Indiana University in Bloomington he received his masters of music under Craig Brown and Kurt Muroki.
Lynn Kompass
Versatile as a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and vocal coach,
Lynn Kompass has performed in Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Brazil, China, South
Korea, and Thailand. She has also appeared in venues across the United States including Weill Recital Hall and the Nicholas Roerich Museum, the Strings in the Mountain Festival, Harold Washington Library, North Carolina Museum of Art, as well as numerous colleges and conservatories nationwide.