SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony congratulate five musicians retiring at the end of the 2023–24 season, including violinist and former Associate Concertmaster Nadya Tichman, Associate Principal Bassoon Steven Dibner, violinist Amy Hiraga, cellist Jill Rachuy Brindel, and cellist and former Associate Principal Cello Peter Wyrick. These five musicians have performed with the San Francisco Symphony for a combined 183 years.  

San Francisco Symphony auditions are ongoing and new musicians joining the Orchestra in the 2024–25 season will be announced later this summer. 

Associate Principal Bassoon Steven Dibner (41 years of service) joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1983 and has enjoyed a career in chamber music, opera, and orchestral music. In his New York years, he played for Frank Sinatra in Carnegie Hall, with Plácido Domingo at the Met, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as well as touring and recording with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. After arriving in San Francisco, Mr. Dibner created and conducted a chamber orchestra featuring his SF Symphony colleagues called PARLANTE. He appeared as a bassoon soloist with the Symphony under Herbert Blomstedt and Yehudi Menuhin, and once sang a Mozart aria with the orchestra. Summers have found Mr. Dibner teaching, coaching, and concertizing at festivals in Aspen or Marlboro, Vermont and he has often served as a coach for wind players at New World Symphony. In his retirement, he looks forward to pursuing his passions for cooking and baking, volunteering at the Dahlia Dell in Golden Gate Park, and watching Jeopardy!

Violinist Amy Hiraga (26 years of service) spent one year as a member of the San Francisco Symphony during the 1988–89 season before returning to the East Coast. She worked as a freelance musician in New York and joined the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 1991, then rejoined the SF Symphony in 1999. Ms. Hiraga has performed and recorded with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the New York Chamber Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and she has performed as soloist with the Seattle Symphony, Aspen Philharmonia, Solisti of New York, Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and the St Luke's Chamber Ensemble. In chamber music, she has collaborated with Yuja Wang, Geraldine Walther, and Jerry Grossman, among others, and her appearances include performances at the Caramoor, Bard, Olympic, Chamber Music West, Lake Tahoe Summerfest, and Santa Fe Chamber Music festivals, as well as with the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, Chelsea Ensemble, and the Partita Ensemble. Former teachers include Emanuel Zetlin in Seattle and Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School in New York. Ms. Hiraga has recorded for Stereophile, Muse, Lapis Island Records, Decca, and Nonesuch. 

Cellist Jill Rachuy Brindel (44 years of service), occupant of the Gary & Kathleen Heidenreich Second Century Cello Chair, joined the cello section of the San Francisco Symphony in 1980. She has been a member of the Navarro Trio for more than 20 years. The trio is currently in residence at Sonoma State University, where Ms. Brindel began teaching in 2015. She studied at Indiana University and Chicago Musical College and was formerly assistant principal cello of the Lyric Opera of Chicago orchestra, principal cello and co-director of the Emerging Artists Program of the Mendocino Music Festival, and a member of the Houston Symphony. Ms. Brindel actively promotes the music of her late father, composer Bernard Brindel. She serves as a coach for the cello section of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and she will continue to do so after her retirement. 

Violinist Nadya Tichman (44 years of service), occupant of the Catherine A. Mueller Chair, joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1980. She served as Associate Concertmaster through July 2022, and as acting concertmaster from 1998–2001. She studied at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. Ms. Tichman performed often in the Symphony’s Chamber Music Series, collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma, Yefim Bronfman, Lang Lang, and Garrick Ohlsson. She also performed as soloist with the Symphony on many occasions. Former San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman included her performance of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending in his list of top ten San Francisco classical performances in 2009. 

Cellist Peter Wyrick (28 years of service), occupant of the Lyman & Carol Casey Second Century Chair, was a member of the cello section of the San Francisco Symphony from 1986 to 1989, and then rejoined the Symphony, serving as Associate Principal Cello from 1999 to 2023. He was previously principal cello of the Mostly Mozart Orchestra and associate principal cello of the New York City Opera. He appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony in works including C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, Bernstein’s Meditation No. 1 from Mass, Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante in B-flat major, and music from Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Concerto. In chamber music, Mr. Wyrick has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Yefim Bronfman, Lynn Harrell, Jeremy Denk, Julia Fischer, and Edgar Meyer, among others. As a member of the Ridge String Quartet, Mr. Wyrick recorded Dvořák’s piano quintets with pianist Rudolf Firkušný on an RCA recording that received the Diapason d’Or and a Grammy nomination. He has also recorded Fauré’s cello sonatas with pianist Earl Wild for dell’Arte records. Born in New York to a musical family, he began studies at the Juilliard School at age eight and made his solo debut at age 12. 

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