Barbara Bogatin joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1994. Previously she was principal cello with the Milwaukee and New Jersey symphonies and played as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic for ten years. She studied cello in the preparatory division of the San Francisco Conservatory, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School. Along with her neuroscientist husband, she has led workshops on meditation and music practice at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, the Esalen Institute, Stanford University, and in Italy and South Africa. She is a proud parent of two University of California graduates.

Steven Braunstein, a New York City native, studied bassoon with Elias Carmen and William Polisi at Queens College, and contrabassoon with Paul Camerata and Burt Bial. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the California Institute of the Arts and his master’s degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was a member of the Toronto Symphony for ten years and in 1990 joined the San Francisco Symphony as contrabassoon. He has been on the faculty at San Francisco State University and the University of Toronto.

(September 2018)

James Button was appointed Associate Principal Oboe of the San Francisco Symphony in September 2017. A native of Australia, he made his solo debut with the Melbourne Symphony at the age of 17. He later attended Temple University and the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jonathan Blumenfeld and Eugene Izotov respectively. He has also studied with John Mack, John de Lancie, and Joseph Turner. Mr. Button was previously a member of the Nashville Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, New World Symphony, and has appeared as guest principal with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Melbourne Symphony. He has performed at the Verbier, Edinburgh, and Tanglewood festivals, as well as Italy’s Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. His live recording of Jennifer Higdon's Oboe Concerto with the Nashville Symphony won a Grammy Award in 2018.

Russ de Luna joined the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra as English Horn in 2007 and holds the Joseph & Pauline Scafidi Chair. In the 2022–23 season, he appears as soloist with the orchestra in the US premiere of Outi Tarkiainen’s Milky Ways, and he was previously featured in Aaron Copland’s Quiet City and Jean Sibelius’s The Swan of Tuonela under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He appears regularly on the San Francisco Symphony chamber music series.

Mr. de Luna has also performed with the Atlanta Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic, where he soloed in The Swan of Tuonela. He spent three summers as a member of the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Japan under the direction of Seiji Ozawa and is now the English Horn for the Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra.

A graduate of Boston University and Northwestern University, Mr. de Luna now teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and coaches the oboe section of the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Steven Dibner served as Associate Principal Bassoon of the San Francisco Symphony from 1983 until his retirement from the Orchestra at the end of last season. He previously played with the New Jersey Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and has performed at the Aspen and Marlboro festivals. He studied at Indiana University and the Juilliard School.

Jessie Fellows is Assistant Principal Second Violin with the San Francisco Symphony. Prior to her appointment, she performed frequently with the Saint Louis Symphony and New York Philharmonic. Born into a musical family, she began her studies at the age of three under the direction of her mother in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

David Goldblatt, occupant of the Christine & Pierre Lamond Second Century Chair, joined the SFS cello section in 1978, having previously played in the Pittsburgh Symphony. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. Goldblatt has also been a cellist with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia (now the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia) and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He is currently a coach for the SFS Youth Orchestra.

A native of Chandler, TX, Daniel Hawkins joined the San Francisco Symphony horn section in September 2017. He was the national winner of the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Artist Brass solo recital competition in 2014 and won first place in the Mid-South Horn Workshop Concerto Competition in 2010. Mr. Hawkins has performed with ensembles around the country, including the Houston, Dallas, New World, and San Antonio symphonies, and the Louisiana Philharmonic. Mr. Hawkins studied at Stephen F. Austin State University before transferring to Southern Methodist University in Dallas to obtain his bachelor’s degree in horn performance. He earned a master’s degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. 

Katie Kadarauch joined the San Francisco Symphony in 2007 as Assistant Principal Viola. A native of the Bay Area, she was principal viola of the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra and earned a bachelor’s degree and graduate diploma from the New England Conservatory. She also studied at the Colburn School, during which time she performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and recorded film scores. She plays on a Peter Rombouts viola ca.1720, on loan from the SF Symphony.

Bruce Roberts joined the SFS in 1988 and currently serves as Assistant Principal Horn. He studied with George Cable of the San Diego Symphony, with Fred Fox and Lawrence Christianson at California State University Northridge, and with Ralph Pyle at the California Institute of the Arts. He was a founding member of La Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México was previously a member of the Utah Symphony. Mr. Roberts teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, appears regularly at the Grand Teton Music Festival, and has also performed as a soundtrack recording artist.

(November 2019)

Daniel G. Smith was appointed Associate Principal Bass of the San Francisco Symphony in 2017. He previously served as principal bass of the Santa Barbara Symphony, and he was a member of the San Diego Symphony. He has served as guest principal and associate principal bass with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and guest principal of the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, MN. Mr. Smith received his Bachelor of Music from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music under the tutelage of Timothy Pitts.

WYATT UNDERHILL joined the San Francisco Symphony as Assistant Concertmaster in 2018. He was previously assistant concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony, substitute concertmaster with the New Haven Symphony, and associate concertmaster of Symphony in C. Founding first violinist of the Blue Hill String Quartet, he was a top prizewinner in the Irving M. Klein International Competition for Strings.

Jessica Valeri joined the San Francisco Symphony horn section in 2008. Prior to her appointment, she was a member of the St. Louis Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Grant Park Orchestra, and Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra. She has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, and participated in the Grand Teton Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, and Mainly Mozart.

A native of Minnesota, Ms. Valeri holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northwestern University, and she currently serves on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.