Program

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Harry Chomsky, violin, grew up in Massachusetts and has lived in the East Bay since 1990. A part-time software developer, he plays in the Vallejo Symphony and other local orchestras. He enjoys playing chamber music with friends. He can often be found bicycling in the East Bay Hills or backpacking in the Sierras.

Gayle Tsern Strang, violin, is an avid chamber musician and performs with the Berkeley Symphony. Her support for the arts extends as a trustee for Noe Music, SoCal Chamber Music, and hosting Groupmuse house concerts.  She's an architect, and lives in San Francisco.

Mark McAuliffe, viola, is a Bay Area native. He began his musical training with PACO and the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra. He studied viola with Paul Hersh, Jeffrey Irvine and Sally Chisholm, but worked as a software engineer. Having recently retired from writing software, he volunteers and plays viola.

Irene Herrmann, cello, is an active chamber music musician in the greater Bay Area. She was staff accompanist at UCSC for 20 years, for choirs and opera. She also plays Italian traditional music on mandolin with Duo Pizzicato and plays and teaches American Old-time music on fiddle and cello. A long musical friend of author/composer Paul Bowles, she is the executor of his music estate.

Norine Chang, violin, grew up in Los Angeles County and performed her earliest recitals accompanied by her little brother.  She has won local competitions been concertmaster and appeared in summer festivals. She holds degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and is a research engineer.

Ching Shih, piano, was born in Taipei, Taiwan. She majored in Piano Performance and graduated with a Masters in Music from the University of Washington, then moved to the Bay Area. She joined the Fortnightly Music Club in 2007. She lives in San Francisco and enjoys performing classical music.

David Adams, trumpet, is the Music Director of the Foothill Symphonic Winds and Associate Director of the Monterey County Pops! Orchestra. A retired music teacher, he adjudicates for music festivals. He holds music degrees from Boston University and SJSU, and had a Music Fellowship at Northwestern University. 

Rick Leder, trumpet, a founding member of Altos Brass, plays and teaches music in the Bay area and beyond. After years as a biochemist, Rick studied at Aspen Music Festival, and then joined the Stockton Symphony and the West Bay Opera Orchestra. He offers trumpet lessons in Palo Alto and online. 

Brian Holmes, horn, is retired from San Jose State University where he taught physics of music. He currently plays in the Peninsula Symphony and the Mission Chamber Orchestra. He is a composer, writing mostly for voice and chorus, and is the former President of the American Beethoven Society.

John Monroe, trombone, plays with the Stanford Trombone Quartet, Altos Brass Quintet, Balcony Brass Quintet, Amici American degli Ottoni. He manages the family almond orchard, served on the Board of Blue Diamond Growers, is Forum Charitable Fund President and on the Stanford Jazz Workshop Board.

Brent Herhold, tuba, worked in music retail and played tuba professionally. Brent has performed at major SF venues; has recorded at Skywalker Ranch; and has enjoyed many years with Altos Brass and Stanford Wind Symphony. 

The next Soirée Musicale is Friday February 20, 2026