About Us

We all have fond memories of learning to play chamber music starting at a young age. We made good friends with our fellow musicians. Our mentors provided inspiration that has lasted a lifetime.

We have been teaching private lessons and coaching chamber music for many years. In the summer of 2015 we decided to offer a chamber music program, which has developed into year-round coaching sessions and concerts.

Director, Claudia Bloom

Violin

Director Claudia Bloom, violin, began her studies in Berkeley with Anne Crowden. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music as a full scholarship student under Raphael Bronstein and Ariana Bronne. Upon graduation Ms. Bloom received the Karl Kraeuter Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chamber Music. She completed her Master of Music degree as a teaching assistant at the Yale School of Music where she studied with Syoko Aki Erle. From 1982 to 1990 Ms. Bloom was a member of the Ciompi Quartet in residence at Duke University as well as a full-time member of the faculty. From 1990 to 1992 she was co-concertmaster of the Zurich (Switzerland) Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Bloom has performed as a member of the Bloom Duo and Trio with twin sister, Madeline Bloom, (pianist) and brother, Jonathan (cello). Concert engagements as a member of the Bloom Duo have included performances in the United States, Canada, and Colombia, South America. Currently she plays principal second violin in Opera San Jose, performs as a chamber musician and also solos with the Redwood Symphony Orchestra.

Lucinda Breed Lenicheck

Cello

Lucinda Breed Lenicheck having played Principal Cello with Opera San Jose for 32 years now devotes herself to Chamber Music and Free-lance performance, and teaches in her Palo Alto studio. Ms. Lenicheck has taught at Mills College, Stanford University, and San Jose State University. She was former Principal Cello, S.J. Chamber Orchestra and Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus; and taught at Kenyon College, Otterbein College, and Capital University. Her background includes The Banff School, Tanglewood, the Spoleto Festival, and Stanford BA and MA degrees.

Virginia Smedberg

Violin and Viola

Virginia Smedberg, violinist and violist, began her studies in Palo Alto with Elizabeth Kincade, under whose coaching she also studied and performed piano trios for six years. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music in violin performance at the Manhattan School of Music as a full scholarship student of Raphael Bronstein. On her return to California she joined the San Jose Symphony, and later the orchestras of Opera San Jose and West Bay Opera where she has been a violinist and sometimes concertmaster for 40-plus years. Virginia studied chamber music with Colin and Bonnie Hampton among others, and she was violinist with the Manzanita Piano Quartet for over 20 years. She is also the conductor and music director of the Intermezzo String Ensembles of the San Jose Youth Symphony. She is an active freelancer in the Bay Area, and teaches violin, viola and chamber music privately at her studio in Palo Alto as well as with the Palo Alto School of Chamber Music. When not in her studio, she enjoys working in her garden.

Stella Bonilla

Conductor, Violin

Stella Bonilla holds a DMA and MM in Conducting from Louisiana State University and BM in Violin Performance from State Academy of Music, Sofia, Bulgaria. Her conducting experience includes musical director of Lafayette Symphony Youth Orchestra (Lafayette, Louisiana), orchestra director at Spring Garden Waldorf School and Suzuki Strings Orchestra (Akro, Ohio). Stella is also a successful violin teacher with more than 20 years of experience. She holds certifications of the Suzuki and Mark O'Connor methods. Stella’s performing career includes assistant concertmaster of Butler Symphony Orchestra (Butler, PA), member of Merced Symphony Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony Chorus Orchestra and Master Chamber Symphonia. She has performed a vast variety of musical repertoire from classical masterpieces to Broadway and pop. Stella Bonilla is also the lead violinist of a Klezmer ensemble, as well as the tango group Orchestra Tipica Domo.

Susan Macy

Clarinet

Susan Macy is a member of the West Bay Opera orchestra, the Santa Cruz Ballet Orchestra and has performed with Opera San Jose, SF Merola Opera, Symphony Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz Symphony, Peninsula Symphony and many other venues. Susan holds a Master’s in Clarinet Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Stanley Hasty, Michael Webster, Rossario Mazzeo and Dominic Fera. Susan taught in the Palo Alto schools for 26 years teaching both winds and strings. She was the conductor for the South Bay Community Orchestra for many years. Orchestral and chamber music are rewarding parts of Susan’s life and she plays regularly in a woodwind quintet. In her spare time she loves to ride her bike. She has a passion for gardening and has a large organic vegetable garden, and loves studying nutrition and whole food plant based cooking.