MEET THE MUSICIANS
Ron Brickman has been the President of the Mother Lode Friends of Music since its founding in 1993. Under his guidance, the organization has become the premiere presenter of classical music in California's historic gold rush country, in the central foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The Mother Lode Friends of Music presents a full season of chamber music and orchestral concerts. The Friends of Music Orchestra, now under the direction of conductor, Andrei Gorbatenko, has become the leading symphony orchestra in the Sierra foothills, performing all components of the symphonic repertoire and hosting soloists of international stature. Recent performances have included Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6.
An accomplished pianist, Ron Brickman performs frequently as recitalist, chamber musician, accompanist and soloist with orchestra. In concerts with the Friends of Music Orchestra and other regional orchestras, he has performed concertos by Scriabin, Brahms and Schumann, and in March of 2010 he performed the second piano concerto of Rachmaninoff.
Andrei Gorbatenko, bassist and conductor, was born in 1977. He began studying bass with Shinji Eshima at the San Francisco School of the Arts and continued his studies at the University of California with Barry Green and at the Aspen Music Festival with Eugene Levinson, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Gorbatenko received his training in conducting with Alastair Neale, Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, and at the Aspen Institute.
Mr. Gorbatenko is the founder and Artistic Director of the San Francisco Academy Orchestra dedicated to giving aspiring young professional musicians the opportunity to perform with the world-class members of the San Francisco Symphony in concerts that the San Francisco press has deemed "simply amazing."
As a double bass player, Mr. Gorbatenko performs in orchestras throughout Northern California, (including past performances of the Mother Lode Friends of Music Orchestra) and he is also an active chamber musician, including appearances with the prestigious San Francisco-based Onyx Ensemble.
As a bassist, Mr. Gorbatenko has also performed with the California Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Berkeley Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Napa Symphony, Fremont Symphony, Vallejo Symphony, Merced Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, Modesto Symphony, and the Russian Chamber Orchestra.
Among Mr. Gorbatenko's more recent interests, is performing chamber music. In this capacity, he has performed with members of the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera in the productions of , California Chamber Players, The Broderick Ensemble, The Onyx Ensemble, Chamber Music San Francisco, Old First Concerts, Music at Meyer and Calvary Concert Connect, of which he is Artistic Advisor.
Gorbatenko enjoys performing new music but feels that, "whether through architecture, literature, or music, the responsibility of bringing to life the imaginations of the dead is the greatest privilege of all."
Last season Mr. Gorbatenko made his debut as conductor of the Friends of Music Orchestra to wide-spread acclaim.
To see the members of the orchestra, click here
