About the Naples Community Orchestra
2022 brought a season of outstanding guest conductors, virtuous soloists, and programs of beloved classical and favorite popular music as a transition to a new Artistic Director. Max Rabinovitsj, NCO Artistic Director for eight seasons conducted the season opener. Three outstanding guest conductors, Radu Paponiu, Artis-Naples, and Kyle Szabo, FGCU, rounded out the classical programs; Jodie DeSalvo returned to close the season with two Pops performances.
Naples Community Orchestra introduced its Community Partnership with Artis-Naples. The partnership provides NCO with musician and conductor talent, and event and rehearsal space. Artis-Naples’ recognition demonstrates both the level of excellence our orchestra has achieved, and Artis-Naples’ commitment to community organizations.`
We have evolved through the years!
Our name has changed as we evolved and changed as an organization:
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1995: I Musici di Napoli (Musicians of Naples)
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2015: Naples Community Orchestra & Chorus
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2019: The Naples Community Orchestra
Our Artistic Director
Alvin Ho
Described as “a thoughtful musician, extremely well prepared and meticulous in his approach” by the late Bernard Haitink, Alvin Ho, a native of Hong Kong, is named the Assistant Conductor of Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the first prize winner of the 2022 Princess Astrid International Conducting Competition in Trondheim, Norway, having recently completed his two-season tenure as assistant conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he served as assistant conductor at the Indiana Opera and Ballet Theatre from 2017 to 2020. He has worked internationally with orchestras throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Jena Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Strings, Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini and Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. Ho was previously selected by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to be the Karajan Conducting Fellow in residence at the Salzburg Festival, and also named Bruno Walter Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. He was also a semi-finalist in the Donetella Flick London Symphony Orchestra Conducting Competition. Ho studied primarily with Arthur Fagen, Riccardo Muti and Bernard Haitink and has worked additionally with Garry Walker, Nicolás Pasquet, Neeme Järvi and Thomas Wilkins. He is a Doctoral candidate and holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Our Artistic Team
Talented Musicians!
Boris Sandler
Concertmaster
Boris Sandler was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in the former U.S.S.R. and began playing violin at age 7. He was the first prize winner at the State Competition for young performers at age 16 and played Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Mozart violin concertos with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. Sandler moved to the United States with his family in 1979 and began studies with Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School. He then continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York where he received lessons with the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Glenn Dicterow. In 2007, Sandler took a sabbatical from the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra to play with a newly formed opera orchestra in Valencia, Spain under the direction of Lorin Maazel.
Since joining the Naples Philharmonic in 2001, Boris has performed frequently as a chamber musician and as a recitalist with his wife, pianist Bella Gutshtein. They are founders of the Estero Concert Series, which marks its 9th anniversary this coming season. This summer Boris played with the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder Co.
Barbara Lounsbury
Principal Viola
A native Californian, Barbara graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors’ Degree in Music. She then studied privately with David Schwartz (principal violist for the NBC Symphony) at the California Institute of the Arts. Shortly thereafter, she relocated to New York City to pursue a professional career as a violist, studying with Emanuel Vardi. She was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Tanglewood Center for Performing Arts, performed for two seasons at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy and played the first world tour of the Bolshoi Ballet which debuted at the Metropolitan Opera Hall in New York City. Her musical experience spans a wide variety of styles. She was principal violist at Radio City Music Hall in NYC for 30 years, working with many artists including Tony Bennett, Elton John, Diana Ross, Liberace, Johnny Mathis and George Benson. Her experience also includes playing a number of Broadway shows.
Her symphonic experience has included performing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Symphony in Carnegie Hall, Little Orchestra Society in Lincoln Center, Music for Westchester, New York Choral Society, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and most recently, The Fifth Ave Chamber Orchestra, Opera Naples and Gulfshore Opera. She also has performed operas with the NYC Opera in Lincoln Center, NY Grand Opera, NJ State Opera, NY Light Opera and the Canadian Opera.