Jason Bellenkes – Clarinet, Saxophone
Jason Bellenkes is a professional musician, band leader, and music educator in the Bay Area. As a student and university music major, Jason studied saxophone with Dann Zinn, and clarinet with William Wohlmacher at Cal State East Bay. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Cal State East Bay in music performance, and has been teaching full time private lessons since 2003. Jason also teaches small chamber ensembles, workshops, summer camps, and full band ensembles in many locations throughout the bay area. Many of his students have been section leaders in their school bands, and have been award winning soloists at events such as CMEA. They have also participated in groups such as EL Camino Youth Symphony, California Youth Symphony, and San Jose Youth Symphony, as well as various bay area honor bands.
Jason is always willing to accept new students into his studio at all levels, especially beginners. He has a passion for teaching children late elementary through high school. In his class, students will learn about how to create good tone on their instrument, and have solid technique when they play. They will also learn about music theory, and be given full knowledge of scales and chords. Students will study different styles of music from classical to jazz to pop, and discuss music history, listening and appreciation. Most importantly, he strives to achieve the students personal goals, at the same time making the lessons fun and motivating.
Chelsea Chambers – Clarinet
Chelsea is a native of the Bay Area, having grown up in Gilroy, CA, and currently residing in the East Bay. Her formal musical training took her to Los Angeles, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Arts degree in music performance from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There, she studied with Hollywood musician and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra clarinetist Gary Gray. At UCLA, Chelsea was an active solo, orchestral, and chamber musician as well as a private teacher. Along with four others in her woodwind ensemble, the Westholme Quintet, she was the recipient of the Gluck Foundation Fellowship from 2005-2007, which allowed for outreach and performance opportunities working with youth in the surrounding Los Angeles areas. It was with this group that Chelsea was announced as a finalist in the 2006 Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition in Pasadena.
She continued her education abroad at the Royal College of Music, London, where she studied clarinet with Tim Lines, Janet Hilton, Richard Hosford, and bass clarinet with Paul Richards. She received her Master of Music degree in advanced clarinet performance from the RCM in 2008.
While in London, Chelsea had the privilege to participate in concerts with renowned conductors Sir Roger Norrington and Vladimir Ashkenazy, as well as in a masterclass with Max Martin, principle clarinetist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Her greatest joy was playing with her clarinet, piano, and cello ensemble, the Stadler Trio, with whom she won the 2008 RCM Chamber Ensembles Competition.
Past outside activities include the 2004 Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Camp (with a culminating performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall), the 2005 CSU Summer Arts Chamber Music Festival (CSU Fresno), a teaching position at the 2005 and 2006 UCLA Music Academy, and as a teaching assistant to Amanda Walker in the clarinet portion of the LA Philharmonic’s outreach program “Get Your Chops Back!”
Chelsea enjoys sharing her love of music with her students and the community as both a teacher and performer, and has been teaching privately now for over five years.
Greg Chambers – Clarinet, Saxophone
B.A. and M.M. in Music Performance (Saxophone), UCLA
Greg is a freelance musician in the San Francisco Bay Area and taught music at Hogan High School in Vallejo, CA from 2009-2011. Prior to taking a full-time teaching position, Greg was finishing a Master of Music Degree and simultaneously served as an on-call saxophonist for the New World Symphony (in Miami, FL), was a member of the Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra, and was the Saxophone Fellowship student for the 2007 and 2008 Aspen Music Festival.
As a classical saxophone student, Greg studied with Doug Masek, Bil Jackson, John Harle, and William Trimble, and had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses with Greg Banaszak and Gary Keller. Greg has shared the stage with such renowned performers/conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, David Robertson, Kathleen Battle, David Zinman and Michael Stern.
As a jazz/pop saxophonist, Greg has worked with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, has entertained at corporate events for Specialized Bicycles and The March of Dimes, and studied with Eric Marienthal. Greg’s self-titled album was released September 30, 2011 and strives to feature an “innovative blend of acoustic and electronic music… which crosses multiple musical boundaries and balances catchy and creative”.