Paulina Dixon was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and now calls Boston home. In the fall of 2023, she auditioned for and won the second horn position with the VSO. “The audition process was very smooth and efficient. The communication, kindness, and encouragement displayed by the staff and audition panel was a positive indication of the health of the orchestra. I look forward to performing with the VSO this spring!” Paulina joins us for the first time in her new position with The Hollywood Sound concerts March 2 and 3, 2024.
You can learn more about Paulina here.

Moving to sunnier and warmer climates for a few weeks this winter, our Principal Percussionist D. Thomas Toner shares, “I’m co-leading a UVM travel class in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil from January 3 to15. The class is about Afro-Brazilian dance, music, and culture. This part of Brazil has a large African diaspora population.”

Our Second Oboe Will Wise had some exciting news! He writes, “I’m very pleased to share that I have been appointed Principal Oboe of the Gainesville Orchestra after a brief trial period. This is in addition to being in my second year as Principal Oboe of the Albany (GA) Symphony, and my first year as Assistant Professor of Music at Valdosta State University where I teach Music Theory and Bassoon. Looking forward to seeing everyone in May at the Flynn!”.

Wrapping up our musicians’ update, VSO Violinist Jane Kittredge shares about her recent concert with the Skylark quartet. “Skylark performed at the Unitarian Universalist Church on New Years’ Eve as part of Burlington City Arts’ annual Highlight festival. It was a total blast. We curated a program titled ‘Darkness & Light’ to examine the seasonal shift from our burrowed winter season to the more illuminated new year and, eventually, spring! We paired ten pieces from our quartet repertoire with poetry, featuring narration by Vermont Public’s Helen Lyons and works by Julie Cadwallader Staub and former Vermont poet Laureate Chard deNiord, with BCA adding visual light projections.”