2026 Zion Chamber Orchestra Festival Artists
Dr. Cindy Behmer instructs Oboe at UC Davis and CSU, Sacramento. She performs regularly with Sacramento Philharmonic, Sacramento Choral Society, Stockton Symphony, Broadway at Music Circus, Modesto Opera, and recently the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon. She also coaches for the Cal Cap Chamber Music Workshop and Chamber Musicians of Northern California. Notable past roles and performances include Tucson Symphony Orchestra, St. Philip’s Friends of Music, College Music Society Conference in Seoul, South Korea (2011) and International Double Reed Society Conference (2016).
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Dr. Cindy Behmer instructs Oboe at UC Davis and CSU, Sacramento. She performs regularly with Sacramento Philharmonic, Sacramento Choral Society, Stockton Symphony, Broadway at Music Circus, Modesto Opera, and recently the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon. She also coaches for the Cal Cap Chamber Music Workshop and Chamber Musicians of Northern California. Notable past roles and performances include Tucson Symphony Orchestra, St. Philip’s Friends of Music, College Music Society Conference in Seoul, South Korea (2011) and International Double Reed Society Conference (2016).
Celebrated violinist Dr. Ann Miller has appeared in concert halls throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. At home performing music spanning the Baroque era to the present day, Ms. Miller enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist, and educator.
A proponent of new music, Ms. Miller made her New York debut as a soloist with the New Juilliard Ensemble in Alice Tully Hall in the North American premiere of David Matthews' Concerto No. 2. As a member of Trio 180, Ms. Miller has performed in Canada, Mexico, and many venues throughout the U.S. As part of its 20th anniversary in 2022, the trio commissioned and premiered works by Dorothy Chang, Cindy Cox, Andrew Conklin, Richard Einhorn, and Reinaldo Moya.
Recent solo appearances include performances of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1with the Zion Chamber Orchestra, the Barber Violin Concerto with the Dinu Lipatti Philharmonic Orchestra in Satu Mare, Romania, and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Mariposa Symphony in Yosemite National Park. As a recitalist, Ms. Miller frequently collaborates with pianist Sonia Leong and has appeared on Old First Concerts in San Francisco and the University of the Pacific's Resident Artist Series.
In addition to teaching at Las Positas College, Ms. Miller is a Professor of Violin at the Conservatory of Music of the University of the Pacific. She holds her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Juilliard School, and she received her Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from Rice University. Her teachers have included Ronald Copes and Kathleen Winkler, and her chamber music coaches have included Jerome Lowenthal, Seymour Lipkin, Robert McDonald, Norman Fischer, James Dunham, Paul Katz, and members of the Juilliard and Tokyo string quartets. In addition to her passion for music, she enjoys hiking and reading.
Igor Veligan, a native of Ukraine, received his musical education at the Odessa State Conservatory. After immigrating to the United States in 1996, he established himself as a distinguished violinist, violist, and educator. He currently serves as the Concertmaster of the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, performs extensively as a chamber musician with the SoundPost Sacramento String Quartet, and is the founder of Young Talents Music School.
Together with pianist Natsuki Fukasawa, Mr. Veligan has performed across the United States and Europe, featuring works by Armenian composer Arno Babadjanian, Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk, and Romanian composer George Enescu. Their collaboration resulted in the release of the acclaimed CD Voices of Eastern Europe.
A passionate and dedicated teacher, Mr. Veligan brings his artistry, experience, and deep love of music to inspire his students and nurture the next generation of musicians.
Outside of music, his interests include spending time and traveling with his family, playing chess, and building and flying remote-controlled aircraft.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Mr. Veligan has devoted his musical talents to numerous fundraising concerts in support of humanitarian aid and the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom and democracy.