Our History

The Willamette Valley Symphony (WVS), formerly known as the Willamette Valley Community Orchestra, was founded by Dr. Sean Paul Mills in December 2007. The origins of the orchestra sprang from a call for local musicians interested in an outlet for their musical talent. Not surprisingly, a full symphony orchestra answered the call, sharing their diverse talents with the local community at WVS’s inaugural concert in March of 2008.

The orchestra is a community-based, volunteer organization comprised of 50-60 musicians primarily from the beautiful Willamette Valley and as far as the Oregon coast. Members of the orchestra share a common passion for making music. WVS members come from various walks of life; there are nurses, teachers, artists, business executives, among many other life callings.

WVS is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals in the local Willamette Valley. The organization fulfills its mission by providing a place for musicians to thrive and play quality music and to share these rich musical programs with the surrounding community. WVS also endeavors to collaborate with other artists and cultural organizations in the Willamette Valley, further enhancing its programs and broadening community outreach.

WVS presents five symphony orchestra concerts per season, which are performed in both Corvallis and Albany. Informative talks are provided by the Artistic Director and others for each of our programs to help enhance the musical experience for our audience. WVS hopes to provide a quality symphonic experience that will instill lifelong enjoyment and participation in the arts for all who participate.

The orchestra believes strongly in making the concerts affordable and available to the broadest possible audience. To make this happen, the orchestra is supported by ticket sales and donations from individuals, companies, and grants from local, state, and federal agencies that recognize the importance of music to the community.

Thank you for your interest in our symphony. We look forward to seeing you at our future performances.

Willamette Valley Symphony Musicians

Listed are regular WVS members as of 1/3/2026

Violin 1

  • Sandra Butler (concertmaster)
  • Kevin Craven (assistant principal)
  • Amber Bennion
  • Signe Danler
  • Telecia Hixson
  • Matthew Latham
  • Leigh Montgomery
  • Lydia O’Brien
  • Emily Taylor

Violin 2

  • Liane Ingalls (principal)
  • Claire Fiegener
  • Ilia King
  • Marjory Lange
  • Emily Palmer
  • Valerie Six
  • Penelope Wolff
  • Kathryn Yeager
  • Linda Marie Zaerr

Viola

  • Joyce Eberhart (co-principal)
  • Kimberly Scudder (co-principal)
  • Dan Arbogast
  • Michelle Eckroth
  • Eleanor Feingold
  • Veronica Johnson
  • Carson Leflang
  • Lisa Zweben

Cello

  • Debra Anker (principal)
  • Indigo Anderson
  • Alexandra Barber-Taylor
  • Teddi Crotti
  • Katharine Dooley
  • Kris McLaughlin
  • Keith Scofield

Bass

  • Colby Huneke

Harp

  • Cherie Gullerud
  • Laura Zaerr

Flute

  • Marvel Vigil (principal)
  • Julie Rogers
  • Melanie Sorenson

Oboe

  • Jackie LaRue (principal)
  • Robert Koll

Clarinet

  • Connie Corine Gardner (principal)
  • Cheryl Martinez

Bassoon

  • Karen Riddle (principal)
  • Garren LaRoux

French Horn

  • Cindy Lefton (principal)
  • Diana Engel
  • Daniel Harlan
  • Robert Schapper
  • David Sorenson

Trumpet

  • Trevor Wilson (principal)
  • Danny Mitchel
  • Ken Saul

Trombone

  • Jim Martinez (principal)
  • Tom Bruch
  • Cheryl Leckie

Tuba

  • TBD

Timpani

  • Matt Graham

Percussion

  • Colton Kohler (principal)

Piano

  • Joy Ueng

Lance Inouye – Artistic Director

Lance Inouye is Artistic Director and Conductor of The Portland Concert Opera and Music Director/Conductor of the Lewis & Clark Orchestra in Portland, Oregon. In the 2020-2021 season, Inouye joined the Portland Opera as coach and conductor on their Journeys to Justice production, conducting Carlos Simon’s Night Trip and Damien Geter’s The Talk, featuring Resident Artists and the Portland Opera Chorus. Inouye has served on the Music Staff of Florida Grand Opera in Miami, as Assistant Conductor and Coach for Eugene Onegin, Un ballo in maschera, and FGO’s premiere of Jorge Martin’s opera Before Night Falls. He previously served on…

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Musician Opportunities

The Willamette Valley Symphony provides opportunities for musicians in our community to share in the joy of making music together. Musicians interested in joining the orchestra should contact: Artistic Director

If there are openings available for your instrument, a short informal audition will be required.

Anyone interested in joining us needs to meet the following three (3) criteria in addition to scheduling an audition with the Artistic Director:

  • ability to play a 2 octave scale (woodwinds/brass) or 3 octave scale (strings),
  • have studied your instrument privately and/or performed in a chamber orchestra or full symphony orchestra, and
  • ability to perform a short solo composition with rhythmic accuracy, technical fluency, and musicality.

Community Opportunities

The Willamette Valley Symphony welcomes volunteers from the community.  All volunteers receive tickets to performances in exchange for their generous donation of time. Current volunteer openings include:

  • Assisting with the box office and/or ushering in the lobby
  • Placing posters and distribution of materials in the community

We welcome volunteers with a variety of special skills. Please contact us if you have a specific skill or interest that you feel would benefit the organization.

To volunteer, please contact: Executive Director

Board of Directors and Leadership

Board of Directors:

  • Cindy Lefton, President
  • Tom Bruch, Treasurer
  • Marvel Vigil, Secretary
  • Sandy Butler
  • Claire Fiegener
  • Cheryl Leckie
  • Robert Schapper

Stage Manager, Tom Bruch

Librarian, Cheryl Leckie

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