French Horn

Ocean City Pops Principal Horn player Lauren Robinson grew up talking, whistling, singing, laughing – in short, making noise. In grade four, her elementary school's band director recognized that she had “the personality of a horn player” and set her on a formal music track. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and her Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She also received a Professional Studies Certificate from Temple University.

Lauren resides in Philadelphia, where she is a teaching artist for The Philadelphia Orchestra's School Partnership Program. Lauren performs with the Opera Company of Philadelphia orchestra, Symphony in C, and many other groups in the Philadelphia area. She has performed as an extra musician with The Philadelphia Orchestra and at the Tanglewood Music Center. In addition to her music activities, Lauren also enjoys cooking and Ashtanga yoga, two decidedly quiet hobbies.

French Horn

2009 marks Kimberly Gilman's first season with the Ocean City Pops. As a child, she spent summers on the Jersey shore and is thrilled to be returning! Kimberly has just finished serving as 4th horn with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra for the 2008-2009 season. Before her move to Virginia, she held positions with several area orchestras, including the Reading Symphony, the Allentown Symphony, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and the New Haven Symphony.

She has also performed with many other orchestras up and down the East coast, such as the Richmond Symphony, the Delaware Symphony, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Kimberly holds degrees from the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Peabody Conservatory.

She currently resides in Norfolk, VA with her husband, Grant, who is also a musician, and their two cats, Milo and Marisol, who shed professionally.

Trumpet

Jim is principal trumpet and soloist for the Ocean City Pops. He is director of Westminster Brass, a brass quintet specializing in sacred music. The quintet has five recordings to its credit and has toured throughout the United States, Canada and most recently, Ukraine. He continues to perform as an extra and substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra, having participated in two European tours and three recordings, the latest being Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.

He has performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet, The Opera Company of Philadelphia, and The Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Jim was also a member of the 307th Army Band stationed in Willow Grove, PA and the 113th Army Band, Fort Knox, KY, second oldest Army Band in our nation’s history. He has been instructor and faculty member at various universities and colleges in the tri-state area and is currently an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey.

Trumpet

Steven L Heitzer, a native Philadelphian, is an active classical trumpet freelancer in the tri-state area. He is a contracted member of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Bach Festival Orchestra of Bethlehem, the Reading Symphony, and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. He is also a frequent performer with the Delaware Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (formerly Concerto Soloists), and the Wilmington String Ensemble (as guest soloist). Steven is the owner, arranger, and managing director of The Fairmount Brass Quartet, an active area chamber ensemble for over 20 years.

Steven’s main musical interest besides playing the trumpet is arranging music. He has scored almost 200 brass quartet arrangements, 4 arrangements for the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, 5 arrangements for the Delaware Symphony, and several works for various choirs and organists around the Philadelphia region.

Trombone

Cathy has Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music and Education credits from Rowan University. She studied with Don Wittikind, former bass trombonist at the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, John Clark former bass trombonist of the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York, and John Swallos, Principal Trombonist of the New York City Ballet Company. Her touring included the Broadway Show, Cabaret, where she performed both on stage and in the pit orchestra; and the Broadway Show, Chicago. She also performed at the Paris Jazz Festival. In the past, she played with the Bel Canto Opera Co. of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

At present in the winter, she works with the Bay Atlantic Symphony and the Bob Ferris Swingtimers. This year Cathy was named Stone Harbor Teacher of the Year.

 Trombone

Barry is a musician who defies categorization. Having begun his career while still enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music, he also cut his teeth in the clubs of Philly and Atlantic City. His versatility has earned him respect as a “crossover” artist, performing in venues ranging from Lincoln Center to the House of Blues with anyone from the Royal Ballet, to the Jaco Pastorius Big Band, to R&B legend Aretha Franklin.

In 2005 Barry earned his credentials as a Certified Personal Trainer. Staying fit is a passion for which he has little to no time to indulge—he would love for his “free” time to be spent with his wife, Trish. Instead they own/operate a chauffer business—for their four(soon to be five) children. They make no money at this.

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