Stamps Woodwind Quintet Class of 2023

Major: Instrumental Performance

Instrument: Oboe

Profile: 

Emily Mendez is currently attending the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami majoring in instrumental performance. She is a Stamps Ensembles Distinguished Scholar, the oboist in the Woodwind Quintet Class of 2023.

Emily Mendez is from Miami, Florida. She started playing the oboe in 9^th grade. She graduated from Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, where she was principal oboe in their top group, the Wind Symphony. She has studied primarily with Dr. Joseph Wenda. She has participated in many honor festivals. She sat first chair in both the Green Band and, this past year, the Wind Ensemble, at the University of Miami Honor Band. At both Tri-State Honor Festival and Superintendent’s Honors Festival, she has sat first chair. She recently participated in the Honor Band of America, where she was chosen among four oboists from across the country. She was principal oboist in the Greater Miami Youth Symphony and co-principal with the Miami Music Project Leader’s Orchestra. She was runner-up in the Greater Miami Youth Symphony’s Concerto Competition, the first wind player to earn that distinction in over ten years. She participated in FBA’s Solo and Ensemble competition for two years, where she got superiors at regional and state levels both years, this past year earning a superior with distinction, the highest possible honor. Emily has also volunteered in her local community performing at nursing homes with the Tri-M Honor Society at her school and teaching younger students oboe at the Yes! Movement. She has also participated in local performances with professional groups in the community, recently playing with a chamber group, and being invited to be a part of the Palm Beach Wind’s inaugural concert.

Besides playing oboe, Emily enjoys watching true crime documentaries and sitcoms, art, and spending time with her family and friends.

Major: Instrumental Performance

Instrument: Horn

Profile:

Benjamin Fowler began studying French Horn at age 11 studied under Diana Morgen, second chair hornist of the Louisville Orchestra. He comes from Louisville Kentucky and graduated from DuPont Manual High School’s Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). While at YPAS, he was very fortunate to be offered several opportunities that would allow him to play in many ensembles and receive tutelage in many aspects of musicology, including parts not very common for French Horn players, such as jazz improvisation. He has also attended several prestigious musical institutes, such as the Tanglewood Academy and the Interlochen summer program. Benjamin has also placed in Kentucky All-State ensembles all four years and served at first chair of the Interlochen Art Camp’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra for two of the six weeks. He was also a finalist in the Louisville Young Artist Concerto Competition. 

Major: Instrumental Performance

Instrument: Flute

Profile:

A.J. Meyer, Flute, is majoring in instrumental performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he is a Stamps Distinguished Scholar and the flutist of the Stamps Woodwind Quintet, Class of 2023.

He is from Boynton Beach, Florida and graduated from A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (DSOA), where he was a member of their wind ensemble for 3 years. He started playing the flute at age 11, and since then has been the first chair flutist in 3 FMEA All-State bands. He has also participated in 5 district honor bands and was first chair flutist of his last district honor band. He has also participated in district honor jazz bands for saxophone.

Major: Instrumental Performance

Instrument: Bassoon 

Profile: 

Sofia Friedlander is majoring in Instrumental Performance in Bassoon at the University of Miami, where she is a member of the Stamps Brass Quintet. Originally she is from Seattle, Washington, where she began playing bassoon in 2013, after having played the flute for the previous three years. Before attending the Frost School of Music, she studied bassoon with Francine Peterson for five years and now studies with Professor Gabriel Beavers.

She is a proud alumna of the Garfield Orchestra program, Seattle Youth Symphony program, and Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. In 2018, she performed in the WMEA All-State wind ensemble. She has also participated in multiple summer programs including the Vianden Music Festival, Vivace Chamber Players, and the Cornish Chamber Music Program, and the Interlochen Arts Camp Orchestra program.

Major: Instrumental Performance

Instrument: Clarinet

Profile: 

Amber Lo is an Instrumental Performance major at the University of Miami and is a clarinetist in the Stamps Woodwind Quintet. Before studying with Dr. Margaret Donaghue-Flavin at the Frost School of Music, she studied with Natalie Hoe, principal clarinetist of The Florida Orchestra.

Amber is from Tampa, Florida, where she began playing clarinet at 12 years old and graduated from Hillsborough High School. She was a member of the Pinellas Youth Symphony and served as principal clarinetist in both the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and Bay Area Youth Winds. Amber has participated in honor ensembles from the district to national levels, most notably the FMEA All-State Symphonic Band, Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, and NAfME All-National Concert Band. She also attended Manhattan School of Music’s summer program (MSM Summer) in 2018. In addition, Amber participated in festivals such as the University of South Florida’s Festival of Winds and Florida State University’s Tri-State Festival.

Amber highly values community service. She was a founding member of her high school’s Tri-M Honor Society and has served around the Tampa Bay Area as a performer for various events with YES! and Caregivers’ Helping Hand, Inc.