Three New Musicians Join the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
SACRAMENTO, CA – September 5, 2024 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received a fresh injection of artistic talent with the appointment of three new musicians to the orchestra: Section Violin Annamarie Arai, Section Bass John DeMartino, and Section Viola Mitso Floor. The new SP&O musicians will begin playing with the organization starting in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
“I continue to be impressed with the quality of musicianship in this orchestra, and I know that the addition of Annamarie, Mitso, and John in their new positions will make the orchestra even stronger artistically and more consistent,” SP&O Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto reflected. “I congratulate each of them and look forward to working with them to bring the best in orchestral music and opera to this community.”
The new musicians join the orchestra at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of artistic growth and overall achievement. The 2023-24 Season ended with multiple sold-out concerts, a subscription base that has fully returned to pre-COVID levels, and a record number of donors. The 2024-25 season will begin in October and continue through May 2025, with 8 performances at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.
About the new musicians
Annamarie Arai, Violin
Currently based in San Francisco, Annamarie Arai is a member of One Found Sound, a democratically-run, conductor-less chamber orchestra in San Francisco for the past 11 seasons. She is also a violinist with the Santa Cruz Symphony and often performs with the Reno Philharmonic, as well as other regional northern California symphonic organizations. In addition to her performances in traditional classical settings, she has shared the stage with Kygo, Michael Bublé, Geographer, and Portugal the Man in their respective California tour stops. Annamarie is a passionate educator and, in addition to cultivating her private violin studio, is a Teaching Artist at Enriching Lives through Music (ELM), a non-profit music program in San Rafael. She holds degrees from UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory
John DeMartino, Bass
John DeMartino is a native of South Windsor, Connecticut. He completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Boston University where he studied with Todd Seeber and Edwin Barker of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also briefly studied at the Royal College of Music in London under Anthony Hougham, principal double bass of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. In Massachusetts, John served as principal of the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra and played section bass in the Cape Symphony. He has performed with groups throughout the New England area such as the New Bedford Symphony, the Hartford Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and A Far Cry. John will also be a fellow of the San Francisco Academy Orchestra 24-25 season.
Mitso Floor, Viola
Mitso Floor is an avid chamber and orchestral musician from Seattle, WA. Outside of his positions in Sacramento Philharmonic and several other regional orchestras, he is the violist of Friction Quartet, an ensemble that primarily champions the eclectic sounds of new music. Equally at home with music new and old, he also plays with historical performance ensembles such as Voices of Music and Cantata Collective, and is a regular substitute with the San Francisco Symphony.
When not playing the viola, Mitso can be found riding bikes and trains to far-off locations, knitting, 3D printing, or creating videos of himself simultaneously playing many different instruments (and non-instruments) for his YouTube channel “Beanzo”.
Photos left to right: Annamarie Arai, John De Martino, Mitso Floor