Board

CEO & Artistic Director - Jeffrey de Seriere

Jeffrey de Seriere is the Artistic Director and CEO of the Catalyst Wind Collective (formerly True Brass Choir) and a doctoral teaching assistant at Northwestern University where he is a conducting student of Dr. Mallory Thompson.


Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, Jeffrey was an active music educator, adjudicator, and clinician in Southern California. From 2012-2016 he served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Mayfair High School in Lakewood, CA where he helped run the award-winning Monsoon Marching Corps, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. In 2014 he began teaching at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, CA leading the Symphonic Band, coaching chamber ensembles, teaching courses in music theory and music education, and eventually becoming the coordinator of the nationally recognized Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program. In 2017 he was appointed Director of Instrumental Music at the newly founded California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley in Duarte, CA. During his tenure as Director of Instrumental Music at CSArts-SGV, he conducted the Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Strings, and Music Theatre Ensemble. Under his direction, the ensembles at CSArts-SGV gained recognition as “Superior” ensembles at local and regional music festivals. The Musical Theatre Ensemble was also nominated for the “Best Student Orchestra” award for their 2018 production of Pippin and 2020 production of In the Heights by the John Raitt Awards for Youth. While teaching at CSArts-SGV, Jeffrey was also a lecturer in music education at California State University, Long Beach from 2018-2020. In 2021 Jeffrey was recognized with the “Rising Star” award in music education by the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association. As an adjudicator and clinician, Jeffrey has adjudicated for the Southwest Judges Network, judging Music Performance at the California State Band Championships in 2019. He has also served as a pre-festival clinician at numerous schools throughout Southern California.


As a conductor, Jeffrey has studied privately with Dr. Mallory Thompson, John Alan Carnahan and Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro. In 2014, he was named one of seven finalists in the National Band Association’s Young Conductors Mentor Project. In that same year, he made his international conducting debut with the CSULB Wind Symphony in Seoul, South Korea. In the summer of 2015, Jeffrey was chosen as one of six young conductors to conduct The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”. In 2016, Mr. de Seriere, and his professional brass ensemble, True Brass Choir, performed as a featured ensemble at the California All-State Music Education Conference in San Jose, CA. He served as the Music Director of the Symphonic Winds of the Pacific from 2018-2020. In 2021, Jeffrey was chosen as one of 12 Conducting Fellows in the Midwest Clinic’s Reynolds Conducting Institute where he will conduct members of the United States Army Field Band in December of 2021. A strong advocate for new wind band repertoire, Jeffrey has commissioned/co-commissioned over 10 new works for winds.


Jeffrey earned his B.M. in Music Education and M.M. in Instrumental Conducting from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach where he studied conducting with John Carnahan and saxophone with James Barrera. He has also participated in conducting workshops with Dr. Frank Battisti, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Col. Timothy Holtan, Jerry Junkin, Craig Kirchhoff, and Dr. Jack Stamp. Jeffrey holds active memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, California Band Directors Association, and the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association.

COO - Thomas Idzinski

Thomas Idzinski, a southern california native, is a freelance tubist, contractor, educator, and the principal tubist/COO of the Catalyst Wind Collective. Thomas graduated from The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach in 2017, earning his bachelor’s degree and later in 2021, his master’s degree, both in tuba performance. Throughout his degree’s Thomas had the privilege of private study with Roger Bobo, John Van Houten ,Gabriel Sears, and Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro. During his time at Long Beach, he also participated in masterclasses and lessons with the likes of The Dallas Brass, The Boston Brass, Sam Pilafian, Patrick Sheridan, Jim Self, Avital Handler, Beth Mitchel, Alan Baer, and Øystein Baadsvik.


Outside of his studies, Thomas has performed with a variety of different ensembles. From 2015 to 2017, he held the principal tubist position and contracted for professional brass ensemble, True Brass Choir. The ensemble most notably performed at the California All-State Music Education Conference in San Jose California and climate change awareness concert A Pale Blue Dot, held at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach California. In 2016, Thomas won the principal tubist position for Young Musicians Foundation’s Debut Chamber Orchestra, serving the maximum two year contract. With Debut, he performed classical orchestral programs along with cutting edge mashup performances like Yeethoven, Yeethoven II, and Shi. Currently, Thomas is the principal tubist for the Santa Monica Symphony and the Catalyst Wind Collective.


As an educator Thomas has worked for many schools in many different capacities. In 2016 he was added to the faculty at the Orange County School of the Arts where he taught basic music theory, chamber music, and brass sectionals. Most recently, Thomas has accepted the role as Symphonic Band Conductor at the Orange County School of the Arts beginning his first year with the ensemble fall of 2021. Thomas also will be joining the California State University Stanislaus faculty this fall as a lecturer for Tuba/Euphonium, chamber music, and brass methodology.

CFO & Marketing and Media Coordinator - Noam Shanker

Noam Shanker earned his Bachelor's in Music Performance from Cal State Long Beach in 2013 and his Master's in Music Performance from Azusa Pacific University in 2015. As a student, Noam had the honor of performing with Summit Brass, Kurt Masur and the Aurora Chamber Music Festival, the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, the APU Symphonic Orchestra, the Bob Cole Wind Symphony, True Brass Choir, and has recorded on movie and recording album projects.


Upon completing his musical education Noam promptly threw away his french horn. Just kidding. While Noam has been focusing his time on his career as an Operations & Supply Chain Manager and on his family (baby pics available upon request), he still enjoys playing with community ensembles and recording for pandemic-inspired online recording projects.


Noam is proud to be a founding member of Catalyst Wind Collective's forefather, True Brass Choir, and helped the group reach such heights as performing with Summit Brass in Denver, hosting education seminars for hundreds of SoCal middle and high school students, and performing as a featured ensemble at the California All-State Music Education Conference in San Jose. Now with a few years of experience working in the tech startup world, he is excited for the opportunity to help Catalyst reach larger audiences while promoting diversity throughout the classical music world.

Secretary & Librarian - Victoria Hiromi Doo Lee

Oboist Victoria Hiromi Doo Lee's versatility has led to numerous performances in all types of venues, from appearing with chamber groups at aquariums and art museums in California and touring as a soloist in France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, to performing in unusual projects such as the New York Philharmonic’s innovative “Philharmonic 360” program at the Park Avenue Armory, which featured Karlheinz Stockhausen’s surround-sound masterpiece Gruppen.

Victoria began her studies with Lisa Patanella, Dr. Jonathan Davis, and Ariana Ghez while at the Orange County School of the Arts. After moving to New York for college, her career escalated quickly as both a classical and contemporary musician. A typical season would include early Renaissance double reed band music with the New York Kammermusiker, performing with the New York Youth Symphony as principal oboe, and premiering works such as Mohammed Fairouz’s opera Sumeida’s Song.

Her passion for teaching began in college when she was appointed as the Manhattan School of Music’s MSM Sundays oboe instructor, a program designed to provide private lessons to amateur musicians in New York City. In the same year, she was invited to teach with the MSM Distance Learning Center and maintained a small private studio via video calling for high school students in the cities of Norfolk and Stanton, Nebraska. Since sparking her career as an educator, Victoria has taught with Bocal Majority double reed summer camps in Northern and Southern California and represented the organization at several double reed and music education conferences. She is a regular guest speaker for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA), presenting seminars on oboe pedagogy at their annual professional development convention.

Victoria is a member of the resident wind quintet with the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, located in Branson, MO, whose mission is to re-popularize classical music by performing in unexpected and surprising locales. In addition to regular performances, the members of the Taneycomo Winds share a common passion for both collaboration and education, contributing to multi-media projects with the White River Artists Alliance or presenting programs for children at the local library.

Victoria holds a BM in Classical Oboe and MM in Orchestral Oboe Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Liang Wang. Currently in her sixth season serving as the principal chair of the Santa Monica Symphony, Victoria is also on the faculty of Orange Coast College, Irvine Valley College, Fullerton College, and the Orange County School of the Arts' prestigious Frederick Fennell Wind Studies program. Victoria is a founding member of the esteemed reed quintet Syrinx, which won the 2019-2020 Beverly Hills National Auditions. She also coaches at many local middle and high schools. An active freelance oboist in four Southern California counties, she resides in Huntington Beach, maintaining her career as an in-demand performer, clinician, and private teacher.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Coordinator - Patrick Olmos

Patrick Olmos is a Southern California based saxophonist and music educator. He holds degrees from the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University - Long Beach (BM Saxophone Performance) and University of Missouri - Kansas City (MM, AC Saxophone Performance). He enjoys performing in a variety of musical settings styles. Patrick is a founding member of Syrinx Reed Quintet, an active Southern California-based chamber ensemble and winners of the 2019 Beverly Hills National Auditions. Patrick made his concerto debut in 2014 with the Bob Cole Conservatory Orchestra. He has been a soloist with the UMKC Wind Symphony, Symphonic Winds of the Pacific, and has performed in solo and chamber recitals and concerts throughout the United States. As an advocate for new music, Patrick has commissioned and collaborated on numerous new works for saxophone.

Patrick has received awards in many of the nation’s top chamber and solo competitions, placing first at the state and regional 2018 MTNA Young Artist’s Competition and winning Third Prize at the national level. As a member of the Southpaw Saxophone Quartet, Patrick won Second Prize at the 2016 North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition and Third Prize in 2018. Patrick has also been a National Finalist in the 2013 and 2016 MTNA Chamber music competition and competed in the 2018 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

An active music educator, Patrick has an appointment in the Los Angeles Unified School District Arts Education Branch, where he teaches general and instrumental music in elementary schools throughout Los Angeles. In this role, Patrick strives to center his students through culturally sustaining practices and encourages his students to develop deeper connections to the music that they encounter in their lives.

Education Coordinator - Denny Bui

Denny Bui graduated from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. (CSULB) with a degree in Instrumental Music Education and is a member of the honor society, Pi Lambda Theta. While in school, he performed in various groups such as: Symphonic Band, University Trumpet Ensemble, and Lab Jazz Band. He currently plays with various local orchestras and brass ensembles. Denny works with the True Brass Choir as an Education Outreach Associate, Librarian, and as a member of the trumpet section. He has performed at various venues such as: the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Aquarium of the Pacific.

As an educator, Mr. Bui is the Director of Instrumental Music at Laguna Hills High School.. He previously taught at San Marino high school and Walnut high school as the director of instrumental music. He previously worked at Alhambra High School as a music coach and doubled as a visual instructor during the marching band season, Rosemead High School as a music coach for WGI Winds, and also coached at South Pointe Middle school's brass camp.

As a conductor, Denny has conducted concerts and worked with local composers. He has guest conducted various ensembles, was the assistant conductor for CSULB’s Concert Band, and won the undergraduate conducting competition at CSULB. He is formerly the assistant conductor and wind coach of the Four Seasons Youth Orchestra. He has worked with Professor H. Robert Reynolds, Professor Michael Haithcock, Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Kevin Sedatole, Dr. Travis Cross and Maestro Benjamin Wallfisch in conducting workshops. Denny is currently studying under Dr. John Lynch and has taken lessons from Dr. Jermie Arnold. Professor Anthony Maiello, Professor John Carnahan, and Dr. Tony Mazzaferro.

Brass Personnel & Marketing and Media Coordinator - Tatiana Giesler

Trumpet player Tatiana Giesler is a classically trained and multifaceted performer who has performed with the Colburn Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Debut Chamber Orchestra, Santa Monica Symphony, and Taneycomo Festival Orchestra to name a few. She has had the honor of sharing a stage with well-renowned musicians such as Thomas Hooten, Malcolm McNab, Eric Marienthal, Rebecca Wilt, and Jack Black. Her playing has taken her to London with the CSULB Wind Symphony, as well as Denver and Lexington with the National Trumpet Competition, winning second place for the Small-Ensemble division one year and making the semi-finals in the Graduate Solo division respectively. She has recorded at East West Studios and Corchea Recording Studio and has performed at well-renowned halls including the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Zipper Concert Hall, Royce Hall, Meng Hall, Carpenter Center, and Soka Performing Arts Center.


In addition to her performing, Ms. Giesler has accrued a diverse teaching career. She has taught for a number of years in many different formats including private lessons, trumpet sectionals, brass ensembles, brass quintets, and others. Ms. Giesler completed her B.M. and M.M. in Trumpet Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, where she served as the Brass Department Graduate Assistant. She led rehearsals and sectionals for various groups there in addition to serving as a brass instructor and sectional coach for East Whittier Middle School, the Community Youth Orchestra of Southern California, Wildwood Institute of Music and Arts, Norwalk High School, and Hamilton Middle School.

Woodwind Personnel Coordinator - Mathieu Girardet

Born in Montpellier, France, Mathieu Girardet is a clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. Mathieu holds Bachelor of Music degrees in instrumental music education and clarinet performance from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from the University of Michigan. As a graduate fellow at Michigan, he performed with the University Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Band, and the Instrumental Conducting Seminar. His clarinet quintet was awarded second prize at University of Michigan’s Briggs Chamber Music Competition, performing a series of his arrangements.

Since joining the faculty at Irvine Valley College in 2017, Mathieu has directed the Wind Symphony, taught Music Appreciation, Harmony I & II, and led the Applied Clarinet studio. At the Orange County School of the Arts, he has taught Chamber Music, Clarinet Masterclass, Career Exploration Seminar, Directed Practice, Theory A, Woodwind Sectionals, and Symphonic Band. The fall of 2021 will mark his first year as conductor of the Frederick Fennell Wind Ensemble. Mathieu is also the Coordinator of Woodwinds and Brass with the Philharmonic Society's Orange County Youth Symphony. He is the bass clarinetist of the Syrinx Quintet, winners of the Beverly Hills National Auditions.

A passionate clarinet instructor, Mathieu’s private students have gone on to pursue music degrees at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, UCLA, CSULB, and CSUF. He is a frequent clinician, adjudicator, and guest artist among Southern California competitions, festivals, and masterclasses. Mathieu is a member and active participant of the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA), California Band Directors Association (CBDA), the Music Association of California Community Colleges (MACCC), and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).