meet the musicians
Janis J. Lieberman is an international French horn artist having performed in Turkey, Israel, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and the United States. As Janis’s father was working in Turkey, Janis began her horn studies in Ankara, Turkey, where she studied with Erol Gomurgen, principal player of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Janis returned to America to study at the Boston University School of the Arts. After graduating, Janis was appointed the Principal Hornist of the Israel Sinfonietta Orchestra, one of Israel's major Orchestras, performing and recording over 80 concerts a year throughout the country and on tour in Europe. In addition to performing special concerts with Zubin Mehta and Isaac Stern, she also performed with the Jerusalem Symphony and Israel Chamber Orchestra. In addition, Janis was on the faculty of the Rubin Conservatory of Music in Israel.
After returning to Washington D.C., Janis performed with Mstislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra. Currently living in the San Francisco Bay area, Ms. Lieberman is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and Sacramento Opera Orchestras. She plays Principal Horn with the Golden Gate Opera. and has also performed with the SF Ballet and Opera Orchestras, the San Jose Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony and Modesto Symphony Orchestras. Janis has appeared as soloist in Mozart Concerto No. 4 and the Schumann Konzertstück with the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, Redwood Symphony, and the Bear Valley Music Festival Orchestra.
Janis has been an instrumental music specialist in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Janis was a founding member of Sierra Ensemble in 1998.
Marc Steiner is a native of Los Angeles, California. He earned Bachelor, cum laude, and Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate he was elected to membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the national academic honor society for music. His teachers have included Mildred Portney Chase, Robert Ward, Nina Scolnik and Edna Golandsky. Mr. Steiner has performed extensively as soloist, chamber musician and duo pianist in recitals in Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, the Midwest, New England, and was a finalist in the recent San Francisco Concerto Orchestra Competition. An active teacher, coach and clinician as well as performer, Mr. Steiner frequently presents lectures and Master Classes on the Taubman Approach to piano technique. He served as a faculty member of the Taubman Institute and taught for the New York based Golandsky Institute. He is Past President of the Music Teachers' Association of California, Alameda County Branch, and continues to serve on the board of the Branch's Scholarship Foundation. He maintains private studios in the East Bay and the Los Angeles area.
Marc joined Sierra Ensemble in 2002.
Anita Fetsch Felix began her artistic endeavors as a ballet dancer but later changed to violin, which she began under the tutelage of her mother, Nicholette Fetsch. After attending the music conservatories of the University of the Pacific, Drake U., and U of Wisconsin-Madison, she became a member of the Omaha Symphony, Nebraska Sinfonia, and Omaha Symphony String Quartet, In addition to solo and chamber music activities, Anita is currently concertmaster of the Folsom Lake Symphony, a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic, Sacramento Opera Orchestra and the Sacramento Choral Society Orchestra.
Anita’s desire to perform the virtuosic violin and piano chamber music literature resulted in the formation of Duo Concertante. She and her father, pianist Wolfgang Fetsch, have combined their talents and are recognized as current Roster Artists of the California Arts Commission’s Touring and Presenting Program. Their music outreach has extended throughout California from Mendocino to San Diego, and the western United States to Colorado.
Sierra Ensemble welcomed Anita to the group in 2008.
