OUR ARTISTIC TEAM
Naples Community Orchestra is pleased to introduce our Artistic Director Max Rabinovitsj and our principal musicians.

Max Rabinovitsj - Artistic Director
Artistic Director Max Rabinovitsj brings a remarkable professional background to his position. In Europe, he founded the Trio da Vinci, which toured extensively on that continent. He was Director of Festivals in Entrecasteaux, France and in Sintra and Evora in Portugal. Max debuted as a solo recitalist in New York City at Alice Tully Hall, in Lincoln Center, and performed the Bach Double
Max has been a Professor at Washington University, the University of Texas and the University of Evora (Portugal). He has also taught at the Nice Conservatory (France) and Edgecliff Academy in Cincinnati. He met his wife Mary, a
Since moving to Naples a little over six years ago, Max and his wife have been active in the Naples music community. He has performed at the Cultural Russian Center many times and continues as
Max hopes to continue giving recitals in Naples. He has played recitals with pianist Alexandra Carlson both in Naples and Sarasota. His calendar is quite full and exciting. Becoming Music Director of The Naples Community Orchestra fulfills a lifelong passion for conducting. Max is on the board of The Russian Cultural Center and is an Ex Officio Board Member of Naples Community Orchestra.

Boris Sandler - Concertmaster
Boris Sandler was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in the former U.S.S.R. and began playing violin at age 7. He was the first prize winner at the State Competition for young performers at age 16 and played Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Mozart violin concertos with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. Sandler moved to the United States with his family in 1979 and began studies with Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School. He then continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York where he received lessons with the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Glenn Dicterow. In 2007, Sandler took a sabbatical from the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra to play with a newly formed opera orchestra in Valencia, Spain under the direction of Lorin Maazel.
Since joining the Naples Philharmonic in 2001, Boris has performed frequently as a chamber musician and as a recitalist with his wife, pianist Bella Gutshtein. They are founders of the Estero
Concert Series, which marks its 9th anniversary this coming season.
This summer Boris played with the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder Co.

Barbara Lounsbury - Principal Viola
Her symphonic experience has included performing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Symphony in Carnegie Hall, Little Orchestra Society in Lincoln Center, Music for Westchester, New York Choral Society, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and most recently, The Fifth Ave Chamber Orchestra, Opera Naples and Gulfshore Opera. She also has performed operas with the NYC Opera in Lincoln Center, NY Grand Opera, NJ State Opera, NY Light Opera and the Canadian Opera.

Diane Coffman - Principal Cello
Diane Coffman is a cellist well-versed in many genres of music. For several years she worked with the major arts entities in the San Francisco Bay area. She was a member of the Aspen Festival Orchestra in Aspen, Colorado. She was also invited to participate in the recording for a film sound track at the Industrial Light and Magic Production Studios at Skywalker Ranch in Novato, California. Diane served as Principal Cellist for the Artea Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco and as a soloist.
She has a Master’s Degree in Music Performance where she studied with Laszlo Varga at San Francisco State University. Her undergraduate studies gave her the opportunity to study with Peter Howard at Bowling Green State University and Joseph Gingold at Indiana University. Diane enjoys playing chamber music. She is a founding member of the Bella Musica Ensemble whose mission is to teach music history and present musical performances of Baroque to Modern music.

Sydney Mason Labbe - Principal Second Violin
Sydney Mason Labbe is a graduate of Stetson University and Western Michigan University, achieving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, in violin performance. In 2009, Sydney went on tour to China with the Appalachian State University Symphony Orchestra and performed joint concerts with the Fudan University Orchestra at the Beijing and Shanghai Concert Halls. She has enjoyed principal positions in all University Orchestras she has performed with.
Sydney performs regularly with the Craig Turley Orchestras and has performed with noted musicians such as The Who, The Alan Parsons Project, Mannheim Steamroller, Frankie Valli, Weird Al Yankovic, and Ramin Djawadi, composer for Game of Thrones
Sydney currently sits principal second violin with the Naples Community Orchestra.