Our Artists
Luis Gallo Quintero, Oboe
Colombian oboist Luis Gallo Quintero arrived in Tallahassee, Florida in 2019. Luis is
currently pursuing a Doctor of Music at Florida State University, studying with Dr. Eric Ohlsson. He regularly performs with the Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Panama City, Ocala, and Gainesville Symphony Orchestras. Luis completed his Master’s in Music Performance at FSU in 2021 and his Bachelor of Music Performance at Northwestern State University in 2019 studying with Professor Leah Forsyth. Luis has had a vibrant career both as a soloist and as an orchestral musician, winning the NSU concerto competition in 2018 and performing in prominent Concert Halls such as ElbPhilharmonie (Hamburg), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), and Konzerthaus (Vienna) as part of the Filarmonica Joven de Colombia under the baton of Maestro Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Luis has been an active chamber musician and has been the oboist of the Civitasolis Reed Quintet since 2019. As an educator, Luis has lead masterclasses for the oboe studio at the University of South Carolina and Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Luis joined the FSU Summer Music Camps in 2024 as a faculty member, where he led masterclasses and lessons for the oboe studio.
Amy Humberd, Clarinet
Amy Humberd has appeared throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. In November of 2017, she presented her Carnegie Hall debut as the second prize winner of the Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition.
Outside of the performance hall, Humberd is an accomplished teacher. Currently, she serves as the Artist Affiliate of Clarinet at Berry College and the Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet at Lee University. In 2019 she was appointed to the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, where she taught and performed with the faculty ensembles. In addition, she has presented clinics and masterclasses throughout Tennessee.
An advocate for the arts, Humberd is on the planning committee for the American Single Reed Summit, where she holds the social media coordinator position. Previously Humberd volunteered as a coordinator of Classical Revolution - Tallahassee, an organization dedicated to presenting free classical music concerts in community and neighborhood venues.
Her former teachers include Jonathan Holden, Deborah Bish., Howard Klug, Eric Hoeprich, Peter Cain, and David Shaffer.
Beth King- Bennett, Saxophone
Beth King-Bennett is a passionate performer, educator, and advocate for new music. She has presented performances and masterclasses nationally and internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, including premieres and commissions for solo saxophone, mixed duos, saxophone quartet, reed quintet, and saxophone ensemble. Recent conference performances include presentations at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, North American Saxophone Alliance, Music by Women Festival, and the Hong Kong International Saxophonist’s Symposium. Beth has performed with ensembles including the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and h2 quartet. She serves as Adjunct Instructor of Music at Dallas College-Richland. Beth is a member of the North American Saxophone Alliance Committee for Gender Equity and also serves on the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Great Plains Saxophone Workshop.
Beth received her Doctor of Music at Florida State University, where she was a saxophone Teaching Assistant, her Master’s from the University of Iowa, and Bachelor of Music Education from DePauw University, where she was awarded a Performance Certificate for excellence in performance. Her former teachers include Geoffrey Deibel, Kenneth Tse, Scotty Stepp, and Adrianne Honnold
Ryan Pereira, Bass Clarinet
Ryan Pereira is a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, and technician based in Philadelphia, PA. Ryan is the Principal Clarinetist with the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed with numerous groups throughout the Northeast such as the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Commonwealth Lyric Opera, Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, and The Roxborough Orchestra. His accolades include winning the 2019 GLORY International Solo Competition, the 2018 Brookline Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, and the 2015 Ithaca College Whalen School of Music Concerto Competition. He also placed 2nd in the 2015 ENKOR International Woodwinds, Brass & Percussion Solo Competition based in Germany. He has been the featured soloist for Oscar Navarro’s “II Concerto” for Clarinet and his “III Concerto” for Bb and Eb Clarinet with the Brookline Symphony Orchestra and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra respectively.
Aside from performing, Ryan is the Founder of Pereira 3D Clarinet Services where he manufactures instruments and custom instrument accessories through 3D printing technology. He also offers repair and overhaul services along with refurbished used clarinets. With his company, he has run masterclasses and workshops with many collegiate clarinet studios, including at the University of Delaware, University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University, Ithaca College, Five Towns College, The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Kutztown University.
Ryan received his Master’s in Clarinet Performance from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and his Bachelor’s in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from Ithaca College Whalen School of Music. His former teachers include Michael Galván, Michael Norsworthy, Joseph Eller, and Alan Kay.
Ryan is a Selmer Paris performing artist and performs exclusively on their clarinets.
Alexandra Castro, Bassoon
Alexandra Castro, a bassoonist from Venezuela, began her musical journey at the age of thirteen, studying piano and clarinet at the Escuela de Música Elías David Curiel. She later transitioned to the bassoon and became involved with the renowned music education program "El Sistema," where she studied under Zoila Lopez and Omar Ascanio.
In 2008, Alexandra joined the faculty at the Conservatorio de Música Santa Ana de Coro, teaching introductory music theory to children aged 7-14. In 2012, she co-founded the Conservatorio de Música Eligio Duno, where she served as a bassoon and music theory instructor.
In 2015, Alexandra earned a scholarship to pursue her master’s degree in music performance at Andrews University in Michigan, studying under Professor Eric Kuhner. She has participated in masterclasses with distinguished bassoonists such as Henning Trog, Nathalia Rose Vrbsky, Matthias Rácz, Klaus Thunemann, Keith Sweger, Judith LeClair, and Saxton Rose.
While in the U.S., Alexandra has performed as a guest bassoonist with various orchestras across Michigan, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Connecticut. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in bassoon performance at the University of South Carolina, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Harley. She is also an active member of the reed quintet Civitasolist and freelances in Connecticut and New York.