The Landolfi String Quartet and Ensemble has become a St. Louis institution with a history of stellar musical performances at a variety of area events. We have strong classical roots but the Quartet can also bring a rock ‘n roll attitude to any performance or refine today’s most popular music for a more elegant event.
Musicians with a flair for fun, Landolfi shares their music with all kinds of audiences, from royalty to inner city children. Their activities have included a multitude of major St. Louis events, like concerts during the St. Louis History Museum’s Vatican Exhibit and performing at the openings of MetroLink and America’s Center and for the World Series VIP reception.
Landolfi has experience playing weddings of all faiths and styles. Bridal couples can now relax, knowing that Landolfi will provide beautiful music at the appropriate times throughout the ceremony. In addition, couples often request we play for rehearsal dinners and receptions, adding that touch of elegance without being overpowering.
Landolfi’s music can spice up other events such as corporate functions, holiday parties, anniversary celebrations, and grand openings for new businesses. Whatever the occasion, Landolfi can provide the perfect musical ambience.
Music is an important dimension of any event. The Landolfi String Quartet and Ensemble has been and will be available to make any event, large or small, special and memorable. From Bach to Rock….
Our Members
Deberah Haferkamp, Violist and Manager
Deberah Haferkamp is one of the founding members of Landolfi Quartet and continues to manage the ensemble and perform as violist/violinist. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from University of Evansville and a Masters in Music from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She wrote and directs the program “Developing the Active Listener” which the Landolfi Quartet performs for area children. Her numerous awards have included: The Kiwanis Award for Leadership and Scholarship, the Merit Award from the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators for contributions to music education, the Owen Miller Award from the Musicians Association of St. Louis for contributions to the music profession and the Artist Teacher Award from the American String Teachers Association, Missouri Chapter.
She has been a professional musician since age 17, which has given her the opportunity to work with many great artists as varied as Pavarotti, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Led Zeppelin, and Hip-Hop Artist Nightowl. She has performed under the baton of Aaron Copland for Lincoln Portrait and in the ballet orchestra for The Rite of Spring choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev. During her entire career her passion has been to ensure the survival and accessibility of great music of all genres for all ages with the goal of preserving the cultural treasure of live music for future generations.
She continues to be active in the St. Louis area music and music education community. She teaches at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL and St. Charles Community College in St. Charles, MO. She teaches string ensemble at Lutheran High School North and orchestra at the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, a magnet school in St. Louis. She is Principal 2nd Violin in St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra and personnel manager and treasurer for Gateway Festival Orchestra. She is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Carl Hoff, Violin
Carl has been an active orchestral and freelance violinist in the St. Louis area for over 30 years, having joined Landolfi Ensembles in 1995. He is currently serving his fourth year as concertmaster of the Town and Country Symphony, after having previously held that position with the University City Symphony for 15 years. Carl holds a B.S. in Music Education from Missouri State as well as a Master of Music (Performance) from SIU-E, where he also gained Suzuki certification while studying with John Kendall. Through his association with the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197), Carl has played with the Gateway Festival Orchestra for over 20 years, where he is currently principal second violin and works with the urban education/outreach program. Through the years, Carl has had the opportunity to (locally) backup such artists as Smokey Robinson, The Moody Blues, Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, and Indina Menzel. After a 30-year career with the Rockwood School District as a string specialist, Carl finds more time for arranging, private lessons, and a few of his hobbies such as woodworking, crossword puzzles, and doing home improvement projects.
Quote: “I feel that the violin has one of the longest, most varied histories of most any other instrument. The wide range of its stylistic capabilities and vast palette of tone colors is truly inspiring, challenging, and amazing!”
Gary Lee, Cello
Gary Lee received his MM in Cello Performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and his BM in Cello Performance (cum laude) from Illinois Wesleyan University. His teachers include Yuan Tung, Robert Luke, and Gordon Robson. His education includes training in chamber music, orchestral repertoire, and early music ensemble. Other instruments played include bass viola da gamba and piano.
He teaches cello through Community Music School of Webster University, Dayspring School of the Arts, and his private studio. He was awarded the Outstanding Studio Educator 2016 award from the American String Teachers Association, Missouri Chapter.
Active as a freelance musician in both Missouri and Illinois, he is principal cellist and librarian of the Alton Symphony Orchestra. He is a cellist for the Landolfi String Quartet, Richard Wappel Trio, and Gateway Festival Orchestra. He has played as extra cellist for Town & Country Symphony, Florissant Valley Symphony, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Masterworks Chorale, University City Symphony Orchestra, and other area ensembles and support ensembles of touring performers, including Classic Albums Live, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Bernadette Peters, Celtic Tenors, Il Divo, and Johnny Mathis. He is a former principal cellist of Town & Country Symphony and former associate principal cellist of University City Symphony. He is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197), Suzuki Association of the Americas, and Viola da Gamba Society of America.
Tom Winter, Violin
Tom Winter plays violin with orchestras, quartets, and churches in the St. Louis area and is an active member of the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Tom began studying violin at the age of six, receiving professional instruction from Joseph Kaminsky for two years. He was also a member of Kaminsky’s studio, The Kirkwood Academy of Music, where he performed in public venues such as Walt Disney World and Busch Stadium. In high school, Tom earned the principal second violin chair for his Missouri All-State Orchestra audition in 2008.
Tom graduated from Lindenwood University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Summa Cum Laude. As concertmaster, he served the Lindenwood University Symphonic Orchestra for his entire college career. Branching out beyond classical training, Tom gained improv experience playing with the Lindenwood Jazz Combo, and also played electric violin for Lindenwood University football concerts as part of the marching band program his last semester.
Tom is currently active in several local ensembles. He plays principal second violinist for the Alton Symphony Orchestra and principal viola in University City Symphony Orchestra. Tom has also performed for the St. Louis Civic Orchestra, Gateway Festival Orchestra, and soloed with Alton Symphony Orchestra. He formerly played violin in the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra and principal second violin for the Maryville Symphony.
Another aspect of Tom’s music education includes composition and arranging. Tom is fluent with music notation software and has composed several original jazz compositions. He also immensely enjoys writing quartet arrangements of popular tunes on-demand.
Marie Brown, Violin
Marie Brown is a violinist who hails originally from Kansas City. She holds baccalaureates from the University of Kansas and from Truman State, plus a Master of Music from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Over the course of many years, she studied violin with Alex Sokol, Harold Bernhardt, Howard Boyajian, John Kendall, Melvin Ritter, William FitzSimmons, Fryderyk Sadowski, Lazar Gosman, Silvian Iticovici, and Kent Perry.
Marie has been an instructor in the public schools of Berkeley, University City, and Kirkwood. At the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she taught string technique classes for music education majors. She established and maintained violin programs in four Lutheran Schools in the St. Louis area
As a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis, Local 2-197, Marie has always enjoyed working. Her performance credits include the St. Louis Philharmonic, Quartette Accord, Gateway Festival Orchestra, and the Landolfi Quartet, as well as orchestras for touring artists Josh Groban, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Mannheim Steamroller, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bobby Vinton, Vince Gill, and the Moody Blues.
Marie Brown, Cello
Marie Brown is an active cellist within the St. Louis area. Her studies started at the age of nine in Alton, Illinois under the teaching of Larry Crabbs, Victoria Voumard, Kim Shelley and Laura Plummer. Through part of middle school and all of her high school career, Ms. Brown studied privately under the direction of Mrs. Fariga Drayton-Conway.
Ms. Brown earned her two bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Music Performance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2015, studying under Marta Simidtchieva, Michael Mishra and Lenora Anop.
She has been on the faculty with Edwardsville School district and has worked for Parkway Schools. She is currently on staff at Kirkwood School District teaching 5th grade orchestra. As well as being a board member, Ms. Brown is the current cello sectional coach for the Alton Junior Youth Symphony and the Alton Youth Symphony. Marie also has a private studio of two dozen students that she teaches throughout the area. Ms. Brown is a member of the Landolfi String Quartet and STL Classical Underground. She is an active player with Greenville University’s theater program, SIUE’s Summer Showbiz program, and Blackburn College as well as other area ensembles. She has been a premier soloist with Great Rivers Choral Society. Presently, Marie serves as principal cellist for the SIU-Edwardville’s University Orchestra as well as Maryville Symphony Orchestra. She is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis, Local 2-197.
Brian Elder, Violin
Brian Elder has been performing and writing music professionally for over fifteen years. His diverse style of performance and songwriting has been called “folky, jazz-inflected funk” by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Brian performs on vocals, violin, mandolin, and guitar. He also serves as the Principal Second Violinist of the University City Symphony Orchestra, Violinist with the Gateway Festival Orchestra and performs regularly with various ensembles in the St. Louis Metro area. Brian holds a Master of Music in Music Education degree from Boston University and is the current music director at the Fulton School at St. Albans.
Born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, Brian studied violin with Kathy Rollings and earned a music scholarship to the University of Missouri. He continued his studies with violin professor John McLeod and graduated from Mizzou with degrees in Music and Political Science. After moving to St. Louis, Brian spent five years with his band E. M. Grueve (Groove) releasing three records and traveling extensively throughout the Midwest. In 2006 Brian released his first solo album entitled “Preservation Hall” and debuted the project with a benefit concert for the St. Louis Arc and New Orleans Musician’s Relief Fund. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International and the American Federation of Musicians (Local 2-197).
Brian’s performances include a featured set at Variety’s Night of the Rising Stars and guest violin appearances with Barry Manilow, the Peter Mayer Group, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. His various ensembles have also opened for Pat Benatar, The Doobie Brothers, The Neville Brothers, Sister Hazel, Canned Heat, .38 Special, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon, and the Atomic Fireballs.
Joseph Kaminsky, Violin
Joseph Kaminsky has been performing with Landolfi String Quartet for over 20 years. A former member of the Illinois Symphony, he is currently Principal 2nd Violin in the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis, an orchestra that a number of retired SLSO string players perform in. Mr. Kaminsky has a Masters of Music Performance from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville where he studied with John Kendall. Further studies have been with Roland and Almita Vamos.
Mr. Kaminsky has been honored to work with an eclectic array of musicians such as Pavoratti, Tony Bennett, Sarah Brightman, Peter Cetera from the band Chicago, Ray Charles, Amy Grant, Barry Manilow, Moody Blues, Robert Plant from Led Zepplin, Smokey Robinson, and The Who. He is a member of Musicians Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Joseph Kaminsky is also a distinguished string teacher, having taught 23 years with the Kirkwood School district, while concurrently directing a private studio of violin students since 1991, Kirkwood Academy of Music. Mr. Kaminsky has taught Nationally at the Suzuki Association of the Americas 2004 and 2014 National Conferences, Internationally at the 2006 International String Conference in Singapore, and the 1999 Suzuki World Conference in Japan. He has been awarded MoASTA Outstanding Studio Educator 1999, and MoASTA Artist String Teacher of the Year 2014.
Angelina McLaughlin-Heil, Cello
Angelina attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville under the Honors Quartet Scholarship, Johnetta Haley Scholarship, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Ms. McLaughlin-Heil instructed a public school orchestra program in Waukegan, Illinois. Other orchestra teaching positions followed at the Ferguson-Florissant school district in Missouri and Edwardsville Illinois high and elementary schools. During her tenure at Edwardsville, she received an “Extra Effort” award from the district for her role in their production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Angelina served as a full scholarship graduate assistant while completing her masters in orchestral conducting from Illinois State University in 2015. She frequently directed the Illinois State Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and String Project’s “Sinfonia”.
Ms. McLaughlin-Heil was head cello teacher and assistant conductor at the PIYO Music Festival in Guangzhou, China in the summer of 2017. Angelina has recently been named the director of the Belleville Philharmonic beginning strings for the Youth Orchestra in Belleville, Illinois. Ms. McLaughlin-Heil has played as principal cellist of the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra, the Florissant Valley Symphony Orchestra, and Alton Symphony Orchestra. She currently performs on cello with the Belleville Philharmonic, University City Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestras while running a private lesson studio in Highland, Illinois. She is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
John Meurer, Viola
John has a storied career as a violist, teacher, composer, and musical theater performer. He studied violin with Francis Falzone and Isadore Grossman, both with the St. Louis Symphony. He also studied composition with Kennneth Schuller and Henry Orland. He has performed in St, Louis, Atlanta, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Hawaii.
After 4 years in the Navy during Vietnam, John began a 30-year career teaching in the Hazelwood School District, while performing at the Muny Opera. He received his Bachelor of Music from UMSL and a Masters in Music from Lindenwood University. He plays viola in Town and Country Symphony Orchestra and St. Charles County Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis, American Federation of Musicians Local 2-197.
Twinda Murry, Violin
Twinda Murry, a native St. Louisan, began playing violin at the age of eight. She completed a bachelor of music in performance and education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and has done graduate work at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Her teachers included Deberah Haferkamp, R. Kent Perry, and John Kendall.
Murry has performed as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician in the St. Louis area for more than 20 years. Some of the organizations performed with include: 1999 Papal Visit Orchestra, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach Society Orchestra, Masterworks Chorale Orchestra, Missouri Ballet Orchestra, St. Louis Luciano Pavarotti Orchestra, Moody Blues Festival Orchestra, and University City Symphony Orchestra. Current performance activities include local area wedding and event quartets, the Gateway Festival Orchestra, as well as performances by the Murry String Ensemble. She is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Mary Sweetin, Violin
Mary Sweetin is a classically trained violinist, with a Bachelors and Masters in Music from SIUE. Sweetin began teaching orchestra in the Hazelwood School District, where her orchestras received the highest ratings at the District and State levels. Sweetin’s instructional duties at SCC include directing the Symphonic Orchestra, giving violin lessons, and teaching Music Appreciation. Committed to the success of her students, Sweetin has implemented instructional enhancements such as Daily Warm-ups, String Teacher Mentoring, Solo Concerts, and and Instrumental Master Classes. Sweetin encourages students to be actively engaged in their own education, and makes herself available to assist them toward their goals. Mrs. Sweetin has been voted “Adjunct Faculty of the Year” in the Humanities Division, by St. Charles Community College. She is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Philip Tinge, Violin & Viola
Philip Tinge is the lead instructor for the Phil’zHarmoniks Suzuki Group and also teaches an Education Through Music program for Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in East St. Louis. He is a violin and viola instructor for Southwestern Illinois College. He has played with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and has since performed throughout the area professionally for many orchestras and churches. Philip has been concertmaster with the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra since 1994. He has played in Gateway Festival Orchestra and has been part of ensembles supporting many touring performers, including Amy Grant.
He holds degrees in music performance through SIUE. During his college years, Philip was blessed to study with three fabulous instructors: Dr. Perry, Mr. Schieber, and Mr.Kendall. Besides masters degrees in performance on both violin and viola, he has a specialization in Suzuki pedagogy with John Kendall, one of the two original instructors to bring the Suzuki method into the United States. He is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197).
Sharing music is like being part of a big happy family. The opportunity to assist in making a special event its very best is always a thrill and just one more way music brings the world closer together. Looking forward to adding that special touch to your special day!
Steve Wamsley, Viola
A Southern California native, Steve Wamsley began playing violin at the age of 7, switching to viola at age 10 at the Irvine Conservatory of Music. Throughout his youth, he performed with several area honors orchestras and the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra and attended the Bolzano Music Festival in Bolzano, Italy in 1988. As a student of Alan de Veritch, he completed a bachelor of music in viola performance at the University of Southern California and attended the Grand Teton Music Festival. During college, Steve performed with the American Youth Symphony directed by Mehli Mehta and the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra directed by Lalo Schiffrin.
While living in the Los Angeles area, Steve joined the Orange County Musician’s Association (AFM Local 7) and began a professional music career. He performed with the Mozart Camarata, Capistrano Valley Orchestra, Long Beach Ballet, and formed his own professional wedding string quartet. Steve moved to St. Louis with his family in 1998, joined the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197), and continued his freelance music career. He performs with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Gateway Festival Orchestra, and the Landolfi String Quartet.
Taking after Mr. de Veritch, Steve is a musician with eclectic interests, hobbies, and careers. In addition to playing viola, Steve arranges music, plays bass guitar, works as a freelance web developer, practices martial arts, and has a private pilot license. His music interests vary from formal classical music to jazz and pop.
