Timothy Loo, cello
Timothy Loo, moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to study cello performance at California State University at Northridge and the University of Southern California. Timothy is a member of the Lyris Quartet, founded in 2008. This quartet is the resident ensemble at both Jacaranda and Hear Now Festivals and has been featured numerous times on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella and Noon 2 Midnight series at The Walt Disney Concert Hall.
In January 2018, Mr. Loo made his concerto debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Walt Disney Concert Hall performing the fiendishly difficult Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Bernt Zimmermann, under the direction of conductor Susanna Mälkki.
Timothy has also performed on over 1000 motion pictures, TV shows, albums, commercials, award shows, including yearly at the Academy Awards.
Timothy is also one of the foremost music contractors in Los Angeles. Most recently he assembled the orchestra for composer John Williams for the scoring of Indiana Jones 5: The Dial of Destiny, ESPN College Football Playoffs, The Fablemans and Obi Wan Kenobi. Mr. Loo is also the music contractor for James Newton Howard, Mike Post, Jeff Russo, Branford Marsalis, Disney’s Launchpad streaming series, The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, just to name a few.
In 2019, Timothy and his husband Tommy Johnson purchased Sabron Payroll Services and act as CFO and CEO respectively. Sabron is a leading payroll company in the entertainment industry that has built strong relationships with major production companies such as Disney, Netflix, MGM, Paramount, LucasFilm, and Apple.
This performance with the Modesto Symphony marks Timothy’s debut performing the John Williams’ Cello Concerto.
Upcoming Performances
Kathleen Balfe, principal cello
Kathleen Balfe has lived in Spain since 2003, where she has built a multifaceted career and developed a variety of styles as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles. A principal cellist of the City of Granada Orchestra between 2007 and 2022 and principal cellist of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra since 2024, she also has been a guest principal cellist with the Royal Orchestra of Seville and the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.
Kathleen has performed as a soloist on numerous occasions including the premiere of the opera La Bella Susona by Alberto Carretero with the ROSS, the premiere of Kammerkonzert no.2 by Miguel Gálvez-Taroncher with the OCG conducted by José Ramón Encinar, Sinfonia Concertante by Prokofiev with the New World Symphony conducted by Alasdair Neale, and the arrangement/reconstruction of Debussy’s Suite para Violonchelo by Sally Beamish with the OCG conducted by Joseph Swensen.
As a founding member of the Ensemble NeoArs Sonora, she performed in numerous festivals such as Córdoba XX Festival de Música Contemporánea, Festival de Música Española Manuel de Falla en Cádiz, Festival de Música Clásica en el Escorial, Festival de Bernaola, Quincena Musical de San Sebastián, Jornadas de Música Contemporánea de Sevilla, el Ciclo de Música Contemporánea del Centro Guerrero y el Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada.
Ms. Balfe has collaborated as a chamber musician with the Benaïm Quartet, the Quantum Ensemble, Messiaen Ensemble and the Taller Atlántico, among others. Currently she is a founding member of the Íkaro String Quartet on the island of Tenerife where she is based.
Kathleen Balfe can be heard on Verso, Bis y RCA Records as a member of different groups.
Website: https://cellobalfe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cellobalfe/
Jonathan Flaksman, assistant principal cello
Jonathan Flaksman, born in Akron, Ohio in 1981, started playing the cello at five years of age. His first regular teacher was Madalena Burle-Marx. He studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Richard Aaron and at the Juilliard School with Fred Sherry. He graduated from Mannheim University in Germany in the class of his father Michael Flaksman and completed an artist diploma in orchestral studies. He has had master classes with Harvey Shapiro, Siegfried Palm, Bernard Greenhouse, Youngchang Cho, Jens Peter Maintz, Frans Helmerson, and Ralph Kirshbaum among many others. He attended Interlochen Arts Camp and music festivals in Aspen, Schleswig-Holstein, Cividale (Italy), Łancut (Poland), and Aurora Chamber Music in Sweden. He played in the orchestra of the National Theater Mannheim, and as principal cellist of Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern and La Folia Baroque Orchestra. As soloist and chamber musician he has traveled the United States, Europe, and Asia. He attends the Ascoli Piceno Festival annually and performed as soloist with the Bari Symphony at the Carl Orff Festival in Putignano. He has given masterclasses in Italy and in California and has served on the jury of various competitions. He currently lives in Los Angeles, is active as a composer and arranger, and records for tv and film. He plays with the Pasadena Symphony, is Assistant Principal Cellist of Santa Barbara Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, and Vallejo Symphony, and is a member of the Long Beach Symphony. Starting in 2025, he is a core member of the Hawai’i Symphony. He has played with Modesto Symphony since 2017, and was appointed Assistant Principal Cellist in May 2024.
Website: hhttps://jonathanflaksman.com/
Aiden Hogan, cello
Aidan Hogan is a professional cellist currently living in Stockton, CA, but originally hailing from Milwaukee, WI. Active as a performer early on, Aidan was a member of the renowned Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, and during High School was a winner in the Milwaukee Civic Music Competition and Semifinalist in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Stars of Tomorrow Competition. While studying under his beloved mentor Madeleine Kabat, he began his career playing with several orchestras in Southeast Wisconsin, including as assistant principal cellist of the Kettle Moraine Symphony, as well as performing with the Kenosha Symphony and Wisconsin Philharmonic. Aidan also became a performing artist/recitalist with the Fox River Chamber Festival during this time, a position which he currently holds.
Moving to Stockton just last year, Aidan began as a cello/string instructor at the Pleasanton Academy of Music and Main Street Music in Tracy. Aidan is thrilled to have had a successful audition as a section cellist with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and looks forward to helping create great performances to share this season and beyond. Aidan would also like to extend his gratitude to his former music instructors and mentors Madeleine Kabat, Peter Thomas, Tom Smith, Tiffany Chang, Lyda Osinga and Lydia Topolovec for their nurturing, wisdom, expertise and above all, patience.