Coaches

Gerald Elias

Gerald Elias leads a double life as a world-class musician and critically acclaimed author. A former violinist with the Boston Symphony and associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, Elias has performed on five continents and has been the conductor of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series since 2004.

An author of a dozen mystery novels, his most recent, Murder on Vacation, is a lighthearted collection of 16 short crime stories and was published in May by White City Press. Elias’s prize-winning essay, “War and Peace. And Music,” excerpted from his insightful memoir, Symphonies & Scorpions, was the subject of 2019 TEDx presentation. His many short stories and essays have appeared in prestigious journals ranging from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine to The Strad.

Jerry maintains a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons. He spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, travel, coffee, good food, and most of all, being a devoted grandpa.The Sinfonia is thrilled that Jerry has provided individual and group coaching for our group for many years.leads a double life as a world-class musician and critically acclaimed author. Devil’s Trill, the debut novel of his award-winning Daniel Jacobus mystery series that takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world, was a Barnes & Noble Discover: Great New Writers selection. In 2020 he penned The Beethoven Sequence, a chilling psycho-political thriller. Elias’s prize-winning essay, “War and Peace. And Music,” excerpted from his insightful memoir, Symphonies & Scorpions, was the subject of 2019 TEDx presentation. His short stories and essays have appeared in prestigious journals ranging from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine to The Strad.

A former violinist with the Boston Symphony and associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, Elias has performed on five continents and has been the conductor of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series since 2004. He maintains a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons. The Sinfonia is thrilled that Jerry has provided individual and group coaching for our group for many years.

Andrew McCann

Andrew McCann is a violinist and Alexander Technique teacher. Andrew was a founding member and principal second violinist of New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago, a member of the festival orchestra at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and has appeared as a guest artist with eighth blackbird, ensemble dal niente, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Spektral Quartet. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was an active theater musician in Chicago, performing in productions with Broadway in Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writer’s Theater, the Marriott Theater, Victory Garden’s Theater, and Paramount Theater. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance and Bachelors of Arts in History from Oberlin College & Conservatory, as well as a Masters of Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His principal violin teachers include Jorja Fleezanis, Sherban Lupu, Gregory Fulkerson, and Lee Snyder. Andrew certified as an Alexander Technique teacher with Joan & Alex Murray at the Urbana Center for the Alexander Technique in 2003. Andrew has taught and presented workshops across the country on the Alexander Technique, specializing in helping musicians play more comfortably and avoid or recover from injury. 2025 was his third year of coaching string sectionals for Sinfonia.

Lyndon Moors

Lyndon Moors studied oboe with Ralph Gomberg and John Holmes at Boston University while earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education.  He earned a Master’s degree in Education from Southern New Hampshire University and taught music in the Mt. Greylock Regional School District in Williamstown for 29 years.  Lyndon performs regularly throughout western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, and the Albany, New York area, including appearances with the Berkshire Symphony, Manchester Music Festival, Sage City Symphony, Williams Chamber Players, Williamstown Theater Festival, Berkshire Theater Group, Massachusetts Wind Orchestra, Berkshire Lyric, the Battenkill Chorale, and the Bennington County Choral  Society.  Lyndon was the principal oboe of the Bangor Symphony under Werner Torkanowsky,  having begun his career teaching and performing in northern Maine.  Lyndon is on the Board of Directors for both the Berkshire Music School and Local 171 of the American Federation of Musicians, and he is a former Music Director of the Eagles Band of Pittsfield.