Our Violas

Yaniv Cohen

Viola

Yaniv Moshe Cohen began performing with the University of Central Florida Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13, continuing with the ensemble for nearly a decade. He later earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in 2013, graduating with a double major in Music and English. His principal studies were with Matitiahu Braun of the New York Philharmonic and the Juilliard School Pre-College. Yaniv went on to serve as Graduate Teaching Assistant for Orchestral Studies and Viola at Florida International University, where he studied with Michael Klotz of the Amernet String Quartet and earned his Master of Music in Viola Performance.

He has appeared at numerous prestigious summer programs, including the Miami Music Festival, Wintergreen Chamber Music Festival, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and the Eastern Music Festival (three seasons). Yaniv also participated in the Hot Springs Music Festival for four seasons—first as an Apprentice and later as an Associate—as well as the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra. His festival appointments include positions at the Hot Springs Music Festival (Arkansas), VARNA International, and Music Academy International in Italy, where he served as Chamber Coach and Violist. He was also the founding Director of the NorCal Music Festival (California, 2018–2019), violist at the Endless Mountain Music Festival (2019), and faculty member at Varna International (2023).

Yaniv’s diverse performing career spans classical, commercial, and crossover genres. He has appeared with the Broadway national tour of Evita and with the National Moravian Society across Germany and the Czech Republic. He has also performed alongside renowned artists including Johnny Mathis, Sting, Adam Levine, Josh Groban, Kansas, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Mannheim Steamroller, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Yes, The Alan Parsons Project, Jackie Evancho, Cirque Musica, Indigo Girls, Natalie Merchant, Video Games Live, The Irish Tenors, Little River Band, Hanson, and Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, among others.

As an orchestral musician, Yaniv maintains an active schedule performing with numerous ensembles throughout Florida and beyond. His credits include The Florida Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, The Venice Symphony, Gulfshore Opera, Lakeland Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, The Bach Festival of Winter Park, The Villages Philharmonic, Punta Gorda Symphony, Florida Lakes Symphony, Space Coast Symphony, Brevard Symphony, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Space Coast Pops, Craig Turley Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, Atlantic Classical Orchestra, New Score Chamber Orchestra, Symphony of the Americas, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, the Paducah Symphony (KY), Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Lancaster Symphony (PA), Bay Atlantic Symphony (NJ), and the Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento in Italy.

Yaniv is also an active educator, clinician, and chamber musician. He is sought after as a guest adjudicator and maintains a private teaching studio. A founding faculty member of the Space Coast Symphony’s Quartet Movement program, he has also taught strings, choir, and general music in the Brevard Public School System at Palm Bay Academy Charter School (2014–2015).

Deborah Dansby Wells

Viola

Deborah Dansby Wells, viola, is an accomplished performer and educator whose career bridges the worlds of classical artistry and popular performance. She currently serves as Principal Violist of the internationally touring Mantovani Orchestra, appearing in major concert halls across the United States and abroad. Known for her expressive tone and commanding stage presence, Ms. Dansby Wells is equally at home in symphonic, chamber, and crossover settings, where she performs as both a soloist and an ensemble leader.

In addition to her extensive performance career, Ms. Dansby Wells is a respected clinician and adjudicator, frequently invited to lead master classes, workshops, and festival programs throughout the country. Her commitment to music education and mentorship reflects a deep passion for nurturing the next generation of string players, inspiring students to achieve both technical mastery and artistic expression.

Ms. Dansby Wells pursued her primary studies at the University of Michigan, where she developed a strong foundation in performance and pedagogy. She continued her professional development through advanced post-graduate work at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, followed by additional studies at several universities in Florida.

Ms. Dansby Wells’s work reflects a lifelong dedication to performance, teaching, and the continued growth of the musical community.

Kristen Mae

Viola

Kristen Mae is an experienced finance editor and content strategist with a strong background in personal finance, informed by her earlier career as a financial planner. At GOBankingRates, she edits both editorial and branded content, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and meaningful value for readers navigating everyday money decisions.

Her writing and editing work spans a wide range of publications and topics—including budgeting, investing, parenting, health, and pop culture—with a consistent focus on clarity, impact, and accessibility.

A classically trained musician, Kristen earned her Master of Music in Performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor of Music in Performance from Florida State University. In addition to her editorial work, she continues to teach violin and viola and performs regularly with her local orchestra.

Whether she’s editing a finance feature or crafting fiction inspired by ancient mythology, Kristen is driven by a passion for helping people feel informed, empowered, and understood.

Rebecca Simons

Viola & Violin

Rebecca Simons is a professional violinist and private instructor based in Melbourne, Florida. She graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education. While at FSU, she studied violin with Eliot Chapo and string pedagogy with Dr. Michael Allen.

After graduation, Mrs. Simons moved to Clearwater, where she taught orchestra at Largo Middle School for five years before returning home to Brevard County. She then spent three years teaching at Heritage High School before leaving public education to focus on her growing family. During that time, she expanded her private teaching studio and began training with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, for which she is now certified through Level Three.

Mrs. Simons maintains an active performance schedule with orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Central and South Florida. Among her many professional accomplishments, she considers her greatest joy and most meaningful achievement to be nurturing her four children—Graham (8), Logan (5), Vera (2), and Jake (10 months).

Richard Urbano

Violin

Richard José Urbano Vásquez is an accomplished violist with more than twenty-five years of professional experience across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Renowned for his rich tone and expressive artistry, he has performed with distinguished conductors and leading international ensembles, combining performance, education, and community engagement through major symphonic, chamber, and pedagogical projects. Born in Carúpano, Venezuela, Richard began his musical studies at the age of fourteen under Professor Carlos Andrés Millán. That same year, he joined the Youth Orchestra of Carúpano and the State of Sucre, marking the beginning of a lifelong dedication to orchestral music. He later moved to Caracas to continue his training at the Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music, where he studied viola with Maestro Ronald Virguez—Principal Viola of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela—and Maestro José Manuel Román, and completed advanced studies under Maestro José Francisco del Castillo at the Latin American Violin Academy.

Richard became a member of both the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra (A) and the Simón Bolívar Venezuelan Youth Orchestra (B), serving as Principal Viola and performing under legendary conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Lorin Maazel, Daniel Barenboim, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Gustavo Dudamel. He also served as Principal Viola for the Orchestra of the Americas, the World Orchestra, and the Ibero-American Orchestra. As a passionate chamber musician, he co-founded several acclaimed ensembles—including the Milenium Quartet, Cuarteto Juventud, and Cuarteto América—performing extensively throughout Venezuela and abroad. As a soloist, Richard has appeared with major Venezuelan orchestras in performances of Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, and Paganini’s Sonata per la Grand Viola, as well as in recitals featuring Glinka’s Sonata, Brahms’s Sonatas No. 1 & 2, Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata, and Ernest Bloch’s Suite Hébraïque, collaborating with distinguished pianists David Ascanio and Clara Marcano.

In addition to his performance career, Richard is a devoted pedagogue, having worked with youth orchestras such as the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra and the Juvenil de Caracas, and having conducted master classes throughout South America with the support of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). From 1995 to 2017, he performed with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, touring extensively and recording with Deutsche Grammophon under conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Krzysztof Penderecki, Lorin Maazel, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Gustavo Dudamel. In the United States, he has performed with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, The Colinas Symphony Orchestra, and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Richard’s international career has taken him to major concert venues and festivals throughout Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, Finland, Russia, and France, including acclaimed appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg Festival, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York. His extensive recording work includes CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray projects with Deutsche Grammophon, performing under Gustavo Dudamel and other prominent conductors. In addition to his performing career, Richard is deeply committed to education and outreach, serving as a mentor and instructor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Kim Noltemy Young Musicians Program and as a viola instructor and orchestral coach with The Nucleus Orchestral Program in Orlando. He also contributes to community outreach and worship through music at The Rock Church Orlando. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Richard José Urbano Vásquez continues to inspire the next generation of musicians while sharing his artistry with audiences around the world.

Amelia Lohman

Viola

Bio Coming Soon

Aaron Wiggins

Viola

Aaron Wiggins is an accomplished violist and dedicated educator whose passion for music began at an early age. A native of Long Island, New York, he started his musical journey on the piano at the age of three before discovering his love for the viola and other stringed instruments.

Aaron earned his Bachelor of Arts in Viola Performance from Rollins College, where he also focused on string pedagogy. As both a performer and teacher, he brings energy and artistry to every musical endeavor. He has performed with numerous ensembles throughout Central Florida, including the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Encore Performing Arts, the UCF Symphony Orchestra, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, as well as a variety of local orchestras and chamber groups in the Orlando area.