Mark Hamamura
Music Director

Mark Hamamura is currently an Assistant Professor and Assistant Conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Prior to becoming a full-time teacher, he developed novel medical imaging systems as a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, where he also earned his doctorate degree in Physics. While a graduate student, Mark simultaneously held the position of Director of Athletic Bands at his alma mater, where he directed the Pep Band, Concert Band, and Stage Band, and served as founding sponsor of the Lambda Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity. More recently, he trained as a Conducting Fellow at the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute and earned his Master of Arts degree in Music Education from Adams State University. He currently resides in Mission Viejo with his wife and three fur babies (aka cats).

Eric Hankey
Assistant Music Director

Eric Hankey is the Music Director for Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, as well as organist and pianist for American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach. Previously, he has served as conductor, arranger, teacher, and musician in hundreds of projects, including the Los Angeles Catholic Schools Band, Crescendo School of Music, Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Southeast Symphony Saturday Conservatory, Huntington Beach Symphony, Westchester Symphony, and numerous other schools and churches. He also enjoys engineering projects, classic cars, and travel, especially with his wife, two college-age sons, and three dogs.

Christine Hayes
2016-2021

Christine Hayes is the immediate past Music Director of the Palos Verdes Symphonic Band, having first served as acting director for most of 2016 after years of performing as a trombonist in the band. Christine is also a freelance musician who played regularly with the Golden State Pops Orchestra, the Dana Point Symphony, and the Huntington Beach Symphony. She has been a featured soloist with the Palos Verdes Symphonic Band and the South Bay Youth Orchestra.

Christine taught brass at Children of Promise Preparatory Academy and Amuse Music Center, and also maintains a private lesson studio. Her students were regularly awarded spots in the top ensembles at their schools, and many have had success on the honor band circuit and at solo and ensemble festivals.

Christine has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music education from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and a Master of Music in trombone performance from California State University Long Beach. Her teachers include Michael Alexander, Noreen Harris Baer, James Miller, and Jeffrey Reynolds. When she’s not making music, Christine enjoys volunteering at her children’s elementary school and spending time in the great outdoors.

David Stanton
2011-2016

David Stanton received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from USC, where he studied clarinet with Mitchell Lurie and conducting with William Schaefer. In postgraduate work at the Manhattan School of Music, he studied clarinet with Leon Russianoff and conducting with Anton Coppola. Along with his Master’s Degree in Clarinet, he was awarded the Andrew J. Goodman prize for best clarinetist.

David was praised by John Rockwell of the New York Times for "first-rate performances" and appeared in recitals at Lincoln Center, symphonic performances at Carnegie Hall, live radio broadcasts, and Broadway shows. Performing under Zubin Mehta, Edo de Waart, James Levine and Julius Rudel, David accompanied such artists as Frederika von Stade, Kathleen Battle, and Ransom Wilson.

Besides teaching at Princeton, Concordia College and Long Island University, David was a middle school music director and a music specialist with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. He taught woodwinds at Amuse Music and performed at Amuse Music and performed regularly on both saxophone and clarinet with several jazz bands and orchestras.

Grant Sevdayan
2008-2011

Grant Sevdayan grew up in Armenia, where he pursued his musical training in conducting, theory, piano and composition at various institutions. After initial studies in the music school for children with exceptional musical abilities, he entered Yerevan State Conservatory where he majored in theory, composition and choral conducting. After immigrating to the United States in 1987, he completed his studies in organ performance and orchestral conducting, with honors, at the University of Southern California.

Maestro Sevdayan has been the music director and conductor of operas and musicals in Southern California as well as in Italy, Austria, and France. Among them were popular productions of La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, The Elixir of Love, Faust and Macbeth. His concert venues in Rome, Vienna, and Paris included St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Charles, Le Madeleine and Notre Dame. His performances have received high praises in concert reviews and from such notables as Msgr. Collino, the famous Director of Music Ministries of His Holiness Pope John II. Locally, Grant has recently conducted concerts with Casa Italiana, Intimate Opera Company, Inglewood Pops, and the Peninsula Symphony.

Along with his duties as organist and choir director at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Huntington Beach, Grant currently serves as music director of the Huntington Beach Symphony Orchestra.

John E. Hall, III
2005-2008

Maestro Hall is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music in New York where he was a student of French conductor Jean Morel. His early conducting career included European tours of “Porgy and Bess”, “My Fair Lady” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Mr. Hall has guest conducted in several other countries including Italy, Germany and Switzerland. As a Trombonist and Soloist he has performed and recorded with many of the greatest performing concert artists of our time like Placido Domingo, Donna Summers, Manhattan Transfer, Debbie Reynolds, Barry White, Leopold Stokowski, and Itzhak Perlman.

Maestro Hall has shared his musical enthusiasm as a professor of instrumental instruction and orchestral studies at New York Community College, Cypress College, and California State University, Long Beach. Hall’s other engagements also included conducting at Palm Springs (CA) Annenburg Theater and of several California orchestras including the Merced Symphony Orchestra, the Torrance Symphony, and the Front Row Center Orchestra of Orange County (CA).

John E. Hall III recently relocated to Lowell, MA, where he is serving as part-time conductor with Nevers’ 2nd Regiment Band. In his semi-“retirement” in New England, John is enjoying being near his family, working part time, playing percussion in the Windham Band, and playing in various trombone ensembles.

Richard Schwalbe
1973-2005

Dick Schwalbe joined the Palos Verdes Symphonic Band as director in 1973. After 32 years of much appreciated service and leadership, Maestro Schwalbe retired from the band with the title of Director Emeritus.

Mr. Schwalbe received a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois, was a member of the Musician’s Local Union 353 as a professional trumpet player, and served as a music adjudicator for various music festivals. He also conducted the Hawthorne Civic Band and was Director of Instrumental Music at Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California.

Eugene Reinaldo
1962-1973

Dr. Eugene Reinaldo served as founding director after he retired from his surgical practice on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.