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About Our Musicians
Lucie Jones
Flute
Dutch-born flutist Lucie Jones (Batteké) is principal flute with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, an extra player with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra since 2004, and a busy chamber musician, soloist, teacher, and adjudicator.
Lucie is a winner of the University of Calgary Concerto Competition, and the 2008 and 2010 National Flute Association International Performer's Competitions. Lucie has been a featured performer with Rosa Barocca, the Instrumental Society of Calgary, Land’s End Ensemble, Kensington Sinfonia, Mountain View Festival and a soloist with the Red Deer Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras. Along with her orchestral work, Lucie performs regularly as a member of the Looking Glass Duo, StoryMusic, and Perfect Cadence Woodwind Quintet.
In addition to her performing schedule, Lucie maintains a busy flute studio at MRU Conservatory and continues to work as a sessional flute instructor at the University of Calgary.
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Lucie has BMus and MMus in Flute Performance, a BSc in Computer Science, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary in the Computational Media Design Program, with a We-TRAC specialization.
Kira Palmer
Oboe
Kira Palmer is Red Deer Symphony Orchestra's second oboe and English horn player.
She enjoys teaching private oboe lessons and is a regular freelance performer and teacher around Alberta.
Kira has had the opportunity to perform throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Earning her Bachelor of Music performance degree from Brigham Young University, Kira also has her Master of Music Performance from the University of Florida.
Prior to her position with the RDSO, Kira held the principal position in the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and is a former member of the “No Strings Attached” Calgary-based woodwind quintet.
As much as Kira enjoys playing music, her greatest joy comes from being the mother of Evan, Landon, Cameron and Piper.
Ilana Dahl
Clarinet
Ilana Dahl has played principal Clarinet with the Red Deer Symphony for 22 years, including a solo performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622.
She completed her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music Performance at the University of Calgary with Stan Climie and Steve Amsel, and the University of British Columbia with Wes Foster.
Ilana has a busy freelance career on clarinet and bass clarinet. She has taught all over Southern Alberta, and regularly performs with the Land’s End Chamber Ensemble. Additionally, Ilana is an extra musician with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and has played with both the Calgary and Edmonton Ballet and Opera Companies. One of her favorite musical highlights was performing with Ben Heppner and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Bassoon
Matthew Howatt
Matthew Howatt began his studies in Edmonton with Diane Pearson before earning a Bachelor of Music at UBC under Jesse Read. Since then, he has been privileged to play principle bassoon with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra and for five years was the acting principle of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Matthew is a founding member of WindRose Trio which has performed in China and Japan, commissioned over a dozen new works, and received the award for Best Classical Recording from the Western Canadian Music Awards.
Douglas Umana
Horn
Douglas Umana is an active freelance musician and clinician in Calgary, where he performs regularly as a substitute/extra horn with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and as 2nd Horn of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra. Douglas is also the Instructor of Horn at the University of Lethbridge. Before coming to Calgary, Douglas was based in Dallas TX, where he maintained a private teaching studio and performed regularly with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Plano Symphony Orchestras.
Originally from Miami, Florida, Douglas received his Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University and Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music at Yale University. His principal teachers include Gregory Hustis, former Principal horn of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and William Purvis, horn soloist and chamber musician.
