The PYO Preparatory Orchestras Staff

Sara Salsbury, PYO co-founder, serves as General Manager for PYO, and is, Director of the Preparatory Orchestras, Music Camp, and Chamber Music. She has previously been part of the Instrumental Music Team for the Redwood City School District and a string specialist for the Mountain View CSMA, the Sunnyvale and Mountain View School Districts, Woodside Priory School, and the El Camino Youth Symphony. She is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO), The League of American Ochestras, MENC, CMEA and ASTA/CODA. She also serves on the ACSO Board of Directors. Sara was one of the 1994 recipients of the CAPA Arts Award (Council for the Arts of Palo Alto) for her dedication to music education and youth symphony work. Sara grew up in Michigan where she attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen for many summers. Sara received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music Degrees from DePauw University and her Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from Stanford University. Sara and her husband Phillip live in Palo Alto where they have raised four sons, all of whom were music majors in college.

Don Couch , professional trombonist and teacher, is a graduate of USC. He has played under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas in the Los Angeles based Debut Orchestra of Young Musicians, and was principal trombone with the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico for four years. Don has appeared with the San Francisco Opera, San Jose Symphony, and Symphony Silicon Valley. Don and his wife Marilu live in Fremont where he maintains a studio of private students. He has two sons, both are PYO graduates.

Matt Germano is the newly appointed percussion coach for the preparatory orchestras. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Cal State University Long Beach, where he majored in Percussion Performance. He has performed with the Long Beach Symphony, the Peninsula Symphony, Pacific Brass Ensemble, and the Saddleback Civic Light Opera. Currently he is a faculty member at Drum World in San Mateo, CA. In addition to teaching, he is also a member of the band Livewire, the CSM Panhandlers, and performs with many other groups in the Bay Area.

Troy E. Davis is Director of Bands at Aragon High School in San Mateo. He is also guest conductor at the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, and has worked at many other summer music programs as conductor and educator. He earned his Master’s Degree in music education from Notre Dame de Namur University, and his Bachelor of Music in oboe performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching and conducting, Mr. Davis freelances around the Bay Area as a woodwind player and vocalist, and has performed with many celebrated ensembles including Robin Williams, The Grateful Dead, The Drifters, Michael Tilson Thomas, and the San Francisco Symphony. He is listed in the national biographical publication, Marquis’ “Who’s Who in America” and is on the board of the California Association for Music Education (CMEA), Bay Section.

Stacy Brubaker earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a Master of Music degree from DePaul University where she studied with Donald Peck, former principal flutist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with orchestras such as the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra of Northern New York, The Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Napa Valley Symphony and has played under conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Lukas Foss and Bruno Weil. In 2002 Stacy collaborated with Trey Anastasio, former member of Phish, and can be heard on his albums “Seis de Mayo” and “Trey Anastasio.”

In addition to performing, Stacy is active as a teacher and chamber music coach. She has served on the faculty of the University of Vermont and Peninsula Youth Orchestra’s Discover Chamber Music Camp, as well as chamber music coach for the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. Currently Stacy teaches privately in San Francisco and the Palo Alto area. She has been the director of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra’s flute program since 2003.

Barbara Bateman, professional bassoonist, is our Woodwind Specialist Emeritus. She has served as Wind Specialist for the Palo Alto Unified School District and the El Camino Youth Symphony. She played bassoon in the Peninsula Symphony for 30 years, and enjoys teaching private bassoon lessons and coaching woodwind chamber music ensembles. Barbara received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from San Jose State University and her Master's Degree in Music Education from Columbia University. She studied bassoon with Simon Kovar at the Juilliard School of Music.