Sonoma County String Collective
Sonoma County String Collective
Let's talk! Contact our manager at:
(215) 300-0007
Meet the Musicians
Discover the Passion and Talent Behind the Music
Andy Ting
Manager and Violinist/Violist
Andy Ting started playing piano when she was five at her mother’s behest - her mother believed that music is the greatest gift that she could give to her children. Andy ran with it, picking up violin when she was ten, and viola when she was seventeen. While in college, Andy Ting was reminded of how beautiful the world of music is. She entered as an English major that just played viola on the side, and she is leaving college with a degree in Music Education and a minor in English. Her passion for chamber music has fueled her desire to play for anyone - through music, she believes that any event can become a lifetime memory. She is the principal violist in the SSU Symphonic Orchestra, and plays both violin two parts and viola parts for the Sonoma County String Collective. She is wildly driven, holding teaching positions in Simply Strings and Move Over Mozart, two inexpensive programs that offer piano/violin lessons to students who might not be able to afford it otherwise. She also coaches the viola section at the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, and manages events for the Sonoma String Collective.
215-300-0007
Colin Hathorn
Violist & Composer & Arranger
Colin Hathorn is a music composition major hailing from Pacific Grove, CA, currently studying at Sonoma State University. He is a talented composer and arranger who takes interest in the distinct sounds of all different genres of music, and combines these elements in his own works to create truly unique "worlds of sound". He has been composing and arranging for as long as he has been playing music, which gives him a deep and intuitive understanding of music. Alongside being an arranger and composer, he is also a skilled violist and percussionist.
Ella Hoffman
Cellist
Ella Hoffman has been playing and appreciating music for nearly her entire life. She has been a cellist for almost 14 years, and she is also an experienced vocalist and an electric bassist. She is the most experienced in the cello, with experience in musical theater productions, semi-professional orchestras such as Symphony of the Redwoods and Ukiah Symphony, recording sessions in local studios, and chamber groups for events such as weddings. She is skilled in classical styles of music, but is comfortable with rock and pop, and she is currently expanding her skill set through jazz training.
Rory Pitts
Violinist
Rory Pitts grew up in a family of musicians and started playing violin at age 3 and piano at 4. She studied violin with Terrie Baune throughout middle and high school and was the concertmaster of her high school’s orchestra for four years. At age 16 she was a winner of the Eureka Symphony Young Artists Competition and performed as a soloist with the Eureka Symphony. Rory is an alumni of Interlochen Arts Camp and was a member of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra in the summer 2024 season. She is currently a freshman at SSU pursuing a BM in violin performance, studying with Gail Hernández Rosa. Rory is principal second violin of the SSU symphony orchestra and performs with the Sonoma County String Collective.
Ben Robbins
Violist
Ben Robbins is a life-long resident of Santa Rosa, California and is a second year Music Performance Major at Sonoma State University. Ben is the co-principal viola in the Sonoma State Symphony Orchestra and plays in a chamber music string ensemble as well as the Sonoma County Strings Collective. Ben has played violin for ten years under the direction of Aaron Westman and in 2019 found a love for the artistic voice of the viola under the direction of Anna Washburn. Ben has performed with the Santa Rosa Symphony youth ensembles since January 2015 in the Debut, Aspirante, Young People’s Chamber and Youth Orchestras. He was principal viola in the Youth Orchestra for three years 2020-2023 and went on a four-city tour to Spain with Bobby Rogers, conductor. In the summer of 2023 he studied abroad in the Music Adventure in Italy program playing “alfresco” in beautiful venues in Spannocchia, Siena and Florence in Tuscany. Ben is known for his deeply resonant tone and intuitive pitch and musical expression.
Samuel Strong
Violinist & Pianist
Samuel Strong (b. 2009) began studying violin at age 4 and piano at age 7. He graduated high school at just 12 years old—the same year he became one of the youngest musicians ever to perform with the Sonoma State University Orchestra, where he continued to play as a volunteer.
He has performed in several pit orchestras across Sonoma County, including as the fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof at 6th Street Playhouse, and is a past winner of the Junior Bach Festival.
Samuel also performs with the Sonoma County Strings Collective, a group of Sonoma State students who play at events throughout the region. This fall, he will attend Sonoma State full-time as a double major in Music and Computer Science.
Miranda Ronan
Violinist
Miranda Ronan has been playing music in the Sonoma County all her life. She has been, and continues to be a shining star in the world of up and coming musicians in the area. Miranda grew up performing with the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Ensembles, and has been invited to travel with them on two different international tours. She brings her expression and expertise to the SSU Orchestra through her role as concertmaster. She has been with Sonoma County String Collective since our first performance, and continues to drive us forward through her leadership in the quartet.
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Benjamin Margulis
Violinist
Benjamin Margulis was born in 2010 in Sebastopol, CA. He started learning the piano at the age of 4 and later took up the violin at the age of 9. He is currently a sophomore at Cardinal Newman High School, where he plays guitar in the modern band. He currently studies violin with Anna Washburn, and plays in the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Young People’s Chamber Orchestra. Benjamin has participated in masterclasses with world renowned soloists, such as Geneva Lewis and David McCarroll. In 2025, he won second place in the SRSYO Concerto Competition, and performed as a soloist with the Young People’s Chamber Orchestra. Benjamin has ambitious plans for the future, intending to pursue a career in music.
Sophia Ting
Digital Content Manager
At 18, Sophia is already making an impact as a Digital Content Manager. She began her journey creating content for her high school soccer team and quickly developed a strong digital presence. Now, working with a growing brand, Sophia manages content for Instagram and the website, develops social media strategies, and drives online engagement. With a keen understanding of trends and a talent for connecting with audiences, she is well on her way to a successful career in digital marketing and online strategy.
Ryn Lawrence
Graphic Designer & Media Assistant
Ryn has always been in love with music and the arts and he loves to create things in his free time. He takes pride in thinking outside of the box and making his work unique and fun. Since he was a kid, he has been drawing nonstop, both on paper and digitally. When he isn't drawing, you can find him capturing pictures of nature or singing. In high school, he sang with a multitude of Maria Carrillo High School's choirs. Currently, he is a proud member of the Santa Rosa Junior College's Chamber Singers.