Mano Divina
Theremin
Concert Thereminist and Musical Director. Mano Divina studied music with Sun Ra from 1987 to 1993 and Tito Puente from 1993 to 1998. After mastering nine instruments from percussion to bass to turntables, he applied his musical prowess and opera knowledge to the theremin in the late 90s.
Jonathan Salmon
Cello/Arranger
Jonathan Salmon studied music composition at University of the Arts. In addition to playing cello in the ensemble, he composes, arranges, and orchestrates the repertoire. Jonathan works in both live sound and studio engineering positions and plays a variety of instruments.
Gloria Galante
Harp
Gloria Galante is a Joy Zillionaire, Child of God and Professional Harpist.
Professor Gloria Galante is the founder and director of West Chester University PA Harp Program. She is a third generation Salzedo Harp technique expert. Her beloved teacher, Edna Phillips, was the first female principal harpist in the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Gloria is the principal harpist of the Divine Hand Ensemble.
She has performed in the Frank Sinatra Orchestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, Warren Oree Freedom Jazz Orchestra, and orchestras with Odean Pope, Jose Feliciano, Diana Ross, and many more.
Mary Bryson
Harp
I started playing harp as pre-midlife crisis; now it’s an addiction.
I play just well enough to be dangerous. Ask me about my other passions, and keep it PG, I’m married.
Randall Rudolph
Vibraphone & Marimba
Randy has been playing professionally for the past 35 years, despite repeated requests that he stop.
Educated at Temple University and The New School of Music, he has played with several orchestras, chamber ensembles and other groups including Amadeus Ensemble, New Jersey Capital Philharmonic, Delaware Valley Philharmonic, Jubilate Deo Chorale /Orchestra, & The Big Mess Orchestra. Probably a bunch of other stuff too. Basically, he’s a shameless musical trollop that will play any style, any time, and anywhere as long as you dangle a check in front of him.
Jessica Hawk
Viola
Jessi Hawk started playing viola when she was very young. She has since spent her life immersed in the arts and, besides playing the viola, she is a professional tattoo artist and painter as well . She believes that music is a spiritual outlet for her and that the arts connect us all! Through the Divine Hand she has found a way to paint music in the air
Thuy Nguyen
Violin
Thuy Nguyen is a graduate from The Hartt School of Music Dance and Theater. She is a classically trained violinist, and has studied with Robert DePasquale, Anton Miller, and Emlyn Ngai. In addition to playing with the Divine Hand Ensemble, she currently performs with metal, bluegrass, and rock tribute bands.
Thuy also freelances in the Tri -State area and teaches private violin lessons. When she is not working, you can find Thuy somewhere in Philly supporting local metal bands.
Rachel Kolster
Violin
Rachel Kolster is an electric and acoustic violinist born and raised in NYC and recently relocated to Philly. She trained as a Classical violinist and later pursued her passion for metal and rock, incorporating symphonic elements into heavy music. She plays violin and cello in two Folk/Viking Metal bands: Frost Giant (Philly) and Winter's Wake (NYC). She has also performed with a variety of other metal and rock bands, including Abigail Williams, Windfaerer, Winter Nights, Seraph in Travail, Before the Origin, Symfinity, Novarium, and The Living Kills. She has performed at a variety of NYC venues, including Irving Plaza, Gramercy Theater, St. Vitus Bar, The Knitting Factory, and The Bitter End, as well as at metal festivals, including Shadow Woods Metal Fest, Maryland Folk Metal Fest, and Poconos Folk/Viking Metal Fest. When she's not playing music, Rachel is a Pathologist-in-training at The Hospital of U Penn.
Dave Hartl
Accordion
“My 1st thought when I saw the Ensemble was ‘ they need some Zappa ! ‘ So, I crammed Frank Zappa’s music into their instrumentation and wound up making a seat for myself at the table with the Virtual Accordion “
Dave started performing on accordion at the age of 5 and continues to find success with it via performances with The Night Café Trio and The Philadelphia Orchestra . Dave also plays piano , guitar, bass, Chapman Stick and every synthesizer ever made. He was on the faculty of U of A , has done almost 100 musical theater productions and has played for Joni Mitchell, Andrea Bocelli , Aretha Franklin , Smokey Robinson and many others .
In addition to performing and arranging with the Ensemble he also works with tribute groups for Linda Ronstadt and Dionne Warwick , plays Celeste and Piano for the Southeastern PA Symphony and has recorded 5 albums of original music.
Natalie Conover
Viola
Natalie Conover earned her BM in Viola Performance from the Swope School of Music at West Chester University. Natalie is on the faculty at Settlement Music School, and she is a Violin and Viola Teaching Artist, Assistant Conductor, and Program Assistant for Trenton Music Makers, an El Sistema-Inspired program in Trenton, NJ. She regularly performs as a freelance violist in the Philadelphia-area and with the classical chamber groups Berks Sinfonietta and The Divine Hand Ensemble.
Jaclyn Duncan
Flute
Jaclyn Duncan, flutist, roller skater, travel lover and Boston University alum, brings years of diverse musical experience to every performance. Jaclyn has performed and recorded extensively on flute throughout the USA, Japan, Cuba, Costa Rica and more, playing selections from genres as diverse as funk, hip hop, jazz, reggae, edm, Latin, classical, folk, pop, calypso, tribal, techno and drum & bass. Recordings include a Sony Japan release with correlating MTV Japan video. When not romping around the world playing her flute, Jaclyn can be found tearing up the wood on her eights (read: roller skating), and if she's lucky, with a flute in hand!
Mike Rublesky
Harp
Mike is the newest member to join the Divine Hand Ensemble.
Lola Rublesky
Funerary Violin
The latest funerary violinist to be trained by the Divine Hand.