CFW Members

---

Dr. David T. Borst is our principal Bassoonist who is originally from Hempstead, New York.  While he was a senior at Hempstead High School, Dave studied bassoon with the famous Simon Kovar, who performed with the New York Philharmonic, taught at Julliard, and published many bassoon étude books.  Mr. Kovar awarded Dave a summer session scholarship to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.  After graduating from Fredonia State University of N.Y., Dave won the audition for the Buffalo Philharmonic and performed there three years as a full-time player. After taking a teaching position and being the Director of Music for an area school district, he continued to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic during the summers and as needed during the regular season.

In 1965, Dave was invited to take a music professorship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where he taught for 33 years before retiring.  While teaching there, he and his violinist wife, Ingrid, performed with the Johnstown Area Symphony Orchestra for over 35 years. While at IUP, he continued to study bassoon with K. David Van Hoesen at Eastman School of Music and earned a DMA degree at Eastman in 1974. Over the course of several summers, Dave performed concerts with the IUP Keystone Winds and recorded commercial CDs of major wind composers under the direction of Jack Stamp.

In 1979—1980 Dave was awarded a full-year sabbatical from IUP, during which he, his wife, and their young son traveled through Europe.  He also had the privilege of living nine months in Israel. While living in Jerusalem, he started an instrumental program at the Anglican School, and was appointed as the conductor of the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra. In the summer of 1980, he conducted the orchestra on a goodwill tour of Germany and Austria.

After retiring in 1998 from IUP, Dave and his wife traveled with their motorhome across the United States. They  were snowbirds in Florida for seven months a year until several years ago, when they became full-time residents at the ORA Resort in Melbourne Beach, Fl.  While in Florida, he has performed with the Miami Symphony, Land of Lakes Symphony, Brevard Symphony, Space Coast Pops, Central Florida Winds, the Central Florida Chamber Winds, other professional ensembles, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, where he was a charter member and principal bassoonist for 10 years.

Dave and Ingrid were married for 65 years before she passed away last Easter morning.  All throughout their years together they enjoyed performing in many churches. They are blessed with 3 wonderful children, 11 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.  With a grateful heart, Dave gives thanks to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the strength and ability to continue to perform with the Central Florida Winds and Chamber Winds, which he has greatly enjoyed for 19 years.

Rick Collins is our French Horn Section leader. He hails from Decatur, Indiana and is a graduate of Ball State University. While he spent his professional career in Indiana, he currently resides in the retirement community of Genesis Pointe just south of Lake Wales. 

Rick enlisted in the Indiana National Guard as a trumpet player while still in high school. He remained in the Band during his time as a student at Ball State and continued to be a member until his retirement 42 years later. During his enlistment he became played Trumpet, Euphonium, and French Horn. Rick served in the Officer Corps in several personnel roles, wrote Equal Opportunity policies while working at the Pentagon, and retired as the Commander and Director of the 38th Division Band.

Rick enjoyed a parallel career in public education as a Band Director, worked as a clinician in several settings, and judged marching bands, concert bands, and instrumental solo contests. He also served as a public school administrator and building level principal.

He retired from teaching and the military in the same year. Shortly afterwards, Rick’s wife of 30 years, Annie, fell victim to cancer in 2004. They had six children. Ten years later Rick married Joyce, who was also widowed and already living in Florida. They were “Snowbirds” until deciding to move to Florida permanently in the fall of 2017.

While Rick played in many community bands in Indiana, he saw a greater opportunity for performing in Florida. Since coming to Florida, Rick has played with:

Central Florida Winds, Central Florida Chamber Winds, Central Florida Brass Choir, Orlando Concert Band, Orlando Brass Sextet, Peacock Wind Ensemble, All Saints Episcopal Church Woodwind Quintet, Heartland Pops, Bartow Adult Community Band, Lakeland Imperial Symphony Orchestra, Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra, Winter Haven Symphony Orchestra, Heatherwood Concert Band, and guest soloist with Central Florida area Churches and Universities.

A native Hoosier, Ruth Ann grew up in Sheridan, Indiana, and after graduating from Butler University with a degree in music, moved to the Mystic, Connecticut area where she worked for many years, both performing and teaching. After receiving an MA from Connecticut College, she continued her education, studying clarinet with Charles Russo, principal clarinetist of the New York City Opera Orchestra, bass clarinet with Cris Inguanti of the Vancouver Symphony (a former student), and conducting with Stanley DeRusha, Director of Winds at the University of Hartford. 

Ruth Ann’s professional music career spanned over forty years, primarily as a clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and the Salt Marsh Opera Orchestra, while enjoying many opportunities to perform with other Connecticut orchestras, chamber music groups throughout New England, and several wind bands.

During her thirty year teaching career she taught all levels of instrumental music, directed the Rockville & Lyme-Old Lyme High School bands, and chaired the Regional District #18 K-12 music and art departments. As an adjunct teacher, she taught the woodwind class and supervised student teachers at the University of Connecticut. She also guest conducted the University of Connecticut Band, many Connecticut Middle and High School Regional Bands, and the Rhode Island All-State Middle School Band. 

Teaching honors included the UConn Excellence in High School Teaching award, CMEA High School Teacher of the Year, and Regional District #18 Teacher of the Year.  She served as President of the New England Music Festival Association, Director of the Hartt Summer Youth Music Program, and Chair of the CMEA Student Affairs Commission and All-State Festival. Ruth Ann was also a co-founder of the Thames Valley Music School in New London, Connecticut, now in its forty-second year.

After retiring from teaching, she was the administrator of the Salt Marsh Opera Company in Stonington, CT. She has served on several non-profit boards including the Connecticut Early Music Society, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Thames Valley and Calvary Music Schools, Orlando Concert Band, and a small eponymous foundation that gives scholarships to instrumental students in the Lyme-Old Lyme school system.

In 2012 she and her husband, Dr. Stephen Heller, and their two Portuguese water dogs, Isa and McCormack, left beautiful but frigid Connecticut for Orlando. In Florida she is happily playing with Central Florida Winds, Orlando Concert Band, and Southern Winds.

Judy is one of CFW's clarinetists/E-flat clarinetists.  Judy's life from the beginning has revolved around music. After completing a degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University, Judy served as Vice President of a full-line musical instrument retailer Colonial Music and later President of JET Music. She also served and retired from the US Army as a clarinetist with the 122nd Ohio Army National Guard Band and the 338th US Army Reserve Band. Judy also played her clarinet with several groups in Ohio, including on multiple international concert tours. Not being content with just selling horns, Judy taught hundreds of young clarinetists and started one of the earliest homeschool bands in the nation to ensure all kids had a chance to make music.

She has been privileged to perform under many of the modern giants of American band music, including Vaclav Nelhybel, Jack Stamp, Frederick Fennell, Francis McBeth, Colonel Arnold Gabriel, Craig Kirchhoff and Donald McGinnis.

Two years ago Judy moved to the sunny shores of Florida. She soon joined several bands and a clarinet quintet, and began teaching lessons to local clarinet students. She thought she had retired, but ever restless, soon found herself working at the marina on Patrick Air/Space Force Base. She also currently serves as the Treasurer of the Association of Military Musicians, after previously serving two terms as its Vice President.

Judy's enthusiastic about furniture refinishing, crafting and sewing, concocting unique adult beverages, Disney World, and traveling the world on Disney Cruise Line. She is an Acromegaly advocate and patient. Judy and her husband, Rob (a retired Army Bandmaster), have two adult children who, of course, are both military musicians.

Debbie Venezia is the piccolo player with Central Florida Winds. She is originally from Hanover Township New Jersey. She studied with Gerald Quinlan while in high school and as an undergraduate at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she received her Bachelor’s in Music Education. She taught in the Ridgewood Public Schools. During those years teaching, she achieved a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. She has studied with Paige Brook of the New York Philharmonic, James, C. Scott, MaryAnn Archer and Michael Parloff, of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. While in New Jersey, she performed with The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Symphony, Tea for Three Trio as well as many solo performances in the NY Metropolitan area. 

In addition to Central Florida Winds, Debbie currently plays with Central Florida Sunshine Flutes, Ascension Sinfonia and Eclectique Flute Trio. She owns Eclectique Productions which provides music for weddings and events. Eclectique also has many educational programs for children and adults and performs throughout Florida. Debbie also teaches privately and through the Central Florida Community Arts Academy. 

Debbie is also an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Central Florida. She has an MDIV from Drew Theological Seminary. She was a facilitator with and was part of the creative team with the Walt Disney Company focusing on University level programs. 

She currently lives in Kissimmee with her husband Ralph, and Maggie a basset hound and Caddie, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi.