The orchestra has made six new appointments across the orchestra, including principal double bass
The Kansas City Symphony has announced the appointment of six new musicians for the 2026/27 season. Landon Honolka joins the Kansas City Symphony as principal double bass, while Yun-Chung Lin and Michael Zogaib join the first violin and double bass sections respectively.
Additionally, the orchestra has appointed Roy Femenella as principal horn, Alejandro Lombo on piccolo and flute and Joon Park on trumpet.
Honolka previously served as principal bass of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra. He was also a member of the double bass section of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and has performed with ensembles including the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Fort Smith Symphony and New Mexico Philharmonic.
A native of Albuquerque, N.M., Honolka began studying the double bass at age 11. His early musical development led him to Oklahoma City University, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree before continuing his studies at the Juilliard School. While at Juilliard, he studied with Joseph Conyers, principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and developed a passion for orchestral performance, chamber music and bass pedagogy.
Lin earned her master’s degree from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Areta Zhulla. She began her musical training in Taiwan and later earned her bachelor’s degree from the Taipei National University of the Arts, where she studied with I-Ching Li. She served as an intern with the Taiwan Philharmonic National Symphony Orchestra and also was awarded full scholarships to the Taipei Music Academy Festival and the Asian Youth Orchestra.
Double bassist Zogaib previously held one-year contracts with the Phoenix Symphony and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Scott Dixon. He completed a Master of Music degree in 2024 from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where he studied with Timothy Pitts.
’We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional musicians to the Kansas City Symphony,’ said Danny Beckley, president & CEO of the Kansas City Symphony.
’They bring extraordinary talent and experience from leading musical institutions around the world, which reflects the growing stature and momentum of our orchestra as we enter our 45th season. We look forward to the artistry our new musicians will bring to the Symphony’s sound and to the many ways they will enrich the musical life of Kansas City.’
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