Team — Aliso Niguel High School Orchestra

Orchestra Staff

Jonathan Chen - Orchestra Director

Mr. Chen is passionate about creating a second family for his students in the orchestra. He is driven to grow and improve the orchestra program every year. He cares deeply about his students and places a strong emphasis on building relationships and creating experiences that will last a lifetime.
Jonathan Chen is a cellist from the University of California, Irvine. He received his BA and Masters at UCI. He has taken his experience in growing a string orchestra program from the Rowland Unified School District to the Capistrano Unified School District. He enjoys exercise and spending time with family and friends.
Crystaline Tran - Violin/Viola String Instructor

Vietnamese-American violinist Crystaline Tran is a native of Southern California who began studying the violin at the age of nine. She has toured and performed in concerts across the globe including cities in Spain, England, Ireland, and Wales. She has most recently performed on stages in Germany and Prague. Crystaline has also played in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Henry and Renee Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
A passionate and dynamic teacher, Crystaline has established a rapidly growing violin studio over the years. Her students have gone to earn top chairs in their respective school ensembles including the Capistrano Unified School District, Saddleback Unified School District, Irvine Unified School District, and Tustin Unified School District.
Crystaline has studied with Andrea Byers and studied chamber music with Joon Sung Joon and Henry Gronnier. She has also studied privately with Iman Khosrowpour and Rocky Lee. She has played in masterclasses for esteemed musicians and pedagogues including Stephen Miahky, Guillaume Sutre, Emmanuel Borok, the Argus Quartet, and Michael Heald. In addition to teaching, she continues to freelance in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. Recent projects have included live performances of original works for major streaming platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon, CBS, and Paramount.
Crystaline earned her B.M. in String Performance while on full scholarship at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (BCCM) at California State University, Long Beach. She is continuing her studies at the BCCM as a graduate student under the tutelage of Moni Simeonov.
Jasmin Cruz - Cello Instructor

Jasmin Cruz, a Bay Area native, is an emerging music educator with a tireless passion for igniting musical curiosity. Jasmin is pursuing a dual Bachelor's in Music at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in Instrumental Music Education and Strings Performance. She contributes her performing skills to the BCCM Symphony at CSULB while under the tutelage of Dr. David Garrett from the LA Philharmonic.
Jasmin's commitment to nurturing musical growth has taken root in her teaching endeavors. With years of experience teaching piano and cello in private settings, she has honed her ability to impart the gift of music to eager learners. After she graduates, her ultimate goal is to become a classroom music educator. In this pursuit, she has already gained valuable experience coaching cello and strings in various Southern California schools, starting in Fall 2022 and continuing with constant dedication.
Brian Slack - Bass Instructor

Brian Slack is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree specializing in double bass performance at California State University, Long Beach. Here, he studies with Douglas Basye, assistant principal double bass of the Pacific Symphony. At the Bob Cole Conservatory, he serves as principal bass of the Symphony Orchestra. Originally, Brian is a native of the city of Diamond Bar.
Brian regularly performs with the American Youth Symphony and has performed with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado during the 2023 summer festival season. His concert engagements have taken him to venues across the country, including the Lincoln Center in New York City and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
In addition to performing, Brian enjoys teaching in various public schools throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County.